No junk food's good. Just don't skimp too much on protein. Your body'll need it, along with the very healthy vegetables and fruit.
I was slightly anemic, so before surgery I consciously changed my diet to include iron-rich food sources. I also took iron as prescribed by my OS, but I was really glad when he let me stop taking it, as the pills (along with the 325mg coated aspirin) were doing quite the number on my tummy.
I was really trying to eat healthily before my surgery, including dietary sources of iron.
Meats I added: beef, liver,* clams, oysters. Meats I was already eating: dark poultry, lamb, shrimp, tuna, occasional ham, mackerel,** liverwurst. Meats I didn't find the heart or stomach for: beef hearts, kidneys.
Whole eggs, including the yolk.
Legumes etc. I was already eating: lentils, soybeans, dried beans, etc.
Whole grains
Nuts: apparently almonds and brazil nuts are good sources, as are pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds
Dark leafy greens (especially a good source when eaten with a good source of vitamin C like tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, oranges, etc. -- in fact, eating non-meat sources of iron with a good source of vitamin C increases the body's ability to absorb that iron.)
Dried fruits: I would occasionally eat some raisins or cranberries, but before surgery I went out and got prunes, dried apricots and figs, all good sources of iron.
I was told to cook in cast-iron cookware whenever possible. All my eggs were cooked in cast iron skillets. And before my surgery I made a huge batch of tomato-sauce and meatballs, in the cast iron, of course, and froze individual portions for quick microwaveable post-surgery meals. I also made some minestrone thick with dried beans, unpeeled potatoes, lots of tomatoes, peppers, spinach -- all iron-rich, or iron-boosting -- along with onions, garlic, and basil. I browned the onions, garlic, etc. in the cast iron skillet. I used the skillet, too, when I made kidney bean chili -- some with ground beef, some vegetarian. I made fruit compote out of a mix of prunes, apricots, dried peaches and pears. I cooked up a big batch of oatmeal. I divided each of these into individual and 2 or 4 serving containers, and froze them.
* I had a hard time finding liver in local markets, but lucked out when a smaller independent market occasionally carried calf's liver. I'd never had calf's liver before, and it was divine. Compared to beef liver, that is. Of course, I still ate it with loads and loads and loads of onions and garlic mashed potatoes, but even so I looked forward the leftovers. I had better luck finding chicken livers, and chopped liver at Jewish delis.
**They might be hard to find in Middle America, but Japanese restaurants do a pretty good job of grilling mackerel, or serving it as sushi so it doesn't smell or taste too fishy.
This may be TMI, but maybe you'll find it useful.
United States
