Some of us have really great dietary habits all the time, and some of us are a bit more 'sporadic' with eating well. I'd rather not admit which one I am.... If you're of the first category, keep it up! If you're of the second, make this period while you're injured one of those time frames when you're really good about your diet.
Give yourself and your body, one month (or more) to eat and be extremely healthy. Now if we were to break down pain or injury in the body, no matter the injury, it all boils down to chemical inflammation. All of your bones, muscles, ligaments, nerves, etc. are constructed elements that can be found on the periodic table. Aka, they're chemicals. Therefore, treating physical pain with chemical mediators really does work. Why do you think anti-inflammatory medication and corticosteroids are so popularly prescribed by medical doctors? However, the approach I'm suggesting you take when you're trying to heal (naturally) from your ailments is the 'anti-inflammatory lifestyle'.
This involves minimizing the crappy foods and drinks you'd normally consume while your body is trying to recover. I'd suggest the following:
The Anti-Inflammatory Lifestyle
"All of the physical components of our bodies (muscles, bones, joints, ligaments, etc) can be broken down into chemicals. Just as water can be broken down into 2 hydrogen particles and 1 oxygen particle, so can our bodies, so recover the chemicals and you'll recover your body. "
It was originally described to me by chiropractor Dr. David Seaman. Your diet is the number one factor involved in mediating chemical responses of inflammation in the body. Here are some quick tips on how you can use your diet to recover from tough injuries like sciatica, frozen shoulder, or chronic back pain.
Food and Supplements to Incorporate:
- Fish Oil
- Turmeric
- Green leafy vegetables
- Vitamin D
- Probiotics
- CoEnzyme Q10
- Magnesium
Food and Drink to Eliminate:
- Alcohol
- Tobacco
- Flour Wheat
- Overly sugared foods
- Anything fried
- Reduced fat dairy products
Free 5 Day Lifestyle Cleanse
My good friend and health coach Devin Burke has an awesome 5 day cleanse to get you started in your quest to clean up your diet. Oh, yea... and it's FREE! Click here to get it.
So if you're recovering from your injury, incorporate a 'chemical' recovery plan through your diet as you go through your physical recovery plan involving your personal 'Exercise Prescription'; you will attack the problem from both ends. Good luck and I hope you recover quickly!
References:
Seaman DR. The diet-induced pro-inflammatory state: A cause of chronic pain and other degenerative diseases. J Manip Physiol Ther. 2002; 25: 168-79.