10 Best Healing Foods that Speed Up Recovery

Muscle soreness is inevitable especially when you’re an active person. Lifting heavy objects or weights, doing tons of chores, and the like can put a lot of pressure on your muscles which causes you to feel muscle fatigue at the end of the day. The problem with soreness in the muscles is that they can last for days depending on the intensity of the workout that you put your muscles through. Most will turn to pain killers to numb the pain while others often get massages. However, these remedies can be a bit pricey at times which is why you should turn to food to speed up your muscle recovery. As a matter of fact, these foods are worth adding to your diet as they can help relieve muscle soreness fairly quickly.

1. Leafy greens. Leafy greens as well as cruciferous vegetables are high in nutrient content that speeds up metabolism. Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower can help eliminate estrogen while chard and collards can combat free radicals.
2. Cottage cheese. There are two types of protein present in cottage cheese and these are casein and whey. From the two, casein protein is a protein that acts slowly which means that the muscle recovery process will still continue even when you’re sleeping. Whey protein, on the other hand, boosts muscle recovery after you workout.
3. Salmon. Fish should always be included in your diet especially when you want to speed up the recovery process of your muscles as they contain omega-3 fatty acids that are needed to help heal and strengthen muscles.
4. Fermented foods. Another type of food that you should include in your recovery process is fermented foods. Fermented foods like kimchi, yogurt, and kefir can aid in your digestion so that your muscles will receive the nutrients they need to heal.
5. Tart cherries. Studies have shown that tart cherry juice can reduce onset of fatigue and muscle soreness while promoting recovery especially after work outs. You can take it as post-workout snack or drink to alleviate soreness while speeding up muscle recovery.
6. Eggs. When it comes to post-workout recovery, there is nothing better than eggs. Aside from being high in protein, eggs are also the second highest food that contains leucine which is typically found in milk. This amino acid is necessary for building muscles.
7. Manuka honey. Manuka honey is considerably thicker with flavour that is slightly milder than your regular honey. This honey is perfect for muscle soreness as it contains anti-inflammatory properties that can prevent muscle inflammation.
8. Cinnamon. Another food that can aid in the muscle recovery process is cinnamon as it improves the body’s insulin sensitivity as well as blood sugar tolerance. You can add cinnamon to your smoothies or shakes or even in your meals to get that much needed boost.
9. Nuts and almonds. Healing your muscles after an intense workout can be done if you consume different types of protein. Aside from fish and vegetables, nuts like almonds are also good sources of protein. Almonds contain omega-6 fatty acids which play a role in muscle recovery.
10. Turmeric. The presence of curcumin in turmeric is what makes this spice useful in healing sore muscles. The compounds that are present in turmeric can reduce inflammation and damage to the muscles while speeding up muscle repair.

These foods have been found to be effective in reducing one’s muscle soreness and pain while at the same time encourage better muscle healing. Adding these to your diet or in your post-workout menu will be a huge advantage especially when it can make your muscle aches and pains disappear.