14 Foods To Keep You Healthy During Flu Season

March 23, 2020April 27, 2023 WETSU Self-Care Division 889 Views 6 min read

Flu affects the nose, lungs, and throat. The virus is stronger than the common cold and leaves a person worn-out, feeling exhausted and sick for a week or longer. Flu causes a person to lose appetite, yet you need fluids, the right foods, and rest to help the body fight the infection by itself.

Although you don’t have the appetite, you can still eat small portions of foods to provide the body with nutrients and energy to recover. Otherwise, flu is potentially deadly to the elderly or children and can lead to hospitalization.

Continue reading the article for more information on immune-boosting food that you should eat when you have flu, as well as what to avoid.

Honey

Although it’s not clear how honey is able to fight flu and sore throats, it’s commonly recommended for adults and children above 5 years. You can add honey into hot water and lemon for vitamin C and extra flavor. The combination will soothe your sore throat. You can also combine honey with cinnamon for the same purpose.

Citrus Fruits

Vitamin C is essential for the body, for it’s a natural antioxidant that improves the immune system. It’s available in fruits and vegetables such as oranges, limes, grapefruits, lemons. Leafy greens and vegetables. You can squeeze a lemon to make a fresh juice and add honey to clear cold and boost your immune system.

Blueberries

Berries are powerful in fighting flu because they have antioxidant properties. Blueberries have higher concentrations of this component than others, thus effective in soothing your sore throat.

Spinach

Spinach contains vitamin C, iron, folate, magnesium, and calcium. The dark green leaves vegetable has digestion-regulating fiber; thus, it can assist in preventing and reducing the symptoms of flu and common cold. You can steam it lightly or sauté.

Mushrooms

There is an increased demand for mushrooms due to their restorative powers. They support immunity by their antioxidant properties and therapeutic potential. Mushrooms contain bet glucans or polysaccharides, which is a useful sugar found in the cell walls and stimulates the immune system. Cooking doesn’t harm these essential components.

Herbs

The most common herbs that can help fight flu are ginger and garlic. Ginger is a versatile plant with the antibiotic, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties. It’s safe when used in remedies and cooking.

Garlic helps in stimulating the immune system in addition to enhancing the efficacy of white blood cells because it has antibacterial properties. Therefore, it helps in cleansing the digestive tract, aid in digestion, and improve the respiratory conditions. It can be eaten raw, added to salad dressing, stir-fries, or used to make a broth.

Turmeric is a member of the ginger family and is known for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties. Thus, turmeric tea will boost your immunity and relieve the symptoms.

Oily Fish

There are different types of fish in the market. Try tuna, salmon, mackerel, and sardines when you are down with flu, for they are rich in omega3 fatty acids. These are essential compounds in your body, for they help to reduce inflammation in your body. They are also excellent sources of vitamin D needed by the immune cells.

Yogurt

Yogurt is a probiotic food that is loaded with bacteria necessary for the body. Probiotics help in reducing the development of infections in the upper respiratory tract. Thus, you can have a bowl of yogurt and add walnuts that have omega 3 fatty acids, copper, in addition to vitamins B6 and E.

Sweet Potatoes

Beta-carotene gives this vegetable a colorful look of orange and provides vitamin A when you eat it. Sweet potatoes have nutrients that increase the T-cells count as well as boost your immune system. You can boil it or make sweet potato fries.

Red Bell Peppers

The vegetable has nearly double of vitamin C needed in a day. Vitamin C helps in the production of white blood cells that fights infections in the body.

Broccoli

The little green tree has high fiber content and rich in vitamin C. One serving of broccoli has calcium, vitamins C and E, as well as fiber all needed in boosting your immunity. It has polyphenols and glucosinolates that activates protective enzymes in your respiratory tract. You can eat it raw in a salad or steam it, particularly at the middle or end of the flu.

Broth

You need to stay hydrated when you have flu because you lose water in the form of sweat and nose discharge. Thus, fluids can stave off infections and break up congestion. You can have broth made from beef, chicken, or vegetables to soothe your sore throat, relieve congestion, and stay hydrated.

Chicken soup gives you additional benefits such as protein and iron. You can add other ingredients like herbs, carrots, and celery for more nutrients. Take chicken soup throughout the period to stay satiated and hydrated. However, you should watch the salt content in your broth.

Virgin Olive Oil

Olive oil has anti-inflammatory properties. You can cook your meat, fish, salads, vegetables with virgin oil.

Water

Drink a lot of water, for it keeps your mouth, nose, and throat moist. This will get rid of phlegm and built-up mucous.

Foods That You Should Avoid

On top of knowing what you should eat, it’s crucial to know what to avoid when you have flu. They include;

Caffeinated Beverages: These are products such as soda, coffee, or black tea because they contain sugar and will leave you dehydrated.

Alcohol: is diuretic and can contribute to dehydration, which causes the mucus in the throat, nose, and lungs to dry up, thus clogging the respiratory tubes and sinuses. Instead of taking alcohol, you should take plenty amount of liquids.

Dairy Products: milk makes the phlegm feel more irritating and thicker. Thus, you should avoid these products since they don’t promote mucus production.

Grains: You should stick to foods that are easy to digest. Therefore you should stay away from dry saltine crackers, pretzels, and toast. Some foods that are rich in fiber can be hard to digest, so its recommended to avoid them.

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