Treat your body right and it will heal quickly
After the #DontSnackandBike Incident of 2014, I was determined to heal my laceration as quickly as possible. I put into practice a few principles, so I can’t isolate any variables. I can tell you that my doctor was extremely impressed with my wound healing, and I’m back to fully normal, intense, crazy exercise after less than three weeks. Here’s what I did:
DIET
- The first week, I drank a green juice a day. It’s expensive ($6), but so is a coffee habit.
- Speaking of, cut out coffee. It can be inflammatory. Tea is healing anyway.
- Drink a ton of lemon and ginger tea. Both are healing (lemon for immune system; ginger for muscles).
- Start every morning out with hot water and lemon. It’s detoxifying. Or at least hydrating.
- Drink a ton of water.
- Seriously, drink more water than you think possible even if you normally drink a lot of water … skin needs to be hydrated to heal.
- Cut out all sugar and all grains. When it’s temporary, this somehow feels easier.
- Cut out alcohol. That stuff creates an inflammatory response, which is not what we need for wound healing. You wanna wallow in your injury? Enjoy a KeVita probiotic drink. Cheaper than booze and better for you, too.
ACTIVITY
- So much sleeping.
- Seriously, I slept like ten hours a night.
- I read the entire third book of Game of Thrones.
- And slept.
- And fell asleep reading.
- Walk. Keep everything moving.
TOPICAL/SUPPS
- Kuumba Made Healing Salve (kuumbamade.com) has all dirty hippie ingredients. As soon as the scar was done being scabby, I rubbed that stuff on it around seven times a day. Not kidding. I carried it around and was constantly putting it on. Apparently, keeping a healing scar moist speeds healing by 50% (according to Yale Medicine).
- I took Chlorella supplements (which I happened to have on hand) three times a day. They are supposed to spur healing.
- I also supplemented with Vitamin C, which is supposed to help speed up healing as well.
BRAIN
2-3 weeks off training isn’t going to detrain anyone. Embrace the break.
I am—get this—almost concerned I’m healing TOO well … what if I don’t have a cool scar?!
Image: Me, last week. Sure, it’s not a close-up, but you can’t even see the scar on my knee!