Foods to ease the pain

Food can help to fight inflammation in the body -- which could be a contributing factor for serious conditions like cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. Chronic, low-grade inflammation has also been linked to arthritis and joint pain.

"Over half of my patients are over the age of 50," says Dr. Kelly Upcott, ND, who practices Naturopathic Medicine in southwestern Ontario. "Joint pain, aggravated by inflammation, is a common complaint. As a result, I've developed a range of methods to treat not just the symptoms but the underlying causes. I've found that the proper diet can be a huge, and positive, influence."

A diet based on foods that reduce inflammation has produced a myriad of good results for many of her patients suffering from pain, Dr. Upcott says.

"The benefits of the anti-inflammatory diet are far-reaching but some of the most common comments I hear from my patients are improved energy, a reduction in joint and muscle pain, less joint swelling, improved mobility, improved digestion with less bloating and gas, bowel regularity, clearer thinking, reduction in headaches, better quality sleep and more stable moods," she says. "I often see an improvement of fasting glucose levels and lower lipid levels in bloodwork."

And you don't need to be on the diet long to see results. While Dr. Upcott recommends that her patients follow the anti-inflammatory diet for a minimum of six weeks for optimal results, many notice improvement to their pain -- whether it be joint, muscle or stomach -- within 3-4 weeks, she says.

Foods that fight inflammation

So what is the anti-inflammatory diet exactly?

First of all, to reduce inflammation, here are the foods Dr. Upcott says to avoid:

•  All animal milks and cheeses

•  Eggs

•  All wheat products, including breads and white flour

•  Citrus fruits

•  Tomatoes

•  Potatoes

•  Corn products

•  Peanuts and peanut butter

•  Caffeinated drinks

•  Alcohol

•  Red meat (Wild game is fine)

•  Fried foods

•  Artificial sweeteners