During a cold, the body is completely fighting the viral infection. Therefore, it should not be overloaded with heavy food. Endocrinologist Na Mikhaleva told Gazeta.Ru about this.
According to him, digestion requires a lot of energy, so the simpler and more easily digestible the food, the more useful it is during illness.
“You should definitely give up fast food, snacks, carbonated drinks, fatty, fried foods. If you have no appetite, you should follow a drinking regimen to quickly reduce intoxication. If you do not want to eat during a cold, you need to provide energy in the form of simple carbohydrates, for example, berry juice or milk with honey,” said Dr. Mikhaleva, according to shantnews.
You should also avoid red meat, pastries, and sweets. Low-fat chicken or fish broth soups, vegetables, cereals, boiled white chicken meat, low-fat fish dishes, moderate amounts of fruit, cottage cheese dishes, and dried bread are preferable.
“In the first days of the illness, foods rich in fiber will also not bring much benefit and can cause a feeling of heaviness and fullness in the stomach. Therefore, fresh vegetables, vegetable salads, and large amounts of fruit are not the best food options during a cold. They can be added during the recovery phase,” he said.
Food should be simple, easily digestible, healthy, and contain the necessary macronutrients (proteins, carbohydrates, and a small amount of healthy fats) and micronutrients (vitamins, minerals). Longer food processing is preferable: boiling, baking, and steaming.
“The more homogeneous and cooked the food is, the easier it will be to digest, so at the beginning of the disease, broths, soups, cereals, purees, and well-cooked white meat are recommended,” the specialist concluded.
