The right food and supplements can speed injury recovery. This is important — but often ignored.
Inflammation
Is vital for recovery and protection of the specific muscle/bone etc. I won’t get into how and why because in that’s not the purpose of this post. But don’t be afraid of inflammation, it signals a movement of blood and chemicals to the area to help heal the affected area.
So we need inflammation, but to a certain extent.
BUT, it can get out of control and reduce blood flow, slow healing and reduce mobility.
Foods To Lower Inflammation
A diet high in trans-fats, omega-6 rich vegetable oils, and saturated fat will be pro-inflammatory (in other words, it’ll worsen inflammation).
A diet high in monounsaturated fats and omega-3 fats will be anti-inflammatory. Anywhere from 5-15 grams of fish oil per day.
Adding in olive oils, nuts, avocados, flax which are mostly high in omega 3 fats. Simply adding those can dampen down the inflammation process without having to touch any medication.
Herbs & Phytochemicals For Inflammation
Tumeric
Dosage: 1 tblsp per day or supplemental turmeric extract
Easiest application is to put it in a daily shake.
If you want an in depth explanation of how each herb assists the body and brain check out “Miracle Herbs”
Garlic
Dosage: 2-4 cloves per day or use 600-1200 mg/day of supplemental aged garlic extract
Bromelain
Another anti-inflammatory plant extract from pineapple.
Dosage: 1 cup of pineapple each day or 500-1000 mg/day for the management of inflammation.
While best known for its digestive properties, bromelain is an excellent anti-inflammatory and analgesic compound although its mechanism of action is poorly understood.
Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDS)
It’s very common to use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen, naproxen sodium etc as the first line of defense against acute injury, pain, and inflammation.
NSAIDS are very effective at managing the pain so you can move the joint. This has it’s application when you have an athlete who suffered an acute injury but needs to get back on the field/court quickly before he can begin recovery/rehab.
The problem with NSAIDS is although you gain more mobility/have less pain the tissue recovers slower.
In short, stick with NSAIDS for the short term 2-7 days post injury and start implementing the above natural anti-inflammatory methods
A Simple Checklist To Adhere To This Habit
A simple way to administer this and make sure it’s adhered to is to create a 7 day checklist with each specific food to be taken.
Stick it somewhere where food is being prepared and get the individual to tick off if they’ve had the food for that day each time they prepare a meal or eat out.
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