What should you eat when you're feeling sick, and what foods should you avoid?
If you have an upset stomach or sore throat, food might be the last thing on your mind. But skipping meals might only make you feel worse.
"Often times when our body is fighting off any sort of illness or infection, our nutritional needs become elevated," explained Sarah Harbeck, a registered and licensed dietician at M Health Fairview.
So, what should you eat if you're dealing with nausea?
"I always like to preface that whenever we're dealing with any sort of (gastrointestinal) distress or any sort of illness kind of located in the gut, we want to make sure that we're getting in food that are not going to exacerbate any of the inflammation that's already going on," said Harbeck.
She suggest people follow the BRAT diet.
BRAT stands for:
- Bananas
- Rice
- Applesauce
- Toast
"They're pretty bland. Especially if we have decreased appetite on top of things, they can be a little bit easier to get in," she said, adding that the BRAT foods break down easily while giving people needed calories.
What should you eat if you're dealing with a cold or the flu?
Harbeck said there's no specific diet for a cold or upper respiratory sickness. Instead, people should focus on nutrient dense foods and staying hydrated.
Fruits and vegetables are best along with plenty of liquids, since dehydration can make symptoms worse. As for drinks, water tops her list. Next would be drinks with electrolytes, like Pedialyte.
"I'm a huge proponent of things like herbal tea and that's because again, we maybe try something like ginger tea, add some honey for calories and anti-microbials," said Harbeck.
Why is soup often a popular choice when sick? If it's a soup with a broth, then it covers the hydration need. Harbeck said soups often have vegetables and proteins in them, both of which have necessary nutrients when sick. They're also easy to digest, and the warmth can be soothing.
Speaking of foods to avoid, Harbeck's list includes:
- Alcohol: weakens your immune system
- Caffeine: can prevent you from getting needed rest
- High fat foods: can further irritate your gut
- Processed foods: not enough nutrients like vegetables or fruits
Rather than seeking out healthy foods when sick, Harbeck would prefer people make them a regular part of their diet ahead of time.
"The more we can try to really hit our nutritional needs in our normal every day (diet), the more we're equipping our immunity to really fight off any illness or infection before it can exacerbate into something that would maybe develop symptoms," she said.
