A few months ago, my dad started the keto diet. A couple weeks in, I asked him how it was going. He was excited to tell me that some of his aches and pains were gone.
A few week after, I spoke to an old friend who told me how he started the paleo diet and how it has been so good for his knees. He previously had pain in his knees while squatting, but now it was gone.
I have heard this same story with whole30 and carnivore diet as well.
So why are these people getting similar results (less pain) on different protocols.
Pain is what we FEEL in response to inflammation.
What causes chronic inflammation? Aka the slow building ache pain in your joints and ligaments.
Mainly lifestyle factors like:
- Chronic stress
- Irregular sleeping pattern
- Excess body fat
- Over consumption of alcohol, added sugar, refined carbs, processed food, unhealthy fats
Looking back at the diets mentioned above…. Each one of them requires eliminating alcohol, added sugar, refined carbs, processed food, and unhealthy fats.
My suggestion for someone experience chronic pain is to not necessarily worry about what specific diet to follow, but instead work on eliminating what is mentioned above.
If this seems overwhelming OR you have eliminated all the above for a certain amount of time then fell back into your old ways, pick 1 to 2 of the above to eliminate and start there.
Need help with staying accountable or want someone to tell you exactly what to do? We are currently taking one on one nutrition clients.
