Am I going to swell? Will I bruise? How long will I be swollen? These are very common questions we get from injectable clients. If you want to avoid the worst of it, try out this anti-inflammatory diet. It is especially effective for treatments like lip or tear trough enhancements that are in very delicate areas.
Day 1
Those are two ugly words. Day 1 always sucks. No matter what it is. It just looms large with performance anxiety. Even if it’s Day 1 of a vacation, you know it’s just a “travel day.” Day 4…that’s better. You’ve put some effort/mileage/success under your belt.
So today’s day 1 is for me trying the anti-inflammatory diet. Anti-inflammatory diets have multiple benefits. For surgery and injectables, it has marked benefits for bruising and swelling. The diet has added benefits for pain reduction, weight loss and increased energy. I just returned from a college visit to Arkansas with my daughter, two 8.5-hour drives in the car just about destroyed my back and neck. So I’m trying the diet for reducing inflammation throughout my whole body for pain relief…starting today…Day 1.
The diet eliminates a few main food items that have inflammatory properties and can make you swell or retain fluid. Injectables cause edema (swelling). The more edema present, the longer the recovery.
The items that are restricted on the diet are:
beans/legumes (this is going to include soy, tofu and hummus)
dairy
grains
excess salt and sugars
alcohol
avoid Ibuprofen (Advil) and aspirin
The diet is recommended for three weeks before injections or surgery, and two weeks after.
So what CAN you eat? Chicken, fish, meats, tree nuts (not peanuts), veggies and some fruit.
The part I find most difficult about this diet is not the carb restriction, but rather the beans and tofu restriction. I love both those, and with a vegetarian boyfriend, I cook them a lot. Carb restriction is difficult, not necessarily because I crave them but because they are easy compliments to almost any dinner. What are some good grain and pasta replacements? Riced cauliflower, which can be found prepackaged at Trader Joe’s, spiralized zucchini, and broiled spaghetti squash are tasty options. Or just add in an extra veggie with dinner like homemade kale chips!
Sample Daily Menu
Breakfast:
Scrambled eggs or turkey meatballs
Snacks:
almonds
apple slices
hard-boiled egg
Lunch:
Arugula salad with tomatoes and spicy chicken thigh, no dressing
or
a variety of raw veggies, some fruits, hard boiled eggs (or maybe some leftovers from dinner like a chicken patty, salmon, or turkey meatballs)
Dinner:
Baked chicken
brussel sprouts
or
baked salmon
grilled asparagus
By the time I’m sending out this blog, I’m at Day 5. If you plan ahead for this diet, it's not too bad. But be ready with snacks that work with this plan, because when you find yourself hungry or tired, it's always easiest to reach for processed food or pre-packaged food. Also try to get in the habit of having veggies and fruit as snacks...that one was a hard mental switch for me!