“You’re what you eat.” We’ve said it so many times! There is a specific diet for plantar fasciitis patients, then, there are things to eat to reduce foot pain. Nowadays, there are too many toxins in our food. Therefore, simply cutting down on fast food, chips, and high-sugar items is no longer enough, especially if you’re trying to recover from injuries.
But it’s never too late to make changes! If you recently hurt your muscle, or deal with chronic inflammation, here are 10 food to eat for faster muscle recovery:
- Tart berries or berry juice
- Sweet potato
- Watermelon, or watermelon juice
- Bananas
- Eggs (yellow ones are more nutritious!)
- Cottage cheese
- Salmon
- Shellfish
- Spinach
- Beets
Now, let’s look into these one by one!
Tart Berries
Berries are rich in anthocyanins, especially ones with brighter colors, which also tend to be tarter than darker color ones, because anthocyanins is what gives their skin that vibrant hue. Anthocyanins is effective in reducing muscle inflammation and promote healthy circulation after an intensive workout.
Additionally, the carbonhydrates berries contain also helps your body to mend any microdamages done to your muscles during the workout more immediately. Therefore, consider downing a big cup of sour cherry juice, or one of those organic berry blend smoothies if you want fatser muscle recovery after exercise.
Sweet Potato
Sweet potatoes are rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin A, potassium, riboflavin, copper, pantothenic acid and folic acid. Copper and potassium are helpful to reducing inflammation and stimulates the development of connective tissues, which can speed up muscle recovery. Meanwhile, Vitamin C and Vitamin A both help prevent muscle metabolism, giving your muscles more room to recover from injuries while slowing down tissue deconstruction.
Watermelon, or watermelon juice
Watermelon is one of the best food for faster muscle recovery after working out. That’s because watermelons are rich in amino acid L-citrulline, the key chemical boosting muscle recovery within 24 to 48 hours after exercise.
The standard recommended citrulline intake was as low as 8 mg, whereas a watermelon can contain up to 28.5 mg/g citruline each — which means drinking a big glass of watermelon juice is far more effective than taking tasteless citrulline supplements. Also, yellow or orange flesh watermelons contain more citrulline than the typical red ones.
Bananas
Banana is another great food for post-workout muscle recovery. Eating a whole banana will improve the muscle’s glycerin production and reduce inflammation. High in potassium, bananas can also help reduce muscle cramps and spams after an intensive workout.
Eggs (yellow ones are more nutritious!)
What’s the main source of protein in our daily diet? Eggs, of course. Eggs help with muscle recovery because the rich protein content can jumpstart your muscle’s self-repair. One large egg contains approximately 6g of high quality protein, which accounts for over ⅓ of recommended daily protein intake.
Cottage Cheese
Cottage cheese is another excellent source of protein. It is also rich in calcium and sodium, making it the perfect post-workout food for faster muscle recovery. One cup of cottage cheese provides 28g of protein (which is all you need as a normal adult daily), and 16% of your daily calcium need!
Salmon
Salmon, especially fatty salmon (aka, sake toro if you’re at a sushi restaurant!) is full of omega-3 fatty acids and protein. Protein is the key nutrient that repairs damaged muscle fibers. Meanwhile, omega-3 fatty acids can prevent damage from oxidative stress and ward off illness, reducing future risks of muscle injury.
Salmon is also an important food to eat to reduce foot pain in plantar fasciitis patients. Therefore, if you love your sashimi and poke bowls, you’re in luck!
Shellfish
Similar to salmon, shellfish is another great source of omega-3 and protein. Thanks to their low-carb nature, they’re also great components for those meal planning to lose or control weight.
Top shellfish to add into your diet for faster muscle recovery are: shrimps, lobsters, mussels, and crabs.
Spinach
Spinach is a great food to eat for muscle recovery as it is high in potassium and magnesium. It helps replenish the lost electrolytes either due to sweating during a workout or lost as your body fight against an injury.
Additionally, spinach can significantly increase your muscles’ capability in protein synthesis, accelerating muscle recovery after workouts. Studies also found that spinach and spinach extract can improve overall muscle health in older populations.
Beets
I’m not the biggest fan of beets’ taste either, but the nutritional benefits sure force me to get over my preferences. Beets, especially fresh beet juice, can boost muscle recovery up to 72 hours after workout, and significantly restore muscle performance to close to optimal levels. However, beet juice do not improve real-world performance. So, if you’re hoping to build your leg muscles or arm muscles, you still need to go through actual training.
