In general, avoiding beverages with added sugar or caffeine when you're sick is a good idea. Caffeine can have a diuretic effect, which can cause you to pee more frequently, Cording says. Unless you're balancing that out with plenty of water, this caffeine can lead to dehydration.
Electrolyte solutions or sports drinks, such as Pedialyte for children and Gatorade (try the sugar-free version), are good options. Herbal teas, particularly those containing ginger, can be very soothing. Regular tea is also okay but try not to drink too much caffeine when you are sick.
Orange juice is a yummy way to hydrate, but there's conflicting research on whether it can help your cold. The acid can irritate a sore or inflamed throat. Many store-bought orange juices are also high in sugar, which is not recommended for treating cold symptoms.
If you're feeling nauseous, following the BRAT diet – bananas, rice, apples and toast – may be your preference.
Stay hydrated.
Water, juice, clear broth or warm lemon water with honey helps loosen congestion and prevents dehydration. Avoid alcohol, coffee and caffeinated sodas, which can make dehydration worse.
Caffeinated Drinks A diuretic, caffeine can exacerbate dehydration, so you'll want to limit or avoid beverages like coffee, black tea, and soda while you're sick with the flu, Vyas says.
Lemonade is one of the best home remedies for nausea for children who are comforted by a sweet drink. However, the sugar content of lemonade doesn't make it a great choice for frequent consumption. It can lead to sugar addiction, unhealthy blood sugar spikes, reactive hypoglycemia, and more.
If you have a cold, flu, or nasal allergies that cause your sinuses to clog up, drinking warm or hot water may help ease your symptoms and make breathing easier. By contrast, drinking cold water may make you feel worse by thickening nasal mucus.
When you are sick, you need to increase your water intake to replace fluids lost to congestion, fever and vomiting among other factors. Additionally, the medicine you take to dry and clear out your system can sometimes contribute to dehydration.
Relying Too Much on Cold Treatments
But if you overdo them, cold treatments can actually have the opposite effect, making your cold symptoms worse. In fact, if you use a decongestant in spray or drop form for more than three to four days in a row, your nasal membranes will swell even more.
“Water is the gold standard. However, non-sugar drinks such as Pedialyte, green or black tea or non-sugar sports drinks will work for adults, too. The key with fluid intake is to avoid dehydration. Fluids support your immune system function, thin mucus and lessen congestion.
Cold air holds less moisture than warm air. Dry nostrils are more prone to viruses, and if you're already sick, dry air can worsen a sore throat. Try using a humidifier. If you don't have one, leave a shallow bowl of water out, particularly near a heat source.
Milk: We know the milk health benefits build strong bones, but milk is also a flu-fighting beverage! Nutrients in milk have a unique combination of calcium and 8 other vitamins and minerals, including vitamin D. Research indicates that low levels of vitamin D may be linked to an increase in colds and flu.
To help you cure the flu faster and protect you from severe complications, you may take an antiviral like Tamiflu or Relenza. But antivirals need a prescription and are most effective when taken closer to the onset of symptoms.
Drink water, tea (herbal or decaf), broth, soup, and non-caffeinated sports drinks e.g. Gatorade. Hot tea with lemon and honey can help. Gargle with warm salt-water. Dissolve 1 teaspoon of regular table salt in 8 ounces (240 ml) of warm water, gargle for a few seconds, spit it out, then repeat a few times.
How quickly you recover from a cold or the flu depends on how healthy you are. In general, healthy people usually get over a cold in 7 to 10 days. Flu symptoms, including fever, should go away after about 5 days, but you may still have a cough and feel weak a few days longer.
In general, the important thing is to make sure you wash regularly and do not share towels or sheets with those who are sick without washing them first. Remember, the virus is killed by hot temperatures, so if you do clean your sheets and towels, use the hot temperature setting instead of warm.
Smolensky says that this immune system activity and the inflammation it produces is not constant, but instead is “highly circadian rhythmic.” As a result, “you tend to experience symptoms as most severe when your immune system kicks into highest gear, which is normally at night during sleep.”
As far as what to avoid when you're sick, steer clear of foods that may fuel inflammation or stress your immune system. Those foods include refined sugar, processed foods (especially those with artificial ingredients), conventional dairy and meat, caffeine, and alcohol.
Yogurt: Yogurt is an excellent choice when you are sick. Not only is it rich in vitamins, minerals and calcium, it also contains probiotics, which have been shown to help with colds. Oranges: Oranges are loaded with nutrients, including vitamin C which helps fight the common cold.
When you are sick, your immune system kicks into gear. This activation, and the immune battle that results, requires calories beyond your body's “basal” (or baseline) need—causing an appetite increase.