An alkaline diet and natural supplements often work brilliantly to ease aches and pains. Here’s why…
You can eat for flexibility! The key to reducing aches and pains is to reduce acid in the body, says naturopath Sarah Bowles Flannery. “An alkaline diet is best – raw food is ideal, as vegetables are the most alkaline-forming foods. Healthy oily foods such as nuts and seeds, oily fish, avocado and olive oil also have brilliant anti-inflammatory properties. You want good circulation too, so eat ginger, onion, garlic and chilli.”
ALSO SEE: Try A Raw Diet Monday
Try this sample menu for good eating – and see if it’ll help you ease those joint aches and pains:
Breakfast
Smoothie made with ripe avocado, banana and a little rice milk.
Mid-morning
Your choice of raw nuts and seeds or a fresh vegetable juice (including leafy greens, celery, carrot and beetroot.) Add a bit of fresh ginger to boost circulation.
Lunch
Oily fish with a leafy green salad. Choose from salmon, mackerel or tuna.
ALSO SEE: Everything You Need To Know About Autoimmune Diseases
Mid-afternoon
Another juice, or if you’re in need of energy, some nuts and seeds.
Dinner
Lightly cooked soup with onions, carrots, fresh coriander and red lentils.
Need a sweet fix?
Stick to low-sugar fruits, eaten on an empty stomach, such as berries, apples, cherries, pears and bananas.
ALSO SEE: 5 Sugar-laden Foods To Avoid
To drink…
Try a soothing tea containing fine-tuned herbs. Chinese green tea is amazing, as is ginger or tea with cloves and thyme. Avoid coffee and caffeinated drinks as they produce more acid in the body. You can also mix your own fruity water – infused with strawberry or apple and a little mint or lemon.
5 natural remedies
Before you reach for the painkillers, give these a go:
Turmeric
In Ayurvedic medicine, this is used for everything from cuts to digestive problems. But the active compounds in turmeric have now been shown to reduce inflammation in arthritis and sports injuries.
ALSO SEE: How To Overcome Inflammation
Arnica
We know it helps bruises when applied topically, but, in the homeopathic tradition, it’s also used for muscular aches.
MSM
Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) is a natural supplement that is also a source or organic sulphur. It’s used to treat pain and inflammation from arthritis.
Boswelia Serrata
Also known as frankincense, this contains compounds that have an anti-inflammatory effect to help treat arthritis.
Devil’s Claw
A herbal medicine that has been shown in clinical trials to provide relief from lower back and neck pain.
