Be Sure to Hydrate when You’re Sick

The strength of your immune system dictates how long you stay sick for, and how intense your cold or flu symptoms are. The more power you can give your immune system, the shorter the duration of your illness will be, and the milder it will feel. In this article, learn how to give your body the artillery it needs to fight off a virus as quickly as possible. Your immune system will thank you!

Twice The Fuel
When you’re sick, your immune system does double duty, fighting the illness you’ve contracted while still trying to protect you from other germs. This means that you need to give it more fuel than you would have to on a normal day. The fuel your immune system runs on is mixture of Vitamin C and water, so to get healthy once you’ve contracted a bug, you’ve got to flood your body with plenty of both. These tips will help you maximize your intake of these vital elements of a healthy immune system.

Vitamin C
Vitamin C occurs naturally in citrus fruits like oranges, limes, lemons, and grapefruits, which is why orange juice is a cold care staple. However, you can do better for your immune system than just buying a carton of Tropicana. Scientific studies on consumption and nutrition suggest that if you have more than one food or drink option at hand, you’ll want to try everything, and will stay interested in eating or drinking for longer. This means that if you have grapefruit juice, all-natural lemonade, and lime-orange punch in the fridge, you’ll drink more juice overall than if you only have plain old orange juice. Drinking more juice means taking in more vitamin C, so shop smart for your immune system and keep multiple citrus juices on hand.

Water
When you drink a glass of water during a cold, your immune system uses it to cool down fevers, to carry away toxins and waste, to thin mucus so that you can expel it from your system, and to carry away germs that could cause a future illness. Without ample hydration, your body is powerless to fight a cold, so a smart cold care regimen makes sure that you stay fully hydrated for the duration of your illness. Your immune system will only be able to function at peak efficiency if you keep it lubricated with water, so pour yourself a glass of water and drink up! Better yet, carry a water bottle with you throughout the day so that you’ll always be within arm’s length of a nourishing sip. Try to learn to drink when you’re not thirsty; thirst is actually your body’s way of warning you of impending dehydration, so if you’re thirsty you’re already running too low on water. In addition to water, herbal tea, juice, soup, and raw fruits and vegetables are all great sources of hydration, so make one or all of them a part of your day when you’re sick.

Diuretics
Diuretics are substances like caffeine and alcohol. Although coffee, black and green tea, soda, liquor, and beer are fluids, these liquids actually sap more water from your system than they provide. Diuretics introduce toxins into your body that need to be flushed out of your kidneys with water, so your hydration levels end up lowered. Although caffeine or alcohol may take the edge off your discomfort in the moment, they’ll dehydrate your system, which spells more suffering in the long run. So, put down your morning coffee, pick up a glass of juice, and let your immune system get on with its job!