According to the Cleveland Clinic, in order to heal, the body needs increased calories, protein and vitamins A, C and zinc. During times of stress, injury or illness, your body's metabolism is elevated. To fuel this increased metabolism, you must ingest the proper foods. The Clinic notes that good nutrition is necessary for healing, and eating a balanced diet is especially helpful.
Protein Foods
Eating enough protein during times of illness or injury can be difficult because many illnesses depress the appetite or cause gastrointestinal upset. Cleveland Clinic notes that a serving size for protein is 2 to 3 oz. of meat, 1 cup of cooked beans or legumes or 2 tablespoons of peanut butter. The Clinic recommends two to three servings of beef, fish, poultry, pork, veal, lamb, eggs, cheese, milk, yogurt, dried beans, peas or nuts to get adequate protein during healing. Drugs.com recommends adding cheese to sandwiches, protein powders to drinks and beans to salads to increase protein intake.
Vitamin A Foods
To get enough vitamin A in the diet for healing, the Cleveland Clinic recommends at least one serving a day, or 1 cup, of dark green leafy vegetables. Other sources of vitamin A include orange or yellow vegetables and orange fruits. Pumpkin, squash, spinach, sweet potato with skin, carrot juice, organ meats, fortified cereals, collard greens and red cabbage are also good sources of vitamin A. According to the Linus Pauling Institute, prescription doses of vitamin A have been used to treat some diseases of the skin and eyes.
Foods with Vitamin C and Zinc
At least one serving per day of food rich in vitamin C is necessary for good healing, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Most fruits as well as some vegetables contain vitamin C. Strawberries, tomatoes peppers, potatoes, spinach and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and cabbage are all high in vitamin C. Taking in natural sources of vitamin C or supplementing with vitamin C has been shown to affect diseases such as coronary artery disease, hypertension, diabetes and the common cold, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. Zinc is also necessary for good healing, says Drugs.com. Foods rich in zinc include beef, liver and crab. Smaller amounts of zinc are found in sunflower seeds, almonds, peanut butter, eggs, milk, wheat germ, black-eyed peas and whole-grain products.
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