13 Foods that Fight Pain - Article here
While many foods taste great, they are also powerful healers in a vibrant multicolor disguise. The best healing remedies also taste fabulous (I can’t say that about any prescription medications). Plus, foods won’t cause the nasty common side effects that most drugs cause.1. Cherries
Muraleedharan Nair, PhD, professor of natural products and chemistry at Michigan State University, found that tart cherry extract is ten times more effective than aspirin at relieving inflammation. Only two tablespoons of the concentrated juice need to be taken daily for effective results. Sweet cherries have also been found to be effective.
2. Blackberries 3. Raspberries 4. Blueberries and 5. Strawberries
Dr. Nair later found the same anti-pain compound in berries like blackberries, raspberries, blueberries and strawberries
6. Celery and Celery Seeds
James Duke, Ph.D., author of The Green Pharmacy, found more than 20 anti-inflammatory compounds in celery and celery seeds, including a substance called apigenin, which is powerful in its anti-inflammatory action. Add celery seeds to soups, stews or as a salt substitute in many recipes.
7. Ginger
Ginger reduces pain-causing prostaglandin levels in the body and has been widely used in India to treat pain and inflammation. A study by Indian researchers found that when people who were suffering from muscular pain were given ginger, they all experienced improvement. The recommended dosage of ginger is between 500 and 1,000 milligrams per day. If you’re taking medications, check with your health practitioner for possible herb-drug interactions.
8. Turmeric
Turmeric (curcuma longa) is the yellow spice commonly used in Indian curries. In research it has been shown to be a more effective anti-inflammatory than steroid medications when dealing with acute inflammation. Its main therapeutic ingredient is curcumin. Research shows that curcumin suppresses pain through a similar mechanism as drugs like COX-1 and COX-2 inhibitors (without the harmful side effects). Choose a standardized extract with 1500 mg of curcumin content per day.
9. Salmon 10. Mackerel and 11. Herring
Many fatty fish like salmon, mackerel and herring also contain these valuable oils. Omega-3s convert in the body into hormone-like substances that decrease inflammation and pain. According to Dr. Alfred D. Steinberg, an arthritis expert at the National Institute of Health, fish oil is an anti-inflammatory agent. Fish oil acts directly on the immune system by suppressing 40 to 55 percent of the release of cytokines, compounds known to destroy joints. Many other studies also demonstrate that eating moderate amounts of fish or taking fish oil reduces pain and inflammation, particularly for arthritis sufferers.
12. Flax Seeds and Flax Oil
Freshly-ground flax seeds and cold-pressed flax oil, contain plentiful amounts of fatty acids known as Omega-3s. Do not cook with flax oil otherwise it will have the opposite effect-irritating the body’s tissues and causing pain.
13. Raw Walnuts and Walnut Oil
Raw walnuts and walnut oil also contain the same powerful Omega-3 fatty acids that fight pain and inflammation in the body.
When it comes to pain, food really is the best medicine.
Natural Enzymes can help - Article here
Life does not exist without enzymes. Each one of us was born with an adequate but limited supply of enzymes. In general, there are three categories of enzymes. There are the digestive enzymes that help us break down the foods we eat, metabolic enzymes help our body’s run, and food enzymes from raw foods that start the digestive process.
Each organ system depends on the function of about one hundred different enzymes so in order to maintain a state of health, we must make sure that nothing interferes with the function of these enzymes.
Unfortunately, those that consume most of their daily diet in a cooked or processed form are not supporting or supplying their body with what it needs to maintain and function properly. Simply put, if we do not supply our body with enzymes from raw foods, our own supply runs out (heartburn anyone?) leaving us to borrow from the metabolic type. Our body is then robbed of energy needed for growth, maintenance, and repair or all its tissues and organ systems. A simple example that most can relate to is the person that becomes tired or feels as if they could take a nap after eating.
One of the best ways to help maintain a healthy supply of enzymes is to eat raw foods daily. Some suggest 40% of the diet should be raw to prevent a breakdown in health. Not only do raw foods contain enzymes themselves, they contain vital co-enzymes (vitamins) that the body needs. This is not as hard as you think. A salad once or twice a day, a piece of fruit or two and snacking on some raw veggies make it easy to accomplish.
When you chew raw food, enzymes are released that help digestion begin helping to balance the workload of the rest of the digestive system. Unfortunately, foods containing preservatives or that is heat processed have no living enzymes. Research has proven that a diet of cooked and processed foods accelerates the aging process and leads to premature death.
Avoiding enzyme deficiency is a great way to improve health, reduce issues of chronic allergies and even maintain a healthy body weight. So how do we begin to replace our depleted enzyme pools? Most importantly — by eating raw foods. There are many books dedicated to raw food diets and recipes if you want to elaborate. No dinner table should exclude a raw salad.
For those that are not likely to eat 40-50% raw, digestive enzymes can make a significant impact. A high quality enzyme will contain specific enzymes to digest proteins (protease), fats (lipase) and sugars or carbohydrates (amylase). Taking these enzymes with your cooked meals will facilitate healthy digestion and even support weight loss.
By incorporating enzymes into your life, or more importantly, consuming more raw foods, you are taking a pro-active approach to your health, longevity and disease prevention.
Catherine Stack is a doctor of naturopathy and certified nurse midwife. Her practice is located at Journey II Health in Niagara Falls. She can be reached at 298-8603 or at her website at journeyiihealth.com.
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