Diet and Healing

How Diet Affects Healing

 

Motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) leave you battered and beat. At Chambers Medical Group, one of the highest rated car accident medical care organizations in Kentucky, patients arrive in the clinic aching and wiped out from a crash. One thing that is not on their mind is food, but should it be a priority? What you eat after a car accident can push healing forward or drag it back. This type of trauma not only leaves you aching but also with a lack of appetite, so you may be running on coffee alone. Dr. Aaron Workman of Chambers Medical Group discusses what can fuel your recovery and what can stall it.

 

Building Blocks
Your body needs raw materials to fix MVA damage. Protein is a big part of this process. It helps everything from torn muscles, ligaments, tendons to broken bones. These injuries need a source of energy for repair and protein is going to be that source. When it comes to proteins, keep it simple. Eggs, chicken, or beans do the job. An article from the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, “International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: Protein and Exercise,” June 2017, states more protein after trauma helps adults rebuild tissue. Without it healing moves at the pace of a snail and you will be sore much longer than you should.

 

Inflammatory Foods
Crashes spark continued inflammation that will make joints ache and utilize all your energy. It is important to take in foods that will not feed into the inflammation. These can include berries, nuts, salmon, and other types of foods high in Omega fats and antioxidants. These types of foods act like an ice pack cutting down the inflammation that keeps you stiff. Skip inflammatory foods such as fried foods and sodas. Sugar can also ramp up swelling and affect your immune system, so making small changes in the diet can help your body focus on repair.

 

Energy to Recover
Fatigue will linger following a car accident for longer than expected. It is a common complaint from patients even if they seem to have a full night’s rest. A proper source of carbohydrates from items like oats, whole grains foods, fruits, and vegetables, can give you steady fuel without the crash from an energy drink or candy bar. Dehydration will make everything worse. Water will help keep your joints loose and your head clearer. Alcohol should not be a part of the healing process. It may calm nerves short term, but it will slow muscle repair and impair your sleep. Bourbon is a popular item in our area but if a patient brings the topic up, I will advise them to avoid it until they get through the healing process.

 

Diet alone will not fix the damage you incur from an MVA, but it can tip the scale in healings favor. I often find myself telling patients you are either moving towards healing or moving away from it. The important part is consistently doing enough to support moving towards healing. In relation to diet it can start simple with eggs for breakfast, nuts for snacks and no soda during the day. The trauma following an MVA can last for months, and your daily diet can aid or hinder this healing process. If you have found yourself suffering from an auto accident and seem to be stuck with never ending discomfort the doctors at Chambers Medical Group can help.

 

— This article is written by Aaron Workman, DC, one of the members of Chambers Medical Group’s team of car accident chiropractors who offer a variety of treatments and therapies ranging from diagnostic testing to various soft tissue therapies for car accidents and injuries in Kentucky.

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