What Not to Eat When You Have a Cold
When you have a cold, the last thing you want is to feel even worse due to the foods you eat. As a nutritional analyst specializing in phytochemicals and natural remedies, I have seen how the right diet can heal and prevent you from feeling sicker. This article will guide you through the top foods to avoid when you have a cold, along with alternative options to help you heal faster.
Foods to Avoid
Dairy
Dairy products such as milk, cheese, yogurt, and ice cream can increase mucus production, which can exacerbate congestion, coughs, and post-nasal drip. The proteins and lipids in milk create a thick coating in the throat and sinus cavities, making it harder to breathe. Instead, focus on non-dairy milk alternatives until your cold passes.
Example: Julia struggled with a nagging cough and congestion for over 2 weeks. By eliminating all dairy, her cough cleared up within three days, and her breathing became much easier.
Simple Carbs and Sweets
Simple carbohydrates and sweets, like bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, cookies, and candy, can cause inflammation and impair your immunity. Sugar, in particular, can suppress the function of white blood cells for up to 5 hours. Avoid simple carbs and sweets when combating a cold and opt for complex carbs and proteins instead.
Example: James felt worse after eating sugary foods or simple carbs during his recovery from a bad cold. Focusing on vegetables, fruits, proteins, and healthy fats stabilized his blood sugar and enhanced his recovery.
Citrus Fruits
While citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes are known for their vitamin C content, they can actually irritate the throat when you already have a cold. The acidic juices can sting sensitive, inflamed membranes, stimulating coughing. Avoid citrus fruits until you've fully recovered.
Example: Sipping orange juice caused painful throat spasms and coughing fits for Angela when she was battling a nasty cold. Lemon water had the same effect. I suggested she avoid all citrus fruits during her illness, which provided relief.
Alcohol
Alcohol can dehydrate, inflame tissues, and lower your immunity, which is the opposite of what you want when your body is fighting a cold virus. Avoid drinking alcoholic beverages if you're sick, as it can slow your recovery and also interact with medications.
Example: Drinking several glasses of wine before bed left David with worsened cold symptoms. Alcohol suppressed his immune response, so I advised him to abstain until the cold resolved to prevent prolonging the illness.
Caffeine
Like alcohol, caffeine is dehydrating and can deplete your body's healing resources. It also increases histamine production, which can exacerbate congestion, headaches, and coughs. Avoid caffeine when you have a cold to promote faster recovery.
Example: Lucy's cold symptoms of nasal congestion and headache always worsened after drinking coffee. Without the diuretic effects of caffeine, Lucy recovered from her cold faster.
Fried Foods
Fried foods, rich in high-fat content, can trigger inflammation and provide little nutrient value. They can also induce nausea, especially when you're already feeling queasy from cold symptoms. Avoid fried foods when you’re under the weather.
Example: Neil ate fried chicken strips and fries when sick, making him feel more bloated and nauseated. I coached him to resist greasy fried foods during his illness, which helped eliminate gastrointestinal upset.
Raw Vegetables
While vegetables are important for nutrition and immunity, raw veggies are more difficult to digest when your body is fighting a virus. Save large raw salads and veggies for when your digestive strength returns. Lightly steaming vegetables can help obtain nutrients with less strain on your system.
Example: A big kale salad on day 2 of her cold left Corina feeling extremely bloated and fatigued. I suggested lightly steaming vegetables instead of consuming them raw until she recovered her strength, allowing better nutrient intake without overloading her digestion.
Excess Meat
Heavy meats like beef, pork, and lamb require a lot of energy to break down and can drain the energy that should be used for healing. When combating a cold, focus on lighter proteins like turkey, chicken, fish, and plant-based options.
Example: Aaron craved a big steak when sick but felt awful afterwards - restless and feverish. I recommended swapping red meat for chicken soup, fish, and plant proteins until his cold passed, which helped improve his symptoms.
Spicy Foods
Foods with a lot of heat, like those containing chili powder, cayenne, and hot sauce, can further irritate an already inflamed sore throat and stimulate runny sinuses. Avoid them when you have a cold to minimize coughing and nose blowing.
Example: Eating spicy chili made Courtney's sore throat hurt worse and triggered fits of painful coughing. I advised that she stick to bland, soothing foods during her illness to avoid aggravating cold symptoms and prolonging her suffering.
Processed Snacks
Packaged snacks like chips, pretzels, crackers, and candy offer little nutritional benefit but can trigger inflammation and phlegm. Avoid these empty calorie snacks and opt for snacks with protein and nutrients to help you recover faster.
Example: Rafael grabbed cheese crackers, potato chips, and chocolate for a movie night while sick and awoke congested and puffy. I suggested swapping these processed snacks for veggie sticks, fruit, and nuts next time.
Dont Let Diet Derail Recovery
Eating the wrong foods can definitely make you feel worse or prolong your misery when you have a cold. Avoiding dairy, sugar, citrus fruits, alcohol, caffeine, fried fare, raw veggies, excess red meat, spicy dishes, and junk food while ill gives your body the greatest chance for fast and efficient recovery. Follow a cold-fighting diet based on gentle proteins, cooked vegetables, complex carbs, nuts, seeds, and fresh fruits to nourish your healing and feel better faster. Your discipline will pay off in fewer symptoms and a shorter illness duration!