The Food Aspect of Chronic Pain

My previous post was about all the physical things I have done (or the majority of them) to decrease the chronic pain I have had. This post, I will share what I have done, food wise, to decrease my pain.

You can read all over the internet how people with arthritis, osteoporosis, etc, should avoid nightshades. Bummer for me because nightshades are a group of foods that I am most fond of. Eggplant, tomatoes, potatoes are all members of the nightshade family. So what to do? I decided a couple weeks, even a couple of months without these foods would be worth it if I received even some pain relief. Those of you with chronic pain will try just about anything that with that even suggest it might help to relieve pain!

I went not just a few weeks, but 6 months without my favorite foods, each day hoping that would be the day that I would begin to feel some pain relief. Sad to say, but that did not happen. Absolutely no pain relief from eliminating these foods from my diet! I am not sorry I tried this alteration in my diet. Now I know for sure that elimination does not help. However, there are some people who do receive pain relief by eliminating the nightshades. In my opinion it is very worth a trial run of elimination.

So carry on. one of the most helpful foods I've eliminated that does help with pain relief is sugar! Wow! I can tell when I eat something with sugar in it! I do in fact have increased pain. In fact sugar and high fructose corn syrup both add to my pain! So I eliminate them as much as possible.

Aspartame, and any derivative there of, causes me to have a ton of pain. I experience deep bone pain when I have even the smallest amount of aspartame in my diet. This is one additive I tell anyone that will listen, to avoid at all cost. I have heard neurologists tell nurses that aspartame is a neuro-toxin. Many people are skeptical when I share this, however, those that have decided that they could do without aspartame for a week just to see if they felt better, have found that they, in fact, do feel better.
 Aspartame symptoms that other people experience are, head aches, bone pain, muscle pain and uncontrolled shaking. If fact some people who are diagnosed with Parkinson's disease are really experiencing the affects of aspartame!

I continue to try to be vigilant about what I eat and how it affects how I feel. That is all part of taking responsibility for myself, my health and my life.  I also try supplements that promise pain relief. This will be the subject of my next post. Until then, be in good health!

Thanks for reading my blog.

Healthbug