What to Eat When You are Sick with Covid-19
Getting sick with Covid-19 is one of the scariest things that can happen to you. And knowing what to eat when you are sick with Covid-19 is essential for your survival.
How Coronavirus Spreads
You are probably wondering, how did you catch Covid when you were as healthy as a horse? There are several ways that you can get Covid. Most of the time, it involves you or other people.
As the number of Covid cases increases, health officials are focused on ways of slowing it down. Here are a few ways that you can be affected by the virus.
- Person-to-person transmission.
- Sneezing, coughing, or talking.
- Airborne transmission.
- Surface transmission.
- Fecal-oral transmission.
Understand that this virus often spreads through people with symptoms of Covid, but it can also be passed on to those who do not show any signs. It is also called the asymptomatic spread. On the other hand, the presymptomatic spread can be transferred to others even before any signs of infection appears.
What to Eat When You Are Sick With Covid-19
Eating the right kind of food to help boost your immune system is essential when you are sick with Covid. Like the flu, it is hard to eat when you are not feeling well, especially when you lose your sense of taste and smell. However, eating and drinking must be part of your daily routine if you wish to recover right away.
Hydration is Vital to Your Survival
When you are sick, the electrolytes in the body deplete. Hydrating properly is the key to replenishing lost electrolytes. Even if you cannot eat, it must be your priority to drink lots of water and other liquids. Ideally, drinking eight glasses of water is enough to keep you hydrated. If you want to spruce up your drink, adding a slice of lemon does the trick. Drinking fruit juices can also help, so be sure to stock up on that.
Remember that your medications may also leave your mouth and throat feeling dry. Drinking water should always be your priority. You can also drink tea with honey to help calm your cough.
Specialized electrolyte drinks like Gatorade and others can also help you. Although not entirely needed, these drinks can help hydrate you if you suffer from diarrhea or vomiting.
Eat Foods That Can Boost Your Immune System
While there is no specific diet for patients with Covid, it is still essential to take note of the food you are eating. Certain fruits and vegetables could help you fight off the virus while keeping your immune system healthy at the same time. Among these include:
- Vitamin C – this vitamin plays a vital role in fighting off viruses in your body and is an antioxidant. You can find Vitamin C in vegetables and fruits. A good source of this vitamin is oranges, broccoli, mangoes, strawberries, and red bell peppers.
- Beta-carotene – vegetables rich in beta-carotene are carrots, sweet potatoes, and green leafy vegetables like kale or spinach. It also helps reduce any inflammation in the body.
- Vitamin E – is essential for fighting free radicals in the body, which can damage healthy cells. Eating foods rich in Vitamin E, like seeds, nuts, broccoli, or spinach, is good if you are sick with Covid.
- Zinc – is needed by the white blood cells to fight off any viruses in the body. Foods like lentils, pumpkin seeds, beans, and sesame seeds are good sources of zinc.
You can also eat a smoothie with fruits. It will also help if you add yogurt or nut butter to meet the calories you need. If you feel nauseous, adding ginger to your tea or carrot soup can help ease that feeling. Chicken soup is also a good option if you are sick with respiratory diseases. Not only is it beneficial to you, but it is also one of the comfort foods you can eat when you are not feeling well.
Follow the Health Guidelines
It is hard to determine the severity of your case as everyone is affected differently by the coronavirus. The food you eat may also vary depending on how your appetite and senses work. However, the best step you can do is to follow health guidelines like wearing masks, washing your hands frequently, disinfecting your house and surroundings, social distancing, and avoiding large crowds if you do not want to catch Covid [1].
In Closing
Covid-19 is still pretty much around, and we can only avoid getting sick if we take our health and safety seriously. Following the health guidelines, eating healthy, and exercising are all essential to fighting the virus. Always remember that our health comes first. This way, you don’t have to worry about what to eat when you are sick with Covid-19, don’t you think so?
