Following A Good Gut Health Protocol Is The Best Way To Avoid Stomach Flu Said Nutritionist And Lifestyle Educator Karishma Chawla
Stomach flu, also known as gastroenteritis, is usually caused by any virus that may attack the gastrointestinal system. It can also be caused by bacteria through contaminated water and food. Stomach flu can wreak havoc on the system. Remember, our overall health is closely interlinked with our digestive health. Hence, stomach flu can have a deep impact on physical, mental, and emotional health, said nutritionist and lifestyle educator Karishma Chawla.
Stomach flu symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramping, and abdominal pain.
Here are foods that one should have and avoid when down with stomach flu:
*Drinking adequate amounts of fluids is imperative to make up for the fluid loss due to diarrhea and vomiting. Fluids include plain water, infused water with herbs, electoral water, coconut water, broth, herbal tea with ginger, and peppermint. In fact, the smell of peppermint tea may help reduce nausea as well.
*Indulge in low fibre bland foods with no spices or excess oil. One can experiment with khichdi made with white rice and moong dal. Its easy on the stomach and has good protein content.
*Have eggs as they are easy on the stomach and rich in protein, making them a great snack. Eggs are also a good source of B vitamins and selenium, which are important nutrients for the immune system.
However, avoid:
Dinner: soup and khichdi or egg rice
How Long Do The Effects Last
Stomach flu rarely lasts longer than 1 to 3 days. However, it may be 1 to 2 weeks before your bowel habits are completely back to normal.
Dehydration is a potentially serious complication of stomach flu. It can happen if your body loses too much fluid because you keep vomiting or having diarrhea. If you are severely dehydrated, you may need to be given fluids intravenously . In children and older adults, dehydration can quickly become life threatening.
Consider The Brat Diet
Ease back into eating after norovirus by consuming bland, easily digestible foods, Lorencz recommends. The first foods into your rotation can be bananas, rice, applesauce and toast, which make up what’s called the BRAT diet. Though they are mild in terms of flavor, they also have simple sugars that can give you more energy. These low-fiber foods also make your stool firmer, aiding in your recovery from diarrhea.
“The BRAT diet lets your stomach take a little rest as you begin to build up strength after a stomach illness like norovirus,” Lorencz says. “This is what to eat once you’re past nausea and vomiting.”
She suggests simple first meals like toast with a light spread of peanut butter for a little protein, as well as clear broth with saltine crackers, which can help replace sodium lost from vomiting and diarrhea. Definitely go for bananas, she suggests.
“These are part of the BRAT diet for good reason,” she says. “The stomach often tolerates them well, and they’re loaded with potassium, which may be low in your system after stomach issues. Try having a few slices on a graham cracker.”
Once you’re feeling better, begin to incorporate lean meats such as boiled chicken, as well as whole grains like barley and brown rice and lightly steamed vegetables. But, as the Mayo Clinic notes, if your nausea comes back, you should stop eating.
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How Soon Can I Eat And Drink After Vomiting And/or Diarrhea
Other than drinking to stay hydrated, there are no hard and fast rules about when and what to eat after food poisoning or stomach bug symptoms have subsided. Its more about what you can tolerate. Every patient reacts differently to foodor to the idea of eating again. Its natural to temporarily lose your appetite when experiencing the stomach flu or food poisoning. Whenever your appetite does return, you can go back to eating, even if you still have diarrhea. Most medical experts do not recommend fasting or following a restricted diet when you have diarrhea. This is to help your body restore its energy and to regain its lost fluids, nutrients and electrolytes. Your gage will be how well you tolerate food.
Getting Medical Advice For Your Child
You don’t usually need to see your GP if you think your child has gastroenteritis, as it should get better on its own, and taking them to a GP surgery can put others at risk.
Phone the 111 service or your GP if you’re concerned about your child, or they:
- have symptoms of dehydration, such as passing less urine than normal, being unusually irritable or unresponsive, pale or mottled skin, or cold hands and feet
- have blood in their poo or green vomit
- are vomiting constantly and are unable to keep down any fluids or feeds
- have had diarrhoea for more than a week
- have been vomiting for three days or more
- have signs of a more serious illness, such as a high fever , shortness of breath, rapid breathing, a stiff neck, a rash that doesn’t fade when you roll a glass over it or a bulging fontanelle
- have a serious underlying condition, such as inflammatory bowel disease or a weak immune system, and have diarrhoea and vomiting
Your GP may suggest sending off a sample of your child’s poo to a laboratory to confirm what’s causing their symptoms. Antibiotics may be prescribed if this shows they have a bacterial infection.
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Improve Your Gut Health
Any kind of illness, but especially a stomach virus, can wreak havoc on your gut. Gut health is crucial for overall health, including that of your immune system, so it’s important to eat foods that bring your gut back into balance.
Helpful bacteria called probiotics restore the bacterial balance in your digestive system and prevent the bad bacteria from making you ill. Some examples of probiotic-rich foods include:
- Yogurt
- Tempeh
- Kombucha
Some of these foods may not appeal to you right after being sick especially kimchi and sauerkraut. Yogurt, kefir, miso, tempeh and kombucha may be better tolerated at first.
Signs And Symptoms Of A Stomach Bug
Symptoms of gastroenteritis include watery diarrhea, abdominal pain or cramping, nausea, vomiting and sometimes fever. These symptoms can lead to further complications. Because of the potential for nausea, vomiting and diarrhea on top of the lack of eating and drinking dehydration is one of the more common complications.
Dehydration can cause tiredness, fatigue, lightheadedness, sunken eyes, decreased skin turgor and extreme thirst. If someone shows any symptoms of dehydration, they should seek medical attention.
Other reasons to seek medical attention are if an adult is experiencing one or more of the following: a change in mental state, irritability, diarrhea for more than two days, high fever, frequent vomiting, six or more stools per day, severe pain in the abdomen or rectum, stools that are black or contain blood or pus, or dehydration.
Additionally, pregnant women, older adults, children or anyone with an already weakened immune system should seek medical attention if they show any symptoms of gastroenteritis.
The dietary tips and recommendations provided below are for adults only babies and children have their own unique needs.
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What Happens To Your Body When Youre Sick
When you have a fever, and your body is hot, it makes it hard for the germs to spread. If you sleep a lot, you will have more energy to fight germs. While youre sick, you might not want to drink as much as you usually do. But even if you dont feel like drinking, you should still drink lots of water! Otherwise, you will get dehydrated. You should also try to eat some of the food listed below as they are 10 of the best foods to eat when youre sick.
What Is The Stomach Flu
Weve all suffered through the stomach flu or stomach bug at some point in our lives. Both names are laymans terms for the same condition, which is officially called gastroenteritis.
This intestinal infection is brought on by a virus that causes inflammation in your stomach and intestines. Theres no treatment for this viral infection, but you can take preventive measures to avoid getting sick.
Thorough and frequent hand washing is your best defense against gastroenteritis. Prevention is important, since the stomach flu is contagious and typically occurs after contact with an infected person.
Even though the stomach flu shares the same name and some of the same symptoms as the regular flu, they are different conditions. As youll see from the listed symptoms below, the stomach flu primarily affects the gastrointestinal tract. Meanwhile, influenza affects the respiratory tract but can also involve the gastrointestinal tract.
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When To Visit The Doctor
Stomach bugs are very often caused by viruses and common culprits include norovirus and rotavirus. Generally, these pesky pathogens cause irritation and inflammation of the lining of your stomach, also known as gastritis, which can give rise to symptoms such as:
- stomach cramps
As your immune system works hard to fight off the virus, you can also experience a fever and aching muscles and joints, which are also common symptoms of other types of viruses too, such as the flu virus.
Luckily, unlike some other viruses, those which cause a tummy bug can often be eradicated fairly quickly and many people experience a 24 hour bug, by which time your immune system has shunned the invader and your symptoms start to ease. If your symptoms persist for longer, however, or you experience any of the following symptoms, it’s time to go to the doctor:
- Blood in your vomit or poo
- Signs of serious dehydration including stopping peeing, dry mouth or eyes
- A high temperature or fever
- Swollen or painful tummy
- Vomiting that hasnt subsided after 24 hours.
A note on children: if its a child that your worried about, much of the same advice stands with regards to keeping them hydrated and trying them out with some bland or binding foods. However, watch out for the warning signs as mentioned above and get them to the doctor if their symptoms don’t seem to be subsiding.
What Is The Best Food To Eat When You Have Stomach Flu
If you’ve recently suffered from a stomach bug, also known as gastroenteritis or stomach flu, you might be wondering, if anything, what you can eat. However, it’s crucial during this time to keep hydrated, and not overburden your system with heavy or stimulating foods. You should also be supplying your body with the essential nutrients it needs in order to help support your immune system, keep your energy levels up and fight off the invading bug.
This is why I recommend the following five foods to help support your recovery from a stomach bug:
Next, I explore exactly why you should eat these five foods if youre feeling sorry for yourself and have a stomach bug.
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What To Eat When You Have The Stomach Flu Or Food Poisoning
The ideal choices are foods that are easy to digest, easy to keep down, and good for your gut health. These foods will cause the least amount of additional distress while offering you substantial nutrients to encourage a speedy recovery. Some of these foods are fine while youre battling the onset of food poisoning, while others are also included as best foods to have after youve had an upset stomach. These are gluten-free and dairy-free foods.
What Can You Eat After Stomach Flu
Taking steps to prevent stomach flu is important, but if you still get it, you need to take rest and let your body recover from the illness. At the same time, you need to know what to eat after stomach flu. Here are somginge good suggestions:
1. Ginger
Ginger has anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties that make it effective against stomach flu. It improves digestion and helps you find some relief from vomiting, nausea, bloating, and abdominal cramps.
Take 1.5 cups of water and add a teaspoon of freshly chopped ginger in it. Bring this to boil and then let it steep for 10 minutes or so. Strain it and drink slowly. Drink this ginger tea a few times a day to find relief. Avoid it if you have hypertension.
2. Peppermint
It is another herb on the list of what to eat after stomach flu. It is a carminative and has antispasmodic properties that make it effective against gas and bloating. It also offers relief from intestinal and stomach cramps.
Mix a teaspoon of dried peppermint leaves to a cup of boiling water. Let it steep for 10 minutes, strain it, and drink slowly. Drink this peppermint tea 3-4 times a day between meals to find relief.
3. Cinnamon
Cinnamon has powerful antiviral and antibacterial properties and helps destroy virus that causes stomach flu. Due to its warm nature, it also provides you with some relief from aches, chills, and pains.
4. Chamomile
5. BRAT Diet
6. Water
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When To Call For Medical Advice:
- Can’t keep down liquids or food for more than 24 hours
- Have fever with abdominal pain
- Have diarrhea for more than 3 days or without gradual improvement over 5 days
- Have signs of dehydration, for example, lightheadedness, decreased urination or severe fatigue
- Took antibiotics recently
- Have bloody diarrhea
- Have abdominal pain that is not relieved by vomiting and/or diarrhea
- Have insulin-dependent diabetes and experience vomiting, diarrhea or nausea
- Are unable to take medications that you usually take
- Recently traveled to a country that poses a health risk
People Are Advised To Follow These Simple Steps To Help Avoid Norovirus
Take plenty of fluids
Wash your hands regularly with soap and water
Keep yourself away from others especially from GP surgeries or hospitals
If your symptoms continue for more than two days seek advice from NHS 111 by calling 111 on your phone or visit the NHS website for further information.
For non-emergencies, people can contact NHS 111 for further advice by calling 111.
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What To Do If You Have Norovirus
If you experience sudden diarrhoea and/or vomiting, the best thing to do is to stay at home until you’re feeling better.
There’s no treatment for norovirus, so you have to let it run its course.
You don’t usually need to get medical advice unless there’s a risk of a more serious problem.
To help ease your own or your childs symptoms drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration.
You need to drink more than usual to replace the fluids lost from vomiting and diarrhoea as well as water, adults could also try fruit juice and soup.
Avoid giving fizzy drinks or fruit juice to children as it can make their diarrhoea worse. Babies should continue to feed as usual, either with breast milk or other milk feeds.
You can also:
Common Symptoms Of Stomach Flu/stomach Bug
Common stomach flu symptoms include:
- Nausea
- Listeria
- Hepatitis A
Theres a good reason why eating raw cookie dough is a big no-noconsuming raw eggs that have been tainted with salmonella or flour contaminated with E. coli can result in food poisoning. You can also come down with food poisoning after eating raw or undercooked poultry, meat, seafood or dairy. Another common source of food poisoning is fried rice thats been sitting out in warm temperatures for too long.
The bacteria that cause food poisoning can be spread by an infected food handler, or from contaminated water, knives, countertops, or cutting boards. Like the stomach flu, prevention is the best approach to avoid food poisoning. The most obvious measure would be to stay away from contaminated food and water. But since we often dont know whats been tainted until its too late, its recommended to be mindful around food, and to take care to properly cook, clean, handle, and store it.
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Avoid These When You Have The Flu
- Skip your daily coffee: Avoid your cup of joe and favorite caffeinated soda for a one week. Caffeine contracts your intestines, which can make diarrhea worse, Dr. Lipold notes.
- Avoid alcohol altogether: Alcoholic beverages act as a diuretic and can aggravate your stomach even more.
- Dont eat hard-to-digest foods: When you have the stomach flu steer clear of fatty, greasy, spicy and acidic foods. Dairy and tomato-based dishes are also tough on a sick gut.
- Never force yourself to eat: If you dont feel like eating, dont push your body. Try to focus on recovering, rest and staying hydrated, Dr. Lipold says.
- Avoid juices: Apple, orange, or any other juices wont do you much good.
Green Leafy Vegetables And Mushrooms
Various foods can help fight illness, but leafy vegetables are one the best foods to eat when youre sick. Theyre a significant source of vitamins K, C, and A, fiber, and an assortment of nutrients and minerals.
If you snack on vegetables, choose those that are low in saturated fat, such as broccoli, asparagus, carrots, and green beans, and high in fiber, such as cabbage, carrots, lima beans, cauliflower, and spinach.
These vegetables are a great source of antioxidants, which can help fight free radicals which are molecules that can damage cells in the body. They may also cause chronic diseases like heart disease, asthma, and cancer.
Aside from green leafy vegetables, mushrooms are another good choice. You may just think of mushrooms as a tasty topping for your pizza but this fungus contains several immune-boosting compounds that can boost your bodys defenses against colds, flu, and stomach bugs.
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Turmeric Flu Buster Smoothie
Whether youre trying to ward off the flu or you are trying to restore your body while experiencing the flu this smoothie would be a great option for you. This immune-boosting smoothing is thriving in healthy ingredients!
Firstly, it contains plain yogurt which is full of probiotics. Secondly, it contains loads of vitamin C from orange juice, frozen pineapple, and mango. Further lemon juice keeps the immune system strong and helps neutralize any free radicals in the body. Lastly, turmeric is full of antioxidants which also helps to build a strong and healthy immune system.