Achy joints? Read on.

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Joint pain affects many women in their 50’s and beyond, for a variety of different reasons.  Sometimes joint pain can be debilitating, other times it's a constant, annoying, underlying pain. I know so many people who are impacted by it, so I wanted to cover some of the main reasons why this happens, and possible steps one can take to alleviate the pain.
 
First of all, joint pain is inflammation of the joints, and could include osteoarthritis, arthritis or even rheumatoid arthritis (but not necessarily).
 
So what actually is inflammation?
 
Good question!
 
Inflammation is a word that gets tossed around a great deal, but with limited understanding.
 
In very simplistic terms, it’s a release of chemicals and proteins from our immune cells, whose role is to defend the body and attack “foreigners”. At the same time, these chemicals and proteins also irritate and can cause damage to our tissues. Think of a splinter. Inflammation is a natural response to the injury, which gets red, and often warm/hot, but eventually settles down and “turns off” once the splinter is removed.
 
This is all normal and part of the healing process.
 
All good, right? Not so fast.
 
Chronic inflammation is different. It doesn’t turn off. It means that somewhere in our bodies there is an ongoing irritant that the immune system keeps reacting to (let’s say the splinter is never removed). This can manifest itself in a whole multitude of ways.  
 
If the irritants aren’t dealt with, it can result in the body being flooded with inflammatory defence cells and hormones that damage the tissues (whether it be in our gut, our joints, our lungs, our skin… wherever). The body never gets a chance to recover.
 
Free radicals can also cause inflammation in the body (more commonly known as oxidative stress) if not held in check. They are produced in our body both internally, as part of our normal metabolism, and from external sources such as cigarette smoke, medications, pollution and radiation. Plus certain foods are more likely to generate free radicals in our body (you know the ones ;-). 

How do I know if I have chronic inflammation?
 
Early symptoms could include:

  • Fatigue

  • Foggy brain

  • Joint/body aches

  • Knee and hip issues

  • Eczema, hives, rashes

  • Bloating, constipation, diarrhea, etc

 
So what are these irritants?
 
This is where it gets a bit challenging… figuring out what the irritant is. It could be:

  • Sugar (highly inflammatory)

  • A food allergy (wheat and dairy are often at the top of the list, followed by soy, eggs and corn)

  • Alcohol, coffee or chocolate

  • Histamine rich foods (fermented beverages, fermented foods and dairy products)

  • Environmental factors, such as mold, first or second hand smoke, chemicals that we put on our body that get absorbed into our skin, heavy metals such as lead, etc.

  • Stress (sadly)

  • Hormonal imbalances, such as underlying thyroid or blood sugar imbalances

  • Poor diet in general

  • A combination of some/all of the above

 
So where does one start?
 
Again, a bit tricky. Ideally, one needs to figure out what the irritant is.
 
If you feel you are eating well overall, then one method is to try an elimination diet. You could either eliminate everything you think could be inflammatory based on my list above, for 2-3 weeks, and then slowly introduce foods back in individually; OR, you could delete one food at a time for 2-3 weeks and see if there is any difference. Both take time, but are often worth the effort.
 
One challenge is that the digestive system takes a while to heal if it has been aggravated, but often one can still notice a difference over a short period time if they remove an irritant. 
 
A much faster and easier, albeit more expensive method, is to get tested for any sensitivities or allergies you might have. 

Are there any helpful foods to relieve inflammation/joint pain?
 
Ok… you know me by now, so of course you know my first answer is to start with a whole food diet, full of colourful vegetables and fruit :) 
 
Vegetables and fruits are not only high in antioxidants, which neutralize the free radicals, but also create a more alkaline environment in our body, which can help reduce inflammation.  An acidic environment in our bodies makes us ripe for inflammation.
 
I’ve included a list below of some of the top vegetables and fruits with high antioxidant levels, but honestly – don’t get caught up in lists - simply increase your vegetable (and some fruit*) intake.
 

  • Wild blueberries + blackberries

  • Goji berries

  • Tomatoes

  • Carrots

  • Sweet potatoes + squash (try delicata squash right now - so good - just slice and roast!)

  • Pomegranates

  • Strawberries

  • Cilantro

  • Kale

  • Broccoli

  • Grapes

 
*Just a note that even though fruit is full of nutrients and fibre, it also contains sugar and can be over-consumed. If you feel you already eat a lot of sugar, definitely look at your fruit intake as well.
 
Finally, certain nuts are also high in antioxidants, the highest being walnuts, pecans and chestnuts. And wild caught salmon (sockeye has the highest) is also a good source.
 
Natural anti-inflammatory’s include:

  • Turmeric - curcumin is the active ingredient

  • Ginger - also rich in anti-oxidants – make ginger tea, add to your salad dressing (recipe at bottom), or toss in a smoothie

  • Ashwaghanda

 
Many people will start their day off with warm/hot water, apple cider vinegar (acidic outside body / alkalizing inside body!), turmeric (powder or root), ginger root and a splash of honey… a great way to cleanse your body first thing in the morning and get in some anti-inflammatory foods at the same time.

What about Omega 3 fats?
 
Omega 3 fats are also excellent to combat inflammation, the best sources being cold water fatty fish, including salmon, sardines, anchovies, mackerel and herring.
 
A good quality fish oil is worth trying for those suffering from joint pain and inflammation (just remember that simply taking fish oil and not changing any other part of your diet doesn’t make sense). Carlson Labs and NutraSea are both respected brands. The one caveat is the jury is still out as to the true effectiveness of fish oils. If you can stick to food, do. I take fish oil to cover my bases, with the hope that it works :)

You mentioned our environment could cause inflammation… how?
 
With respect to environmental factors, this of course isn’t as straightforward, but start becoming more aware of your surroundings (mold is becoming much more recognized nowadays as a serious issue in people’s homes), as well as what you are putting on your body (aside from all the toxic elements that are in many of our beauty and cleansing products, scents are also huge irritants for people, as they are made up of so many chemicals, none of which are regulated).
 
Seriously… stress???
 
Finally, one of the toughest issues to deal with is stress, where cortisol promotes a loss of minerals and increases the inflammatory acid load in our bodies. I’ve talked about meditation in past blogs (I would now add the Sam Harris’ Waking Up app to the list), but I’ve been doing a lot of research into breath work and will be writing on it soon. What I love about breath work (aside from its proven effectiveness) is its accessibility (you can practice it almost anywhere, it’s free, and you can incorporate it in little bits throughout the day).  If you are interested, you can try out Inward Breathwork, using the code INWARD30 (at checkout) to get the first month free.

Oh... and keep moving!  Keep those joints lubricated!

I know from experience that trying to do these things (or any diet/lifestyle changes) on your own can at times be overwhelming (and lonely). If you feel you are someone that needs help to stay motivated and on track, reach out today. We can chat and see if I can help. And based on enthusiastic feedback, I am also continuing my Walk & Talk Program right through the fall, and possibly winter, so if you simply need a nutrition and/or lifestyle reset over the course of an hour walk in nature, let's connect.

Thanks for reading :)

gillian x

Ginger salad dressing 
(From Brain Food by Lisa Mosconi)

  • 2 small garlic cloves

  • One 2” piece of fresh ginger, peeled

  • 2 tbsp tamari or nama shoyu saude

  • Juice of ½ lemon

  • 2 tbsp tahini

  • 1 tbsp olive oil or coconut oil

Put all the ingredients in a food processor or high speed blender and blend until creamy.  Great for a Buddha bowl, or with some greens, mandarin pieces and sliced almonds.  Or just greens!