I have often posted about how eating the right foods can help with chronic pain. So I will start with a quick recap. If you know the science behind your food choices it is much easier to make good choices.
It is all about inflammation, which lies behind or worsens much chronic pain. Your immune system works largely through your digestive system. The microbiome, in your large intestine, contains beneficial organisms which control inflammation. If you eat the wrong foods you can become inflamed. This can send pain messages to your central nervous system and you feel awful.
Later I will share with you a list of some of the foods you should eat and some you should avoid. You may already know this, and you can get lots of information from a Google search. Just search for foods to eat to avoid chronic pain.
But knowing what to eat is the easier bit. Incorporating this into your everyday routine is more challenging.
Here is a list of everyday foods you should eat every day.
- leafy greens, things like spinach, cabbage, lettuce
- kefir or Greek yogurt, or other fermented foods. Mix with a little fruit juice if you want.
- Oily fish, fish such as salmon, sardines, kippers, trout, tuna. You can eat tinned versions for ease, but avoid the highly processed stuff.
- Fruits, especially berries. Eat fresh in season and frozen when not.
- Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower.
- Nuts, seeds, beans, and whole grains. Always choose whole grain over more processed white goods, whole bread and pasta for example. Use seeds and nuts to replace less healthy snacks such as crisps. Use beans and lentils as a meat replacement in some meals.
- Healthy fats such as olive oil and avocado oil. Nut oils are also good.
Avoid these foods
- Heavily processed foods that include lots of sugar and/or trans fats. Keep away from mass-produced cakes and biscuits.
- Caffeinated foods and drinks
- Fizzy drinks with artificial sweeteners.
- White bread and white flour.
- Alcohol except in very small quantities
- Red meats such as beef and pork
- Processed meats such as sausages and ham.
If you find lists difficult to follow then there is another solution. Try the Mediterranean diet. This will give you a healthy balanced diet that is low in inflammatory foods. If you follow this you cannot go far wrong.
But as I always say is the easy bit. If you have a family, a busy life, and if you have to eat away from home it can be difficult. So let’s look at ways this can work in your real world.
Tweaking your diet
It can be daunting to change the way you eat, especially if you are coping with chronic pain as well. I often advise my clients to take things in small steps. And the good news is when it comes to food and cooking, some small easy changes can make a real difference. What I am aiming for here is taking one bad thing out of your diet and putting one good thing in. That can be as easy as it sounds. So here are my tips for tweaking your diet and dealing with your pain.
- Swap your cooking oils. Use nut oils and olive oil. They will actively help control inflammation. Olive oil is good for frying as it does not break down into its constituent parts even at high temperatures. (when oils break down they can release compounds that cause inflammation).
- Many herbs and spices are good for inflammation. Here is a list
Ginger, make tea or use it in cooking.
Garlic, add to most things
Turmeric, great in curries or tea
Cardamom makes a lovely tea and is good for replacing sugar
Black pepper, grind some over most dinners
Green tea, replace some of your coffee with green tea.
- Eat fatty fish. It can be in easy forms. Tinned sardines on wholemeal toast are fine. A tuna sandwich with wholemeal bread is good. Grilled salmon or trout can make a good basis for a dinner, perhaps replacing red meat such as a pork chop or a steak. Frozen is fine if you cannot get fresh.
- Snack differently. Here you can get rid of the bad foods and replace them with food which will help. One easy example, ditch the crisps for a handful of walnuts. Walnuts are full of good omega oils that will help control inflammation.
- Swap white flour products for wholewheat products. An example, swap your pasta for wholewheat pasta. Always buy wholewheat bread. Try to avoid crackers, but if you cannot go for the wholegrain variety.
- Too much red meat can cause inflammation, so go veggie for a couple of days a week. Try canned kidney beans for a veggie chilli, Swap your hamburger for an organic veggie burger (organic because you want to avoid additives). Just a few swaps can make a real difference.
- You should try to avoid sweets as sugar is one of the worse things to eat for inflammation. If you want a treat, go for dark chocolate. It is actually good for you!
- Replace desserts with fruit. Always have fruit on hand.
Do these things one at a time if that is what feels right for you. It will make a difference and you may find you actually prefer a lot of your new choices.
Please share your favourite recipes with us in the comments below