A couple of weeks ago I started a blog:   Be Healthy Naturally without Drugs or Surgery and we started off with the first step being Proper Sleep.  We then followed up last week with part 2:   The Importance of Stress Reduction in being Naturally Healthy.

Today, we are going to discuss dietary recommendations that reduce pain and inflammation naturally.  Reducing inflammation can also reduce other health risks and symptoms like cardiovascular disease, digestive issues like colitis and irritable bowel syndrome, asthma and allergies, diabetes, arthritis, certain types of cancer and so much more.  Many people don’t know the foods they are consuming are increasing their pain and swelling.  By making modifications in diet and nutrition, you can once again start feeling healthy and less pain.

My name is Dr. Russell Brokstein.  I am a chiropractor in Freehold, NJ and owner of Hometown Family Wellness Center.  We have been helping patients in Freehold and nearby towns of Marlboro, Manalapan, Howell, Jackson, Morganville, Colts Neck and other communities in Monmouth County, New Jersey.

Dietary and nutritional choices have a big impact on health, including pain sensation and inflammation.  If you follow some of the following advice, you will most likely start to feel better too!

A diet that controls inflammation is high in antioxidants from fruits, vegetables and foods in that category that are known for their anti-inflammatory properties.  Incorporate these foods in your diet and watch your pain and inflammation decrease.

Fruits: apples, acerola berries, fresh pineapple, guavas, grapefruit and rhubarb, kiwi fruit, lemons, limes, oranges, kumquats, black currants, blueberries, raspberries, mulberries and strawberries, papaya, cherries, and tomatoes

Vegetables: spinach, sweet potatoes, bell peppers, cabbage, bok choy, onion, leeks, garlic, green onions, broccoli, cauliflower, broccoli sprouts, brussel sprouts. greens

Herbs & Spices: basil, oregano, mint, cloves, turmeric, cayenne peppers, chili peppers, parsley, rosemary

Fish and Meats: Cod, halibut, salmon, snapper, bass, whitefish, herring, trout, sardines, grass-fed beef, pork, naturally-raised (not on grain) chicken and turkey.

Whole Grains: brown rice, whole wheat, buckwheat, barley, rye, millet, spelt

Fats: extra virgin olive oil, avocado, hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts

You Should Know About the Red Meat/Inflammation Connection

Researchers have found a connection with red meats and inflammation, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you shouldn’t eat red meat.  The reason why they found this correlation is that most cattle are fed grains that fatten them up and change the fat composition of their meat.  A cow fed grains can’t even digest the grains properly in the first place!  The grain is high in omega 6 fats that increase inflammation.

When cattle are fed a diet that is high in omega 6 fats, their meat ends up low in omega 3 fats and high in omega 6.   So when you eat meat with an improper balance of fats in it, now you have created an imbalance in your own body. You’re more susceptible to inflammation.

What’s the answer?  It’s this:  eat grass-fed beef and other meats.  That way, the meat still has the correct balance of omega 3 to omega 6 fats in it.  By the way, grass fed beef is a lot tastier than the regular beef you purchase at the grocery store.  Fancy restaurant chefs use grass-fed beef because the taste is the best!

Natural Remedies that Help Decrease Inflammation

Ginger contains over 500 different compounds, many which have anti-inflammatory properties.  Try a 500 mg capsule or about one third of a teaspoon when you feel pain or inflammation, but don’t take it with prescription medications.  Leave at least an hour in between prescription medication and any herbs.  Cook with ginger regularly.  One simple recipe is to braise beef or chicken strips with broccoli and one-half cup diced or sliced ginger.  Use pineapple juice as a sweetener in this dish.   Serve with rice and a spinach salad.

Omega-3 fats – Americans have eaten too many omega-6 fats in their diet over the last 20 years, resulting in a widespread omega-3 fat deficiency.  Omega-3 fats prevent inflammation in the body and are correlated with allergies, asthmas, skin disorders and many other diseases.  Make sure you have omega-3 fats in your diet by adding three to ten capsules of 500 mg EPA with DHA (these are fish oils) daily.   But don’t just settle for any supplement; you’ll need a pharmaceutical grade fish oil that eliminates the heavy metals.  Ask me what type is best on the market and I’ll let you know at your next appointment.

Antioxidant Vitamins – Did you know that increasing your vitamin C intake could reduce inflammation in the body by 45%?  That’s what researchers reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in March of 2006.  Taking about 2000 mg vitamin C is a good way to start  decreasing inflammation in the body.  You can always increase the amount of vitamin C as needed.

Also, make sure that you get at least 400 IU vitamin E in your supplements daily.  Vitamin E is responsible for reducing inflammation of the muscles, which may be extremely helpful in your present health situation.

Germanium oxygenates your body cells, organs and tissues and provides pain relief in many people.  When using germanium, take the element on an empty stomach, and never at the same time with any prescription medications. 200 to 300 mg germanium or more may prove extremely helpful.

Using a combination of chiropractic with recommendations of sleep, nutrition, mental well-being and stress reduction, and exercise, we are leading people away from sick care of medicating and treating symptoms to a more natural real healthcare of making health a priority without drugs and surgery.

If you are ready to live a healthy lifestyle and prevent future symptoms and disease, find out more about our office:  www.chiropractorfreehold.com and take us up on our complimentary consult.