Just a little ribbing...

I fell victim to the most dangerous room in the house this week. Yep, you likely guessed it - the bathroom got me good! (Actually, the slippery tub floor is what got me, but let's not split hairs). Apparently 70% of all accidents that happen at home happen in the bathroom. Good to know. I have to admit I felt a little foolish telling people that I had slipped in the shower resulting in two good and broken, painful ribs. I could put the "painful" in upper case letters to truly get the point across, but let's just say the pain is far more than I'd ever have imagined. People who have suffered this injury have been able to commiserate understandingly. Others, well, hopefully will not have to find out on their own. Having an obsession with approaching every medical and physical issue starting with nutrition, I researched what could possibly help me through the recovery process and here's what I found. Maybe it will be helpful to someone else along the way :)

1) Manage the pain. Without pain management, sleep goes, and in the case of broken ribs, breathing goes. Not breathing deeply is known to potentially dispose patients to develop pneumonia in those suffering broken ribs, so it's important to do those deep breathing exercises. This also means that you will need to take in some form of pain relief in order to do so.

2) Adequate protein. If you're uncertain that you are getting sufficient, throw in a protein powder or some essential amino acids to assist your collagen production while you are rebuilding tissue.

3) Lots of veggies (and fruit). These contain the micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) to support the extra drain on your body during recovery.

4) Whole grain/unprocessed carbohydrates. Eat less of them than you would while exercising regularly, but continue to include them in the diet.

5) Healthy fats. Fish, nuts, seeds, olive oil, avocados.

6) Supplements to consider: Vitamin C - supports the immune system (no colds please!) and supports the healthy development of collagen. Vitamin A - supports immune system and collagen development (don't go crazy taking this as a supplement - too much of this good thing can be problematic). Copper - helps strengthen connective tissue. Zinc - assists in wound healing, protein synthesis and cell division.

7) Eat regularly. Your body will actually need more calories during recovery time than just your base metabolic rate, (although not as much as when you are fully active of course) You can decrease your starchy carbohydrate calories somewhat (I've cut mine in half and that seems to be working.)

Here's to full and fast recovery!