THE CHICKENPOX DIET

A Chicken Pox diet is something that is often overlooked, but is a crucial element to cure Chicken Pox fast. There are certain foods, that when consumed, can speed up the recovery from the Chicken Pox.

First, it’s important to understand that Chicken Pox is a VIRUS.  When suffering from Chicken Pox, your body is put under a lot of stress and is working extremely hard to try to fight off this virus from the body.  It only makes sense to have a good Chicken Pox Diet to give your body what it needs and support it in fighting off this virus.

What your Chicken Pox Diet needs to be made up of is good nutrients, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and easy to digest foods.

Some important points for a chicken pox diet:

1.       Serve your child foods which are easily digestible. During this time the patient is unable to digest food properly and thus, easily digestible food like kichri, plain rice and dal, curd etc are advised.

2.       Remember to give your child plenty of water and fruit juices but avoid citric fruit juices such as lemon juice, orange juice or sweetlime juice as they have the tendency to increase the irritation of oral lesions. The diet must also include fluids like coconut water,vegetable soup etc. Fluid diet helps the nutrients to be observed faster. During this disease the ability to absorb nutrients by the body is also lost.

3.       It is recommended to take natural juices. Make sure everything is organic and natural.  Stay away from preservatives and juices added with chemicals.

4.       Blisters appear inside the mouth and throat as well. Thus, one should avoid intake of spicy, oily and crunchy food. It might make the blisters burst and burn more. Bursting of the blisters leads to increasing spreading it in the whole body.

5.       Include easily digestable fruits and vegetables, such as watermelon, kiwi, oranges, blueberries, spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, wheat grass and sprouts in the diet. Star foods for chicken pox are almond, apricot, beetroot, blackcurrant, blueberry, butternut squash, cantaloupe melon, carrot, cashew nut, cinnamon, citrus fruits, egg, garlic, ginger, guava, kiwi fruit, mango, oats, onion, papaya, parsley, pumpkin seed, raspberry, strawberry, sunflower seed, sweet potato, tofu, walnut.

6.       Chicken pox can leave scars, especially if your child scratches the spots a great deal. Supplying your child with foods rich in beta-carotene, vitamin C and flavonoids will help in the healing of skin tissue and the mucous membranes often damaged by the virus.

7.       Some children get chicken pox in their throats. If this is the case with your child, try giving her fresh fruit juice ice pops, which can be very comforting. Cool treats such as ice candies, ice cream, and frozen juices are favourites among kids with hot, itchy rashes.

8.       You can use any fruits or fruit juices for this but blackcurrants are particularly good as they are full of both vitamin C, which helps to fight the infection and repair the skin, and anthocyanins, phytonutrients that multiply vitamin C's antioxidant power as well as having anti-inflammatory properties.

9.       During the illness prepare meals that are rich in nutrients and low in sugar, saturated fat and salt. Do not be tempted to give your child sweets, chocolate or sugar-laden yoghurts in an attempt to get them to eat something. Sick children rarely want to eat and enticing them to eat such foods will only further suppress their immune systems. Once your child starts to feel better, complement the drinks by offering comforting soups and broths. Include plenty of garlic, which contains antiviral substances. Nuts and seeds offered as snacks or as part of a meal are a good source of energy and are rich in essential fatty acids, zinc and B-vitamins, all of which aid the healing process.

10.   If there is no clear history of lactose (milk sugar) intolerance, eliminating dairy products from the diet is not required. These foods often constitute a major source of the child's daily caloric intake, and are important sources of dietary calcium; eliminating them may result in malnutrition.

11.   Include Zinc, magnesium and calcium supplements in your diet (as per your physicians advice) to enhance the immune system. Enhanced immune system help in quick cure.

12.   The diet should include coriander and carrot soup. Chop one carrot and one cup of chopped coriander leaves and boil it in two cups of water. Strain the water and drink it as soup once everyday.

13.   It is okay to consume chicken during chicken pox and is often recommended as chicken contains several types of healthy proteins which boost the immune system. You can make a chiken soup or broth and also add shredded chicken to it.

14.   Avoid junk or fried foods.

15.   Home cooked foods are recommended for an individual with chicken pox.

16.   The foods must also be soft and easy to swallow.

These guidelines of chicken pox diet will help quick recovery and healing of the symptoms and scars. When you put these powerful foods into your Chicken Pox diet, you will notice a huge boost in energy and your body will be able to cleanse itself from the toxins and fight off the virus faster.