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Courtney Leiva
Mom's chicken soup, a glass of orange juice, and a sleeve of saltine crackers may sound pretty appetizing when you're under the weather, but you'd actually be shocked to know that some of our favorite sick day foods can actually do more harm than good. This is true, especially since some of these classic items can only make dehydration and inflammation in the body even worse.
To determine which go-to "comfort foods" are really worth ditching when you're ill, INSIDER spoke to a handful of dietitians to set the record straight on 10 foods they would never eat themselves while sick. Here are some of the items they recommend avoiding next time your temperature spikes.
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1. Ditch the refined sugar.
Registered dietitian Sharon Palmer recommends passing on any foods with refined sugar when you aren't feeling 100%, as sugar can potentially increase inflammation in the body and reduce the ability for white blood cells to function effectively. This means while sucking on popsicles and eating ice cream may feel good, it might not actually be making you feel better.
She suggests sticking with nutrient-rich foods (think fresh fruits and vegetables) to help supply valuable nutrients to your diet in order to boost up your immune system.
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2. Avoid alcohol at all costs.
A hot toddy may be appealing when you're plagued with the chills, but Brooke Alpert, registered dietitian and author of "The Diet Detox" recommends avoiding alcohol whenever you're feeling run down. She told INSIDER that alcohol can cause dehydration which can be harmful, especially when you're sick.
She also noted that alcohol can also interfere with any antibiotics you may be taking, which can cause damage to your stomach and liver. To avoid unwanted dehydration, make sure you are consuming clear and hydrating liquids while sick.
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3. Scale back on the caffeine.
Caffeine may help ward away any morning grogginess if you were up coughing all night, but it's another thing Alpert avoids when she's sick, as she explained that caffeinated beverages tend to be very dehydrating to the body.
"I allow myself that one cup in the morning, but aside from that, caffeine is off limits for the rest of the day when I'm under the weather," Alpert told INSIDER. "Not only are caffeinated beverages very dehydrating to the body, but drinking these beverages as a replacement for hydrating drinks puts you even further behind on your overall hydration status."
4. Don't eat anything acidic.
Orange juice and tomato soup may seem like healthy sick day essentials, but nutritionist Dr. Elizabeth Trattner says it's important to avoid anything too acidic when sick, especially when you are experiencing nausea or the stomach flu. If you are vomiting, she said the acidity present in these items may hurt your throat if it does indeed comes back up, making it wise to avoid these items altogether.
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5. Ditch the canned soup.
Like fruit juices, canned soup may seem like an innocent sick day lifesaver, but registered dietitian Lauren Papanos, MS, RD, LD, explained that canned soup is typically high in sodium. To still enjoy the delicious benefits of a warm cup of soup, she says to stick with low-sodium homemade soups.
6. Avoid the saltines.
Although these iconic crackers are popular for stomach upset and illness, Papanos says that rice cakes (she lovesSimple Mills Almond Flour Crackers) tend to be a much healthier option, especially since many saltine crackers contain high fructose corn syrup and soybean oil, which can be quite inflammatory to the body.
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7. Say no to junk food.
Greasy and fried foods may seem tempting when all you really want to do is eat real food again, but Scarlett Full, registered dietitian and nutritionist at Growing Naturals said it's best to avoid these foods until you've fully recovered. Full said that greasy and fried foods contain high amounts of pro-inflammatory fats which can spike any pre-existing inflammation in the body. Plus it's probably going to make you feel crummy.
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8. Be careful with toast.
Toast is definitely a go-to for many people when they aren't feeling well as it's known to be gentle on an upset stomach according registered dietitian Christy Brissette, president of 80 Twenty Nutrition. However, while toast may be a godsend for nausea, Brissette says it's not the best food item to consume if you are dealing with a sore throat or cough, as dry and scratchy foods don't exactly mix well with an irritated throat.
To avoid any discomfort, she recommended selecting softer foods (think eggs, yogurt, oatmeal, and soup) next time you are dealing with a tender throat.
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9. Scale back on the dairy.
When you are losing the battle with a cold or the flu, Full recommends scaling back on dairy products (except plain yogurt) as milk, ice cream, and even cheese can make phlegm thicker and make any existing congestion even worse.
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10. Don't drink sports drinks.
People may think sports drinks are the best way to manage the stomach flu and replace lost electrolytes, but registered dietitian Vanessa Rissetto said it's best to avoid them, especially since they're overloaded with sugar, which is just going to make any cramping or diarrhea even worse. To save your bowels, she recommends ditching sugary drinks and consuming clear liquids like water.
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