After a round of the flu, covid or the latest bug circulating do you give yourself time to test and recover ? Actually do you focus on your recovery or are you just focussed on getting back to your routine as quickly as possible? To really support and build a strong immune system its important to focus on what will optimise your recovery whilst you are acutely unwell and then during the recovery time.

What are the key areas you want to focus on to make sure you recover well?

First up when you are sick make sure you are getting adequate rest, whether its actually sleeping or lying on the couch watching your favourite streaming series. It’s often a good idea to rewatch a favourite series, it requires less brain power to stay across stories you already know. For me it’s usually a comedy show, like The Big Bang, my all time favourite BBC series, Pride and Prejudice and you know I may want to add Bridgerton to that list. My rule of thumb is if you still need an afternoon nap you probably aren’t ready to go back to work, give yourself at least one day when you don’t need to sleep part of it.

For many people who can work from home the option often means they keep working even when not well. Sick leave is there to be used when you are unwell so make sure you use it to rest up and recover. Chances are the work you do when you are unwell is unlikely to be your best. Make sure you do use your sick leave or carer’s leave as intended. If you are able to ask for work from home maybe use it for a few days post recovery to make sure you get enough rest and also avoid travelling in the cold and being around other people who may be unwell.

Often one of the symptoms of being unwell is loss of appetite so its deal to have the option of light and nourishing foods available as you recover. Soups are ideal and Harris Farm has quite a range you can access via Uber Eats!! There are also a couple of other easy soup recipes in my other blog and probably one of my favourites is Asian Chicken Noodle Soup in Winter warmers – soups . Not a lot of ingredients and fairly quick to assemble. Generally its a good idea to keep a stock of chicken broth for these types of occasions and some rice noodles in the cupboard. That gives you most of the basics or if you are really tired just make up the rice noodle and pour the broth over it for a very quick variation.

One of my recent additions to the list of nourishing foods is rice congee or chicken congee. It’s basically a form of rice porridge but its very easy to eat when you aren’t well. Gentle on the stomach too which is a plus. This recipe from Taste.com is a an easy one to start with, Chicken Ginger congee .

Maintaining hydration is also critical whilst unwell however there are a range of teas that can be helpful to manage symptoms. Peppermint tea can be soothing if you have a cough as well as settling an upset stomach. Ginger can also be a good option for nausea and is easy to make up as a tea by slicing it and steeping in a teapot for 5-10 minutes. More tips on useful teas are in the blog Herbal teas for hydration .

Finally once you are back feeling more yourself make sure you pace your exercise and don’t just head back to the gym at full intensity. Start with some gentle walks or stretching and build back up over a few weeks. If you return to exercise and are really exhausted by it then take a few days more recovery time before heading back to the gym again and then reduce the intensity of your next session.

Need a bit more help recovering from recent infections? You can make an appointment with Christine Pope at Elemental Health at St Ives on 02 8084 0081 or online at Elemental Health .