Nausea, What is it? Why does it happen? And the Role Food Plays
- Diversity In Diabetes
- Nov 9
- 3 min read
What is it
It is never fun when we don't feel good. Feeling nauseous or like you are going to throw up can make eating a challenge. There are hundreds of reasons why we may feel nauseous. These range from either helpful and preventative, such as having nausea from food poisoning to being unhelpful from getting sick while in a car if you have motion sickness. Below is a short list for other reasons why someone may feel nauseous:
- Side effects of some Medication
- Anxiety and stress
- Dehydration and Heat exhaustion
- Sickness
- Pregnancy
- Some chronic health conditions
Things that can worsen nausea
When we have nausea there are foods that make us feel worse. Being familiar with them and being able to avoid or limit them may help you feel better when you start to feel nauseous. Find below a list of foods that make the feeling of nausea worse:
- High fat foods
- Fried foods
- High fiber foods
- Foods that give you gas
- Foods with a strong odors
If you are feeling nauseous try to avoid or limit high fat foods which tend to be fast food or foods that are fried like tostones, french fries or chips. Avoid or limit foods that give you gas such as beans, cabbage, and brussel sprouts.
It is important to note if you are feeling nauseous from medication your doctor told you to take, continue to take the medication as they suggested and reach out to your doctor to let them know you are having nausea as a side effect. They may be able to change your medication to help you feel better.
Things that can help ease nausea when you have it
While some foods may make you feel worse, luckily there are some foods and things you can do that can help make you feel less nauseous. Find a list of some things you should do to help you feel better when you are feeling nauseous:
- Eat small meals
- Avoid laying down at least 30 minutes after eating
- Eat starchy, salty, or dry foods
- Eat vegetables with higher water content
- Eat cooked and soft vegetables
Since it is important to stay hydrated if you are feeling sick, some vegetables have more water in them so when we eat those vegetables we can become more hydrated.
Food list:
Here is a list of foods that may help you feel better if you are feeling nauseous.
- Apple sauce
- Baked chicken
- Banana
- Clear broths
- Dry toast
- Potatoes and Sweet potatoes
- Yogurt
- Tofu
- Cooked carrots
- Ginger
Recipe:
Find below instructions on how to make a classic Greek lemon soup with Cooked Spinach also known as Avgolemono soup. This is a creamy and tangy soup that does not include cream. Make this if you are nauseous and do not want a heavy meal but still need to eat.
4 Servings
Ingredients:
- 7 cups of chicken stock
- 1 cup of orzo pasta
- 3 eggs
- 4 cups of uncooked chopped spinach
- 1 large lemon, juice
- Salt and ground black pepper
- Lemon slices, to garnish
Directions:
Prepare the spinach. Wash fresh spinach thoroughly to remove any dirt. Roughly chop the leaves into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
In a large pot, bring the chicken stock to a boil. Add the orzo and cook for five minutes. Turn off the heat.
In a medium bowl, beat the eggs until frothy, then add the lemon juice and one tablespoon of cold water.
Very slowly stir in a ladleful of the hot chicken stock to the egg mixture, then add one or two more ladlefuls.
With the heat still off, add the egg mixture to the pot and stir well. Be sure not to let the soup boil once the eggs have been added, or the liquid will curdle.
Stir the spinach into the pot. The heat from the soup will cause the spinach to wilt in about 30 seconds to a minute.
Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately, garnished with lemon slices and fresh herbs.
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