I have chronic nerve pain. This is caused by excess inflammation.
So, if I can reduce my chronic inflammation, I feel better. One way I try to do this is by avoiding environmental toxins. This includes pesticides. That’s why, whenever possible, I try to eat USDA-certified organic produce and meat.
This isn’t always possible. Sometimes, my local grocery store doesn’t carry organic selections of things I need. Other times eating organic isn’t practical. For instance, when I travel, I have to eat what’s available. The same applies when I go out to dinner, or attend a party.
However, for the most part, I eat organic food at home. This has made an incredible difference in my health. So I’m happy to share this information, in hopes of encouraging other people to do this same. Here’s my story.
Organic Food for Inflammation
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It’s been more than a decade since a nagging backache turned into a full-blown problem. It progressed rapidly. Soon, I could hardly walk. The pain in my back traveled down my leg. It would show up in other parts of my body. I could barely take care of myself, let alone my children. My husband did most of the housework. My 12-year-old daughter did the rest. She cooked the family meals and put them on the table. I was too sick to move around.
Faced with what looked like a lifetime of disability, I made a tough decision. I wanted my health back. To do this, I knew I had to make some changes. One of them was a complete overhaul of my diet. Junk food is off the menu. Instead, my meals consist of real food, most of it organic.
Most holistic health experts will tell you that some foods promote inflammation. Some of the main offenders include gluten, dairy and sugar. There’s also growing concern that genetically modified foods can up your level of inflammation. It’s been found that animals fed corn and soy grown from GM seeds developed stomach inflammation. The good news is you can avoid GMOs by eating USDA-certified organic food. So that’s what I’m trying to do.
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Organic Food and Inflammation
My health has improved so much since I’ve changed my diet. I can walk again, without pain. I can go for long walks in my neighborhood. At my worst, I wasn’t sure if I’d ever be able to do that again.
I don’t want to leave you with the impression that organic food alone was curative. I used a lot of natural remedies, including herbs, homeopathy, acupuncture and essential oils. I had excellent medical care, with practitioners who believed I could get better. Clean eating was just one part of my recovery. But it was something I needed to do.
Preparing organic meals is more time consuming than relying upon processed foods, or picking up takeout food. It means I need to cook primarily from scratch. But I look at it as a good investment. If you have your health, life is good.
Organic Foods that Reduce Inflammation
Even though food may have the USDA-certified organic stamp doesn’t mean it’s a good choice, if you want to reduce inflammation. For the most part, I don’t eat foods that contain gluten. I’m even more careful to avoid milk, which holistic healers tell us can feed inflammation. The reason I don’t eat wheat is because it contains gluten.
Through the centuries, wheat has been selectively bred to contain increasing amounts of gluten. This is a glue-like substance that gives modern bread its consistency. However, what we’re eating today bears little resemblance to ancient grains, which is why Dr. William Davis, MD recommends that everyone stop eating wheat. He’s even written a book called Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight and Find Your Way Back to Health, which describes the potential health risks of consuming this grain.
Easy Organic Meals to Make
I’d be lying if I said eating organic was easy. But it’s something you get used to. I have about 12 favorite recipes that I use a lot. Once you get used to cooking this way, it becomes second nature. Plus, in my case, I didn’t have much choice. If I didn’t upgrade my diet, I worried I’d end up in a wheelchair, sooner, rather than later.
Fortunately, I had a good friend help me navigate the world of clean eating. This was immensely helpful. For people who feel they need support, but don’t know where to find it, I highly recommend signing up for Real Plans. This is a healthy meal planning service. You may only need it for a month or two, just to get over the real food cooking hump. If you’d like more information on Real Plans, click on the image below.
Disclaimer
These statements have not been approved by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.