Five Natural Foods That Aid Your Surgical Recovery

Today’s post is a guest post by Jamie Costello. 

Shortly after surgery, doctors and surgeons will provide you guidance on the best aftercare to ensure you can recover as quickly as possible. Generally, this mainly revolves around how you can best take care of your wounds and scars to prevent further complications including washing and massaging the scars.

Whilst this will be beneficial to your healing period, there are other steps to progress your recovery, including making changes to your diet. What you eat can have an influence on how well you recover. Essential nutrients and minerals that can aid healing as well as provide you with the energy you require.

Here are 5 natural foods that you can include in your diet to aid your surgical recovery.

Fruits

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Ever wonder why patients in the hospital are regularly gifted with fruit baskets shortly after their surgery? It’s because they have plenty of vitamins that are ideal for recovery. They contain plenty of vitamins A and C, fiber and antioxidants that are all beneficial for improving your healing period. In particular, berries have plenty of vitamin C that can rebuild collagen and rebuild your muscle tissue. Fruits to consider include:

• Mangoes
• Berries
• Melons
• Oranges
• Apricots
• Peaches

Vegetables

You may remember in your childhood when your Mum made sure you finished your vegetables, and she had every right to suggest it. They contain some of the most important vitamins and minerals that help your surgical recovery. These include vitamin A and C as well as fiber which can be beneficial to reduce constipation. Constipation can put extra strain on your body and affect wound closures.

They’re also a great source of carbohydrates which you require for energy. Considering the strain your body would have gone through during the surgery, you’ll need all the energy you need to recover your mobility. Vegetables you could consider include:

• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Broccoli
• Brussels Sprouts
• Potatoes

Leafy Greens

Vitamin K is a prime source of vitamin that can be obtained from eating leafy greens. They are a natural form of a multivitamin, including a range of vitamins including A, C and E. Vitamin K can promote blood clotting which can aid healing and prevent wounds from bleeding further.

As well as vitamins they’re also a great source of iron, magnesium, potassium and calcium. Leafy greens to consider include:

• Collard Greens
• Spinach
• Turnip Greens
• Bok Choy
• Kale

Whole Grains

The foods mentioned above tend to be obvious foods that we’d consider for recovery, but most of us often overlook the importance of whole grain foods which shouldn’t be the case considering they’re packed with nutrients and vitamins. They have protein and zinc which are essential for tissue repair, iron helps to transport oxygen to the wounds and magnesium helps to lift the defense mechanisms of your immune system.

Whole grains that you could consider include:

• Barley
• Quinoa
• Oatmeal
• Wild Rice

Fats

Believe it or not, there are fats that you can also eat to help aid your surgical recovery. They help to absorb vitamins from other foods in your diet and retain them in the body. This can make your immune system stronger and decrease the chances of getting infection.

On top of this they can also provide energy, Vitamin E and reduce the appearance of the scars you may have developed. Healthy fats that you can include in your diet include:

• Avocado
• Nuts
• Seeds
• Olive Oil

Utilising foods for recovery

If you’ve recently gone through a surgery, whether it be for cosmetic reasons such as a mummy makeover or for medical reasons like correcting a deviated septum, each of these food groups being included in your diet will be extremely beneficial to aid your recovery and provide a smoother healing process.

Jamie Costello is a Trainee Fitness Instructor, based in the UK. He’s currently on furlough at the moment but is utilising this time to expand his knowledge by researching and producing articles. He believes this will also increase his credibility on top of his other qualifications. He’s still doing workouts at home to pass the time as well as playing sports with any spare time he has.