Nobody likes being sick. However, each year, there is a good chance that you will catch at least one cold or flu virus. Double this if you have children. When you’re down with a cold, what happens to your diet and fitness plan? Do you jump ship, telling yourself that you’ll get back on track once you feel better? If that’s the case, you may want to reconsider your strategy to some extent. While it’s obvious you’re not going to hit the gym and break some personal records, this also doesn’t mean you have to become a lazy junk-food eater on the couch. Here are some healthy ideas to keep in mind…
1. Drink lots of water. First, this tip will work twice as long because it will not only help you stay healthy, but it can also help you get over your cold. He should try to drink at least 8-10 glasses of water, even when sick. If he has difficulty taking in water, keep in mind that he can also take in fluids from broth-based soups or teas. Some people find chicken soup, for example, to be the perfect liquid to drink when they’re not feeling well.
2. Get up and walk, if it is about the shoulders and above. The rule of thumb for activity while sick is that if you are above your shoulders, you are free to do whatever activity you choose. However, if he is below the shoulders, he will want to rest for now.
Head colds will not prevent you from participating in light to moderate intensity activities. You probably don’t want to do anything super intense because that will put stress on your central nervous system and in turn make it harder to recover, but get up and moving. Increased blood circulation can be good for getting nutrients to all tissues in the body and this can also help boost your energy level at a time when you might otherwise feel sluggish.
3. Eat enough protein. It is normal to experience some changes in your appetite while you are not feeling very well. What you always want to make sure you’re doing is eating enough lean protein. You want to get those amino acids as this is what will help preserve your lean muscle mass and prevent muscle loss while you are sick.
If you only feel bad for a day or two, it probably doesn’t matter too much. But if you’re sick for a week or more and don’t eat enough protein, this could start to affect you. Focus on lean sources of quality protein like…
- chicken,
- steak,
- eggs
- fish.
Here are some good health tips to keep in mind to use during cold and flu season. Even if you do get sick, do everything you can to make the most of it by giving your body what it needs for a speedy recovery.
