If you’re looking to bounce back after an injury or intense training session (like from the workouts over at the ZGYM), then you know all about the importance of proper nutrition for recovery. Think of an injury or workout session- when muscle is broken down and primed to rebuild stronger and better- as a situation your body is trying to troubleshoot. Aside from getting proper rest, nutrition provides the solution the body needs in order to repair.

A good quote from Dr. Mark Hyman, MD, comes to mind:

“Food is not just calories, it is information. It talks to your DNA and tells it what to do. The most powerful tool to change your health, environment and entire world is your fork.”

The following foods and drinks are the top forms of nutritional “information” you could ever give to your body during recovery, whether it’s from an injury or exercise:

Turmeric + Ginger

Only in recent years has turmeric earned its due respect for its powerful effects towards inflammation. Inflammation, the result from stress- mental or physical- can impede recovery if it’s not properly addressed. Thankfully, nature has our back. Turmeric’s famous compound, curcumin, has been studied numerously for its potent ability to lower inflammation and pro-inflammatory pathways. [1] According to one study, supplementing with it even helped to reduce some (though not all) muscle damage caused by exercise. [2]

I paired it together with ginger, which also contains a variety of anti-inflammatory compounds, including gingerol, shogaols, paradols, and zingerone. [3] All of these have been exclusively studied for their effects on inflammation. What’s most impressive about ginger is the fact that it can tackle inflammation in a number of situations, from gastrointestinal to sports or exercise. [4]

Try Them Now: Sip on my Carrot Ginger Turmeric Smoothie for a refreshing, inflammation-quelling treat!

Bone Broth + Collagen

Another match made in heaven, bone broth and collagen are your go-to sources of repair when it comes to recovery. The reason I separated them is because not everyone drinks bone broth regularly, missing out in one of its important components, which is collagen. Collagen is what separates bone broth from vegetable or meat stock: it’s made from the slow cooking of animal bones, which contain not only the collagen but the glucosamine, chondroitin, hyaluronic acid, glycosaminoglycans (GAG), minerals, and electrolytes that help to maintain healthy bones and joints. [5] If you’re not too savvy over sipping on bone broth, then no worries: go for hydrolyzed collagen powder.  The powder itself is virtually tasteless, making it an easy ingredient for you to incorporate in a variety of recipes. There’s also one more way to load up on collagen: chicken legs, or drumsticks, have some collagen, too (provided you gnaw on the ends and soft bits). Either way, by adopting bone broth and collagen into your recovery routine, you’re supplying your body with very specific nutrients that help to rebuild and replace worn muscle, bones, and joints.

Try Them Now: Make your own bone broth right at home using this simple recipe!

Green Vegetables

Since inflammation stands in the way of recovery, our goal is to reduce it in as many ways as possible. That’s where green vegetables come in. They contain chlorophyll (aka, plant blood), which is responsible for their color. [6] There’s research to suggest that the topical use of chlorophyll helps in the healing of exposed wounds and burns and reducing local inflammation. [7] Furthermore, it’s believed that chlorophyll can directly lower inflammation by scavenging out and neutralizing the harmful effects of pro-inflammatory free-radicals. [8] The easiest way to get your chlorophyll fix is to consume green vegetables like spinach, broccoli, kale, and brussels sprouts. For my tea drinkers out there, you’re in luck: matcha (green tea) powder is also a rich source of chlorophyll!

Try Them Now: Enjoy this mean, green Creamy Broccoli Soup and pretend you’re a veggie-eating-vampire out for chlorophyll blood!

Citrus

Give me a C! Vitamin C, that is. We’re used to being bombarded with recommendations for taking Vitamin C to prevent colds, but what about promoting recovery? It turns out, Vitamin C is actually quite effective in helping your body to heal. According  to a study from the University of Birmingham, Vitamin C improved exercise recovery by 85% in one group of participants, with two additional groups receiving minimal benefits from either placebo or Vitamin E. [9] Vitamin C also has a few superpowers up its sleeve that make it effective for recovery. First, it’s needed for collagen synthesis; as we now know, collagen is also a pro-recovery nutrient, and if we’re dealing with any broken bones or joints, we need the proper formation of collagen for optimal repair. [10] Second and finally, it’s alter ego is that of being an antioxidant, one strong enough to regenerate other antioxidants in the body. [11] Once more, antioxidants help to lower and reduce the effects of inflammation, which comes during the unfortunate incidence of injury and daily exercise. Therefore, loading up on Vitamin C-rich foods like citrus can help to even the odds against inflammation and support recovery.

Try Them Now: Put together this yummy Grilled Radicchio Avocado Orange Salad for a delicious boost of Vitamin C; bonus, serve it with a cool glass of Orange Rosemary Infused Lemon Water!

Sources:

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12676044

[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5358025/

[3] https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/gingerol

[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3665023/

[5] https://draxe.com/the-healing-power-of-bone-broth-for-digestion-arthritis-and-cellulite/

[6] http://academicfoodjournal.com/archive/2011/issue2/26-32.pdf

[7] https://www.readcube.com/articles/10.1038/jid.1949.75

[8] https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10753-011-9399-0?LI=true

[9] https://www.drlam.com/blog/vitamin-c-and-exercise/27209/

[10] http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/health-disease/bone-health

[11] https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-HealthProfessional/