How does one one know they are doing everything they can to heal after an injury? Receiving chiropractic care is essential in just about all cases, but have you considered that the foods you take in can have a positive or negative effect on the speed of your recovery? They do, and here are a few suggestions to improve the rate of reovery.
Food items that one should make sure they have enough of daily after an injury, like a car accident or fall, would be those that contain high levels of vitamin A. Products with high Vitamin A content help with cell growth and the immune system. Foods like sweet potato, carrots, liver, mango, turnip greens, papaya, and red bell peppers are rich in this vitamin.
Fruits and vegatables that are high in vitamin C like oranges, berries, broccoli, cabbages, tomatoes, and cantaloupe help the body form collagen. Collagen is a protein needed for strength and flexibility. It repairs tendons and strengthens bone.
Zinc has also been found to be beneficial after an injury because of its wound healing effects. Foods like meat, seafood, sunflower seeds, and almonds contain zinc. Cold water fish, in particular, have components that reduce pain and inflammation and have been found to be more effective than NSAIDs(nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs).
You may be thinking, “That is all well and good, but who eats a perfectly healthy diet?” I agree, but if you want to heal more effectively and more quickly, you need to reduce pain and inflammation quickly. This can be done by reducing or avoiding foods, at least in the short term, that are fried or contain trans fats, hydrogenated oils, or a lot of sugar.
Examples of these are: French fries, fried chicken or fish, doughnuts, cookies, cakes ,and potato chips. These items have been clearly shown to make inflammation worse. Fried foods have also been linked to chronic diseases like kidney disease and diabetes. For those who are overweight, it is even more essential to make the change, because fat cells produce extra inflammatory chemicals.
Eat well.
