Whether you like it or not, flu season is here again. And, as you may have heard on the news, it's been hittin' hard this year.
Just this past week, I (and nearly every person on my floor) was plagued with the flu because, as it just so happens, college is a cesspool of bacteria. So, after experiencing the flu firsthand and hearing stories from the different girls on my floor, I have compiled a list of foods to eat and not to eat when you have the flu: the food dos and don'ts of getting the flu in college (say that three times fast). But before I begin, I am setting out a disclaimer: I AM NOT A DOCTOR and heck, I don't even like biology that much either. That being said, sometimes it is just nice to hear tips from people that have experienced the flu in the past.
A general do that I found when fighting the flu is to just eat a lot of whole foods. I found that my body reacted well to foods that were bland but nutritious and whole. I know this is cliche, but it's true: "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." Although in my case, eating apples definitely did not keep the doctor away, it helped get nutrients into my body, and the juice seemed to make my throat feel better. Apples are high in antioxidants--and while I have no idea what it is antioxidants actually do--I know that they are good for your body. Another thing that seemed to help me recover from feeling like death was citrus. The acidity seemed to actually calm my stomach, and this article explains why. Lastly (and I live by this): gargle salt water. In fact, I do actually know what the science behind this method is. When you gargle salt water, you create a hypertonic solution, which helps draw out mucus and bacteria.
I found that a big don't for me was eating fries or heavily processed foods. These foods made my already sick body just feel even more lethargic. This was hard at first because I am in college, so my accessibility to fresh, healthy foods was somewhat difficult. Regardless, I had to listen to my body so that I could get better. That meant that my collegiate habits of eating fries at ten o'clock had to stop (just for the time being, of course) for two reasons: 1. the fries made me feel worse and sluggish, as I mentioned earlier and 2. part of getting better meant that I needed a lot of sleep, so I tried to be in bed and ready to hit the sack by ten o'clock.
While these small changes can certainly help while fighting the flu, if you have the flu or even think you do, go see a doctor and ask what is best for your body. In addition to eating right, I was also on medication to help me feel better. And in order to be able to take medicine, I needed to eat. Wholesome, substantial meals are just as important as snacking on apples, lemons, and nutritious snacks in between.
If you have the flu, I hope you feel better. Coming from someone who had it, I know it sucks.