What should you eat when you are ill and recovering from illness

When you’re ill or recovering from illness it’s important to feed yourself with nutritious foods that will aid your recovery. The immune system has a large energy requirement and it’s critical that it has enough nutrient to fuel it, for a speedy and full recovery.

When you fall sick taking care of yourself becomes more important than ever, and one of the biggest things within your control is what you eat.

Let’s look at what you should and shouldn’t be eating when you’re sick.

Eat:

Nutritious foods – Common sense foods that you know are good for you. Fruits and vegetables, meat and fish are always going to be the best foods, whether you’re sick of not.

Light and easy to digest – Digesting food requires a lot of energy and you don’t want to detract that energy from the immune system. Keep your meals light and easy to digest. Avoid heavy starches.

High nutrient density – You body needs as many nutrients as it can get. Focus on highly nutrient dense foods that are giving your body as many vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients as possible.

Avoid:

Sugar – Sugar will repress the immune system and is the last thing you want to be eating when you are sick. Even if you feel like you need an energy pick-me-up, try to avoid sugar and opt instead to say hydrated and eat nutritious food.

Dense meals – As mentioned, you want to keep the load on your digestive system light so that the body can focus all it’s energy on the immune system and fighting the illness.

Hydrate:

Hydration is more important than ever when you are sick. Every single cell in your body needs enough water and electrolytes to work efficiently. Failing to stay properly hydrated will slow the recovery process and inhibit your immune system.

Make sure you drink plenty of fresh water, and possibly use electrolyte powders if you feel dehydrated or are losing a lot of fluids.