You may be wondering how what you eat could possibly affect your pain level. Food has a profound effect on our health. Did you know that consuming certain foods can promote cycles of inflammation in the body? Controlling inflammation is one of the best ways to prevent almost any disease, and one of the telltale signs of inflammation is the sensation of pain.

When any sort of injury is perceived by the body, whether from a traumatic injury, an overload of toxins or fat, an autoimmune condition, or degeneration, the tissues in the injured area release substances that cause your body to feel pain. The amount of pain felt and the extent of the disease process seems to be determined by the nature of the chemicals released by the local cells; some promote inflammation, while others reduce inflammation and promote tissue healing - and nearly all of the mediators are regulated by what we eat.

The most important food substance which determines inflammation levels are Omega6 and Omega3 Essential Fatty Acids. Ideally, we would get equal amounts of these fats in our diet. On average, however, we consume nearly 10-30 times more Omega6 fats than Omega3. The result of this is inflammation, as Omega6 fats, without the Omega3 fats to balance them, promote the release of chemical substances that cause inflammation which can greatly influence the amount of one’s pain and inflammation.

So, how do we decrease the amount of Omega6 and increase the amounts of Omega3 fats in our diet? In essence, we eliminate the junk and add in some good, whole foods.

Fruits and vegetables are the only foods that have an excellent, anti-inflammatory ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 fats. So, as we probably already knew, fruits and vegetables are really good to eat.

When it comes to treating inflammatory conditions and pain, we need to carefully consider our protein choices, as there are certain meats that cause inflammation in the body. Red meats and pork are inflammatory, while lean meats such as poultry and fish are anti-inflammatory. Keep in mind that all animal products should be organic and free-range, as these two factors create leaner, less fatty meat. Fish provide the best ratio of Omega6: Omega3 fats, and should be consumed at liberty. Fish and/or fish oil, have profound anti-inflammatory properties and are great to treat and prevent many diseases. Don’t forget your vegetable proteins such as beans and legumes, and raw or dry roasted nuts and seeds which, being vegetables, have that much needed Omega3. A good quantity of Omega 3 fats is also found in butter, olive oil, and coconut oil.

On the other end of the spectrum are foods that have a disproportionate amount of Omega6 fats compared to Omega3. These are pretty simple to identify because, unfortunately, they make up the bulk of our American diet. First, we have grains. Grains often have as high as a 20:1 ratio of Omega6:Omega3 fats and are pro-inflammatory. However, whole grains are an important source of nutrients in the diet. Because of this, the amount of grains in the diet should be severely limited, and should always be whole grains, never refined. Next, we have packaged foods. Most of these are highly processed and have the incorrect ratios of fatty acids. Aside from this, many processed foods have Trans-fats. These are bad because they become trapped in the membranes of your cells and influence cellular activity in ways we do not yet fully understand. This causes damage to tissues and blood vessels, which leads to inflammation, and diseases such as arthritis, heart disease and cancer. Finally, sugar promotes the inflammatory cycle, and given that it is in most packaged and processed foods, is definitely on the list of foods to avoid.

I find it important to stress that weight loss and the attainment of optimal weight are the natural results of proper diet and frequent exercise. This is important because fat, even the fat in our body, is inherently pro-inflammatory, and its "replacement" by lean muscle tissue, which is anti-inflammatory, helps shift the balance away from inflammation and toward and healing.

Once the basic nutritional method of balancing the intake of Omega6 and Omega3 fats is made a part of your lifestyle, you can effectively reduce your level of inflammation and pain. What is even better is that the adoption of such good eating habits will benefit your overall health and lead to the prevention of all diseases.

Dr. Eliza Klearman is a Naturopathic Doctor and Acupuncturist practicing in Eagle. For more information call 970-328-5678 or email Liza@DrKlearman.com.