If you’re an active person, you must be aware of how someone can pull a muscle, break a bone, get a sprain or a stress fracture. If an injury is serious enough to require surgery, orthopedic surgery is going to sideline you for a while as you recover. What you eat during surgical recovery, or when healing a wound will impact how you strengthen your bones and muscles, so you can get back to your regular routines.
When you have been injured and have to reduce your physical activity, you want to give your body the right foods and eat for strength. The advice from a registered dietitian, such as those at Pinnacle Nutrition Consultants will help you eat for strength so you can get your life back quicker.
These are some of the things your diet should include:
Vitamin C and Zinc
Nutrients are the key factor for your healing process. Vitamin C and Zinc are the best ones to look for as they will play an important role in your recovery. Zinc can be found in more significant levels in animal foods. These foods include poultry, fish, meat, and dairy products. It can also be found in peas, fortified bread, grains, cereals, nuts, beans, and seeds. It will benefit your body more to get zinc from these foods than what you would get when taking a supplement.
Vitamin C is necessary for your body to make protein known as collagen and is excellent when you need to repair a torn or sprained tendon, or ligament or are recovering from surgery. Citrus fruits are known for their beneficial Vitamin C content, but kiwi, baked potatoes, bell peppers, broccoli, and strawberries are also great sources of this important vitamin.
Dietary Fiber
Most people do not think of fiber as a food to eat for strength. Fiber, however, works great if you are prescribed pain medications for an injury or after surgery. Pain meds are known to cause constipation, so foods with fiber such as seeds, nuts whole grains, vegetables, and legumes will help you find relief.
Protein
High-quality protein foods are great when eating for strength. Protein plays a vital role in your body’s immune system. Cottage cheese, yogurt, eggs, and plain baked chicken will give you the protein you need if suffering from low appetite after surgery or while healing from an injury. Protein is not only good for building your muscles, it is also a key nutrient for building your bones. If you’ve suffered a fracture, protein should play a large part in your diet.
Calcium and Vitamin D
Vitamin D and calcium are the nutrients most often associated with healthy bones. If you’ve suffered a stress fracture, you will want both of these nutrients in your diet to help strengthen your bones. Fortified soy milk and regular milk products are the best choices for vitamin D and calcium consumption. Not all yogurts will provide you with the necessary Vitamin D but are generally a good source of calcium.
What is Eating for Strength?
Those who are serious about getting in shape or maintaining their physical strength should have a diet that is designed as eating for strength. Without adequate calories or nutrients in your diet, you cannot maximize your strength, recover easily from surgery, and heal from injuries or wounds quickly or adequately.
If you value your health and want to learn more about eating for strength, talk to the specialists at Pinnacle Nutrition Consultants and find out what your diet needs to meet your nutrition goals and regain your strength.
