Receiving your vaccine can be worrisome as many people report having severe side effects or symptoms with the shot. The side effects occur because it is a defense mechanism for our body. In other words, your body is trying to build immunity to Covid-19 with the vaccine's help. Therefore, your body responds to the vaccine with signs of sickness similar to fatigue, nausea, chills, etc.
Worried about experiencing side effects from your first or second dose of the vaccine. Some tips I learned from my own experience and research on scientific research studies to get rid of or minimize your side effects after your vaccine:
Avoid Alcohol
When consuming alcohol before the vaccine shot will trigger excessive dehydration that could intensify the side effects of the vaccination shots. Plus, alcohol will stress and strain your immune system and the response to the vaccine.
Sleep
Do not stay up until 4 am and wake up at 9 am as it will intensify your fatigue from the shot and increase the side effects. To prevent the vaccination side effects, make sure you get a good night's rest so that you will feel well-rested and awake once it comes to vaccination day.
Eat Well
Eat the rainbow! Have your plate for dinner be colorful the night before your vaccine to prevent the side effects. In the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, you should eat more fibers (fruits, veggies, whole grains, nuts, and seeds) and less saturated fat and sugar (ice cream, meat, and other sweets) in order to get adequate sleep. Disclaimer: do not consume too much fiber. You should eat whole foods, not processed foods, for your breakfast, lunch, and dinner for both before and after vaccine shot. A good meal would be to have lentil soup, salmon, stir fry with beans, chickpea pasta, etc. Another side effect, especially with the Johnson & Johnson Vaccine, is nausea. A good meal after the vaccine would be to stock up on "bland" foods in case you feel nauseous, so apple sauce, rice, mashed potatoes, and soup.
Hydrate! Hydrate! Hydrate!
Drink 64 ounces of water before and after your vaccine shot. I also recommend buying Pedialyte, Gatorade, or an electrolyte drink. Hydration is key before and after receiving the vaccine. It prevents the side effects because it helps regulate our body temperature and prevents infections from occurring, so this will decrease our chance of feeling nauseous afterward. When we drink water or electrolytes, we are replenishing the nutrients and helping our organs to function properly.