It’s that time of year.

You may suddenly find yourself hit by waves of it “coming out both ends” (vomiting and diarrhea), plus nausea, fatigue, chills, headache and low-grade fever, and feel this way for about 24-72 hours.

Say hello to the stomach flu!

Although the stomach flu (aka norovirus or rotavirus) is alive and well 365 days a year, people are more susceptible to it during the colder months.

The reason for that is your immune system takes a hard hit during this time of year from stress, working long hours, traveling and eating rich holiday foods that are heavy in refined carbs and sugars…so it is not as effective at protecting you as it should be.

But luckily there are ways you can help bounce back from the stomach flu and start feeling much better, FAST!

5 Ways to treat stomach flu

1- Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate

It’s essential to replace fluids lost from diarrhea and vomiting and to prevent dehydration.

Good choices are water, herbal tea and coconut water.  Avoid alcohol, caffeinated drinks, black tea, juices, milk and sweetened drinks.

As an exception, room temperature ginger ale sipped in small amounts can be helpful, especially if you are very nauseous.  Look for varieties that are made with real sugar (not high fructose corn syrup) or stevia.

2- Eat simple foods

Your appetite may be off, especially if you’re nauseous, so it’s a good idea to stick to simpler foods.  These include broth, bananas, squash, scrambled eggs and roasted chicken.

3- Get lots of rest

This is not the time to try to “power through.” In order to recover you MUST get a lot of rest.

The good news is you will probably have no choice because overwhelming fatigue is common with the stomach flu.

4- Try a heating pad or a cool washcloth

Try using a heating pad to help ease abdominal pain, and a cool washcloth on your forehead if you have a fever.

5- Most importantly, take a high-quality, multi-strain probiotic!

It’s crucial every day of the year to support a strong immune system with probiotic supplementation, but this is especially true when you’re fighting the stomach flu!

Plus probiotics can help ease diarrhea associated with the stomach flu too.

And when it comes to probiotics that are up to the challenge of fending off the stomach flu, nothing beats Super Shield multi-strain probiotic formula!

Super Shield’s effective blend of 13 strains of feisty, potent bacteria can help repopulate your gut microbiome, fight off dangerous viruses and bacteria, and help provide a good home for most of your immune system. 

Now--what NOT to do for a stomach flu

On the flip side, here are three things you should NOT do for the stomach flu:

Use Tylenol or pain relievers for fever

Fever is a sign that your body is fighting and destroying a virus and it should not be interfered with by pain relievers.  Using pain relievers and interrupting your immune system’s actions can make it easier for the virus to survive, therefore making you sicker in the long run. 

Most low-grade fevers (102° or under) resolve within a couple of days.  Let your immune system do its job.

If your fever persists longer than 3-4 days or goes up to 103° or higher, see a doctor.

Get a flu shot

The effectiveness of flu shots IS highly questionable, to begin with (Vitamin D has been shown to be FAR more effective at preventing the flu), but the viruses that cause stomach flu and influenza are totally different.

So the shot will be completely ineffective at preventing the stomach flu.

Request antibiotics

Antibiotics fight bacterial infections, and most stomach flus are the result of viruses…for which antibiotics are completely useless.

All you will be doing, in this case, is destroying your friendly gut flora with antibiotics, thereby weakening your immune system and opening up the door to get even sicker!

I certainly hope the stomach flu does not visit you anytime soon, but if it does, now you know exactly what to do to feel better fast.

And remember, probiotic supplementation with Super Shield is one of the best ways to help make sure you don’t get sick, to begin with!

To your health,

Sherry Brescia

 

The information in our articles are NOT intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and are not intended as medical advice.