Anti-Inflammatory Foods - Pain Relief

Inflammation or swelling of the body always evokes feelings of pain in the joints and muscles and loss or restriction of mobility. But things are more serious than that. Did you know that recent researches show that a chronic inflammation can lead to life-threatening diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, some cancers and Alzheimer's just to mention a few?

There is a variety of factors contributing to the amount of inflammation, which depends on your life style, such as your activity level, the amount and quality of your sleep, the level of stress in your life, and I would say one of the most important is the food you eat. Somebody told me some time ago: 'You are what you eat' - well that would be lead us into a more philosophical level and is not what I'm intending to do here. But what we have to realize is that all these factors combined are cumulative and they gradually build up inside your body over a period of time, with an increased risk of disease.

Usually when you reach your 40s you realize that something is not right. You wonder why if 'I've been always fit and strong'. And it's only because our bodies can cope in early life with low levels of inflammation. Our body is a very wise machine that knows how to defend itself but only to a certain level. If we keep attacking it, the body will react by showing signs of pain, potential illnesses and so on.

But let us not give up and do something to get a quality of life. The first thing you have to do is to get your C-reactive protein (CRP) levels tested. This protein is produced by the liver and the level of CRP rises when there is a general inflammation in the body. Just ask your doctor to take a blood sample and to evaluate it. And taking into account that one of the main factors that has contributed to the level of inflammation that you have is diet, you may want to consider to go to a registered dietician, who will help you with a specific eating plan for you.

No doubt the swelling of joints cause pain, and depending on the levels of pain resistance that you have you may be tempted to resort to the traditional medical path, with its anti-inflammatory drugs that could be non-steroids, steroids, and even in extreme cases joint-replacement surgery. But let me tell you that there are natural ways to fight inflammation, thus avoiding the unwanted side-effects that often result from the above-mentioned treatments.

Some Steps In Controlling Inflammation

What we eat is the key to controlling inflammation. The average Western diet is based on too much fat, plenty of sugar, lots of red meat and a scaring amount of processed foods - all of which helps to increase inflammation and obesity, the latter being a potential cause of inflammation. You can stop this circle by replacing junk diet with an anti-inflammatory diet based on healthy, whole food.

List of Inflammatory foods

Sugar, from any source

Processed food

French Fries

Fast Food

White bread

Pasta

Ice Cream

Cheddar Cheeses

Snack Foods

Oils, such as vegetable and corn oils

Soda, caffeine and alcohol

List of Anti-inflammatory foods

Atlantic Salmon (wild)

Fresh whole fruits, vegetables

Bright, multi-coloured vegetables

Green tea

Water

Olive oil

Lean poultry

Nuts, legumes and seeds

Dark green leafy vegetables

Old fashioned oatmeal

Spices, especially Turmeric and Ginger

The list above is a guide that will help you to control inflammation. What is recommended is to avoid processed foods, foods high in sugar, and junk food, whenever possible. This does not mean that once in a while, once a month or so, you can go out with family and friends and to eat junk food, but your routine eating pattern should be to stick to healthy foods. Be careful with pre-packaged "health" foods and some vegetables that may make your condition worse. Use the list above for the best and worst foods for controlling inflammation.

Together with these dietary changes it is recommended to do the following:

1) Keep a healthy weight. Keep at bay your intake of sugars and hydrogenated oils and increase your amount of fibre.

2) Get a good night sleep (7 to 9 hours).

3) Reduce stress levels. Find time for yourself during the day. Focus on your breathing. Remove worrying thoughts from your mind. It is only clutter that hinders you to focus on the most important tasks in your life.

4) Do healthy exercises regularly, something that you enjoy and your body tolerates. Do it three times a week during 15 to 20 minutes more or less.

5) Have your CRP levels tested. This simple blood test is the best indicator of the amount of general inflammation in your body.

6) And finally, if you are in pain and you made a conscious decision in getting help through natural means, then there are alternatives that can get you out of pain.

If you or somebody you know is affected by this painful condition, I recommend you to visit this site to get more information on how to naturally get rid of pain.

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