Eating for Health with Mono

While there is no cure for mono, it can only help your immune system if you eat well while you are recovering. Similarly, it is possible that maintaining a balanced and healthy diet can help you to avoid getting mono all together.

Your Diet During Acute Mono

If you are in the acute stages of the infection and are experiencing symptoms such as fever, sore throat, swollen glands and more, you should eat lightly. Perhaps enjoy a liquid-only diet for a few days, nurturing your body with broths, soups, hot teas, and water. This diet will give your body the nutrition it needs, without putting added strain on the stomach, and will allow your body to rest and to focus on healing. Enjoy miso soup, chicken soup, and herb teas such as fenugreek, ginger, boneset and coltsfoot.

After the Acute Stage

When you start to feel better and your appetite returns, you should start an immune-boosting diet to help you to recover. Make sure to have protein with each meal. Such proteins could include chicken, fish, tofu, lean red meat, cheese and eggs. If you are a vegetarian, or can't stomach heavy proteins at the moment, try legumes, tofu or tempeh. By breaking up your protein intake into three meals during the day, you maintain your blood sugar levels and give yourself energy throughout the day.

In addition, treat yourself to a plethora of fresh fruits and vegetables. This should make up about 80% of your diet, and they will help to cleanse toxins from your system. Make delicious vegetable soups, hearty salads, and cooked vegetable dishes. There are some anti-inflammatory foods that can help as well. These include ginger, turmeric, cayenne and fresh pineapple. Add in some important fats as well through nuts, seeds, avocados and natural oils such as olive oil.

Stay Away From Carbohydrates & More

Foods such as bread, cereal, biscuits, pasta and rice can trigger inflammation in your body and worsen your symptoms such as sort throat, muscle aches and fatigue. They can also cause a fluctuation in your blood sugar which may leave you tired and craving sugar. Sugar is a particularly bad choice when you are recovering from mono, because it suppresses white blood cell activity. You need your white blood cells to help you to get rid of the mono. In addition, you should certainly avoid caffeinated beverages, alcohol and processed foods. These foods are devoid of the nutrients that you need and they offer empty calories.

Finally, try to remember to drink a good deal of water during the day. At least eight cups of water will help you to flush toxins away. Split up your meals into smaller portions and eat four to six small meals each day, if it is difficult for you to eat too much at one time. Take a dietary supplement as well, which should include Vitamin A, Vitamin B-complex, Vitamin C, Magnesium, Potassium and Calcium.

With these diet suggestions to counter mono, you should be on your way to health as your body fights off mono and gains strength.