the chronic pain diet solution

I was recently at a function (a funeral) with my brother; an ER physician.  While we were eating, an elderly gentleman came up to him and asked if he had a cure for NEUROPATHY, DIABETES, HEART DISEASE, HIGH CHOLESTEROL, and I’m not sure what else.  Looking over my shoulder, I noticed this individual (an elderly gentleman) had a plate piled high with bread, rolls, cookies, and deserts.  Can we completely blame the folks in this situation?  Although I am a “PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY” sort of guy, the truth is, for decades people have been bombarded by dietary messages from our own medical community and government that are 180 backwards from what they should be (and unfortunately, it’s STILL HAPPENING).  What are these messages?  Only that you should be eating a diet based largely on grains. 

Look at the old Food Pyramid — a way of eating that was originally called “The Diabetes Diet” (that’s right — this is essentially what they were recommending for those with Diabetes before coming to the conclusion that it was causing what it was supposed to prevent).  This has been taken over by several government-approved diets, with the latest and greatest being the DASH Diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) —- a diet that claims to be “moderately high” in protein. 

How problematic is this Food Pyramid “Replacement Diet”?  Try this on for size.  The National Institutes of Health website; filed under a sample menu for the DASH Diet, says to eat 7-8 servings of grains a day (Unfortunately, these were the original recommendations — the current recommendations by DASH as of the original date of this post advised us to eat “6-12” servings of grains a day).  The site also provided a sample breakfast — I’m not making this up (if I’m lyin I’m dyin).

• ORANGE JUICE:  This is what you give a diabetic whose blood sugar has gone too low, so you can raise it fast (HERE).

• CORN FLAKES / SUGAR ON TOP: Not only is this stuff heavily processed, corn is what you feed pigs and cattle if you want to fatten them rapidly.  As for the sugar; do I even need to say anything?

• BREAD WITH MARGARINE & JELLY:  Nothing like some high Glycemic Index, Gluten-stoked carbs to start your day.  As for suggesting TRANS FATS over REAL BUTTER, this is almost unbelievable in this day and age.  Almost.

• BANANA:  A banana is a 100 calorie glucose bomb.  If there is a higher Glycemic Index fruit you could eat, I am not sure what it is.  Although I love bananas and could eat a dozen a day if you let me, I have learned that I can only eat them on rare occasions because I can pack on the pounds with bananas just like I were eating white potatoes — which have a higher Glycemic Index rating than table sugar.

• LOW FAT MILK:   MILK is the stuff that has been heavily processed, pasteurized, homogenized, and loaded with both Antibiotics and Hormones.  It also happens to be one of the most potentially allergenic foods of the list, as well as being a Gluten Cross-Reactor (more in a moment).

This is a prime example of why you simply can’t trust the government with your health. The truth is, NONE OF THE FOOD PYRAMIDS have changed much in the past thirty years, largely remaining based on grains (HERE). These are the perfect diets for solving Diabetes.  If you are a physician looking for job security.  Or a drug company. Or a mortician. However, if you are a person who is trying to control your blood sugar WITHOUT INEFFECTIVE DIABETES DRUGS, you might be in trouble on this diet —- serious trouble. 

Why do I mention things like Gluten and Blood Sugar along with a diet to control Chronic Pain?  Only because dealing with these two things must be the cornerstone of any diet designed to help those struggling not only with CHRONIC PAIN, but with WEIGHT ISSUES, NEURO-DEGENERATIVE CONDITIONS, AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES, and most CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY CONDITIONS as well. 

The diet I recommend that most people follow is one of the almost endless versions of the PALEO DIET.  Just click on the link to see why it works for most people’s individual situations.  Beyond eating correctly, there are a few simple concepts you must understand as far as getting healthy is concerned. Below are a few of the posts you can thumb through if you are interested in learning more about helping yourself get out from under the boulder of Chronic Pain and / or Chronic Illness.

• ANTIBIOTICS:  I start with ANTIBIOTICS because Antibiotics are the number one factor that destroy America’s collective GUT HEALTH.   According to research that is now almost two decades old, 80% OF THE IMMUNE SYSTEM is found in the Digestive Tract — mostly in the form of bacteria that live there.  Once you destroy the body’s natural terrain / bacterial flora (also called the MICROBIOME or MICROBIOTA), the pathological bacteria begin to take over.  This is called DYSBIOSIS, and is absurdly common here in America.  In Europe, physicians are actually treating people who have AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES (successfully, I might add) with “FECES TRANSPLANTS” otherwise known as FMT’s or Fecal Microbiota Transplants).  Research also shows that people who were not BREAST FED have a much tougher time restoring and maintaining their normal Gut Flora.  By the way, when you eat a Paleo Diet, you are cutting not only the Antibiotics out of your diet, but the XENOHORMONES as well.

 

• GLUTEN:  Just the other day, I told you yet again that once the body starts creating Immune System responses to Gluten, it frequently starts to make them against itself (HERE).  This is called Autoimmunity, and there are hundreds (probably thousands) of known Autoimmune Diseases (HERE is a list of some of them).  For the record, Autoimmunity is always associated with LEAKY GUT SYNDROME.   Furthermore, I have repeatedly said that there is a right way and a wrong way to go “GLUTEN FREE“.  Read the post and you will understand why going about it in a stepwise fashion is so important.  And although we tend to associate Gluten with GI symptoms (gas, bloating, cramping, IBS, etc), the truth is that somewhere between 60 – 80% of all symptoms of Gluten Sensitivity are NEUROLOGICAL, and definitely have the ability to cause CHRONIC PAIN.  On top of this, if people are being told anything at all about Gluten, it is simply to “cut back”.  Follow THIS LINK to see why just cutting back is a recipe for failure.  In the same post, you can also read about why Gluten — a biblical food —- has become such a problem.  Oh; and as for the “GLUTEN-FREE STUFF” you are buying at the grocery store?  Knock it off already!

 

• BLOOD SUGAR:  I treated a medical doctor two days ago for a chronic case of PIRIFORMIS SYNDROME.  This person works mostly in the medical research field — particularly in the arena of Blood Sugar.  He talked about something I have told you several times before.  He said that the vast majority of diseases can be tied back to UNCONTROLLED BLOOD SUGAR in some form or fashion.  This is true even if you have not yet been “officially” diagnosed with DIABETES (yesterday I saw a person who had recently undergone a “Diabetes-related” amputation, even though their Blood Sugar levels were under that magical 125).   Make an effort to understand how INSULIN RESISTANCE (pre-Diabetes) works, and you’ll be ahead of the game.  The thing is, if you don’t seriously work at controlling your blood sugar, you’ll end up paying the price with everything from CANCER, to OBESITY, to an INABILITY TO SLEEP, to an INABILITY TO HAVE OR WANT SEX, ALZHEIMER’S, ADDICTIONS, and Chronic Illnesses of every size, shape, and color.  And these are the tip of the iceberg.  The “D’s” of Chronic Pain (HERE) are sure to follow.

The fantastic thing is that the foundation for beginning the healing process for all of these diverse situations is essentially the same (HERE).  Sure; you can follow our government’s advice and go with the DASH Diet or something similar.  Or you can cut out the potentially reactive foods, control your blood sugar, and watch what happens to your weight and your health —- not to mention your pain.