_What to do when you are gluten free and have the flu!~
No poetic descriptions or quotes this time folks… I’m sorry!
I know I was going to post about my homemade body lotion, but the time has come…
Yes, my friends… the day we all dread has come… Your stomach hurts, you feel horrible, your body aches, you feel feverish… my friends… you have THE STOMACH FLU.
So, this is a totally new experience for someone newly gluten free. What do you eat?
Usually, I would grab a sleeve of Ritz crackers, my diet ginger ale and hit the road (if I could), but this time was not that easy.
Having given up all sodas due to the artificial sweeteners, I have changed to drinking ice cold Pellegrino Mineral Water in the glass jar (so much better than the plastic!). Today, that has been a god-send! Add a touch of fresh ginger root to it and you have “make-believe” Ginger ale.
As for the crackers, I’ve not yet found anything comparable yet.
I know that for my next bout (God, please, NO!), I will have recipes standing tall for gluten free home remedies, but I’ve combed the internet for gluten free stomach flu ideas.
The ideas are as follows:
You can make your own Gluten Free Ginger Tincture (here), just be sure to use gluten free alcohol. (make for future bouts)
Peppermint Tea
Bone broth – the homemade kind made from scratch with 100% grass feed beef… (ordering the bones online now.)
Coconut Water to replace lost electrolites… (on my list for next time… hopefully there won’t be one).
Bananas, applesauce, rice (if your are not paleo), mashed sweet potatoes, or gluten free toast if you can have it. You know, that old saying of “B.R.A.T” still holds true if you can eat the gluten free breads and are not on the Autoimmune protocol or Paleo. If you are, avoid the GF breads.
To help little ones stay hydrated and keep up their strength, try making little homemade popsicles with coconut water mixed with a bit of applesauce for flavor. Avoid too much sugar as this would definitely feed the fire rather than make matters better. 😛 Better yet, try to make these homemade electrolyte popcicles! http://dontmesswithmama.com/homemade-electrolyte-popsicles/
Take a hot bath – One of the things that helped me the most was the detox bath of Epsom salts, baking soda and my beloved Lavender Essential Oils! It seemed to ease the stomach cramps a bit.
I buy my Epsom salts at Sam’s Club in bulk (a 6lb box) and used only 2 scoops of the salts (about a cup). The Essential Oils I usually use are either Lavender, or Frankincense and Myrrh which is very relaxing. As for the Baking soda, I use about a cup. Stay in the tub for as long as you can… I try to stay for at least ½ hr and add more hot water if I get cold. My body temp is normally pretty low, well below the normal 98.6 so I always work my way up to hotter water.
I can no longer do the old standby of Hot black tea with ginger in it, crackers and ginger ale, nor can I indulge in my favorite gingermints (not gluten free), but I hope this helps you should you be greeted with the unfortunate guest of the stomach flu!
Stay well!
Until next time,
Happy Reading and Eating!
~Christa~