Recovering from an injury can be a lengthy process, but what you eat might help to speed it up. By choosing the right foods, you can look after your body during this important period as it works hard to get back to full fitness. But what are the best options to look for?
Get Lots of Vitamin C
Reducing inflammation is critical when you hope to make a speedy recovery, particularly if it relates to a sports injury. Vitamin C can play a big part in doing this, as it’s been shown to contain anti-inflammatory properties. This means that citrus fruits, broccoli, spinach, and bell peppers can all be extremely useful in reducing inflammation.
Omega-3 fatty acids are also useful at reducing inflammation in the case of injuries like sprains and other soft tissue problems. You can obtain these acids from fish, walnuts, and chia seeds, among other things. Be careful not to take too much of it though, which can be an issue when taking omega-3 supplements.
Some foods increase inflammation, and these include the refined carbohydrates you find in white bread, as well as the likes of fried snacks, sodas, and red meat. Going back to vitamin C, it’s also been shown to be useful in helping the body to maintain healthy bones and muscles, so you should make it a big part of your diet even after you’ve recovered fully.
The Importance of Protein
You might already be aware that protein is vital in terms of developing and maintaining muscle mass. This is important when you’re injured and unable to exercise, as you’re at risk of losing muscle mass during that period. Get the right amount of protein to reduce the risk of this happening.
Protein is gained from eating red meat and chicken, while you can also get it in significant quantities from fish, beans, and nuts. Getting a good amount of protein remains important when you’re back to being fully fit again, especially if you plan to exercise and recover any muscle mass that’s been lost during the recovery period.
As well as looking after your body, the recovery period is a good time to consider whether any of the common types of injury claims apply in your case. This is typically the case where you’ve been injured because of someone else’s negligence. You don’t want to wait too long to start this process, as the time limit for making a claim is generally up to two years after the incident happened.
Zinc Is Needed Too
Zinc plays a big role in helping you to recover from injury in cases where damaged tissue needs to recover. It’s believed a lack of zinc in your diet could make the healing process longer than would otherwise be the case.
You can consume food rich in zinc by choosing the likes of whole grain, nuts, fish, and meat. As with omega-3, it’s best to obtain this directly from food that contains it, rather than taking supplements that could lead to your body getting too much of it.
By choosing your food wisely, you’ll be giving yourself the best possible chance of recovering quickly and getting back to normal life.
