What to eat if you have COVID-19

Many people worry about what to eat when you have Covid-19 but the ideal thing is to eat the right foods before getting sick (check our post on what to eat to boost your immune system to learn more about that).

However, once you have Covid-19 you can still help your immune system. There is no magical recipe or element that wipes out the infection. However, helping your body get strong can help fight the disease.

Drink water

The first thing you need to do is hydrate yourself. Water helps you combat side effects of fever or diarrhea. You can have it also in foods such as juice, soups, electrolyte drinks or teas. Actually, teas with honey can help you calm a cough.

Energy and calories

To fight a cold, you usually need a good amount of calories to help your body have the energy to fight it. Some studies suggest that an increase in calories during the acute phase (usually phase one) of your infection can help as your body is using all of its calories to fight the illness. And you want to eat protein to avoid your body using your muscles stores of energy.

Vitamins

Also, foods big on zync, vitamin A, C or D can help. You can take them as a supplement to pump up your system before getting sick. There are a few studies right now on how Vitamin C, D3 and Zinc might help with Covid-19 but nothing has been proven yet. Ask your doctor before starting with new vitamins just in case they interact with any of your medications and to avoid overdosing on certain vitamins which can also be dangerous.

Ginger

Ginger is one of the recommended foods you want to have due to it’s capacity to calm nausea and increase your immune system’s capacity.

Probiotics and dairy

Aside from the high levels of certain vitamins in your dairy like eggs, yogurt may be a key friend at this time and you can mix it up with fruits on smoothies that may be easier to swallow and digest than solid foods. 70% of our defenses live in our guts, so the probiotics in foods like yogurt help you have  avery strong immune system.

There’s also certain things you should avoid or limit when you have Covid-19.

Alcohol is one of them as it dehydrates you and worsens your immune system. Avoid anything that irritates your throat or is difficult to digest so you don’t worsen your symptoms. You don’t want to stress your body even more.

Now, the best thing you can do is have someone assess your eating habits and analyze what works for you, especially before getting sick. Each body is different and if you have certain food restrictions due to beliefs or health, some parts of your diet may need to be readjusted to ensure you increase the intake of some vitamins. Also, the medicines you take can interact with an excess of certain foods or vitamins. That’s why working with a professional is so important.