After recovering from illness, the body must work hard to repair and rebuild damaged tissue. This takes quite a bit of time. So, in order for the body to get fit quickly, nutritional intake needs to be met properly.
When sick or in recovery, some people complain of not having an appetite for food. In fact, eating healthy foods in sufficient quantities can speed up the recovery process.
The disease you are experiencing may indeed be cured by medicine. However, adequate nutrition from nutritious foods every day also plays a major role in the healing process after illness. In fact, certain nutrients can increase the body's resistance, so you are not easily sick again in the future.
List of Nutrients That Must Be Fulfilled During Healing After Sickness
During the recovery period after any illness, be it broken bones, coughs, colds, or COVID-19, the food you consume should not be careless. In addition to having to meet the calorie needs per day, the food you consume must also contain a series of important nutrients, such as:
1. Protein
The first nutrient that is needed during the recovery period after illness is protein. Apart from being a source of energy, protein functions to build muscle, increase bone strength, repair damaged body tissues, and increase endurance.
Protein is a macronutrient, which is a nutrient needed by the body in large amounts. However, some types of protein-forming amino acids cannot be produced by the body, so to meet their needs, you must eat protein sources every day.
Protein is divided into two types, namely animal protein and vegetable protein. You can get animal protein from meat, fish, eggs, and milk and their processed products. Meanwhile, to get vegetable protein, you can eat beans, tofu, tempeh, or edamame.
Both sources of protein above are equally good, but animal protein does contain amino acids that are more complete than vegetable protein. In addition, this type of protein is more easily digested by the body.
Apart from food, you can also get protein from milk, especially if during the healing period you still tend to be lazy to eat. Milk that contains whey, casein, and soy proteins can even provide a combination of the benefits of animal protein and plant protein.
Also make sure the milk you consume contains beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB), which is a compound resulting from the breakdown of the essential amino acid leucine.
These compounds have been shown to reduce protein breakdown and increase protein formation in the body to replace muscle mass lost during illness. The properties of these compounds also play a major role in accelerating the healing period.
2. Carbohydrates
During recovery after illness, you need to eat foods that contain carbohydrates. Apart from being a source of energy, carbohydrates also help the wound healing process and play a role in maintaining muscle health.
Choose food sources of complex carbohydrates that also contain fiber and antioxidants, so that blood sugar does not rise drastically. Examples of foods with complex carbohydrates are sweet potatoes, oatmeal, brown rice, brown rice, and vegetables.
3. Fat
Some people may stay away from foods that contain fat for fear of having high cholesterol or obesity. In fact, if consumed in moderation and of good type, fat has many health benefits, including accelerating the healing period after illness.
The various benefits of fat include providing energy for the body, supporting cell growth, protecting organs, increasing immunity, controlling inflammation, keeping the body warm, helping the production of hormones and enzymes, and helping the absorption of several important nutrients.
To get these benefits, you have to be selective in choosing fat sources. Eat foods that contain good fats, such as salmon, avocado, cheese, nuts, chia seeds, or yogurt.
4. Vitamins and minerals
Many types of fruits and vegetables contain various vitamins to increase endurance, such as vitamins A, C, D, and E. To get these benefits, you can consume green leafy vegetables, carrots, strawberries, oranges, or guavas.
In addition to vitamins, fruits and vegetables also contain fiber which plays an important role in maintaining a stable weight and healthy digestive tract.
In order to speed up the recovery process after illness, the body also needs several types of minerals, such as folic acid, iron, zinc, and selenium. You can get these minerals from fortified pasta and bread, chicken, seafood, meat, or yogurt.
Those are a series of important nutrients needed during the healing period after illness. Most of the above nutrients can be obtained from a variety of healthy foods. Make sure the food is also clean and prepared with good cooking techniques.
In addition, try to also use milk that contains HMB in your diet, because this nutrient has been proven to provide a faster recovery period. In addition, for maximum healing, you also need to rest a lot and drink enough water.
Don't forget to check with the doctor according to the specified schedule, OK? By regularly eating nutritious foods as described above and consulting a doctor, your body will recover faster from illness.
