Foods to Avoid Eating when You are Sick: Best Ways to Keep Away Flu!

Foods to avoid eating when you are sick are essentials to know, so you will know what the foods you should consider when you are feeling unwell are. But how will you know if the meals are good for your health?

Foods to avoid eating when you are sick are among those healthy foods that have healthy benefits depending on what illness you are feeling. Of course, some foods are good sources of vitamins and nutrients that you are deficient in.

Frequent colds and other seasonal illnesses because of change in weather should be addressed with proper medications and self-care. Self-care begins with the food you are eating and the hours of sleep you have daily. Personal hygiene is also one of the factors to strengthen your immune system.

For instance, when you catch the flu virus, you have to make sure that you can stop it from spreading and mutating in your body. You should know how to get some additional remedies aside from OTC medicines.

Despite the foods to avoid eating when you are sick, here are the proper foods that you can eat. From soup to fruits to vegetables, you can pick your choice to alleviate your sickness.

Quick Essential Foods when You are Ill

When you are feeling ill, you can have chicken soup or a broth-based soup that will give you extra energy. It is one of the foods that was considered years ago by physicians who have inflammation problems.

What are the secret ingredients of chicken soup? There are no hidden ingredients in chicken soup. It only contains the amino acid, the cysteine, which helps in thinning mucus in the lungs. According to research, it inhibits neutrophil migration to prevent infection for patients with symptomatic upper respiratory tract infection. The hot and steamy broth that moisten nasal passages prevent dehydration and fight inflammation, especially in the throat. Now you have all the answers to why chicken soup.

Aside from chicken soup, one of your choices is eating citrus fruits. Vitamin C from fruits can reduce the length or the severity of colds. Oranges, lemons, grapefruits, and limes are good sources of vitamin C because of the high dosage it contains. It also helps in the speedy recovery of your body from colds and flu.

You can also add the garlic in your list of healthy foods when you are sick. Garlic is one of the essential ingredients when you are cooking. But others are using garlic for medical purposes. With combinations of other herbs, garlic has therapeutic effects like antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal.  It is proven for many centuries, and now you can rely on this method to fight flu and other diseases.

When it comes to the immune system, bananas will give you antioxidants and soluble fiber which can relieve your stomach for any gastrointestinal illnesses.

The combination of chicken soup, garlic and banana can enhance your immune system and increase the chances of your recovery.

Worst Foods to Avoid Eating When You are Sick

When there are healthy foods, there are also foods to avoid when you are sick. Yes, some foods can make you feel ill.

High in Fat

Foods that are high in fat or fatty foods like fries, burgers, and pizzas are challenging to digest. When you are ill, you should stop eating this kind of food, especially when you have the flu. The virus tends to live longer in your body when you eat too many fatty foods.

Dairy and Sweet Foods

How accurate is that dairy foods can thicken the mucus? Though there are no clear studies about dairy on promoting mucus production, the best way to keep on the safe side is to avoid eating dairy foods. Skip the milk and other products just to make sure that your mucus is thinner as it should be.

For sweet foods, it can suppress the immune system and can cause inflammation. Artificial sugar found in some foods like doughnuts, pastries, and cereals, can block the nutrients which may help your body to recover.

So if you are feeling ill or experiencing some flu symptoms, these are the foods to avoid eating when you are sick.

Foods that Cause Gas and Bloating

When feeling ill, like having diarrhea, there are foods that you need to avoid. The upset stomach has many reasons, and it is better to see your doctor if you cannot stop it by eating some healthy foods and first aid remedies. Healthy foods that you should eat are bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. You can also eat oatmeal, boiled potatoes, and baked chicken.

But the foods to avoid eating when you are sick include sugarless candy or any other food with artificial sweeteners. These foods are indigestible and can trigger diarrhea. You can also add to your list the onions, broccoli, cabbages, and beans. It can aggravate your stomach, especially when eaten with alcohol and caffeine beverages.

Starchy Foods Cause Sore/ Irritation of Throat

When you have a sore throat, some foods can trigger irritation in your throat. To prevent this illness, you should avoid hot liquids and starchy foods such as potato chips, nuts, and granola. You may also skip drinking acidic juices from fresh fruits and vegetables. Orange, grape, and lemonade can trigger the irritation of your throat.

So what are the best foods to eat when you have a sore throat? Sometimes, sore throat is caused by bacterial infection when you have oral problems. And this is the reason why proper hygiene is crucial so you can prevent the occurrence of illnesses.

Now, what are the foods to eat to prevent or cure a sore throat? You can drink peppermint, lukewarm if possible. It has analgesic and anesthetic effects. Also, you can add organic honey for the inflammation that may develop in your throat. Some recipes that are good for your sore throat are cream soups, mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs, and custard.

Too much Alcohol and Caffeine

When you drink too much alcohol or caffeine, you are dehydrating yourself, which is one of the reasons why your body aches. Body aches have many factors, and one of these is not drinking enough fluids. So to prevent body aches, you can opt for healthy foods like magnesium and calcium foods such as bananas, nuts, beans, and leafy greens.

It goes the same when you have headaches. However, other foods to avoid eating when you are sick or have a headache include artificial sweeteners, MSG found in processed foods, chocolate, red wine, and dried foods. These foods can increase blood pressure, which results in headaches.

The best way to cope with headaches is to eat healthy foods and drink more fluids. You can tell if you are just dehydrated after 20 minutes, you drink, and you feel better. Otherwise, you should look for other remedies like ointment or prescribed medicines.

Foods Causing Runny Nose

When you have a runny nose, there are plenty of reasons why you have it. It may be a sign or symptom of a common cold. Do not let it worsen and turn into flu. The best way to fight it is by drinking warm tea that can soothe your nostrils and makes you feel better. Ginger tea can give antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties that can help clear up your nose. The foods to avoid eating when you are sick or have a runny nose are spicy foods.

Our Insights

With all the illnesses and diseases, one way to prevent them from getting it is by doing personal hygiene. The virus that causes irritation and inflammation of blood vessels in your nose to make you hard to breathe. Also, maintaining cleanliness around you is one of the factors so you can prevent from having colds or flu. So to stay healthy, foods to avoid eating when you are sick are essentials, but you should know proper hygiene and cleanliness of surroundings.