The Best Foods to Eat When You’re Sick
Written By Hannah Abdulla RD
As we near the winter months, we also near flu season and despite what you may see online, there is no immune system hack. The best thing you can do to support your immune system is to make overall healthful choices for your body. We asked our dietitians what they do to support their bodies during the colder months, and this is what they said:
Tip 1
Don’t skip sleep. Sleep is an underrated way to maintain your health and wellness. Most adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep per night. Mayo Clinic reports less than seven hours of sleep can be linked to poor health including depression, weight gain, elevated blood pressure and increased risk of stroke (1). Life is busy, but our dietitians prioritize sleep by incorporating a relaxing bedtime routine and maintaining the same sleep schedule every day.
Tip 2
Eat your fruits and veggies. We are serious about our fruits and veggies over here at The Millennial Nutritionist and if you are a client, you probably hear us talk about this frequently. We encourage our clients to eat adequate produce and recommend 5-6 servings of produce per day. There are a lot of reasons to eat fruits and veggies, one being they provide us with vitamins and minerals which support good health. Such nutrients include vitamin A and vitamin C, both of which are shown to support immune function.
Tip 3
Make sure you’re meeting your protein goals. When it comes to immune health, we can look to some of the many nutrients found in protein-rich foods, especially animal proteins. Nutrients such as zinc and selenium are shown to be vital for the function of immune cells. These nutrients are most readily available in seafood, poultry, and other meats. Vegetarians can find these nutrients in plant-based foods, but it is important to note these sources also contain phytates which lower the absorption of the nutrient. In this case, it may be possible to incorporate supplementation and fortified foods.
Tip 4
Eat for a healthy gut microbiome. The gut microbiome consists of trillions of diverse microorganisms that live in the intestines. These organisms, which are primarily bacteria, play a role in food digestion, absorption, and the synthesis of nutrients. Gut microbiome research is relatively new, but we are beginning to learn how important a diverse gut microbiome is when it comes to overall health and wellbeing. There are a few ways you can build a healthy gut. The first is consuming foods containing probiotics such as kefir, Greek yogurt, kombucha and fermented vegetables. Another is consuming fiber-rich foods such as produce, whole grains and legumes (2).
Does the famous Medicine Ball from Starbucks sound tempting? Wondering if it’s worth the hype? Read our dietitan’s review on the Honey Citrus Mint Tea.
Sources
How many hours of sleep do you need? Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/expert-answers/how-many-hours-of-sleep-are-enough/faq-20057898. Published May 15, 2021. Accessed October 19, 2022.
Nutrition and immunity. The Nutrition Source. www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/nutrition-and-immunity/. Published January 27, 2021. Accessed October 19, 2022.
About the Author
Hannah Abdulla BS, RD
Contributing Writer
Hannah is a Raleigh, NC-based Registered Dietitian and is currently working towards her MS in Nutrition Science from Meredith College.
She enjoys writing about fad diets and adding fun recipes to the blog. If she’s not studying or keeping up with her family, she’s trying out new local restaurants downtown. Catch more of her on The Millennial Nutritionist Podcast.