Nutrition is an important aspect of staying healthy. Diet can also improve your problems related to diseases and health issues. Typhoid fever is one such disease which is caused by an bacteria and usually spreads through contaminated food and water. Typhoid can result to serious complication if right treatment is not provided. Even though diet alone cannot treat typhoid, it can aid in reducing symptoms of typhoid fever and increase recovery speed. Therefore today we will be looking at some food choices which you can adopt in order to improve your recovery during typhoid.
Typhoid Fever Symptoms
Before getting on the diet, you need to understand general symptoms that you may experience if you have typhoid. The symptoms include-
- High fever
- Headache
- Stomach pain
- Constipation or diarrhoea
- Fatigue
- Weight loss
People who have typhoid experience usually have these symptoms. Food need to be consumed according to these symptoms, so that these conditions are treated which will also help in reducing typhoid.
Typhoid Fever and Diet
Typhoid bacterial infection spreads through contaminated surfaces, food and drinking contaminated water. We consulted Ms. Shilpa Singh, Clinical Nutritionist in Fatima Hosptial, Lucknow. However if food in properly cooked and hygiene are maintained it can also turn out to be a boon. To recover the person from typhoid fever quickly, you need to have nutrient dense food that is easy to digest and provides energy for long intervals. You also need to have certain foods that are helpful in relieving symptoms of gastrointestinal issues.
You need to avoid these foods in order to recover from typhoid fever and prevent severe infection-
- High fibre food that creates problem with digestion
- Raw fruits and vegetables
- Fatty or spicy food dishes
- Unpasteurized dairy products
How to Follow Typhoid Diet?
Typhoid diet basically focuses of alleviating symptoms that result to digestive disorders. By reducing the symptoms of digestion, food safety can be ensured. Majorly the energy levels deplete with rising typhoid fever. It becomes difficult for body to digest food as the systems get slow.
1. You must have food that contains minimal of no fibre nutrients as fibre can worsen the symptoms of digestive problems. It can increase the typhoid infection and increase the recovery period. Therefore you need to avoid food like raw fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds and legumes for the time till you get well.
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2. Restrict yourself from eating raw fruits and vegetables- it may seem to be a very healthy option otherwise, but typhoid makes digestion difficult. Because of this raw fruits and vegetables that usually take time to digest and provide energy needs to be avoided.
3. Drink plenty of water- Water levels go down when you have typhoid, hence it is important to drink plenty of water in the day to maintain it. Also be careful that you boil or have filtered water that is not contaminated otherwise it can lead to further infection. Also have ice tea, lemonade and boiled water from time to time to improve symptoms.
4. Do not have very spicy or fatty food in the diet- you must be clear that you are not having fatty food. This is because fats take time to break down and increases calories that do not fulfil the nutrition demands during typhoid fever. Spicy food also takes a lot of time to eat and digestive system need to perform extra work in case of eating something spicy or fatty.
5. Have more canner and seedless fruits, refined grains- You must include some seedless fruits and refined grains in your diet. Try to have cashews, and breads made of refined grains to improve digestion and instant energy. Practise food safety and have food from hygienic places and environment.
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6. Boil and cook every food dish properly before eating. Since typhoid fever spreads and infects through contaminated surfaces, it is important to take care of food safety. Wash the vegetables and fruits thoroughly in warm water. Boil the water before drinking. Cook meals properly, do not consume half baked or half cooked food. Try to avoid street vendors and markets, prepare homemade food for raid relief from typhoid fever.
Food You Should Eat In Typhoid
Cooked Vegetables- potatoes, carrots, beans, beets, green beans
Fruits- bananas well riped, watermelon, applesauce, canned fruits
Grains- white rice, pasta, white bread
Proteins- eggs, chicken, fish, tofu, ground meat
Dairy Products- eat only fat free pasteurized milk, yogurt, and cheese
Beverages- bottled water, herbal tea, coconut water, fresh juice, broth
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