You might be surprised to learn that a lot of chronic pain that people experience is the result of chronic inflammation. With that said, there are different types of food that you can add and remove from your diet to address your chronic pain. If you’re interested in trying this approach, continue reading to see some of the changes you can easily make to your diet.
At Colorado In Motion, our physical therapy services are designed to increase your range of motion, speed up your recovery time, help reduce stiffness, swelling, pain, or weakness, and help you get back to living life on your terms. Contact us today today to see how you can benefit from physical therapy services at one of our six locations across the Front Range.
Enjoy Plenty of Fruits and Veggies
If you’re like most people, then you probably don’t consume enough fruits and vegetables on a regular basis, which can be part of the reason you’re struggling with inflammation. You need to make sure you have at least one serving of vegetables at each meal, and at least two servings of fruit each day. Since you probably don’t want to have vegetables with breakfast, it’s fine to add a second serving to your lunch or dinner.
Choose Healthier Fats
Not all fats are bad for you. In fact, there are good sources of healthy fat that you want to try to incorporate into your diet. For example, olive oil, flaxseed, almonds, avocados, and walnuts are just a few of the foods that you should be sure to add to your anti-inflammatory diet. Saturated fats are what can lead to inflammation, so either avoid or limit your intake of butter and cheese.
Add Seafood and Limit Red Meats
Fish that are high in Omega-3 fatty acids are widely considered to be good sources of anti-inflammatory proteins. Some of the best options are salmon and sardines. On the other hand, if you regularly consume a lot of red meat, then you’ll want to cut back, as beef is much more inflammatory than other lean meats like turkey and chicken. If you really enjoy beef, try switching to beef that comes from cows that were grass fed.
Opt for Whole Grains
Whole grains have not undergone the heavy refinement process of other grains, which means they are much healthier for you and much less likely to cause inflammation. When using bread, rice, past, and oatmeal, avoid anything that has been refined or enriched. Instead, look for the whole-grain options to be sure that you are eating foods that are much less inflammatory.
Avoid Processed Foods
One of the biggest problems with processed foods is that they have very little nutrition due to the chemicals that have been added to prolong their shelf life. With that in mind, these chemicals can be major causes of inflammation. Some of the most common culprits include sodas, baked goods, prepackaged meals, and processed meats.
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy is another great option for addressing chronic pain in your back and neck. When you are in constant pain, it is very difficult to function, let alone enjoy life. At Colorado In Motion, we want to help you address your chronic pain, so you can enjoy life on your terms. Contact us today to learn more about our physical therapy services, and schedule a consultation at one of our six locations across the Front Range.