WHAT TO EAT WHEN IT SEEMS EVERYTHING MAKES YOU SICK
Nutritionist Miriam Erick has been helping women with severe morning sickness, or hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), figure out what kinds of foods to eat for decades.
Her four books on the subject include Take Two Crackers and Call Me in the Morning: A Real-Life Guide for Surviving Morning Sickness. Her biggest piece of advice is “listen to your cravings — if your body is telling you that it wants something, then just eat whatever that is.”
Her only caveat: no alcohol — but, other than that, the world is your oyster. Or, maybe, oyster cracker.
Here are some other hints:
Bland is not necessarily best for everybody, even though the most common advice is to stick to bland foods such as applesauce and mashed potatoes. It’s not unusual for women with HG to seek out spicy or sour food, so follow your instincts.
Fluids can be more difficult to stomach when you’re nauseous, so don’t fret about liquids and focus on food first. If you think you can manage it, frozen watermelon cubes or grapes can be good alternatives to traditional fluids. If soft drinks sound good, don’t worry about the sugar.
Forget ginger — if you want to. Ginger tea is commonly recommended to HG patients to help curb nausea, but many say it doesn’t help.
No matter what it is that you want to eat — whether it’s raw cauliflower, key lime pie or jalapeno poppers — find that one item and eat it in small amounts throughout the day.
Give salt a try — the mariner’s cure. Try adding salt to a glass of water or just eating salty crackers or chips.
Outside stimuli can have a powerful effect, so you may need to retreat to a small, dark space such as a closet when trying to eat. Sometimes choosing food that doesn’t have a strong odour or sticking to cold items helps.