fracture healing part 1: nutrition, supplements and juice recipe

as you can imagine, i want this bone to heal asap. already i'm seeing huge gains in just 4 days. after i got on my exos brace thursday, things took a positive turn. before that i could barely move my fingers let alone use my hand to type, but after we removed the wrist and mobilized it a bit, i now have function in my fingers again and can use my left hand for small/light tasks. for example of progress, see the end of this post for my "progress report."

onto recovery protocols that i'm taking. i'll separate this into two posts with today focused on nutrition and supplementation for bone health and healing. next time will be about other treatments to speed recovery. 


nutrition/supplements

the key areas to focus on for bone healing, recovery/relief:*
1) anti-inflammatory nutrients -- you need the natural inflammatory process to heal, but you also need to nourish in a way that reduces inflammation in the body for better healing without inhibiting the natural inflammation process.
2) adequate caloric intake -- even though not exercising, body still needs those calories to "energize" bone healing!
3) protein -- amino acids are the building blocks of bones and tissues in our bodies!
4) vitamins and minerals -- a specific array as you'll see below


and what to avoid:*
1) pain killers -- really just not necessary; pain is bad but i can hang.
2) NSAIDs -- these drugs block the body's natural inflammation process and delay/inhibit recovery; specifically COX-1 and COX-2 inhibitors including asprin and ibuprofen.
(thankfully i never take drugs/medications of any kind as it is, and that certainly holds true with the "trauma" of this wrist fracture. i haven't had an ibuprofen since 2009 in fact. NSAIDs may provide temporary pain relief, but that's not worth it if they inhibit recovery!)
3) alcohol -- excessive drinking can delay bone recovery and bone reformation... but that said, dude. c'mon, a drink a night can't be that bad and is good for the soul! i mean, i need to stay happy and have something to "kill the pain" before bed ;) but i'm keeping it in total control and limiting my intake for sure.
4) crappy foods/drinks -- things with excessive sugar, caffeine, salt, etc, aka things that can inhibit calcium absorption and deplete minerals. i'll also be sure to limit food with oxalates (raw kale, chard, spinach).

My LIST for HEALING

juicing.

starting with the ultimate all-natural real-food route for healing! i'll be making daily juices with ingredients that are powerful anti-inflammatories, healers, detoxers, etc. pictured is a simple concoction i'm making this week that meets all those requirements. it's a great flavor, kinda tart and not super sweet but very drinkable:

tart green juice. gauge ingredient amount based on photo.

ginger

turmeric

dandelion greens

dino kale

parsley

cucumber

celery

carrot

lemon 

i'm trying to keep the juices i make lower in sugar from lots of added fruit since i'm pretty sedentary and not training. i keep my juices low in fruit as it is. there are more ingredients i'll add to mix after i hit up farmers market likebeetroot, beet greens, green cabbage, cilantro, etc. don't want too many raw greens though due to oxalate content.

MAP (protein insurance!).

My go-to protein supplement for 2 years now. So, Dr. minkoff is one of the awesome guys I've talked to since breaking wrist and he suggested I keep taking MAP for protein and to promote healing. Normally I don't take MAP on easy/non-workout days to save money but in this case I've been taking 5 per day on empty stomach since the accident. Might up that to 10/day.... I'll also be eating adequate quality protein in the forms of meat, fish, poultry, eggs, nuts/seeds, etc... no slacking.

Fish Oil.

Omega-3 fatty acids are an important part of reducing inflammation. This is normally in my daily supplement routine, but I'm up'ing the fish oil from 2 to 4 pills a day, which works out to just under 3g a day. Taking Nordic Naturals in triglyceride form (avoid ethyl-ester forms). I'm not mega-dosing (8-10g a day or so) because I'm eating fish regularly and also taking cod liver oil. I take my fish oil with 2000-4000 IU Vitamin D per day....

Vitamin D.

D regulates calcium absorption in the body and works on bone rebuilding/bone strength. i always take at least 2000 IU a day up to 5000 sometimes, and have been for a long time now. that holds true currently, and i'm not gonna slack. 

Fermented Cod Liver Oil.

Excellent for bone health and health in general! I've been taking this for almost a year now. Currently, I'm taking 2ml of Green Pasture's liquid FCLO a day (i've taken their capsules in the past). Rich in not only EPA and DHA (omega-3s), but also fat-soluble vitamins including Vitmains A, D, E and K2. I'm going to order their Cod Liver Oil/Butter Blend which is even richer in those nutrients. Want the full lowdown on why you should take this and not just fish oil pills? Read this.

Proteolytic enzymes.

Based on research, these are shown to speed up bone healing. Plus the have tons of other everyday benefits for athletes and general population like reducing inflammation, helping digestion, enhance immune function, etc. I'm going to buy the gold-standard Wobenzym formula today.

Jarrow's Bone-Up.

This was recommended to me by my friend and super-ultrarunner Neeraj, who I met in Colorado this year at our endurance planet group run in snow; and he's friends with Lucho. I just ordered it today so haven't started yet. I'll be sure to balance what's in this with other supplements as to not overdo any one thing.

Quercetin.

A flavonoid that is an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and can aid in bone healing. I actually haven't gotten this yet but buying and starting it today. dosage is something like 2g, need to verify.

Multi-Vitamin

Just for extra insurance, I always take Body Health Complete + Detox (even before the break I've taken this for a while now). I learned about this through Dr. Minkoff, and it's from the same makers as MAP. Most multi's are shit in my opinion, but this one is legit and quality and has things like Viatmin K2. Still, I only take 1/2 the recommended daily dosage (2 pills not 4) since my diet is pretty darn good, I have the other supplements I take regularly, and I don't want to break the bank.

Gelatin

I use Great Lakes brand, which is a powder from grass-fed cows and price-friendly. It is a great source of dietary animal collagen that not only helps bones and joints (and their recovery) but also has many other benefits... better skin, better hair, fewer wrinkles, helps with digestion and so on. So far I am putting this in drinks, but I don't like it. While there's not much taste, it just gives a weird taste/texture. Thinking about making gelatin gummies, sounds more appealing.

Bone Broth

And circling back to the real-food protocol for healing... In addition to the gelatin powder supplement, real bone broth packs some legit nutrition that is a powerhouse for bones. I haven't made this yet, but excited to add this ancient nourishing method in to the healing process! Here's more info and a recipe.

Other

On a regular basis I take the following, and this holds true still: 

NAC (a precursor to Glutathione, a powerful antioxidant)

Vitamin C

CoQ10

Natural Calm Magnesium

probiotics

~~~

wrist progress report:

0-48hr after injury: no typing with left hand whatsoever. too painful. only one-finger typing with right side, ugh!
72hr later i was able to type with left side again, but slowly and carefully, of course with my wrist securely in the brace so it's still awkward position but fingers were working. 
4 days later, it feels like fingers on left side are almost to normal function minus a few movements i can't do without it hurting, but i can type even more efficiently and normally minus the lack of mobility in wrist.

0-48hr after injury: could not move wrist nor bend back fingers/hand w/out extreme pain. 
48-72hr: regained ability to move the rest of my hand and fingers and am making sure they're staying mobile -- all without pain. i can slowly move wrist if needed (like when we set new brace); however, it is locked in place in brace.

0-48hr later: i could not use left fingers/hand to rub in lotion on right arm after, it hurt too bad to put down that much pressure. john was my moisturizer lol. 
72hr later i was able to apply enough pressure to rub in lotion on right arm without pain.

0-72hr. no exercise whatsoever. but i have taken some walks.
4th day later: i plan on attempting an easy spin on trainer (hasn't happened yet)

nights 1-3: did not sleep well due to pain/throbbing/inability yo get comfortable
4th night: finally felt like i got a good night's sleep and pain only woke me up twice, and that was because i made an unconscious move in my sleep that aggravated wrist, oops haha.

 *Based on my own knowledge, advice from trusted resources and internet research I came up with my list of do's and don'ts for bone healing. One excellent I found online that guided my lists includes this great resource here on fracture healing that goes into more details of the how-to's, why's, what's, etc.

cheers!