Food

Food is a fabulous, wonderful part of our lives. In all its different forms, it can be what it is, fuel, or what it was never meant to be. It can seem like our friend in loneliness. It can signal a celebration in the form of cake and other goodies. But the reality is that food is our fuel. Without it we stop. If the quality of the fuel is poor enough, we may stop because of it. Looking at food as fuel and ensuring the quality of our fuel is critical when chronic pain is on our path.

Many conditions of pain are worsened when weight is added to already stressed parts of the body. Therefore, it may help to look at portions and at types of food that help our body work better. To paraphrase Natalia Rose, our bodies know just what to do with an avocado, but fast food? Not so much. However, even if we love avocados and shun fast food, eating too many avocados will do us no favor. So beginning to take a look at the fuel we ingest every day and how it helps or hurts us can be constructive.

Personally, I try to eat as raw as possible, though I am the first to admit my diet is not completely raw. Juicing has transformed my life in many ways. In terms of how it makes me feel, I haven't felt this innately good since I was about ten. When I juice the internal feeling is as if all my cells stand up and say, "Yay!" With juicing I have access to all the enzymes that would be lost in cooking. Not only do I experience more energy and a more positive outlook, I have experienced some lovely side benefits. My hair had been turning seriously gray and it is now, for the most part, back to its natural color. In my view, this is minor compared to the other benefits, but nice nonetheless.

There are those who might argue against a raw diet, or being vegetarian. Certainly that is their call. The one thing, however, that most agree on is the harm caused by processed foods. With these we are making our already stressed bodies work harder. Certain combinations of sugar, salt, and fat tell our bodies to store fat, not get rid of it. Do we really need this if we're already managing chronic pain?

Having a healthy diet is good for anyone. For those of us with chronic pain, ensuring that our food is not laced with chemicals or processed in a manner that causes harm is only sensible. We already have enough health issues to deal with. We should let food be the fuel that helps us feel better and gives our bodies a break.