Nutrition is vital to all human beings, but certain dietary components can help the healing process to take place in those undergoing therapy. In honor of National Nutrition Month, Therapy Times  recognizes that food plays a crucial part in any patient’s recovery. Patients undergoing therapy need foods packed with energy and reparative properties to propel them on the road to rehabilitation. That’s why Therapy Times  is serving up a full plate of nutrition information so you know which foods benefit therapy patients the most.

Laura B. Frank, PhD, RD, LDN, CRC, chair of the nutrition education program at Immaculata University in Pennsylvania, says the best advice has been around forever: Eat more fruits and vegetables and a variety of whole-grains, fish and lean meats.

“It’s what we’ve been saying all along,” she says. “It’s nothing new. The only difference is now we have more reasons why.” Recent studies show, for example, the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids in reducing inflammation associated with conditions such as asthma, rheumatoid arthritis and especially heart disease. These fatty acids can be found in most types of fish and nuts.

Leslie Servé, MBA, RD, clinical nutrition manager at Highland Hospital in Rochester, N.Y., says rehabilitating patients should primarily focus on getting balanced meals on a daily basis. And by balanced meal, she means one that is complete with adequate sources of protein, carbohydrates and a fruit or vegetable. “If you have those three components, you’re starting the day well,” she says.

Physical Therapy

Patients undergoing physical therapy, whether they’ve sustained an injury that limits their mobility or are recovering from surgery, need foods to help their bodies rebuild lost strength. Frank says it’s important for these patients to have the raw materials to build their body structure. This means they need more protein – good quality, lower-fat proteins that are easy to digest – than they did previously. The main healthy protein sources are lean meats, lean fish and poultry. Vegetarians can get their protein from beans and legumes.

One well-liked and easy-to-prepare source of protein is eggs. Frank says eggs are the standard against which nutritionists measure the value of all other sources of protein. Moreover, eggs are not high in saturated fat and contain omega-3 fatty acids.

Other sources of protein include fish, soy, milk and nuts. A handful of nuts after a workout is a great way to get protein in your system, according to Frank. Although nuts have the good types of fats and protein, they should be consumed in moderation due to their concentrated source of calories.

Patients in physical therapy also need significant amounts of energy to tackle their rehabilitation. Frank says they need fuel in the form of protein and carbohydrates, calcium and vitamin D to absorb the calcium.

Rehab patients may also experience constipation, perhaps from not moving around as much or as a side effect from pain medication. To remedy this problem, both Frank and Servé recommend eating fiber and whole grains.

“Choose whole-grains that are going to cover the vitamins and the minerals, as well as the fiber, to get your digestive system moving and processing food well,” Servé says. However, Servé says, fiber should be accompanied by plenty of water and fluids, or else it does not have the same effect.

The reason whole-grain bread and rice is healthier than white bread and rice, Frank says, is because the grain, along with its nutrients, are left intact. “Any time you strip away part of the grain, the food becomes less nutritious,” Frank says. “All that’s left is starch.”

Bone and Joint Health

Healing and fortifying bones is important, especially to those patients who suffer from osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Since bones are made of protein and minerals, such as calcium, the body needs these raw materials to make the bones. Vitamin D is also essential in the bone-building process.

The wear and tear on the bones and joints causes inflammation, which omega-3 fatty acids can reduce. “That’s another good reason to eat fish,” says Frank. “Also, if it’s cooked with the bones in, it provides added calcium.”

In building bone health, Servé stresses the importance of three servings of dairy a day. These guidelines can be followed in many different ways, as dairy can be consumed through cooking, simply drinking a glass of milk or eating a container of yogurt. According to Servé, getting calcium is the first priority to building bone health.

The second is doing any kind of weight-bearing activity, including normal household duties. “People don’t realize that putting away a bag of groceries is weight-lifting, and walking up and down stairs is going to be bone-strengthening,” she says. “It’s just not necessarily scheduled activity in a gym or workout center.”

Occupational Therapy

Proper nutrition is important for occupational therapy patients, too, because they need top-notch health in order to regain full function in everyday tasks. If they are battling an illness, protein will help restore their immune systems. Frank recommends fruits and vegetables, which contain vitamin A in the form of betacarotene. Consuming a combination of proteins and carbohydrates will help the patients remain alert. While many people are cautious of carbs these days, Frank assures us they are necessary sources of energy. “Carbs are not evil,” she says. “They are what your brain runs on and the preferred fuel of your body.”

Also, the patients should eat consistently throughout the day to give them the best results. “If [they] eat a few hours before coming into therapy sessions, this will help provide the energy and brain function needed to tackle the tasks,” Frank says.

Easy Solution

While OT patients need good nutrition, sometimes, it’s not possible for them to have balanced meals. Servé says, “We tend to see people who are sick or cannot prepare meals because they cannot physically stand by the stove for an extended period of time sometimes skip meals or just survive on junk food until their caregiver gets home.”

Fortunately, there are many options by way of semi-prepared meals that can be heated on the stovetop or in the microwave. Many grocery stores carry frozen meals-in-a-bag or frozen entrees that require little time and effort to prepare. Because these meals contain protein, carbohydrates and vegetables, they provide patients with a balanced, healthy substitute to a home-cooked meal.

For example, Lean Cuisine®, Healthy Choice and Weight Watchers® offer a variety of low-fat frozen entrees. However, it is important to read the labels on these products, as some have high amounts of preservatives and sodium in them. Servé says, “A good guideline to follow when purchasing these meals is to find ones that are under 600 milligrams of sodium. That is perfectly acceptable if it is the only pre-prepared meal you’re eating per day.”

Speech and Respiratory Therapies

Although there are not many foods that actually help patients speak or breathe easier, there are certainly ways they can improve the eating process. Working in a hospital allows Servé to watch the way her patients eat. She says patients who have trouble with coughing and breathing while eating need to make sure they’re sitting up straight and not laying down.

“It always amazes me how many people will try to eat a meal partially lying down,” Servé says. Patients should try to eat sitting at a table while they are wide-awake. If medications make the patient lethargic, they should schedule eating time for when the patient is the most alert.

Patients with respiratory ailments, such as COPD, who experience shortness of breath while eating, should be sure to eat foods that are moist. Servé says drier foods take longer to eat and require a lot more energy. “Choose foods that are moister in nature (canned pears in light syrup are much easier to get down than, say, a bowl of peas),” she says. Frank agrees that foods with a gel-like consistency will be easier to swallow and digest for these patients.

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Jane Kollmer is a staff writer for Therapy Times.