People often ask me whether their diet is important in their quest to overcome chronic pain.
Yes, it’s very important.
However, here are several reasons.
What you feed your gut microbiome and when has an enormous impact on your health and wellbeing. For example,
How you feel and think.
Levels of inflammation.
Sleep.
I’d say it’s a key factor.
And something you can control.
“Evidence from a number of recent systematic reviews shows that optimising diet quality and incorporating foods containing anti-inflammatory nutrients such as fruits, vegetables, long chain and monounsaturated fats, antioxidants, and fibre leads to reduction in pain severity and interference”. (Brain et al., 2021).
Some steps to take:
1. Make diet an important part of your daily practice—why does it matter to you?
2. Set your intent: I’m the kind of person who eats a good diet so that I have more energy, feel better, sleep better etc.
3. Have a plan: this may include when you eat; eg/ within a 10 hour window
4. Measure the effect in time. This is a practice. There’s no end result. It’s something you do to follow a path that delivers results at times. You follow the path because you trust the process. And because you know it is better than not having a practice.
5. Acknowledge and log your wins.
Listen to Tim Spector on Diary of a CEO Podcast with Steven Bartlett and about the ZOE study.
Further reading on chronic pain and diet that maybe of interest:
I hope this has been useful for you, whether you are creating your practice to overcome your pain, if you are a healthcare professional who helps people suffering chronic pain or a carer.
———————
🔥 I am Richmond. I help you understand, ease and overcome your chronic pain, and to live your life.
🔥 And mentor the clinicians/therapists who help people who are suffering.
🙏 Liked my post? Want to see more?
🔔 Sign up for my newsletter
🌟 Follow and connect with me on LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter.
