Wondering why you Have Aches and Pains? Take a Look at Your Diet
No one wants bursitis, arthritis, aches, and pains, or inflammation. We spend hours searching for remedies, like creams, shoe inserts, and medications all designed to make us feel better.
What if the answer was easier than that? What if it was almost staring us in the face?
Consider this situation:
If you thought that the reason your foot hurt was because you were wearing ill-fitting shoes, you would take the shoes off. If the shoes were too small, or the heels were too high, you would find a better shoe. It just makes sense. You wouldn’t keep trying to cram your foot into a shoe that made you feel bad every single day.
However…what about foods that cause us inflammation? Why would we keep eating foods over and over that are harming our bodies and causing inflammation?
It’s probably because a lot of us just don’t know what foods can be causing us (literal!) pain…and if we did, then we would avoid those foods.
What Are the Top 3 Foods that Cause inflammation?
- Animal products
Animal products, including dairy products, are often high-fat, can cause inflammation, and can lead to more problems such as diabetes and cancer.
A study from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey shows that those who ate high-fat meat and dairy products were “41% and 21% more likely to be overweight and have elevated blood sugars, respectively.”
And even more upsetting? Eating more saturated fat (the kind of fat found primarily in animal products) was associated with a great risk of death.
Saturated fat is a cause of inflammation. And where do you find this? Processed meats, like hot dogs, pepperoni, and smoked meats, as well as other red meats.
FYI: Processed meats contain more advanced glycation end products, which really trigger inflammatory effects, especially in colon cells. Click on this link and you will find 15 more foods you should avoid.
Many Americans are taught that red meat and processed meats are a daily part of life, but they can create havoc on our systems, especially when it comes to inflammation and heart disease,
- Sugar
Sugar is a culprit for so many bad things, and it’s often found in abundance in processed foods.
We have our “sugary” foods like donuts, cookies, cakes, and other desserts. But in reality, sugar is hidden in almost everything, not just your “sweet treats.” Look at ketchup: tons of sugar (why does it need sugar?) Pick up any typical cereal and you will find so much sugar.
Sugar is highly acidic (and full of empty calories!) and causes a lot of inflammation.
The extra fructose triggers inflammation in your “endothelial cells lining the blood vessels, which can be a major risk factor for your heart disease.”
- Fried and fatty foods
Everyone knows that fried and fatty foods just aren’t good for you, plain and simple.
Medically, they make your blood thick, and as a result, your blood circulation slows down, which results in hypertension and lack of oxygen. This means not enough oxygen goes to essential areas of your body, like your heart and brain.
And as you might assume, that can lead to big, big problems.
Bad Bonus: Alcohol and smoking
Both are very harmful to your health and the cause of chronic dangerous inflammation. Avoid and stay away!
So what do we get when we eat not one or two but many of the above foods? Every single day?
I see daily diets that include ice cream (made with dairy, eggs, cheese, and sugar), animal fats, cookies and crackers, cereals and junk food, all made with processed chemicals, artificial sweeteners, sugar, colors, and preservatives.
And we eat all of it like there is no tomorrow!
We are getting chronic conditions, like chronic inflammation, that alter our lives and leave us in pain.
However…once you educate yourself, you can eat the right way.
And when you do, you can start to see your body heal itself!
Stay tuned for my next blog post, where I talk about the foods you can and SHOULD eat to avoid inflammation and help heal your body!
In the meantime, if you are wondering how to make small or large changes to your diet, or wondering if the foods you are choosing are helpful to ward off inflammation, contact me for a free 15-minute consultation.