The importance of food and water in recovery IMHO

 I think one topic I wish I would have known more about at the time of my TBI was the effect of food on the brain. And how HUGE the difference in how you feel and what you can do is related to what you eat.

You know the old adage You ARE What You Eat? It's literally true.  You can only run on the fuel you put in the tank, and you need super high quality food (fuel) to help your brain heal and provide strength for all your bodily functions.  Your brain absorbs and requires a giant amount of energy and calories just for a normal person.  You are not a normal person anymore.  You are a person with an injured brain and you can't just throw any dart at the food dartboard and hope for a Bullseye.  You will have to find what works for you and you will have to throw some bad darts but the important thing to be aware of is that food affects your TBI dramatically in my experience.

Advice:

Limit or eliminate as much as possible SUGAR.  It is inflammatory.

Limit drastically your carbohydrates.  They convert to sugar and are inflammatory.  Each brain injury and body is different but the only way I gained back some balance and stability in year two of my recovery was to limit carbs to about 50 grams a day.  In year three of my recovery, I find I can eat a few more carbs, maybe even up to 100 grams a day if I am outside working burning calories, but it has to be monitored.

Drink water.  Up to 8 to 10 glasses a day if you can, especially if your headaches or migraines are flaring up.  You may always have some head pain, and the Lord has given us the ability to deal with it and adapt.  I never thought I could live with constant head pain, but you can if you have to, and there are things you can do to make it less painful and bothersome, to keep the head pain and flare ups from incapitating you. 

In my opinion, lots of high quality FAT is another key.  If you end up on a Keto diet, or variation of a Paleo, or raw food, you are going to have to think seriously about what works and not what your diet doctrines are.  Follow the precepts that seem moral to you, and ask the Lord to bless your food, no matter if you can eat organic or not organic or some combination.  

 

Your brain is some 60 percent fat.  You need healthy fats.  Lard number one.  Lard from heritage hogs that we raise has been a huge boon.  This type of lard has 10,000 IU's of Vitamen D in one tablespoon, and is one of the most powerful things you can do for your immune system.  It also has as much or more Omega 3's as wild salmon.  Yes, Lard is vital for recovery.

I think organic and non-GMO is important.  My body at this point just gets rid of junk food and conventional food goes through me with lots of rumbling like a broken trash compactor coming off its bolts.