What Everyone Should Know About Painful Inflammation

Everyone wants to live a long, happy, healthy, pain-free life. However, for far too many people today, this is not the hand that they have been dealt. Millions of people rely on medications, therapies, surgery, and other invasive and risky treatments, all for the sake of trying to eliminate or even just reduce their pain.

One of the most common sources of pain within the body is inflammation. Swelling in the body can affect organs, joints, and every system within the human body. Unfortunately, there are many things that can trigger inflammation within the body. It is important to know why the body reacts the way it does to certain stimuli and how we can help fight the underlying causes of swelling by making smart lifestyle choices every day. The place to start is knowing about how inflammation relates to toxins in the body.

The Evil of Painful Inflammation in the Body

“Your immune system becomes activated when your body recognizes anything that is foreign—such as an invading microbe, plant pollen, or chemical. This often triggers a process called inflammation. Intermittent bouts of inflammation directed at truly threatening invaders protect your health. However, sometimes inflammation persists, day in and day out, even when you are not threatened by a foreign invader. That’s when inflammation can become your enemy. Many major diseases that plague us—including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, depression, and Alzheimer’s—have been linked to chronic inflammation” (Harvard Health Publishing).

This is why people are so desperate to fight inflammation, but many don’t know enough t know how to go about it in a safe and effective way. Far too many people reach for OTC medications or prescription medication to fight their pain and inflammation. While they can be effective at times, many medications stop working over time, and almost all bring with them a long list of other side effects, including some that can be quite severe! Many people do not understand how inflammation relates to toxins in the body and thus do not take an effective approach to treating it. This is a shame because reducing toxins and inflammation can be as easy as paying attention to what you eat!

How an Anti-inflammatory Diet Changes Your Life

What if there was a way to fight painful inflammation and reduce toxin levels without relying on harmful medications or risky procedures and surgery? What if there was a way to make a simple change to your day to day lifestyle that could make all the difference in the world? What if it was as simple as changing what you eat and how you eat? Here at the Pain Relief Institute, we encourage all our patients who are struggling with inflammation of any kind to make these simple diet changes to see the difference healthy anti-inflammatory eating can make:

The Three Diet Basics You Need to Know to Combat Inflammation

•        Eat from all the colors of the rainbow: For optimum overall health, you need to eat a lot of fresh veggies each day. We recommend our patients eat around eight to nine servings. You can make a few of those servings low carb high antioxidant fruits if you wish.  The classification of vegetables known as Cruciferous are best for anti-inflammation and include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, cabbage, collards, and cauliflower are best.
•        Restrict your intake of dairy and grains: In general, it is best to consume dairy products in limited quantities due to the high fat and cholesterol content in most varieties. When you are adding grains to your menu, try to stay away from simple carbohydrates with refined sugar. Choose whole grains like barley, oats, quinoa, brown rice, rye, and for dairy choose low-fat varieties and pair with good fiber sources.
•        Avoid eating a lot of red meat: It is never a good idea to give up any one food group or type totally, but when it comes to red meat you can get away with eating it just a few times a year. Red meat has been shown to cause inflammation flare-ups in many people so it is best to opt for a leaner meat like fish, pork, or chicken. It still provides the protein you need but doesn’t have the fat and other elements that cause pain and swelling.

Anti-Inflammatory Foods You Should be Eating

When you understand how inflammation relates to toxins in the body, it becomes clear that the goal should be to flush out or eliminate toxins in the first place. Here are some of the best anti-inflammatory foods you should add to your diet as often as possible to help fight inflammation pain:

Ginger

Ginger is an ancient root that has been used for centuries for a wide range of medical and general health applications. It is most commonly associated with soothing indigestion and nausea, but recent studies show it can help fight inflammation and reduce associated pain.

Though clinical studies are still underway and more research is needed to fully understand the full power of this delicious spice, ginger is known to be great for overall health. There are few side effects to worry about which makes it a great addition to your favorite dishes!

Coffee

Countless studies have been done on whether drinking coffee has a positive or negative effect on the body. One such study showed that consuming a low dose of caffeine can help reduce pain and dampen pain receptors. The amount in the study was 100 milligrams or one cup of Joe.

Coffee is the most common way people today get their caffeine, but a good dose of caffeine can be found in things like tea, chocolate, and sodas. This is not to say you should binge or overdo it. For many people, too much caffeine can cause more harm than good, so talk to your doctor!

Olive Oil

There has been a lot of interest in the anti-inflammatory benefits of olive oil for many years. This is because those who have a diet high in olive oil seem to have fewer health conditions that involve joint deterioration, inflammation, and swelling.

It has also been thought that extra-virgin olive oil may have an effect on the body that is similar to the pain-dampening effects of ibuprofen. This makes it a great choice for cooking and baking and offers a multitude of ways to get pain relief without relying on harmful medications.

Salmon

Salmon is one of the most popular varieties of fish consumed in the country today. This is good because it is also rich in omega-3 fatty acids and is perfect for any diet. Even if inflammation and swelling are not your primary health concern, you can benefit from eating salmon often.

Foods with this type of healthy fat are thought to have numerous benefits for health, including a reduction in inflammation. Along with fatty acids, salmon is rich in calcitonin, which has been shown in clinical studies to reduce the inflammation in joints and protect against osteoarthritis.

Turmeric

Turmeric, which commonly is known by the name curcumin, is a spice commonly used in Indian dishes. With the distinctive yellow color, it is well known in curry and other similar dishes. You can easily add it to many dishes for a new and unique flavor profile.

Studies have shown that this delicious spice has anti-inflammatory effects that can help reduce pain and slow swelling responses. There are studies that also show a possible link between Turmeric and reduced symptoms for arthritis, degenerative disc disorder, and even gout.

Red Grapes

Resveratrol is a unique compound that is thought to provide anti-inflammatory benefits when consumed on a regular basis. In the lab, resveratrol has been shown to stop certain cells in the body from responding to pain and inflammation signals, essentially shutting down pain responses.

Continued research is needed to better understand exactly how this compound works within the human body, but initial research is promising. If you want to reduce inflammation-causing toxins in the body, adding red grapes to your diet can be a great starting place.

Contact the Pain Relief Institute Today

One of the most common sources of pain within the body is inflammation. Swelling in the body can affect organs, joints, and ever system within the human body. Take control and fight back today by making a smart change to your lifestyle and by adopting an anti-inflammatory diet that helps fight toxin buildup in the first place. Even the smallest change can start a ripple effect and jump-start the change you need!

To learn more about how inflammation relates to toxins in the body and what you can do to prevent this reaction, contact our pain management centers in Chicago today.  Call us today for an appointment and let our pain management clinic help you plan out the steps to get rid of pain and swelling once and for all. Here at the Pain Relief Institute, we can help you understand how inflammation relates to toxins in the body and how to fight back!