Foods or Aromas You Avoid When Sick, Stomach Bug or Otherwise
Okay, recently there have been threads regarding food you eat when you're sick, depression food, food you can't eat again because you became ill. But what do you avoid when you're sick. For me, the stomach bug=no dairy, no strong smells such as sausage or broccoli cooking, no food inspired scented candles (vanilla in particular) and nothing spicy. Sinus problems, respiratory problems or colds=no dairy, and no breads or pasta. Sore throat=nothing spicy, acidic, chewy or crunchy.
Now, here's the twist on this question. I can usually tell when my kids are faking it about being too sick for school by their color, sleeping habits and coughing in general. But, as to when they can go back to school after truly being ill, is a bit more tricky. So today I figured out that they are definitely over the stomach bug because when I offered up the dinner options of chicken soup, hotdogs, scrambled eggs and toast or buffalo wing popcorn chicken and fries--they took the bait and went for the popcorn chicken and fries. My oldest has gotten busted for eating 1/2 a can of salt and vinegar Pringles on a "sore throat." And well, I, was reduced to shame in 2nd grade because of a darn cripsy chewy oatmeal cookie I ate when I had a "sore throat."
So what foods do you avoid when you are sick? And have you ever been busted for not being sick because of scarfing down something you normally wouldn't when ill, by parents or even more scandalous yet by co-workers or employees, when you were playing hooky?
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22 Comments:
so i know usually toast is a comforting smell or food when you're sick but just thinking about that smell when I'm sick makes it even worse... gag...
hungrygrl7 at 6:41PM on 01/22/09
eggs. anytime. sick. well. drunk. happy. mad. thirsty. sad. fabulous. whatever the time of day, eggs will make me wretch.
ChelleyD01 at 6:45PM on 01/22/09
I avoid all strong smells when I'm sick, its worse than being pregnant everything makes me want to hurl. lol SO even keeps the dog away from me.
huneybumper at 6:46PM on 01/22/09
@ChelleyD01--something about that sulfur component, huh? Were you the eater that wrote about waking up to the smell of eggs and heading out the door immediately? If they are in something how do you feel about them? Say a hollandaise or mayo or baked ingredient?
@hungrygrl7--when I had morning sickness for the first 5 months of pregnancy, I couldn't stand the smell of anything cooking. It was strictly cold foods for me. However--what's even worse is that one of my friends couldn't stand the smell of her husband while she was pregnant. He changed soaps, antiperspirants, showered four times a day. Poor bastard slept 8 months, plus on the couch in his den and they ate separately. Everything went right back to normal once she gave birth.
dhorst at 6:55PM on 01/22/09
Eggs and curry. I don't care for the smells of either normally, but either one is vomit-inducing when I'm sick. But I was also that kid who would have just left the Dr's office with strep throat and want to eat pizza.
beth1 at 7:10PM on 01/22/09
Fritos. At anytime.
Pointy at 7:51PM on 01/22/09
All of them. I lose appetite completely when I'm not feeling well. The first sign that I feel better is when I want to eat something.
brooke29 at 8:09PM on 01/22/09
I'm the same way, beth. Yesterday, even though I'm down with a terrible SOMETHING, complete with sore throat and sinus headache, I stopped in for mexican food for lunch and ate all the crunchy salty chips they gave me. I don't avoid anything while sick that I wouldn't avoid at other times.
nightowl at 8:37PM on 01/22/09
@dhorst... Yep, I am the waker upper, walk up the steps, witness the egg being cracked into the pan, walk thru the kitchen out the door and vomit in the lawn. Thats me!
Im fine with eggs as an ingredient, as a sauce, as a mayo or holly sauce, whatever the case may be EXCEPT traditionally cooked eggs as a breakfast (ie: fried, over easy, over hard, scrambled, hard boiled, whatever!)
ChelleyD01 at 8:42PM on 01/22/09
I don't know @dhorst - when I'm sick is when I crave sharp flavors and spicy food. Also junk - Big Macs are heaven. Please note this means regular sick, not stomach virus sick.
It's not that there's stuff I would normally like that I then don't, it more like stuff I'm not crazy about (smell-wise) that just freakin' kills me when I'm sick. Not a fan of the smell of eggs or butter cooking to begin with, but when I'm sick, OMG, it's horrible. I take care of this problem by not cooking them. Yeah, gimme a Big Mac or Popeye's Chicken anytime when sick. Scrambled eggs on buttered toast? I don't think so.
chisai at 8:51PM on 01/22/09
When I'm sick, luckily I can't always smell much but I really can't take the smell of anything fried or greasy, especially if it's brought into the office and I'm kind of stuck with it. It turns my stomach.
As for foods that I don't eat when I'm sick, I was just flat-out, bed-ridden sick for a week and I couldn't eat anything other than chicken soup or a plain turkey sandwich without feeling absolutely sick to my stomach.
I don't think I've ever been busted for not being sick by a food choice. But I have an aversion to tea and toast when I'm sick because my stepmom wouldn't let me eat anything but those items when I was sick on a weekend at my dad's.
CooksForOne at 11:16PM on 01/22/09
I'm with chisai, I like sharp flavors (salty, briny, especially). I broke the tail end of my recent stomach bug with a small italian sub with lots of vinegar and sweet peppers and salami.
But earlier that day the sight of roast potatoes made me want to hurl.
renzata at 11:25PM on 01/22/09
When I get a stomach bug, I GET a stomach bug. Nothing half way I say. That means I'm not eating anything until it's over, as I can't keep anything down. That also means I don't want to smell anything. I mean, literally, I don't want to have a whiff of any scents, food or otherwise.
Laurel E at 9:37AM on 01/23/09
can't stand the smell of juicy fruit gum!
pooch at 9:42AM on 01/23/09
Any food that I relate to previous stomach bugs-I got a horrible virus a day or so after eating Popeye's chicken when I was 7 or 8. To this day I can remember the overly sweet, gummy cornbread and how grease (probably just meaty juices) poured out of the skin when I took a bite. Blech!
The scent of eggs cooking or the smell of onion being cooked in oil. Heavy, greasy smells set my stomach turning.
Alyrmc at 9:52AM on 01/23/09
I can't stand the smell of ramen soup, or any kind of cooking meat when I'm sick. Or eggs. I stick to gingerale (no oder, really), ginger tea, ice chips, saltines, and popsicles. All close to odor-free!
Junie at 10:00AM on 01/23/09
...it's once I'm on my way to recovery that I start eating everything that's not nailed down!
Junie at 10:01AM on 01/23/09
I have an infection/ abcess in my throat. Worst sore throat of my life. Can't even make a swallowing motion without pain, much less actually swallow food that I've chewed. Liquid hurts, too. I've been drinking the same cup of tea for two hours.
Enough complaining. BF was cooking bacon late last night. I was in bed covering my nose with the comforter. I usually LOVE bacon, but last night it just smelled vile.
I had an ice cream bar today, and maybe I'll get some jello later. If I don't jump off a bridge first.
Kerosena at 2:01PM on 01/23/09
Thank God, I never seem to get sick. I can't remember any food aroma making me want to run for the hills.
bessfour at 8:19PM on 01/23/09
@kerosena~it wouldn't happen to be small sores all over your mouth and throat would it? If it is, it may be related to shingles and chicken pox. And the most damned miserable thing I've ever had. I had a low grade fever, my mouth burned like Satan himself was there, and here's the kicker--alternating chills and hot flashes to no end. My husband, I forgive him, had to laugh when the chills made my water glass spill from my shaking hands. And jeez...water even stung. Hope it's not that nasty thing for you. It was a virus so there wasn't much the doc could do other than as painful as it is, is recommend to suck down H20--just so you don't become dehydrated during the misery.
dhorst at 8:29PM on 01/23/09
A few months ago I was on the front end of a migrane and managed to walk by my boss' office while he was eating a tri-tip sandwich. I had to run back to my desk to avoid booting on the carpet.
mcanna at 12:19AM on 01/24/09
I've 2 kids..10 years apart in age...during both pregnancies, the smell of grease or greasy food would immediately make me hurl. One night hub and I were were leaving a theater when pg with my son and passed by a Long John Silver's and I threw up in the gutter. A cop was passing by and saw me, stopped us and made us do a breathalyzer test...my DH was ready to explode!! He's saying, dude, she's pregnant!!! The cop was like...oh, sorry...
Also, my DH works nights and gets home at 6:30 in the a.m. and proceeds to cook ungodly smelling food while I'm getting ready for work.....he's Hispanic so it's garlic, onion, chorizo, nopales, chiles, eggs...fried in grease with whatever else he scrounges from the fridge. I need a gas mask to get out of the house to my car and can't eat until about 2 or 3!!
lamora at 12:38AM on 01/24/09