Nutrition to Rebuild and Repair
By Sara Butler
Your body uses inflammation as a tool. It’s a natural response to injury that is a part of the healing process. But prolonged inflammation is a big problem for your continued health and wellness as well as your body’s ability to repair and rebuild. Here’s what you need to know about your body’s ability to repair and how proper nutrition supports the natural healing process.
When You Get Injured
In the first three days after an injury, rest and elevation are very important. Ice should be applied a couple of times an hour for 10 to 15 minutes at a time. This helps to reduce pain and may help to reduce recovery time. Chiropractic treatments can also help you have a more speedy recovery, so don’t hesitate to get to the chiropractor!
There are three parts to repair of injured tissue. They are:
- Proper nutrition – You must consume appropriate nutrients in order to support your body and its response to inflammation
- Repair – Your body repairs damaged connective tissue
- Rest – You must rest to let the soft tissue around the injured area repair itself
Essential Nutrition for Healing
There are two important nutrients that help your body to deal with inflammation after an injury, omega-6 fatty acids and omega-3 fatty acids. These fats cannot be produced by the body, so they have to be eaten. You can find them in:
- Flaxseed oil
- Canola oil
- Leafy vegetables
- Walnuts
- Pumpkin seeds
- Sunflower seeds
- Fish
- Shellfish
You should also make sure you get enough bioflavonoids to help minimize pain and swelling. These can be found in citrus fruits, with pineapple and papaya having the most!
Relaxing Soft Tissue
When you see your chiropractor in the wake of an injury, they will make sure you are free of joint restriction and dysfunction, which will allow your body to better heal itself. But in conjunction with chiropractic therapy, you should also consume foods that help relax the soft tissue and allow healing to take place. Calcium and magnesium are very helpful in this, so strive for foods full of them such as:
- Almonds
- Brazil nuts
- Spinach
- Halibut
- Pumpkin seeds
- Kale
- Broccoli
- Oranges
- Salmon
When you’re injured, see the chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic as soon as you can. They can help to naturally support your body’s healing process and can make more recommendations about how you can help speed the process too!
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Aurora, Colo.