When traveling, many people tend to acquire motion sickness, food related illnesses, allergies and even illnesses that are common to the locals. If you find yourself sick, there are certain foods that you should avoid to not further exacerbate your symptoms. While many foods will help you fight the illness, there are some that will actually hinder your body’s ability to recuperate and recover. Knowing which foods to avoid will help you feel better, quicker.
Dairy Products are Off-Limits
More often than not, people turn to ice cream to soothe a sore throat, or they will drink milk to help an upset stomach, but this is the absolute worst thing that you can do. Dairy products are off-limits when trying to overcome an illness because they actually increase the body’s production of mucus. Aside from that, if you have a fever, the dairy products can curdle in your stomach. If product curdles, you should expect to be vomiting within the hour. When choosing the right foods and drinks to make you feel better, put a big red “X” through dairy unless it is yogurt with live cultures. More on this in our article on foods that you should eat when sick.
Store-bought Juices
If you make your own juices, you should be fine, but over-the-counter juices are on the list of things to not indulge in when you are ill. Almost all store-bought juices are packed with artificial sugars and flavoring. The high sugar continent will actually hinder your white blood cells. The white blood cells are your body’s defense to illnesses and diseases. When your white blood cell count is down, your chances of becoming ill go up. Only fresh squeezed juices are acceptable when fighting illnesses because they do not contain artificial sugars.
Greasy Foods are bad for your Health
Other than the obvious reasons, greasy foods are especially bad for someone who is trying to recover from any illness. It is common knowledge that greasy foods have many negative impacts on one’s health, but they are even worse for someone who is already sick. The greases and oils in these foods actually cause inflammation. If inflammation occurs, your white blood cells become immobilized. Basically, you will have an inactive immune system until the food has been fully digested.
The best and most obvious way to go is eat as many fresh fruits and vegetables as possible. Fruits and vegetables contain multiple immune boosting agents that will help to fight against illness, and if eaten on a regular basis, they will also help to prevent illnesses and diseases. Before eating any local fresh fruits and veggies, make sure that there are no known issues that arise from eating those specific foods.
