OnFitness Magazine - March/April 2020 - 30

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HOW TO FIGHT YOUR PAIN
THROUGH NUTRITION
Priscilla Ball
There's a relationship
between food and
pain. Some foods
trigger pain, while
other foods suppress
it. The most common
pain is the headache.
The headache may seem very simple in
definition, but the correct diagnosis of the
type of pain is complicated. Headaches are
either migraine and non-migraine.
Althought the majority of headaches
may be non-migraine, the fact is,
something is triggering them. Many factors
such as hormones, physical exertion
(heavy exercise or strenuous labor) and
drug-related factors are all to
blame for the common
headache. Non-migraine
headaches can often lead to
migraine complaints. There
are as many causes of
headaches, as there are causes
of fluctuating gas prices.
Environmental factors often
play an additional role and
cause pain triggers when
mixed with certain foods.
It's estimated that
approximately one-quarter of
the population has difficulty
digesting any particularly
given food. That number may
seem conservative with reports
relative to lactose intolerance
alone. Some of the best
headache clinics in the world look at
common food allergies as a major trigger
for headaches.
The most common are dairy products,
seafood, wheat gluten, coffee, and
chocolate. Many times, an allergy test will
prove negative with respect to any
particular food. The truth is, certain foods
like chocolate will stimulate the brain to
produce peptides, and those chemicals can
result in increased blood supply to the
brain, which results in a pressure
headache. Other addictions to various
chemicals such as caffeine are likely to
produce a headache during withdrawal.
Many individuals may be aware of
Chinese restaurant syndrome, that is
brought on after consuming high amounts
of monosodium glutamate. These
headaches can be quite devastating and
sometimes are accompanied by chest pain.
Another type of headache is known as the
" hotdog headache. " This is commonly
associated with the excessive nitrates

added to some prepared meats. Other
individuals may be hypersensitive to cold
liquids and solids and commonly
experience " brain freeze. " Far too many
individuals are associated with an alcoholinduced headache that usually occurs
when you drink red wine and hard liquor.
When trying to decipher which types
of foods, if any, may be causing your
headache, try and consider that it may be a
combination of foods that are creating the
problem, such as mixing chocolate and
soda pop or chocolate and coffee.
If you happen to be a victim of regular
headaches it's to your best benefit to keep a
food log and include anything you drink

with respect to your headache onset.
While headaches may be the primary
diagnosis submitted to all insurance
companies in the United States, running a
close second is back pain. There are many
causes of back pain, just like there are
headaches. One of the most common causes
is associated with arthritis. When you eat
any starch or processed sugar, it begins a
cascade of hormones and inflammatory
responses that attack your joints with an
intense vengeance. Some simple spices can
alter this attack, such as ginger.
Millions of individuals suffer from
arthritis and aggravate the condition daily.
Most individuals in the United States eat
an extremely high consumption of omega6 fats. There is some evidence that shows
that a diet rich in omega-3 fats provides
some relief for arthritic pain. Other
research has found that chemicals are
produced when foods such as meats are
fried or grilled that often react with
various inflammatory diseases. It should be

noted that this is very weak research, but
some tendencies and hypersensitivities
toward foods that are prepared this way
may be applicable.
For most individuals who are not on
kidney dialysis, consuming more protein
daily will offer benefits that are geared
toward healing. Many individuals with
nervous problems, digestive problems, and
other related connective tissue disorders
will benefit from an increase of dietary
protein. Utilizing protein offers an
increased enzyme response associated with
a normal metabolism that produces sugars
and results in new tissue formation.
Typically, eating foods in a more raw
and natural state provides
natural enzymes that allow
any food to digest easier. The
obvious exception to this rule
is raw eggs and meat. Other
specific foods to eat when
you're in pain include fresh
fruits that are high in citrus
content, due to their high
antioxidant values.
One of the best things you
can ingest when you're in
pain is water. The osteopathic
profession was based upon
the theory that whenever
something in the body slowed
down, it led to an increase of
disease. Drinking
approximately one gallon of
water a day offers an increase
of filtration that is sure to remove
unwanted toxins from your system. The
majority of the pain in our bodies is
associated with toxic chemical
neurotransmitters, and a significant
amount of water is required to remove
them.
Eating about eight raw asparagus
spears a day will assist with the removal of
water from our system and with it, a
tremendous amount of toxins. The
aspartate acid associated with asparagus is
a powerful toxic chemical attractant, and
the efficiency of this chemical will be
obvious the next time you use the
restroom. The pungent smell associated
with urine is proof that the aspartate acid,
along with the toxins it has picked up, is
being removed from your system.
To summarize, when you're in pain,
avoid fatty meats that are fried or grilled;
eat more fish, more raw foods - especially
raw asparagus - drink more water and
avoid processed sugars. Z

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OnFitness Magazine - March/April 2020

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