Diet and pain, with dietician Helen Bond

Sadly, many people come to see me suffering from pain, and I always get asked the same question.  Can diet naturally help to easy my aches and pains?

Although no scientific studies have found a definitive link between what we eat and reducing pain, many people that come to my clinic truly believe that changing their diet and lifestyle has made a positive impact on their life.  What is important to remember is that treating pain will always be an individual road of discovery.  After all, everyone is different.  What works for one person may not work for another.

So what do we know for certain?  Well, following a healthy balanced diet based on starchy foods such as rice and pasta, with plenty of fruit and vegetables, some protein rich foods such as meat, fish, lentils and beans, and some milk and dairy foods and not too much fat, salt and sugar, will give you all the nutrients that your body needs for day to day functions.  It will also optimise your health and well being and reduce the risk of disease.

I cannot stress enough just how important a nutritious diet is in so many ways, from keeping your weight under control, easing pressure off your joints, to controlling your mood, encouraging healing and fast recovery from injury, supporting your digestive and immune system, reducing your risk of heart disease, improving your blood sugar and cholesterol levels, reducing your blood pressure, the list really does go on and on.