Energy drinks are a growing trend for those looking for an energy boost. Some use it as a morning pick-me-up. Others use it to push themselves at the gym a little harder. No matter the reason, energy drinks are being consumed more than ever, but does that mean that they are a pain friendly choice? And, when it comes to pain patients, how do energy drinks affect you and impact your pain condition?

Energy drinks: By the numbers

This fairly new product is starting to get more attention from the scientific community as a report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found that emergency room visits involving energy drinks doubled from 2007 to 2011. This is partly due to the fact that the energy drink industry had a 60% market growth during this time, but it does show a trend that some energy drinks can have serious health consequences.

How do energy drinks affect you?

Let’s break down the ingredients most commonly found in energy drinks and dive into what they do in the body in order to determine an energy drink’s impact on health.

Caffeine

Caffeine is one of the most widely used drugs on the planet and stimulates a person’s central nervous system. It is a part of most people’s daily life and it is a generally accepted guideline that a consumption of 400 mg of caffeine a day is considered safe.

Even in safe limits, though, there are extra (and tricky) considerations. Some fibromyalgia sufferers, for instance, find that even small doses of caffeine can cause a pain flare-up, or can adversely impact sleep to the point of causing more pain the next day. Some migraine or headache sufferers also report that caffeine can cause pain. On the other hand, some migraine sufferers actually find that caffeine can help alleviate head pain symptoms, and some fibromyalgia sufferers find the same.

Your body and your pain are specific to you. When it comes to caffeine, keep a pain and food diary to track what you eat and associated symptoms so you can start to figure out what helps and what hurts. It is also a good idea to consult your doctor if you are taking prescription drugs as caffeine is known to interact poorly with many other medications.

That concerns safe levels of caffeine consumption, however. Energy drinks contain large amounts of caffeine and, depending on the drink, can have reported amounts of anywhere from 50 – 250 mg of caffeine per can. This is the main reason why energy drinks produce a performance boost, increase memory, and make the user more alert.

High caffeine consumption comes with quite a few downsides, though. Regular caffeine intake can cause high blood pressure, risk of heart attack (even in younger adults), increase risk for gout attacks, decrease bone density, increase anxiety, and lead to insomnia, just to name a few.

Sugar

Sugar is a simple carbohydrate that our body breaks down and uses as energy to fuel our cells. Generally, an eight-ounce energy drink has somewhere between 21g and 34g of sugar that can come in the form of sucrose, glucose, or high fructose corn syrup. The American Heart Association suggests that adult women should only consume 25g and men 37.5g of sugar at most per day, so it is easy to see how drastic a single energy drink can be.

Sugar does provide some benefits like an instant energy boost, but mostly it can hurt your body. It can cause increased inflammation in joints, it can decrease the immune response, it can cause a pain flare-up, and it also has some nasty effects on the tooth and gums. It also can cause a sugar crash, which will leave you tired and cranky. Sugar is one thing that you should always make sure you are consuming in moderation.

Even if the energy drink contains a sugar substitute instead of actual sugar, there simply hasn’t been enough research done on the more popular sugar substitutes to know how they impact the body.

Guarana

Guarana is a South American plant compound found in most energy drinks that has a large amount of natural caffeine – approximately 40g per 1g of guarana. What does that mean exactly? It means that drink companies are not required to report that added caffeine to the total of an energy drink, which means that it is likely that your favorite drink has much more caffeine than you realized.

Taurine

Taurine is a common amino acid that supports numerous bodily functions including brain development and regulating water and in minerals in the blood. While there is some preliminary evidence that it helps prevent and treat cardiovascular disease, further studies are still required. As it is, diets in the U.S. are generally fairly rich in taurine so it is unknown whether more of this compound has any other additional benefits.

These are common ingredients in energy drinks, but there are many more depending on the brand you choose. So, how do energy drinks affect you, especially if you have a chronic pain condition? Generally, not well. Based on their ingredients (and the amounts of those ingredients), it is always better and healthier to find an alternative to energy drinks especially if you have chronic pain.

What are some better alternatives to energy drinks?          

The large amounts of sugar and caffeine make this “dietary supplement” a poor choice for a healthy lifestyle. Instead of grabbing an energy drink the next time you are in a slump, try one of these tasty alternatives to get you energized and back in the game.

• Smoothies are always an excellent choice. Specifically, vegetable smoothies that include spinach, kale, or parsley. You can also add a touch of ginger to help boost your energy levels and even reduce pain. Throw in some fruits or honey to create different combinations so you never get bored.
• Green tea has many health benefits that beat out energy drinks. Not only does it boost your metabolism, but it also has been reported to have positive effects on the heart and brain. It does usually contain caffeine, but only 25 – 40mg. That’s just enough to get your body making cortisol, an important hormone in keeping up energy levels.
• Chocolate milk provides a great balance between carbohydrates and protein, plus it gives you calcium. Grab a small glass of it for a healthy treat that is a perfect post-work out recovery drink.
• Coconut water is a good option as it has fewer calories and more potassium than most energy drinks. It also has many other essential nutrients such as magnesium, phosphorus, and calcium. This drink is rich and refreshing while still being great for your body.
• Good ol’ fashioned water. Water is very important for a healthy body as it supplies the muscles with nutrients and is crucial in every metabolic reaction. When you are dehydrated, your metabolism slows down and you start to feel sluggish. Downing some water can be just the trick to pep you back up again. Added bonus: add some fresh fruit to your water to get some added vitamins and minerals even more energy!

How do you get your motor running when your energy is low? How do energy drinks affect you?

Sugar is one of the most common food additives that adds no nutrient, but lots of calories. On top of that, eating too much sugar can also lead to and increase weight gain and many conditions like diabetes and heart disease. The American Heart Association suggests that adult women should only consume 25g and men 37.5g of sugar at most per day. That is a scary number if you consider that the average U.S. adult averages close to 90g of sugar a day! For those who are considering sugar and chronic pain, that number may be even lower because sugar can lead to more inflammation in the body. Let’s find out how sugar operates in the body and why it is so important to give up sugar as much as possible.

Sugar and chronic pain: How does it work?

It’s time for science! When natural sugar (glucose) is eaten, it permeates the walls of your intestines, which tells the pancreas to secrete insulin. Insulin in turn takes the sugar from your blood and moves it into your cells to be used as an energy source. Your body produces leptin to signal to the brain that it is full and you stop eating. Simple, right?

Well, what happens when you consume large quantities of added sugar (sucrose and fructose) in the amounts that is contained in most canned sodas?

First, your liver tries to convert this compound into usable energy, which has the side effect of producing bad cholesterol and putting your liver into overdrive. Then, your body is flooded with insulin in response to the high amount of sugar in the blood stream. A classic sugar rush ensues and your brain tries to regulate it by dumping serotonin into your blood stream that leads to that nasty sugar crash. You’ve been there—we’ve all been there. However, that high production of insulin also blocks production of leptin, the hormone that informs your brain that you have eaten enough. Because of this, you keep eating without even realizing all the calories you just consumed.

What are the effects of sugar? 

Sugar, the wonderfully sweet granulated bliss that makes your tongue happy isn’t so good for your body. Refined sugars have been blamed for everything from inflammation to belly bloat and weight gain.

A sweet tooth is something most people have to contend with every day, but there are a few benefits that sugar provides the body:

• Provides instant energy: Sometimes you just need an extra boost to get you through that Monday morning meeting
• Raises blood pressure: While not great for most of us, downing some sugar can stop you from negative effects if you’re suffering from low blood pressure
• Provides a short-term cure for depressed mood: Sugar gives you a sugar “high.” This is most certainly not a solution for depression, but it could help with a depressed mood or bad day

Negative side effects

With the good comes the bad. In the case of sugar, there are a lot more negative side effects to its consumption:

• Increases inflammation: All of that sugar has the painful side effect of increasing inflammation. This can lead to some serious issues as your liver gets overworked and it can really do a number on your joint and heart health. For pain patients, in particular, this is a huge effect that sugar can have that should be closely protected against. Sugar and chronic pain do not go well together.
• Decreases immune response: Animal studies have shown that a lot of sugar can suppress the immune system as yeast and bacteria feed off of it.
• Accelerates aging: Sugar can attach to proteins and slowly deteriorate the elasticity found in body tissue. This can lead to faster aging in the arteries and organs.
• Causes tooth decay and gum disease: As we all know, sugar can have a nasty effect on your mouth. Take a look at a classic experiment where a tooth left is left in a glass of coke.
• Increases stress: Sugar highs can mimic the stress response by raising blood sugar levels, which in turn promotes the body to pump out adrenaline and epinephrine for what the body thinks is much needed energy. While usually these hormones are beneficial, they can also make you feel more irritable and anxious.

What does research say about sugar and chronic pain?

Naturally occurring sugars, the sweet stuff found in fruits and vegetables, pose minimal harm. An increasing body of research has pinned an ugly head on refined sugar, included in baked goods, candy, and ice cream. Health experts recommend reducing your intake or eliminating it all together.

Sugar is addictive

Of course, we’re not entirely at fault for craving sugar like a drug; some research has found the sweet stuff leads to addiction.

Sugar releases dopamine and natural opioids in the brain, the same chemicals found in highly addictive painkillers. A 2008 study published in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews found that under certain circumstances, rats can gain a dependence on sugar, although the scientific jury is still hung on the matter.

Humans’ sugar dependence has a biological purpose. In our hunting and gathering days, people knew that if a food they tasted was sweet, it was ripe and not poisonous. However, sugar has changed over the years. Today, people eat not only refined, granulated sugar, but also high-fructose corn syrup, a processed sugar that’s found in nearly all processed foods.

Sugary drinks, including soda, fruit juice–which, if you check most labels, doesn’t actually have much juice–and sports drinks, are a major contributor to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. All of these can increase your risks of chronic pain and flare-ups.

Sugar and weight gain

An increasing body of research says sugar causes as much weight gain, if not more, as dietary fats.

In 2011, New England Journal of Medicine published a 20-year review of nearly 121,000 men and women that analyzed their weight gain. Sugar-sweetened beverages ranked third among the five top causes of weight gain, behind potatoes and potato chips. Another study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that people who replaced sugary drinks with non-caloric beverages saw an average weight loss of anywhere from 2% to 2.5%.

Sugar has no nutritional value, and eating it makes your blood sugar spike. This can put you at increased risk of diabetes, as your body produces more insulin to process the sweet stuff. Elevated blood sugar can also lead to inflammation. This exacerbates chronic pain and can lead to a host of other health conditions.

Should I give up sugar altogether then?

With so many adverse effects to consider, maybe it is time to start giving up sugar. So, should you give it up? The short answer is no.

It’s not a good idea to go cold turkey on your sugar habit, especially from a mental health perspective. It can also lead to some bad withdrawal symptoms including headaches, hunger cravings, and depression.

The classic food pyramid put sugar and sweets at the very top. However, with the new MyPlate Guidelines, added sugar and sweets are not suggested as any part of a balanced diet. Some sugar is a natural part of the diet and can be a great source of energy (especially when enjoyed from whole food sources, such as fruit), but it most certainly isn’t meant for large-scale consumption. It can also be difficult to cut sugar out completely as almost all prepackaged food comes with added sugar.

Knowing this, giving up sugar completely is not possible or healthy. In life, remember that most things are not bad, in moderation. However, there are some ways to remove most added sugars from your diet.

How can I reduce my sugar intake? 

If you want to give up sugar, or the majority of it, from your diet, let’s get SMART. SMART goals can guide you when making a behavior change.

Here are some valuable, SMART tips on how to give up sugar:

• Cleaning out your kitchen is usually a great first step. Removing temptation, especially when you are hungry, can be critical to kicking your sugar habit.
• Always check out the food labels. Sugar sneaks into almost everything nowadays, so keep an eye out and opt for brands and products with less added sugar!
• Try planning your meals out beforehand—when you’re not stressed, tired, or hungry. It can be surprising how fast that sugar content can add up if you aren’t paying attention.
• Avoid sugary drinks. Sodas are a huge culprit of sugar overdose and can easily fill your daily healthy limit of sugar in a single can.
• Exercise daily. Adding 20 minutes of physical activity into your day can increase your energy levels and reduce the need for a sugar boost.
• Avoid sugar alternatives and substitutes! While you won’t get the calories, you will still have the psychological desire for sugar. It is best to taper off and kick the craving all together. Once you start reducing the amount of sugar you eat, you’ll find that your body needs less to fulfill that sweet tooth!

What are your thoughts on sugar and chronic pain? Do you notice flare-ups when you eat more sugar? 

A migraine can be an intense event that can ruin a whole day or even a week. It can be a chronic condition that you have to manage for most of your life, too. Throbbing pain in the head is the classic symptom of this disorder, but it is also known to be accompanied by vomiting, nausea, and sensitivity to light and sound. So it is easy to assume that if you do get migraines, you want to make sure you minimize them as much as possible. A migraine diet can help.

What is a migraine?

Migraine affects nearly 38 million people in the U.S. While throbbing head pain is the most widely-recognized symptom, other symptoms can include fatigue, nausea, and sensitivity to light and sound. When a migraine hits, the last thing on your mind might be food. Turns out, there are some foods that can actually help ease the pain of migraine while soothing other common symptoms.

A migraine diet made easy

We have put together a list of tasty and healthy foods that are rich in the vitamins and minerals that will help fight off migraines. We have also included some tips and tricks on crafting an overall better migraine diet, from what to avoid to what you should definitely eat. Finally, we rounded that up with a collection of “eat this, not that” recommendations at the end.

There has been quite a bit of research done on the correlation between certain foods and migraines. The results are usually classified into categories such as pain-safe foods that never contribute to headache and common triggers that often cause headaches. Everything else can fall in the middle and not all diet choices will be right for you.

Some triggers will affect you and some won’t, so it is always a smart idea to keep track of what you eat and how it affects you. You can use a daily activity journal to track and identify problem foods and activities to better understand how to mitigate your migraines. It is also a good idea to keep in mind that it could take several months to notice a sizeable difference when eliminating certain foods. Remember, changing your diet isn’t guaranteed to make you migraine-free, but it is a powerful tool in helping you reduce migraine episodes and pain overall.

1. Drink more water

Dehydration is one of the most common migraine triggers. Water is essential for the body to be healthy and function properly. Also, with the wide selection of sugary drinks and juices, we often forget that we aren’t drinking as much water as we should be. If you don’t like just drinking plain old H2O, you can always reach for other options like herbal tea and decaf coffee as they are mostly water and low in sugar and calories.

2. Eat more healthy fats

Some people still think fat is a bad word, but there are some major benefits to adding certain ones to your migraine diet. Omega-3 fatty acids, mainly found in fatty fish such as mackerel, tuna, and salmon, can really help with migraines. Olive oil is also another great source of healthy fat. The monounsaturated fats can be just as beneficial as omega-3s and they can be a healthy substitute in most recipes. Research has shown that they help reduce the frequency, pain level, and duration of migraines. Make sure you add in a healthy dose a few times a week to start seeing some positive changes.

3. Add magnesium to your diet

Magnesium is a great nutrient to add to your migraine diet. It can help with increasing energy, calming anxiety, and relieving digestive issues. It also has been shown to prevent and soothe migraine headaches of all types. Try adding spinach, quinoa, and whole grains to your diet as they are high in magnesium and other essential nutrients. If you can’t seem to fit in enough, magnesium supplements are an excellent alternative.

4. Don’t forget the riboflavin

Also known as vitamin B2, riboflavin has been shown to combat migraine incidents. Research shows that it can reduce migraines up to 50% when taking 400mg daily. B2 is also essential for metabolic energy production, so adding more of it can boost energy levels. Adding foods that are high in vitamin B2 like quinoa or asparagus can help you reach that 400mg mark.

5. Identify your trigger foods and construct a migraine diet plan

This is where the daily activity journal will do the most good. Since foods affect people differently, it helps to reset your diet to mostly safe foods to begin with. Trigger foods usually take about two days to start causing headaches again so you can then slowly add in foods you enjoy to see if they are the culprit for headaches.

Caution should be advised when changing your diet as there is no universal migraine diet that is right for everyone. A well-balanced diet is recommended. You should avoid skipping meals as this can have negative effects and actually exacerbate migraines.

Common migraine triggers

Here is a list of well-known trigger foods, so be careful if you want to add them to your diet.

• Alcohol: A small amount usually isn’t a problem, but certain liquors such as red wine or beer can be very powerful triggers for most people. If you are drinking, make sure to drink plenty of water as well because alcohol can cause dehydration.
• Aspartame: This can be found in artificial sweeteners that are often in diet drinks, low-calorie deserts, and yogurts.
• Additives: Be careful of additives in a variety of foods such as monosodium glutamate (MSG), sodium caseinate, and yeast extract.
• Nitrites: Nitrates are a preservative that is also used to add flavor to meat products. Nitrites are most frequently found in any food that is smoked, cured, pickled, or canned. Specifically, a high amount of this is most often found in deli meats, hotdogs, sausages, and jerky.
• Tyramine and phenylethylamine: These two amino acids are the most common food triggers for headaches. Make sure to be careful when eating chocolate, aged cheese, nuts, or soy food, as they have large concentration of these amino acids.

6. Eat this, not that for a migraine diet 

Finally, we hope you enjoy these fun switches you can make to easily up your migraine diet to find relief.

Instead of: Fresh oranges for breakfast

You may think that eating plenty of citrus fruits is a good thing to begin your day, but for some people, fresh citrus can be a trigger. Plus, the added acid isn’t doing a stomach upset by migraine any favors.

Try: Cooked fruit such as pears or cherries

Compounds in tart cherries can ease inflammation, including inflammation that may make a migraine worse. Mixed in with some overnight oats, chia seeds, and rice milk, cooked cherries or pears help you work towards your daily recommended amount of fruit without increasing your pain.

Instead of: Products with wheat flour

For some people with migraine, wheat-based foods (bread, pasta, and crackers) may trigger or worsen migraine headaches. Wheat can also cause gastrointestinal problems for those who are sensitive to it. That’s the last thing you want if one of your migraine symptoms is nausea.

Try: Rice- or oat-based products

Gluten-free foods have come a long way in the last decade. Gone are the crumbly breads, hard crackers, mushy pastas, and dry muffins of the past. Rice-based pastas are especially well-tolerated for those with migraine, potentially due to the high magnesium and niacin content. Brown rice is also a staple part of the elimination diet that is often suggested to migraine sufferers in order to diagnose triggers.

Oat flour and oats in general are also an excellent, mild food for upset stomachs that can come with migraines. A migraine diet that includes oats for breakfast is a great start to the day.

Instead of: Coffee

Coffee and the effects of caffeine are hotly debated. For mild headaches, a bit of caffeine seems to help with the pain, but when it comes to a migraine diet, caffeine is a commonly identified trigger. But if you need a morning jolt of caffeine to just wake up, you may find yourself rolling the dice and gambling that this time it won’t be a trigger.

Try: Green tea (and others)

Green tea has caffeine in it, yes, but it also has other compounds that may help ease the pain of migraine. Pair it with ginger, skullcap, and feverfew for a morning drink that attacks multiple symptoms of migraine, including nausea. If you are used to caffeine in the morning, eliminating it totally may actually cause headaches. Replacing your normal cup of joe with green tea can help ease the transition and relieve pain at the same time.

Instead of: Soy products

As a migraine sufferer, you have probably tried a plant-based diet to help ease the symptoms of migraine. But you find that soy triggers migraine just as much as a big, juicy burger. So what do you do for protein?

Try: Beans and nuts of all kinds

If your migraines are triggered by fluctuating hormones, soy products can exacerbate that and cause headaches. Soy products are also processed so much as to be unhealthy in general. Instead of focusing on soy for your protein needs, look towards a wide array of beans. Beans such as navy beans, pinto beans, lima beans, and kidney beans, and nuts and seeds like pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, cashews, and almonds contain protein and magnesium, a migraine-fighting mineral that many in the U.S. are deficient in.

Beans are affordable, versatile, and delicious, with a seemingly endless array of recipe options. You won’t miss meat or soy.

Instead of: Raw vegetables

As we move into summer, fresh raw vegetables look more and more appetizing. It makes sense that when the days heat up, we like to cool down, staying out of the kitchen and taking advantage of the farmer’s market bounty. But in addition to the triggering effect of hotter temperatures and a rising barometer, many raw fruits and vegetables like corn, tomatoes, onions, apples, and bananas can also set off migraine pain. It can be a catch-22, deciding between migraine pain and getting the health benefits of vegetables.

Try: Cooked vegetables

While some experts disagree with the idea that certain vegetables can trigger migraines, if they do bother you, skip them and reach for foods that have never been linked to migraines, such as leafy greens, broccoli, carrots, squash, and sweet potatoes. These vegetables are filled with antioxidants and may also be anti-inflammatory. Steam or roast them lightly on the grill to retain their nutrients and keep your house cool in the summer months.

Instead of: Ice cream or frozen yogurt

Nothing says summer like a big bowl full of ice cream or frozen yogurt, but dairy and sugar can trigger and increase migraine pain exponentially. Is it really worth it?

Try: Mango berry “nice cream”

Most of the dairy-free “nice cream” circulating around the web these days feature bananas and coconut milk, two foods to skip on a migraine diet. This mango berry nice cream is rich and sweet with no added sugar. Berries are at their very best in the summer. To take advantage of this treat year-round, freeze them first on cookie sheets. Then put them in pre-measured bags for a quick frozen treat whenever the urge strikes!

If you need more directed help with your migraine headaches, talk to a pain doctor today to learn about treatment options that could help you. Click here to contact one of our pain specialists.

With the holidays approaching, many people’s minds are turning to food. Delicious meals are a staple of many holiday celebrations, and New Year’s resolutions often revolve around intentions to eat healthier in the months ahead. The best anti-inflammatory cookbooks make it easier to find healthy, delicious recipes for the holidays and beyond.

Why are anti-inflammatory cookbooks helpful?

For people with chronic pain or other chronic conditions, eating healthy can take on even greater significance. Some foods can exacerbate certain medical conditions while others can relieve symptoms and help you heal. For example, eating gluten could make celiac disease symptoms worse, while a plant-based diet may tame fibromyalgia flare-ups.

No food is a cure-all, but knowing which foods to eat and in what amounts truly can help you feel better. That’s why it is a good idea to find a reliable cookbook that offers realistic recipes and advice, not one that promises miraculous results. With the right cookbook as your guide, mealtime planning and prep can go from long and laborious to streamlined and rewarding.

Some of the best anti-inflammatory cookbooks featured in this article may appeal to more advanced chefs, but they also include some of the best healthy cookbooks for beginners: books that walk you through not only the recipes but also the benefits of the diet they advocate, which ingredients to stock up on, and more.

A few notes: This list is not ranked in any way. Each book featured here takes a different approach to healthy eating, so you can select the one that fits best with your goals, tastes, and dietary requirements. Also, Arizona Pain does not endorse any of these cookbooks and their use cannot replace advice from a medical professional. Always talk to your doctor before making major dietary changes. In general though, we have found these cookbooks useful in helping chronic pain patients live a better, healthier life.

Ready to find delicious new recipes? These are the best anti-inflammatory cookbooks to get started with.

1. Anti-Inflammatory Cookbook

The sheer number and variety of recipes in this book—500 in all!—make it easy to pick ones that sound delicious and doable to you.

Elis Mars provides dozens of meal options for every occasion. Whether you’re in the mood for a filling lunch of stuffed eggplants, a refreshing dessert of watermelon sorbet, or anything in between, odds are you’ll find a recipe you love in Anti-Inflammatory Cookbook.

2. The Everything Healthy Meal Prep Cookbook

Meal prepping is the practice of preparing a large amount of food, often a week’s worth, in advance. It could help you eat healthier by emphasizing portion control, reducing the time you spend in the kitchen, and making you more aware of what you eat. But, if you’ve never done it before, you probably have some questions about how to begin.

This book, written by Tina Chow, breaks down the dos and don’ts of meal planning. She also provides an impressive 300 recipes to get you started.

3. Oh She Glows Every Day

If you need or want to adopt a plant-based diet, Angela Liddon’s cookbooks are an excellent place to start.

From veggie burgers and pasta salads to cookies and cupcakes, Oh She Glows Every Day provides over 100 plant-based recipes. The book also specifies which recipes are safe for people with common allergies. This is just Liddon’s latest publication; if you enjoy the recipes found here, you can find similar ones on her blog and in her previous cookbook, The Oh She Glows Cookbook.

4. The Grain-Free, Sugar-Free, Dairy-Free Family Cookbook

The recipes in this book were developed by Leah Webb, a health coach whose children have severe food allergies and cystic fibrosis.

Along with the recipes for nutritious meals and inventive snacks, Webb provides lessons learned from her own experiences, tips for saving time and effort in the kitchen, and the effects of different foods on the body.

With its family focus, this book’s recipes and the process of putting them together, make mealtimes easier for everyone.

5. Fit Men Cook

Fitness advocate Kevin Curry learned through personal experience that exercise alone is not enough to improve your health if you aren’t putting just as much effort into your diet.

This book discusses Curry’s journey to healthy eating and offers plenty of encouragement and tips to get you started on your own journey. Fit Men Cook acknowledges how difficult it is to change your diet. It eases the way though with over 100 great recipes, including jambalaya and stuffed chicken parmesan.

6. Gluten-Free on a Shoestring

Gluten is a type of protein found in grain and grain products. While most people have no trouble digesting gluten, certain conditions, such as celiac disease and irritable bowel syndrome, make gluten consumption harmful to your intestines. These conditions are often comorbid with other chronic pain conditions.

This second edition of Nicole Hunn’s cookbook contains 125 completely gluten-free recipes, including pizza dough and pumpkin pie, which you can make without breaking the bank.

7. Pure Delicious

If you have multiple food allergies, trying to create appetizing meals may seem impossible. That’s where Heather Christo’s book, Pure Delicious, comes in.

Not only does it provide 150 recipes that exclude major allergens, such as nuts and dairy, it provides an outline for how to remove allergens from your diet entirely.

8. Kombucha, Kefir, and Beyond

As you’re rethinking your diet and what you eat, don’t forget about what you drink!

Alex Lewin and Raquel Guajardo teach you how to ferment all sorts of drinks, from wine to soda, at home. The recipes found here can be much healthier versions of store-bought drinks, as they include probiotics. These helpful bacteria live in everyone’s digestive tract, but some people’s systems can benefit from the inclusion of additional probiotics.

Probiotics are generally safe and can ease symptoms in people with certain gastrointestinal disorders. (Though always check with your doctor before adding them to your diet!)

9. The New Soul Food Cookbook for People with Diabetes

Diabetes affects over 30 million people in the United States. It’s important for people with this condition to monitor when and what they eat in order to prevent blood sugar spikes and drops. Doing so can reduce the chance of painful complications.

In this cookbook, authors Fabiola Demps Gaines and Roniece Weaver show how you can continue to enjoy soul food favorites, from pork chops to chocolate cake, while keeping your diabetes under control.

10. The Low-FODMAP Diet Step by Step

FODMAP stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols. These are carbohydrates, and their consumption can worsen symptoms in people with irritable bowel syndrome and other gastrointestinal disorders.

Kate Scarlata and Dédé Wilson help you figure out which foods contain FODMAPs. Then, they provide 135 FODMAP-free recipes to help improve your digestive health.

11. Cook Once, Eat All Week

Author Cassy Joy Garcia outlines a 26-week plan for creating a week’s worth of meals in just one cooking session.

Each week’s recipes are centered around three ingredients, allowing you to prepare seven days of diverse, delicious meals with minimal fuss and expense. Garcia’s recipes focus on healthy eating and feature ingredient substitution options to make your meals grain-free, dairy-free, and more.

12. Korean Paleo

The paleo diet requires adherents to only eat foods allegedly available to humanity’s prehistoric ancestors. In other words, no grains, sugar, or dairy allowed!

This diet is not for everyone, but reducing your gluten or grain intake may help you manage certain chronic conditions, such as celiac disease. Jean Choi puts an Asian twist on the paleo phenomenon, laying out scrumptious paleo versions of Korean dishes like kimchi stew and pork belly wraps.

13. Skinnytaste One and Done

Diet foods and products are very popular, but they’re no substitute for balanced, nutritious meals that you make yourself.

Food blogger Gina Homolka offers plenty of lower-fat versions of popular dishes, including fried chicken and macaroni and cheese. She categorizes the recipes based on which cooking tools (e.g. an electric pressure cooker) you need to make them.

If you love this book, there are several others in the series, including The Skinnytaste Air Fryer Cookbook and The Skinnytaste Cookbook.

14. The 30-Minute Mediterranean Diet Cookbook

The Mediterranean diet includes a lot of healthy oils and few carbohydrates, so it is sometimes recommended to people seeking to lose weight or manage chronic conditions, from food allergies to diabetes. Plus it just tastes great!

Selena Rall and Deanna Segrave-Daly explain the benefits of a Mediterranean diet and include over 100 tasty and healthful Mediterranean recipes. Yes, that does include pizza.

15. Danielle Walker’s Eat What You Love

Eliminating ingredients doesn’t have to mean eliminating your favorite foods!

All of Danielle Walker’s cookbooks focus on cooking without gluten or dairy. Her latest book puts the spotlight on comfort foods, such as chicken potpie, banana bread, and tomato soup.

The nice thing about this book is its versatility. Walker includes a chart of potential ingredient substitutions to suit a wider array of tastes and dietary needs. Her recipes are suitable for those on the paleo diet, too.

16. The Low-Carb Diabetes Cookbook

David Cavan and Emma Porter’s cookbook helps you develop a diet plan that can help manage both Type I and Type II diabetes symptoms. (In the case of Type II, perhaps even reverse symptoms.)

All of the recipes are low in carbohydrates and include everything from breakfast omelets to sweet potato fries. The book also reviews how people’s eating habits have changed in the past 40 years and the effect these changes have had on our overall health. This historical perspective helps to highlight where you may have fallen into the pitfalls presented by modern food innovations.

17. The Easy 5-Ingredient Healthy Cookbook

If the prospect of trying to cook healthy meals seems overwhelming, Toby Amidor’s cookbook might be a good place to start.

Her recipes are relatively quick to make and cater to people with a variety of dietary preferences, from vegans to meat lovers. Amidor also includes advice on how to avoid fad or phony diets, what ingredients to buy, and how to save time and money as you cook.

18. ¡Salud! Vegan Mexican Cookbook

“Salud” is Spanish for “health,” and this cookbook allows you to enjoy beloved Mexican dishes with a healthy, vegan twist.

As author Eddie Garza points out, pre-Hispanic Mexican cuisine often relied on corn, chilis, rice, and other vegan-friendly ingredients. Creating delectable meat- and dairy-free versions of tamales, tortas, sopes, and much more is easier than you might think!

19. Damn Delicious Meal Prep

Low-calorie meals don’t have to be bland! Food blogger Chungah Rhee collects healthy, creative dishes that you can prepare for either now or later, for yourself or a whole dinner party’s worth of people.

Rhee deemphasizes the weight loss aspect of healthy eating, instead stressing the importance of meal prep and enjoying the food you eat.

20. Meals that Heal

Dr. Carolyn Williams’ recipes can be prepared in under 30 minutes, so you don’t have to spend all day in the kitchen to enjoy a healthy meal packed with anti-inflammatory ingredients.

Dr. Williams also takes time to discuss what inflammation is, its effects on your body, and what dietary habits you may consider adopting if you want to relieve or prevent specific conditions, including heart problems and joint disorders.

Find more anti-inflammatory recipes

Want more recipes that fit into an anti-inflammatory diet? The internet has plenty! From bountiful breakfasts to delectable dinners, there are tons of recipes out there for you to try. In addition to conventional meals, you may want to look into smoothie recipes. Smoothies are a great and easy way to incorporate anti-inflammatory ingredients into your diet.

Experiment with different diets and recipes—with guidance from your doctor, of course—until you find an approach that works for you. Or perhaps you can borrow elements from multiple diet regimens and create a new one just for you!

Many of the authors of the anti-inflammatory cookbooks featured here got their start writing food and health blogs. So if there’s a book you really love, check the author bio! Additional recipes could be just an internet search away.

If you live in Arizona and need help planning and sticking to an anti-inflammatory diet, contact the Arizona Pain team or click below to get in touch with one of our pain specialists today.

For thousands of years, people have turned to home remedies and natural treatments to ease inflammation and pain. It may be hard to believe that a relaxing sip of your favorite tea could actually help heal your body, but more and more research is pointing to evidence that suggests that anti-inflammatory tea can help treat chronic conditions. Here are the best teas for inflammation and pain (and some suggested blends you can either buy or make at home!).

What type of tea is good for inflammation?

Inflammation in the body serves an important purpose. When you are injured, the body directs fluid and other chemicals to the area to surround the injury, protecting it from further harm. If you have ever sprained an ankle, you know that this inflammation keeps you from injuring the ankle further by making it nearly impossible to bear weight. In most cases, this protective response subsides over a few days as you rest.

Sometimes, however, inflammation becomes chronic.

Chronic inflammation occurs when the protective response goes into hyperdrive. This extends the body’s response to injury well past the time when it should have stopped. The immune system may switch on to continue the cycle, but sometimes inflammation occurs with no inciting injury or condition.

Either way, when inflammation becomes chronic, a variety of things can occur. Inflammation is linked to many of the most serious health conditions, including:

• Cancer
• Alzheimer’s
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Ulcerative colitis
• Heart disease
• Diabetes

So how does anti-inflammatory tea help relieve the dangerous cycle of inflammation and pain?

Some anti-inflammatory teas help to reduce the body’s production of cytokines, a chemical that causes inflammation. Others not only help limit cytokines, but also reduce the activity of cyclooxygenase enzymes that promote inflammation.

Another way anti-inflammatory tea helps with inflammation is by helping to balance metabolic disorders. This includes decreasing the presence of apolipoproteins that increase oxidative stress, which prevents the body from healing itself.

Here are five of the best teas for inflammation and pain.

1. Green tea

Green tea is one of the most-researched anti-inflammatory herbal teas available. Made from the leaves of the Camellia synensis plant, green tea has anti-inflammatory properties that have been shown to reduce inflammation and improve heart health.

The tea catechins in green tea, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), work with flavonoids to prevent free radicals from provoking or increasing cell damage and the resulting inflammation.

Green tea is an excellent (and delicious) way to counteract the effects of stress. It improves cardiovascular function, lowers cholesterol, and provides an energy boost without the skittish effects that coffee can sometimes have. Green tea also reduces the risk of diabetes, cancer, and heart disease in general.

That’s not all. There are scientifically valid studies that have proven additional benefits of green tea that include:

• Boosted immune support
• Weight loss
• Improved dental health
• Better metabolism
• Improved neurological function
• Decreased risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease

Simply put, if you can only choose one anti-inflammatory tea, green tea is the way to go!

How to choose green tea

Green tea comes in leaf form but is also available in a powdered form called matcha. Most people new to green tea prefer the mild flavor of leaf tea, but matcha is a powerful antioxidant with many benefits.

To get the most from your leaf tea, look for green tea with high levels of EGCG. A Consumer Lab study tested 24 brands of green tea for EGCG and noted the following.

• On a budget, Lipton Green Tea was the best choice, with 71 mg of EGCG per brewed cup.
• A little more expensive, Teavana Gyokuro Imperial Green Tea had the highest levels of EGCG at 86 mg (and about four times the price tag).
• Looking for prepared, iced, sweetened green tea for an on-the-go, refreshing sip? Harney & Sons Organic Green Tea comes with just under 47 mg of EGCG but only a third of the sugar of other iced brands.

2. Black tea

It’s important to note that black tea, green tea, and white tea all come from the same plant but are prepared in different ways. Black tea is the most processed of the three, with deep roots in Ayurvedic medicine.

The power of black tea lies in its flavonoids hearubigins and theaflavin. These two compounds inhibit inflammatory enzymes and control or eliminate free radicals in the body.

It is important to note that black tea carries with it many of the same research-proven benefits as green tea. Black tea may contain too much caffeine for some tea drinkers, and the way the tea acts in the body is not exactly the same.

Still, research does show that black tea has similar protection against inflammation and inflammatory conditions, including heart disease and some types of cancer.

How to choose black tea

Because there are so many choices of black tea, it’s important to take the time to buy a high quality loose tea. If not buying teabags, look for loose tea that is slightly curled, with silvery tips.

There are a variety of regions in the world that grow black tea, and each has its own distinct flavor. Here are four varieties that celebrate the most prolific tea-producing regions in the world.

• The Republic of Tea: This loose tea is from the Keemun region in China and makes a smooth hot tea with no bitterness
• Positively Tea Organic Assam TGFOP: This tea comes from the Assam region of India and is noted for its strong flavor and deep color
• SerendipiTea’s First Flush Organic Darjeeling: This tea from India is lighter in flavor and offers a natural sweetness without any bitterness
• Taylors of Harrogate Special Rare Ceylon: This tea has been grown in Sri Lanka since 1869 and offers a flavor and color that falls somewhere between the darkness of Assam and the floral notes of Darjeeling

3. Ginger tea

Unlike the leaves and powder of green tea, ginger tea is a root that is dried and ground into powder (or sliced fresh for tea).

As with green tea, ginger is well-researched as an effective remedy for both pain and inflammation. Gingerol and shogaol are compounds in ginger that fight inflammation and oxidative stress.

In addition to combating the pain that comes with inflammation, ginger tea also prevents diseases related to oxidative stress, including heart disease.

How to choose a ginger tea

Choosing the best prepackaged ginger tea for you is influenced by whether or not you like the taste of ginger. There are many herbs that can mask the flavor of ginger if you prefer less spice.

• Celestial Seasonings Jammin’ Lemon Ginger: If you like your ginger a little less obvious, try Celestial Seasonings. This blend combines rose-hips and natural lemon in a caffeine free blend.
• Traditional Medicinals: Looking for straight ginger? Traditional Medicinals adds nothing to its organic ginger tea.
• Yogi Tea: This tea is organic, kosher, vegan, and non-GMO. It is prepared with lemongrass, licorice root, and black pepper for even more flavor (and powerful digestive benefits).

4. Rooibos

Rooibos tea is grown only in South Africa. Caffeine-free and with a sweet, barely tart flavor some compare to cranberries, rooibos contains two of the most powerful flavonoids found in anti-inflammatory tea: aspalathin and nothofagin.

Rooibos’s powerful benefits include:

• Reducing oxidative stress
• Preventing damage to the DNA and inflammation
• Protecting against cardiovascular toxicity

One review of studies noted that rooibos tea was just as powerful regardless of variety (red or green) and offered powerful relief from insomnia, anxiety, tension headaches, stomach cramps in babies, and irritability.

How to choose rooibos tea

Of the top ten rooibos teas ranked in 2019 by Top10Supps, Davidson’s Bulk organic took the number one spot for flavor and purity. Rooibos is the only ingredient, and the tea is fair-trade certified.

Other standouts included:

• Twinings Tea: Noted for its affordability, flavor, and great reviews by tea drinkers all over the world
• Rooibos Rocks South African Red Bush: A bit pricier than the other options on the list, the company focuses only on rooibos tea, and it shows in the quality of their product
• Numi Organics: A rooibos that is organic and uses verified fair labor practices for harvest and processing

5. Turmeric

While not a leaf, turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory root that has been used for thousands of years as a medicinal tea. Turmeric is earthy-tasting and harnesses the power of curcumin, a well-studied compound that fights inflammation. In the same family as ginger, turmeric is a staple of Ayurvedic medicine and is now gaining popularity in a preparation called golden milk (recipe below).

In a review of studies, turmeric displayed its anti-inflammatory properties in six trials that used human subjects. This is important because the studies demonstrated turmeric’s effectiveness out of the lab and in the human population.

Turmeric has been found effective in reducing the pain and inflammation of arthritis. Its antioxidant properties and metabolic regulation have been found helpful for other inflammatory conditions like diabetes and Alzheimer’s.

How to buy turmeric

For fresh preparations, you can find turmeric root in the produce section of some supermarkets. Keep in mind that turmeric is highly staining and has been used as a vibrant yellow dye. Protect cutting surfaces and your hands when you prepare it!

Powdered turmeric is useful for making pastes and flavoring food. This can be found in the bulk section or in the spice aisle of the supermarket.

If you’d like to skip the yellow powder or staining root, here are three of our ready-to-make turmeric preparations.

1. Traditional Medicinals Turmeric (with meadowsweet and ginger): Easy, delicious teabags with the additional support of ginger.
2. Numi Organic Turmeric Three Roots: The roots are turmeric, ginger, and licorice – a delicious and powerful combination!
3. Organic India Tulsi Tea Turmeric Ginger: Yup, more ginger, plus tulsi (holy basil), another powerful anti-inflammatory herb.

How to prepare tea for inflammation and pain

To brew a proper cup of tea, steep a tea bag (or tea diffuser if using loose tea) for approximately five minutes, covered. Green tea may have a slightly shorter steep time, so always check the package. Remove the tea bag or diffuser and enjoy hot or iced, with honey or other sweetener, or maybe a squeeze of lemon or splash of milk.

When preparing ginger or turmeric tea from fresh roots, peel and slice the roots into thin rounds. Pour boiling water over the roots and let steep for five to 10 minutes. You can also use nutmilk for a delicious and creamy beverage.

How much is enough?

Even the best teas for inflammation in pain won’t work if you don’t sip them enough. But how much is enough?

• Green tea: There is conflicting evidence for how much green tea is enough. Some studies say just one cup a day is enough to get the benefits, while others advocate up to five. Most agree that somewhere between three and five cups a day will yield significant benefits. If you are sensitive to caffeine, you may experience side effects associated with that. These can include anxiety, insomnia, and upset stomach. Start on the lower end of suggestions.
• Black tea: Black tea is one of the few anti-inflammatory teas that can come with side effects. Many people find the high levels of caffeine too stimulating and should limit their intake to just a cup or two per day (in place of another caffeinated beverage). Drinking too much black tea has been associated with anxiety, headache, increased respiration, and nausea.
• Ginger tea: Ginger tea dosage is highly individual. Some people respond to very little, while others need high concentrations for inflammation benefits. Because of this, it’s best to experiment and see what helps you best.
• Rooibos: Rooibos is easy to break down in the body – the bioavailability of its beneficial compounds is high. Most researchers agree that six cups daily is safe, effective, and best for healing.
• Turmeric: The recommended daily intake really depends on what condition you are treating, but most researchers agree that 400 to 600 mg a day is sufficient and safe. Because turmeric has poor bioavailability, many opt for highly concentrated capsules, but drinking the tea is a delicious option.

As always, speak to your doctor before beginning to take medicinal doses of anti-inflammatory herbal tea.

Anti-inflammatory tea recipes

Our two favorite recipes combine multiple anti-inflammatory compounds and can be adjusted based on your preferences.

• Chai: Chai uses black tea at its base then adds a spicy and delicious combination of herbs, along with honey and milk (or milk substitute) for a warming and therapeutic blend. Get ready to empty out your spice cabinet for our favorite chai recipe!
• Golden milk: Turmeric gives this anti-inflammatory beverage its name. The Minimalist Baker’s golden milk recipe takes just five minutes to make and offers versions that use both fresh and powdered turmeric.

The best teas for inflammation and pain can be a warming and complementary part of your comprehensive treatment plan. If you’re in Arizona, we welcome you to talk to our team at Arizona Pain for help. Get in touch today. 

They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away. While it may not be that simple, changes to your diet can have an impact on arthritis pain and symptoms. Arthritis at its most basic description is inflammation of the joints. Fortunately, healthy eating can help fight inflammation and improve your symptoms. No food is a cure-all of course, but following the best diet for arthritis may improve your day-to-day functions and help ease some symptoms.

What are the basics of arthritis and diet?

When we talk about arthritis, we often refer to inflammation. In theory, inflammation is a natural part of our how immune systems function. It’s the body’s response to injury.

However, inflammation is also at the root of most types of arthritis pain. This is characterized as swollen, painful joints that may even feel warm to the touch. How does food play a role in this? We’ll explain.

Osteoarthritis

Experts agree that food can have an impact on the severity of inflammation we experience. In 2017, researchers from the University of Surrey identified a crucial link between metabolism and osteoarthritis. Metabolic changes caused by poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle can change the genetic reprogramming of cells in the body and joints.

Weight is also often associated with different types of diseases and conditions. When it comes to arthritis, weight loss can reduce excess stress on joints. One study found that a loss of just one pound of body weight reduces the load on knees by four pounds. This is especially true for those suffering from osteoarthritis, which is generally known as a “wear and tear” condition.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)

If you have been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, the condition stems from your immune system targeting your joint linings on both sides of the body. This may include both hands, wrists, or knees. The symmetry is what makes RA different from osteoarthritis. While this type of condition isn’t related to wear and tear or excessive weight, diet may still play a role.

Just like osteoarthritis, RA causes inflammation that can be extremely painful. By eating the best food for rheumatoid arthritis, such as fruits, vegetables, and cold-water fish, you may notice less inflammation and fewer flare-ups. At the very least, patients should try to limit processed food and sugar to stay in good health and limit the severity of their symptoms.

Tips for arthritis and diet

We understand that every person and diagnosis is different, which is why it’s important to be flexible. Rather than starting an entirely new diet, think of it as a simple lifestyle change. Focus on small, incremental changes that feel easy.

There are so many benefits to eating more nutritious meals. Even if you don’t see a change in your arthritis symptoms at first, you can improve your health which could eventually impact your arthritis symptoms. This is especially true if you suffer from multiple comorbid conditions.

For example, studies confirm that eating certain foods can:

• Lower blood pressure
• Protect against chronic conditions, ranging from cancer to stroke
• Prevent inflammation
• Protect your heart
• Lead to weight loss, which can lessen pressure that leads to joint pain

While there is no miracle diet for arthritis, simple changes can have an impact.  As always, consult with your doctor before starting a new diet or exercise regimen.

12 best foods for arthritis

Now that we’ve established a link between arthritis and diet, it’s time to get specific. As you browse arthritis diet recipes, look for meals that include the following ingredients.

1. Berries

The glory of berries is in the anthocyanins, which have an anti-inflammatory effect.

From strawberries to raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries, add them to your yogurt or smoothie for a healthy dose of antioxidants. You’ll get health benefits whether they’re frozen, fresh, or even dehydrated.

2. Nuts

If you need a quick and healthy snack, it doesn’t get much better than a handful of nuts. Grab some almonds, pistachios, or cashews for a quick energy boost. Just 1.5 ounces daily can provide a dose of inflammation-fighting monounsaturated fat.

Nuts are also rich in:

• Protein
• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Zinc
• Vitamin E
• Immune-boosting alpha linolenic acid (ALA)

3. Olive oil

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is a pantry staple, and as it turns out, it’s a pretty good one to have.

EVOO contains heart-healthy fats, as well as oleocanthal, which has anti-inflammatory benefits. According to studies, a diet rich in olive oil can reduce joint swelling and even slow cartilage destruction.

4. Fish

Omega-3 fatty acids are known for protecting your heart and helping your body fight off inflammation.

The American Heart Association and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommend three to four ounces of fish, twice a week. However, arthritis experts claim more is better! Go for salmon, tuna, or even scallops to reap the benefits. Check Seafood Watch to find options that are kinder to the environment and our seas.

Don’t like seafood? Consider adding a fish oil supplement to your daily routine.

5. Green tea

Studies show an antioxidant in green tea called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) blocks the production of molecules that cause joint damage in people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Aim for two serving per day, hot or iced, using traditional tea bags.

6. Broccoli

We all know the importance of eating our greens! Broccoli is rich in vitamins K and C, as well as sulforaphane. This compound may prevent or slow the progression of osteoarthritis.

The boost of calcium from broccoli also offers bone-building benefits.

7. Whole grains

Whole grains are fiber-rich and lower blood levels of CRP, an inflammatory marker. Experts recommend six ounces of whole grains per day, which means there are many opportunities to incorporate them into your diet.

Consider oatmeal, whole grain toast, quinoa, or brown rice.

8. Citrus

Vitamin C is an excellent way to boost your immune system, protect your memory, and lower your risk of heart disease. Research shows that it may also prevent inflammatory arthritis and help you maintain healthy joints.

Sink your teeth into citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruits, and limes to reap the benefits.

9. Beans

Beans pack a punch of fiber and protein, which makes them a healthy part of any diet. For arthritis sufferers, the phytonutrients in beans may help lower CRP, an indicator of inflammation found in the blood.

With so many varieties to choose from, it can be tough to know where to start. Small red beans, red kidney beans, and pinto beans are among the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s list of top antioxidant-containing foods.

10. Garlic

If you’re looking for flavor and health benefits, garlic is your friend. Researchers believe the compound diallyl disulphine found in garlic may limit cartilage-damaging enzymes in human cells.

Studies also show reduced risk for hip osteoarthritis, which is likely due to garlic’s strong anti-inflammatory properties.

11. Ginger

Ginger may reduce inflammation and aid in reducing symptoms of arthritis, whether it’s fresh, powdered, or dried. Plus, it can help settle an upset stomach. A 2001 study looked at the effects of ginger extract in 261 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. After six weeks, 63% of participants experienced improvements in knee pain.

Add a bit of ginger to your tea or soup recipes or make a stir fry to use this anti-inflammatory ingredient!

12. Turmeric

Widely used in Thai and Indian cuisine, turmeric gives curry that burst of yellow color, but it’s more than a culinary benefit.

Curcumin is the strong antioxidant in turmeric that has powerful anti-inflammatory effects. If you don’t enjoy the distinct flavor of turmeric, consider taking it in supplement form.

5 foods to avoid for arthritis

We all know the importance of eating well, not just for arthritis, but for overall wellness. Did you know some types of food that could actually lead to painful flare-ups and worsening symptoms?

Here are arthritis triggers you should try to avoid whenever possible.

1. Processed foods

According to a study at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, decreasing the amount of fried and processed foods eaten can “reduce inflammation and actually help restore the body’s natural defenses.”

With this in mind, try to limit fried or fast food, as well as prepared frozen meals.

2. Alcohol

While everything in moderation is acceptable, excessive alcohol consumption will only lead to worsening symptoms. If you already have arthritis, most medications to relieve sore joints do not mix well with alcohol. Plus, alcohol is particularly problematic if you have gout.

However, according to the Arthritis Foundation, a few studies show that enjoying alcohol in moderation may reduce your risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.

3. Sugar

Sugar that is processed can prompt the release of cytokines, which are responsible for causing inflammation.

We’re not talking about naturally occurring sugar in fruit, though. This is the type of sugar that is added to soda, candy, and even some types of juice. Take a look at labels and be vigilant about avoiding excess sugar.

4. Refined carbohydrates

Refined carbohydrates can fuel the production of advanced glycation end (AGE) oxidants. AGE oxidants are known to damage certain proteins in your body. Because your body tries to break them apart by using cytokines, inflammation is more likely to occur as a result.

Try to avoid refined carbohydrates when possible, such as those found in potato chips, white bread, and white rice.

5. Saturated fat

Arthritis sufferers are more at risk for heart disease, which means it’s important to pay attention to your cholesterol levels. Unfortunately, saturated fats found in meat, butter, and cheese can raise your total cholesterol level.

Limit saturated fat to 20 grams per day (for a person consuming 2,000 calories).

What are the best places to find arthritis diet recipes?

If you’re ready to get cooking, you’ll need a few simple arthritis diet recipes. Fortunately, there are thousands at your fingertips! From cookbooks to blogs, you’ll find a variety of anti-inflammatory recipes. Here are some of our favorite resources.

Cookbooks

If you love the nostalgia of cracking open a cookbook, you’re in luck. There are many doctors, chefs, and even average arthritis sufferers who have written cookbooks.

The Anti-Inflammation Cookbook is a great place to start. According to reviews, this book is full of practical recipes with flavor in mind. Fill up your bookshelf with even more cookbooks from our own list, 20 Of The Best Anti-Inflammatory Cookbooks.

Pinterest

If you’re looking for visual inspiration, Pinterest recipes are only a few clicks away. A quick search for “arthritis diet” yields hundreds of pins with recipes and more.

For example, get started on your journey to healthy living with a simple week-long anti-inflammatory meal plan.

Blogs

Blogs are becoming more and more popular for people who want a creative outlet. Plus, many cookbook authors start out as bloggers. If you find a cookbook author you love, be sure to do a quick internet search to check for more recipes and resources.

Other ways to manage your arthritis

Changing your lifestyle to follow the best diet for arthritis is a great first step. While aches and pains can tempt a person to take it easy, research shows that movement also helps decrease pain, lubricate joints, and increase range of motion. Consider incorporating gentle yoga or morning walks into your daily routine. This will greatly increase your chances of keeping your symptoms under control.

In some cases, basic lifestyle changes still aren’t enough, and that’s okay. A comprehensive approach to treating arthritis pain may involve a number of therapies and treatments. Your healthy diet should be used in conjunction with medical treatments to help relieve your day-to-day symptoms.

At Arizona Pain, we work as a team to develop a plan to tackle your pain from every angle. Your treatment may include many facets from our comprehensive care program, including conventional medical procedures, chiropractic manipulations, and vitamin supplements.

If you live in Arizona and need help managing your arthritis pain, contact the Arizona Pain team or click the button below to get in touch with one of our pain specialists.

Experts flood the health and wellness field, each offering sometimes contradictory advice for appropriate amounts of physical activity. Wondering “how much should I exercise?” Fortunately, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has analyzed the data and issued guidelines that people can follow to stay fit. Here’s what you should know.

How much should I exercise? 

If your current levels of physical activity fall below the recommended guidelines, don’t let that keep you from exercising. Any amount of physical activity is beneficial. If possible, start small and gradually increase physical activity until reaching the recommended amounts. Here’s what you can expect based on your age and other guidelines.

Adolescents ages 6 to 17

Children at this age often have abundant energy, and while some get plenty of exercise, other find their imaginations captured more by television and video games than playing street hockey.

Federal guidelines recommend adolescents should get at least 60 minutes or more each day of moderate or vigorous exercise. Reaching that one-hour block of time impacts health more than the intensity or type of exercise, according to the guidelines. Most of the exercise should fall into the aerobic category. This includes running, playing team sports, or dancing. It should also include vigorous physical activity at least three days a week.

Adolescents should also work to build muscle at least three days a week, and complete bone strengthening exercises three days a week. Muscle strengthening exercises include climbing trees, playing on playground equipment, or lifting weights. Bone building activities could include running, tennis, or weight lifting.

Adults ages 18 to 64

In adulthood, recommended levels of exercise fall from 60 minutes daily to 150 minutes to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week, although more exercise imparts additional health benefits. An equivalent combination of 75-150 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise is also a good amount to go for.

Activity should be at a moderate intensity, and can include activities such as gardening, walking at least three miles per hour, or slow bicycling. People who tend to workout more vigorously—think singles tennis, jump rope, or difficult hikes—can make do with 75 minutes each week.

Workout sessions should last at least ten minutes and spread them throughout the week, ideally on at least three separate days. At least two days a week, adults should work out all of their major muscle groups through activities such as weight lifting, using resistance bands, or doing pull-ups, push-ups, and sit-ups.

Adults ages 65 and older

Older adults should also aim for at least 150 minutes of exercise weekly, although additional exercise offers greater health benefits. Adults with chronic conditions that make it difficult to reach desired exercise amounts should do what they can and try to avoid becoming inactive.

Unfit older adults should take care to adopt an exercise regimen in accordance with their current levels of physical fitness and adjust as capabilities expand. Other than that, older adults should follow the same guidelines as younger adults. In addition to the general guidelines, they also suggest that older adults should:

• Be as physically active as their abilities and conditions allow, even if this isn’t 150 minutes of activity a week
• Do exercises that maintain or improve balance if they are at risk of falling
• Determine their level of effort for exercise relative to their level of fitness

People with health conditions (including pregnancy)

A final section of the report touches on additional considerations for special populations of adults. As the study notes, “some people have conditions that raise special issues about recommended types and amounts of physical activity.” The populations it looks at specifically in the guidelines are pregnant and post-partum women and those with chronic health conditions or disabilities.

The guidelines give examples of appropriate activities in their report, but they also point out three key messages for these groups. Namely:

• Adults with chronic conditions still obtain important health benefits from exercise
• If exercise is done according to a person’s abilities, it can still be safe
• Adults with chronic conditions or those who are pregnant should be under the care of a healthcare professional, consulting them as necessary as to the type and amount of activity appropriate for them

In all sections of the U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines, healthcare professionals stress that physical exercise is crucially important for health and attainable for any person, no matter their age or ability.

Why is aerobic exercise so important? 

Cardio, or aerobic exercise, can promote good heart health, boost your energy, and help you control your weight. This type of exercise raises your heart rate and gets your blood pumping throughout your entire body. This boosts circulation of the oxygen and nutrients your body needs to work efficiently.

Federal guidelines recommend 150 minutes to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week, 75-150 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise, or a combination of the two. Here’s why they recommend making this a priority every week.

It helps you control your weight

It’s no secret working up a regular sweat is a great way to burn calories and shed fat. But did you know cardio exercise has also been shown to suppress appetite and curb cravings? The next time you feel tempted to head for the fridge, hit the treadmill instead.

It fights disease

Physical activity is linked with preventing heart disease, high blood pressure, lowering cholesterol, lowering risk of diabetes, combatting depression and other conditions.

It makes you happy

Cardio exercise promotes the production and release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers and “feel good” chemicals. As a result, you may find you feel happy, calm and relaxed after a good workout.

It gives you energy

It seems counterintuitive that rigorous cardio exercise would give a person more energy, but it’s true. Developing stronger muscles and elevating your heart rate on a regular basis will boost your overall physical stamina.

Studies have also shown that people who exercise regularly sleep better. There’s an exception to this, however. Don’t exercise too close to bedtime. You may have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep.

It makes you smarter

There’s some science to support the theory that regularly releasing the hormones associated with cardio exercise, plus increasing blood flow, helps your brain grow. In one study, researchers found that people who exercised for one hour per day, three days a week, over the course of six months, increased the size of their brains’ hippocampus — the part of the brain responsible for memory and learning.

A study conducted by the International Journal of Workplace Health Management also found that people who exercised during their workday were 23 percent more productive on those days than on days they didn’t exercise. And get this: 72 percent of the study’s participants did cardio exercise.

What do they mean by muscle-strengthening exercises? 

Along with aerobic exercise, muscle strengthening is a vital part of fitness for all age groups and levels of fitness. Muscle strengthening occurs when a specific muscle is put through a series of repetitions that build and condition that muscle. The ideal number of repetitions is the number right before you are not able to perform the exercise without help. Adults should aim for muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week. Before you begin any new exercise program, though, consult with your doctor.

You don’t have to restrict muscle strengthening exercises to the gym. Yoga, gardening that involves digging or shoveling, and pushups on your bedroom floor all count. As long as the exercises involve all of your muscle areas at some point, they count. Using resistance bands (standing on a band and doing curls) and your own body weight (pull ups) are both excellent ways to work your muscles.

Older adults should get the same amount of muscle strengthening but with special attention paid to changes in balance and endurance.  Some of the exercises may be completed while seated or holding on to a chair. Those new to strength training should work with their doctor to develop a safe, comprehensive plan that includes aerobic exercise and muscle strengthening.

Muscle strengthening with chronic conditions

Muscle strengthening is also an important part of health for adults with disabilities or chronic conditions.

A study in 2003 found that many symptoms of pain and weakness decreased significantly after exercising two times a week, and another study in 2007 found that those people suffering from arthritis had a higher quality of life if they exercised the recommended 150 minutes a week. Any muscle strengthening exercises can also be completed while seated or holding on to a chair.

Children should also incorporate muscle strengthening activity at least three days a week.  The best way to do this is through their regular play, adding games that use lunges, pull ups, or sit ups. Have them learn these exercises without resistance bands at first. The goal is not to become a bodybuilder but to help build strong, correct muscle groups and support bone density. Don’t skip the stretching and warming up, and remind kids to hydrate throughout the exercise.

Get started with exercise

It is important to note that you need not exercise in hour-long blocks to get the benefits or meet the guidelines. Brief, ten-minute muscle strengthening activities such as push ups at the office or lunges in the elevator help you meet the weekly requirements and are just as effective as a class at the gym. Add daily walks with your dog or significant other. It’s easy to incorporate these activities into your daily routine!

Could exercise change your life? In one simple, precise, and perfectly accurate answer: yes. Here’s why and how you can start exercising in 2019.

Why is it so important to start exercising?

We’ve heard the statistics. Two-thirds of people in the U.S. are considered overweight. We also know our lifestyles have greatly changed in the last several decades to include less physical activity – think of the time you spend commuting, instead of say, walking – and more processed foods.

The good news is, it is entirely within each person’s control to start exercising and change your life. New research shows behavior change isn’t as difficult as you may think. Fitting into those jeans in the back of your closet may be a goal that you achieve in 2019. And, exercise is the easiest way to change your health trajectory today. It needn’t cost hundreds (or even dozens) of dollars to get and stay fit. You don’t need a special trainer or a complicated fitness routine.

Evidence is mounting: if you want to improve the quality of your daily life while increasing your longevity, start moving. Here’s how it can benefit you.

Avoiding premature death

Sweating and increasing your heart rate daily is key to avoiding premature death. In a six-year study of over 246,000 people in Australia, researchers found that those who engaged in both vigorous and moderate activity daily decreased their chance of death by nine to 13%. Lead author Dr. Klaus Gebel from James Cook University’s Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention found the benefit of vigorous exercise crossed all demographics:

“The benefits of vigorous activity applied to men and women of all ages, and were independent of the total amount of time spent being active. The results indicate that whether or not you are obese, and whether or not you have heart disease or diabetes, if you can manage some vigorous activity it could offer significant benefits for longevity.”

Previous recommendations from the World Health Organization have included 150 minutes of moderate exercise and 75 minutes of vigorous exercise, but this new research increases the recommendation for vigorous exercise and suggests that interval training might be a way to work in the new recommended amount of daily sweat.

Helps with chronic conditions

Although the above study recommends an increase in vigorous exercise, not everyone can add more vigorous workouts to their daily routine. Fortunately, for some, moderate exercise is enough to increase the daily quality of life for people who desperately need a boost: cancer patients.

A study out of Kansas State University found that moderate exercise may be just what is needed to improve outcomes during cancer treatment. This same moderate exercise can counteract the negative effects of treatment, including low blood pressure, fatigue, and lost muscle mass. Exercise increases tumor oxygenation which can help improve treatment success for cancer patients, especially for those with difficult-to-treat tumors.

Brad Behnke, associate professor of exercise physiology, points out the potential for moderate exercise’s positive effects on both overall health and improved cancer treatments:

“If we can increase the efficacy of radiation treatment, then the patient’s prognosis is enhanced. An intervention like exercise has almost universally positive side effects versus other treatments that can have deleterious side effects. Exercise is a type of therapy that benefits multiple systems in the body, and may permanently alter the environment within the tumor.”

Moderate exercise also has progressive benefits for the elderly, including increased life expectancy and increased quality of life. This benefit starts in adolescence, as women who began exercising in their teens had a 16% lowered risk of death from cancer and 13% risk from all other types of death.

Other benefits of exercise

Other research shows that exercise can:

• Reverse age-related bone loss in middle-aged men. Moderate exercise helps to improve balance and coordination, which can prevent the falls that lead to injury. This results in fewer incidents of brittle-bone fractures.
• Exercise with a physiotherapist as an add-on to medication results in a positive effect on depression. Study participants who exercised with an eye to reducing their weight and improving their physical fitness found the most benefit.
• Lessen the effects of brain damage due to senility or minor stroke, allowing those who suffer from either to stay active and mobile for longer.
• Improve erectile and sexual function in men; this result was found to cross race and economic status.
• Aerobic exercise lessens the severity of asthma attack symptoms by lessening the inflammatory response that is mounted by the body during an attack.

Exercise can save not only the life of individuals, but can reflect the improved life of an entire neighborhood. A community effort to revitalize a neighborhood in Birmingham, Alabama led to an increase in exercise and improved diet, both due to an increase in green spaces that include walking trails that led to grocery stores that had fresh fruits and vegetables.

How to start exercising

It is clear that exercise can change your life both in quality and quantity. Incorporating exercise into your daily routine does not require totally overhauling the way you live. If you’re planning to diet to lose weight or to get fit, exercise will likely be part of that plan. Working out and staying in shape can prevent pain and help with your weight loss efforts.

Start small

If you’re not currently exercising at all, your first step is simply to take the first step; you’ve just got to start moving. Talk to your doctor about your fitness goals, then start small by incorporating something as simple as a 15-minute daily walk.

Make it fun

Officials at Mayo Clinic report seven critical benefits of daily exercise. These include:

• Weight control
• Prevention of health conditions and disease
• Improvement of mood
• Increased energy
• Improved sleep
• Improved sex drive
• Fun

Fun?! you might be thinking, “If exercise was ‘fun,’ I’d be doing it every day already. One tool to behavior change is finding activities that are actually enjoyable and fun for you. Perhaps you don’t see yourself ever crossing the finish line of a marathon, but remember when you loved to golf? Enjoyed that bowling team? Caught up with friends on long walks?

To make exercise a lifestyle, you simply need to find an activity you like doing, and do it regularly. Set a goal to do something fun at least two or three times per week. Perhaps it is swimming laps, or chasing your grandchildren around the park. Maybe you enjoy yoga, golfing, tennis or even playing Frisbee with the dog. Just because you exercise doesn’t mean you have to strap yourself to an elliptical at the gym. Make exercising fun. If you find joy in an activity it won’t seem like exercise.

Exercise well

If you start with a daily walk, follow recommendations for both vigorous and moderate exercise by participating in interval training.

Walk for two minutes at a moderate pace, then increase the pace for one minute to work up a sweat and get your heart pumping. As your fitness level increases, swap that ratio and go for two minutes of vigorous walking with one minute of moderate rest. The same goes for other activities you do. Incorporate short bursts of higher intensity in your tennis match, swimming, or yoga.

Organize a buddy walk

Improving your own fitness is a great way to change your life, so why not improve the lives of those around you? Invite your kids, your neighbors, or your coworkers for a daily walk in the morning, during lunch, or after dinner. Exercising with others is a great way to build community and to hold everyone in the group accountable.

To find an exercise plan that works for you, it helps to have a buddy hold you accountable. If you have someone walking the neighborhood with you every morning, you’re less likely to pass on a chilly morning or a hot summer evening. You also want to find someone on a level playing field. If this is the first time you’ve worked out in ten years, you don’t want your buddy to be a fitness pro. Why do that to yourself? Find someone at a similar level and start there.

Stay consistent

Small changes add up but only if you stick to a daily schedule. If you follow the rule of not missing more than one day in a row you will build the habit of healthy exercise, and that habit will change your life.

Find your motivation

Once you set a goal and achieve it, give yourself a reward, but don’t reward yourself with food. That’s one of the bad habits you’re trying to break! “I’ve had a rough week. I deserve a pizza. Or a hotdog.” Nope.

You deserve good fuel in the form of a healthy meal and rest or self-care. That’s how you reward yourself. Take your kids bowling or spend the day at the park. Buy a new shirt. Now, that’s a reward.

Create achievable goals

Here’s how to make goals you can actually keep by:

• Being specific: Set a goal and give it detail. For example, “exercise more,” is great, but “exercise three times a week” is stronger. “Exercise for 20 minutes three times a week after I leave work” is best.
• Making attainable goals: Nothing is less motivating than constantly failing at your goal. Set a goal for drinking five glasses of water per day, or eating two pieces of fruit each day. Don’t make your goal, “Lose 20 pounds this month,” or you’ll likely feel miserable when your target is missed.
• Forgiving yourself: Exercise and weight loss is a long-term goal. Short-term weight loss has shown to be destructive and short-lived. Consider losing weight a life-long challenge and you’ll be more forgiving when you have that piece of fried chicken or hit the snooze button instead of going to the gym. Weight loss, like any behavior change, takes daily dedication over a long period of time.

Starting with exercise

Speak with your doctor today for more information about healthy weight loss. Your pain specialist will be able to tell you what your healthy weight is, and how being in this range will likely lessen your pain.

Let’s review. Finding an easy exercise plan to suit your needs means starting slow. You don’t want to take yourself out with an injury before you’ve been able to see and feel real results. Set your goals, find non-food rewards and a good buddy to work with you and you’ll feel better in no time! And keep the pain away. Hit the comments to share why you’re choosing to exercise in 2019 and how you’re going to get started.

We all know that lack of sleep can make us feel a little off the next day. Groggy, unable to concentrate, and irritable: these are all sure indications of too little sleep (or sleep of poor quality). While the occasional night of tossing and turning is common for most people, too many sleepless night strung together could indicate a more serious issue. It can lead to even more chronic pain the next day, leading to even less sleep the next. Sleep and mental health are also connected, with one feeding off the other. More and more research is pointing out that not enough sleep can be damaging to your health. Here’s how to get more sleep in order to decrease your pain.

What does a “normal” night of sleep look like?

You’ve heard that you need eight hours of sleep a night, right? While this is a reasonable rule of thumb, it isn’t exact. Everyone’s personal body clock is different and some people need more than eight while others can function on less. However, if at any time during the day you feel sleepiness affecting your ability to work or function, you are not getting enough sleep.

Without enough sleep you may find yourself impaired much like a person who has consumed too much alcohol. It can be detrimental for day to day activities as well as driving, which can lead to dangerous situations on the road. Eventually, not having enough sleep can cause sleep deprivation, which contributes to long-term health problems. In fact, sleeping produces a neurotransmitter called serotonin that regulates the body’s pain responses, anxiety, and depression.

A typical sleeper cycles through many 90-minute sleep cycles every night. These are divided into two stages that aren’t always equal in length.

Stage 1: Quiet sleep

During this stage, the sleeper begins to move into deep relaxation. Body temperature drops, breathing slows, and muscles begin to release and relax. Heart rate drops. At the very deepest part of this stage, the immune system gets a physiological boost.

Stage 2: Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep

This is the stage during which people dream. In parts of this stage, the body’s vital signs are nearly similar to when people are awake. Periods of REM sleep enhance learning and cognition and contribute to emotional health.

How much sleep do you need?

Contrary to what we might have heard from our parents, not everyone needs a solid eight hours of shut-eye to function well. In fact, the amount of sleep that people need varies widely not only depending on age but also within each age group.

The National Sleep Foundation has recommended sleep durations based on age and physiology. However, the organization also recognizes there will likely be some variation among individuals. Their recommended sleep hours are:

• 14 to 17 hours a day for newborns until three months
• 12 to 15 hours for infants to 11 months old
• 11 to 14 hours for toddlers from one to two years of age
• Preschoolers from three to five years should get ten to 13 hours
• School age children from six to 13 need nine to 11 hours of sleep
• Eight to ten hours is recommended for teenagers
• Younger adults from 18 to 25 should get seven to nine hours
• Adults between the ages of 25 and 64 still need between seven to nine hours
• Seven to eight hours is best for adults 65 or older

Within each group, actual required amounts may vary depending on activity level and any underlying health issues.

The importance of sleep

Restful sleep influences many functions within our bodies. It regulates the immune system to fight off infections and diseases. Sleep also helps to build a healthy cardiovascular system, along with exercise. It helps regulate our mood so we can avoid irritability or memory problems. Quality sleep can even fend off depression. Sleep is also an essential part of your body’s metabolism and is necessary for weight control.

Avoiding cellular damage

In 2014, the Medical College of Wisconsin published their findings that a lack of sleep affects our bodies on a cellular level. Researchers learned that sleep deprivation causes damage to our cells. The damage was most common in the liver, lung, and small intestine.

However, recovery sleep heals the damage. While it has long been understood that sleep affects our overall health this study helps make a more concrete connection between sleep deprivation and conditions like cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Promoting bone health 

Sleep affects our bone health as well. In a Journal of Bone and Mineral Research review, experts discovered that sleep apnea may be one cause of osteoporosis. Sleep apnea affects a patient’s sleep duration, quality, breathing, and inflammation. Getting enough or too little rest affects the natural metabolism of our bone.

Improving long-term mental health 

What is certain and common across all groups is that sleep and mental health are closely connected. This is a connection that begins in childhood. According to a study from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), approximately 20% of toddlers have serious sleep disorders that increase their risk of developing psychiatric disorders by age six. Researchers found that the reverse of this was also true: toddlers with psychiatric disorders at four were at a higher risk of developing sleep disorders by the age of six.

Silje Steinsbekk, an associate professor and psychologist in NTNU’s department of psychology, emphasized the importance of early identification of poor sleep for early interventions, noting:

“It is common for children to have periods when they sleep poorly, but for some children, the problems are so extensive that they constitute a sleep disorder. Our research shows that it is important to identify children with sleep disorders, so that remedial measures can be taken. Sleeping badly or too little affects a child’s day-to-day functioning, but we are seeing that there are also long term repercussions.”

Understanding sleep and depression

This chicken-and-egg puzzle of whether or not sleep disorders lead to mental health issues or vice versa has been puzzling researchers for 20 years. Insomnia used to be listed as a symptom of several mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. Indeed, some studies have found that between 65 and 90% of adults with depression (and 90% of children) have a sleep disorder (usually insomnia).

But this lack of sleep can also increase the risk of developing depression. Three longitudinal studies – one involving adults ages 21 to 30 and the other two involving teens – found that study participants who reported insomnia were four times as likely to develop depression. In the case of the teens, sleep problems developed before depression did.

On the other hand, lack of sleep makes patients less likely to respond to treatment for depression. Insomnia also increases the chance of relapse and increases the chances of a depressed patient thinking about or attempting suicide.

For people with mental illness, the connection between sleep and mental health cannot be ignored. Struggling with a mood disorder is hard enough when your body hasn’t had adequate rest. Further, those with chronic pain are already at higher risk for developing mental health conditions, like depression and anxiety.

How to get more sleep

How can you make sure you’re getting enough sleep? If you are experiencing a period of acute insomnia, lasting two weeks or less, the best thing to do is to try to improve your sleep hygiene and wait it out. This can include making the following changes:

1. Go to bed and get up at the same time every day. People with good sleep cycles go to bed at the same time each night and wake up at the same time each morning. This has been proven effective for generations.
2. Don’t be afraid to take a nap. When you feel tired during the day your body is telling you to slow down. Even corporations are taking this into account and creating nap spaces for their staff.
3. Spend as much time in daylight as possible. Many people who have sleep problems don’t get enough exposure to sunlight at the right times of day. Get outside as much as you can, especially in the morning.
4. Don’t eat or drink caffeine or alcohol close to bedtime. Caffeine is a stimulant so it can make falling asleep difficult. Alcohol is a depressant but it is still not recommended as a sleep aid because it influences quality of sleep. Eating food can also disrupt your sleep as your body concentrates on digestion rather than rest.
5. Create a calming sleep routine. Before going to bed at night, establish some rituals that can help you sleep. Stop watching television an hour or so before your bed time. Read a book with the lights dimmed. Use lavender to make your room relaxing. Warm milk or chamomile tea both have mild sedative properties that can ease you into a restful night’s sleep.
6. Get a comfortable mattress. Of course, none of this will be effective if your sleep is disrupted due to an uncomfortable mattress. Determine whether firm or soft works for you and make a good investment.
7. Remove screens from your bedroom: Remove TVs, computers, and smartphones from your room and turn them off at least two hours before bed.
8. Reserve your bedroom for intimacy and sleep only: Don’t read or work in your bed. If you like to read before bed, do so in a small chair in your room.
9. Exercise at least four hours before bed: Getting regular exercise well before bedtime is a great way to increase your chances of a good night’s sleep.
10. Shower in the evenings before bed: When you fall asleep, body temperature drops. Getting out of a hot shower can get that process started.
11. Tidy up your room: Keep your bedside table neat and the clutter in your room to a minimum.
12. Sleep dark, cold, and quiet: Use blackout curtains or an eye mask to block light and earplugs to keep out the sound. Keep your room cool and use the heaviest blankets you can.

If you make these changes and still find yourself sleepless after two weeks, talk to your doctor. Your sleep and mental health influence your pain levels, and early intervention for both are important parts of treatment.

Nature’s pharmacy offers a cornucopia of anti-inflammatory plants and herbs that research has shown can benefit people experiencing chronic pain. Traditional medicines such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID)—a class that includes aspirin and ibuprofen—are commonly used by chronic pain sufferers but these can lead to significant side effects including potential stomach ulcers and kidney damage. With that in mind, many people are looking for more natural remedies to reduce chronic pain. Here’s some of our favorite natural herbs for pain. As always, check with your doctor before making big lifestyle changes, especially if you’re taking any prescription medications.

Getting started with natural herbs for pain

Herbs have had an important role in the development of cultures around the world since the dawn of history. Not only were they used for cooking but also for healing. Early healers from cultures as varied as the ancient Chinese and the ancient Celts understood the power of herbs and how they could heal wounds and cure common ailments.

However, it has been in cooking where the use of herbs thrived. Mediterranean cultures like the Greeks and Italians have used a number of herbs in their foods that have become the hallmark of these cuisines. Many Greek dishes are known for their use of nutmeg and rosemary while basil, garlic, and oregano are common in Italian cooking. Middle Eastern foods, various Asian dishes, and Mexican meals (which are a blend of Spanish and Native American flavors) all have their own herbal profiles.

The benefits of herbs are not limited to the boundaries between medicine and food. Ingesting these ingredients as part of a gourmet meal can provide positive nutrients for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. This is why many healthy eating blogs are also focused on creating rich and flavorful foods. The right herb combinations can eliminate the need for high fat or sugar content making these dishes as delicious as any decadent desserts. The best natural herbs for pain can actually reduce inflammation in the body.

Plants and herbs including turmeric, green tea, and ginger have been proven to reduce inflammation and pain without harmful side effects. Although these herbs come from the soil and not the pharmacy, they “can be the cornerstone of good pain management,” says David Leopold, director of San Diego’s Integrative Medical Education program at the Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine.

1. Turmeric

Turmeric in particular represents one of nature’s most potent anti-inflammatory spices, Leopold adds. This bright yellow spice commonly used in Indian cuisine comes from the same plant family as ginger, another powerful antioxidant. Turmeric’s active component, curcumin, reduces inflammation by inhibiting several inflammatory enzymes. Curcumin also gives turmeric its signature color.

Research published in the Italian internal medicine journal Panminerva Medica found osteoarthritis patients taking a turmeric supplement experienced a 58% drop in pain and stiffness and reduced their reliance on traditional drugs like NSAIDs.

Most commonly found in Indian cuisine, turmeric is extremely healthy. Other studies have shown that it may have anti-inflammatory properties and is good for individuals with arthritis. In fact, some research has indicated that it may be more effective at helping with arthritis pain than some prescription medications.

Turmeric is used in many curries along with other Indian spices. It is most commonly found in a powder form and is available at Indian markets and in some grocery stores. The spice will add a rich yellow color to your cooking. Use it to make a tikka masala sauce that you can add to vegetables, chicken, seafood, or rice. Or, look around natural health stores for new varieties of turmeric teas or applications.

2. Cinnamon

One of the more popular spices around the winter holidays, cinnamon is more than just a fragrant additive to foods. It has been shown to lower blood sugar levels which, in turn, can help diabetic patients better control their condition. It has also been known to reduce cholesterol levels which can reduce the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease.

Like turmeric, cinnamon can be taken as an extract but you may want to consider adding it to your regular menu. Most people think of sweet foods when they consider cinnamon but Middle Eastern cultures, like Lebanese and Syrian, frequently use cinnamon in savory dishes which give them a distinctive and delicious flavor. Just avoid mixing cinnamon with foods that are high in fat and sugar contents to achieve the best results.

3. Rosemary

This pungent evergreen herb is great with grilled meats or hearty stews. As it turns out, there is a reason for this pairing. Rosemary helps the body avoid the negative effects of carcinogens called Heterocyclic Amines or HCAs, like those that are common on steaks cooked over an open fire or at any high temperature. The antioxidants in rosemary appear to target the HCAs and prevent the development of tumors.

The good news is that rosemary and meat is a delicious combination. Use bundled sprigs to add flavor to a stew or soup. It is also great in conjunction with other herbs such as thyme, oregano, garlic, or basil. Like those herbs, rosemary is easy to grow as well. While you can use a supplement or a powder, fresh or dried rosemary is always a better choice.

4. Ginger

Ginger, a relative of turmeric, is another proven inflammation buster. Researchers at the University of Georgia found that eating ginger daily reduced muscle pain among heavy exercisers. The spice can be drank as tea or used in fresh or powdered form to flavor meals. Research published in the journal Arthritis found ginger extract to be as effective as the anti-inflammatory medication betamethasone.

Though technically a root and not an herb at all, ginger is a great treatment for nausea from a number of conditions. This includes pregnancy, motion sickness, or even nausea related to chemotherapy. Ginger blocks the effects of serotonin that your body creates when it is nauseated which, in turn, stops the stomach from feeling upset.

Common in many Chinese meals, ginger is great for soups, stir fries, or as a dressing on a salad. Like cinnamon you can use it in many sweet preparations, such as gingerbread. Combine ginger and cinnamon for flavored teas like chai, which can provide you with not only the benefits of those individual herbs but also from the black tea itself.

5. Basil

As it turns out, a specific version of the common basil plant, once known as “holy basil,” is great at helping reduce stress. Ingesting this herb increases adrenaline in a healthy way and decreases the body’s production of serotonin.

Basil is extremely common in Italian dishes including pesto sauces. Replacing common basil with holy basil can give you the added stress-relieving health benefits you may need. Use it in place of raw basil as the base of a Caprese salad. Toss with fresh mozzarella and tomatoes drizzle with a little balsamic vinegar.

6. Garlic

Finally, very few home cooks can go for long without adding garlic to their cooking. Almost all cultures, from Chinese to Italian, use it. It’s one of the most versatile ingredients you can use. As it turns it, it is also one of the healthiest. The benefits of garlic are many. It can lower the risk of developing cancer, help with a common cold, and decrease the risk of high blood pressure. It even has antibiotic properties.

Fortunately, garlic is also one of the easiest things to cook with. Keep whole cloves on hand to roast and spread on hearty, crusty bread in place of butter. Add minced garlic to pasta sauces, soups, or stir frys. Garlic is the kind of herb that you can add to just about anything in order to create a delicious dish that everyone in the house can enjoy.

Green tea

Finally, if adding exotic spices to food isn’t your style, you could also sip green tea. This powerful beverage reduces inflammation and promotes health.

Green tea, used for centuries in Chinese and Indian medicine, has gained fame in Western societies for its catechins that reduce inflammation and the risk for many types of cancer.

The popular beverage has shown promise in reducing chronic pain, particularly for people with rheumatoid arthritis. A study completed at the University of Michigan found green tea’s anti-inflammatory benefits alleviated symptoms associated with the disorder. Michigan researchers found that epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG)—an active compound in green tea—thwarted the production of molecules that lead to joint destruction and bone erosion in people with rheumatoid arthritis.

Have you tried any natural herbs for pain? Do you have any great recipes that incorporate lots of these ingredients? Share them in the comments!