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
Foods To Avoid During The Stomach Flu
There are some foods that you should avoid if you have the stomach flu virus. Some food may make your stomach flu symptoms worse and irritate your system while your body is trying to recover from the virus. These foods include spicy, acidic, fatty, and fibrous foods. Meats, coarse grains, and vegetables are not good to eat if you have the stomach flu. You should also avoid dairy products because they are hard to digest and may irritate your stomach as well.
- There are some foods that you should avoid if you have the stomach flu virus.
- Meats, coarse grains, and vegetables are not good to eat if you have the stomach flu.
Nausea Vomiting And Diarrhea Instructions
Most episodes of vomiting or diarrhea are caused by viral infections, but some are caused by improperly cooked or stored foods.
During an illness involving vomiting and diarrhea, it is important to prevent dehydration. Drink plenty of uids in small sips until the stomach is settled and then in larger amounts until your thirst is satisfied. Clear liquids are the best. Water, Gatorade, Sprite, 7-Up, and Ginger Ale are suggested. Clear broth, plain JellO and weak tea may also be used but in smaller amounts. Avoid milk or milk products during the first 24 hours. Continue plenty of uids until you are urinating with your usual frequency, your urine is light yellow or clear in color, and your feeling of hunger returns.
If there is no further episode of vomiting or diarrhea in 6 8 hours, advance the diet to include, soft, bland foods. Bananas, rice, applesauce, tea, toast, yogurt, soda crackers, pretzels, and plain potatoes are suggested. Fatty foods, fried foods, and spicy foods should be avoided as should caffeine and cigarette smoke. It is important to continue with uids to avoid dehydration. Continue this diet until symptoms are gone for 12 48 hours.
If steady improvement is not seen over the initial three days return to Wick Primary Care at YSU for an appointment with a physician.
Seek immediate medical care if:
- You have symptoms of dehydration such as:
- Dry eyes and a dry mouth
- Passing only a little dark urine
- Feeling thirstier than usual
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Best Foods To Eat After Having The Stomach Flu
- Post author Scientific review: Dr Heben’s Team
Gastroenteritis, which commonly known as stomach flu, is an intestinal infection that can lead into several symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, and abdominal cramps. Although the name of the disease is stomach flu is not influenza at all. This disease often called stomach flu since it will bring you some discomforts like seasonal flu does. But, do you know that there are several foods that would be perfect remedies for you stomach flu? Here are some of the foods that you need to consume after youre having stomach flu.
The best foods to eat after having the stomach flu is cinnamon, The first food that you need to consume after you are suffering from stomach flu is cinnamon. The main reason you must consume cinnamon is because this food contains an antiviral properties, which without a doubt will dimished the virus that cause the stomach flu. Beside that, cinnamon also will provide you some relief from the pain that you feel during the stomach flu since it will bring some warm feeling in the body after you consume it.
You can consume cinnamon as a beverage by following these steps:
You can consume peppermint as a tea by following these steps:
Same as peppermint, you can consume this chamomile flower as a tea by following these steps:
Same as chamomile and peppermint, you can consume this ginger as a tea by following these steps:
When Should I Call The Doctor
- cant drink for several hours
- is peeing less often
- has signs of dehydration, such as crying with few or no tears, having a dry mouth or cracked lips, feeling dizzy or lightheaded, acting very sleepy or less alert
- has a high fever
- has blood in their poop or vomit
- is vomiting for more than 24 hours or the diarrhea doesnt get better after several days
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What To Eat With A Stomach Virus
You’ve been there: A nasty case of the stomach flu or a random bout of food poisoning hit you, and you feel weak and shaky…but finally ready to eat something. What is the best food for an upset stomach or the food for diarrhea? Here, registered dietitians share their tips for how to rehydrate and what to eat with a stomach virus so you can start feeling like a functional human again.
But before you explore what to eat after the stomach flu, you might want to take notes on what to avoid when battling a stomach bug so you don’t exacerbate the pain. Sheri Kasper, registered dietitian and co-founder of Fresh Communications, suggests steering clear of caffeine, as it can be irritating to the stomach and may make certain symptoms worse. “It’s also important to avoid alcohol because the goal right after the stomach flu is to replace fluids and alcohol is a diuretic, which means it causes fluid loss,” she adds. “Highly acidic or spicy/boldly spiced foods can also trigger nausea or stomach pain, so they should be approached with caution.”
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.
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What To Eat After Stomach Flu
With stomach flu come so many other problems such as nausea, chills, diarrhea, fever, and body aches. While it is never easy to deal with body aches, fever and chills, diarrhea can make things even more difficult. You will not feel like eating anything, but this will make it difficult for your body to recover. You have to be careful about what you decide to eat while you are sick. With stomach flu, the problems do not end soon after you recover. Your stomach will not be functioning at its best, so it is important to know what to eat after stomach flu.
What Is A Gastroenteritis Diet
Gastroenteritis, or the stomach flu, is caused by swallowing certain viruses, which travel through your system and inflame the linings of your stomach and intestines. This inflammation can increase the speed with which food moves through your digestive tract. As a result, you may experience fatigue, diarrhea, cramps, nausea and vomiting. Supportive measures may help you get better sooner.
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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:
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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Yogurt: Fight Stomach Flu With Healthy Bacteria
While most dairy products that are hard to digest may not be a good idea when under the weather with a stomach bug yogurt is a safe choice with digestive system strengthening properties. It is the live cultures of pro-health yeast and bacteria in yogurt that can aid with recovery when afflicted with stomach flu and is a must eat when you have stomach flu.
Rice Water: Holy Grail For Stomach Flu
The water that remains after boiling and straining rice is loaded with electrolytes that will help maintain energy levels and prevent dehydration when one is down with gastroenteritis or what is commonly known as stomach flu. Rice water has been hailed for centuries for its replenishing and energy giving properties and should be consumed daily in stomach flu.
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What To Eat When You Have The Stomach Flu
Ask U.S. doctors your own question and get educational, text answers â it’s anonymous and free!
Ask U.S. doctors your own question and get educational, text answers â it’s anonymous and free!
HealthTap doctors are based in the U.S., board certified, and available by text or video.
What Can I Eat If I Have The Stomach Flu
Ask U.S. doctors your own question and get educational, text answers â it’s anonymous and free!
Ask U.S. doctors your own question and get educational, text answers â it’s anonymous and free!
HealthTap doctors are based in the U.S., board certified, and available by text or video.
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What To Eat After Stomach Flu Or Food Poisoning
After experiencing the stomach flu or food poisoning, it might be hard to think about eating. However, the right foods, combined with drinking lots of fluids, can actually help speed up your bodys recovery. In most cases, the best way to recuperate from the stomach flu or food poisoning is to prevent dehydration and replace the fluids and electrolytes that your body has lost. Its important to understand when you can and should start eating again and what to eat after food poisoning or the stomach flu. Ill share what foods and liquids are best for your sensitive stomach, and what foods to avoid.
Foods To Avoid With Stomach Flu
MILK: When the mucosa of the small intestine is inflamed, as, in the case of gastroenteritis, the production of lactase and other digestive enzymes halts to a crawl. Accordingly, the body cannot properly digest lactose, which further inflames the intestine. Milk can worsen the symptoms of stomach flu.
EGGS: Eggs can carry the bacteria responsible for gastroenteritis . Mayonnaise, which is a product of raw eggs, is a leading contributor. Therefore, avoid eggs and egg products in cases of a stomach bug. However, you can consume boiled eggs once the acute phase has passed. Therefore, boiled eggs and not scrambled eggs after stomach flu is best.
CHICKEN: Salmonella and other gastroenteritis-causing pathogens contaminate chicken with a particular frequency. Therefore, it may precipitate or aggravate the disease.
SHELLFISH: Shellfish is one of the main foods to avoid with stomach flu. For instance, shellfish consumption is one of the most frequent causes of intestinal infections. Avoid clams, oysters, mussels, etcetera because they are also difficult to digest and aggravate gastrointestinal inflammation.
REFERENCES
George D. Pamplona-Roger, M.D. âEncyclopedia of Foods and Their Healing Power.â George D. Pamplona-Roger, M.D. Encyclopedia of Foods and Their Healing Power. Trans. Annette Melgosa. Vol. 2. Chai Wan: Editorial Safeliz, 2005. 232, 218. Print.
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What Should I Eat If I Have Viral Gastroenteritis
When you have viral gastroenteritis, you should drink plenty of liquids to replace lost fluids and electrolytes. You may vomit after you eat or lose your appetite for a short time. When your appetite returns, you can most often go back to eating your normal diet, even if you still have diarrhea.
When children have viral gastroenteritis, parents and caretakers should give children what they usually eat as soon as their appetite returns. Parents and caretakers should give infants breast milk or formula as usual.
How Much Weight Do You Lose When You Poop
While you might feel lighter after pooping, youre not actually losing much weight. Whats more, when you lose weight while pooping, youre not losing the weight that really matters. To lose disease-causing body fat, you need to burn more calories than you consume. You can do this by exercising more and eating less. 4
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Food Tips When You Have The Stomach Flu:
Drink More.
It’s important to increase fluid intake when you are vomiting or have diarrhea. Seniors should aim to get one cup of fluid every hour. Drink slowly, since too much at once could worsen vomiting. Frozen popsicles or chicken rice or chicken noodle soup are a good way to get in fluids if you dont feel like drinking.
Drink Wisely.
When you have diarrhea, drinking more water may not be enough. You’re losing important minerals and electrolytes that water can’t supply. Seniors can use oral rehydration solutions or diluted juices, diluted sports drinks, clear broth, or decaffeinated tea. Opt for a popular ginger soda or tea that contains real ginger, not just ginger-sugar flavoring to help when you have a queasy stomach. Sugary, carbonated, caffeinated, or alcoholic drinks can make diarrhea worse, so be sure to dilute sugary beverages if you drink them.
Eat Other Foods Besides Bland Foods.
The old advice was to stick with a liquid diet for a few days and then to add in bland foods, such as the BRAT diet of bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. That’s fine for the first day or so of stomach flu. However, doctors say that you should return to your normal diet as soon as you feel up to it. BRAT foods aren’t bad. They just don’t provide the fat and protein that you need. Sticking with them too long could actually slow your recovery.
Get The Right Nutrients.
Rest.
Give your body time to recover.
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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