Fitness lovers everywhere find themselves frustrated beyond belief when they get injured.  There are many reasons for this, but the main ones are the fact that it takes them backward in their fitness goals and they lose out on some of their favorite activities.  Once you add in the fact that it takes time to heal, a person can find themselves downright cranky and depressed when they get injured.

Does this sound familiar?  If you have had an injury, I am sure that you know what I am talking about, even if you do not love all things fitness!

There isn’t too much that you can do to change the entire healing process, but there is one thing that you can do to help it move a little faster.  That tiny thing happens to be food.  By simply changing your diet a little, you can start to eat foods that will promote healing, and that will instantly make you feel like you are on the right course of getting better faster.

Here are 5 foods to incorporate into your diet, so you can recuperate faster:

1.) Foods Full of Collagen

Yes, I realize that collagen can help you from getting all wrinkly like a prune.  However, the collagen that I am referring to is the type that is found in bone broth.  Once you start drinking bone broth on a daily basis, you will find that the collagen in your muscles and tendons will increase.  The increased collagen will strengthen those muscles and tendons, making you healthier than ever before.  If you can’t or won’t drink bone broth, then a supplement powder or capsule will be just as helpful.

2.) Foods Filled with Arginine

Arginine is a mineral that takes the collagen that is present in your body and transports it to the portion of your body that is injured.  Once the collagen is where it needs to be, it can help your body heal.  There are many foods that have arginine, but the best ones include turkey, chicken, spinach, yogurt, and bone broth.

3.) Foods Rich in Glutamine

It is easy to lose a ton of muscle mass when you are stuck in one position during recovery, but if you make sure to include foods that are rich in glutamine in your diet, you can keep some of your muscle mass intact.  The glutamine will help the collagen in your body move to the injury site, which will in turn help with the healing process.  See how everything works together in our bodies!  The best foods to eat for glutamine include chicken, fish, legumes, beef, and even the bone broth from the two types of foods from above.

4.) Foods with Zinc

Zinc is a popular option when people are feeling like they are coming down with a cold, but did you know that you can also use it to help you recover faster?  This mineral helps to promote the growth of new tissue and muscle, at it also helps reduce the inflammation that you can experience during the different phases of recovery.  The best foods for zinc include oysters, chicken, beef, and beans.

5.) Foods that are Complete with Antioxidants

Adding a few antioxidants to your diet will help with the healing process while reducing swelling and preventing inflammation.  Foods with antioxidants work well when you incorporate them into your diet with the ones above because they all play a key part with the promotion of healing.  Antioxidants can be found in different types of berries, as well as tea.  I recommend mixing some berries with a little yogurt to get a boost of calcium at the same time.

All of these foods will get you on the road to recovery much faster than if you just sit around all day watching television.  While it is still necessary to do your exercises and get some rest, these foods will go a long way in helping you heal.

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