Pulling through the after-effects of surgery with grace and ease is the focus of this week’s blog. Surgery stresses the body, and the more invasive the procedure, the more time and energy you need to set aside to bring your body back into balance. Fortunately, there are numerous natural tools that can assist you in regaining the good health and vitality that you deserve. Abdominoplasty, or tummy tuck, requires careful attention and TLC to ensure you recover quickly and with minimal discomfort. Below are some guidelines to follow so recovery from a tummy tuck procedure can be a breeze.
Once you have come out of surgery, there has never been a more important time to incorporate clean eating into your routine than now. Slowly add broths, fruits, veggies and protein shakes into your diet. Stay away from processed foods that are filled with chemicals since this will be an added stress to your system. Drink lots and lots of water, too. This will flush out toxins and will keep you getting up to make your way to the toilet often. Gentle movement like walking to the bathroom from the moment you return home will facilitate blood flow and will speed up the healing process.
Ginger tea is amazing for soothing postoperative nausea—a condition that can be triggered by anesthesia. Clinical trials have shown that ginger is effective and safe for calming a queasy stomach and some say is just as potent as commonly prescribed anti-nausea medications.
Take a lot of Vitamin C (3000mg/day), Vitamin A (10,000 IU/day), and drink green tea in copious amounts to strengthen your immune system and build up antioxidant stores which can be severely depleted in surgery. All three of these nutrients will help combat free radical damage induced by medications used in surgery, and will help your immune system fight off opportunistic pathogens that can wreak havoc on a worn-out body post-surgery. Because 70% of our immune system resides in our gut, taking a strong probiotic daily after your tummy tuck will provide a barrier that will prevent the likelihood of infection.
Bromelain and papain are proteolytic enzymes found in pineapple which help reduce gas and boating post-surgery and act as powerful anti-inflammatory agents. Papain is also found in papaya and contains components comparable to pepsin. These enzymes are essential to the digestive processes in the body, and after a tummy tuck, are instrumental for calming down inflammation and building energy stores.
Arnica is a homeopathic remedy that has become more mainstream in the world of cosmetic surgery and aesthetic medicine for minimizing bruising, reducing swelling, and controlling pain. It is a necessity for any medicine cabinet for soothing bumps, bangs, and bruises anywhere on the body and is completely safe for children and elderly patients. Another essential homeopathic remedy for helping to heal surgical wounds post-surgery is Staphysagria. This is THE main remedy for lacerated tissues due to cutting in surgery and will help reduce sensitivity to the incision and will speed up the healing process immensely. If vomiting is a problem after surgery, Phosphorus is a homeopathic remedy that will soothe the stomach much like drinking ginger tea. The amazing thing about homeopathic remedies is that they are inexpensive and they are completely safe and will not interact with pharmaceutical medications.
I can’t stress enough the importance of rest after a tummy tuck. Resting allows the body to mobilize all of its reserves to aid in carrying out processes that will help healing. Even though it is a great idea to get up once an hour while awake to do a slow and careful walk to the bathroom, give yourself plenty of time to sleep, too. This will help your body recover quickly so you will be back to your strong self quickly.
Call 855-377-3782 and schedule consultations with Dr. Repta for surgical procedures and Dr. Collins for post-surgical support today.
