Don's Home Health Flu Recovery Diet
Eating and Drinking:
Two hours after vomiting and four hours after diarrhea you can attempt to drink clear liquids. Clear liquids can mean water, broth, popsicles, Gatorade, weak tea, bouillon and apple juice.. You may also drink soft drinks without caffeine (such as 7up) after letting them lose some of their carbonation - go flat.
Do not, however, drink or eat any dairy products until you are a day or two out from your illness.
You will know when you are in the clear when you have that first feeling of actually being hungry. The first foods you should eat need to be bland, with natural sugars and carbohydrates. The best way to know what is safe to eat is to remember the BRAT diet: Bananas, Rice, Applesauce and Toast.
Source: What Foods Should You Eat After a Stomach Virus? | eHow.com

Avoid ibuprofen and aspirin as these may make your symptoms worse if taken on an empty stomach. If you have fever, take 2 regular strength (325 mg each) acetaminophen (Tylenol) every 4 hours.

See also Gastroenteritis Diet | Brown University Health Education:
Foods to avoid entirely until you are feeling better:

  • No spicy or fried foods
  • No alcohol
  • No caffeinated beverages because they dehydrate your body
  • No dried peas or beans
  • No raw or dried vegetables or fruits (except bananas)
  • No whole grain breads, cereals, or bran
  • No milk or milk products (cheese, yogurt, ice cream, or creamed soups)
  • No nuts, seeds, coconut, popcorn
Suggested progression of a diet as you recover: Step 1:
  • Jello
  • Clear soups or bouillon
  • Decaffeinated soda (add a little sugar to "de-fizz" it)
  • Diluted apple or cranberry juice (not orange juice)
  • Gatorade or Kool-Aid
  • Water/ice chips
  • Popsicles
  • Hard candy
  • Plain saltines
  • Decaffeinated tea with honey/sweetener
Step 2: Anything from Step 1 plus:
  • Applesauce
  • Bananas
  • Mashed potatoes
  • Plain pasta, rice - without butter, margarine or sauce
  • Reined cereals, such as Rice crispies, puffed wheat, puffed rice, corn lakes, Cream of Wheat, Farina, Cream of Rice
  • Toast (white or light rye bread) with jelly (not jam, butter or margarine)
Step 3: Anything from Steps 1 or 2 plus:
  • Broiled or boiled lean meat, white poultry or fish
  • Poached or boiled eggs
  • Well-cooked vegetables and fruits without seeds or skins
  • Sherbet or sorbet
Papaya Enzymes For An Upset Stomach | LIVESTRONG.COM
How Papaya Fruit Can Help Cure Heartburn and Indigestion (article) by Stacey Chillemi on AuthorsDen

Gut flora consists of microorganisms, mostly bacteria, that live in the digestive tract.
In addition to being able to break down indigestible polysaccharides to absorbable monosaccharides, the intestinal microbiota also modulates the uptake and deposition of dietary lipids.
Traditional estimates were that there from 500-1,000 species of microorganisms in your gut, but a 2007 study [1] suggested there were over 35,000. However, it is probable that 99% of the bacteria come from about 30 or 40 species.
See Gut Microbiota in Health and Disease (physrev.physiology.org)

A bout with the flu can destroy or cause a serious imbalance in your gut flora.

Foods like yogurt along with supplemental probiotic capsules or powder are usually necessary to restore the proper balance.

See probiotics


Links:
Germs, Microbes and Pathogens
Flu
what to eat and drink after a stomach virus | google search
Severe Stomach Flu Recovery Diet | LIVESTRONG.COM
Disinfecting
Gut Health: The Key to our Overall Health and Immunity " K-W Homeopathic Medicine and Wellness Clinic

Scientific Articles:
1. Frank DN, St Amand AL, Feldman RA, Boedeker EC, Harpaz N, Pace NR. Molecular-phylogenetic characterization of microbial community imbalances in human inflammatory bowel diseases. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 104: 13780-13785, 2007.
Papaya Enzymes For An Upset Stomach | LIVESTRONG.COM
How Papaya Fruit Can Help Cure Heartburn and Indigestion (article) by Stacey Chillemi on AuthorsDen



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last updated 18 Jan 2013