Eating right isn’t just for professional athletes and for us mere mortals we can learn a thing or two from how the pros eat. It could be that you are looking to lead a healthier life or it could be that you are working your way back from an injury. Either way, here are four wonder foods that will help you recover from an injury.
Balance is Important
One thing to know about eating right is that you need to have a balanced diet. I am sure you have heard this before but it is true. If you’ve been injured in an accident, then helping your body to naturally bounce back from an injury means that you have the right balance of minerals, proteins, and vitamins. Only in this way can you speed your recovery and get back to taking the bull by the horns.
So, what are some of the items you should add to your grocery list? Well, start with spinach, sweet potatoes, kale, carrots, pepper, broccoli, oranges, and strawberries. These foods will give you the right combination of vitamins and minerals you need to get right.
In particular, the levels of Vitamin A to strengthen your white blood cells and Vitamin C to rebuild tissues and cartilage and to regrow collagen – which, in turn, helps to build blood vessels, scar tissue, and new bone cells.
- Eat Your Meats
As mentioned, protein is important for a balanced diet and as such, you want to include generous portions of lean turkey, chicken, and sirloin steak in what you eat. These lean meats are chock a block full of proteins and will help your body to produce new cells.
Don’t just take my word for it, a study in the Journal in the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology found that protein helped damaged cells repair themselves. The study went on to show that the optimal daily intake of protein for a 175-pound woman or man is roughly 112 grams.
- Mooo-ve on Over
That’s right, you need to have some dairy in your diet and milk and yogurt are great foods to help your body recover as both contain calcium which helps rebuild bones and muscle. Even if you were not a big fan of dairy products before your injury the Vitamin D can still help you as studies have found that even patients who were deficient could benefit from upping their dairy intake.
Don’t despair, if you are a vegetarian, then you can check you can get your hands on some almond milk or hemp milk as these alternatives will give you the same benefits. This means that even those who are lactose intolerant can get the benefits of dairy products without the discomfort.
- Fiber for Life
If you want to boost your immune system, then you need to get your hands on some cereal products. Now, I don’t mean the sugary cereals which tend to dominate the breakfast aisle in the grocery store. Instead, go for all natural cereals that are high in zinc, which will help to boost your immune system.
An added benefit from whole-grain carbohydrates is that they will give your body the energy it needs to recover without tapping your protein reserves. This means that the proteins will help to rebuild damaged cells while the whole-grains will help to power your day.
- Catch of the Day
Not only are seafoods such as salmon, trout, and tuna high in proteins, but they also contain the healthy fats that your body needs. These healthy fats will help to fight inflammation ensuring that you don’t have to deal with bone fractures, sprained ligaments, and tendinitis.
An added benefit is that you can cut back on the amount of ibuprofen and other pain suppressants you will be tempted to take during your recovery. Instead, lead up on the healthy fats and learn to live with a little bit of inflammation. The combination of the two will help you to get back on your feet faster.
There you have it, four wonder foods to help your body come back from any injury. Remember the best way to enjoy these foods is to eat them in balance. Who knows once you are back on your feet you might find that you’re like the way it feels to eat right all the time.