best foods to eat if you start feeling sick

Your grandmother was right the BRAT (Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, Toast) diet is a brilliant cure for stomach ailments. The blandness of the foods combined with their nutritional benefits for instance, bananas whose high potassium levels replenishes important electrolyte lost when you are expelling liquids and toast which can help stabilize a turbulent digestive system actively work to help you feel better.

Anise seeds are often found in cookies but they can do more for you than just taste good. Anise helps you expel mucus and eases a cough, too. Try making a tea from a cup of crushed anise seeds and a cup of boiling water. Flavor it with honey and cinnamon.

Sweared on by cooks across the globe, garlic is nearly a panacea food. Youll get the highest antioxidant content from garlic when eating it raw, but as some people find this a bit offputting, try adding garlic to your food when sick or taking supplements.

Well, this one is a bit of a mixed bag. Recent research has shown that drinking loads of orange juice and taking vitamin C supplements dont help in fighting the cold that much, but this vitamin rampant in citrus fruits such as oranges, limes, and lemons might slightly reduce how long you feel icky.

Though your body makes vitamin D when the the sun hits your skin, if youre cooped up inside sick or in a cold climate youre likely not getting enough of this important nutrient. Many foods are now fortified with vitamin D, the most notable being most milk products. (Bonus fact: contrary to popular belief, drinking or eating dairy does not increase your bodys mucus production! So have a glass of cow juice and, at the same time, lower your chances of getting a respiratory infection.)

A warm cup of tea is perfect when you have the sniffles. Though the most beneficial variety is green tea, all varieties made from the Camellia sinensus plant (rather than herbal teas) pull their weight as flufighters due to high amounts of the antioxidants called catechins. A Japanese study even showed that people who regularly take catechin supplements were 75% less likely to catch the flu.

Mushrooms are technically funghi and though you might steer away from them generally, they are full of antioxidants which act like a sports drink to your immune system. The potassium, vitamin B, and fiber in them can help you beat a cold.

Its widely known that gargling with hot, salty water is good when youre sick, but do you know why? As salt is hydrophilic (meaning it attracts water to it), it pulls moisture out of an inflamed throat and reduces discomfort. It also cuts through throat mucus and rinses away bacteria.

Very beneficial to your health due to their high nutrient content, dark, leafy greens such as kale, collard greens, and spinach are especially beneficial when youre feeling sick and your body is lacking nutrients. Recent research has even shown bitter varieties like arugula can help boost your white blood cell count.

Mostly associated with Indian and South Asian cooking, turmeric is a major part of Ayurvedic medicine and has preventative and healing properties that rival gingers. A powerhouse on the antiinflammatory and antibiotic scenes, turmeric can also help an upset stomach and a loss of appetite. Add half a teaspoon to a cup of boiling milk or add it to the sauce of a dish with carrots or lean meats for a super health hack.