Make it
I have a distinct memory, when I was in the hospital and they were processing my discharge. I asked the on-call nurse whether there were any specific foods I should be eating to speed up my healing and he shrugged and said, “Not really.” And then sent me on my way. FALSE. There are some awesome, delicious, and nutritious things you can and should be eating. And here are a few.
When you don’t feel like eating
Those post-op drugs can certainly put you off of food. They can make you feel nauseated and bloated, and not in the mood to eat. Below are some snacks and recipes for when you don’t feel like eating, but know you have to.
Sliced cucumbers with salt: If you don’t buy organic ones, make sure you peel them. Cucumbers are 95% water, so they’re super hydrating and help to flush your system of toxins. Cucumbers are also an awesome source of silica, which helps promotes joint health by strengthening connective tissues. Can be eaten alone, but I like them sliced with a little salt.
Berries: I was really into strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, you name it. Again, go organic if possible. Vitamin C, antioxidants, high fiber – why wouldn’t you eat these little bursts of deliciousness?! Also, Vitamin C is an important part of building collagen, and collagen makes up a big portion of your bones — so berries support bone healing.
Toast with butter: It soothes any wobbly stomach, obviously. To avoid carb overload (which can slow down digestion) and get in some good fiber, go for some sprouted bread.
Smoothies: I have my own favorite smoothies, but definitely check out Minimalist Baker and her ENTIRE SECTION on smoothies (left)
Get that collagen!
Made mostly of collagen, bone is living, growing tissue. Collagen is a protein that makes up the soft part of the bone, and calcium phosphate is a mineral that adds strength as the hard part. Collagen also makes up parts of your muscles! Sooooo, as you might imagine, collagen is a great thing to put in your body when you’re in the business of trying to heal it from the inside out.
Store-bought: If you want to just buy your collagen from the store and call it a day, Bonafide Provisions makes my favorite packaged bone broth, and Vital Proteins makes my favorite collagen supplements (you can dissolve it in coffee or blend it in smoothies).
Home-made bone broth: If you want to step it up a bit, and you’re either at the scooter stage or somebody’s around to cook for you, I definitely recommend taking your collagen into your own hands! Here’s my favorite recipe — you can use it as a base for other soups or alone. I like to toss some spinach in right at the end to wilt in my bowl:
Ingredients:
2 lbs (or more) of bones. Think: 2 lbs per gallon of water. If you’re doing beef broth (which I love), femur bones are great. You can get bones from the deli section in the grocery store. Organic/grass fed is absolutely best!!
1 onion
2 carrots
2 stalks of celery
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Optional: garlic, parsley, whatever herbs or flavoring you like
Directions:
You can roast the bones first or not. It definitely adds flavor. Do this on a baking sheet at 350 for about 30 mins. Then, put bones in a big pot, add the vinegar, and add enough cold water to cover the bones. Let that chill there for 20 minutes. In the meantime you can chop the veggies. Add everything to the pot, fill it the rest of the way with water, and bring to a boil. Then lower down to a simmer, cover, and leave it for 24-48 hours. Keep an eye on it for the first couple of hours, because foamy gunk will float to the surface and you should skim it off and throw it out. At the end, strain the broth using a fine metal strainer, and add salt to taste. This will last a few days in the fridge, or can be frozen for whenever. You can also cook in a crock pot vs. on the stove.
Mom’s chicken soup: If you want something a little chunkier or heartier and still want the collagen, you can make the most delicious chicken soup. Literally the one my mom has made for me my whole life.
Ingredients:
6 whole chicken legs with skin pulled off
1 tbsp olive/avocado oil
1 onion
2-3 yams
3 carrots
2 parsnips
5-6 stalks of celery
Directions:
In a big pot, heat oil and sauté chopped onions (as big or small as you want, doesn’t really matter) until they begin to brown. Chop all veggies, add to pot, and stir. Add chicken. Fill pot to the top with water. Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer, cover, and cook for at least 2 hours. 3 or 4 hours is ideal. The chicken should fall off the bone when you pull it with a fork. I also like to go in and smush some of the yam pieces up against a fork so they fall apart too and the flavor spreads into the broth. Add salt to taste.
Keep pooping!
I don’t know about you, but poop did not come easily for me — right after surgery and beyond. Fiber is key and I had a few go-to meals/snacks.
Chia seed pudding: There are so many recipes for this with a simple online search, but once you’ve made it a few times, you’ll figure out what you love most. Here are some fun variations to try, the possibilities are endless:
Non-dairy milks: Almond, cashew, coconut, oat
Fruits: Berries, banana, citrus, apple, dried fruits
Seeds: Flax, hemp, sunflower, pumpkin
Sweeteners: Maple syrup, stevia, agave, brown sugar
Oats: Oatmeal is such a great option for the purists out there (and you can try it with any of the variations above) but you can also look up overnight oats, which is a lot like chia pudding but with oats. You can also try an oat ball recipe like the one below:
Ingredients:
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup coconut flakes
½ cup ground flax seeds (flax has so much fiber too!)
Any additional seeds like hemp, sunflower, pumpkin, chia (optional)
½ cup mini dark chocolate chips (optional)
½ cup nut butter butter (almond, sunflower, cashew, peanut)
⅓ cup honey or maple syrup
Directions:
Mix the oats, coconut flakes, flax seed, mini dark chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Then add everything else and mix all together (I like to use my hands). Let it chill for 30-60 minutes in the fridge, remove and roll into balls, then eat! They should be stored in the fridge after that. If it’s too gooey, add more oats — if it’s not gooey enough, add more nut butter.
