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I hear more and more people talk about their arthritis these days. Sore hands, feet and elbows are now common place in our society. Most put it down to bad luck or genetics, maybe even an activity they are doing.
What most don’t know is that your joints like your heart and many other organs rely on good nutrition to function well. Ever hear the hype around anti-oxidants? well they are key to joint health; when you eat fruit and vegetables they provide your body with anti-oxidants which slow the breakdown of cartilage and naturally protect your joints. Here are some of the best Anti-Inflammatory foods…..

Avocados - They are not only amazingly tasty but are packed with essential oils, fatty acids ad Vitamin E which all help with the repair of cartilage and tendons helping fight inflammation.

Chillies - Capsaicin is a potent part of the chili which blocks feelings of pain in the bodies tissue as well as releasing endorphins which act as your bodies own morphine like pain killer. All the more reason for a spicy post workout meal.

Macadamia Nuts - The king of nuts, and the richest in monounsaturated fats. Also packed with Vitamin E and selenium which promote healthy healing.

Red Wine - A glass or two with your steak can give a load of benefits including polyphenols which reduce inflammation in joints. You can also find polyphenols on Green Tea.

Walnuts - Another great nut and the richest in Omega-3 fatty acids which are great at reducing inflammation throughout the body. Make sure you keep taking your fish oil though!

Dark Green Vegetables - Should already be an essential in everyones diet. Research shows again and again the huge role these play in reducing inflammation and reducing oxidative damage. Eat your Broccoli, Spinach and Cabbage.

Apples - the Red Delicious variety are shown to be the variety containing the most anti-inflamtorry anti-oxidants. Don’t peel them though the anti-oxidants you want are 5X more potent in the skin.

Oily Fish - Salmon, Mackerel and Herring to name a few these are probably the best ant-inflatorry of all time. Omega-3 fatty acids are pretty much the best thing for your joints and mind!

One other thing to take note of are the Night Shade family of foods. These include; Potatoes, peppers, tomatoes and aubergines. Some people are very sensitive to these and have been shown to cause inflammation in some people. Again black box these foods, try cutting them out for a week or two and assess whether your situation has improved.
As well as this processed vegetable oils can have a nasty effect on joints. This is thanks to their high content of Omega 6 fatty acids which promote inflammation and take our fat balance further out of whack. Try to monitor food packaging to see whether or not any hydrogenated oils are sneaking their way into your diet. If you stick to minimally processed foods then this should not be a problem.

Its important to get to the route of the problem if your suffering from any inflamed joints and before taking medication or doing physiotherapy I would suggest you try and make some alterations to your diet by eating more anti-inflmatorry foods and reducing your intake of Vegetable Oils and Nightshades.

Try it for a few weeks and watch your inflammation ease.

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