After suffering a recent injury and hearing the inevitable and frustrating response from my osteopath to ‘rest and take it easy’ it got me wondering how I can speed up this process, bar taking it easy, which to a personal trainer is like taking a favourite toy away from a small child!

So, I turn to nutrition, which is my first choice when thinking about healing the body, good input = good output right?

This is what I’ve found…

Simply going for a run or lifting a few weights results in inflammation of your muscles as exercising causes microscopic damage to them – which is why you ache after a long or hard session. Pulling a muscle, leads to inflammation on an even grander scale but while it’s uncomfortable, some inflammation is actually healthy.

“During the inflammatory reaction, the body produces chemicals and cells that remove dead muscle fibres and start the repair process” explains Claire Small from the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists “and you can help that repair process by eating the right foods”.

I began by trawling through the plethora of information on healing foods and the unavoidable companies trying to sell me supplements. It’s quite frustrating being bombarded with adverts for pill versions of natural foods, armed with my firmly held belief in natural nutrition. So, I’ve cut through the bulls**t and compiled a simple list of my top five foods which I believe to be paramount to the rate of recovery and also provide a good defence against future injuries.

My top 5 injury recovery/ prevention foods

1. Mackerel or salmon – oily fish is high in omega 3 which is a natural anti inflammatory. Vegetarian sources of omega 3 include flaxseed and walnuts.
2. Berries – any berry, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries. They are all excellent sources of vitamin C, essential for wound healing.
3. Almonds – a good source of vitamin E which helps prevent scar tissue formation. Other good sources of vitamin E include hazelnuts, avocados and olive oil.
4. Red grapes – rich in potassium and a good source of the antioxidant quercetin, which helps the healing process. Dilute the juice 50:50 with water for a refreshing drink to put in your water bottle to help prevent muscle cramp and keep you hydrated.
5. Turmeric – the yellow powder found in curries and mustard. According to the website letstalkhealth.com “Turmeric contains curcumin which is an even better anti-inflammatory than cortisone, one of the most powerful of the steroids.

How I would present this in a recovery nutrition plan

• Breakfast Porridge made with milk or water, red grapes and a sprinkle of chopped hazelnuts
• Lunch Poached salmon salad with baby spinach, cucumber, tomatoes, red and yellow pepper
• Snack Bowl of mixed berries and a small handful of almonds
• Dinner Home-made chicken curry (see my recipe for chicken curry)