We all know proper nutrition is important in regards to living a happy and healthy lifestyle. What is not talked enough about is how it can impact your healing ability, and ability to recover from injuries, surgeries, or conditions.
How Does Nutrition Impact My Healing?
Poor nutrition can have a major impact on your ability to recover in many ways. Some major ways it impacts your healing includes delayed tissue healing/repairing, increased inflammation, a weaker immune function, and increased muscle loss. Eating lots of processed foods can lead to your body developing chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation can affect your body’s natural ability to repair itself resulting in increased pain following surgical intervention. Protein is a major contributor to improved outcomes following injury and surgery. In fact, protein helps reduce muscle wasting and promotes muscle building.
Focus your diet on eating plenty of protein with the following guidelines in mind…
- Adults: ~.8g of protein per kg of bodyweight
- Older Adults (60+): ~1.0-1.2g of protein per kg of bodyweight
Other nutrients such as citrus fruits and nuts/seeds can help improve the body’s ability to repair affected tissues. In addition, omega-3 fatty acids that are found in foods such as walnuts and salmon aid in reducing the body’s inflammation levels.
Conclusion
Eating a well balanced diet focused around protein is not just important for maintaining health, it is also essential to the body’s healing process and contributes to the best post-surgical outcomes. You owe it to yourself to take the best care of your body and create the highest chance of positive outcomes following surgery! Book an appointment with Midland Sports Rehab and Freeland Sports Rehab today to assist you in your post-surgical rehab.