BY EMMET RUSHE: It had to happen.
There has been a range of flus, colds, coughs, chest infections and bugs going around lately.
Everywhere you go, there seems to be someone who is sniffing, coughing and blowing their nose for the umpteenth time.
I did well to hold out for this long, considering the amount of people that I see every week, but it finally happened.
I am sick!
Like any sane person, I hate being sick.
Some people might relish in the thought of a day in the bed, with nothing to do, but it is my idea of hell.
Whenever something like this happens, all I can think about is what I will be missing out on and the work I will have to catch up on whenever I get better.
Right now, I am sitting writing this article with about 20 minutes before my deadline, because I have been in bed for the last 30 hours.
Thankfully, I am coming around to myself and should be right as rain for my 6am class on Monday morning.
Was it just a day in the bed that helped me recover?
Not quite.
I had a little help from the guys at Precision Nutrition.
They wrote an article a few weeks back on ‘What to eat when you are sick’ and I used some of their protocols which I will share with you.
Dr John Berardi writes in the article;
“You might not realize it, but what happens in your digestive tract plays a huge role in how well you’re able to fight off germs. And what you eat — even, at times, whether you eat — can have a direct impact on how quickly you recover from a cold or flu and whether you catch the bug in the first place”
You might not realise it, but our gut compromises over 70% of our immune system.
Chemicals in our digestive tract help fight bacteria, viruses and fungi.
If they reach our stomach, hydrochloric acid will pulverize most invaders before they can reach our intestines.
If our stomach acids lose the battle, we also have proteins and chemical compounds further down the digestive chain that can sense and fight any harmful bacteria that may have made it past.
You may also want to consider boosting your ‘Good Bacteria’ by increasing your prebiotic and probiotic foods.
The best whole food sources of prebiotics are:
From Vegetables – asparagus, garlic, Jerusalem artichokes, leeks and onions From Carbs – barley, oats, quinoa, rye, wheat, potatoes and yams From Fruit – apples, bananas, berries, citrus and kiwi From Fats – flax seeds and chia seeds.
You will be aiming for 2-3 servings of prebiotic rich foods each day.
The best whole food sources of probiotics are;
From Dairy – yoghurt, cheese and kefir Fermented vegetables – pickles, sauerkraut and kimchi Fermented soy – miso and tempeh
Other sources – soy sauce and wine.
Aim for 1-2 servings of probiotic rich foods each day.
If you are already sick, like me, foods like, garlic, honey, elderberry, green tea, and even the old faithful chicken soup have been shown to help speed up recovery.
Supplements such as vitamin C, Zinc, Ginseng, Stevia and Selenium have all been shown to help speed up recovery also.
I’ll leave you with some tips from Dr Berardi.
“If you’re already feeling sick”:
“Drink lots of fluids (especially water and green tea)
Rest and recover
Focus on immune-boosting foods
Supplement with pre- and probiotics
Use immune-boosting supplements
And above all, listen to your body cues. If you’re hungry, eat. If not, don’t”.
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