Many of us struggle to get our energy back after seasonal bugs but there is surprisingly little advice around these days on boosting energy levels once other symptoms are gone.
Most advice I found was all about getting fit again and not the good old fashioned convalescence tips I needed to help my body recover.
So I went hunting tips on how to heal properly to conquer fatigue and get my energy back and brought them together in this big guide.
For quick tips on good things to eat to recover energy jump straight to these energy boosting food ideas or keep reading to get the big picture on how to convalesce properly …
- Why Convalescence Matters
- Key Energy Boosting Nutrients
- Energy Boosting Healing Food
- How To Rest & Sleep Well
- Gentle Exercise
- Asking For Assistance
- Managing Expectations
PLEASE NOTE: I am not a doctor and this post does not provide qualified medical advice.
Why Convalescence Matters
Proper convalescence used to be a key part of health care. There were convalescence hospitals and cook books had big sections on food for each stage of convalescence.
Convalescence gave our bodies the time, food and care needed to repair and replace cells throughout our bodies and to restock nutritional supplies used to fight illness.
It also gave us the mindset to :
- Be realistic about recovery time
- AND actually do the things we need to do to get better!!
There was no expectation we would hop out of bed, dash into work or zoom round the park on a three mile run the minute our fever was gone!!
It was all about slow but steadily progressing steps rather than switchbacking between short bursts of manic energy and endless days binge watching box-sets on the sofa.
We need to be patient with our body but disciplined about helping it.
Key Nutrients To Boost Energy After Sickness
Our body uses up nutritional supplies fighting bugs so to get our energy back after sickness we need to restock key nutrients a healthy body depends on and especially those that help repair cells …
- Protein
- Iron
- B vitamins
- Zinc
- Calcium
- Omega 3
We also need a bunch of different nutrients to help restore our:
- Immune system
- Gut
- Kidneys & liver
- Mood.
These four all take a battering both from the lurgy itself and from medicine needed to fight the lurgy.
Supplements can help rebuild our nutritional supplies after illness but ideally we want all our food to be nutrient dense for optimal healing.
Energy Boosting Food To Eat After Sickness
We all know that vicious circle where we are too tired to prepare the good food that will stop us being tired!!
But there are lots of traditional nutrient rich, energy boosting convalescent foods that are :
- Easy to digest
- And simple to prepare.
And in this section I’ll share a big list of them PLUS recipes to help you whip them up fast when exhausted.
Much of the food in this section is animal based as this is the most efficient way to boost protein, key fatty acids & minerals. Supplements may be more effective for vegans.
Bone Broth
Protein rich bone broth is easy to digest from the start of recovery and can be drunk like soup or used in :
- Ground Beef In Broth
- Cream Soup With Broth
- Chicken Broth
- Cream Of Chicken Soup
- Congee
Broth is surprisingly easy to make from scratch and freeze. Check out these recipes if you’re not sure how:
Ground Beef In Broth
Grass fed ground beef is very nutrient dense but easier to digest than other meat in early recovery. For a quick protein rich meal :
- Brown ground beef for 7 minutes
- Add 1 spoon of corn starch/flour
- Stir in 1 cup of bone broth
- Chuck in small frozen veg
- Simmer for 5 minutes or so.
Or ground beef stroganoff or Swedish meat balls made a creamy calcium rich beef broth sauce.
Cream Soups With Broth
Cream soups are a good easy way to get an energy boosting double whammy of bone broth and milk PLUS plenty of vegetables. For very quick soup simply blitz in a blender and then heat in a pan :
- 1 cup bone broth
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup vegetables
Or make or have made for you a big pot of this hearty but easily digested cream of potato soup you can freeze portions to keep you going …
Chicken Broth
Chicken broth is a healing classic around the world but if you’ve no energy to cook or no one to make it :
- Heat a pan of bone broth with :
- Pieces of sliced chicken
- Small frozen vegetables
- Smashed noodles
- Mixed herbs & dry ginger
- And simmer for 5 minutes or so.
If you’re the one doing the nursing use this recipe for real chicken soup from roast chicken leftovers :
Cream Of Chicken Soup
Or for an even bigger protein boost make this cream of chicken soup …
Congee
Congee is a traditional Chinese convalescent food somewhere between porridge, rice pudding & gruel. This classic congee recipe takes a while to cook but almost no energy to prepare, so you can have it on the stove in a few minutes and then go and rest for an hour or so whilst it does it’s thing …
Pasture Raised Eggs
Eggs from happy free ranging, pasture raised hens are energy boosting power houses of protein PLUS most essential minerals, vitamins and Omega 3 fatty acids.
Egg quality matters. Pasture fed eggs have double the Omega-3 and triple the vitamin D of standard eggs.
As soon as you can after illness eat – and keep eating as you recover – whatever you can stomach of :
- Boiled eggs
- Poached eggs
- Scrambled eggs
Fried eggs and omelettes can be too greasy in early recovery but there are other ways to pack energy boosting eggs in that are very easy to digest :
- Egg Drop Broth
- Egg Custard
- Tapioca
- Egg Porridge
- Eggnog
Egg Drop Broth
Simply stir a beaten egg into hot broth and let it cook for a minute or so for the easiest of energy boosting pick-me-ups when you are very tired.
Egg Custard
Egg custard is a delicious way to get a big hit of energy boosting eggs and milk or cream PLUS berries when you’re exhausted. It includes sugar, which we need to be careful of when healing, but this egg custard recipe I use has only 50g to 6 eggs.
Tapioca
Tapioca is an easily digested rice pudding with the energy giving kick of both milk and eggs …
Egg Porridge
Adding a few whisked eggs into milky porridge just before it’s ready gives a big protein and nutrient boost to calming comfort food …
Eggnog
For a super boost of nutrient-full eggs, milk and cream treat yourself to an eggnog for desert. It is still delicious without alcohol …
Grass Fed Milk & Dairy
Old convalescent nursing guides recommended a pint of milk a day and it is a great way to get a big nutrient hit in early convalescence and as you get back to work but still need extra energy for healing.
The quality does again make a difference. Full fat, grass fed is richer in nutrients and free from artificial hormones that can play havoc in our body even when it’s NOT healing!
If you can’t drink milk straight, classic milky puddings are very easy to digest when you feel exhausted :
- Milk Shake
- Milk Jello
- Panna Cotta
- Blancmange
- Junket
- Rice Pudding
- Cottage Cheese Bowl
Milk Shake
A small milk shake is the easiest way – with the help of a blender – to load up milk with other nutrients
- Berries : fizzing with anti-oxidants
- Spinach : full of iron & magnesium
- Nuts : e.g. cashews or almonds rich in mood boosting tryptophan
- Natural yoghurt : to restore good gut bacteria after antibiotics.
Milk Jello / Jelly
Milk jelly (jello to Americans) is super easy to digest when we are tired after sickness and is full of energy boosting milk, cream and fresh berries. This milk jello has sugar in it but you can easily slash it by 75% …
Panna Cotta
Delicious Italian panna cotta is really just a fancy milk jello but with sour cream in addition to whipping cream. Again I would cut the sugar right down in this recipe …
Blancmange
Blancmange used to be classic food for parties and convalescents as it is another super easy to digest milky pudding made with nothing more than milk, corn starch/flour, sugar and a topping of berries …
Rice Pudding
Good old fashioned rice pudding is another good way to get lots of milk if you’re not keen on drinking it.
I would keep the sugar down to 0.25 cups / 50g and for an extra energy boost whisk an egg with a little milk and vanilla extract into the pudding 3 minutes before it’s ready.
Junket
You may not have heard of junket but it is another classic nutrient rich milk pudding for convalescents that is super easy to digest and very calming when you’re too tired to eat.
Junket is made from creamy milk or cream plus rennet which is used for making cheese and pretty widely available in stores these days.
Cottage Cheese Fruit Bowl
Fermented cottage cheese is protein rich but easier to digest than hard cheese in early recovery. It can help restore our gut after antibiotics.
Load a bowl up with fruit, nuts, seeds and more for an instant energy boosting mini-meal in itself you can make sweet or savoury …
Organ & Bone Meat
Organ and bone meat is the most nutrient rich meat there is and jam packed with the protein and minerals we need for daily life PLUS cell repair PLUS restocking supplies.
So as we get appetite back these recipes can be big energy boosters :
- Black Pudding
- Liver Pate
- Oxtail Soup
- Faggots
- Lamb Shoulder
- Liver & Onions
- Liver Stew
These were classic foods for later convalescence but if new to you and and a bit of a plunge, just go for the shoulder of lamb. It’s super gentle, nutritious and comforting.
NB liver is not recommended during pregnancy.
Black Pudding
Black pudding is super rich in iron, zinc and other key healing minerals. It is also quick and easy to cook and easier to digest than meat when we’re recovering from illness.
You can grill the black pudding – rub it with a little butter – in just 10 minutes and served with poached egg and spinach will get a boost of nutrients with little effort.
Liver Pate
Super iron rich liver pate is typically twice as rich in iron as steak and the easiest way to eat organ meat. When you are too tired to cook spread it on crackers for an energy boost …
Oxtail Soup
Protein rich oxtail soup is classic convalescent food the world over. It is getting much easier to buy oxtail from butchers again and although the soup needs 3 hours to cook there’s very little effort involved :
Faggots
Faggots – made from minced liver & heart – are a cheap, easy to digest, nutrient rich convalescent food.
If bought ready-made just pop them in the oven for an hour with gravy or try this simple recipe …
Lamb Shoulder Stew
Roast shoulder of lamb is incredibly tender easy to eat meat that falls off the bone easily. Served with buttery spinach it gives us a big dose of the nutrients we need to heal …
After eating the roast the first day, use the bones to make broth for a gentle stew from the leftover meat.
Liver Stew
Energy boosting liver stew is a convalescent classic in cuisines worldwide. You can make liver stew very simply like any other stew with just the added step of soaking the liver in milk a little before cooking to get it nice and tender …
Liver & Onions
As we start rushing around again after sickness we can hit slumps because our back up supplies of nutrients are low. A fortnightly hit of good old fashioned liver and onions can help keep levels up.
You can make it with beef liver …
And with chicken liver …
Simple Fish Recipes
Simple fish recipes are a good easily digested source of protein, essential fatty acids and other nutrients that boost both energy and mood when we’re recovering from sickness.
- Salmon pate
- Mackerel pate
- Fish chowder
- Tuna bake
Fish is not as high in iron as red meat so if you’re pescatarian do get regular checks on your iron levels.
Salmon Pate
Quick salmon paté made with poached salmon, cream cheese and yoghurt on oat cakes, crackers or toast is very easy to digest and can be a great mood booster in early days of convalescence …
Mackerel Pate
Mackerel is a good source of the B vitamins PLUS vitamin D which is super critical for healing effectively and you can again easily make a quick mackerel paté with cream cheese for early convalescence …
Fish Chowder
A simple fish chowder takes only 15 minutes prep and is easily digestible comfort food when you’re tired …
Tuna Bake
Our appetite often falls when we’re tired after illness so we want what we do eat to be as nutrient rich as possible which means more great protein and fats than carbs. This easy to make, easy to digest pasta free tuna bake is a good option …
Cleansing Teas
Our liver and kidneys have to work incredibly hard when we’re sick to clear infection from our body, so traditional convalescence diets included cleansing teas like these :
- Dandelion
- Slippery elm
- Lemon & ginger
- Chamomile
- Green
N.B. If you are pregnant or on medication or have medical concerns seek qualified medical advice before taking herbal teas.
Gut Friendly Sides
The balance of bacteria in our gut gets knocked out both by infection and medicines including antibiotics. This impacts our digestion, metabolism and energy levels.
A small helping of a gut friendly side dish with meals can help restore gut balance and boost energy :
- Sauerkraut
- Grated carrot in an apple cider vinegar dressing
- Natural yoghurt
- Sour cream
- Creme fraiche
- Cottage cheese
- Gherkin
- Pickles
- Radicchio
- Chicory
How To Rest & Sleep Well
Good rest and sleep is critical for recovering energy after sickness because it is when healing happens.
But that is not crashing on the sofa!!
Real rest and sleep to help us heal needs four big things that most of us miss out on :
- Sleep Triggers
- Sleep Nutrients
- Vitamin D
- Rest Rhythm
Sleep Triggers
Great sleep depends on a healthy body clock and our body clock needs to be physically set every day.
The two critical mechanisms for setting our body clock are direct exposure outdoors to :
- Daylight at dawn
- Daylight at dusk
It is tempting to hide away and hibernate when sick but to sleep well we must get 10 or 15 minutes outdoors first thing and last thing even if it is just sitting on the doorstep with a cup of tea!
Sleep Nutrients
Our body needs melatonin to sleep well but to produce this our body needs 2 nutrients :
- Melanin
- Serotonin
We get sleep nutrients from daylight. Without daylight we won’t sleep well.
So getting outdoors every single day when healing is key to recovering our energy. Aim to get at least 30 minutes outdoors in the morning and afternoon by sitting out :
- With a blanket and a book
- For a chat over a cup of tea
- Whilst eating lunch
- To have a post lunch nap.
If you’re still weak and the weather is rubbish at least sit at the doorstep so your skin gets direct daylight.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D – the sunlight vitamin – is critical for cell repair and recovery but also plays a really important role balancing the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine that impact how energetic or tired we feel.
Some post illness fatigue that makes us want rest can be because they’re out of whack from low vitamin D.
We can top up vitamin D with oily fish, eggs and red meat but our single best source is daylight.
Spending time outdoors is critical for boosting energy post illness.
Us pale skin types can even generate vitamin D on cloudy days!!!
If you lack energy post illness check vitamin D levels especially if you live in northern areas with dark skin.
Rest Rhythm
Skipping convalescence and going straight from sickness to crazy hectic is a sure fire recipe for exhaustion.
We need simple rest rhythms for each stage of convalescence that build up activity balanced by rest :
- Active for 5-10 mins hourly
- Active 45 mins – rest 15 mins
- Rest 20 min mid-morning and afternoon PLUS hour at lunchtime.
In early convalescence a post-lunch nap can boost energy and help us sleep better at night as we are less likely to fall asleep in the evening.
Gentle Exercise
Our culture is obsessed with exercise and we get the message that racing back to fitness is key to boosting energy levels after we’ve been sick.
It is NOT true.
We burn up the nutrients we need to heal and release stress hormones that put us in fight or flight mode.
After illness we need to focus on gradually building up daily gentle exercise and especially walking.
There are all sorts of big benefits of walking more but after illness three short daily strolls can help to :
- Get our metabolism moving
- Relax & strengthen muscles
- Boost mood
- Stabilise stress triggers
Three Strolls Daily
Walking first thing, after lunch and at dusk can work well as it prevents long spells without movement.
We can start with just 5 minutes per stroll then push one up to 10 minutes followed by the second and third before going up to 15 and 20.
This is a sustainable way to increase movement without the crash and burn of running around the park!!
The steps can reasonably quickly build up to 6,000 daily which is a good baseline for everyday health :
- 3 x 5 minutes : 1,500 steps
- 3 x 10 minutes : 3,000 steps
- 3 x 15 minutes : 4,500 steps
- 3 x 20 minutes : 6,000 steps
Asking For Assistance
It is easy to under estimate how much energy we burn up in basic housework keeping life on the road!
And we really can convalesce quicker if we get some assistance with some of the big energy burners e.g. :
- Vacuuming
- Laundry
- Weekly food shop
- Filling freezer
- Getting kids to school.
So swallowing our pride, inhibitions and our doubts about asking for help early is worth it. Remember :
- Kids can help with housework!
- Not too old to have mum stay!
- It is not unreasonable to ask neighbours for help we would happily give them if needed.
- Paying for a few hours help for a few weeks can save us more in the long run if we get better quicker.
Managing Expectations
We have to manage our own expectations and other people’s about how quickly we’ll get our energy back as we convalesce.
The problem is, we don’t know!!
Which is why we have to be super disciplined in helping ourselves by:
- Building up activity daily
- Increasing movement
- Eating nutrient dense food
- Resting & sleeping well.
And then using each day as an instant feedback loop on how much to increase activity the next day.
That is hard when family and work depend on us but reliable delivery of what we know we can do is better than a zero to hero boom-bust fuelled by caffeine and sugar that ends up with us back in bed again!
I really hope you are able to give your body the care it needs to recover with these simple tips for:
- Nutrient Rich Food
- Proper Rest & Sleep
- Gentle Exercise
Sadly not all of us do recover fully after serious sickness but giving our bodies time to convalesce properly gives us the best chance that we will.
For more simple health tips do check out these posts :
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