Easy And Delicious Mac And Cheese Recipes For When Youre Under The Weather
Theres nothing quite like a warm bowl of mac and cheese when youre feeling under the weather. The cheesy goodness is comforting and satisfying, and its usually pretty easy to make.
Nutritionists often recommend eating complex carbohydrates when youre sick because they help to boost your energy levels and improve your mood.
If youre looking for some delicious inspiration, check out these five recipes. Theyre all easy to make and absolutely delicious.
What Should I Eat In The Morning When Sick
- Cold foods such as smoothies and yogurt.
- Cool, bubbly drinks such as fruit-flavored carbonated water.
- Easy-to-digest foods such as crackers, toast, and rice.
- Fruit such as bananas and applesauce.
- Ginger ale with real ginger, ginger tea with fresh grated ginger, or ginger candies.
Are Eggs Good When You Are Sick
When youre recovering from a cold or flu and dont have much energy, eggs are probably about the easiest and fastest food to whip together. Make sure to keep the yolks inthats where the vitamin D is. Two eggs have 160 IU of vitamin D. Eggs also contain zinc, a mineral that helps keep your immune system kicking.
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The Best Hot Soup Recipes For When Youre Feeling Ill
Theres a reason that hot soup has always been a go-to food to eat while sick. A piping hot bowl of soup can quickly soothe a sore throat as well as warm up an aching cold body from the inside out. Plus, hot soup is pretty easy to make.
Its easy to make and can be tailored to your specific taste. I like to add tabasco and cayenne to mine. Plus, the steam from the soup can help clear your sinuses!
The Most Important Thing To Feed Your Child When They Are Sick
Jennifer Anderson, MSPH, RDN
About Kids Eat in Color
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Ive lived through 2 kids in daycare. It was fun!
Okay, Im lying. They were sick all the time! And they were even in a really tiny daycare. I also grew up in a big family. Which, means, I was sick all the time as a kid too!
Whether youre dealing with sick kids from daycare, sick kids from school, or sick kids from licking the airport floor , its hard to watch our babies be so sick.
Its also hard to know what to feed sick kids. Every culture has its own way of feeding kids when they are sick. Different doctors may prescribe different diets. Plus, it really depends what they are sick with. Do they have a fever? Are they throwing up? Diarrhea fun anyone? What foods even stop diarrhea??
Basically, real healthy food will help your child recover the quickest. I dont feed my kids whatever just to get them to eat when they are sick. I continue to make the same food I would normally make, but I include more hydrating foods. I also dont pressure them to eat. I stick with the same no-pressure rule that I always have.
Keep reading for more information about how and what to feed a sick kid.
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Exercise First Thing In The Morning
If youre the type of person who finds eating breakfast to be a challenge, you might want to try incorporating exercise into your morning routine. This could be as simple as taking a walk, or you could choose a more rigorous activity such as running or weightlifting. Exercise not only gets your blood flowing and your metabolism firing, but it also releases endorphins in your body which can help to calm you down and reduce stress. Exercise can be an excellent way to get your whole system up and running for the day, and can help to curb appetite and cravings throughout the day. If you struggle with overeating at breakfast, choosing an activity that helps to calm you down may be a helpful way to get those cravings under control.
Eat Foods Rich With Vitamin C But Avoid Acidic Drinks
Eating or drinking vitamin C unfortunately wont prevent you from getting a cold. However, citrus foods like oranges, limes, lemons, and grapefruits that are rich with Vitamin C can be a great boost to your immune system to fight the common cold. For many individuals, its been proven to reduce the severity and duration of cold symptoms.
But if its a stomach flu that has you under the weather, the high acidity in some of these fruits and juices can aggravate stomach pain. So hold back on the orange juice if you do find it upsetting your stomach or if you have been vomiting.
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Vitamin Ccontaining Fruits And Vegetables
Vitamin C is an important nutrient to help boost your immune system, which is especially important when youre sick.
Your body absorbs nutrients like vitamin C more effectively from the foods you eat. Foods high in vitamin C include:
- red or green pepper
Though you can also take a vitamin C supplement.
Why Is This A Healthy Breakfast
The fruit is not a token sprinkle, nor a decorative touch. The fruit makes up the bulk of this meal. Theres fiber in the fruit, and plant sugars in their natural form, not to mention healthy fat in the nuts, and protein in the yogurt. A low-sugar yogurt will leave us feeling more satisfied, for longer. We wont get the insulin spike that triggers hunger pangs .
If you want to step it up a notch, ditch the dairy. We can get plenty of calcium and other vitamins from leafy greens and other veggies. Personally, Im not there yet, as I love yogurt, and have weighed the added benefits of my beloved creamy protein and probiotics against the recognized risks of regular consumption of animal products. So, I limit my intake of animal products as much as I can, and enjoy my daily morning yogurt.
Enjoy!
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Youre Probably Eating The Wrong Things At Breakfast
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but it doesnt mean all breakfasts are created equal. You could easily be ruining your day by eating the wrong things for breakfast. If youre eating something high in sugar and fat, youre setting yourself up for a crash later in the day. If youre a big fan of cereal, you might want to rethink that habit. A lot of cereals are packed with sugar, which will make you crash and crave more sugar later in the day. Try eating something thats high in protein and fiber, instead.
Feed A Cold Starve A Fever
You know that old saying Feed a cold, starve a fever? A 2016 study at Yale found that, yes, eating may help fight viral infections and fasting may help combat bacterial infections. Wang A, et al. . Opposing effects of fasting metabolism on tissue tolerance in bacterial and viral inflammation. DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2016.07.026
But hang on a sec. Its worth noting that the study was done on listeria- and influenza-infected mice, not humans. Also, the subjects were force-fed glucose , an ingredient on our list of no-nos below. So until more research is done, we cant tell you for sure either way.
But what we do know is that when youre sick, your body needs at least some nourishment. No matter how awful you feel, its important to stick to a regular eating schedule because consuming fewer calories than normal can restrict your bodys ability to heal.
We recommend eating small, frequent portions of food. Listen to your body to determine when youre actually hungry. This makes it easier to maintain a steady supply of fuel while your body recovers.
The best foods on this list will keep you hydrated, give your body extra energy, and provide nutrients to help you stay strong, all without aggravating your upset stomach or clogged-up respiratory system.
Next time youre feeling under the weather, try incorporating some of these foods into your diet to experience a quicker or at least more comfortable recovery.
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Foods That Fight Nausea During Pregnancy
1. Scrambled Egg
The scrambled egg breakfast burrito is a great option for anyone experiencing morning sickness. The scrambled eggs are full of protein, which will help keep your pregnancy nausea at bay.
Eggs are an excellent source of protein, which can help you feel full faster and make you feel better in the long run.
2. Oatmeal
Oatmeal packs a lot of fiber, which will help you feel full, and will help you avoid blood sugar spikes and crashes. If youre craving something sweet, you can get a healthy dose of whole grains from a bowl of breakfast dry cereal.
3. Porridge
Rice Krispies, granola, or porridge with your favorite fruit spread can be a great breakfast. Dont forget your ginger ale or other non-carbonated drink to keep your stomach feeling good.
4. Banana
The best thing to eat for morning sickness is bananas. Bananas contain potassium which helps balance blood pressure and reduces nausea.
5. Toast
Eating toast for breakfast may help ease morning sickness. Studies show that eating bread helps reduce nausea during pregnancy.
But, it is essential to note that overeating bread can cause constipation. So eat just one slice of toast per day.
6. Fruits
Eating fruits for breakfast is great because they contain vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants. It helps fight off morning sickness.
The best fruit to eat for breakfast is watermelon because it contains vitamin C, which helps prevent nausea. Other fruits include bananas, oranges, apples, strawberries, peaches, and pears.
What To Do If You Catch A Cold
In addition to foods and drinks that improve your immune system before you become sick, it’s important to drink plenty of fluids when you catch a cold. Water replenishes the fluid you’re losing through your lungs every time you cough, as well as from losses due to sweating.
As far as what to avoid when you’re sick, steer clear of foods that may fuel inflammation or stress your immune system. Those foods include refined sugar, processed foods , conventional dairy and meat, caffeine, and alcohol.
Of course, get plenty of sleep and rest, and don’t feel guilty about taking the time you need to recover. Trying to maintain the status quo while you have a cold can infect others and prolong your own illness.
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Your Entire Body Aches
Foods that ease muscle aches depend on the specific reason for the body aches, said Kristine Arthur, MD, an internist at Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California. “For general muscle aches, food containing magnesium or calcium may help ease soreness,” Dr. Arthur said.
Best foods: Good magnesium sources include green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, dried beans, and whole grains. Meanwhile, foods high in calcium include canned salmon, yogurt, leafy greens, and orange juice fortified with calcium.
Worst foods: Anything that dehydrates you can worsen muscle aches, said Dr. Arthur, particularly alcohol and caffeine.
The Immune System: A Primer
Intricate, complex, amazing: Thats the human immune system.
Standing guard throughout every part of our bodies, it protects us from the hordes of germs, fungi, and viruses that threaten to tear us apart.
In fact, when we eat, our immune systems get into the act from the very first moment we pop the food into our mouths.
Bet you didnt know that your saliva contains powerful antimicrobials like lysozyme, alpha-amylase, and lactoferrin!
And these antimicrobials are only the basic, front line defense. Any germs that sneak past will confront a much more formidable barrier: our stomachs hydrochloric acid.
Corrosive enough to remove the rust from steel, hydrochloric acid will pulverize most invaders in our stomachs before they can reach our intestines.
If our stomach acids lose the battle, we also have proteins and chemical compounds further down the digestive chain that can sense and fight any harmful bacteria that may have made it past.
Finally, our own personal bacterial population help prevent harmful bacteria from entering our bloodstream or taking root in our small intestine and colon.
The foods we eat affect these bacteria and the complex compounds they release.
Nutrient-dense, fiber-rich whole foods tend to promote a healthy bacterial balance, whereas a diet rich in processed foods, fats and sugars can lead to dysbiosis otherwise known as microbial imbalance.
Thats why a balanced whole foods diet is your best insurance against all kinds of viruses and infections.
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What You Can Do Right Now
To prevent getting sick:
- maintain a healthy body weight
- wash your hands
- eat plenty of nutrient-dense foods
- feed your healthy bacteria
For some, periodic fasting might also be useful.
Also, consider supplementing vitamin D, probiotics, and a wide-spectrum food-based vitamin/mineral supplement.
But recognize that if youre not eating a balanced, whole food diet, supplementing with probiotics wont do a lot of good. An isolated supplement cant fix a broken diet. Address your diet first.
If youre already feeling sick:
- drink lots of fluids
- rest and recover
- supplement with pre- and probiotics
- use immune-boosting supplements
And above all, listen to your body cues.
If youre hungry, eat. If not, dont. Either way, Super Shakes may come in handy.
In the end, no matter how well you manage your nutrition, exercise, sleep, and stress, you will get sick sometimes. We all do.
Dont be a hero and pretend youre not. Instead, take the steps outlined here to get back on your feet as quickly as possible.
OConnor A. The claim. Starve a cold, feed a fever. NY Times. February 13, 2007.
Pae M, et al. The role of nutrition in enhancing immunity with aging. Aging and Disease 2012 3:91-129.
Personal Correspondence . Alwyn Cosgrove. May 26th 2014.
Personal Correspondence . Bryan Walsh, ND. May 26th 2014.
Personal Correspondence . Dean Somerset, CEP, CSCS, MSED. May 27th 2014.
Prasad AS. Discovery of human zinc deficiency: Its impact on human health and disease. Adv Nutr 2013 4:176-190.
They May Not Cure An Existing Bout Of Sneezing Coughing And Fatigue But These Foods And Drinks Can Reduce The Symptoms Of Your Next Cold
When you’re sick with a common cold, the idea of eating or drinking anything may be the opposite of appetizing. However, there are foods and drinks that can offer some relief from the dreadful symptoms of a coldincluding a runny nose, incessant cough, and fatigue, among others. They can even help strengthen your immune system, helping you feel better sooner rather than later.
Although, per the Johns Hopkins Medicine Health Library, most foods and drinks that have immune-boosting qualities will not cure an existing cold. So, how can some ingredients help reduce the severity and length of your next cold?
Here are simple ways to incorporate 12 cold-fighting foods and drinks into your diet to prevent severe symptoms during your next bout of the common cold.
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Drink Hot Tea But Avoid Caffeinated Drinks
For the reasons mentioned above, drinking hot tea is another good choice of drink when you have a cold or stuffy nose. Hot ginger tea can help soothe a sore throat and clear your nose like hot chicken soup. Ginger is also a great food for calming an upset stomach. Green tea is another option with antioxidants to help relieve some of your cold symptoms.
Stick with hot teas that have lower caffeine levels, though. If youre trying to stay hydrated on caffeinated drinks like soda or coffee, these drinks may be having the opposite effect. Caffeine can actually dehydrate your body quicker. The high levels of sodium in a lot of these drinks can also negatively affect your immune systems ability to fight back against a virus or bacteria.
