At some point in our lives, we will inevitably get poorly or we may need to undergo a planned operation. Whilst we may start planning the physical aspect of our recovery, we may not pay enough attention to our nutrition. Recovery has its own nutrient demands, so let’s take a look at what they may be.
What is recovery?
Recovery generally takes the same form, no matter the trauma. If we are exposed to an infection, our immune system springs to action to engulf and destroy the threat. The same occurs during trauma – in the case of a wound, immune cells rally to the damaged tissue to prevent any infection from taking hold and encourage growth factors to replace the damaged cells. This also applies in cases of planned operations – the body has experienced a trauma and so, it needs to repair and recover.
We also undergo a recovery phase after physical activity.
What is the recovery process?
Immune cells need certain nutrients to do their jobs, and so when they are working overtime, they want to get paid for it. This applies whether the immune cells are fighting an infection, or working to rebuild damaged tissues.
A similar mechanism occurs during work. Not only do we have the energy needs of work, but damage can occur to muscles. At a low level, they repair, and come back stronger next time (this is the premise of training). But again, they need materials to rebuild and repair.
We can think of the body like a bank account. It is always withdrawing through daily tasks. Providing we fuel it well; we remain in the black. During recovery and recuperation, it takes a little more, and if we don’t deposit enough, we end up in the red. Red signals poor recovery.
So, what do we need to do to stay in the black?
Carbohydrates for Recovery
Carbohydrates can be an easily digested source of energy. When cells are rebuilding and repairing, they need energy.
It’s important to opt for complex carbohydrates like beans, seeds, wholegrains and sweet potatoes. A general rule of thumb is to eat 1 cupped hand per meal if you’re a woman and 2 cupped hands per meal if you’re a man. But if you’re more sedentary than usual during your recovery, adjust your calorie intake accordingly.
Protein for Recovery
Protein is of course top of the list for recovery. Protein is from the Greek meaning “of prime importance” and it really is. The body is built from protein.
Once it is ingested, it makes its way through the digestive system and the liver reassembles amino acids into other structures to be used throughout the body.
The immune system is full of proteins, and so if we want it working as well as it can, the body needs a good supply of them. In addition, to rebuild tissue, we need building blocks.
Most foods contain either animal or plant cells and will therefore naturally contain protein. But the quality of the protein is also important and depends on the amino acids that are present. Proteins from animal sources have a higher biological value than proteins from plant sources. This is because the pattern of amino acids in animal cells is comparable. This difference has led to a concept of first-class and second-class proteins, for animal and plant foods, respectively.
Aim to eat around 1.6g of protein per kg of bodyweight.
Fat for Recovery
Fat can be used as energy, but essential fatty acids also play a role in the inflammatory response. Inflammation is necessary, it rallies immune cells to tackle the issue at hand, whether this is an invading virus or a wound that needs to heal, but it can become chronic, and this is where it is problematic. Like goldilocks, we need just enough inflammation. Omega-3 fatty acids found in oily fish can help balance levels of inflammation in the body.
In addition, fat supports healthy cell structure – so if we want to rebuild and repair healthy cells, we need to eat healthy fats.
Fats to eat:
- Oily fish – mackerel, salmon, sardines, anchovies, tuna,
- Nuts,
- Seeds,
- Avocado,
- Eggs,
- Olive oil,
- Hemp seed oil,
For women, aim to eat 1 thumb sized portion of fat per meal, for men, aim to eat 2 thumb sized portions of fat per meal.
Recovery is a particularly nutrient demanding phase and starting to look at our carbohydrate, protein and fat intake is a good place to start.
We also need to optimise our digestive health to get the best out of the foods we eat too!
How To Support Digestive Health As We Age
Come back for our next blog on the importance of micronutrients during recovery.
