Keeping yourself healthy after a trauma or injury is vital in your recovery journey because movement is essential for your body to heal. Now, that’s not always easy. In my case, I was paralyzed when my journey began. But even though I couldn’t move, I still recognized the importance of a healthy diet. Below are three key steps to help you maintain your health after a trauma or injury.

1) Remember: Your Diet Impacts Your Ability to Move

When I first became paralyzed, I knew that the effects of an unhealthy diet full of fast food did not bode well for my long-term condition. Let others who are not in your condition eat carbs, fried food, and consume sugar and caffeine all they want, but ask them to respect your condition while not offering it or eating it in front of you. Don’t get me wrong, an occasional treat like a milkshake is nice, but it should not become a dietary supplement. There are two avenues to consider here: 1) your knowledge of what’s right and wrong with your dietary intake, and more importantly, 2) that your family or caregivers know and respect your dietary needs as well. Yes, treats like ice cream and a milkshake can be comforting, but if you can’t work those calories off, you begin to gain weight. Carbs like spaghetti, potatoes, and bread have the same effect—they all eventually turn into things that make it harder for you to get around. This brings us back to the importance of self-advocacy.

The bottom line here is this: the better you eat, the better you feel. Healing occurs more efficiently when your body isn’t angry about your meal choices each day. Eating fresh food and giving your body what it needs to recharge also puts you in a better mood. Eating poorly forces your body to work harder to process the food circulating in your system. And by perpetuating this cycle of poor nutrition, it’s easy to find yourself in a place where a lack of energy and sleep, as well as depression, becomes your new normal.

2) Consider Learning About Nutrition

When I was paralyzed, I made it my new job to not only learn about anatomy so I could converse more effectively with my physical therapists, but I also took it upon myself to learn about nutrition. I would think to myself, cravings need to be listened to and answered with a healthy response versus one that was opposite and not conducive to my goals. For instance, instead of a milkshake full of processed sugar, why not a berry smoothie full of antioxidants and natural sugar? Why not mix them up on occasion and try other ingredients like almond or soy milk, cacao nibs, and bananas? My point is this: you have the world at your fingertips to discover recipes and foods that are fun, which in turn make those therapy sessions and exercises at home more enjoyable. There is yet another positive to eating healthier: practicing good nutrition helps calm your system down and flush the impurities from your body that may be upsetting your stomach.

3) Bring in Your Family for Support (if possible):

Something else to consider is asking your family and caregivers to become an active part of your team and help you with this endeavor. For instance, as you are discovering what works, you may find a low point occurring between meals. When this happens, ask your support team to help you research healthy options to bridge that gap instead of poor food choices that derail the goals you are striving to reach. Remember: a village working in unison can cover more ground together than one person working alone.

The next time you exercise and your energy isn’t where you would like it to be, think about this: If poker chips were energy and you only get ten chips per day, how much energy do you need to exercise without digging into tomorrow’s chips? And how much energy equals ten chips? In other words, what dietary plan maintains your energy throughout the day? Your eventual goal is one chip for your exercise routine and nine for everything else. Now you have a target to aim for and an objective, so go all in and enjoy yourself along the way.