Being sick and having had some fever tonight, I was lying in bed this morning thinking about what to do about breakfast. On one hand, I know from BP IF (Bulletproof Intermittent Fasting, intermittent fasting with fat for breakfast) that it is very relaxing for my body to run on fat. On the other hand, eating a breakfast including honey to help my body heal was tempting and I wasn't sure if fasting when having the cold was a good idea.
“Everyone has a physician inside him or her; we just have to help it in its work. The natural healing force within each one of us is the greatest force in getting well. Our food should be our medicine. Our medicine should be our food. But to eat when you are sick is to feed your sickness.” - Hippocrates
Like the last time I was ill, I was looking into whether or not to do IF (intermittent fasting) when you are ill. Searching the internet for “intermittent fasting sick” gives you a lot of speculations, but from what I've found, there really is no modern study made on this. There are adamant proponents as well as people saying it doesn't work.
Most of them seem to agree that you should not be in a caloric deficit while down with the flu. Many state the simple “listen to your body”, and that many just don't want to eat while ill.
Some cites the old saying:
Feed the cold, starve the fever.
…suggesting that you eat when not feverish, but fast once you have a fever. My experience (and I guess rather common knowledge?) is that the fever usually goes up after eating. The fever is a good way for the body to get rid of bacteria and viruses. …suggesting you should eat when sick?
On the other hand, when widening the search, I came to the above quotation from Hippocrates, suggesting fasting over eating. After reading it I regret eating for breakfast. Having a bottle of caprylic acid (also known as C8:0, the shortest of the MCT-oils, or “Brain Octane”) I might try going onto the fast this afternoon. With MCT-oil it is easier to get into ketosis.
Otherwise, I guess this isn't the last time I have a cold…