On your phone or tablet device? Start a chat by clicking the purple 'Chat With Us' button at the bottom of the page. Watch this video to learn how to start a chat. Eating disorders affect people of all genders, ages, classes, abilities, races and ethnic backgrounds.

These complex disorders are serious, biologically influenced illnesses — not personal choices. Recovery from an eating disorder is possible. What can the helpline do for me? With the support of corporate and community partners, NEDIC provides professional development workshops as well as targeted educational workshops for children and youth through our community education program.

Outreach and education programming is available online and in the Greater Toronto Area. NEDIC focuses on awareness and the prevention of eating disorders, food and weight preoccupation, and disordered eating by promoting critical thinking skills.

In fact, certain fruits can even improve crucial blood flow to your injured tissue, like:. Not to mention, a deficiency in vitamins C and E can actively slow down tissue repair after an injury. For instance, a lack of vitamin C can reduce cell growth and the formation of new blood vessels, whereas a lack of vitamin E can cause excess scar formation around the wounded tissue.

Cruciferous vegetables are a rich source of phytonutrients and glucosinolates, plant-based compounds that can help lower inflammation and protect against further damage.

Phytonutrients and glucosinolates give cruciferous vegetables their deep green color, such as in produce like:. Most cruciferous vegetables — especially those listed above — are high in vitamins and minerals, like Vitamins A, C, and K.

A healthy diet includes at least two and a half cups of vegetables per day. Two cups of raw leafy vegetables, like kale and collard greens, is equal to a one-cup vegetable serving; whereas one cup of raw or cooked vegetables, like broccoli or Brussels sprouts, is equal to a one-cup vegetable serving.

Protein is one of the most important aspects of nutrition while actively healing an injury. A protein deficiency can ultimately impair cellular growth and the formation of new blood vessels, and decrease the ability of the immune system to lessen inflammation.

Adults should aim for approximately 20 to 30 grams of protein per meal, for a total of three to four meals per day. You can find protein in lean meats, like chicken or turkey breast, or in convenient protein powders or protein bars.

Also aim to include 2 to 3 grams of Leucine per meal. Leucine is one of three essential branched-chain amino acids BCAAs that provide energy to skeletal muscle and other tissue during exercise.

Leucine helps enhance tissue recovery post-injury and can be found in foods like poultry, fish, milk, and eggs. Inflammation is the primary injury symptom that can prolong recovery. Fortunately, you can include healthy foods in your diet that help control this inflammation, particularly foods with omega-3 fatty acids.

Though present in fish, you can also find essential omega-3 in foods like nuts and seeds like:. Nuts and seeds are also an awesome source of healthy carbs. Stock up on nuts and seeds when grocery shopping to replace sugary breakfast cereals or snacks like pretzels and chips.

Herbs and spices have been proven to show anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Here are five herbs and spices to include in your cooking to enhance injury recovery:. What you put into your body dictates what you get out of it.

Be sure to avoid long-term energy deficits, like weight loss diets or short-term crash diets. These dietary changes — along with fasting — should always be supervised and monitored by a trained professional.

Similarly, avoid any overt deficiencies in protein, vitamins, and minerals. While DOMS takes a day or two to come on, pain from an injury is usually felt immediately.

Pain from an injury is also usually localized to one area. And typically, the pain from an injury can last anywhere from a week to months, while DOMS usually resolves within 5—7 days 4.

Protein is an important building block for many tissues in your body, including muscle. After a sports injury, the injured body part is often immobilized. This generally leads to a decline in strength and muscle mass 5 , 6 , 7. However, getting enough protein can help minimize this loss.

Furthermore, a protein-rich diet may help prevent inflammation from getting too bad and slowing down your recovery 5 , 8. Moreover, slightly increasing your protein intake once you start training the newly healed body part again helps you rebuild any lost muscle 8.

For all these reasons, make sure to include protein-rich foods like meat, fish, poultry, eggs, tofu, beans, peas, nuts, or seeds in your daily menu. How you distribute these foods throughout the day also seems to matter 9 , 10 , Research shows that spreading your protein intake equally over four meals may stimulate muscle growth more than an uneven distribution 10 , Eating protein-rich foods at every meal and for snacks may help lessen muscle loss following an injury.

Protein-rich foods may also help you regain muscle mass faster once you return to training. Recovery from injury often involves immobilization or limited use of the injured body part. And when you move less, you use less energy throughout the day.

One way to reduce your calorie intake without feeling hungrier is to consume a diet rich in fiber. This, along with consuming the protein-rich foods mentioned above, may help you eat less without feeling deprived 13 , 14 , As a bonus, fiber-rich foods tend to be high in several other nutrients essential for your recovery, including vitamin C, magnesium, and zinc 9 , However, note that restricting calories too severely can reduce wound healing and promote muscle loss, both of which negatively affect recovery 8.

Therefore, if you were attempting to lose body fat before the injury, consider postponing your weight loss efforts. Instead, focus on maintaining your body weight until your recovery is complete.

Consuming fiber-rich foods while recovering from an injury can help with healing and weight management during recovery. Vitamin C helps your body make collagen , which helps maintain the integrity of your bones, muscles, skin, and tendons 9 , Vitamin C is also important for wound healing 9 , Therefore, getting enough vitamin C in your diet is a great way to help your body rebuild tissue after an injury.

Moreover, vitamin C has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which may help speed up your recovery by preventing excessive levels of inflammation Some of the foods highest in vitamin C are citrus fruits, red and yellow bell peppers, dark leafy greens, kiwi, broccoli, berries, tomatoes, mango, and papaya.

Research is mixed on whether vitamin C supplementation can actually improve athletic performance or speed recovery, especially for those already getting enough vitamin C from their diet It may also help prevent excessive inflammation from slowing down your recovery.

After an injury, the first phase of wound healing always involves some inflammation. This inflammatory response is beneficial and needed for proper healing 9. However, if this inflammation remains too high for too long, it may slow down your recovery 9.

One way to prevent excess inflammation from delaying your recovery is to eat enough omega-3 fats. These fats, which are found in foods such as fish, algae, walnuts, flaxseed, and chia seeds, are known to have anti-inflammatory properties 23 , You can also prevent excess or prolonged inflammation by limiting your consumption of omega-6 fats, which are commonly found in corn, canola, cottonseed, soy, and sunflower oils.

Consuming too many omega-6 fats may promote inflammation, especially if your intake of omega-3 fats is low 25 , In addition, some studies report that omega-3 supplements may help increase the creation of muscle protein, reduce the loss of muscle during immobilization, and promote recovery from concussions 27 , 28 , 29 , Therefore, it may be best to increase your omega-3 intake through foods rather than supplements Foods rich in omega-3 fats may help speed up your recovery by helping to prevent excessive or prolonged inflammation.

Limiting your intake of omega-6 fats can also be helpful. Zinc is a component of many enzymes and proteins, including those needed for wound healing, tissue repair, and growth In fact, studies show that not getting enough zinc from your diet can delay wound healing Therefore, consuming zinc-rich foods such as meat, fish, shellfish, pulses, seeds, nuts, and whole grains may help you recover more effectively from an injury.

Some people may be tempted to simply take zinc supplements to ensure they meet their recommendations. But zinc competes with copper for absorption, so receiving high doses of zinc from supplements may increase the likelihood of copper deficiency However, getting enough from your diet is important.

Regularly consuming zinc-rich foods can help speed up wound healing and tissue repair and growth.

Creatine is well known for its use as a nutrition supplement for improving strength during resistance exercise training. There is little evidence to support creatine as a nutritional strategy in preventing muscle loss during inactivity.

However, it may prove useful in reducing impairments to training-induced adaptations in the mitochondria powerhouse in the muscle cells. Furthermore, creatine supplementation has been shown to improve gains in muscle size and strength during rehabilitation following injury, but not during immobilisation.

Supplementation is not necessary if sufficient nutrients are sourced from the diet. The main exception being vitamin D as sunlight exposure is difficult for many months of the year in the UK. Calcium and vitamin D are important for healing especially for bone related injuries for optimal bone formation.

Antioxidants are also a popular supplement that many consider beneficial to reduce free radical production and assist in recovery. What Food to Avoid After Surgery. The thing people usually want to know for optimal recovery is what can they take to speed it up, but another important consideration is what should be avoided to prevent slowing it down.

The usual culprits will always come under this topic — alcohol, heavily processed foods and too much of any one thing. Excess refined sugars should also be avoided to prevent unwanted weight gain but it may also increase inflammation and counteract anti-inflammatory effects of fish oils.

As previously mentioned, calorie intake should be controlled to avoid positive energy intakes. Your email address will not be published. Another study found that individuals supplementing with creatine lost less muscle in their upper body during a weeklong period of immobilization than those given a placebo.

However, not all studies have found these results 47 , 48 , 49 , In both studies that showed positive results, participants took the creatine supplement in four doses of 5 grams each day. However, no studies to date have found any serious side effects.

Creatine remains one of the most-studied, safest supplements around, so it may be worth trying Creatine may enhance your recovery by reducing the amount of muscle you lose immediately after your injury. It may also help you regain muscle more quickly once you go back to training.

Glucosamine is a natural substance found in the fluid that surrounds your joints. Your body naturally produces glucosamine, but you can also increase your levels through supplements. Supplements are generally made from either shellfish shells or fermented corn. Research in people with arthritis suggests that glucosamine may be useful in decreasing joint pain 51 , Also, studies in people without arthritis or other joint conditions show that supplementing with milligrams to 3 grams of glucosamine per day may help reduce joint deterioration 53 , 54 , 55 , Based on these findings, some people take glucosamine supplements to help reduce pain after joint and bone injuries.

However, more research is needed before strong conclusions can be made. Glucosamine supplements may pose a risk to people who are allergic or sensitive to shellfish, those who have asthma, and those taking diabetes medications or warfarin.

If you fall into any of these categories, talk with your doctor before trying glucosamine In addition to getting enough calcium and vitamin D, good intakes of the following nutrients may contribute to a speedier recovery from bone fractures:.

Those recovering from bone fractures should consume foods rich in these nutrients daily, if possible. The nutrients described above are necessary for the health of your bones.

Therefore, getting enough of them may help you recover from a fracture more quickly. While not all of them are under your influence, you likely have some control over the nutrients you provide your body.

Therefore, regularly consuming the foods and supplements mentioned in this article is one way you can speed up your recovery. Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

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Medically reviewed by Jared Meacham, Ph. Why do muscles get sore? Protein-rich foods Fiber-rich foods Vitamin C Omega-3 fatty acids Zinc Vitamin D and calcium Creatine Glucosamine Beneficial foods for bone fractures When it comes to sports and athletics, injuries can sometimes be a part of the game.

Why are muscles sore after working out? Protein-rich foods. Fiber-rich foods. Fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C. While there are few foods that contain naturally-occurring vitamin-D, it can actually benefit your recovery.

Vitamin-D is one of the best methods for natural pain management. Also, these nutrients can help to prevent sports injuries in children. In order to recover from injuries like tears and strains , orthopedists generally recommend keeping the injured body part immobile.

This prevents additional inflammation. Fiber-heavy foods will help you to feel full much faster and prevent you from overindulging. This will help you control your diet naturally. Also, fiber-heavy foods often contain plenty of other nutrients. So, be sure to include a serving of broccoli or spinach with your dinner.

Rather than eating potato chips as a snack, opt for fruit instead. Ask an orthopedist for more precise instructions about diet and proper portions. In order to recover quickly, without the likelihood of a recurring injury, you need a qualified orthopedist.

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