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Chronic pain can impact your life in a major way. You may find it difficult to work, drive, run errands, or even get out of bed. More than 76 million people in the United States have experienced at least one 24-hour episode of chronic pain, and there are also a large number of people who experience episodes of acute pain. If chronic pain is affecting your life, you may desperately want to figure out a way to manage it. Review the helpful information below to determine whether your dietary habits are possibly triggering your episodes of chronic pain.
Gluten Consumption
As new gluten-free products continue to pop up in grocery stores, you may find yourself wondering about the benefits of going gluten free. Some people follow a gluten-free diet because they have celiac disease, a condition exacerbated by wheat, rye, barley, and similar grains. Other men, women, and children opt to go gluten free because they’ve discovered gluten irritates their gastrointestinal system or causes joint pain.
If your joints hurt after consuming gluten, it’s probably because gluten is an inflammatory agent. Inflammation is often associated with pain, so if your body is inflamed, it’s generally going to hurt. You may also experience pain if gluten robs your body of much-needed nutrients. People who have trouble tolerating gluten often experience a loss of vitamins and minerals after ingesting gluten-filled foods.
Be careful not to replace foods that have gluten with other inflammatory foods if you decide to go gluten free. Keep in mind that many substitutes for wheat have a significant amount of sugar or sodium, both of which can irritate a sensitive immune system.
Dairy Ingestion
The American Heart Association says that you should consume 2 to 3 servings of dairy products per day, but is that really necessary? Dairy does contain beneficial nutrients such as vitamin D and calcium, but like gluten, it may have an inflammatory effect on your body.
It’s difficult for human bodies to digest milk created by cows. Some people report that drinking raw milk makes them feel better than they do after drinking pasteurized milk, and healthy living blogs often promote the alleged benefits of raw milk consumption. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns men, women, and children that there are risks associated with drinking unpasteurized milk.
Rather than switching to raw milk, you may feel more comfortable incorporating dairy substitutes into your diet. If you don’t drink dairy, you can choose milk made from:
- Coconuts
- Almonds
- Cashews
- Hemp
- Soy
- Pea protein
Talk to your doctor before switching to a non-dairy milk. He may have options available to help you tolerate the negative effects of dairy products.
Sugar Intake
It’s nearly impossible to avoid refined sugar in today’s modern world unless your diet primarily consists of fresh produce and lean meat. Beverages, soups, salad dressings, and baked goods often contain sugar, and you can even find it in medications and supplements. Unfortunately, there’s a potential link between sugar and chronic pain, so it’s important to limit or avoid it if you want to feel better.
Like gluten and dairy, sugar is an inflammatory substance that may cause or worsen joint pain. Over time, excess sugar consumption can even cause obesity or heart disease.
Don’t follow the “no pain, no gain” mantra when it comes to nutrition. If something makes you feel bad, stop eating it – and make sure your medical provider knows about the symptoms that you’re experiencing. Eliminating unhealthy foods or inflammatory substances may not completely get rid of your chronic pain, but it might prevent it from getting worse. Make smart dietary choices so that you can help your body heal – or potentially even avoid discomfort in the first place, and not have to rely solely on medications that may create other problems for you .
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
*Paige Johnson is a fitness nerd and shares her insights on LearnFit. She
loves offering her advice on weight lifting and strength training. *