I recently underwent my first major surgery. For those of you who do not know, I got a breast reduction. Prior to the surgery, I made sure my nutrition was in good shape as well as staying fit. My surgeon went over a number of guidelines following the surgery, including nutrition and exercise. Because it was a very serious surgery, I wanted to make sure I followed all of his orders to maximize the healing process.

It has been three weeks since I have had my surgery and I am healing a lot more quickly than I thought. By following my surgeon's orders, I am on my way to a speedy recovery.

My surgeon directed me not to exercise until after about 5-6 weeks, so I have made it a point to make sure that my nutrition is on point and staying as healthy as possible. Look at it this way, when you are under the weather, you take medicine to help you feel better and get better quickly. So after surgery, why would you go against the healing process? You wouldn’t! I know for me, the first week out of surgery was hard. It was hard for me to shower and standing up for longer than 10 minutes made me feel weak and tired. To counteract that, I rested as much as possible, and if I was feeling good, I would do a light activity that day but tried not to overdo it.

I did a bit of research on eating after surgery to maintain and gain back the strength you lose from doing so much resting. Rest is the best thing after surgery, but you do not want to lose your health and strength along the way. On eatright.org, I found a lot of very useful information. The biggest takeaway was in the first two paragraphs, which stated, “When injury strikes and you have to limit your physical activity, make sure to cut down on portion sizes to compensate for decreased calorie burning.” This is ultimately true and very important. When you exercise, you up your calorie intake because you are burning more calories. So when recovering, you cut down so you don’t add unwanted calories and weight gain. Protein is a very important ingredient in that process. Not only are foods with protein important for bone building but they also contain essential amino acids to help in wound healing and keep you strong. Protein comes in so many forms of food that you are sure to find something that you enjoy!

I cannot stress enough the importance of vitamins. Taking vitamins regularly is very important for the health of your body. They give you essential nutrition you may not get from your everyday diet. Vitamin C is great for healing and repairing ligaments and surgical wounds. Vitamin D and Calcium need to be taken for healthy and strong bones, especially while recovering. You can find all of these vitamins in a various amount of foods, but it is also good to take a little extra during a time of recovery.

Las but not least, fiber fiber fiber! Fiber is great for clearing out your stomach and preventing constipation. Pain medications can cause constipation and make it very uncomfortable while healing. There are natural forms of fiber such as Psyllium Husk, which is from a plant called plantago ovate, or prune juice. While they are great for ingesting while recovering, they are also good for everyday use and keeping you regular.

Recovery and maintenance after surgery is key for a speedy and simple recovery. Following the rules of your doctor and keeping up on your vitamins and nutrition will help you stay strong and healthy. You’ll be back on your feet and ready to live your active lifestyle in no time!