We get lots of enquiries at Costhetics. As Australia’s leading resource for cosmetic surgery and aesthetic enhancement, prospective patients write to us often with a wide range of cosmetic concerns.
A common theme we’ve found among almost all patient enquiries is recovery time. Everyone wants to get over the hump of healing and downtime as fast as possible so they can get back to the business of life in their newly rejuvenated form. Depending on the patient and the procedure, doctors may recommend a homecare regimen that includes applying cold packs to reduce swelling. Costhetics recommends food. Why? Thank you for asking!
A study conducted in 2013 found that altering food intake before surgery may affect the body’s response after surgery. “The last few meals before surgery might make a difference in recovery after surgery.” reported Science Daily.
As FOC (Friends of Costhetics) know, our team l-o-v-e-s healthy eating. What does that have to do with cosmetic surgery recovery? Everything! Chowing down on nutritious unprocessed foods and making sure you stay hydrated will help
- Aid digestion
- Eliminate toxins
- Minimise inflammation
- Promote good circulation
You Gotta Eat!
Prior to your procedure, feelings of anxiety and excitement may decrease your appetite. After surgery, depending on what procedure you’ve had and the location of stitches, it may actually be inconvenient or painful to eat. Some people suffer from post-operative nausea.
Costhetics normally encourages you to listen to your body when it comes to healthy eating, but in this case, your body is sending the wrong signals. You gotta eat! Healthy eating supports your body’s natural healing mechanisms, which will naturally improve your aesthetic results. Nutrition is the centrepiece of good health. That’s why the same eating plan is perfect before and after surgery.
Foods to Avoid Before Cosmetic Surgery
Any invasive procedure puts stress on your body, but don’t worry, your body will be up to the challenge…if you focus on good nutrition before you go under the knife. Happily, most cosmetic surgeries are elective in nature. As a result, it’s easy to schedule them in the future and then have time to change your eating habits so you’ll be ready on surgery day. We recommend that you begin your cosmetic surgery eating do’s and don’ts plan (we hate to call it a diet) at least one month before your surgery.
Certain foods impact immune function, healing time, and blood flow. Others can actually interfere with the effectiveness of anaesthesia. Prior to your surgery give a wide berth to foods that:
- Promote blood thinning –green tea, aspirin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Interact with other medications – multivitamins, Vitamins B, C, E, and K, herbal supplements, and fish oil.
- Interfere with anaesthesia – eggplant, tomatoes, garlic, and cayenne.
- Contain neurotoxins – coffee, alcohol, MSG, aspartame.
7 Tasty Tips for Your Cosmetic Surgery Diet
Your surgeon will give you detailed instructions about nutrition. If the information isn’t clear, don’t hesitate to ask him/her to repeat it…twice if necessary. We hope you’ll find the following tips helpful:
- Become a Fruit and Veggie Fan – berries and dark, leafy greens like kale are rich in antioxidants. Try red, green, and orange peppers, guava, sweet potatoes, and other brightly coloured goodies for a beautiful and delicious meal.
- Go Whole Foods – Replace processed bread, pasta, rice and cereal with whole grains such as brown rice and bulgur wheat.
- Eat Like a Bird – Eating small, well-balanced meals every few hours is better than feasting once a day. It helps you maintain steady blood sugar levels and keeps your metabolism chugging along.
- Be Spicy, Not Salty – Flavourful spices such as ginger, turmeric, and curry have known anti-oxidant properties. Salt just raises your heart rate.
- Get Drunk on Water – Your body is 70% water and needs lots of hydration. Do your best to drink a minimum of 2 litres of water daily.
- Be a Mean, Lean Protein Machine – Collagen plays an important role in tissue repair. Collagen is a protein, and your body’s demand for it spikes after surgery. Excellent protein sources include eggs, red meat, and beans.
- Be a Dairy Queen (or King) – Fermented dairy products such as kefir and unsweetened yogurt help restore the beneficial bacteria that line your digestive tract. This benefits food digestion, the manufacture of vitamins, and the entire function of your immune system.
- Mind Your P’s and Q’s – Pumpkin and papaya contain unique enzymes that help reduce swelling and inflammation. Quinoa is one of the most protein-rich foods on the planet with heaps of fibre, too.
- Think Zinc – Zinc promotes protein synthesis and cell growth, essential factors in wound healing. Oysters have a high concentration of zinc, so do red meats such as lamb and beef.
Eat Like the Team
We wish you the best of success with your cosmetic surgery and want it to be easy for you to start and continue your healthy eating plan. Here’s a recipe that Team Costhetics can’t get enough of. We call it the Sensationally Simple Smoothie for Surgical Success. Just put the ingredients into a blender and whirl your way to Yumsville.
½ cup water***
1 apple, cored (do not peel)
1 cup fresh pineapple (there are those good enzymes we talked about)
1 banana
1 cup of berries, (use frozen to give your smoothie a milkshake-y consistency)
2 celery stalks
2 large handfuls of a dark, leafy green (kale and spinach are our faves)
***Cook’s tip: put the water in first for better blending
As you’re slurping down your smoothie, keep in mind that maintaining a healthy eating plan for life may help you:
- Delay visible signs of facial ageing
- Cancel the need for liposuction or tummy tucks
- Keep skin soft and supple
That sounds tasty to us!