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7 Steps to Eat Away Joint Pain
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7 Steps to Eat Away Joint Pain
“My hands and wrists thumped with pain all the time.” “I had joint inflammation so
bad that I couldn't dress myself.” “I had stiff hands, and my feet hurt, especially in
the morning.”
Does this sound like you?
In our fast paced world, joint pain is more and more common. Whether you suffer
from sports injuries, wear and tear from a lifetime of use, or arthritis, joint pain can
be debilitating.
Arthritis and inflammation
In medical terminology, a word that ends in “itis” simply means "inflammation." For
example, bursitis describes an inflamed bursa sac, and arthritis describes inflamed
joints.
Arthritis is a category that includes many disorders that involve joints. According to
the National Institutes of Health, arthritis affects about one in five people in the
United States.
Can medication or surgery help joint pain?
Joint pain can prevent you from doing the activities you love, and even from
functioning normally every day.
You can take over-the-counter pain killers such as aspirin, stronger antiinflammatory drugs prescribed by a doctor, or consider surgery.
But most drugs temporarily mask the pain, and don’t treat the root causes.
Surgeries often have complications, and may not cure the problem either.
Nature provides the answer!
You may be wondering if the food you eat affects your joints. Here’s a question
from an arthritis forum:
“I was diagnosed with RA about three years ago at age 21. If I have a few
beers, the next few days my fingers feel like pins are sticking in them and
are very hard to move. Can certain foods or drinks cause flare ups?”
Isn’t it encouraging to learn that the solution may be as simple as paying attention
to what you eat? Once you know what foods trigger inflammation, you can avoid
the ones that lead to pain.
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Nature provides us with many anti-inflammatory foods that have no side effects,
and taste delicious. This report gives you 7 steps to eat away joint pain, so you can
live your life to the fullest.
Step 1: Avoid inflammatory foods
Inflammation is actually a healthy immune response. When you are injured, or
come in contact with viruses or toxins, your body creates inflammation to prevent
dangerous invaders from taking over your body.
The Wikipedia definition states that:
Inflammation is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious
stimuli and to initiate the healing process. The classical signs of acute
inflammation are pain, heat, redness, swelling, and loss of function.
Our ancestors needed a strong immune system to fight off deadly diseases and
infections so they could survive. In our modern, more sterilized world, we have
much less exposure to bacteria and microorganisms on a daily basis.
Now, our defense systems are turned on by many of the food, additives and
chemicals in our environment.
Immune systems that are overly active can damage our bodies. Once inflammation
begins, it can be difficult to turn off. It’s often sneaky and silent, invisible to our
eyes until it shows up as disease or pain. Persistent inflammation can lead to
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chronic disease, premature aging, damaged nerve and brain tissue, and destroyed
joints.
70 Percent of your immune system cells are in your digestive tract
Since more than 70 percent of your immune systems cells are in the lining of the
digestive tract, your immune response is highly affected by the foods you eat.
Certain food can put out the fires of inflammation, while other foods fan the flames.
Your joints are particularly vulnerable to inflammation, and specific foods create
inflammation in the body. This inflammation leads to the actual physical pain that
you may feel in your hands or feet.
It’s important to note that no one diet works for everyone, and there is no single
natural food that harms or heals everyone. Truly, one man’s meat is another man’s
poison.
People thrive on different diets
For example, Brendan Brazier, a triathlete, is vegan. He thrives on a plant-based
diet based on grains, beans, nuts, seeds and fruit. He can swim, run or bike
hundreds of miles without meat, dairy or eggs.
Some people thrive on vegetarian diets, while other people need meat, fish, eggs
and low-starch vegetables for optimal health.
You will be in the best health when your body can absorb all the nutrients it needs
to heal itself. By eating the best anti-inflammatory foods for you, you will heal your
digestive lining and prevent or heal inflammation in your body.
You will have to experiment with a variety of healthy foods, to see which ones are
best for you.
However, it’s now well known that processed foods, additives, chemicals and
pesticides in our food supply can cause food sensitivities, and trigger inflammation.
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Common foods that trigger inflammation
Eating the wrong kinds of fats with the typical high-grain, low fat diet, is
inflammatory. Refined sugars make blood sugar levels rise, and put the immune
system into high alert, creating inflammation.
Many people also have issues with digesting gluten, found in bread (even whole
wheat bread) and many other foods.
Eating foods that your digestive tract can’t process leads to inflammation. These
include:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Fast food
Highly processed, flour-based foods,: pasta, bread, bagels, crackers, cookies
Vegetable oils (trans fats): in snack foods like chips, pastries, crackers
High sugar products: candy, cakes, pastries, cookies
Dairy products: for many people, products from cow’s milk are inflammatory.
Deep fried foods
Soda, including diet soda
Grain-fed meats
Most grains, especially with gluten
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could alleviate your joint pain, and turn poor health
into robust vitality….simply by changing the food you eat every day?
Making wiser food choices is the first step in healing. A diet consisting of antiinflammatory foods (healthy proteins, carbohydrates, and fats) provides the
nutrients that are critical for keeping pain at bay. These foods also help your body
build the cartilage and ligaments that support healthy joints.
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Step 2: Tame inflammation with
brilliantly-colored berries
Fruits are considered nature’s candy, because they are naturally sweet and
delicious. Perhaps the easiest way to get more healing nutrients into your body is to
add some fruit.
*Don’t go overboard – too much fruit adds sugar to your blood. Aim for 2-3
servings of fruit a day.
Low glycemic fruit (fruits that don’t raise your blood sugar) include all the berries,
plus cherries, kiwi, plum, grapes, pears and apples.
Berries are amongst the “stars” of fruits. Raspberries, strawberries, blackberries
and blueberries are rich in Vitamin C, which plays an important role in forming
collagen, a key component of cartilage and bone.
Vitamin C keeps free radicals (cell-damaging molecules produced by inflammation)
from wreaking havoc with your health. Foods rich in Vitamin C help relieve pain,
slow the progress of arthritis, and even prevent arthritis and joint pain.
The more deeply colored the fruits, the more antioxidants they contain. In a 2004
report, Johns Hopkins found that the pigmented colors in all berries contained
proanthocyanins, which actively suppressed pain caused by inflammation, as much
as pain relief drugs such as ibuprofen!
Try snacking on a bowl of berries, or add them to yogurt or a smoothie. You can
truly sip or snack your way to alleviating pain.
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Step 3: Boost antioxidants by eating a
rainbow of vegetables.
We’ve all been told to eat our vegetables, but once you know how they truly help
you eliminate inflammation, you’ll be motivated to experiment with different kinds
of vegetables, both raw and cooked.
Vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and fiber, and are
generally low in sugar.
They help reduce inflammation, support digestion, keep you “regular”, fill you up
with fiber (the good carbs!) and minimize spikes in blood sugar.
Eat a variety of colors – the darker the color, the more nutrients. Each color has
different nutrients that you need, such as chlorophyll, lycopene, and resveratrol.
Greens: Leafy greens such as arugula, collard greens, kale; and broccoli, Brussels
sprouts, fennel
Red, orange & yellow: beets, carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, yams
Blue, purple & black: eggplant, peppers, radicchio
Tan: onions, mushrooms
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Note:
Nightshade vegetables can increase muscle and joint pain in some people.
Nightshades are a group of plants that belong to the Solanaceae family, which some
of our most popular foods consumed today; tomatoes, potatoes, all types of peppers,
and eggplant.
Try eliminating them from your diet for two weeks, and then re-introduce one food
at a time. If your joint pain intensifies, you’ll know you are sensitive to these foods,
and should eliminate or minimize them in your diet.
4. Add more healing proteins, and nix the bad ones.
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Protein is vital for building health, but not all protein is equal. Much of the chicken
and beef on the supermarket shelves comes from animals that are fed hormones
and antibiotics. The saturated fats from animal products, such as fatty beef, pork,
salami, sausage, and bacon, contribute to inflammation.
Instead, choose organic sources of lean, wild protein as much as possible.
Fish are rich in anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats. Fresh, wild-caught fish is always
best, and canned salmon is an inexpensive source of healthy, wild fish.
Eggs are an excellent source of high-quality protein. Don’t skip the yolks, which
contain lutein and zeaxanthin that contribute to eye and skin health. As a famous
TV doctor said recently, “no one ever got fat from eating egg yolks!” Choose
organic for the highest quality protein, free from hormones and antibiotics.
Eat organic, grass-fed naturally raised animals, such as cage-free poultry, and wild
game or lean cuts of naturally raised grass-fed beef and bison.
Vegetarian protein choices include all types of beans, lentils, and peas. Beans are
rich in folic acid, magnesium, potassium and fiber. Eat them on their own, in soups,
salads, curries, or pureed into spreads or dips.
5. Go nuts….and seeds!
If you want to boost your health and beauty with a tasty, nutritious snack, nuts and
seeds are “it!”
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Nuts and seeds are loaded with natural, anti-inflammatory fats and protein.
Almonds, sesame seeds, walnuts, pine nuts, Brazil nuts, chestnuts, flax, pumpkin
seeds, pecans, and sunflower seeds are rich in healing minerals such as calcium,
magnesium and selenium, as well as vitamin E.
Be sure to avoid rancid nuts and seeds, as they cause inflammation and can
damage your liver and cardiovascular system. Only eat raw, fresh nuts. If they
smell bad, they contain damaged oils.
Tip: Avoid peanuts. They are actually legumes, not nuts, and are a common
allergen because they almost always have mold, which is inflammatory.
6. Have an “oil change”
Once considered healthy, polyunsaturated oils such as sunflower, safflower, corn,
peanut and soy are primarily made up of omega-6 fatty acids. Our western diets
have an overabundance of omega 6 fats, which creates an unhealthy balance.
Without the proper ration of omega 3 fatty acids to omega 6, the body turns the
omega 6 fats into excess arachidonic acid, which is highly inflammatory.
It’s time for an oil change.
The healthiest fats for taming inflammation are the omega-3 fatty acids, which
actually work to decrease inflammation by suppressing the production of cytokines
and enzymes that erode cartilage.
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More than a dozen studies have shown that omega-3 oils can reduce the symptoms
of inflammation.
Raw healthy oils lubricate your cells and have powerful anti-inflammatory
properties. Eating healthy oils every day gives the cells in your body an “oil change”
that supports tissue healing.
Olive oil has antioxidants called polyphenols, which protect against inflammation.
Other good choices include sesame, grape seed, avocado and coconut oil.
Fish oils from wild salmon, herring, mackerel, sardines, anchovies and rainbow
trout also help prevent inflammation and joint pain.
Use healthy oils to make salad dressings, or to lightly sauté vegetables, but avoid
deep frying.
*Don’t load up on oils, or you’ll gain weight. Instead, substitute better oils
whenever you use one.
7. Spice up your health with healing herbs and spices
Early explorers and traders navigated the high seas to ply wealthy merchants with
exotic spices such as cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Research now shows that
herbs and spices may be the most potent disease fighters available.
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Culinary herbs and spices are packed with nutrients that can dramatically improve
your health. Many cultures use herbs and spices in
their traditional dishes, from garlic and gingers to
cumin and chilies.
Most herbs and spices are either directly antiinflammatory, or help prevent inflammation by
improving digestion and strengthening your immune
system. You can eat them raw, dried, in tea, or to
flavor ingredients in any recipe.
Try these, and many more: basil, bay leaf, chives, cilantro, cinnamon, dill, garlic,
mint, nutmeg, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, savory, thyme.
Here are 2 anti-inflammatory “super star” spices to add to your diet:
Turmeric: Commonly found in most kitchens, this Indian spice contains a
powerful, non-toxic compound called curcumin, which is proven to contain antiinflammatory properties. It appears to work by preventing a protein associated with
increased inflammation from being activated in the joint. Take a half teaspoon of
turmeric powder with warm water at least 3 times a day, or mix it into soups or
vegetable dishes.
Ginger: Ginger has amazingly effective anti-inflammatory capabilities. It contains a
chemical which helps reduce joint pain and is widely used as a treatment for both
rheumatoid arthritis and upset stomachs. Use it to season your food or brew it in
tea.
Are you ready to get healthy?
Making a healthy shift in your diet can be tough at first. It’s difficult to give up food
that we love.
But if you’re amongst the millions of people affected with joint pain, or any type of
inflammation, it pays to begin experimenting with what you eat before your resort
to drugs. Start with eliminating one food at a time, and add one nutrient-rich antiinflammatory food listed in this report.
Once you experience the pain-free difference a healthy diet can make, you’ll
become addicted to feeling good, and never look back. Here’s to your health!
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Please forward this to your friends!
Sources:
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=62
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/link-between-nightshades-chronic-pain-and-inflammation
Disease Prevention and Treatment, 4th Edition, 2010, Life Extension Media
Eating on the Wild Side, by Jo Robinson, Little Brown
The Bone-Building Solution, by Sam Graci, Wiley
Meals that Heal Inflammation by Julie Daniluk, Random House Canada
Healing Remedies, C Norman Shealy MD, PhD, Harper Element
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