Foods to Eat When Feeling Nauseous

Nausea, the feeling of sickness, can strike at any time and for all manner of reasons. It could be in reaction to something you ate that isn’t sitting right with you or it might be in response to a virus your body is fighting. Whatever the reason, nausea can stop you in your tracks and can often negatively affect the rest of your day, making you not want to do anything but sit calmly on the sofa or go to bed and try to sleep it off.

Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to manage nausea without having to write off the rest of the day and as nausea is a common side effect from a lot of medical treatments there are anti-sickness drugs available. Although these are normally only prescribed if the feeling of nausea becomes severe enough that the condition interferes with your day-to-day routine. Nausea is commonly experienced by patients undergoing different types of cancer treatments such as radiotherapy, a frequently given treatment using radiation and immunotherapy, a targeted therapy that uses the body’s immune system to destroy cancer cells.

When feeling nauseous, eating anything might be the last thing on your mind but it’s important to maintain a healthy diet and stay well-hydrated as severe hunger can also increase feelings of nausea. These food and drinks suggestions have been shown to reduce the feelings of nausea and can be enjoyed in small portions to keep your strength up throughout the day.

Crackers & Toast

Foods with a high starch content like toast and crackers that also have the benefit of being fairly bland and without strong odours are excellent at helping to soak up stomach acids and reduce the feeling of nausea. A small handful of crackers or a few slices of dry toast can be enough to avert hunger pains without overdoing it and won’t leave a heavy feeling in your stomach.

Ginger

Ginger has long been considered a natural reliever of feelings of nausea and vomiting and can be enjoyed in a warming ginger tea, as a handful of ginger biscuits or as a glass of ginger beer or ale. Frequently recommended to pregnant women to help with morning sickness, ginger is also known to help with respiratory viruses, relieve the symptoms of cold and flu and improve digestion.

Water

A key part of tackling nausea and the headaches that can accompany low fluids in the body caused by vomiting is to stay well hydrated. It’s not necessary or recommended to drink lots of water at once but instead take lots of small sips throughout the day. Water is best enjoyed without additives but can also be enjoyed in a herbal tea with low odour and little flavour so as not to make feelings of nausea worse.

Nuts

Low-fat meals are key when dealing with nausea but it is also important to get plenty of protein as a lack of protein in the diet can make nausea worse. Nuts are an excellent source of protein and are easy to enjoy in small portions or as a small helping of peanut butter. Although be careful not to overdo it, nuts provide slow-release energy and take a while to digest which can make feelings of nausea worse if eating too many in one sitting.

Bananas

Another starchy food, bananas are a simple and pleasant snack that replaces the potassium lost through vomiting and can help to relieve feelings of nausea. Bananas are also considered bland food with little smell and take little prep to eat.

Bouts of nausea, however temporary, are an uncomfortable feeling but by taking it easy and remaining hydrated, the feeling will soon pass and you’ll be back to your normal self and able to enjoy the day.

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