You know that eating right and exercising on a regular basis is the key to a long, healthy life, but you probably didn’t realize that eating right can actually help you heal. It’s true — keeping a good, balanced diet during the recovery process from an accident, injury or surgical procedure can actually shorten the amount of time that you are out of commission. At St. Bernardine, our care providers help our home health care patients in the Irvine and Orange County area develop a nutrition plan that works for them, and allows them to feel better as quickly as possible.
5 Recovery Foods
Citrus Fruits
In general, citrus fruits such as oranges or clementines are healthy for the average person to eat. However, they are also packed full of Vitamin C, which is considered an essential vitamin to help with the healing of cuts, scrapes and scars. If you don’t want to snack on an orange in the afternoon, consider having a glass of orange juice with your breakfast.
Berries
Berries are a yummy addition to almost any meal and can even make a great dessert. Patients who are recovering from a traumatic event such as a surgery should include berries as often as possible in their diet as they have vitamin C in them. Good berries to snack on include blueberries, raspberries, cranberries or strawberries.
Carrots, Sweet Potatoes and Pumpkin
Fruits and vegetables with beta-carotene are rich with vitamin A, another vitamin that has over time been proven to help with the healing of cuts and wounds. Carrots are a great snack choice and cooked carrots go wonderful with dinner. Have your own recovery celebration with sweet potato pie or pumpkin pie and relax as you get better quicker.
Oils and Specialty Butters
When a caretaker is cooking for you during your recovery, ask them to use plant-based oils and butters in your dishes. Sunflower oil and olive oil have anti-inflammatory properties that will help your body heal itself faster. Peanut butter packs a lot of protein, and also vitamin E, which is known to help with the healing of scars.
Seeds
Seeds are an easy snack to leave by your bedside as you rest up and relax. In addition to being salty and delicious, seeds also have a lot of natural vitamin E in them. This means they will help your wounds heal faster. Good seeds to choose from include almonds, pistachios and sunflower seeds.
Once you put yourself on a recovery diet, keep in mind that these foods are also good for you when you are feeling your best. This is the opportunity to make a positive life change, not only to feel better in the short term but also to feel better for the rest of your life. A healthy diet and regular exercise regime will ensure that you have more energy, more drive and a happier outlook on life, so there’s no good reason not to get started today.