Ow! Quit it! - Foods That Amplify Pain
Dietary modifications to relieve or reduce pain.
Pain hurts! The body uses pain as an excellent warning signal. Something is wrong and probably has been for some time. The earlier milder warning signals have been ignored. Now the pain is telling you to do something to fix the problem, "or else!".
Diet can drastically minimize or amplify pain. Often, when we are in pain, we seek out the very foods that exacerbate pain. Knowing what foods not to eat helps control pain immensely.
The foods that are notorious for amplifying the pain signal by acting as neurostimulators are:
#1 Sugar
#2 Caffeine
#3 Nicotine (not a food, but worth mentioning)
#4 Alcohol (just fermented sugar)
#5 Orange Juice
#6 Night Shades: White potato, pepper family, egg plant, tomato
Night Shades contain sotanine, a toxin, to which some people are sensitive. Sotanine is believed to interfere with the enzymes in the muscles.
Minimizing or eliminating these six offenders can greatly relieve some or all of your pain. Especially useful in the case of arthritic pain. But helpful in all pain conditions.
Some helpful tips: When eliminating coffee, do so gradually. Going "cold turkey" can cause other problems. Try reducing your consumption by a quarter cup a day. Even decaf offends. Try green tea if you must have some caffeine. Some can get away with using sweet peppers by grilling the whole pepper to char the outer membrane. Simply removing the charred membrane removes a large portion of the sotanine.
Sugar means all refined sugars. However, in the Asian medical philosophy, the sweet taste affects the energetic system, especially the muscles. Minimize the taste of sweet. Try to appease your sweet tooth with a sweet vegetable (i.e. carrot or beet). Fruit could be used sparingly. Absolutely no refined sugars. When performing a food challenge, eliminate the food(s) for one month. Then try reintroducing the food(s) - one at a time - to see how you tolerate it. Eating a healthy diet rich in colorful nutrients is always a good idea. In the case of pain, it is a mandate.