Contents:
A colorful array of fruits and vegetables provides a remarkable assortment of healing nutrients, including high amounts of vitamins and minerals that can promote physical recovery. Vitamin C, for instance, helps heal wounds, strengthen blood vessels, and ward off infection. Lycopenes—particularly powerful antioxidants that can boost immune function—are plentiful in tomatoes, apricots, guavas, watermelon, papayas, and pink grapefruit. As a general rule, dark-colored fruits and vegetables are richer than light-colored ones when it comes to phytochemicals and antioxidants.
Supplements While your doctor can best advise you on which supplements you may need, food is usually the best source for healing nutrients. In addition, there is some evidence to suggest that taking too many antioxidant supplements such as vitamins C and E might actually depress rather than enhance your immune system. And while zinc, among other minerals, is critical to wound healing, taking too much of it can inhibit recovery and even lead to a copper deficiency.
The one supplement I routinely recommend is a multivitamin. Consider taking a multivitamin that provides percent of the Recommended Dietary Allowances RDA for essential nutrients established by the U. For example, the hormone melatonin is produced during sleep. This hormone is believed to boost your immune system and to help repair corrupted DNA.
It may even play a role in preventing some forms of cancer. In fact, up to seven out of every ten people who undergo heart surgery sleep poorly during the recovery period. This problem is of special concern because it can lead to rises in heart rate and blood pressure, both of which can cause unnecessary strain on the heart and put it at risk for further injury. I have my patients write down how much sleep they are getting each night and what is interfering with it.
Some causes might be pain, anxiety, hot flashes, or waking to use the bathroom. Then, one by one, we tackle these problems.
She was constantly tired and frustrated. It took only a few weeks of physical therapy for her shoulder, and a prescription medication for her hot flashes, to get Karen sleeping through the night. If you decide to take an over-the-counter sleep aid, be sure to tell your doctor, because these interact with many prescription drugs.
If the benefits of exercise could be packaged as a pill, it would be the most popular prescription drug available. Physical activity has a positive effect on what is called hemostasis: Exercise also improves the healing of muscles, bones, tendons, and ligaments. For example, it spurs the formation of collagen, helping injured tissues heal properly. In addition, it appears to decrease the formation of excessive scar tissue, called fibrosis. Exercise helps us heal better. Exercise also helps us to heal faster. A study at Ohio State University in Columbus followed a group of people 55 and older for three months.
Then half of the participants were put into an aerobic-exercise program. The results were significant. Among nonexercisers, the average was 39 days. A soldier I know named Charley, who asked that his last name be withheld, knows just how important exercise is in healing. In May he went for his annual physical. As a very fit year-old, he was expecting a clean bill of health. Instead, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Following multiple surgeries, Charley was having difficulty controlling his bladder and was physically quite weak.
He began to get stronger first by walking and then by light jogging. He would run as far as he could, then walk until he caught his breath. There are many ways to begin exercising after an illness or an injury, and it is always a good idea to check with your physician about this. But most people can do what Charley did and begin with walking. A fun and helpful strategy is to buy a pedometer you can get one for less than ten dollars and, for one week, tally the number of steps you take each day.
The goal for active, healthy adults is 10, steps per day. My goal for my patients is simply to increase their level of activity gradually. If you have a medical condition such as arthritis, you can still exercise without hurting yourself. For instance, nonweight-bearing cardiovascular exercises such as swimming help to avoid stress on the joints.
Fibromyalgia: Road to Recovery Volume 4: Self-help:the search for healing eBook: Elizabeth McSweeney, Helen Phoenix: www.farmersmarketmusic.com: Kindle Store. FIBROMYALGIA: Road to Recovery. Volume Four - Self Help eBook: Elizabeth Mcsweeney, Helen Phoenix: www.farmersmarketmusic.com: Kindle Store.
You can strengthen the muscles around painful joints with isometric exercises that involve tightening and releasing muscles. Most health insurance plans will cover physical therapy that focuses on helping people recover. Illness is an unavoidable part of life, but your body wants to heal. And you can help it do that, despite the obstacles.
I learned a lot about what it takes to heal from my own recovery journey. I learned to be patient. I learned to measure progress in weeks or months rather than days. I also witnessed this quality in my patient Liz Frem. Having suffered a devastating stroke at 57, Liz came to see me for a consultation. Though it had been more than a year since her stroke—usually considered the time limit for neurologic recovery—Liz was determined to get her life back.
And that she has. With a program that includes an exercise routine involving weightlifting, golf, and Wii Fit games, Liz has improved every year. This essay is adapted from Super Healing Rodale, Along with eating right, sleeping well, and exercising, the five mental and emotional tactics below comprise an eight-point plan for maximizing your powers of recuperation. Reduce Your Pain Though pain may be a normal part of many conditions, it can interfere with healing by interfering with sleep or causing needless, recovery-delaying stress.
Consider Mind-Body Therapies Meditation, guided imagery, and progressive muscle relaxation are all risk-free treatments that can reduce stress hormones and strengthen the immune system. In one study of dental students at Ohio State University in Columbus, small wounds that researchers created before a big exam took 40 percent longer to heal than identical wounds created during summer vacation. Each day plan activities that make you feel good, such as calling a cherished friend or drawing a bubble bath.
If you find that you are down in the dumps or anxious day after day, seek professional help. But people who care about you can help your physical healing with their support. In a study published in in the Archives of General Psychiatry , researchers found that when wounds of the same shape, size, and depth were experimentally induced in couples, healing was much faster if the couples were loving toward each other rather than hostile.
So, if you are ill or injured, embrace those who reach out to you. And if you find yourself alone, seek out shoulders to lean on, whether of friends, relatives, colleagues, or a formal support group. Tap Into Your Spirituality Daily prayer or reflection can help you heal. This, in turn, directly affects blood pressure and other physiologic processes in the body. Member Local Offers 0. Exclusive savings on hearing aids, accessories, and hearing products from HearUSA. Members can take a free confidential hearing test by phone.
You are leaving AARP. Please return to AARP.
Manage your email preferences and tell us which topics interest you so that we can prioritize the information you receive. In the next 24 hours, you will receive an email to confirm your subscription to receive emails related to AARP volunteering. Once you confirm that subscription, you will regularly receive communications related to AARP volunteering.
A doctor and a nurse who were passengers worked side by side with a flight attendant trained to use an automated external defibrillator. For example, it spurs the formation of collagen, helping injured tissues heal properly. Carbohydrates These compounds provide ready energy, and they are crucial to a healing diet. Amazon Drive Cloud storage from Amazon. I can still feel the overwhelming sadness and pure heartache of that day. Get fast, free shipping with Amazon Prime.
In the meantime, please feel free to search for ways to make a difference in your community at www. FREE Shipping on eligible orders. Ketogenic Diet for Beginners: Optimal Path for Weight Loss Jan 15, Read this and over 1 million books with Kindle Unlimited. Amand and Claudia Craig Marek. This item will be released on May 7, Previous Page 1 2 Show results for New Releases Last 30 days Last 90 days. New Harbinger Self-Help Workbook. The Complete Idiot's Guide. Free Shipping by Amazon. Include Out of Stock.
There's a problem loading this menu right now. Learn more about Amazon Prime. Get fast, free shipping with Amazon Prime. Get to Know Us.