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Healthy Joints

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Healthy Joints

Foods that help and foods that hurt your joints.

Many of us wake in the morning with stiffness or pain in our joints some days and other days without any problems and immediately discount it as aging or the all too common, “I must have arthritis”.  What many don’t consider is our diet and how it effects our joints.  In this article we’ll discuss some common foods and supplements that promote healthy joints and common foods to stay away from when you are feeling pain and stiffness in your joints.

Foods That Hurt

      sugarSugar

It’s no secret that sugar is unhealthy.  Coffee drinks, sodas, juices, sweets, pastries, cakes, snack bars all contain high levels of sugar.  The two most common sugar additives in our food are sucrose (table sugar) and high fructose corn syrup.  When we eat excess amounts of sugar the body has trouble processing it.  This causes an inflammatory response in the body.

Not only will sugar cause inflammation in the body, it also decreases immunity.  Excess sugar will suppress the function of white blood cells that work to fight off bacteria that cause colds and other sicknesses.  Sticking to the sugars in fruits and vegetables to avoid additional sugar additives is your best bet.  It’s a good idea to start looking at nutrition labels to see how much sugar is in the food and drinks that you are consuming.

      Vegetable oil and trans fat

Americans eat excessive amounts of vegetable oil.  Our foods are full of these oils.  Things like bread, crackers, mayonnaise, potato chips and fried foods.  These foods that use vegetable oils are high in omega-6 fatty acids which are inflammatory.  Not to mention, vegetable oils and foods that contain them are highly processed.

           Salt

If you have to much salt in your diet you will accumulate and retain excess water resulting in some cases high blood pressure and calcium losses thus effecting your bones and joints.

 

Foods That Help

      brussel sproutsSulfur-rich foods

Methylsulfonylmethane(MSM) is a naturally occurring compound found in vegetables like brussel sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, asparagus, lettuce, corn, spinach and onions.  These sulfur rich foods reduce joint pain and helps produce collagen which is essential for bones, ligaments, tendons and cartilage.

      

     Fatty Fish

 

Fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel and herring are great sources of protein.  They also have high levels of omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA.  Why are these omega-3s so important?  Unlike plant based fatty acids, fatty fish omega-3s are already in an active form.  This means that they are more efficient in attacking inflammation in the body.  These omega-3s have also been shown to reduce heart disease, diabetes and kidney disease.  Start adding fatty fish to your weekly diet for a tasty and healthy way to fight off pain.

     Tumeric

Turmeric contains a powerful active compound called curcumin.  It has potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.  There are numerous benefits to turmeric including reduction of pain associated with arthritis and joint pain.  You can take turmeric as a supplement or add it to foods and teas to get the benefits.

      Magnesium

Magnesium is an essential dietary mineral found in nuts, legumes, leafy green vegetables and whole grains. Most Americans are deficient in this vital mineral. In fact, several studies on back pain, fibromyalgia and migraine have looked at magnesium deficiency as a cause. Magnesium has been found to inhibit Substance-P, which is an inflammatory chemical in the body associated with pain. It has been widely used to help with chronic pain disorders and fibromyalgia. Magnesium taken as a supplement or used as a topical oil is an excellent natural alternative to prescription medication.

 

       Water

Drinking water and staying properly hydrated helps lubricate your joints reducing stiffness and pain.  Water is also essential for your body to flush toxins, aid in digestion, absorb nutrients and even maintain body temperature.  And if that wasn’t enough drinking more water makes you fuller so you eat less and help with weight loss.

      milkLow Fat or Non-Fat Milk

Drinking milk is a good source for calcium and vitamin D.  Both calcium and vitamin D improves the strength of bones and also helps in the healing post-fracture.  Choosing low-fat or non-fat milk you avoid the extra calories and saturated fat.

      Conclusion

These are just a few foods and supplements that help or hurt.  Making changes in your diet can drastically affect your pain levels even if you have had a chronic injury.  Not only that, changes in diet can help with weight loss and improved energy.  To stay as healthy as possible, keep your joints feeling good and inflammation down by avoiding foods that trigger it.  The important thing is to listen to your body and how it responds to changes.  If your pain is unmanageable or you are having difficulty understanding how your diet is affecting your pain, you may want to consult a pain relief and nutrition specialist as well to make sure you’re doing the right things for your body, health and fitness.  This is key to making sure you’re on the right path to a healthy, energy-filled life.

5 Tips To Mindful Eating

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5 Tips To Mindful Eating

mindful eating

When it comes to eating, mindfulness is probably not the first thing on you think of.  The truth is, most of us just eat without really thinking at all.  That’s not really a shocking statement to make.  However, when you consider that being more mindful of your eating can prevent binge eating and overeating, you may want to adopt mindful eating principals.  

Becoming mindful eater is easier said than done, but here are five tips to get you started in the right direction.

1. Remember that food should be savored 

Taking the time to enjoy each meal is one of best ways to achieve your goal weight and even boost your appreciation for food. Look at it like this, when you get lost in an activity (such as watching TV or hanging out with friend) you lose the focus you should be using to concentrate on each meal. When you focus on your meal in that moment, you’re more likely to realize once you have become full.  As a result, you’re preventing yourself from overeating and gaining weight. 

2. Check in with yourself

Before you just grab something to eat, ask yourself how hungry you are. Are you truly hungry or just bored?  Snacking out of boredom is a tough habit to break, and leads to weight gain.  On the flip side, if you are only snacking out of hunger, you will prevent overeating and gaining extra pounds.  Of course, choosing healthy snacks is crucial.  Don’t just grab a bag of chips!

3. Eliminate technology

mindful tech use

We live in a technology-driven world where it’s socially acceptable to text, send or respond to emails and binge on social media—all while enjoying a three-course meal. But you don’t have to let yourself fall victim to this bad habit. This is also referred to as “mindless eating.” People who engage with technology during a meal or snack while they watch a movie often consume more than they need. If you can’t live without a snack at the movie theatre, consider purchasing something healthy instead of popcorn and candy. 

4. Appreciate the flavors of each meal

In today’s busy world, we don’t always have time to sit down and enjoy each meal in the way it was intended. When you make a conscious effort, however, to take just a minute out of each meal to pay attention to the flavors of your favorite dish or afternoon snack you will learn to appreciate the food on your plate. Lastly, focusing on the flavors of a healthy dish vs. artificial junk food, for example, may help you make healthier meal choices.

5. “Connect” with your food

Mindful eating apples

Mindfulness is about developing a relationship to food.   Try making things on your own or planting vegetable in a garden.  You don’t have to do make anything too complicated.  Start with something like your own oat power balls rather than just buying boxed granola bars from the store.  This will allow you to better connect and make food your own.  Another tip would be to go to a farmer’s market for locally grown produce so you can see where your food is coming from.  These connections allow for greater appreciation for the food you are eating.

Consider these mindful eating tips as part of your health and nutrition program.  Nutrition, like most things we do, requires a mental component to allow for greater success.  Practicing these tips can make a huge difference in how you approach eating and allow for a healthier, more satisfying lifestyle!

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10 Foods That Reduce Inflammation

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With chronic pain on the rise people are looking for better solutions. 

Produce

The opioid epidemic and dangerous side-effects of pills are causing people to look for other ways to manage pain.  Exercise, physical therapy and occupational therapy are the best options for natural pain relief.  However, other factors need to be considered like sleep hygiene, work habits and diet. 

Diet and nutrition play a big role in pain relief and inflammation control.  There are a whole host of foods that should be avoided because they cause inflammation. 

But what about foods that reduce pain and help with healing the body? 

Inflammation is a natural process that occurs in the body.  It is an alert system that happens in response to injury, wound or sickness.  The action of swelling after you twist you ankle is your body reacting to fix the problem.  This is a good thing! [Read more…] about 10 Foods That Reduce Inflammation

Fibromyalgia

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Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a common and complex chronic pain disorder that affects the muscles throughout the body and results in an all over pain.  Many people describing “I hurt from head to toe”. 

The term fibromyalgia comes from “fibro” which means fibrous tissues, “myo” meaning muscle and “algia” meaning pain.  Thus, the term literally means muscle and fibrous tissue pain.  People with fibromyalgia often describe it as flu-like symptoms that leaves them exhausted and unable to think clearly. While others with this disorder have trouble sleeping and often wake up stiff and sore.  The symptoms can be debilitating at times and is estimated that 10 million Americans are effected with fibromyalgia aged 18 or older.  With the average age of first diagnosis being 35 to 45 years old.

[Read more…] about Fibromyalgia

CBDs for Pain Relief

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There is no surprise that people are looking for better, more natural ways to control pain.

CBD pain relief

The opioid epidemic, addictive properties of prescription pain pills and the mounting risk and side-effects associated with prescription drugs have led many to try other alternatives.

And why not?! Nearly 80% of the worlds opioid supply being consumed in the U.S., yet, one-third of Americans are still in pain! Clearly something needs to change.

There are a lot of natural alternatives out there from essential oils to pain relieving herbs. One in particular that is growing in popularity is CBD oil. There are a lot of questions and even controversy over this because of its roots. This article is being written to dispel any myths and stigmas surrounding this pain-relieving supplement. [Read more…] about CBDs for Pain Relief

Improving fatigue starts with your diet

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Are you always feeling tired and sluggish and can’t figure out why?

It very well could be that your diet is causing your fatigue.

Being tired and fatigued can really affect your day.  It decreases work productivity, makes you more irritable, can decrease your motivation to exercise and can even lead to injury.
 [Read more…] about Improving fatigue starts with your diet