How to restore gut health after stomach flu

Sharing some ideas on how to promote gut health after being sick. Please keep in mind that this isn’t medical advice, and talk with your doctor before making any health or nutrition changes. 

Hi friends! How’s the week going? I hope you’re having an amazing one. It’s been a bit wacky over here. The Pilot got sick when we got home from Orlando and has been in bed with a fever all week. Liv went down this morning, so P and I are still standing and taking all the vitamins etc. It’s definitely *sick season* in Tucson – so many people are sick – so I figured it would be a good time for this post: how to restore gut health after stomach flu.

Stomach flu can be the WORST. It’s a viral or bacterial infection of the digestive system, which can lead to symptoms like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and fatigue. It’s super common and recovery is often quick, but you might be wondering about what you can do about gut health after recovery.

In today’s post, I wanted to share some tips on how to support the digestive system, replenish lost nutrients, and reduce inflammation for a smoother recovery. 🙂

*Not medical advice. Always check with your doctor and I’m just sharing some of the things that have helped us.*

How To Restore Gut Health After Stomach Flu

Stomach flu disrupts the balance of gut flora (the collection of beneficial bacteria in your digestive system) and can leave the body depleted of nutrients and electrolytes. When you’re actively sick, you’re burning through your reserves and feel depleted afterwards.

Here’s how I’ll break down today’s post: understanding gut health, why it’s important, and actionable steps to restore balance.

What Is Gut Health?

Gut health includes balance and function of the bacteria and microorganisms living in your digestive tract. This amazing lil ecosystem – often called the gut microbiome – plays a critical role in maintaining overall wellness. A healthy gut helps digest food effectively, absorb vital nutrients, produce essential vitamins, and  also helps to communicate with the brain through the gut-brain axis.

The gut also has major impacts for your immune system. About 70% of your immune cells reside in the gut, which help to fight pathogens and regulate inflammation in the body. When your gut is balanced, you’re more likely to feel energized, focused, and resilient. But when the balance is disrupted, it can lead to issues like bloating, fatigue, weakened immunity, and even mood changes.

After you’re sick, replenshing the delicate balance of your gut can affect your full recovery, your mood, and your immune system. Replenishing beneficial bacteria can help rebuild the gut’s protective barrier, improve digestion, and strengthen your immune system to prevent further illness. Incorporating probiotic supplements or fermented foods (like yogurt, kefir, and sauerkraut) can help repopulate your gut with the good bacteria it needs.

Reducing inflammation is another key step in recovery. Stomach flu can leave your digestive tract inflamed and sensitive, which is why we want to focus on bland, easy-to-digest foods, and stay hydrated to soothe your stomach. Foods like bananas, rice, applesauce, toast, aloe juice, and plain chicken broth are gentle on your gut and can provide essential nutrients without causing additional strain.

A friendly reminder that your digestive system needs time and support to heal. Rest, hydration, and slowly reintroducing nutrient-dense foods are vital. These steps help restore your gut flora, replenish lost electrolytes, and rebuild the strength of your immune system.

How To Improve Gut Health After Stomach Flu

1. Stay Hydrated and Replenish Lost Electrolytes

When you’re actively sick, you’re depleted of nutrients and electrolytes. Some of my favorite ways to stay hydrated are broths with lemon juice, water, herbal teas, hydrogen water, or electrolytes.

Avoid sugary or caffeinated beverages, which can irritate the digestive system. If you feel like a soda, we all love Poppi and Ollipop. The lemon lime and ginger ale flavors would be gentle and delicious.

2. Reintroduce Foods Gradually with Bland Options

When you feel like eating again, I like to try bland foods like plain rice, bananas, applesauce, crackers (Simple Mills are our fave) and toast once symptoms have subsided. Random note: a green corn tamale always feels so good on my stomach after I’ve been sick lol.

These foods are gentle on the stomach and can help the digestive system recover.

I prefer to avoid jumping into any rich, acidic, or sugary foods.

3. Incorporate Probiotics Into Your Diet

You can start to replenish beneficial bacteria by including probiotic-rich foods like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and miso. Start small; you don’t need to have a lot to enjoy the benefits. I like to start with a tablespoon of sauerkraut to see how my body and stomach will react. Miso is also lovely stirred into broth!

Probiotic supplements are also a great option, especially if gut flora has been significantly disrupted.

These gelatin gummies for gut health are a fun and easy way to support gut health – kids love them, too.

4. Manage Stress Levels

Stress also impacts gut health and immune system function.

I like to include stress management techniques like meditation, deep breathing exercises, or light yoga to support recovery. If you don’t feel like doing anything, pop in some headphones and listen to binaural beats on Spotify.

5. Get Plenty of Rest and Sleep

Rest and sleep are essential for the body to heal and reduce inflammation.

It’s always important to listen to our bodies and prioritize plenty of rest to support digestive system and immune system function.

6. Slowly Reintroduce Fiber and Nutrient-Dense Foods

Fiber can support gut health but should be reintroduced gradually to avoid digestive upset.

Some of my favorite nutrient-dense options are steamed vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats (like avocados, coconut oil, nut butters, etc.) to help replenish lost nutrients and rebuild strength. If you’re still feeling a little green but want to get nutrition, I like to do a smoothie with almond milk, berries, protein powder, a little coconut oil, and riced cauliflower. Another great combo is pineapple, coconut water, spinach, vanilla protein powder, and chia seeds.

7. Avoid Trigger Foods and Reduce Inflammation

Steer clear of rich foods, alcohol, caffeine, and processed items, as these can irritate the gut while it’s healing.

Instead, opt for things like ginger tea, vegetable soup, turmeric tea, or bone broth to soothe the digestive system and reduce inflammation. For my pantry and immune system essentials (like aloe juice, crackers, broth and tea), I always use Thrive Market <— link gets you 40% off your first purchase.

What’s your go-to when you have the stomach flu or food poisoning? While I feel sick to my stomach, I’ll usually take a binder and it seems to help.

The girls and I were violently ill a couple of years ago, the same night that we used the air fryer for the first time. Now that I know that the coatings are toxic, it totally makes sense. We got a new nontoxic air fryer and I feel so much better about using it.

Hope you have a great day and I’ll see ya soon.

xoxo

Gina