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Diet can have a big impact when treating chronic pain. Certain foods can increase inflammation, while others are known to reduce inflammation. By avoiding the former and consuming the latter, you could find that you’re able to reduce pain levels and make your condition easier to live with. Below are just a few tips for eating away your chronic pain.

Say no to added sugars

Sugar is known to spike blood sugar levels. This results in a release of insulin, which can trigger inflammation around the body. In other words, eating sugary foods and consuming sugary drinks will make any pain worse by triggering more inflammation. 

Not all sugary foods will have such a drastic impact on inflammation. Many natural sources of sugar such as honey and fruit also contain vitamins that have anti-inflammatory properties (more about this later in the post). You should be more careful of ‘unnatural’ sources of sugar or processed foods where sugar has been added. This includes candy, soda, cakes, chocolate and most processed breakfast cereals. 

Reduce your refined carbs

Refined carbs are another food that can trigger inflammation. These include grains and potatoes which have been processed - in doing so, all the vitamins and minerals that would otherwise reduce inflammation are removed. 

Examples of refined carbs include white bread, white rice, white fiber pasta, french fries and many processed breakfast cereals. Replace these with whole carbs that have not been as ‘refined’ - this includes brown bread, brown rice, whole grain pasta, potatoes and oatmeal. 

Eat more fruit and vegetables

Many fruits and vegetables have anti-inflammatory properties. This is due to the presence of antioxidants and polyphenols. By eating your five a day, you could potentially reduce your pain.

Examples of anti-inflammatory fruits and vegetables include:

• Kale

• Spinach

• Broccoli

• Tomatoes

• Peppers 

• Grapes 

• Strawberries

• Blueberries

• Cherries 

Look into cannabis edibles

Cannabis is legal to buy for medicinal use in many states. This plant contains cannabinoids which are known to contain very potent anti-inflammatory agents. As a result, many people find it to be very effective against pain.

While it is popular to smoke cannabis, eating cannabis is a much healthier way of administering it. You can buy edibles online at sites like HarvestHOC. Alternatively, you can make your own edibles at home. Extracts like CBD can also be used within cooking.

Cook with turmeric and ginger

Two spices that have very potent anti-inflammatory properties include turmeric and ginger. Turmeric is great for targeting joint pain, while ginger is great for targeting stomach pain due to its joint anti-nausea properties. Both spices can be consumed raw in powder form or in the form of supplements. However, you may also be able to benefit from their anti-inflammatory properties by incorporating them into foods and drinks.

Photo by Yaroslav Shuraev: https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-woman-reading-a-book-in-the-kitchen-8845411/