A healthy diet and research backed supplements can help you reduce swelling and improve your recovery. Your body needs roughly 2000-3000 more calories to heal.
***If you have a specific diet from one of your current physicians please follow their recommendations, you may wish to discuss these options with them at a future appointment***
General guidelines for diet / nutrition around the time of surgery:
- Your body need fuel to heal, eat foods with high amounts of protein (meats, legumes, meal replacements like MEND or EnRoute), try and ensure you have some form of protein with each meal.
- Limit processed foods and refined sugar products, such as cereals, pastas and breads.
- Do not starve yourself trying to “lose weight” before surgery, being malnourished carries an even higher risk for complication.
- Drink plenty of water, your goal should be to have 8 cups (2 liters) of water per day.
- Other healthy eating habits you may consider:
- Avoid drinks with high calories
- Avoid fried foods
- Avoid eating late in the evening and consider intermittent fasting, which has been shown to improve glucose levels and decrease weight and is a safe approach even in patients with diabetes
- If you have diabetes, you may also want to consider replacing breakfast with a whey-protein based shake
Other nutritional supplements recommended by Dr Montgomery (2 weeks leading up to surgery and for 4 weeks after surgery):
- Vitamin D 2000 IU daily
- Vitamin C 500 mg daily
- Diosmin / MPFF 1000mg twice daily
- reduces lymphedema and leg swelling, especially if you have venous congestion
- Amazon example: VitasupportMD Diosmin MPFF + vitamin D + selenium (includes recommended amount of vitamin D)
- HMB 3000mg daily
- Evidence from cardiac literature that supplementation can improve muscle function after surgery.
- Helps reduce muscle wasting and promote maintenance of muscle volume, especially in older adults
- Amazon example: VINTURA HMB + vitamin D3 (includes recommended amount of vitamin D)
- Tumeric (Curcumin) 4 – 8 g daily
- Evidence from a meta-analysis of multiple trials showed improved pain and function scores in patients with knee arthritis
