Brenda Khan
When you're feeling under the weather, it's important to listen to your body and prioritize your health. The famous saying feed a cold, starve a fever has some truth to it, as eating nutritious foods can help combat a cold virus, while fasting may help the body fight fever-related infections. However, a sudden drop in energy from crash dieting can weaken your immune system, making you more susceptible to illness. So, is it okay to diet while sick? The answer is a resounding no. Your body needs fuel to fight off infections and recover, so it's crucial to eat well and ensure you're getting enough protein, calories, vitamins, and minerals. Chicken soup, broths, leafy greens, and salmon are excellent choices when you're unwell, providing essential nutrients and electrolytes while being gentle on your digestive system. Remember, a couple of days of eating extra calories won't ruin your diet, and your health should always come first.
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What You'll Learn
Eating enough calories when sick
When you're sick, eating may be the last thing on your mind. However, eating enough calories and getting proper nutrition are important for managing your illness and its symptoms. Here are some tips to ensure you're eating enough calories when sick:
Eat Calorie-Dense Foods
To increase your calorie intake, focus on consuming calorie-dense foods. This includes foods like peanut butter, which you can spread on sandwiches, vegetables, or fruits like carrots or apples. You can also add butter or margarine to your cooked meals or top vegetables with melted cheese or a cream sauce. Additionally, mix whole milk or half-and-half with canned soups to boost the calorie content.
Increase Protein Intake
Ensure you're getting enough protein by adding protein supplements to yogurt, milkshakes, fruit smoothies, or pudding. Chicken soup is another excellent source of protein and calories, along with essential vitamins and minerals. Salmon is also a good option, providing high-quality protein and healthy fats, including omega-3 fatty acids, which can help reduce inflammation.
Consume Healthy Fats
Avocados are a great choice when you're sick due to their healthy fats, such as oleic acid, which can help decrease inflammation and support immune function. Leafy green vegetables like spinach, romaine lettuce, and kale are also packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber. You can add spinach to an omelet for a nutrient-rich, high-protein meal.
Eat Small, Frequent Meals
Instead of sticking to traditional mealtimes, eat when you're hungry. Try eating 5-6 small meals throughout the day instead of 3 large ones. Keep healthy, calorie-dense snacks readily available. This will ensure you're getting enough calories even if your appetite is diminished.
Stay Hydrated
Along with consuming enough calories, staying hydrated is crucial when you're sick. Chicken soup is an excellent source of fluids and electrolytes, especially if you're at risk of dehydration due to diarrhea, vomiting, sweating, or fever. Bananas are another good option, as they are rich in potassium, a key electrolyte, and they also provide fast-acting carbs and soluble fiber.
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The importance of protein
When sick, it is important to get enough protein and calories to prevent weight loss and help your body handle the illness and its symptoms. Chicken soup, for example, is a great source of protein and has been used for generations to help with sickness. The chicken contains the amino acid cysteine, which has antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects. Bone broths are also rich in amino acids and collagen, which may promote faster recovery.
Salmon is another excellent source of protein when sick, as it is soft, easy to eat, and full of high-quality protein and omega-3 fatty acids that have anti-inflammatory effects. Salmon is also a good source of vitamin D, which plays a critical role in immune function.
If you are feeling up to it, exercise can help curb some of the side effects of being sick. Working out can help build muscle, which has been linked to the effectiveness of the body's T-cells, which fight chronic infections. However, it is important to listen to your body and not push yourself too hard, as this can impede your recovery and put you at risk of injury.
Protein supplements can be added to yogurt, milkshakes, fruit smoothies, or pudding to help increase your protein intake. It is also beneficial to consume plenty of Vitamin C, healthy carbohydrates, and fluids. Electrolytes are especially important if you are at risk of dehydration due to illness.
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Balanced diets and supplements
When sick, it is important to eat a balanced diet that provides your body with the nutrients it needs to recover. A healthy diet is critical for helping your body fight off illness. Your body may need larger quantities of certain nutrients while recovering from an illness.
A balanced diet should include a variety of nutrient-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and healthy fats. Leafy green vegetables such as spinach, romaine lettuce, and kale are packed with vitamins, minerals, and fibre, and are good sources of plant-based iron, vitamin C, vitamin K, and folate. Avocados are another great source of healthy fats, which can help reduce inflammation and support immune function. Salmon is an excellent source of protein and vitamins, including vitamin D, which is critical for immune function.
In addition to a balanced diet, certain supplements can help support your immune system and promote recovery when sick. Vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc, selenium, and iron are all important nutrients for a fully functioning immune system. Zinc supplements, for example, can help support the immune system and reduce inflammation, while vitamin C supplements can help curb diseases and infections. Turmeric supplements have powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects that can aid in recovery from respiratory illness. However, it is important to consult with a healthcare provider before taking any supplements to ensure they are safe and will not interact with any medications or health conditions.
It is also important to stay hydrated when sick, as your body needs adequate fluids to function properly. Chicken soup is an excellent source of fluids, vitamins, minerals, calories, and protein, and it may also have anti-inflammatory effects that can help the respiratory system. Bone broths are another good source of fluids and electrolytes, collagen, and amino acids, which can promote faster recovery.
If you are struggling to eat enough while sick, try eating smaller meals more frequently and keeping healthy snacks on hand. Adding extra calories to your food with butter, margarine, cream sauce, or cheese can also help you get the energy you need.
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Foods to eat when sick
When you're feeling under the weather, eating well is one of the best ways to support your recovery. Eating a balanced diet of nutritious foods can help you feel better, get better faster, and stay hydrated as you recover. Here are some foods that can help when you're sick:
Chicken Soup
Chicken soup has been a go-to for sickness for generations, and for good reason. It's an easy-to-eat source of vitamins, minerals, calories, and protein, which your body may need in larger quantities while recovering from an illness. Chicken soup is also a rich source of fluids and electrolytes, helping to prevent dehydration, especially if you're experiencing diarrhea, vomiting, sweating, or fever. The amino acid cysteine in chicken has antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects.
Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are nutrient-dense foods, packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and fluids, which are crucial for healing and supporting your immune system. Fruits high in vitamin C, like oranges, grapefruits, strawberries, blueberries, and citrus fruits, are excellent choices when sick. Leafy green vegetables such as spinach, romaine lettuce, and kale are also packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber and are good sources of plant-based iron, vitamin C, vitamin K, and folate.
Bananas
Bananas are soft, bland, and rich in nutrients and fast-acting carbs. They help replenish your body's electrolyte stores, as potassium is one of the key electrolytes your body needs. Bananas also contain soluble fiber, which can help reduce diarrhea by reducing free water in your digestive tract.
Probiotic Dairy
Research suggests that probiotic dairy products like yogurt can help both children and adults get sick less often, heal faster, and take fewer antibiotics. Yogurt contains beneficial probiotics or strains of bacteria that can provide health benefits.
Salmon
Salmon is a great source of high-quality protein, which your body needs for recovery. It is also rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which have strong anti-inflammatory effects, and vitamins and minerals, including vitamin D, which plays a critical role in immune function.
In addition to these specific foods, it's important to stay hydrated and get enough calories and protein when you're sick. Eating smaller meals throughout the day and adding healthy fats and calories to your meals can help ensure you're getting adequate nutrition. Remember to listen to your body and seek advice from a healthcare professional if needed.
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Fasting with a fever
The idea of "feed a cold, starve a fever" has been debunked by experts. Fasting while sick with a fever is generally not recommended. Your body needs nutrition to fight illness, and your immune system needs to be well hydrated to work at its best. Food is always helpful when you're sick, and it's important to maintain good nutrition.
However, some people claim that fasting can help heal infections, and some research in animals supports this. Short periods of fasting may support healthy immune function by promoting immune cell production and regeneration and limiting inflammation. Intermittent fasting may also be effective for weight loss and have positive effects on insulin resistance and blood sugar levels.
If you do choose to fast while sick with a fever, it's important to stay well hydrated with water, tea, juice, broth, chicken soup, or other preferred fluids. You can also add calories to your fluids by mixing whole milk or half-and-half with canned soups, or honey to juices.
If you have a fever higher than 100.4°F, it’s best to consult your primary care provider. Additionally, people with chronic conditions or who take medications regularly should consult a medical professional before fasting.
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Frequently asked questions
No, it is not advisable to diet while sick. Your body needs the energy to fight off illness. Eating well can help you handle your illness and its side effects better.
Chicken soup is a go-to for sickness as it is an easy-to-eat source of vitamins, minerals, calories, and protein. Broths are also an excellent source of fluid and electrolytes. Avocados, salmon, and leafy green vegetables are also good sources of vitamins and minerals.
Eat when you are hungry, not just at mealtimes. Eat 5 or 6 small meals a day instead of 3 large ones. Keep healthy snacks handy.
Avoid very low food intake as it can lower your body's defences against specific pathogens.
