Guest post written by: Dr. Levi Harrison
Orthopedic Surgeon
www.drleviharrison.com
As an orthopedic surgeon, I have been a strong advocate of the Paleo Diet for my patients. I highly recommend this type of lifestyle eating strategy for patients before and after surgery. I discuss this nutritional plan with them and they present it to their other health care providers (such as their General Practitioner, Family Practice Doctor or Internist) before implementing. Usually the entire team is in agreement with these dietary changes. This team approach is most effective for optimizing great patient care.
It has been astoundingly clear that the patients who follow the Paleo Diet suggestions, do better post-operatively then the conventional eating patients whose diets are filled with sugar, salt, and highly processed, refined foods that do not have substantial nutritional value and minimal EPA and DHA. After observing the correlation between the use of the Paleo Diet and efficient recovery times in operative patients, it has become clear that the Paleo Diet yields excellent postoperative healing benefits. More high-powered double-blind studies may provide further illumination of this apparent truth about the life-enhancing virtue of the Paleo Diet.
The Paleo Diet, which is superior in nutritional value to many restrictive standard diets, provides a patient with appropriate vitamin, mineral, Omega-3 and antioxidant profiles. This is critical for healing due to the post-operative decrease in gut motility, potential increases in leaky gut syndrome, insomnia (poor sleep patterns) and stress from any surgical procedure. The body needs proper and abundant antioxidants and phytonutrients to support expeditious healing post-operatively and to assist with returning to appropriate circadian rhythms and hormonal balance.
The Paleo Diet has a profound effect on minimizing metabolic derangement, which can be fairly common after many surgical procedures. The body is forever in a battle to decrease inflammation globally when we are well. This battle intensifies post-operatively with the body trying to regain a homeostatic balance nutritionally. It is clear that the Paleo Diet can have a profound effect on minimizing the war between elevated levels of insulin, cortisol, glucagon, thyroxin and human growth hormone. The Paleo Diet allows the body to have and equitable balance without the deleterious effects of high and low hormonal crescendos, which can affect post-operative healing, appetite, sleep patterns, intestinal motility and gastric permeability.
I am a true advocate of the Paleo Diet for my personal health and it is apparent that my orthopedic patient population also receive significant benefits from eating like “the hunters and gathers” of our ancestry.
Keep exercising! Exercise is life!
Peace & Health,
D. Levi Harrison, MD
Paleo Diet Benefits for Post-Operative Care©2014 by D. Levi Harrison, MD
I wish more doctors would at least just look at the program let alone be an advocate of what the diet/lifestyle has to offer. Thank you for showing me that their are some in the medical field who see beyond their books and old training! I have hope!
Its great to hear more support for paleo coming from a medical professional, especially when so many people and doctors a like seem to dismiss paleo out of hand without really examining it.
I wish more emphasis was placed on solid nutrition post-operation. I have witnessed multiple peoples’ diets get significantly worse post-surgery, because they feel bad and they want to eat comfort foods. Then they feel its okay to neglect proper nutrition due to a “calories are all that matter mindset”.
I had open heart surgery to have a defective heart valve replaced in May at 42 years old. I had surgery Tuesday morning and was released to go home Friday morning because my cardiologist couldn’t find a single medical reason to keep me longer. Aside from having one of the best surgeons in the country, I have NO doubt that eating a paleo diet helped me breeze through without complications. I even had my SO bring bone broth soups from home for me to eat because the hospital food was SO horrendous. 🙂
Anyone facing surgery in the near future should clean things up as quickly as they can, especially the month before, have your diet be pristine. NO drinking, no sugar.
I follow Paleo diet with regular fasting. Just had acl surgery on my knee. Walked in to my post-op appointment 7 days later. No crutches, no cane, only a slight limp. The doctor told me I was about two weeks ahead of schedule for healing. Mind you, this was one week after surgery. I am 50 years old, so youth had nothing to do with it.
Samuel Franklin, Author: “Primal Estate: The Candidate Species”
Wow, I wish more doctor’s thought like you! And the food served in hospitals is horrific! My husband had a cervical disc replacement a few months ago, and they fed him sugar, sugar and more sugar. Thankfully he wasn’t in long, and came home to healthy, mostly Paleo, food.
Where does this doctor perform operations, where did he study and what on earth is “metabolic derangement” ?
What part of correlation does not equal causation have you misunderstood?
He’s at The Harrison Orthopedic Institute in Glendale, CA, and graduated from UC Davis School of Medicine http://drleviharrison.com/about/
Metabolic derangement is basically messed up metabolism of energy, where some cells don’t store and use energy efficiently/properly and secretion of adaptive hormones is out of whack.
I have just had 4 weeks at home after surgery for a broken ankle so am still immobile. I have to say the time I spent reading Robb’s book and going as Paleo as possible has made a huge difference to my mood, energy levels, pain and healing. I believe it is also helping me during my menopausal phase as I have experienced fewer hot flushes. Having been a regular exerciser, I was scared I’d pile on the weight just sitting with my foot up for 8 weeks, but it is having not such effect. Eating paleo I’m convinced is contributing to my stabilised weight and high energy. Thank you!
Nutritional support is critical for post operative recovery. As a physical therapist providing educational material pre-op, supporting anti-inflammation and weight control, promotes recovery from surgical interventions. It is great to see the Orthopedic influence using Paleo and Low Carb nutritional that Dr. Harrison promotes.