IMPORTANCE OF NUTRITION FOR HEALING CONNECTIVE TISSUE
The body is a “nutrient driven” machine, continuously breaking down and rebuilding connective tissue on a daily basis.
Like the rest of the body’s connective tissue, the linea alba is made up of collagen and elastin fibers.
What you are looking to do with your diet is to assist with collagen production.
This will help your connective tissue regain its elasticity.
Healthy Food and its impact on your body and mind
We have all heard it many times that healthy, real food has a powerful, positive effect on your body and your mind.
And conversely that a poor diet high in hydrogenated fats, additives, and sugar does the reverse making us feel sluggish and moody.
But did you know that good nutrition helps the body’s repair processes, while a bad diet slows them down and makes them less effective.
Whether you have a torn ligament, a C-section scar or diastasis recti, what you eat is a major factor in how well your body heals.
Repairing your Diastasis Recti
Diastasis Recti is the gap that forms between the rectus abdominis muscles. It can be caused from a number of reasons but the most common is pregnancy.
The connective tissue of the rectus abdominis muscle (called the linea alba) is stretched to make way for your growing baby. Sometimes this connective tissue does not naturally repair itself, especially if there is still pressure on your abdominal wall.
See this article for more information on Diastasis Recti
Check out this article to understand more of why it occurs during pregnancy
Gentle core exercise, correcting alignment and breathing into and from your diaphragm (not your belly) can help lower that pressure and reduce the gap.
Check out the two FREE exercise programs here
Working in tandem with that, you can eat the right things help the linea alba regain elasticity, enabling ‘the gap’ to narrow and the midline to firm up.
What you’re looking to do with your diet is to assist collagen production to give this connective tissue the elasticity it needs to go back to its original shape.
Factors that can impact connective tissue healing
Age and circulation are two factors that affect the speed with which the connective tissue heals.
Generally connective tissue heals faster and better in the young who possess a better nutritional state and blood supply as well as a faster metabolic rate which can process needed materials more quickly.
This is another reason why drinking enough water is so important! As this can increase your metabolism no matter what your age.
Check out the other reasons why water is so important for healing your DR HERE
What foods should you be eating?
Download the full list here:
Vitamin E
Is stored in the fat tissues of your body. This vitamin is an antioxidant, and may help prevent connective tissue damage caused by free radical molecules and oxidized low-density lipoproteins, according to Phyllis Balch, author of "Prescription for Nutritional Healing."
Vitamin E can also improve your body's production of collage, which helps repair and strengthen connective tissue.
It can be found in sunflower seeds, almonds, eggs, asparagus, avocados and kale.
Zinc
Zinc is essential to connective tissue production as well as that of cartilage and bone. It also neutralizes free radicals which are destructive to healthy cells. It is also required for protein synthesis.
It can be found in Lentils, pumpkin seeds, sardines, tofu, lamb, oysters and mushrooms are abundant sources of zinc.
Vitamin C
Helps reduce inflammation of connective tissue and may reduce muscle and joint pain and stiffness.
It promotes the healing of the connective tissue and all other soft tissues because it promotes the production of elastin and neurotransmitters, which are necessary elements in the process.
It can be found in citrus fruits, spinach, kiwi fruit, cantaloupe, bell peppers and papayas.
Copper
Copper improves the strength of connective tissue as it enhances production of collagen for connective tissue repair.
Copper also works in conjunction with vitamin C to produce elastin, a protein that improves the flexibility of connective tissue.
Copper can be found in foods such as hazelnuts, almonds, tomatoes, soybeans, crab meat and pistachios.
Get all the nutritional information in pfd form here!
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