Flu and Diet

When most people have the flu, the last thing they want to do is eat. Flu and diet can be compatible, however, if patients opt for the proper foods to help them regain their health.

How Flu and Diet Work Together

It is no secret that healthy eating habits lead to a healthier lifestyle, less prone to illness and disease. Some diseases, however, are so insidious that nearly everyone must suffer through them occasionally, regardless of how carefully they plan their meals. Influenza is one such disease: while a nutritious diet can help lessen the flu’s effects and duration, it cannot usually be avoided entirely. Certain foods, however, can either strengthen the body’s immune system or prolong the unpleasant nausea, fever, aches, and other flu symptoms.

Foods to Eat

While initially most people don’t want to eat when they have the flu, during their recuperation (which may be just a day or two or up to two weeks), healthy foods can help the body detoxify itself for a speedier recovery. While eating should not be forced, certain foods can be beneficial, such as:

Warm broth is a healthy flu food.

• Fresh fruit juice (not heavily sweetened)
• Unsweetened applesauce
• Broth
• Baked or broiled fish (only mildly seasoned)
• Baked, roasted, or broiled chicken (skinless)
• Soups, especially chicken or vegetable soup
• Citrus fruits

Liquids – soups, juices, and water – are especially important for flu and diet because they will help keep the body hydrated. Dehydration makes the body more susceptible to additional ailments, and increasing the patient’s fluid intake will help keep them more comfortable as well, along with flushing larger amounts of toxins from the body. Warm liquids, especially, are thought to be beneficial because they increase the temperature of the throat and help inhibit the virus’s growth. Furthermore, digesting liquids takes less energy, allowing the body more strength for combating the illness.

Vitamins, while not exactly a food, are especially important for a flu-fighting diet. Because dietary intake is limited during illness, vitamins are necessary to help individuals get the essential nutrients and minerals they need to stay healthy – or regain their health. Vitamin C and zinc are particularly recommended for flu sufferers to help reduce congestion, relieve watery eyes, and shorten the disease’s duration.

Foods to Avoid

One mistake many patients make with flu and diet is allowing themselves to indulge in any comfort food they want while sick (once they feel like eating again), because after all, it makes them feel better. In actuality, however, many foods can slow recovery because they accentuate the symptoms of the disease and fail to provide the necessary nutrition for better health. Foods flu sufferers should avoid include:

• Any junk food with empty calories – candy, soda, etc.
• Excessive sweeteners such as sugar.
• Alcohol, coffee, or tea – these lead to dehydration.
• Fried foods or spicy foods – these can upset the stomach further.
• Cheese, milk, butter, and other dairy products – these will thicken the nose and throat mucus, giving the virus a better breeding ground.
• Excessive salt – this will also dehydrate the body.

Flu and Exercise

The first thing many people give up when they are ill is exercise, but mild exertion can be very beneficial when recovering from the flu. Naturally, individuals who are very weak or suffering harsh cases should conserve their strength as much as possible, but brief bouts of gentle exercise can stimulate blood flow. This will help flush even more toxins from the body, as well as help the patient regain their strength and stamina more quickly. Exercises that individuals recovering from the flu might want to attempt are:

• Short walks – no hikes or jogging, and if walking outdoors, clothing should be appropriate.
• Yoga – the stretches and poses can gently help recondition the body.
• Swimming – light exertions in a buoyant environment can be refreshing.

The mental effects of light exercise can also be beneficial as the flu sufferer sees their recovery progress and allows time for their bed to be aired and cleaned while they exercise. Exercise periods, however, should be brief and not strain the patient’s recovery.

When You Don’t Want to Eat

Influenza virus under magnification.

It is perfectly natural to think that the terms flu and diet can’t go together. Even the most nutritious and beneficial foods should not be forced on a flu sufferer, and in fact a short period of initial fasting can help speed the body’s recovery because all its energy is concentrated toward fighting the illness. When the patient feels hungry again and wants to eat, meals should be kept bland and small at first to be certain their body can handle the food again.

Losing Weight with the Flu

One fad diet that rears its head in desperation every flu season is the idea that deliberately contracting the flu can help patients lose weight. While this is certainly true – you will undoubtedly lose weight if you eat nothing and vomit regularly because you are ill – this is an exceedingly dangerous approach to weight loss. Experiencing the flu weakens the body’s immune system, leaving it vulnerable to additional infections and negative reactions, and this type of quick weight loss is not healthy. Furthermore, even if an individual were to drop a few pounds while ill, they would not have the healthy glow of someone with a fit physique – instead, they would be pasty and weak, and far more likely to regain even more weight once they’d recovered.

Flu and diet are not mutually exclusive – choosing the proper diet as well as knowing what foods to avoid while ill can help patients speed their recovery from this undesirable yet nearly unavoidable disease.