I hab a code id my doze...& I feel like CRUD!!

But...........I got curious, when you are sick, like with a bad cold, does your body need less food because you are sick and mostly stationary or more food because you are trying to fight off invaders?

I'm not going to change my cals, I am just curious what you all think.

You definitely need more liquids and more rest. So if you don't typical drink your calories now is a time when you can bend that rule a bit and have some juice.

As for exercise, it is fine if you skip but you can do either. Sometimes exerecise feels good and sometimes I don't have the energy cause my body is using it get better. If you have the flu you most certaintly should rest.

There used to be the old wives tale that you should feed a cold and starve a fever but I think the general rule is that you should do whatever feels right for you.

I rarely need more calories but I give myself permission to not worry about the nutrients so much when I am getting better.

As for exercising during a cold, I stick with the "above/below" rule. If all symptoms are ABOVE my neck (earache, stuffy nose, headache, sore throat), and I feel up to it, I exercise. If any symptoms are below the neck (chest cough, fever, body aches, etc) I skip. Obviously, I try to listen to my body in either case - if all the symptoms are above my neck but I feel like I might die if I move, I'm taking the day off!

I let my body decide what kind of calories I need, but I try not to drink my calories (and if I do, it's in the form of a half-gatorade, half-water solution, which my doctor recommended as the best formula to replace fluids lost due to illness). If I'm hungry, I eat. If I only eat 500 calories worth of chicken soup and cough drops, so be it.

"500 calories worth of chicken soup and cough drops"
That's what I feel like today. We had company last night and I felt obligated to eat what I fixed for them, also my son (he's a chef) made a blueberry shortbread whip cream thingie that I ate, but the saddest part of that was that I Couldn't tatse it!@!!
WAAAHH!!

I tend to not eat much when I'm sick and I have been VERY bad last couple of days geting my water in.
As for exercise, it's a nasty chest cold that really hurts my lungs. I usually get asthma too about now, even with my 2 yr quit smoking anniversary coming up nest month!

My treadmill in on strike anyway too.

Speaking of which......I need to start another thread in exercise section....my treadmill is acting weird.

I've a cold too and I'm finding that I am not hungry at all. I'm having lots of sinus drainage too so I'm feeling a little queasy.

I think when you're sick you don't need extra cals unless you're super hungry.

yeah, I think you're right. I haven't eaten anything today at all yet, kinda waiting for....oh, I don't know, room service?

HA!

I want chicken soup but I want it with pumpkin, cabbage, curry and hot sauce in it! We are out of pumpkin, so I am waiting on my son to go buy me some.
He's busy shooting his cousin right now though.




(Airsoft! I may have to shoot them both.)

That sounds good! Do you have a recipe?

When I'm sick and finally do get hungry, I try to feed my body what it's asking for even if it's not the greatest choice. lol

I use Healthy Something or other Soup (green label, low fat, lower sodium..too lazy to go look..lol) I add 1/4 to 1/2 cup canned pumpkin, a handfull of chopped cabbage, about 1/2 tsp or more curry pwdr, and about 1/2 tsp Sambal Oelek (HOT! chili paste)
Then I simmer for about 10 miniutes or so.
It's good! Good for stuffy nose too!
Sometimes I add cinnamon too.