What should you eat when recovering from influenza A?

Influenza is an acute respiratory infectious disease caused by the influenza virus. It occurs frequently in spring and winter, spreads rapidly, has a high incidence rate and a short epidemic period, resulting in easy outbreaks. The influenza A virus is the main pathogen of human influenza, and is prone to mutation.

 

The primary symptoms of influenza A include nasal congestion, a runny nose, cough, fever, headache, diarrhea and muscle soreness. Experts in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and clinical medicine have come up with a series of dietary recommendations based on common clinical symptoms of patients to improve recovery. 

 

These dietary recommendations are also applicable to norovirus patients who suffer from similar symptoms.

 

Ingredients: 10g of sterculia scaphigera, 2 pears, appropriate amount of rock sugar.

 

Cooking method: Put the sterculia scaphigera and pears together into the pot, add some water, boil on high heat, and then switch to low heat to simmer for 20 minutes, then remove the residue and extract the juice before adding a small amount of rock sugar.

 

Ingestion method: Drink as a substitute for tea.

 

Function: Clears heat in lungs, relieves sore-throat and restores voice.

 

Suitable for: Throat swelling and pain, hoarseness.

 

Ingredients: 12g of polygonatum odoratum, 100g of lean pork, appropriate amount of cooking salt and monosodium glutamate.

 

Cooking method: Mix the polygonatum odoratum and lean meat in a pot, add some water, boil on high heat, and add a small amount of cooking salt and monosodium glutamate.

 

Ingestion method: Drink the soup and eat the meat.

 

Function: Resolves phlegm and relieves cough. 

 

Suitable for: Symptoms such as dry throat, cough, dry mouth, and constipation during the recovery period of influenza A.

 

 

Ingredients: 150g of fresh loquat, appropriate amount of rock sugar.

 

Cooking method: Peel and remove the kernels from fresh loquats, add rock sugar and 200ml of water, and steam until cooked.

 

Ingestion method: Ingest the fruit and soup in 1-2 servings

 

Function: Clears throat.

 

Suitable for: Acute and chronic pharyngitis during the recovery period of influenza A.

 

 

 

Ingredients: 10g of Chinese yam, 10g of lotus seed, 50g of rice.

 

Cooking method: Add some water to Chinese yam and lotus seeds and boil them until they are thoroughly cooked, and then add rice to prepare congee.

 

Ingestion method: Take it in the morning and evening.

 

Function: Coordinates stomach and spleen

 

Suitable for: Fatigue during the recovery period of influenza A.

 

 

Ingredients: 100g of fresh Chinese yam, 6g of poria cocos (ground into fine powder), 30-60g of rice or millet.

 

Cooking method: Boil the ingredients into congee.

 

Ingestion method: Take it in the morning and evening.

 

Function: Coordinates stomach and spleen.

 

Suitable for: Poor appetite and fatigue during the recovery period of influenza A.

 

Ingredients: 200g of lean pork, 6g of American ginseng, 2-4 slices of ginger, and appropriate amount of cooking salt.

 

Cooking method: Cut lean pork into pieces. Put the above ingredients together into a stew cup, add an appropriate amount of water, simmer over water for two hours, and add an appropriate amount of cooking salt.

 

Ingestion method: Drink the soup and eat the meat.

 

Function: Invigorates the spleen and kidney.

 

Suitable for: Healthy people as well as those feeling tired, with dryness in mouth and throat during the recovery period of influenza A.

 

 

 

Ingredients: 10g of white fungus, 12g of Chinese wolfberry, 10g of lotus seed, appropriate amount of rock sugar.

 

Cooking method: Clean the white fungus, soak and tear them into small pieces, and clean Chinese wolfberry. Put all ingredients into a pot, add water to boil for 20 minutes, and then add rock sugar.

Ingestion method: Take it while it's warm.

 

Function: Tonifies kidney and liver.

 

Suitable for: Dryness in mouth and tongue, hot hands and feet, and insomnia during the recovery period of influenza A.

 

 

Ingredients: A pair of pig lungs, 100g of lean pork, 5g of sweet almonds, 5g of bitter almonds, 3-5 slices of ginger, and appropriate amount of cooking salt.

 

Cooking method: Clean the pig lungs, and cut them into large pieces; stir fry over high heat until the pig lung contracts into small pieces; cut lean pork into pieces, blanch in boiling water; put the above ingredients together in a pot and add water. After boiling over high heat, change to a low heat and simmer for one hour, and then add an appropriate amount of cooking salt.

 

Ingestion method: Drink the soup and eat the meat.

 

Function: Relieves cough.

 

Suitable for: Cough accompanied by itching of the throat.

Ingredients: Half of a chicken, 20g of toddy palm's seed, 3g of dried tangerine peel, 1 jujube, 3-5 slices of ginger, and an appropriate amount of cooking salt.

 

Cooking method: Cut chicken into pieces, blanch in boiling water; put the above ingredients into a pot, add a proper amount of water, boil over high heat, and then change to a low heat to simmer for 1.5 hours. 

 

Ingestion method: Eat the meat with soup.

 

Function: Clears lungs, resolves phlegm, and relieves cough.

 

Suitable for: Cough with phlegm, dryness in mouth and throat.

 

 

Ingredients:30g of jellyfish, 50g of fresh Chinese water chestnut.

 

Cooking method: Soak jellyfish in warm water, wash and shred; wash and peel Chinese water chestnut; put them together into a pot, add some water, and cook over low heat for 1 hour.

 

Ingestion method: Drink it when it's warm.

 

Function: Relieves cough.

 

Suitable for: Cough at night.