You won't feel like eating when you're recovering from a bout of food poisoning, but you need to stay hydrated and replace the nutrients your body is losing. These natural home remedies should help you bounce back as quickly as possible.
Home Remedies from the Cupboard
Bleach. Scrubbing your counter with warm soapy water and bleach is one of your best defenses against bacteria that tend to hover on countertops. It's a good idea to clean your cutting boards in a bleach and water solution: Try soaking them in a mixture of 2 teaspoons bleach to 1 quart water. Let the boards air dry.
Chicken soup. Once you start feeling a bit better, start your stomach out with bland foods. Chicken soup is tasty and easy to digest.
Sugar. Sugar helps your body hold onto fluid, and adding a spoonful of sugar to a glass of water or a cup of decaffeinated tea may be more palatable if you find sports drinks too sugary.
Home Remedies from the Fruit Bowl
Banana. As you spend more time embracing the porcelain throne, your body is losing essential elements like potassium. Losing these vital nutrients can make that I've-been-hit-by-a-truck feeling worse. Once you've come to a lull in the bathroom visitations, usually after the first 24 hours, try eating a banana. It's easy on your stomach and can make you feel a bit better.
Home Remedies from the Refrigerator
Sports drinks. Losing all that fluid means you're losing electrolytes (salts that keep your body functioning properly) and water. Replacing that fluid with a sports drink will help replace needed electrolytes, and the sugar in the drink will help your body better absorb the fluid it needs. If the sugar is too much for your tummy, tone the drink down by diluting it with water.
Water. You may not feel like having anything pass your lips, but you've got to stay hydrated, especially when you are losing fluids from both ends. Start off with a few sips of this easy-to-swallow liquid and work your way up to more substantial stuff.
More Do's and Don'ts
Don't start back on foods that are hard to digest. Give your stomach and your intestines time to recuperate. Stay away from spicy, smoked, fried, or salty foods. Stay away from raw vegetables or rich pastries or candies, and don't drink alcohol.
Tell the health department about your woes. Telling your story may keep others from experiencing the same problems, especially if you experienced food poisoning after eating at a restaurant or other food establishment.
Wash your hands thoroughly before preparing food. You don't want to be like Typhoid Mary and pass your illness to everyone in the household.
If food poisoning strikes you down, remember to take it easy, try to keep down fluids and bland foods, and consult with a doctor if your symptoms don't improve. You'll most likely be back on your feet soon.
Showing posts with label Food Poisoning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Food Poisoning. Show all posts
Home Remedy Treatments for Food Poisoning
If you're unlucky enough to come down with food poisoning, you can bet you'll be down for the count for about 24 hours. The following home remedies may help minimize your discomfort and shorten the duration of your symptoms.
Replace your body's fluids. If your stomach will tolerate it, be sure to keep taking liquids, especially if you have diarrhea. Try eating gelatin or drinking decaffeinated soda, tea with sugar, or water.
Avoid rich or spicy foods. When your stomach is feeling irritated, eating fatty or highly seasoned foods may send you right back to the bathroom. If you feel hungry, it's probably best to stick with clear liquids, plain toast, mashed potatoes, bananas, or other bland foods.
Replace your potassium. Vomiting and diarrhea may deplete your body's supply of potassium, which may leave you feeling even worse. An extreme potassium imbalance can even be fatal. Twenty-four hours after your symptoms started (and hopefully when you're feeling a bit better), replenish your potassium stores with a sports drink or a banana.
Go with the flow -- literally. If you've been poisoned by contaminated food and your digestive system is reacting with diarrhea or vomiting, you can trust your body's impulses. Don't reach for medications, because they will only interfere with your body's own defenses, which include expelling the invader.
Be careful with pain medications. Some people make the mistake of taking prescription or over-the-counter pain medications to reduce the discomfort of intestinal cramps. These drugs--especially those containing aspirin or ibuprofen--may irritate the gastrointestinal tract and increase discomfort. For a list of precautions to take when using over-the-counter analgesics, click here.
Try a hot-water bottle. A not-too-hot hot-water bottle placed on the abdomen may help ease the pain of cramps.
Hibernate for a day. There's really not a whole lot you can do to end your misery; just be good to yourself and wait it out. Cancel your plans, rest, and take solace in the fact that it will pass in 24 hours or so.
You might want to avoid the kitchen when you're in the grip of food poisoning, but there are many foods and fluids that will help you recover more quickly. Go to the next page to learn more.
Replace your body's fluids. If your stomach will tolerate it, be sure to keep taking liquids, especially if you have diarrhea. Try eating gelatin or drinking decaffeinated soda, tea with sugar, or water.
Avoid rich or spicy foods. When your stomach is feeling irritated, eating fatty or highly seasoned foods may send you right back to the bathroom. If you feel hungry, it's probably best to stick with clear liquids, plain toast, mashed potatoes, bananas, or other bland foods.
Replace your potassium. Vomiting and diarrhea may deplete your body's supply of potassium, which may leave you feeling even worse. An extreme potassium imbalance can even be fatal. Twenty-four hours after your symptoms started (and hopefully when you're feeling a bit better), replenish your potassium stores with a sports drink or a banana.
Go with the flow -- literally. If you've been poisoned by contaminated food and your digestive system is reacting with diarrhea or vomiting, you can trust your body's impulses. Don't reach for medications, because they will only interfere with your body's own defenses, which include expelling the invader.
Be careful with pain medications. Some people make the mistake of taking prescription or over-the-counter pain medications to reduce the discomfort of intestinal cramps. These drugs--especially those containing aspirin or ibuprofen--may irritate the gastrointestinal tract and increase discomfort. For a list of precautions to take when using over-the-counter analgesics, click here.
Try a hot-water bottle. A not-too-hot hot-water bottle placed on the abdomen may help ease the pain of cramps.
Hibernate for a day. There's really not a whole lot you can do to end your misery; just be good to yourself and wait it out. Cancel your plans, rest, and take solace in the fact that it will pass in 24 hours or so.
You might want to avoid the kitchen when you're in the grip of food poisoning, but there are many foods and fluids that will help you recover more quickly. Go to the next page to learn more.
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