The 15 best foods to eat while recovering from injuries
Injuries are common and can happen to anyone at any time. Recovery can be a slow, painful process depending on the severity of your injury. Luckily, some food items can help you recover faster with their nutrients.
Depending on your injury, some nutrients can target and focus on recovery. However, these are also beneficial if you want to eat healthy overall and know where to get the required minerals.
Here are some of the best foods you can add to your meal, depending on the injury you have:
Muscle and soft tissue injuries
These can be sprains, torn ligaments, ruptured tendons, or overworked muscles. If you need physiotherapy to accompany your diet, you can visit here for a good consultation.
The food items you need to promote the healing and cell production in these injuries are those with high protein content, essential fatty acids, and vitamin C and antioxidants.
High protein content
Protein-rich food can help build soft tissues to repair your muscle injuries and aid in inflammation response. Some of these are:
1. Salmon
Salmon is known for having heart-healthy fats but has a high protein content. A 3 oz serving of salmon has 19 grams of protein available.
2. Chicken
Chicken is a versatile food served in various dishes. Aside from being added to delicious meals, it has large amounts of protein to help your injury-healing process. Every 3 oz serving of skinless chicken breast has 27 grams of protein.
However, ensure that your next rotisserie chicken is still good, as this may cause some allergies, interrupting your recovery and causing problems.
3. Eggs
Eggs are a good source of high-quality protein. You can eat them scrambled, fried, or hard-boiled in your meal. You can have up to 6 grams of protein for every large egg.
Essential fatty acids
Swelling is normal for injuries to help provide the needed fluid and blood cells. However, this can be painful, cause discomfort, and prolong recovery. Some food items can regulate inflammation, including:
4. Caviar
You can eat caviar as an appetizer, roe, or eggs from the sturgeon family of fish. Many consider this a luxury food but rich in omega-3 fatty acids. There is 6,540 mg of omega-3 content per 3.5 ounces of caviar.
5. Shellfish
Shellfish are also high in essential fatty acids and one of the healthiest you can eat. You can have them as an appetizer, snack, or whole meal. There is 391 mg omega-3 content per 3.5 oz of shellfish, specifically oysters.
6. Soybeans
Soybeans have many beneficial properties such as fiber, vegetable protein, and other nutrients such as riboflavin, folate, vitamin K, magnesium, and potassium. However, they are also high in omega-3 fatty acids, with 1,440 mg per 3.5 oz.
Vitamin C and antioxidants
Vitamin C and antioxidants help reduce pollutants that can hinder skin, bone, and soft tissue recovery and restore them to good condition. The following can help you with these:
7. Dark green leafy vegetables
These include kale, garden cress, mustard greens, cauliflower, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts. These are all high in vitamin C, like broccoli with 81.2 mg of vitamin C.
8. Potatoes
You may not know it, but potatoes are a good source of vitamin C. A medium-sized potato contains 17.7 mg of vitamin C that you can have on your plate.
9. Guava
When it comes to fruits, one of the highest in vitamin C is guavas. A piece of this common tropical fruit has 125 mg of vitamin C.
Bone fractures
Bone fractures happen when you get an injury bad enough to break your bones. Large bones usually heal for a longer time than smaller ones, but the healing also depends on the fracture and the part of the body.
This can significantly affect your day-to-day life and hinder everyday activities. Thus, you must take calcium-rich food and those with magnesium and potassium.
Calcium-rich food
Calcium helps keep your bones dense and strong, which is crucial if you have a case of a broken bone. The following food items can provide you with calcium:
10. Cheese
Various kinds of cheese are available on the market, so knowing that it’s a great source of calcium should comfort you.
More complex types of cheese usually have more calcium; parmesan, for example, has 242 mg per ounce. Meanwhile, Brie cheese has 52 mg of calcium per ounce.
11. Okra
Okra is commonly served as a dish and is usually cooked or steamed. It also has high calcium content, with 175 mg of calcium in a single cup.
12. Kale
Kale has risen in popularity over the past few years for its nutritional benefits, but it is also a good source of protein. Consider adding 100 g of kale to your next meal and you’ll have about 250 mg of calcium.
Magnesium and potassium
Magnesium promotes healthy nerve and muscle function, whereas potassium regulates your nerves and ensures they work correctly. With broken bones, you can take food rich in both to aid your recovery, such as:
13. Spinach
Spinach is a flavorful side dish you can have for your meal. It has 156.6 mg of magnesium and 838.8 mg of potassium per serving.
14. Acorn squash
Acorn squash is a winter squash best eaten when boiled or baked. One cup contains 88.1 mg of magnesium and 895.9 mg of potassium.
15. Avocado
One of the popular go-to fruits for many people is avocado, with 58.3 mg magnesium and 974.9 mg of potassium per serving. This makes it a good fruit choice for your next snack.
Conclusion
Your muscles and bones can suffer injuries at any time, so it’s good to know that plenty of food choices are available to give you the nutrients you need to help your recovery. Besides, adequate rest and not straining the injured part too much for a while can help you recover from your injuries and speed up the healing process.
