Schools have started, which also means that early autumn flu season has arrived, at least here in Finland. Taking care of hygiene, especially washing your hands, is the key for staying healthy during flu seasons. However, no matter how scrupulous you are with your hygiene rituals, you may end up catching an illness. I remember that as a child having a little cold was actually quite nice (at least in the beginning when you didn't feel like you were going to die), you got to stay at home, watch the TV and everything was brought to you. As an adult things have changed quite a lot. We have duties, we have to go grocery shopping, clean, and at least I don't want to fall behind with my studies just for being sick! Therefore, if you catch a cold or flu, you want to maximize your chances to get over the infection.
Everything I’m going to say may be crystal clear for you, but real life has shown me that the way you can affect your healing process with nutrition comes as a surprise to many. Therefore, it’s a topic worth writing about. When feeling terrible you may feel like comforting yourself with chocolate and ice cream, but are they really doing anything good for you? Since nutrition and eating are my favorite topics to talk about, let's have a look what you should and should not be eating while being sick.
Flu or Cold
You’re having a flu or just fewer, and all you want to do is lie under the duvet, watch the TV, and eat chocolate. You may not have appetite for real food, instead you want some sweets. However, sweets are the last thing you should be eating. In this kind of situation, you should at least try to eat healthy, nutrient-rich foods, fruits and vegetables, which may make you feel better, and facilitate the healing process. You can try to include garlic, ginger and citrus fruits and berries rich in vitamin C in relatively high amounts into your diet while you're sick. Those food items may relieve the symptoms and make your immune system fight harder against the pathogen, resulting in you getting better faster. Moreover, if you're struggling with swallowing or simply don’t feel disgusted about eating anything, you could try eating soups, which are a lot easier get down.
Stomach flu
You’re terribly ill, having stomach flu etc. and have no appetite whatsoever. In this situation, the very first thing to do is making sure that you’re drinking enough, since you’re losing plenty of water. Smoothies, juices, broths and soups are good choices, they’ll give you both liquids and energy, without forgetting the nutrients. If you’re vomiting and feeling really sick, don’t force yourself into eating solid foods. They’ll only come up quicker than they went down. However, if you’re able to get something down, eating something easy, bananas for instance, can be a good idea. Bananas don’t have a powerful taste or smell, so they probably won’t make you terribly nauseous. Moreover, bananas contain fiber, which may help with diarrhea, if that’s one symptom you’re suffering from. Remember that when you're sick, your body is fighting hard against the pathogen, so trying to get some energy in is vital!
One thing to stay away from always when you’re sick is alcohol. Alcohol will only worsen your symptoms. It’s no good for the functions of your immune system, and it can react with the medication you’re taking. For example, if you’re taking paracetamol (painkiller affecting the central nervous system) and drinking alcohol simultaneously, there's a greater risk of damaging your liver. Other painkillers, such as ibuprofen or aspirin may damage your digestive tract if taken with alcohol. Additionally, when you’re sick, you’re most likely already struggling with staying hydrated, so you don’t want to drink anything dehydrating, especially alcohol.
Take home message:
Being sick can make you lose your appetite, but eating nutritious foods filled with vitamins and minerals, liquid or solid, can help your body to heal quicker.
What do you eat when you're sick? 🤒
-Jasmin ❤