For repair and healing

Question
I am a surfer who trains in gym/pool two hours a day. I am not a vegetarian but am trying to move towards this and I eat very little meat with a view of cutting it out altogether. I do eat fish rarely and will continue to do so. I am recovering from a cartilege injury at the moment and years of sport has seen 7 broken bones, including knee surgery. I want to eat for optimum health and also for repair/recovery of injuries and also for after training. I don't want to take a sugery whey protein shake but was thinking of a pea protein. Could you advice me on this and general foods i should e taking for anti-inflammatory benifits and repair of ligament/soft tissue

Answer
You're on the right track with looking at a vegetarian diet for promoting optimal health.  Whole fruits and vegetables are important to eat for their vitamins, minerals, and natural antioxidants.  However, some vegetables like potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplant may actually make pain from inflammation worse. These vegetables are part of the nightshade family of plants and contain a chemical alkaloid called solanine so it's best to avoid eating these items too often.

Glucosamine and chondroitin are the key ingredients for cartilage repair.  There is no true food source of glucosamine and chondroitin is found primarily in animal cartilage.  You'll need to take these two as a supplement.

Pea protein is a good choice because it doesn't contain things like soy or gluten that cause sensitivity reactions in some individuals.

Thank you for your question, Jack.  I hope that my  answer was helpful.

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