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Nutri Inspector

How To Eat For Faster Injury Recovery

By Cindy Wilson

BS, Dietetics and Nutrition

Published · 4 min read

The bottom line

Vitamin C is important for your skin, bones, and connective tissue, and it promotes healing. Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium, one of the main building blocks of bone. Serious and infected wounds may require first aid followed by a visit to your doctor.

This is general information, not medical advice. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about your own situation.

Key takeaways

  • Your body forms vitamin D naturally after exposure to sunlight. However, too much sun exposure can lead to skin aging and skin cancer.
  • Frozen or canned vegetables and fruits can be just as nutritious as the fresh varieties.
  • Probiotics are live microorganisms that can be found in yogurt and other fermented foods. Prebiotics are not the same as probiotics.
  • Vitamin K makes proteins for blood clotting. Bacteria in your intestines produce small amounts of one type of vitamin K.
  • Seek attention if a wound is deep, you cannot close it yourself, you cannot stop the bleeding or get the dirt out, or it does not heal.

It’s said that consuming food isn’t just to fill your stomach with food or make you grow bigger or taller. Eating the right way could also help you to heal faster from injuries. This would include shifting your focus from eating to only derive energy to eating to help you repair your injured tissues. Your immune system has to be well boosted during this time to prevent the penetration of opportunistic infections while you are injured. 

Are you or do you know someone who’s trying to recover from a bodily injury? This post shows you how to eat for faster injury recovery. Continue reading to learn more. 

faster injury recovery

1. Feast On Proteins

Proteins build your muscles, skin, and other body tissues. If there’s damage to any of them, proteins come to the rescue by repairing damaged tissues. Think of what happens when there’s an injury but little or no supply of proteins to fix and improve the damaged tissues. This is why you need to eat high amounts of proteins from the right sources. Common sources of these proteins include lean meat and fish. Lean meat contains proteins in adequate portions, so eating them could be a step towards a quick recovery. 

Seafood is another great source of protein. Not only fish contain proteins but also omega-3 fatty acids.

As a reminder, while trying to feast on proteins, cut down on red meats and feed on lean meats and oily fishes like tuna and salmon instead. Other diets like keto also supply protein to the body to promote faster healing. If you’re in Canada, get your keto meal delivery in Toronto by Protein Chefs and the like for less hassle. 

2. Improve Your Vitamin D Levels

Vitamin D is believed to be very important to the body. Optimum gut health is possible thanks to it, along with healthy bone formation. Therefore, if you have a bone injury, your vitamin D level is something you’ll like to watch. 

However, only a few food items are said to contain a considerable amount of this nutrient. Foods that contain vitamin D include egg yolks and oily fish. Fortunately, the sun is regarded as the chief source of vitamin D. Regular exposure to the sun could help improve your healing process.

You may also explore other options like physiotherapy for a fast-tracked healing. For more details, click here for Physiotherapy in Brampton and other surrounding areas. 

how to eat for faster injury recovery

3. Eat Fresh

Frozen or canned vegetables and fruits can be just as nutritious as the fresh varieties.

Vitamin C is reputable for its significant function in repairing worn-out tissues. It improves the healing of the flesh and skin in cases of cuts or breakages. Hence, if your injury involves broken or cut skin, you must consume lots of vitamin C in your diet. It also aids the production of collagen within the body. Collagen strengthens and helps build tissues like blood vessels and other connective tissues. 

Vitamin A is also useful in wound healing as it improves the immune system by producing white blood cells that help fight against infections. Vitamin E is an antioxidant or a substance that helps cleanse the body of harmful free radicals. 

All these essential vitamins can be obtained in freshly harvested produce like peppers, carrots, vegetables, citrus fruits, pineapples, sweet potatoes, and strawberries.

4. Improve Your Gut’s Health

The body contains some naturally found microorganisms in the gut. These are called Normal Flora (bacteria). Unlike foreign microorganisms, normal florae are friendly and beneficial to the body. They perform many useful functions. They also promote the synthesis of vitamin K, which is useful for blood clotting in injuries. 

While recovering from an injury, it is essential to boost the growth of these normal florae through foods. High fiber foods including oats, barley, or apples are recommended. Some foods like garlic and onions provide fuel to these bacteria (Probiotics). You should also take in more fermented foods like plain yogurt as they contain live cultures of these beneficial bacteria.

Conclusion

Food is the most natural medicine you can think of; hence, the best way to quicken injury recovery is by having good food. You can start by feeding on fresh greens and taking the best sources of vitamins to help your tissues heal from the trauma of your injury. Don’t forget to substitute red meats for lean meats and oily fishes to give you the best supply of proteins. Finally, work on enriching your bones with vitamin D from sunlight, food, supplements and you’re well on the way to faster recovery.

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