Are you receiving osteopathic treatment, or chiropractic, or acupuncture, for pain? It makes no difference whether you have an arthritic condition, or pain resulting from a fall or sports injury, the underlying cause of all pain is inflammation. Depending on the specific nature of your condition, this may dictate the type of treatment you receive. Yet all inflammatory conditions respond positively to an anti-inflammatory diet.
It therefore makes little sense to go home after your treatment and carry on eating as you always have. The standard Western diet tends to be laden with foods which promote and perpetuate inflammation. But you have a choice: by deliberately avoiding pro-inflammatory foods, and following an anti-inflammatory diet, you can improve the efficacy of your treatment and enhance – even hasten – your recovery.
Nutritional approach
- Eat a whole food, alkaline-forming diet, including wild rice, millet and quinoa; loads of vegetables every day (at least 8-10); beans, lentils and pulses; organic free-range eggs and oily fish; seeds and nuts (excluding peanuts); and some fruits
- Include an abundance of calcium-rich foods, eg: sea vegetables, sesame seeds, nuts, dried figs, broccoli, and many other dark green leafy vegetables – they also contain magnesium, which aids calcium absorption
- Make sure you cook with the health-promoting extra virgin olive oil, or organic virgin coconut oil; avocado oil and macadamia nut oil are also good choices. Avoid ALL other oils
- Eat plenty of raw, uncooked foods (particularly vegetables). Many of the beneficial, health-promoting plant chemicals in foods are believed to be more potent if eaten raw. Heat causes important nutrients to be depleted; most enzymes, which enhance the activity of intestinal flora, are destroyed by cooking.
- Drink approximately two litres of bottled or filtered water throughout the day, as well as herbal teas
- Use coconut, almond, hemp and oat milk rather than cow’s milk; goat’s and sheep’s milk/yoghurt may be an acceptable alternative
- Use turmeric frequently and liberally, always with black pepper to aid absorption
Reduce or eliminate :
- Inflammation-causing foods, eg: red meat; most dairy produce, and fried, processed and refined foods (rapid stir-frying is fine)
- Wheat and most other grains –- but especially wheat
- Stimulants, eg: caffeine, sugar, some spices, and alcohol (red wine, in particular, should be avoided)
- Common table salt (excessive sodium causes fluid retention); natural, unbleached sea salt (especially pink Himalayan rock salt) is an excellent alternative
- Citrus fruits and juices (their acidity may exacerbate joint pain)
- Members of the nightshade family: potato, aubergine, tomato, peppers (red, yellow and green), which may exacerbate arthritic conditions in some people. Nightshades are also known as solanaceae, because they produce an alkaloid compound called solanine. Only people with a sensitivity to solanine should avoid nightshades – they will trigger inflammation and joint pain. For everyone else, even those with a tendency to arthritis, peppers and aubergines contain antioxidants which help to alleviate inflammation; and hot chilli peppers also contain capsaicin, a potent anti-inflammatory compound. Sweet potatoes, incidentally, are not part of this family.
As a clinical nutritionist, I can help you get started on your anti-inflammatory diet and guide you along as you switch from your former eating patterns. There are also many beneficial nutritional supplements to enhance and reinforce this style of eating, and I can design a personalised programme for you.
27 June 2023
