I recently got diagnosed with strep throat, and I was crestfallen. I haven’t been sick in a very long time, so hearing that I had a pretty nasty infection was disheartening. However, I am now being treated for the condition with penicillin, so hopefully my throat will stop aching soon. But, in the meantime, there are many things I do to help accelerate the healing process.
Rest
One thing I want to stress is how important it is to REST when you are sick. I workout everyday, and I am constantly running around, so the hardest part about being sick for me is not being able to do anything, and being told I need to “rest.”
Since I don’t have a fever, I feel pretty okay, but my throat is killing me. I want to workout, but I know that my body is in a state where it is trying to heal itself and so strenuous exercise would only be detrimental. I know it can be hard for all of us who workout constantly, but sometimes your body just needs a break. Don’t worry; nothing bad is going to happen if you take a few days off from working out. There’s no reason to stress about not being able to exercise, because when you are feeling better, you can get back to the gym and have a killer workout. It’s better to have an amazing workout when you are feeling 100 percent, than a crappy workout when you feel sick. So, moral of the story, give your body time to heal and don’t stress not working out for a few days.
Despite all that, if you are craving movement, I recommend doing light yoga or stretching.
Fluids
You already know this, but another thing that is critical when sick is fluid intake. You want to intake tons and tons of water while you are sick. I also recommend drinking lots of tea, as well as herbal tea. I do not drink coffee when I am sick, because it dehydrates the body, which is the last thing you want when you’re not feeling great. Here are two examples of non-coffee beverages I like to have when I’m not feeling great.
Diet
Your diet should be extra nutritious when you are sick because your body will use the antixodiants and nutrients that you feed it to heal. I eat lots of soups when I am sick. I usually buy canned soups, (this one from Amy’s is great, and has no weird chemicals) and then I add a ton of green vegetables to the soup, such as kale or carrots. Carrots and lemons are both excellent because they are high in Vitamin C, which is known for helping the immune system. I also recommend eating coconut oil because it is anti-viral and anti-bacterial, so it helps fight any infections.
Supplements
You can also take some extra supplements when sick to help speed up the recovery. Probiotics are really important to take, particularly if you are on antibiotics because they help replenish the good bacteria. I take the probiotic about three hours after taking the antibiotic, so that it can still enter my body and not be killed off. Sambu Guard is an immune boosting drink that you take by the tablespooon. It has Echinacea in it, which has immune-boosting benefits. Apple Cider Vinegar can help the throat due to it’s antibacterial properties.
What do you do when you’re sick?
Let me know what you think!