Find Your Specialty 813-433-2277

Nutrients for Rapid Recovery

Nada Milosavljevic, MDExercise is one of the pillars of long-term health and wellness. But during strenuous workouts, whether it’s aerobic exercise or weight training, our cells consume huge amounts of oxygen in a process called oxidation, which can damage cell membranes and impair their ability to function. Muscle soreness, inflammation, and fatigue are all signs of oxidation. Hence, taking the time to recover is essential to our continued health.

Nada Milosavljevic, MD, director of Integrative Health at Mass General Hospital in Boston and a Diplomate of the American Board of Integrative Medicine® (ABOIM®), says that proper nutrients can optimize our healing process and help us recover.  As an advocate for food as medicine, she believes in going straight to the source for nutrients. Here are five points of focus she recommends when using nutrients for optimal recovery from exercise:

  • Antioxidants – One that is especially beneficial for workout recovery, Dr. Milosavljevic says, is quercetin. It can be found in apples, blueberries, and buckwheat herbal tea.
  • Anti-inflammatory nutrients– Bromelain is an anti-inflammatory enzyme derived from pineapple and is concentrated in the core of the fruit. We can ingest bromelain either by drinking pineapple juice or eating the fruit.
  • Minerals – Dr. Milosavljevic suggests magnesium. It aids muscle recovery and calms the brain, and is found in nuts, like almonds and Brazil nuts; seeds, such as pumpkin seeds and flax, and legumes like beans, chickpeas, and lentils.
  • Blood glucose balance – Cinnamon can help us achieve this. Recent studies suggest that it helps with blood sugar control by increasing insulin sensitivity, which allows the body to better perform tissue repair. Researchers have seen benefits with anywhere from 1 to 6 grams of cinnamon. One gram is about is about half a teaspoon, so it doesn’t take much to reap health benefits.
  • Hydration – Water, water, water. A woman’s body is about 55 percent water; for men, it’s about 60 percent. We decrease our water stores through perspiration, cellular activity, and metabolism during intense workouts. So, if you want to recover from exercise rapidly, drink up.

The American Board of Physician Specialties® and its Member Board, the ABOIM, champions Dr. Milosavljevic’s focus on using nutrient-rich foods for exercise recovery and healthy living. For more information about the mission of the ABOIM, contact the ABPS today.

Save the Date
House of Delegates & Annual Scientific Meeting
Innovation & Overcoming Challenges
June 10-15, 2022
Plan Your Visit. Meeting Information
Patient Care Is Our Priority

Medical organizations throughout North America understand that our rigorous certification standards prove that ABPS Diplomates are capable of delivering the best patient care possible.

Far too often, medicine is led by less than 5% of non-practicing physicians taking away and replacing the voice of the 95% of physicians practicing and placing patient safety and care first on the front lines every day. The American Board of Physician Specialties has raised the standards in physician board certification not only in the quality of their boards of certification, but in hearing and allowing for the voice of those active physicians caring directly for patients. Having been a part of the ABPS over the last 28 years has allowed me to grow as a woman leader in a field often wrought with challenges. It helped me and others raise the bar of the standards of care in my specialty, Emergency Medicine, through their Board Certification in Emergency Medicine (BCEM). ABPS also helped raise the standards of care for 21st century medicine through their certifications in other specialties, particularly in Integrative Medicine & Disaster Medicine. Having physician voices heard matters to medicine and is essential in the betterment of patient safety and care.

Sarah E. Gilbert, MD, FAAEP
Sarah E. Gilbert, MD, FAAEP
Emergency Medicine
On October 18, 2007, President George W. Bush released Homeland Security Presidential Directive 21 (HSPD-21), calling on our nation, among other initiatives, to “collectively support and facilitate the establishment of a discipline of disaster health”. It is a great testament to the wisdom and foresight of the American Board of Physician Specialties that it immediately set to work and created, within the short span of only one year, an educational blueprint and set of certification examinations, both written and oral, for a new subspecialty of disaster medicine—and it is why I chose to be part this vital initiative and this wonderful organization. This is but one of the many innovative programs initiated by the American Board of Physician Specialties over the years, and why I am proud to support its work on behalf of our nation’s public health.

Art Cooper, MD
Disaster Medicine
When the American Board of Physician Specialties offered to host the American Board of Integrative Medicine, ABPS became a landmark organization working to move medicine into the twenty first century. Certifying physicians who have completed rigorous academic training in Integrative Medicine ensures that the field of Integrative Medicine will continue to develop academically, clinically, and professionally. The leadership of ABPS continues to impress me - they are diligent in constantly innovating to provide certifications for physicians who want to advance their careers and their areas of expertise. I am honored to be a part of this organization.

Ann Marie Chiasson, MD
Integrative Medicine
There are many ways board certification advances a physician career. ABPS Board examination verifies your accuracy, precision, and reflects your mastery of your residency training verifying your expertise. ABPS Board certification demonstrates your level of expertise beyond your practice experience, primary education degrees, and training which are necessary for insurance reimbursement and practice privilege requirements. Attaining your ABPS Board Certification will clarify your purpose, secure your practice growth, and expand into leadership positions. Board certification can serve as an indication of a physician’s commitment to medicine, beyond the minimal standards and competency of training, their measurement to quality of care, and attaining an award for excellence.

Chris Kunis MD
Internal Medicine
When I think historically, advancement in medicine and patient safety and care has been driven by the diversity of people and scientific thought. That’s what I found at the ABPS and more. For over 60 years that is just who we are. I found a physician certifying body that provides a choice and voice to all physicians ensuring that patients are always placed first.

Jerry Allison, MD
Emergency Medicine
When I decided to pursue a full time role as a physician executive it was important to me to obtain additional professional training, education and work experience. Board certification through the ABPS in Administrative Medicine is validation of my efforts and a demonstration of dedication to professional development. We need more physicians to become full time health care executives, knowing there is a board certification option in Administrative Medicine encourages physicians to take the leap from full time clinical practice to healthcare organizational leadership.

Richard Paula, MD
Administrative Medicine
The American Board of Physician Specialties has provided me with the opportunity to demonstrate mastery of internal medicine through board certification. As a hospitalist, board certification is an expected credential, and hospitals recognize the American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS) as one of the three standard credentialling bodies for Internal Medicine. Additionally, the ABPS has helped me develop leadership skills as a Board member and Committee Chairperson. ABPS has also helped me sharpen critical thinking skills as a test question developer and reviewer. The Allopathic (MD) and Osteopathic (DO) physicians in the ABPS are lifelong learners and frequently pursue multiple board certifications. I enjoy the camaraderie of my peers in ABPS.

Loren Jay Chassels, DO
Internal Medicine
Meet Our Staff Read All Reviews
Boards
Careers
Login
Contact