Diet

The Key to Managing Inflammation

A great starting point if you are experiencing chronic pain is to avoid foods that create inflammation in the body and to eat foods which are naturally anti-inflammatory:

Avoid These 8 Foods (which cause inflammatory pain):

Arthritis sufferers often experience early morning stiffness, stiffness following periods of rest, pain that worsens with use, and loss of joint function. The most common arthritis symptoms include local tenderness, soft tissue swelling, bony swelling, and restricted mobility. Joint pain may include hip pain, knee pain, shoulder pain, heel pain, and neck pain among others. Arthritis signs and symptoms may include:

• Trans fats, hydrogenated oils (margarine or shortening), and refined polyunsaturated oils such as sunflower, safflower, cottonseed and corn oil
• Conventional, non organic red meat
• Grilled and processed meats
• Refined carbohydrates (white rice, white flour, white bread, noodles, pasta, biscuits and pastries, etc.)
• Sugar
• Non organic dairy products
• Chemical additives and preservatives
• Foods that you are sensitive or allergic to, such as nightshade vegetables (potatoes, tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers, eggplant, tomatillos, pimentos, paprika, cayenne), gluten, wheat, soy, corn, dairy, eggs, etc.

Anti-inflammatory Foods You Should Eat:

• Spices, such as ginger, turmeric, cayenne, cinnamon, dill, rosemary, oregano, and basil
• Herbs, such as green tea, licorice, and nettles
• Omega-3 fatty acids found in wild salmon, flax, and walnuts
• Dark leafy greens, such as bok choy, collards, kale, mustard greens, turnip greens, dandelion greens, and spinach
• Colorful fruits and vegetables, such as berries, citrus, melons, pears, apples, beets, carrots, cabbage, onions, yams, peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, mushrooms, garlic, and leeks
• Whole grains, such as brown rice, millet, quinoa, spelt, and amaranth
• Legumes, such as lentils, black beans, pinto, and garbanzo beans
• Nuts and seeds, such as almonds, pine nuts, Brazil nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and walnuts
• Sea vegetables, such as wakame, kombu, hijiki, arame, nori, and dulse
• Healthy fats, such as eggs, avocados, butter, flaxseed oil, nuts and seeds, nut butters - (almond butter, pumpkin seed butter, sunflower seed butter, and tahini), olives, sardines and other oily fish (cod, haddock, mackerel, and salmon), meats (buffalo, lamb, organic / grass-fed beef, and venison), cooking oils (olive, coconut, and ghee)
• Organic dairy foods / dairy alternatives, such as milk made from almonds, rice, hemp, oats, soy, and coconut
• Organic/hormone-free meat, poultry, grass-fed beef, fish, and eggs
• Filtered, clean water

If making diet changes seems daunting, we encourage you to start slowly. Begin by exchanging the unhealthy snacks that you may rely on, to ones with healthier benefits. For example, to satisfy hunger cravings at work, avoid reaching for a candy bar or chips. Instead, have on hand fruit, mixed nuts, raw vegetables with hummus, or a protein shake. See if you can swap out one of your cups of coffee with a antioxidant rich cup of green tea. Now see how easy that was!

  Contact a Village Green nutritionist to help you design the best diet plan for your needs by calling 800-869-9159.

  Learn more about our nutrition counseling and wellness services.