When planning a cosmetic surgery, one of the pressing questions that many patients have is what to expect during their recovery. A lot of focus tends to be placed on rest and on what activities to avoid, but did you know that what you eat will also affect your body during this important time? The foods that you consume after surgery do, in fact, impact everything from wound healing to the amount of energy you have on a daily basis. Foods can also have a preventive role, such as helping you avoid constipation. Let’s see how you can use food to maximize your cosmetic surgery experience.

Foods that Aid in Healing
An easy way to determine what foods to prepare for your first few weeks after surgery is to remember, whole foods heal. This can seem tricky, since so many processed foods could masquerade as a whole food. For instance, orange juice could seem like a whole food since it comes from an all natural source. However, the processing of fresh oranges very likely means added sugars. To maximize nutrients, it would be better to cut up a fresh orange as a snack.

Focus on Fiber
One of the side effects of surgery could be constipation. As you can imagine, this little problem could create a lot of turmoil during a time when you want to feel less stressed rather than unnecessarily over-stressed. The good news about fiber is that it is found in the fresh fruits and vegetables you are encouraged to eat after surgery. Fiber such as psyllium husk can also be added to smoothies and other foods, and it can also be obtained in whole-grain breads.

A word about constipation is that, while some foods will help you avoid this issue, others may promote the problem. Try to keep your consumption of red meat, dairy products, and sweets to a minimum, at least until you are no longer taking prescription medications that could make constipation more likely.

The staff in our Campbell plastic surgery office is happy to assist you with scheduling a consultation for facial or body treatments. Call (408) 559-4700.