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When you have a bad cold, sore throat, or the flu—common conditions that spread quickly during the rainy season—the last thing you want to do is eat. A clogged nose blocks your sense of smell, which in turn, affects your ability to taste. Fever elevates your body temperature, resulting in dehydration and dry mouth. High temperatures also impede the enzymes in taste receptors from sending taste messages to the brain. And swallowing is sheer torture when your throat is severely inflamed.
Still, if there was a time to get nourishment, it’s now, says Maricar Esculto-Khan, RND, MD, a medical/clinical nutrition specialist from top hospital in the Philippines Makati Medical Center (MakatiMed). “A sick person needs the calories, nutrients, and fluids to boost their immune system, prevent dehydration, reduce inflammation, increase energy, and hasten healing,” explains Dr. Esculto-Khan. “The old wives’ advice to ‘Feed a cold, starve a fever’ should be revised to ‘Feed a cold AND a fever.’ Eating the right foods are critical to your recovery.”
Choosing highly nutritious foods like vitamin-and-mineral-rich fruits and vegetables is, of course, a given when you’re down with an infection. But specific foods can help make eating while you’re on the mend a comforting experience.
Sore throat: Soft food, warm broth—and ice cream?
A sore throat or pharyngitis is either a viral or bacterial infection that usually progresses to a cold and cough. Because the tissue lining your throat is inflamed, eating and drinking are difficult and painful. But when you don’t eat and drink, you risk dehydration and calorie deficit.
“Warm chicken tinola, beef nilaga, or vegetable broth like bulanglang and law-uy or salabat with honey are soothing to a scratchy throat,” says Dr. Esculto-Khan. “Soft foods like arroz caldo, banana, and scrambled egg are easier to swallow.”
“Contrary to the belief that cold food and drink should be avoided when you have a sore throat, ice water and popsicle or ice cream can have a numbing effect and help ease the pain. Just avoid varieties that are high in sugar, which may otherwise promote inflammation,” adds Dr. Esculto-Khan. “Cold food and drink can help soothe a dry and inflamed throat.”
Common cold: Citrusy fruits, spicy soup
Otherwise known as rhinovirus, the common cold is a highly contagious upper respiratory tract infection that starts as a sore throat and eventually affects the nose, sinuses, and windpipe.
“The thick mucus we produce when we have a cold works to trap the virus, while a runny nose flushes it out,” underlines Dr. Esculto-Khan. “Notice how your mucus turns yellow or green? That indicates that your white blood cells are fighting the infection.”
“Citrusy fruits, savory broths, ginger teas, and plain water ensure you don’t get dehydrated,” assures Dr. Esculto-Khan. “If you can tolerate it, go for a spicy soup like a tom yum to clear congested nasal passages. Lugaw (rice porridge) or oatmeal are bland but filling dishes that you can have when your sense of taste is not quite back yet.”
“Additionally, citrusy fruits are rich in vitamin C, which is beneficial in boosting the body’s immune defense.”
Flu: The BRAT Diet
Influenza, a viral respiratory infection, is the whole shebang: A high fever is typically accompanied by a cold, cough, sore throat, headache, muscle pain, and general feeling of malaise.
Again, staying hydrated and ensuring you regain your strength through healthy calories are key. “A chicken, beef, or vegetable broth, ginger or peppermint tea, coconut water, and a cooling popsicle can make you feel better while you recover,” recommends Dr. Esculto-Khan. “If food tastes bitter or metallic, the BRAT Diet—that’s bananas, rice, applesauce, toast—are bland and gentle on the tummy. For protein, try chicken or fish in small pieces.”
When you are sick, it’s only natural for your appetite to be off while your immune system fights disease. “Consume small, frequent meals and sips of water instead of forcing yourself to eat the way you normally would,” reminds Dr. Esculto-Khan. “Once the infection has resolved, your body will know it, and you’ll be back to eating like before.”
For more information, please contact MakatiMed On-Call at +632.88888 999, email [email protected], or visit www.makatimed.net.ph. Follow @IamMakatiMed on Facebook and Twitter.
