It's No Fun Being Sick

Some resources and ideas for feel-better-soon foods.

By Khalil Hymore

When Ashley and I were young, we could always count on our mother to make us fried eggs and bacon with plain white toast for breakfast when we were ill. That was our go to sick food. She would even be sure to cut everything up on the plate, so that the eggs mixed with the bacon, and we could dip the toast into the runny yolks--it always made us feel better. It was our special ritual, and sometimes I really miss it. I mean, let's be honest, though we loathe to admit it, most of us revert to being children the moment we come down with a bad cold or flu...or even worse food poisoning.

A couple of years ago, I cared for Scott all through the night when he recieved a nasty case of food poisoning from a rather upscale eatery here in New York City. It was quite scary--like something from the Exorcist. You could set your watch to his bouts of sickness, it was so regular. In that instance, no amount of food would have made Scott feel better (food would have definitely made things worse). The only thing I could do was keep him hydrated...and near the bathroom. When we are sick, all we want is for a loved one to care for us until we get better.

The only upside to getting sick is that you almost always get better (that and you get to catch up on all of the soap opera action you've missed since high school) but not everyone is that lucky. When my mom was first diagnosed with bone cancer, her radiation treatments made her very sick and greatly affected her appetite and ability to taste. Chemotherapy treatments can be even worse, with many patients suffering from severe nausea and even malnutrition. When you are stricken with cancer, food suddenly becomes a tricky issue to navigate.

Luckily there is some help out there:

• ChemoCare - Created by Scott Hamilton's CARES Initiative and the Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Center in Ohio, this site offers useful tips for proper eating during chemotherapy treatment.

• American Cancer Society - To coincide with National Breast Cancer Awareness month the American Cancer Society has released a new cookbook, What to Eat During Cancer Treatment, that offering recipes and advice for eating and cooking during chemotherapy.

• The National Cancer Institute - Some helpful advice from the National Cancer Institute.

• WebMD - A comprehensive article outlining health and nutrition for those undergoing chemotherapy.

• Living a Whole Life - A great blog dedicated to healthy, all-natural eating, that often highlights cancer fighting foods.

• Cooking Light - Companion site to the uber-popular cooking magazine devoted to healthful living and eating (and one of my faves).