Nutrition and injury recovery go hand in hand. Your body uses everything you put into it — for good or bad. Next time you eat, think about how your body will use it as fuel and its impact on you.

Keeping this in mind will help you make healthier choices, and it will help you to recover from illness or injury as quickly as possible. With the proper diet and recovery plan, you can get back to your life and reclaim your health.

In addition to diet, you can benefit from physical therapy to help you regain movement and combat muscle loss. To learn more or make an appointment, give us a call to find a location near you. Schedule an appointment with one of our expert physical therapists today.

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email. By Michelle Bogert, PT, DPT Paradise Valley Location Many people think about injury recovery and immediately imagine physical therapy sessions and rehabilitation routines.

Best Foods and Nutrients for Injury Recovery Plenty of different foods can help you recover from an injury, and these are some of the most beneficial. Anti-Inflammatory Foods When you are injured, it will trigger several responses, including an overall inflammation of the body.

Some great foods to choose for this purpose include: Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries Fatty fish such as salmon, sardines, or anchovies Broccoli Avocados Mushrooms Peppers Grapes In addition to these foods, you can enjoy drinks such as green tea and cook with extra virgin olive oil for an additional dose of anti-inflammatory power.

Lean Protein-Rich Foods for Injury Recovery Protein contains essential amino acids that are important to preventing muscle atrophy and sustaining your energy levels.

Some other great smoothie ingredients for injury recovery include: Greek yogurt Berries Turmeric powder Fresh fruits Vegetables Mix in as many healthy ingredients as possible for a meal replacement to help you recover.

Should I eat organic produce? What happens when you eat a refined carb like sugar? How Nutrition Impacts Injury Recovery Nutrition and injury recovery go hand in hand. Nutrition Guidance for Wound Care While you might not view wound care as an energy-draining process, the body actually demands an increased amount of energy so the wound can heal correctly.

Macronutrients to Monitor During Wound Care Carbohydrates: In the proliferative phase of wound healing, carbohydrates stimulate insulin production, which is helpful in the anabolic processes.

Here are some of her top tips:2 Post-Injury Nutritional Tips Trauma or surgery may require up to 20 percent more calories, and crutching requires two to three times more energy than walking.

If your athlete or patient is dealing with post-op nausea, recommend bland foods like bananas, rice, applesauce and toast, as well as smaller and more frequent meals with nutrient-dense liquids like smoothies.

Constipation can also occur after surgery, in which case you can recommend increasing fluid and fiber intake. If antibiotics are prescribed, include prebiotic and probiotic-rich foods to restore the beneficial bacteria involved in digestive and immune health that antibiotics can remove.

Prebiotic options include jicama, onion, garlic, asparagus, oats, wheat, barley and mushrooms. Probiotic options include yogurt, kombucha, sauerkraut, miso soup and kimchi. Increase protein intake alongside the amino acid leucine to maintain anabolic function during the immobilization phase.

Leucine rich foods include cheese, meat, fish, nuts and seeds and tempeh. For best results, consume 20 to 35 grams of leucine-rich protein every three hours during the day and before bed.

Control inflammation by swapping pro-inflammatory fats like fried and greasy foods, processed meats and vegetable oils with anti-inflammatory fats found in olive oil, avocado, fish, flax, nuts and seeds. Antioxidant-rich fruits like goji berries, blueberries, tart cherries, elderberries and pineapple can also help control inflammation, and speed up healing.

While the athlete or patient may want to reduce carbohydrate intake to control body weight, whole grains provide many nutrients that fuel and support rehabilitation and healing. A board-certified specialist in sports dietetics CSSD can give individualized nutrition recommendations so the patient feels confident in his or her recovery plan.

Excessive alcohol intake can exacerbate muscle loss during immobilization, impair muscle building and contribute to inflammation. Make sure the athlete or patient is responsibly monitoring his or her alcohol intake. Consider injury specific nutrition interventions that come with concussions, bone injuries, tendon and ligament injuries and orofacial injuries.

Read the full article for these specific nutritional recommendations. Caffeine can block adenosine receptors, which may reduce DOMS by deactivating the central nervous system. Main sources of caffeine include coffee, tea and chocolate3 Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Omega-3 fatty acids containing eicosanoids such as eicosapentaenoic acid EPA and docosahexaenoic acid DHA.

Therefore, it is assumed that intake of omega-3 fatty acid results in anti-inflammatory response to exercise which may reduce DOMS.

Several studies recently demonstrated the effect of taurine on DOMS, although the exact mechanism is not known. Main sources of taurine include animal foods, like meat, fish and dairy.

According to the previous studies, a potential mechanism for reducing DOMS by ingestion with polyphenol is its action on membrane stability and reduced lipid peroxidation by inhibiting peroxyl radical activation. Barb Hoogenboom EdD, PT, SCS, ATC Associate Professor Grand Valley State University Allendale, Michigan Dr.

Proliferation occurs at five days through three weeks post-injury. During this phase, there is a tissue rebuilding and repairing process. Maturation occurs from three weeks to two years post-injury depending on severity of injury.

During this phase of recovery, considerable remodeling occurs to build a stronger tissue structure. Based on these healing processes, we can divide nutrition recommendations into two phases: Injury and immobilization, or inflammation and proliferation of healing.

Most of the muscle loss occurs during this phase. Rehabilitation, or maturation of healing. Exercise is re-introduced in the form of therapy, and athletes are advanced to full practice when they are cleared by trained medical staff.

When using crutches, energy expenditure can be two to three times higher compared to normal walking. Sometimes a small weight gain is beneficial because, without enough calories, muscle growth is limited and muscle loss can be greater.

Protein: During the immobilization phase there is a tendency to lose muscle mass, which then causes an athlete to lose strength. Protein helps athletes to build and repair muscle; therefore, the need for protein is higher. The precise number of grams needed each day is very individual.

However, following an injury that limits activity, carbohydrate intake can be slightly lowered to prevent excessive weight gain. Sports beverages, gels, sodas and concentrated sweets are highly discouraged during this time.

Fat: Fats are essential for healing, and the type of fat is critical. Omega 3s found mainly in fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel or tuna help to increase muscle protein synthesis muscle building , as well as play a role with recovery and decreasing inflammation.

Vitamins and minerals during immobilization Vitamin C: Assists with wound healing, tissue repair and optimal immune function. Foods rich in vitamin C include: citrus fruit, strawberries, red bell peppers, watermelon, etc.

Vitamin A: Assists with cell growth and development, as well as immune function. Examples of foods rich in vitamin A include sweet potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, papaya — orange and red fruits and vegetables.