When you have a cold and fever, boil some congee. Buy a pound of fresh shiitake mushrooms, the thinner the flesh, the better. Only add water and a little salt. After it comes to a boil, simmer on low heat for 15 minutes. Drink the soup while it's hot and eat the mushrooms. You cannot eat spicy food. When you have a fever, your body consumes a lot of energy and your resistance is weaker, so you need to supplement with more nutrition. For viral colds without a fever, patients should rest as much as possible, drink plenty of water, ensure good ventilation indoors, and take some cold medicine to relieve symptoms. There are no special dietary requirements, and it's not necessary to eat a lot of food; just maintain enough energy. Even when a cold is accompanied by a fever, there are no special dietary requirements. Generally, the diet should be light, supplemented with some fresh fruit, and there is no need to be overly concerned with the amount of food.
Many illnesses can cause fever; it is a defensive reaction when you are sick. When you have a fever, your body temperature rises, your immune system weakens, and your digestive and absorption functions are impaired. This creates a conflict between increased nutritional consumption and weakened digestion. Whether you use fever-reducing medicine or the fever subsides naturally, it is achieved through sweating. While sweating to cool down, the body loses a large amount of water and salt. Therefore, when you have a fever, what you need most is water, followed by nutrients. The dietary principles at this time are, first, to provide sufficient water; second, to supplement a large amount of vitamins; and third, to provide an appropriate amount of calories and protein. The diet should mainly consist of liquids and semi-liquids. Special attention should be paid to the following six taboos:
First taboo: Eating too many eggs. Eggs are indeed nutritious, but it is not advisable to eat too many of them during a fever. This is because the protein in eggs produces extra heat when broken down in the body, which increases the body's heat, exacerbates fever symptoms, prolongs the duration of the fever, and increases the patient's suffering.
Second taboo: Drinking too much tea. Drinking strong tea can keep the brain in an excited state, speed up the pulse, and raise blood pressure, which in turn can raise the patient's body temperature and cause restlessness. At the same time, tea can affect the breakdown and absorption of medication, reducing its effectiveness.
Third taboo: Drinking too many cold drinks. If the fever is caused by an infectious disease like bacterial dysentery from contaminated food, gastrointestinal function is impaired. Drinking too many cold drinks can worsen the condition, and in severe cases, it can even become life-threatening.
Fourth taboo: Eating too much honey. During a fever, the focus should be on clearing heat, not on nourishing. Honey is a tonic that replenishes qi and benefits the middle jiao. Consuming too much honey will prevent the body's internal heat from being properly cleared and eliminated, and it can easily lead to other complications.
Fifth taboo: Eating too many spicy foods. With an elevated body temperature, metabolism is vigorous. Eating indiscriminately from the category of warm and spicy foods like ginger, garlic, and chili peppers will "add heat to heat," worsening the condition and hindering recovery.
Sixth taboo: Forcing food. When some children have a fever, parents often think that fever consumes nutrition, so not eating is even worse. Therefore, they force the child to eat, some even拼命 (pīn mìng - desperately) giving them high-nutrient foods. In fact, this approach is counterproductive. It not only fails to stimulate the appetite but can also spoil it, and may even cause vomiting, diarrhea, etc., worsening the condition.