*Updated on January 29, 2020
Has the stomach flu invaded your household? If it hasn’t yet this year, it will. It’s coming.
Most of us don’t make it through the winter without getting sick with some sort of virus or bug. The thing that people often dread the most is the stomach flu.
That flu shot you got won’t help you with this…it’s not actually a flu at all, even though we tend to call it that.
Luckily it’s usually short-lived, but it leaves you feeling weak and not interested in eating. What should a low-carb-eater do to help with recovery? I think that when you’re drained and exhausted from vomiting and diarrhea, you should eat whatever you feel like you can ‘stomach’! If you feel like eating crackers, eat crackers.
However, if you want some suggestions for healthier options, that will help soothe your discomfort and replenish your body, keep reading.
As Soon as You Start Feeling Sick (or have come in contact with the bug)
You may not feel like swallowing anything when those first waves of nausea hit but if you can manage, these might help to decrease the severity:
- Probiotics: these good bacteria can help to kill the bugs that are making you sick. Look for Lactobacillus casei GG and S boulardii. There seems to be conflicting evidence about whether or not this helps but probiotics are safe to take. This is the first line of defense in our family. I first started using this years ago when my daughter was a toddler and always seemed to be picking up some sort of bug…and I inevitably got it after her (probably from cleaning up all her vomit!). I would take 2 or 3 capsules (6 billion bacteria per capsule) at a time, a few times during the day. I still felt ill but wasn’t running to the bathroom every 15 minutes like she was. It’s worth a shot.
- Oregano Oil: this one can be hard to swallow on the best of days but if you can get it in capsule or soft gel form, it’s easier. Oregano oil can help kill the bug and get you on the mend faster.
- Cinnamon and Turmeric: help with nausea and can help kill the bug. Try drinking these in a soothing tea.
By inducing vomiting and diarrhea, your body is trying to purge itself of the bacteria. This is a good thing, even though it feels so awful. Rather than suppressing the purge, try taking probiotics, oregano oil, cinnamon or turmeric to help kill the bug.
When you get to the point where you feel like you can tolerate a bit of food, try any of these options:
Food
- Broth: bone broth can help to replenish your lost electrolytes (which results from recurrent vomiting and/or diarrhea). Homemade bone broth is ideal, but if the best you can do is find some merciful soul to go out in the dead of winter and buy you some at the store, that’s ok too (be sure to take that person out to dinner later when you’re feeling better!).
- Herbal Tea: Can be very soothing to your stomach and provide hydration.
- Ginger Tea: Place a few slices of fresh ginger in a pot and add 1-2 cups of water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 10 minutes. Ginger has antibacterial qualities to help fight that stomach bug and also helps to alleviate nausea.
- Coconut Water: also great for replenishing electrolytes. Be sure to buy the unsweetened variety.
- Starchy Carbs such as Sweet Potatoes, Bananas, Rice: Even though you may normally be avoiding these foods on a low carb diet, a little bit of these bland, easily digested carbs can provide some nourishment to your recovering body. You’ve probably heard of the BRAT diet (Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, Toast) that help to firm up the stool when you have a stomach bug. Try that if you’r suffering with very loose bowel movement.
Supplements
- Nuun Tablets: I use this for hydration during exercise (instead of sports drinks like Gatorade) but it’s also a great way to hydrate and replenish electrolytes when you’ve had a stomach bug. They don’t contain chemicals and artificial ingredients like sports drinks and ginger ale, which people tend to gravitate towards. Just dissolve a tablet in 500ml of water and sip throughout the day.
- Gelatin/Collagen: If you’ve made broth, there will be gelatin in there already, from the bones. Otherwise, you can take gelatin as a powdered supplement and mix it in a hot beverage or the store-bought broth. Gelatin is easy to digest and has gut healing properties that are useful anytime but especially after the assault of a stomach virus.
Suffering from the effects of a stomach bug is absolutely rotten, but hopefully, these suggestions will help speed up your recovery or at least provide a bit of comfort in the meantime.
Happy winter! 🙂