Fresh Focus #46: Taking Action With Pain Management

Did you know American Veterans experience higher prevalence of pain and more severe pain than non-Veterans?  The good news is that no matter where you are in your health journey: just starting out, managing several chronic conditions, or somewhere in-between by making these diet changes you can really make a difference!   The team at Fresh Focus, is highlighting the benefits of eating and following the anti-inflammatory nutrition plan in episode #46 that includes: ·         Managing and preventing chronic health conditionsFollowing an anti-inflammatory nutrition plan can help prevent and help improve symptoms of some of the most chronic health conditions such as Diabetes and Heart Disease! Nearly every chronic health condition has underlying inflammation.  ·         Managing chronic painWe know so much more now about chronic pain that we did 10-20 years ago and have a much better understanding of lifestyle factors that affect pain. People are often skeptical that their food choices affect their pain but often become believers when they start feeling different when following the anti-inflammatory nutrition plan. ·         Ending complicated dietingHealthy eating is not the same thing as dieting. Even though we are called “Dietitians” we don’t want our patients to diet. Following an anti-inflammatory nutrition plan is not the same as going on a diet. Diets are restrictive, unsustainable, and frustrating! Eating an anti-inflammatory nutrition plan is based on balancing meals with all the food groups, eating plenty of vegetables and other plant-based foods, and finding a meal plan that works for you. All preferences and health needs can fit into an anti-inflammatory nutrition plan.  ·         Reconnecting with your body When we start to pay more attention to how we are feeling and how food is making us feel we can start to notice others things as well. We might realize that stress triggers cravings for junk food or that worrying causes us to eat more or less. Identifying how our mental and emotional well-being effect our food choices is just as important as learning how food effect how we feel. It’s a two way street and one that we often ignore for far too long.