Inflammation: Part 1 Recovering Faster with Nutrition

Summary: How often do you ask yourself what can you do to: Reduce how sore I feel after my workouts, especially the next day? Have more energy during my training session tomorrow? Rebuild muscle tissue faster after an intense lifting session? Have the same amount of energy at the end of a long season as I did at the end? All of these questions make up the complex topic of recovery. Recovery is such a broad term in that it can mean so many things. When someone asks me what I can do to recover faster, I usually respond with multiple questions to see what specifically he or she is looking to accomplish or what may be causing a specific problem. In this Podcast we’ll focus on the factors that impact recovery and what nutrition strategies you can put in place to enhance the recovery process to minimize inflammation. Inflammation is a normal process that occurs when: We lift weights (inflamed muscle tissue, muscle damage) We sustain an injury (i.e. broken ankle, torn ACL, concussion) Inflammation also occurs when we specific foods or drink specific beverages such as: Foods and fluids high in sugar White floured carbohydrates (enriched white flour (i.e. pancake mix), white bread Foods high in saturated and trans fatty acids (i.e. Red Meat, Omega 3 Oils, Baked Products like cookies, cakes, pies, etc) Excessive Alcohol Consumption Fried Foods We can reduce the amount of inflammation by eating specific foods that are nutrient dense and contain antioxidants such as: Fresh fruit (Tart Cherries or Cherry Juice, Berries, Apples) Fresh Vegetables (Dark Green Veggies are best) Omega 3 Fats (i.e. Walnuts, Salmon, Mackeral, Halibut, Tuna, Fish Oil) Spices (Turmeric, Curry, Curcumin, Cinnamon, Basil, Cloves, Oregano, Thyme)