When you have gastroenteritis, you will have to deal with nausea, diarrhea, abdominal cramping, vomiting and pain. These symptoms are mainly because your intestinal tract becomes inflamed. With all these symptoms, you will certainly be in no position to eat anything. In fact, your appetite may not return until the inflammation has subsided completely. Still, it is important to know what to eat after gastroenteritis to give your body energy to accelerate recovery. Let's find out more about it.

 

What to Eat

Eating would be the last thing on your list when you are dealing with gastroenteritis. As you recover, you should start eating something that would help support recovery. Here are some recommendations.

1. Cinnamon

 

Cinnamon is something you should eat when you have the stomach flu. It possesses antiviral properties and supports your immune system. It means including cinnamon in your routine will help accelerate recovery by making it easier for your body to fight the infection.

2. Peppermint

Thanks to its antispasmodic properties, peppermint helps alleviate pain caused by gastroenteritis. It also helps prevent intestinal cramps and bloating. You can prepare a cup of peppermint tea by boiling some peppermint leaves. It is fine to add some honey to your peppermint tea to make it taste better.

3. Chamomile

 

Chamomile works quite like peppermint because it has strong antispasmodic properties. It also provides some relief from nausea, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and vomiting. It also helps reduce inflammation and promotes recovery. Just like peppermint, you can use chamomile flower to make a cup of tea. Drink it twice a day for better results.

4. Ginger

You may consider having a cup of ginger tea after you have gastroenteritis. It has powerful anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties. It helps clear the infection and lowers inflammation in your gastrointestinal tract. You may want to avoid drinking ginger tea if you are taking medications for high blood pressure.

5. White Rice, Toast, Crackers

 

Many people ask what to eat after gastroenteritis, and you can try a number of options because you will start to regain your appetite after the inflammation dies down. For instance, you can try some bland foods, like white rice, toast or crackers. This will help prevent vomiting and improve your condition by absorbing the acid in your stomach.

6. Banana

When you have diarrhea or stomach pain, you can still eat a banana. It is easy to digest it and it provides you with loads of potassium. You are likely to lose potassium and other minerals through diarrhea and vomiting, but eating a banana will help keep things from becoming worse. If you do not replenish your potassium reserves, your symptoms of stomach flu will become worse. Therefore, you should consider eating a ripe banana to help improve your symptoms.

7. Rice Water

 

When fighting stomach flu, you can consider including rice water in your diet. You just have to boil the rice and consume the water. You should consume it because it provides you with electrolytes that help prevent dehydration.

8. Blueberries

Just like bananas, blueberries provide you with a number of nutrients. Eating blueberries is also a good idea because it provides you with loads of fiber as well. You will also get plenty of antioxidants from blueberries that will make it easier to fight the infection and deal with the symptoms caused by gastroenteritis. Another good thing about blueberries is that they have high water content, so they work very well to prevent dehydration.

9. Applesauce

 

When you ask about what to eat after gastroenteritis, you will hear many people say that you can eat an apple. However, many experts advise against it, but you can certainly include applesauce in your diet. The best thing about eating applesauce is that it provides you with a soluble fiber called pectin. The fiber will improve your digestive system and also lower your risk of becoming dehydrated after gastroenteritis.

10. Butternut Squash

Another good choice for anything who is recovering from gastroenteritis is butternut squash. It provides you with a number of important nutrients, including potassium. In fact, it provides you with more potassium than you get from bananas. Moreover, each serving will provide you with about 437% of your recommended daily intake of vitamin A. You will also get thiamine, vitamin C, magnesium, manganese, thiamine, niacin, folate, and pantothenic acid from butternut squash.

11. Garlic

 

Garlic helps prevent diarrhea and nausea. It supports your digestive system and prevents symptoms associated with stomach flu. It has potent antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, so it helps clear the infection. It also soothes the bowels and stomach lining, which is why you can always include it in your diet after gastroenteritis.

What to Avoid

It is true that you should know what to eat after gastroenteritis, but you should also have some information about what to avoid while you are recovering from stomach flu. For instance, it is a good idea to avoid dairy until you have recovered completely. Dairy products can trigger vomiting and nausea. You may also develop abdominal pain and cramping.

Similarly, you should avoid sugary foods when you are recovering from stomach flu. Anything sweet can make your diarrhea and vomiting worse. Other foods to avoid include highly acidic foods, fatty food, alcohol, and spicy food. Moreover, you should also limit your intake of caffeinated beverages; in fact, it is better to avoid fruit juices until you get better.