I have a cold and I feel like I'm eating more bc of it, hot soups, spicy thai food, etc, bc I think it feels good on my throat. I wish it was the opposite but it's not!

Some foods do have medicinal and comforting properties. That isn't a horrible thing in itself, it just makes it a little harder to make the best choices.

I have chronic lung problems and get respiratory infections very easily. Even with asthma meds and otc mucinex, nothing clears the sinuses, calms the cough, or feels as good on a sour throat as steamy and spicy liquids. (Capsaicin, the "hot" in hot peppers is chemically very similar to guaifenesin, the active ingredient in mucinex).

Two of my favorite low calorie home remedies are cayenne lemonade, and spicy chicken broth.

Cayenne lemonade, is as just what it sounds like. Cayenne pepper powder or hot sauce in lemonade. I read about this in a magazine, and decided to try it. I like spicy food, so while it's weird, the taste isn't much different than drinking lemonade while eating spicy food.

Spicy chicken broth,

I use regular canned chicken broth. If my tastebuds are numbed from the cold I will add a little chicken bouillon to taste. I know it bumps the sodium, but it's nice to be able to actually taste something when you have a cold. Then I add cayenne or other spicy condiments, a splash of vietnamese or thai fish sauce (I use this like some peoplee worcestershire sauce, it makes stews and soups taste better, but doesn't taste fishy. This also has a lot of salt, so you have to balance carefully with other salty flavors). Dried parsley, frozen or dehydrated veggies (because I'm sick and don't want to chop anything) like onion, garlic, celery, peas, carrots. Cilantro (fresh or dehydrated). Fresh, frozen, or canned spinache or kale is also good in the soup.

If I'm really sick, and don't think I will want to cook or eat anything but the soup all day, I ask hubby to make the soup and add a little chicken and noodles, so it actually has some calories.

um, I meant sore throat, not sour throat

Hey! Hope you feel better soon!

When you are sick, your body needs nutrition to heal and to fight off the cold, etc. That's true whether you feel more hungry or lose your appetite. So, be sure that you're getting enough healthy proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Be sure you drink enough liquids.

Just watch out with that Thai food because of the coconut milk, amount of rice, and peanut sauces. Yummm!

I'm just getting over a cold, and I lost my appetite--but I ate on my plan, and I dropped a pound. I'll try to make sure it doesn't come back.

Jay

Hah, I wish I'd lose some of my appetite when I'm sick. Even when I'm in bed with astomach bug and barfing my guts out, I still manage to get hungry. I guess the day I indeed lose my appetite will mean that I'm on the verge of death.

I know from experience it's tempting to eat "comforting" foods. For a sore throat, what I'll usually do is prepare warm tea, and resort to warm drinks in general rather than food. For the rest, well... fruits are now my "staple" of choice, but soups can also be a good choice in itself (it's warm, not too caloric, and if you pick veggie soup, it gives you good nutrients as well).

LOL! I am the same. Family and friends can't understand why I am hungry while barfing. I have a bit of Chicken Noodle Soup because I am starving, and then of course, throw it right back up within minutes of ingesting it. Still, I think it helps prevent the dry heaves and dehydration to have something in your system to yak up.

Same here again.

The only time that I can think of that I actually lost my appetite for a couple of days was when my Dad passed away unexpectedly back in 86. It was such a shock to my system as he appeared so healthy and vibrant, so there was no warning that his was coming. I honestly don't know if I actually lost my appetite back then or it if was that I was so damn grief stricken (I was very close to him- he was the best friend I've ever had in this world) that I think I just forgot to eat.

I miss having my second fridge and my freezer. I use to make up a couple of batches of healthy soups for when the colds and flus came around and freeze them- very handy to have, especially for when Moms get sick and no one else can make a healthy soup to get her back to health.

I use a ton of garlic and a ton of onions in the soups- years ago, a holistic nurse friend of mine told me to use a lot of both ingredients in the broth and that they both help aid in knocking the flu and cold viruses out of your system. I can't eat onion skins because I get a severe rash from them, but she said that was fine, just to strain the broth after cooking it, that it was something in the onion juice that has healing properties in it, so I've been doing it ever since. I have to say, it does work- I recover much quicker from colds and flus whenever the broth I make is loaded with onions and garlic.

I also am hungry when I'm sick. Every time. I think it's just our bodies being wired differently

Colds have me rummaging through the fridge every time. You have to feed a cold no?

My grandmother always used to say "feed a cold, starve a fever (or flu)", and I think it makes some sense, only because it doesn't do a lot of good to eat and drink when it's coming right back out very painfully, a few minutes later.

I think the best advice is do what feels comfortable. Being sick isn't a reason to eat everything in the house, but weight loss shouldn't be a higher priority than getting better.

I totally agree, so what if you eat a little extra when you are sick, you need the extra nutrients, so try not to feel so bad. When you recover, make sure you are quick to re-establish your prior eating habits so that the 'overeating' of comfort foods doesn't stick!