“Sick” by Axel-Desu

The Christmas holiday was somewhat dampened this season when some of the family fell to that dreadful flu/cold that swept through the area. We were all complaining about sore throats, runny noses, and sick stomachs–poor dears.

Result–I began scavenging about for some foods that were both soothing and that we kept down long enough to keep from starving.  Since this is a horrible time for the flu, I figured I’d share what I learned 🙂  

1. Vanilla Ice Cream (or Orange Sherbet)

There is no better excuse for junk food than illness (although a break-up ranks up there too).  And vanilla ice cream actually does have some nutrition in it.  It has enough sugar to help keep your blood sugar up when you can’t eat as much as you usually do, while also bringing in a small amount of protein from the milk-base.  Plus the cold can numb your throat and is easy going down.  

Sometimes though, Vanilla Ice Cream can be a little thick when you’re craving that refreshing feeling.  In that case, Orange Sherbet is an excellent alternative. It has Vitamin C and a stronger water base, which helps with keeping liquids down.

2. Ginger Snaps

Dry Toast is often recommended as a food for colds, but I’ve usually found that it’s too dry and somewhat tasteless.  A better alternative is a bag of Ginger Snaps.  Ginger is a natural cure that is actually recommended for pregnant women as a soother when their nauseous. Many Asian cultures use it in hundreds of foods and natural baths for it’s nutritional element, and it can be really great for those who are sick to the stomach. It works as a soother, to help calm your stomach and ease the cramping.  Ginger comes in many varieties, including Capsular Vitamins, in a candied form, or even in Ginger cookies. However, I’ve found that the the candies and cookies aren’t my favorite when ill–too sugary.  Instead I try to pick up a bag of simple old-fashioned Ginger Snaps. They have the same dried-nature as toast, but are a little more flavorful and have a healing property.  Plus, if you don’t want dried, they’re great dipped and softened in tea.

3. Saltine Crackers

I actually figured this one out last summer on a trip to Korea when I was hit with a severely queasy stomach for a couple days, but most of the food around was unrecognizable or too much.  When I found a small box of Saltines at a convenience store, I grabbed them up and lived on those for the next 3 days.  The biggest healing property in the crackers is the salt content–doctors often recommend gargling with salt water when you have a sore throat or have allergies.  Salt works in two ways–it cleans out your sinuses (helpful with the runny or stuffed-up nose) and soothes your throat.  You can’t eat too many because salt also dries you out, but a few every so often can be soothing. Plus, they can be softened in water or tea if you have a sore throat and can’t swallow the hard foods.

4. Soups

Everyone knows about the amazing thing that is Chicken Noodle Soup; it’s soft and goes down easy, plus it has that same salt element that’s in the crackers. But other soups can work just as well; you might even want to consider making your own.  Some ingredients to look for are Turkey (High-Protein, Vitamin B, zinc, Iron, and potassium), Organic Corn (Vitamin C), Black Pepper (Kills off bad bacteria and is a Stomach Soother), Oats (Maintains Blood Sugar, Strengthens Immune System, Anti-Oxidant), Lentils (Maintains Blood Sugar, Iron), Tomatoes (Anti-Oxidant, Vitamin C), Carrots (Vitamin A), Cheese (Protein), and Broccoli (Vitamin C).  It helps if you make it with V8 or Tomato Juice, so that the juice is beneficial as well.  It’s recommended that you use soft foods (well-cooked) so that it isn’t hard to eat. The melt-in-your mouth kind of soup.

5.  Home-Made Mashed Potatoes.

Pre-packaged Mashed Potatoes are going to have a bunch or preservatives and additives that you probably don’t need when you’re sick, but home-made Mashed Potatoes can actually be a good food when you’re sick.  Potatoes themselves have a ton of nutritional elements–Vitamin C, Potassium, Vitamin B6, Iron, and Zinc: all great for the ill.  In fact, it’s the best source of Potassium in the area of produce.  If you mash them up, you get a healthy dose of carbs and vitamins in an easy-to-swallow dish.  If you mash them with milk, you’ve also got a little protein going.   

What Are Your Favorite  When-I’m-Sick Foods?

Please Note: I Am NOT A Doctor!!  If you are ill, it is HIGHLY recommended that you talk with your doctor right away.

Tags: cold, Crackers, eating, Flu, Food, Ginger, Health, Ill, Potatoes, Sick, Soup, Vitamins