Proper nutrition is essential for everyone -- both as fuel for your body and to help prevent injuries. We asked Tara Postnikoff, nutritional consultant and personal trainer, to list her top five must-haves if you're eating for injury prevention and physical recovery.

Water: Adequate water consumption is critical to optimum health, performance and injury prevention. A dehydrated joint or tissue is more susceptible to tears and injury and puts additional stress on the body. Aim for 2-3 litres of pure water daily and avoid or limit the consumption of sugary beverages, coffee and alcohol.

Omega-3: This essential fatty acid is one of our defenses against inflammation, which is a culprit in injury and a hindrance in recovery. Omega-3 also helps to ensure well-lubricated joints and tissues and a healthy immune system. Most people are deficient in omega-3 and consume far too much omega-6, leading to an imbalance in the system. Cold water fish, flaxseed and raw walnuts contain good levels of omega-3. Daily supplementation with a high-quality fish oil is recommended for most athletes.

Vitamin C: Vitamin C is important for tissue formation, especially collagen. Collagen provides the strength and flexibility for ligaments and tendons, and is necessary to hold bone together. Vitamin C can be obtained from foods such as citrus fruits, dark green leafy vegetables, broccoli, cabbage and strawberries.

Calcium, Magnesium and Vitamin D: Calcium is required for strong bones and thus for the prevention of fractures. Calcium is a mineral that is not well absorbed by the body and requires magnesium for proper utilization. Vitamin D is also required for proper calcium absorption. Eating a diet rich in whole grains, leafy green vegetables (i.e. swiss chard, kale, spinach), raw nuts and seeds (sesame seeds), cold water fish (salmon, mackerel, cod) can help you meet your calcium, magnesium and vitamin D needs.

Zinc: Zinc is a mineral with great importance to our immune system, and essential for healing of tissues and wounds if we get injured. Dietary sources of zinc include turkey, red meat, lentils, legumes and brown rice.

And a final note: For athletes in a training program, especially endurance athletes, the recovery meal/ post-workout meal is extremely important to maintaining energy levels and athletic performance, as well as injury prevention. If you don't replace what you've lost/used during your training session, the body is unable to repair itself, leaving you susceptible to injury.