Some studies suggest that up to 60% of foods consumed in the United States are processed

Highly-processed foods double down on the detriment to your health: not only are they devoid of essential vitamins and nutrients, but they are also toxic and harmful to the functioning of our cells. Rather than helping our cells repair, rebuild and prosper, they hamper our body’s ability to fight disease and chronic pain. Highly processed foods have been shown to directly increase the level of C-reactive protein, an inflammatory marker that is produced by the liver in higher quantities in response to inflammation. So what are we doing playing around with this Western diet of ours? The short term pleasure of sweets consumed is winning out over the longer term consideration of our health and well-being. 

It’s time to stop eating foods that do us no good 

Inflammation and back pain are linked, which means that choosing to consume processed foods that you know will increase inflammation is akin to choosing back pain. At Christmas time, dinner tables are full of ingredients that cause inflamation, including dishes made up of sugar, saturated fat and refined carbohydrates. Chances are there will also be plenty of vegetables to choose from, but how many of us pile our plates with pot roast rather than sweet potato? 

This Christmas season, you have the power to choose. Choose to ask how foods are prepared; choose to follow your gut instinct- after all, there is a good chance you can detect what foods are going to worsen your pain and which ones will help. 

Using nutrition to target pain 

Double down on the health initiative by replacing foods that cause inflammation with those that fight it! Here are some holiday-themed foods that keep inflammation down:

• Salmon
• Olive oil
• Walnuts 
• Berries and cherries 
• Green tea
• Ginger

Seeking out these ingredients helps you keep inflammation down and fight back pain this holiday season. Give our office a call if you are concerned with back pain this holiday season; we are standing by to help you design solutions that incorporate holistic wellness elements to help you live a life of less pain.