Physical therapy is incredibly important and powerful when it comes to taking care of your
body and recovering from arthritis and other inflammatory conditions.
But you can’t expect to see prolonged results if you do not also
take your nutrition into account. There are a lot of common foods out
there that can cause or worsen inflammation. If you want to fully curb
your arthritis and joint pain, you need to know what foods to avoid, as
stated by the
Arthritis Foundation.
Eight food ingredients you should not each if you are worried about inflammation include:
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Sugars: We are constantly reminded to keep our sugar intake to a low to moderate
level, but for people with inflammatory conditions, they must be especially
careful. Sugar is delicious and hard to avoid, but you should make an
effort to skip anything that has a high sugar content.
-
Saturated fats: Anything with a high content of saturated fats, like most cheeses and
pizzas, can be a nightmare for people with inflammatory issues. Additionally,
consuming high amounts of saturated fats can increase your chances of
developing a heart disease.
-
Trans fats: Not to let its sibling, saturated fats, get all the attention, trans fats
can also worsen arthritis. Take any fried foods, like potato chips and
donuts, in moderation to decrease inflammation.
-
Omega-6 fatty acids: While this sounds like a science experiment, omega-6 fatty acids are actually
quite common in most oils and dressings, and is believed to be necessary
for healthy body growth. As you get older or your arthritis worsens, start
to cut back – you aren’t growing anymore, after all.
-
Refined carbohydrates: The majority of white breads and potatoes are heavy sources of refined
carbohydrates that have been linked to rising obesity rates and worsening
arthritis.
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Mono-sodium glutamate (MSG): What is MSG, anyway? Most people don’t know and don’t realize
they consume it regularly. This additive that is meant to improve food
flavor profiles, especially savory items like soy sauce or certain soups,
is a chemical that has been directly linked to chronic inflammation.
-
Gluten: The jury is somewhat out on gluten right now. Most of us know one or two
people who claim to be allergic to it, despite studies showing only 1%
or less of the population has a gluten allergy. Potential allergies aside,
gluten can worsen inflammation in just about anyone.
-
Aspartame: This is technically a neurotoxin that triggers chemical changes in the
brain, but you’ll find it in all sorts of diet products to replace
sugar. If your body has an allergic reaction to aspartame to try to fight
the toxin, it will manifest as headaches and inflammation.
Keeping track of what you should and shouldn’t be eating can understandably
become a burden you want to avoid. If you would like to explore
nutritional counseling options for professional guidance and moral support, ProFysio Physical
Therapy can help. We offer
free healthy exercise consultations, instructed by one of our doctors, to inquiring parties so starting towards
a better tomorrow is easy and risk-free.