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Kelsie White

Chronic Pain and Nutrition, Part II • Core Thinking Blog

Updated: Feb 11, 2022

Dietary Patterns to Reduce Chronic Pain

Can you really affect your pain levels or reduce inflammation by changing your diet? In our last post, we explored the relationship between chronic pain and inflammation and introduced the concept that what we eat does play a role. The idea that we can reduce our inflammation by choosing to eat an “Anti-Inflammatory Diet” may be a foreign concept to many. Let’s take some time to explore this concept and provide some useful information to help you get started.


The term “Anti-Inflammatory Diet” developed from a philosophy that many ancient healers used to treat patients using plants, teas, herbs and spices to aid the body in healing itself. More recently, this concept has gained validity as research suggests that diet plays a key role in the process of inflammation and disease. Today, the term is utilized to provide a guideline on what foods to include and what foods to eliminate from your diet to help reduce inflammation and decrease incidence of chronic pain.

Common Dietary Patterns to Reduce Inflammation

There are many common dietary patterns that can help reduce levels of inflammation in the body. Let’s explore a few options:

  • Plant-Based Diet: This term can be defined several ways, but most commonly, encompass’ both vegetarian and vegan diets with the focus on eating whole plant foods.

  • Vegetarian Diet: The most commonly described vegetarian diet is the lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet consisting of plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, with added animal-based dairy products such as milk and eggs, but omits meat, fish and poultry.

  • Vegan Diet: Omits ALL animal products including meat, dairy products and eggs. Often it also excludes anything that would involve animal cruelty such as the use of animal skins for clothing. A focus is placed on fruits and vegetables and obtaining protein from sources like tofu, soy, legumes, nuts and seeds.

  • Mediterranean Diet: Another popular eating pattern that contains a higher amount of healthy fats like fatty fish, olive oil, nuts and seeds along with many vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes.

  • DASH: Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension is an eating plan with a focus on lowering blood pressure through reducing salt intake. This diet focuses on eating plenty of fiber, fruits, vegetables, whole grains and sources of low-fat dairy.

The key to all the diets considered is an emphasis on whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. Once we understand the basis for an anti-inflammatory diet, we can utilize this information to create an individualized eating pattern that meets our needs. Let’s explore further.

How Many Fruits and Vegetables Should I Eat?

The USDA Food and Guidance System or MyPlate, recommends that we eat about 2 cups of fruit and 2 ½ cups of vegetables everyday. But sometimes, eating this amount can be challenging, particularly when these foods are not readily available. We have compiled a few fun ideas to add more fruits and vegetables to your life, in ways you might not even notice!

  • Smoothies: Green leafy vegetables, such as kale and spinach, are packed full of vitamins like A and K, which work to fight inflammation. Try adding frozen spinach, kale, broccoli or cucumbers to your fruit smoothies which will help to thicken the smoothie instead of adding ice, with the added benefit of sneaking in veggies at the same time!

  • Grilled Kabobs: Non-starchy vegetables provide a great source of nutrients like vitamins A, C and K as well as minerals like calcium and magnesium. Kabobs are a great summer option to throw on the grill. Try using zucchini, onions, mushrooms or bell peppers. The possibilities are endless!

  • Snack Time: Our busy schedules often make it hard for us to eat a healthy diet. Try spending just a few minutes at the beginning of the week to chop up fruits and vegetables to have on hand as easy snacks when life gets hectic. Try something new every week, such as celery, apples, or pea pods. The more variety of foods, the more variety of inflammation-fighting nutrients!

For more ideas to add more fruits and vegetables to your meals, check out this article by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

What Should I Avoid?

Many pro-inflammatory foods can cause or increase inflammation. Last month we learned that an increase in adipose tissue may contribute to this process of inflammation. Other complex mechanisms may play a role, such as stimulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which are molecules that promote inflammation. This stimulation can be caused by our diets, which means that some of the foods that we choose to eat can actually jumpstart or exacerbate the inflammatory process that occurs in our bodies in response to damages and foreign objects, such as plaque buildup in our arteries. Let’s review types of foods to consider avoiding or utilizing minimally:

  • Intake of excess calories, meaning that you consume far more calories than your body needs.

  • Refined carbohydrates and added sugars, which includes foods such as white bread and sugar-sweetened beverages.

  • Trans-fat, although banned by the FDA in 2018, is still sometimes found in baked goods, shortening and some margarines.

  • Saturated fat, found in higher amounts in animal products such as butter and whole milk, as well as tropical oils like coconut and palm oil.

  • Too many omega-6s compared to omega-3s, which could mean consuming too many fats from sources like vegetables oils such as corn and soybean oil, and not enough fats from sources such as walnuts, chia seeds or fatty fish.

If you would like to take a deeper look at how each of the nutrients listed above can contribute to chronic inflammation and disease, check out this article in Today’s Dietitian, which provides a great explanation of the science behind these concepts.

Can My Choices Really Make a Difference?

Absolutely! You are the captain of your ship when it comes to deciding what to fuel your body with. Choosing to consume a diet that is focused on whole plant foods while avoiding the pro-inflammatory foods listed above gives you the best chance. While many factors contribute to inflammation in the body, such as genetics, the environment, etc., diet is one area that you can choose to adjust. Be intentional . . . Choose foods packed with inflammation-fighting nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals. Why not take full advantage of your knowledge and see what you can do?

Simple Steps to Take

  • Taste the rainbow: Eat a variety of colorful, whole plant foods (Skittles don’t count!)

  • Eat a variety of green leafy vegetables: Mix it up and try spinach, kale, romaine lettuce, or collard greens.

  • Increase consumption of berries, which are known to be packed full of antioxidants such as vitamins. Raspberries and blueberries and strawberries, oh my!

  • Choose healthy fats: Avoid trans-fat and saturated fat, and try to incorporate more omega 3s and less omega 6s. Omega 3s come from sources like fatty fish, such as salmon or tuna. If you are vegan or vegetarian, walnuts, chia seeds and flax seeds are excellent sources!

  • Avoid processed foods: These are often full of pro-inflammatory foods listed above such as trans-fat, saturated fat and added sugars.

We’re All in This Together

Remember, there is not just one thing that we can do to reduce inflammation levels and reduce chronic pain. It takes a combination of lifestyle choices such as a healthy diet, regular physical activity, good sleep habits, adequate water intake and stress management. There are so many great resources out there and people who want to support you in this journey. Make a difference in the areas that you are able to, and reach out for assistance and support in the areas that you need it. Here’s to a life full of health and happiness!

If you have any questions about following an anti-inflammatory eating pattern, or are wanting to know more about why it’s important to your overall health, feel free to contact me through my website corefitsportsfitness.com.


Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash

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