Eating a nutrient-dense diet full of veggies and fruits can strengthen your immune system, but if you happen to catch a cold or the flu, nourishing your body with these expert-recommended foods can help you feel better and recover faster.
It's OK if you don't feel like eating when you're sick. Pamela Vallejo-Craig, MD, who's board certified in internal medicine, said that when you get sick, your brain chemistry changes as production of chemicals called cytokines increases. "These chemicals can drive down your appetite, which will help you to conserve energy for fighting off short-term illnesses like the flu." But if you do have an appetite, reach for the following foods.
You may not feel like eating solid foods, but make sure to take in plenty of fluids. If plain water isn't appealing, add some fresh fruit to enhance the flavor. Real fruit juices like orange juice, grapefruit, and apple cider will offer calories and nutrients to help with dizziness from not eating. If you have a stuffy nose, choose hot liquids such as tea with lemon. Peppermint or ginger tea are good choices if you have an upset stomach, and electrolyte-infused beverages are a good option if you're making frequent trips to the bathroom.
Dr. Vallejo-Craig also recommended smoothies as an easy way to hydrate while getting some nutrients. Add leafy greens like kale or spinach to your blender. "These help by neutralizing free radicals, which are molecules which attack your cells," she said. Also add in berries, citrus, and melons for vitamin C, which enhance the function of your immune cells.
1 / 6
Soup and Broth
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Nicole Perry
A broth-based soup will keep you hydrated and is easy to digest if you don't have much of an appetite, said Dr. Vallejo-Craig. If you're feeling hungry, soups that contain chunks of veggies, whole grains like barley, and some kind of protein will also offer added vitamins and nutrients — that's why chicken noodle soup is a popular comfort food to eat when you're sick. The hot liquids do double duty by warming the body from chills and also open up sinus passages to relieve congestion.
Another way to stay hydrated is to eat fresh fruit, suggested Karyn Wulf, MD, MPH. Snack on some easily digestible watermelon, orange, grapefruit, kiwi, bananas, blueberries, pomegranate, or strawberries, as these fruits can be what your body seems to crave when you don't feel well.
She also added that many of these are great sources of vitamin C that "helps the body build healthy skin and connective tissue, which helps to block the entry of foreign microbes." Vitamin C is also an antioxidant that protects immune system cells from damage caused by free radicals. Other vegetable sources of vitamin C include bell peppers, tomatoes, leafy greens, and broccoli, so these are great additions to your broth-based soups.
3 / 6
Leafy Greens and Vitamin E
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Nicole Perry
As mentioned above, leafy greens like kale and spinach help neutralize free radicals, molecules that attack your cells, so load up on these veggies, as well as collard greens, Swiss chard, and romaine. Greens also contain vitamin E, which Dr. Vallejo-Craig said aids in the production of antibodies. Other foods rich in vitamin E include avocado and whole grains like oatmeal and brown rice. Add greens to your smoothie and soups or steam some to mix in with rice.
Although these aren't often found at the top of most people's recovery routines, sweet potatoes contain beta-carotene, which your body converts to vitamin A. Dr. Wulf said this nutrient keeps our skin and the linings of our respiratory and digestive tracts healthy. Vitamin A also helps regulate the function of immune cells that are hard at work when you have an illness. Enjoy sweet potatoes baked, roasted, or if you can't stomach a full side of this colorful veggie, try a sweet-potato-based soup instead.
Dr. Vallejo-Craig said that pumpkin, broccoli, spinach, carrots, and most dark green, leafy vegetables are also excellent sources of Vitamin A.
While all of these vitamin- and antioxidant-rich foods offer the nutrients your body needs to heal, Dr. Joshua D. Fox, MD, said that you should listen to your body and eat the foods that sound appealing to you. My mom always made me buttered toast sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, and sometimes I just wanted banana bread or ice cream — not a kale smoothie (I don't think kale even existed back in the '80s!). So if you have an appetite and certain foods will comfort you, enjoy them.
