Nutrition for colds: he althy and unhe althy foods, sample menu, advice from therapists

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

For a speedy recovery, it is recommended not only to take medicines, but also to eat right. To do this, certain foods are included in the diet, and some are completely abandoned. What is the best food for a cold? The article will discuss the features of the diet, its benefits, allowed and prohibited foods.

Features of nutrition for colds and flu

At the onset of the disease, patients should understand that this is not about a diet for weight loss, but about the right diet. It will help you recover faster. After all, the patient's body is already weakened, so it is forbidden to deprive him of useful substances and vitamins during a period of high temperature and other symptoms. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the caloric content of the diet so that all systems and organs function normally. Nutritious and useful mene during illness becomes the key to a quick recovery.

Doctors say that reducing the caloric content of the diet can lead not only toincrease the susceptibility of the patient's body to the flu, but also exacerbates its symptoms. At the same time, the duration of the disease increases.

In the first days of a cold, when the patient does not leave the high temperature, cough and sore throat, we are not talking about good nutrition. Meals should be light, and when planning a diet, you need to listen to your body.

For a comfortable recovery of the body, the following nutritional principles must be considered:

• plentiful warm drink;
• Sick people need to eat when they want, not under duress;
• it is recommended to eat fractionally 5-6 times a day;
• dishes should be moderately high in calories.

When compiling a food menu for colds and temperature, these features must be taken into account in order to ensure a quick recovery of the patient. Otherwise, the food will create an extra load on the patient's body.

Therapist Tips

When a person gets sick with a cold, his surroundings have a desire to feed him. This is one of the mistakes on the road to recovery. The peculiarities of nutrition for colds and flu include frequent meals in small portions, at least 5-6 times a day.

In the first days of illness, patients are weakened and therefore refuse to eat. Here it is recommended to start with the restoration of water balance.

Meals prepared during this period must meet the following requirements:

1. Food should be easily digestible andhigh energy.
2. Meals need the presence of the required amount of protein. Its deficiency leads to a decrease in the formation of digestive enzymes and antibodies. Because of this, the antimicrobial activity of blood serum is weakened.
3. Meals should not be greasy. Use vegetable and butter in small quantities.
4. Food must contain the right carbohydrates that do not cause fermentation in the intestines.
5. S alt intake should be reduced to 8 grams per day.
6. Meals should be eaten warm (no more than 40 degrees).
7. Food should be gentle and fortified.

Such nutrition for colds, coughs and runny nose will allow the patient to recover faster and avoid complications during the course of the disease.

What should you drink?

Without observing the drinking regime, it is impossible to imagine food for colds and runny nose. The lack of a sufficient amount of water causes dryness of the mucous membranes of the throat and nose, which contributes to the accelerated reproduction of pathogenic microflora. With the necessary fluid intake, they are restored, which contributes to the removal of microbes.

During the illness it is recommended to drink:

• warm water with lemon;
• herbal decoctions that have antiviral activity (chamomile, thyme, sage, linden);
• raspberry and currant tea, which will provide the body with vitamin C;
• fresh and juices without sugar;
• tea or infusion containing ginger and honey;
• antiviral tea containing raspberry sprigs, ginger,cinnamon and coriander.

The patient needs to drink often, in small sips and at least 2 liters per day. The fluid to be taken should be warm and free of any dyes or preservatives.

Foods to Help You Get Well Faster

Soups and broths are a huge nutritional benefit for colds and flu. The most useful of them is chicken. It inhibits blood cells that are responsible for the process of inflammation and nasal congestion, as well as sore throat.

For cooking meat dishes it is recommended to use: veal, chicken, rabbit and turkey. They must be steamed, boiled and baked without crusting.

It is recommended to include cereals in the diet: oatmeal, rice and buckwheat. They will provide the body with easily digestible carbohydrates.

Sour-milk products during a cold improve the intestinal microflora, which increases the body's resistance to viruses. Most useful: kefir, cottage cheese, natural yogurt.

It is allowed to use a few tablespoons of jam from apples, raspberries, currants a day. It contains a high concentration of vitamin C, which strengthens the walls of blood vessels, and inhibits the reproduction of viruses and bacteria. It also reduces inflammation and swelling.

Spices and vegetables that have an antimicrobial effect should be included in the diet for colds:

• garlic;
• bow;
• fuck;
• ground black pepper;
• ginger;
• cardamom.

In terms of their medicinal properties, they exceed even antiviral drugs. They can be consumed in their pure form, added to tea.

Garlic deserves special attention. They can be used not only during the period of the disease, but used for prevention. Even in a minimal amount, garlic begins to act actively and increases the body's resistance.

Signs of a cold are minimized by taking garlic-honey mixture 1 teaspoon three times a day.

Vitamins

Food during colds and flu involves taking a lot of vitamins, which are found in vegetables and fruits.

Vitamin C provides antiviral, anti-inflammatory and protective effects. The main sources of ascorbic acid are:

• currant;
• citrus;
• rosehip;
• sauerkraut;
• sea buckthorn;
• parsley;
• green onion;
• apples.

To strengthen immunity, you need vitamin A and beta-carotene. Thanks to him, the formation of protective cells-lymphocytes increases. Sources of vitamin A include: liver, chicken yolk, butter, broccoli, dried apricots, pumpkin, carrots and asparagus.

Vitamin B2, which is present in cottage cheese, raw eggs, plays a special role in nutrition for colds. B6 affects the processes of protein metabolism. The patient can get the vitamin from the following foods:

• meat;
• beans;
• soy;
• buckwheat;
• potato;
• offal.

Vitamin E has an antioxidant effect, increasing the supply of oxygen to the tissues. Rich sources include: almonds, peanuts, red fish and sunflower seeds.

The patient's body also needs vitamin D. It is part of fish oil, red fish, herring and sour cream.

What to exclude from the diet?

It is necessary to exclude an adult from the diet for flu and colds:

1. Semi-finished products. The more severe the disease, the lighter the food should be. Therefore, foods that have an increased burden on the digestive tract should be excluded from the diet. Semi-finished products and fast foods are poorly digested and create heaviness in the stomach.
2. Fried and greasy food. Such food should be completely excluded from the diet. It contains a lot of fat and carcinogens. By forcing the liver to fight these substances, the body is put under increased stress, which it does not need during the period of illness.
3. Juices. It is not recommended to drink freshly prepared and purchased drinks for coughs and sore throats. With a cold, sour juice can irritate the inflamed mucosa. Because of this, the throat will hurt more, and the healing process will be delayed.
4. Alcohol. The use of such drinks for medicinal purposes is unacceptable. Alcohol is a diuretic that exacerbates dehydration caused by colds. In addition, it can speed up digestion, leading to diarrhea.
5. Sweet confectionery. Sugar weakens the immune system, which slows down the healing process of the patient. Hisparticles settle on the mucosa, which promotes the active growth of microorganisms and increases the risk of complications.
6. Tough food. It includes crackers, cucumbers, shortbread dough. They can injure the irritated mucous membrane of the throat and worsen the patient's condition.

During the period of illness, fried, s alty and spicy foods should not be included in the diet. Due to the ability to irritate the inflamed mucosa and increase its swelling.

Sample menu

To achieve a quick recovery, you need to follow this diet for the flu and colds for an adult:

	Breakfast	Lunch	Lunch	Snack	Dinner
day	buckwheat or oatmeal milk porridge, tea with lemon and ginger	steamed omelette, raspberry tea	chicken broth or vegetable soup (onions, celery, potatoes, herbs, carrots), rice porridge, steamed chicken cutlet	dried fruits or baked apple with cottage cheese	steamed fish and broccoli, yogurt

The flu diet is not an independent treatment, but in combination, subject to all the rules and recommendations, it enhances the healing process.

Children's nutrition

Children are most susceptible to contracting a viral infection and therefore get sick several times more often than adults. The reason for this is constant contact with the rest of the children in kindergarten or school.

With a mild course of the disease, there are no special changes in nutrition. Decrease in appetite occurs with an increasetemperature, above 37.8 degrees, intoxication and other symptoms.

In the first 3 days of illness, the child has no desire to eat at all. All his strength is spent on fighting the infection, so it’s not worth wasting energy on digesting food. Be sure to give your child a drink. The intake of fluid in the child's body is especially important, because due to temperature it is lost in large quantities.

The more the child drinks, the faster his recovery will come. The volume of liquid should be 1.5-2 liters, depending on its age. With an increase in temperature for each degree, an additional 100-150 ml of liquid is given to the child.

Children's Flu and Cold Nutrition includes the following foods:

1. Vegetables and fruits. They are sources of vitamins, minerals and normalize bowel function. You can serve vegetables and fruits in baked form, as cuts and salads. In order to prevent the development of allergies, it is necessary to stop at products of green and white-yellow color. Bananas are perfect for colds. They are high in calories and can also relieve nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Be sure to include greens and sauerkraut in your diet as a source of vitamin C.
2. Dairy products. Yogurt and kefir are quickly digested, are nutritious and normalize bowel function.
3. Don't force your child to eat meat. It is absorbed worse than plant foods. If the child wanted such a dish, then you can cook steam cutlets. Can you cook chickena broth that helps relieve inflammation.
4. Garlic is an immune system stimulant. It contains vitamin C, trace elements and phytoncides. With sore throat and cough, the child can be inhaled with garlic vapor. Fresh give 2-3 cloves per day. Sometimes chopped garlic is added to a grated apple.
5. Honey. The product helps to strengthen the immune system and body resistance. It has antipyretic and anti-inflammatory properties. Honey enhances perspiration, improves blood circulation in the throat, nasopharynx and nose. Beware of allergies to bee products. Clover and acacia honey has expectorant properties. It reduces cough, has anti-inflammatory and soothing effects.

Feeding a child with a cold may include the following dishes:

• chicken broth, sauerkraut soup;
• vegetable stew, mashed potatoes with salad, pasta with steamed vegetables;
• porridge with butter, honey or dried fruits;
• sandwiches, toasts with tea;
• fresh vegetable salad (cucumbers, tomatoes, herbs), vinaigrette with sauerkraut and onions;
• fruit jelly, applesauce and baked apples.

Drinks to include in your diet:

• herbal teas (with linden, chamomile, thyme);
• rosehip decoction;
• fruit drinks made from cranberries, blueberries, red and black currants;
• still water;
• milk with honey.

During the period of illness, the menu must include products containingvitamin C and iron. This strengthens the immune system and speeds up the healing process.

Nutrition after a cold

During the period of illness, the patient's body is filled with a large number of harmful substances and toxins. Medicines also contribute to this. Serious harm is caused to the functioning of the liver, kidneys and the body as a whole.

To get rid of the consequences of the disease, it is necessary to include foods containing vitamins and minerals in the diet.

A delicious and varied menu with vegetables, fruits, herbs will quickly restore the body and cleanse it of harmful substances. The presence of protein in the diet is important. Therefore, it should include dishes from fish, chicken and turkey meat. After a cold, you need to eat legumes and mushrooms, which will also provide invaluable he alth benefits.

You can increase the body's resistance with the help of fish oil and iodine, which is contained in products. Thanks to this element, metabolic processes will improve, the nervous and cardiovascular systems will be restored. To do this, include iodized s alt in the diet.

It is best to give up at this time:

• all kinds of smoked meats;
• alcohol;
• semi-finished products;
• fatty meats.

Due to the fact that the body is weakened after an illness, these products can only worsen the state of he alth and interfere with a quick recovery.

Conclusion

Nutrition for colds plays an important role in the treatment and ensures a speedy recovery. Lightand nutritious food, saturated with vitamins and minerals, will allow the patient to quickly cope with the symptoms of the disease and strengthen his immunity. Adequate fluid intake will prevent dehydration and flush out toxins and other harmful substances from the body.