Feed a cold? Starve a fever?

     No matter the time of year, sickness can always be an issue. Lately, it seems a cruddy cold has been hitting most people and usually lingering for weeks at a time. Eating healthy meals isn't easy when you don't feel well, especially if you have a serious or chronic illness. You may be too tired to prepare food for yourself. Medicines may make food taste strange or unpleasant. Mouth sores or swallowing problems can make eating difficult. Or nausea, which is a common symptom and a common side effect of some medications, may make food the last thing you want to think about.  

"Fortunately, there's a lot you can do, even when you're not feeling well, to get the nutrition you need," says Veronica McLymont, PhD, RD, director of food and nutrition services at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

     Along with the fun pictograph below provided by Precision Nutrition, www.webmd.com has a few recommendations of it's own.

•      Lack of appetite
• Eat smaller, more frequent meals. Larger meals may be overwhelming when you don't have much of an appetite. Keep quick easy snacks readily available such as nuts, veggies, fruit, and yogurt.
•      Mouth sores, dry mouth, trouble swallowing
• You may need to avoid foods that require a lot of chewing. Smoothies and soup would be good choices. If you are having trouble swallowing, try chewing gum or sucking on hard candies like lemon drops that stimulate saliva production. Consult your doctor if it persists.
•       Nausea
• Choose bland foods. Eat smaller meals, even smaller than you would when you are healthy. Eat slowly. Hard candy, peppermint, and ginger may ease nausea. Consult your doctor if it persists.
•       Fatigue
• When you're sick and tired, sometimes the last think you feel like doing is cooking or making food for yourself. You can keep easy, ready to eat snacks available like nuts, veggies (raw or even veggie steamer bags), fruit, yogurt, and hardboiled eggs.
•       Diarrhea
• Eat soft, bland foods. Avoid greasy foods. Drink plenty of water as dehydration is common with diarrhea. You may need to supplement with electrolytes.
•       Constipation
• To help prevent constipation, eat foods high in fiber. Getting up and walking can help get your digestive tract moving.
•       Unwanted weight loss
• If you're losing weight and shouldn't be, consider taking in some extra calories through shakes and snacks like nuts, seeds, cheese, and hardboiled eggs.
•       Unwanted weight gain
• Some medications may result in unwanted weight gain. Consult your doctor if it persists.
•       Falling short on nutrients
• If you're having real trouble eating a balanced diet, you may benefit from a multi-vitamin and other over the counter supplements. Consult your doctor before beginning a supplement regimen, especially if you are taking medication, as some medications can interact with supplements.

*The Health & Fitness Academy hopes this blog post finds you healthy and well and not battling a sickness, BUT if you are, we hope the information from webmd and Precision Nutrition help you recover quicker and get back to doing the things you love*

Pictograph provided by: Precision Nutrition

Until next time,

Hayley Jones, BS, CSCS, Pn1

hjones@mvhospital.net

MVH Health & Fitness Academy