02/02/2025
🦠 The Dreaded Tummy Bug 🦠
I just wanted to take a moment to say a huge thank you to everyone for your patience and understanding while I’ve been off sick this past week. A particularly nasty viral tummy bug hit our whanau hard, and it’s safe to say it well and truly knocked us around! 😔
As tough as it was, I leaned on my go-to strategies to help us recover as comfortably as possible, and I thought I’d share them here in case they’re ever helpful for you or your loved ones:
💧 Hydration & Electrolytes: With any stomach bug, dehydration is a big risk, especially when nausea or vomiting makes it hard to drink enough fluids. I made sure we had plenty of water, coconut water, and electrolyte solutions on hand to replenish lost minerals and keep energy levels up. Electrolytes help maintain hydration at a cellular level, preventing that drained, lightheaded feeling. The odd ice block or cup of ice cubes helped too when the kids couldn’t stomach anything else.
💊 Probiotics: Once things began to settle, I introduced gentle, multi-strain probiotics to support gut healing. Viral infections and diarrhoea can throw our microbiome out of balance, so bringing in beneficial bacteria helps restore digestion, immunity, and overall gut resilience.
🥣 Gentle, Nourishing Foods: Rather than jumping straight back into big meals, we focused on small, easy-to-digest snacks: broths, soft-cooked veggies, rice (maybe not the easiest to digest for everyone out there, but everyone could tolerate it - and sometimes that the most important factor), and smoothies. This helps ease the gut back into digestion mode without overwhelming it.
🛑 Enterosgel: This gut-friendly binder was a lifesaver. It helps absorb and remove toxins from the digestive system without stripping away good bacteria, which can be especially helpful for reducing lingering nausea or bloating.
🧼 Good Hygiene: We were extra vigilant with handwashing, cleaning shared surfaces, and keeping towels separate to avoid spreading the virus further. A gentle reminder that these bugs can be highly contagious even after symptoms ease!
🛌 The Power of Rest: One of the most important (but often overlooked) parts of recovery is rest. When we’re sick our body is working overtime to fight off infection, repair tissues, and restore balance - this takes a lot of energy! Pushing through too soon can slow down healing and even prolong symptoms. I made sure we prioritised plenty of sleep, naps when needed, and downtime to let our immune systems do their job.
🍲 Rebuilding Strength & Stamina: Now that we’re through the worst of it, it’s all about replenishing lost nutrients with plenty of nourishing whole foods, proteins, and healthy fats. Recovery doesn’t stop once the symptoms do - supporting the body in the aftermath is just as important!
⚠️ A Reminder on the 48-Hour Rule: If you or your little ones have had a tummy bug, it’s recommended to stay home for 48 hours after the last symptom (vomiting or diarrhoea) to avoid passing it on. It can be tempting to rush back into normal life - especially if like me you’ve got clients waiting and who you feel awful about rescheduling - but giving it that extra time helps prevent further spread. I genuinely wouldn’t wish this bug we just had on my worst enemy let alone anyone else.
Thankfully, I’m on the mend now and will be ready to be back in full work mode from Wednesday! 👩🏻⚕️
If you’re one of my clients who I’ve have to reschedule once or even twice (😩), I thank you again for your understanding and patience, and I look forward to seeing you all in clinic soon! 🙏🏻
Take care and stay well 💚
- Helen 🌱