Are you injured and need to heal quickly? Aid the healing process with these powerful tips on nutrition for injury recovery. Put the right eating and supplement strategies to work for you.
Injuries happen. The question is – after they happen, how can you help the body heal?
For most athletes and the everyday person the idea that nutrition can play a powerful role in injury recovery makes perfect sense. Yet when injury strikes, very few of us know exactly how to use nutrition to improve healing.
Here are some best practices for using nutrition to dramatically speed up the injury recovery process for anyone whether we exercise or not.
Injury recovery: How the body works
When tissue is damaged in the body there are 3 steps to the recovery process;
Stage 1: Inflammation- the area is swollen, red, painful and hot. Healing chemicals are attracted to the injured area.
Stage 2: Proliferation- damaged tissues are removed; new blood supply and temporary tissue is built.
Nutrition for Stage 1
In STAGE 1: Inflammation is critical as it triggers the repair process. Too much, however, can cause additional damage. These strategies help produce the right amount:
Eat more anti-inflammatory fats such as cold pressed oils, avocado, fish oil, fish, nuts and seeds, flax oil or ground flax.
Eat less pro-inflammatory foods such as: processed foods, take away foods, foods with trans fats, vegetable oils like canola, sunflower and soybean
Include inflammation managing herbs and spices such as:
– Turmeric fresh/dried (up to 7 teaspoons a day: have with a little black pepper to help absorption) or curcumin/turmeric supplement- as directed by a professional.
– Garlic: 2-4 cloves per day
– Bromelain from pineapple: 2 cups per day or a supplement taken as directed by a professional
– Cacao, tea & berries: eat daily or supplement with blueberry or grape extracts, green tea extracts, citrus extracts and bioflavonoids
Nutrition for Stage 2 & 3
Energy intake is your first priority, even though you may not be able to train your metabolism can increase by 15-50% more than when you are sedentary.
Eat adequate protein- legumes, eggs, plant-based protein, meat and fish (not processed meats). 1-1.2 gram/kg of body weight
Balance dietary fats from different sources such as cold pressed oils, avocado, nuts and fish oils
Eat the rainbow – include a variety of fruits and vegetables
Eat enough carbohydrates – you will need fewer than when you are training but enough to support your recovery – choose minimally processed carbs such as whole oats, quinoa, wholegrain rice & sprouted breads.
Supplements that may be considered for 2-4 weeks post injury (use under the direction of a professional) – Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Copper and Zinc.
1 in 3 women who have ever had a baby wet themselves. Lets talk Urinary Incontinence!
A lot of advice is shared about motherhood, but something few people talk about is bladder and bowel problems both during pregnancy and after birth.
A range of factors, including pregnancy or childbirth, can cause a weak pelvic floor.
If you experience any of the following you may have weak pelvic floor muscles that contribute to bladder or bowel problems:
Leak urine when you cough, sneeze, lift, laugh or do exercise
Not be able to control passing wind
Feel an urgent need to empty your bladder or bowel
Leak bowel motion after you have been to the toilet
Have trouble cleaning yourself after a bowel motion
Find it hard to pass a bowel motion unless you change position or use your finger to help, or
Feel a lump in your vagina or a sensation of dragging (mostly at the end of the day), which could mean that one or more of your pelvic organs might be sagging down into your vagina (also known as prolapse)
The birth of your baby might have stretched your pelvic floor muscles and any ‘pushing down’ action in the first weeks after the baby’s birth might stretch the pelvic floor again.
Regular pelvic floor muscle training kept up over the long term, as well as the right advice will help. It can often be difficult to know what the pelvic floor is or how to use it correctly.
Having the right guidance and advice from a Physiotherapist can have huge benefits both in the short-term and long-term aspects of daily living.
Your Physiotherapist can assist in pelvic floor, bladder or bowel problems in various ways:
Education on the anatomy & function of the pelvic floor
How to turn on & use the pelvic floor
Advice to reduce leakage & control urges
How to incorporate the pelvic floor into daily activities & improve exercise
Information on further investigations or specialists
No mum wants to put up with wetting themselves, you’ve got enough on your plate!
Call now to book a consultation with Kelly – 55787155
Parents you my have already noticed your children complaining of sore knees, feet and hips. In many cases kids will need to have several weeks away from sport in order to manage their injury.
We show you how to keep your child away from injury and towards happiness with their sport.
What you will learn;
How to spot early signs of injury in children
How growth impacts on active boys and girls differently
Why girls are 8 time more likely to have a severe knee injury in running/kicking sports and how to prevent this
Why your boy is limping at half time or after training
Tips on how to prevent injury and make sure your kids have full participation and enjoyment
The latest injury prevention
strategies for kids
Perfect for parents of kids who play soccer, netball, Rugby League/Union, touch football, Futsal, AFL.
Do you have a ski trip booked this year? Avoid ski injuries with the right preparation leading up to your holiday and avoid the 3 biggest mistakes people normally make.
Physiotherapist Jess Norton spent almost four years living and working in Vancouver, Canada and enjoyed plenty of time on the slopes. Jess is very familiar with ski and snowboarding injuries and shares some insight on preventing injuries below.
Not training in the lead up – one of the biggest mistakes we make leading into the ski season or a skiing holiday is lack of preparation. The way we use our muscles while skiing and snowboarding is very different to the way we move during day to day activity, so we need to train for this different type of movement. Quad, glut and core muscles are typically the muscles that need the most focus.
Not making sure you are fit to spend all day on the mountain – Cardiovascular fitness plays a large role in injury prevention – make sure you get the legs conditioned to tolerate a big day on the slopes – a stationary bike or push bike is great for this
Fatigue is a major factor in injuries on the ski slopes so it is important to train endurance as well as strength and flexibility.
3. Not getting a lesson if you haven’t skied in ages – make sure you get a lesson when you return to the slopes after a long hiatus. Your technique is critical in making sure you remain injury free and enjoy yourself
For ski and snowboarding injuries and to start conditioning yourself for an enjoyable holiday book a time with Jess by clicking here OR Call us on 07) 5578 7155 or email admin@physiologic.com.au to book now.
We wish to welcome Robina Roos players to Physiologic at 6.30pm on the 29th November. This will be the night where we outlay the injury management, prevention and other ideas that we would like to implement in the upcoming season.
On the agenda specifically will be
– Introduction to Physios and our facility – physiologic – me, you,
– injury management pathways
– Interaction with other health professionals – referral onwards, medical imaging, sports medicine, podiatry, other ancillary services
– discussion on concussion
– Other members of the team
– RTS protocols soft tissue injuries – running and requirements before playing
– injury prevention programs – H/S, ACL, others
– recovery ideas
– data collection
– player discount within the clinic – 15% per session
– player screenings – TBA
We are super proud to be on board this year with the Robina Roos AFL Club. It is always a pleasure to amalgamate with local community organisations and the Robina Roos are a club that align well with our own values
