Make Anti-Inflame Your Game

Anti-Inflammatory Eating is one of the most useful and effective tools for pain management that someone can use to treat themselves. AIE (which is the acronym for Anti-Inflammatory Eating, but it sounds like a victory cry, doesn’t it? Aiiieeee!!) is perfect for all types of health issues because it doesn’t require pills, prescriptions, or treatments to ease your pain - it’s all about something you’re doing anyway: eating!

Which is why it’s such a shock to me that it is still an unknown in today’s world. But I’m hoping to change that, starting with you! (So don’t stop reading; my knowledge-giving goals rely on you.)

A Little About Inflammation:

Inflammation is a blight to all things joyful. Much of pain that a person can experience is caused in some way by inflammation. Back problems? Your tissues are inflamed. Appendicitis? Inflamed appendix. Inflammatory Bowel Disease? Do I even need to tell you what causes that? Inflammation! So I believe it’s safe to say that in a world of painful problems, inflammation is the monster to beat, and AIE is the sword.

How Do I eat Anti-Inflammitory?

Nutrition is hard; I get that. I mean, how many times have you read that EGGS, a breakfast staple, are good for you, then bad for you, then good for you again? It seems like no one’s really sure about how to eat healthily. But fortunately, AIE is pretty black-and-white. Everything you can eat either adds inflammation to your body or removes it. So all you have to do is remove some bad stuff and add some good stuff!

What’s the Bad Stuff?

Sugar, Pasta, Bread, Grain Fed Meat, Dairy

What’s the Good Stuff?

Oily fish, beets, pineapple, blueberries, broccoli, ginger, nuts, green tea, spinach, chia seeds, flax seeds, dark chocolate, omega 3 eggs (see, they can be good for you again), extra virgin olive oil, tomatoes, garlic, avocado, peppers, broccoli, beets, bok choy, garlic, walnuts, apples, and coconut oil, turmeric, cherries, ginger, raw apple cider vinegar.

See also: The Herbal Toad's post, 21 Anti-Inflammatory Foods

Anti-Inflammatory Eating Is Not All Or Nothing

It's about balance! While completely removing inflammatory foods and eating nothing but anti-inflammatory foods might seem like the ultimate goal, most people won't adhere to such a strict diet, and AIE does nothing for you if you can’t find a way to manage it for the long haul. While we do advise that you be pretty strict with yourself during flareups, it's about knowing your own body and eating accordingly. ie: be more careful when you show any sign of pain or poor health, and allow an indulgence when all systems are a go. Also, if you are planning on eating mac and cheese tonight, be more particular about what you eat the rest of the day. Anything you can add from the good list or remove from the bad list is a step in the direction of better health.

What Else Can I Do to Help With my Pain?

Essential Oils

Pain issues are the very reason that THT's owner started The Herbal Toad and why we are so heavily focused on essential oils.

• Bone and Joint - helps with even some of the most sever body aches
• Anti-Inflame Roll-On - loaded with anti-inflammatory goodness. Applied in the morning, it can help fight off some of the inflammation pain that creeps in throughout the day.
• Clary Sage, Copaiba Balsam, Peppermint, and Chamomile are among some of the very best essential oils for diffusing in the air to keep inflammation at bay.

Turmeric

Another pounder of pain is Turmeric. Turmeric is one of the most effective fighters of inflammation out there, so by all means cook with it, but do consider taking Turmeric w/ Bio Perine in it. Turmeric goes through your body so quickly, it hardly has time to absorb into your system and fight the good fight. When combined with Bio Perine (derivative of black pepper), your body can absorb up to two-THOUSAND times more Cucumin, the anti-inflammatory heavy hitter in turmeric! And the more the merrier.

Anti-Inflame Tincture

Anti-Inflame Tincture is one of my personal favorite tools for keeping inflammation at bay. The combined ingredients in Anti-Inflame make an incredibly effective synergistic blend, and because it is a tincture, it is incredibly well absorbed.

Lifestyle Changes

Besides an anti-inflammatory diet, there are other lifestyle changes that can be a big help. Inflammation can be caused by stress. If you equip yourself with better sleep habits, more sun, and other stress reducers, you’re sure to see a difference.

Even though your pain makes you want to stay put, inflammation is made worse by an over sedentary lifestyle. Yoga is our favorite choice for adding pain reducing movement to your daily routine. Yoga lengthens the spine, so it is especially beneficial to those suffering from back problems. Of course you should always check with your doctor before making any major changes to diet or exercise, since they are the ones who have most likely seen images of what you have going on.