"Starve a fever, but feed a cold." This saying plagues me every time I take the temperature of one of my girls. I always wondered if the catchy saying holds any truth.
The saying, which dates back to the late 16th century, is unfortunately wrong. Whether you're sick with or without a fever, it's best not to stress out your immune system by eating too much or too little. When your temp is above 98.6° F, the way to get healthy quicker isn't to fast, but rather to stay hydrated with plenty of fluids and eat in moderation. You probably won't feel like eating much anyway, so don't force yourself, but if you do have an appetite, here's a list of some foods and beverages that could make you feel better and speed up your recovery time.
Source: Getty
Ed Hardy
Republic
Kookai
I don't really get sick, but I can't stress enough how important it is to get plenty of fruits, veggies, yogurts, and fluids when you're sick. Fruits and veggies will help the "good" bacteria grow back in your system to crowd out the other organisms and fluids will help your body flush out everything and help you recover faster. I think people think this saying is true because when you have a fever, you usually don't really feel like eating anything. Maybe people figure that if you don't want to eat, you shouldn't eat.
1My grandmother always told me it was "Feed a fever, starve a cold." No wonder it never worked!
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