No one likes being ill. But yet every year, there is a good chance you will catch at least one cold or flu bug. Double this if you have children. When you are down and out with a cold, what do you find happens to your diet and fitness plan? Do you abandon ship, telling yourself you will start-up again once you are feeling better? If that is the case, you may want to rethink your strategy to some degree. While you obviously are not going to hit the gym and crash through some personal best records, this does not mean you have to become a junk-food eating sloth on the couch either. Here are some healthy ideas to keep in mind…

1. Drink Plenty Of Water. First, this tip will work double time because not only will it help you stay healthy, but it may just help you get past your cold as well. You should aim to drink at least 8 to 10 glasses of water even while sick. If you are struggling to get your water intake in, note you can also make your fluid intake from broth-based soups, or teas. Some people find chicken soup, for instance, is the perfect fluid to take in while they are unwell.

2. Get Up And Walk – If It’s Shoulders And Above. The golden rule for activity while ill is if it is above your shoulders, you are free to do any activity you choose. If it is below your shoulders, however, then you will want to rest up for the time being.

Head colds will not preclude you from participating in light to moderate intensity activity. You probably do not want to do anything super intense because that will place a strain on your CNS and in turn, make it harder to recover, but do get up and get moving. The increase in blood circulation can be good for delivering nutrients to all your bodily tissues and this can also help to increase your energy level at a time you may otherwise be feeling sluggish.

3. Eat Sufficient Protein. It is normal to experience some changes in your appetite while you are not feeling so well. What you always want to make sure you are doing is eating sufficient lean protein. You want to get those amino acids in as this is what will help to preserve your lean muscle mass tissue and prevent the loss of muscle while ill.

If you are only unwell for a day or two it probably will not matter too much. But if you are ill for a week or longer and are not eating enough protein, this could start to impact you. Focus on lean sources of quality protein such as…

• chicken,
• steak,
• eggs, and
• fish.

There you have a few good health tips to keep in mind to use during cold and flu season. Even if you do get sick, do your best to make the most of it by giving your body what it requires to get you through a quick recovery.

Although managing your disease can be very challenging, Type 2 diabetes is not a condition you must just live with. You can make simple changes to your daily routine and lower both your weight and your blood sugar levels. Hang in there, the longer you do it, the easier it gets.