Anti-inflammatory diet and/or food lists

fitandpainfree
fitandpainfree Posts: 38 Member
edited November 24 in Food and Nutrition
Good Morning all! Anyone out there have any good information on using diet to reduce inflammation and/or chronic pain. I have gotten on line and am a little overwhelmed at all the info. Some things seems consistent, but there seems to be a lot of conflicting info too. My Physical Therapy Dr recommended I look into this as a possible way to help ease my pain levels and to ease flare-ups both now and in future. Thanks so much!

Replies

  • corinasue1143
    corinasue1143 Posts: 7,460 Member
    Checked out "the inflammation free diet plan" by Monica Reinagel at the library. No need to buy it. As suggested, didn't read the book, just the introduction. Went straight to the gray pages and made my 2 lists. One list of very highly anti-inflammatory foods that I like ok but don't love. One list of anti-inflammatory foods, not necessarily high, that I could probably eat every day. Took the second one with me every time I went to the store. Changed my every day eating. Yes it helped. When I feel really bad, I eat something off the first list. Has been really cold here lately and arthritis finally got so bad I ate a couple of blueberry ginger oatmeal no sugar muffins the other day. Next day 2 pounds lighter and felt much better.

    But as @Chieflrg said, retirement helped more than anything else has. No stress.
  • fatvegan88
    fatvegan88 Posts: 71 Member
    Have you read the plan by Lyn Genet? It talks a lot about inflammation and individual food reactions.
  • fitandpainfree
    fitandpainfree Posts: 38 Member
    Thanks for all your ideas. Will be doing more research. Also need to figure out how to de-stress more. One thing I have figured out is that a lot of these changes in diet can't hurt in my case anyway. So now just to figure out how to fit it into my life so it's doable so I can see if it is indeed beneficial for reduction in pain and pain flares. With that said, your tips and suggestion will be taken to heart and are much appreciated! THANK YOU.
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    fitandpainfree wrote: »
    Good Morning all! Anyone out there have any good information on using diet to reduce inflammation and/or chronic pain. I have gotten on line and am a little overwhelmed at all the info. Some things seems consistent, but there seems to be a lot of conflicting info too. My Physical Therapy Dr recommended I look into this as a possible way to help ease my pain levels and to ease flare-ups both now and in future. Thanks so much!

    What does ththe PT Dr recommend? He/she sees you and is aware of your particular issues.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,620 Member
    Are you overweight? My perception is that simply losing weight dramatically reduced systemic inflammation, for me. No help if you're already thin, though.

    I didn't/don't have major pain, but such pain as I did/do have (osteoarthritis/torn meniscus, mostly) was hugely reduced as a consequence.
  • helene4
    helene4 Posts: 120 Member
    edited January 2018
    When I eat foods I'm allergic my body becomes a little inflamed, so I avoid foods I'm allergic to (peanuts, dairy)
    Also, sugar is very inflammatory for me.

    Good luck!
  • spdaphne
    spdaphne Posts: 262 Member
    I just started the Elimination Diet about a week ago which takes eliminates foods that are sensitivities for a lot of people, such as as gluten, dairy, soy, corn, eggs, yeast, beef, pork, citrus, chocolate, processed sugar, etc. I can't eat out at the moment so I'm making everything I eat.

    Anyway, my energy has been a lot better and when I was doing Zumba yesterday and stretching after, I noticed that my lower back wasn't super tight and I could touch the floor easily. That hasn't happened in I don't know how long! And I think it's because my body isn't as inflamed because I've taken foods out that cause inflammation.

    There's something to be said about food and how healing it can be just by eating whole foods. I honestly haven't felt this good in my body in ages.

    Here's some recipes you can try when I searched online. https://spoonuniversity.com/recipe/20-anti-inflammatory-recipes. Try out some of them and see how you feel.
  • Fitness_and_FODMAP
    Fitness_and_FODMAP Posts: 72 Member
    I follow the Low FODMAP diet - it's for working out allergies, intolerances and other pain triggers. I have completed the elimination phase and done some rechallenging, but I have found a level that works for me, I know what I can tolerate in small doses, in higher doses and what to avoid completely.

    If you're interested, or intrigued, this is a brief run down of what it's all about:

    EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE LOW FODMAP DIET:

    FODMAP is an acronym for:
    Fermentable
    Oligosaccharides
    Disaccharides
    Monosaccharide
    and
    Polyols

    The theory
    FODMAP is based on the theory that some types of carbohydrate can cause IBS-type symptoms in susceptible people. This is because the carbs are poorly absorbed in the small intestine and end up in the large intestine, where they are fermented by our gut bacteria. As Professor Kevin Whelan, from the FODMAP team at King’s College London, explains: FODMAP groups can promote a build-up of gas (wind) in the large intestine as well as dragging water into the gut, leading to uncomfortable stretching of the intestinal wall or even diarrhoea. Our research has shown that the low FODMAP diet is effective in resolving IBS-type symptoms when guided by an appropriately trained registered dietitian.

    Which carbs are responsible?
    The ‘offending’ molecules are so-called short-chain carbs such as sugars (lactose, fructose), polyols, galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS), and prebiotic ingredients, including fructans such as inulin. Lactose is mainly found in dairy foods (such milk, yogurt, ice cream), while fructose is found in foods including table sugar, honey, raisins, agave syrup, apples, pears and mangos. Polyols are found naturally in apples, apricots, avocados, cherries, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums, prunes, watermelon, cauliflower, mushrooms and mange-tout peas. They are also used as bulk sweeteners and include isomalt, maltitol, mannitol, sorbitol and xylitol. Sources of fructans include wheat, rye, barley, onion, garlic, artichoke, asparagus, beetroot, chicory, dandelion leaves, leek, radicchio, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and fennel. Pulses and beans are the main dietary sources of GOS. Some of the FODMAPs are also prebiotics, including fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), GOS, oligofructose and inulin. These can be added to foods by manufacturers to boost the fibre content.

    Is FODMAP for me?
    Because a low FODMAP diet is complex initially, you should carefully consider whether your symptoms are severe enough to be managed in this way and whether you have the time and inclination to follow all the steps involved. The majority of research on the low FODMAP diet has been in patients with IBS who are experiencing bloating, wind, abdominal pain, discomfort, or altered bowel habit such as diarrhoea, constipation or a combination of both.

    If people want to try a low FODMAP diet, it's best to do so under the guidance of a FODMAP-trained registered dietitian, as the diet can be quite restrictive and difficult to navigate successfully without proper support. There is a lot of unreliable information available on the low FODMAP diet, which can lead to people following an overly restrictive diet and putting themselves at risk of nutritional deficiencies by following an unbalanced diet.

    Getting started
    If you are experiencing gut symptoms it’s important to see your GP in the first instance so that they can carry out any necessary investigations and diagnose whether you have IBS or another condition.

    A FODMAP diet has two phases. First, under the supervision of a FODMAP-trained dietitian, you need to eliminate foods and drinks from the diet that are high in FODMAP carbohydrates. Certain fruits and vegetables, animal milk, wheat products and pulses are temporarily restricted in a patient’s diet for 4-8 weeks. This is followed by the reintroduction phase, an important part of the diet, where the patient is guided by their dietitian to identify the FODMAP groups which produce symptoms. These trigger foods are then avoided long-term but it’s important that the patient learns how to substitute these with nutritious alternatives to keep their diet balanced'.

    FODMAP: the essentials
    Avoid: Wheat, fruit and vegetables high in FODMAP, dairy foods, beans and pulses - choose instead: Wheat/gluten-free bread and pasta, rice, quinoa, oats, dairy-free foods, low-sugar foods, bananas, orange, mandarin, grapes, melon, alfalfa, beansprouts, green beans, bok choy, capsicum, carrot, chives, cucumber, lettuce, tomato, courgette, meat, fish, chicken, tofu, eggs, almonds, pumpkin seeds, water, tea and coffee.

    Downside
    A poorly managed low FODMAP diet could be deficient in key nutrients for health, such as calcium, fibre and energy. Constipation can also be an issue if the fibre naturally found in fruits, vegetables and wholegrain foods isn’t replaced. With so much information available it can be tempting to try a low FODMAP diet yourself. However, as it’s so complex, you’re far more likely to complete it successfully with dietetic support and the most up-to-date and accurate information.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    myfitnesspalsophie wrote: »
    check out the blood type diet.

    blood type diet has no bearing on anything. its just another gimmick as many people can eat for their blood type and still have issues. your blood type has nothing to do with how you can or cannot digest foods,what you are allergic to and so on,
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  • shaumom
    shaumom Posts: 1,003 Member
    For many people I know who have chronic pain issues, certain foods tended to cause them inflammation. But while there were some common offenders, most people I know who really explored this facet of their pain ended up with a personal list of ‘bad’ foods, in terms of inflammation.

    A strict diet like the AIP protocol or even just eliminating processed foods plus the 8 major allergens, and keeping a food journal while doing so, seemed to be very helpful in tracking down possible ‘bad ‘ foods. Doesn’t mean these diets eliminated all the problem foods, but enough that you could see a pattern more, you know? And then adjust your final diet accordingly.

    One challenge is that for many I know, inflammation could be quantity dependent, and was usually 24-48 hours delayed from a problem food, so it could take a while to track down.

    But it makes a huge difference- IF you end up a person who has this issue. Like for myself, corn makes nerve pain flare badly. Corn starch, corn sryup, corn flour, etc... and you look at food today and you c an see that this stuff is in practically everything so I never noticed until I went on a strict diet. Grains, dyes, dairy, soy, preservatives, and nightshades were some of the more common offenders among acquaintances.


    Another thing I would recommend exploring is mast cells and bioflavonoids that are naturally mast cell stabilizing. Mast cells release many of the substances that cause inflammation, like prostaglandins. There are mast cell disorders where the cells release too much, or at the wrong times, and mast cell stabilzers help lessen that.

    Recent research has been finding some connection between improper mast cell behavior and some atuo-immune diseases and chronic pain conditions. Nothing definitive, As the research is just beginning, but it is enough that some folks are exploring solutions to inflammation from this angle. And as natural mast cell stabilzers are simply bioflavonoids in certain plant foods, and typcially not dangerous except in some unique case here and there, they may be in that category of ‘won’t hurt, might help a lot, so why not try it?’

    Luteolin, quercetin, and rutin are three stabilizers I know of- there are lists of foods online you can find with these, like olive leaf tea. A website called healing histamine is run by a gal who looks at this sort of thing but also typically lists research she references so you can check it out yourself. Also has some good interviews with experts that may be relevant. Even has a book with food that may be useful. :-)

    Good luck.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    edited January 2018
    myfitnesspalsophie wrote: »
    CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »
    myfitnesspalsophie wrote: »
    check out the blood type diet.

    blood type diet has no bearing on anything. its just another gimmick as many people can eat for their blood type and still have issues. your blood type has nothing to do with how you can or cannot digest foods,what you are allergic to and so on,

    Well I thought I'd share as it works well for me and I have A LOT of intolerances. My body is very sensitive. I found that all the foods I'm intolerant to are actually in the avoid section of the book. Do you have any better suggestions?

    yeah eliminate things you think are causing issues one at a time for several months and reintroduce it in small quantities. if it bothers you dont eat it. if it doesnt then eat it. lots of times things we think are causing issues can be something else entirely, it could be an ingredient in the product. say if you eat any packaged food say yogurt, it could be something they put in the yogurt to thicken it. so you find a yogurt without that ingredient(which many have allergies and intolerances to carageenan and locust bean gum) and try that one instead and see how you feel. if you have an intolerance to a lot of food then if you havent already see a dr,be tested for allergies, if its stomach issues see a gastroenterologist. as many underlying causes can make a person intolerant to certain foods,

    The site also says for most to eliminate sugar,alcohol and caffeine? really? why? oh because in some in will raise certain things and make you more susceptible to certain health issues? come on now and that type Bs have less risk factors and are more in shape? and are statistically taller? LMAO so much woo. oh and where is the diet for those who are RH positive or negative?
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    spdaphne wrote: »
    CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »
    myfitnesspalsophie wrote: »
    CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »
    myfitnesspalsophie wrote: »
    check out the blood type diet.

    blood type diet has no bearing on anything. its just another gimmick as many people can eat for their blood type and still have issues. your blood type has nothing to do with how you can or cannot digest foods,what you are allergic to and so on,

    Well I thought I'd share as it works well for me and I have A LOT of intolerances. My body is very sensitive. I found that all the foods I'm intolerant to are actually in the avoid section of the book. Do you have any better suggestions?

    yeah eliminate things you think are causing issues one at a time for several months and reintroduce it in small quantities. if it bothers you dont eat it. if it doesnt then eat it. lots of times things we think are causing issues can be something else entirely, it could be an ingredient in the product. say if you eat any packaged food say yogurt, it could be something they put in the yogurt to thicken it. so you find a yogurt without that ingredient(which many have allergies and intolerances to carageenan and locust bean gum) and try that one instead and see how you feel. if you have an intolerance to a lot of food then if you havent already see a dr,be tested for allergies, if its stomach issues see a gastroenterologist. as many underlying causes can make a person intolerant to certain foods,

    The site also says for most to eliminate sugar,alcohol and caffeine? really? why? oh because in some in will raise certain things and make you more susceptible to certain health issues? come on now and that type Bs have less risk factors and are more in shape? and are statistically taller? LMAO so much woo. oh and where is the diet for those who are RH positive or negative?

    While I've never seen this diet, in short I think there's a lot of value in just eliminating and reducing those items in a diet no matter what blood type you are. Whether you eat meat, are vegan, vegetarian, etc., there is a lot of stuff that inflame the body.

    While some diets may seem better than others, if it works for someone and it improves their health and how they feel, more power to them. No need to poo poo on someone.

    it wasnt poo pooing on them. these blood type diets are full of crap and prey on people who believe these types of things. common sense should tell you that if you have an issue with a food like I mentioned above then by all means no one is saying to eat that food. but eliminating foods based on your blood type because it claims it can lead to certain health issues and make you more vulnerable to increased cortisol and other issues? those things can happen no matter what your blood type is. There are many things out there that prey on others and promise and say this can cause x,y,z just to sell an item. if someone truly is having issues such as allergies and an intolerance to a lot of foods they need to see a dr like I said to rule out any underlying condition. which can cause these reactions.
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,159 Member
    myfitnesspalsophie wrote: »
    CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »
    myfitnesspalsophie wrote: »
    check out the blood type diet.

    blood type diet has no bearing on anything. its just another gimmick as many people can eat for their blood type and still have issues. your blood type has nothing to do with how you can or cannot digest foods,what you are allergic to and so on,

    Well I thought I'd share as it works well for me and I have A LOT of intolerances. My body is very sensitive. I found that all the foods I'm intolerant to are actually in the avoid section of the book. Do you have any better suggestions?

    @myfitnesspalsophie all kinds of diets can work and are valid but they work for some and not for others so much often. Finding the one that works for you is as good as it gets in my view. One can modify/change WOE's as needed. Best of continued success.
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    Chieflrg wrote: »
    Tried it years ago. Never worked. It's a placebo if anything.

    I found with my case(autoimmune disease) that by reducing stress in life, it reduces the flares.

    Stress reducers: Divorce, heavy lifting, running etc...

    Same. I've never found dietary interventions to be helpful. Regular exercise and maintaining a healthy weight on the other hand? Very helpful.

    I also have autoimmune issues.
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,159 Member
    fatvegan88 wrote: »
    Have you read the plan by Lyn Genet? It talks a lot about inflammation and individual food reactions.

    @fatvegan88 that was a new name to me. Thanks

    [url="hthttp://www.greenmomco.com/blog/eating-clean-and-reducing-inflammation-with-the-lyn-genet-recitas-plan/tp://"]htgreenmomco.com/blog/eating-clean-and-reducing-inflammation-with-the-lyn-genet-recitas-plan/tp://[/url]
  • Wheelhouse15
    Wheelhouse15 Posts: 5,575 Member
    Getting recommendations for a possible medical condition on a general fitness site like this is rather pointless and potentially dangerous. Physios are not able to diagnose such conditions either but can certainly recommend you look into this. The only thing that makes sense here is to have a proper diagnosis by a MD and then treatment with diet would come from a qualified RD.
  • zoepenna1987
    zoepenna1987 Posts: 1 Member
    I suffer from fibromylgia. I believe in eating healthy, regular exercise and turmeric has helped me alot!
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    GlorianasTears wrote: »
    myfitnesspalsophie wrote: »
    CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »
    myfitnesspalsophie wrote: »
    check out the blood type diet.

    blood type diet has no bearing on anything. its just another gimmick as many people can eat for their blood type and still have issues. your blood type has nothing to do with how you can or cannot digest foods,what you are allergic to and so on,

    Well I thought I'd share as it works well for me and I have A LOT of intolerances. My body is very sensitive. I found that all the foods I'm intolerant to are actually in the avoid section of the book. Do you have any better suggestions?

    A lady I acted with told me that the blood type diet helped her a ton so it's awesome that it works for some people I have never tried it but maybe I should look into it since I keep hearing positive things about it.

    guess you missed the post where its been debunked?
  • Wheelhouse15
    Wheelhouse15 Posts: 5,575 Member
    CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »
    GlorianasTears wrote: »
    myfitnesspalsophie wrote: »
    CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »
    myfitnesspalsophie wrote: »
    check out the blood type diet.

    blood type diet has no bearing on anything. its just another gimmick as many people can eat for their blood type and still have issues. your blood type has nothing to do with how you can or cannot digest foods,what you are allergic to and so on,

    Well I thought I'd share as it works well for me and I have A LOT of intolerances. My body is very sensitive. I found that all the foods I'm intolerant to are actually in the avoid section of the book. Do you have any better suggestions?

    A lady I acted with told me that the blood type diet helped her a ton so it's awesome that it works for some people I have never tried it but maybe I should look into it since I keep hearing positive things about it.

    guess you missed the post where its been debunked?

    Blood type and body type diets are complete wacko pseudo-science yet still have a lot of followers. You can never defeat bad science or even non-science that sounds like science.
  • fitandpainfree
    fitandpainfree Posts: 38 Member
    Again, thanks all! I did more research and have a sort of plan to implement. I also have a pretty good list made that has been adopted from several lists which I found by cross-referencing consistent info in many articles ect. I am planning a shopping trip this week after I take my info/ideas to both my GP and PT drs for a consult. My plan is to go slow and eliminate and then re-introduce and so on and so on, to see if there are any trigger foods etc. I already cleared most of the fridge/pantry of items that are consistently on the "do not eat" list. These changes and my plan seem "do-able" in my mind so I'm hopeful.
    So again a big THANK YOU to all who took the time to post their ideas and thoughts. Much appreciated.
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