By Ayelet Connell-Giammatteo, PhD, PT, IMT,C
for days? Unfortunately, growing old is often synonymous with our health breaking down. The anti-aging movement may help you appear beautiful well into your later years, but do you actually feel good on the inside? Do you have ample energy to do all the things you want to do in your day? Growing old does not have to equate to degeneration.
W But to make any grand change, you need to make a grand
gesture. To make a grand gesture, it is helpful to consider all aspects of your body. This article will review some natural strategies to help you improve your health and lead a pain-free life.
Digestive Health and Illness It may come as a surprise, but digestive health is in fact one of the most important steps to achieving a pain-free life. What is digestive health? According to Elizabeth Lipski’s book, Digestive Wellness, faulty digestion is directly responsible for a large number of seemingly unrelated illnesses such as arthritis, migraines and auto-immune disorders. Improving digestive health is one way to reduce infl ammation in the body. By reducing infl ammatory foods that contribute to disease and illness, you can take steps towards a pain-free, healthier life.
Infl ammatory Foods How can you reduce chronic pain and promote health in your
body through digestion? One way is to reduce infl ammatory foods. Here is a list of some foods that are particularly infl ammatory.
1. Eliminate Gluten
Gluten is a protein that is found in wheat, rye, barley, and often oats. It is a ‘pro-infl ammatory food;’ when you eat foods that con- tain gluten, you create more infl ammation in the body. By avoiding gluten, you can make great strides toward better health. There have been countless reports of reduced joint pain, headaches, and other infl ammatory symptoms, such as arthritic pain, following elimina- tion of gluten in the diet. There are many substitutes today, as well as increased awareness in local restaurants about options for meals. For more information on how to maintain a gluten-free diet, visit
www.gluten.net.
20 Natural Nutmeg - April 2015
hen was the last time you went out with your friends or your partner to do something fun? Did the experience cause you any pain? Were you feeling the repercussions
2. Avoid Processed Foods and Preservatives Processed foods and preservatives are largely comprised of
chemicals that are diffi cult for the body to digest. When you eat a lot of processed foods, your body becomes more infl amed, which leads to joint pain as well as other chronic issues. By maintaining a diet full of fresh foods, you can create an environment in your body that is more optimal for healing.
3. Refi ned/Processed Sugar and Sugar Substitutes As with processed foods, processed sugar is largely comprised
of chemicals. These chemicals are not easily broken down and can lead to multiple health challenges when consumed over a lifetime.
Some examples of sugar substitutes include Aspartame, Nutra Sweet, and Splenda. Refi ned sugar includes cane sugar and brown sugar, as examples. Refi ned sugars can be very toxic to the body. The incidence of diabetes in this country is rising dramatically, largely due to refi ned sugar in our collective diet. Sugar substitutes often contain chemicals that can be carcinogenic and highly toxic. By avoiding refi ned sugar and sugar substitutes, you can improve your health and longevity signifi cantly. As an added benefi t, by avoiding refi ned sugar, pain is often lessened. Some ‘natural sweet- eners’ include honey, pure maple syrup, coconut sugar, palm sugar, and stevia. When used in moderation, these sweeteners can satisfy your sweet tooth without contributing to disease.
4. Drink Lots of Water Water is a true panacea! In fact, for many Americans, dehydra- tion is a status quo. Without proper hydration, your body fails. Com- monly, joint pain is accompanied by swelling in the joint. Drinking lots of water helps to fi lter the fl uid in your body, which can be helpful in reducing chronic joint pain. It is also important that your water source is optimally clean. If you are drinking tap water, be sure that it is fi ltered.
5. Reduce Grain in Your Diet Grain is essentially rice, wheat, barley, couscous, pasta, bread, baked goods, etc. There is growing research showing that many of the diseases that affect us in later life are contributed to by high intake of grain throughout our lifetimes. A prominent voice in this
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