This month of May we’re focusing on getting the body free from joint pain. From pains in the neck, to those pesky S.I. joints that can make walking feel impossible, to sad knees and wrists – we see it all in our practice. All of you already know, if you want to recover from some joint pain, or just avoid experiencing it in the first place – stick to your chiropractic care plan! Regular adjustments are key, here. But what about your daily habits? What can you do to keep your joints as healthy as possible? Proper exercise is one key method, but what about when you’re already in so much pain exercise is difficult? Diet has to come to the rescue in that case. There is one change you can make right away, and that’s to decrease the amount of sugar and simple carbohydrates you consume each day. Sugar is highly inflammatory and creates oxidative stress in the tissues of our bodies. When the body is exposed to it often, we’re looking at chronic inflammation, and the result of that is always some type of pain, especially in the joints!
For those who have a little sugar problem, the place to begin is by substituting something less sugar laden for sweets here and there – gently training your brain to crave different foods. If you think you don’t eat sugar, it’s a good idea to take a serious look at your daily food intake, because you may be surprised to find that some of the foods you’re eating that you expect to be healthy, actually have some hidden sugars in them. If you’re eating something other than fresh, whole food, and we all do from time to time, take a discerning look at the ingredients; you may find that there are hidden sugars in there. If you’re eating out, just assume sugar has been added to every dressing, sauce, and spice blend. Because it’s so addictive, a common trick of the trade is to add sugar to foods, even if they’re masked with salty tasting ingredients.
For a more indepth look at sugar consumption, take a look at this post we shared earlier on the topic.