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boost your nutrition so you can heal faster. It is also recommended that you drink a high-calorie, highprotein shake (such as Ensure Surgery) with added antioxidants and ingredients that support immune function and reduce the risk of complications. It is recommended that you consume these for five to seven days after surgery and that you continue to consume high-calorie/high-protein oral supplements until you are a month out from surgery.

Nutrition interventions like these reduce your risk of infections by 40% and decrease your stay in the hospital by two full days!

Now that you know how good nutrition makes a difference in how well your surgery results are, here are some questions to ask your doctor before surgery: • Do you screen for malnutrition? • Should I consult with a Registered Dietitian? • Will my current weight impact the outcome of my surgery? • How can nutrition help me prepare for and heal from my surgery? • What role should exercise play as I prepare for and recover from surgery? Be sure to also tell your doctor if you have recently lost or gained weight, or if you have lost your appetite, or are having trouble eating. ERAS is still being implemented at hospitals and surgery centers across the United States, so not all surgery facilities have ERAS in place. Research shows that nutrition is often overlooked, with only one out of five malnourished people receiving nutrition supplementation before surgery.

Next month we will talk about nutrition being a team sport if you are having surgery and how to powerup your nutrition before you have surgery.

This article was adapted from Abbott Nutrition Health Institute’s Surgery Toolkit (www.anhi.org).

Attention: Fellow Runners!

Do you have some unusual experiences as a runner, or some thoughts about our sport you would like to share? Don’t keep it to yourself – share with your fellow runners.

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Brent Manley, Editor