Managing Pain with Everyday Foods

Over the next few weeks I am going to discuss the healing benefits of Everyday Foods.  

I will start with Grains ending with Meats and Fish

It will take a couple of weeks to discuss all the of major and minor grains that we can eat.  

Today, I will talk about Major Grains.

Major Grains

There are literally thousands of different species of plants that produce grains.  The major grains that are routinely found in the human diet are:

• Corn
• Oats
• Rice
• Wheat

Corn

Corn, although considered a healthy food, is not nutritionally complete, meaning it does not contain all the nutrients needed to maintain health or promote growth in the young child.

People who use corn as a primary food source can develop pellagra, which is a vitamin B3 deficiency.  B3 is niacin.  It is also a low protein food, containing lower levels of amino acids, lysine and tryptophan. It is however, a good source of complex carbohydrates as well as fiber.

Corn contains favonoids and carotenes.  The carotenes are responsible for the various colors of corn we find such as pink, red, black or blue.  The yellow corn we buy in our supermarkets or grow in our gardens is very high in a certain carotenoid called  lutein, which helps in maintaining eye health.  The favonoids in corn help with the reduction of inflammation which helps in pain reduction.

Corn is high in carbohydrate and converts to energy in the cell easily. (Read chapter 1 of my book, The Fibromyalgia Pain Management Kit for a complete discussion of Carbohydrates).  Corn is best when it is fresh right out the garden.  Use it as a source of energy in conjunction with other foods that reduce inflammation.  The high fiber content of corn promotes bowel regularity which cleanses toxins from the body, which in turn help with the reduction of inflammation, thus reducing pain.

Oats

Oats (Avena sativa) have been know and used for centuries as a medicine as well as a good.

Processing of oats does not strip away the bran or the germ, so the nutrients that promote health remain in the grain after processing. 

Oat bran is high in beta-glucan which helps lower cholesterol by binding bile acids and removing them from the body in the feces.  Oats are high in dietary fiber which keeps our bowel functioning at its peak thus helping the body remove toxins from our systems.  Lowering the toxin load in the body helps keep pain in check.      

Oats are high in numerous minerals such as manganese, selenium, phosphorous, magnesium and iron.  Studies are showing that oat bran, which is the outer layer of the grain, which is retained in whole grain products, actually is beneficial in maintaining a healthy blood sugar.  So eat that morning bowel of whole grain oat meal and avoid that mid-morning blood sugar slump!

Rice

There are close to 10,000 different types of rice (Orzya sativa). Rice is categorized by size, long, medium and short grain.  Rice is processed by milling which also defines the color of the rice.  The color of rice ranges from white which is highly polished grain which has most of the bran, germ and nutrients removed to brown which has the bran, germ and all other nutrients left intact in the grain, only the hard inedible outer shell is removed.

Brown rice is the highest in vitamin B1, B2, B3, and B6.  It also contain manganese, iron, selenium, magnesium and phosphorous.  It is also a good source of protein and gamma-oryzanol, anoil,that has been used in the Far East for centuries to treat digestive and menopausal problems.  Gamma-oryzanol also has a cholesterol lower property.  Rice also acts as a detoxifier in removing toxin for our systems in waste.  Detoxification keeps inflammation down thus keeping pain in better check.

Wheat

Wheat, (Triticum aestivum) is the most important grain in the world for it provides more nourishment to more people across the globe than any other food.  Wheat is a main dietary staple for more than ½ the world population.  It can be used in many different forms as flour for bread to cereals that feed many. 

Wheat contains two proteins, gliadin and glutenin, which create the elastic quality of dough, thus allowing for manipulations of the flour into dough for baking.  These two proteins have literally fed the world.  They also have high gluten content which will bother those who are gluten intolerant or have Sprue colitis.  This is a well know fact for those who suffer from gluten intolerance.

The most nutritious portion of the grain is in the wheat germ and the wheat bran.  The germ and the bran contain B vitamins, folic acid, zinc, copper, phosphorus, calcium and iron.  Any manipulation or processing  of the grain voids all the above lists nutrients.  Always buy whole wheat which keeps the germ and bran intact.  Wheat germ is literally the embryo of the grain, so it give us the highs quality of nutritional content.  The germ is also high in vitamin E which is in the oil of the germ.

Whole wheat has been shown to reduce bowel problems and incidences of diverticular diseases.  Wheat bran has been shown in research to help blood estrogen which promotes breast health in some. 

Forms of whole wheat include wheat bran, wheat germs. wheat berries, couscous, bulgur wheat, cracked wheat and unbleached whole wheat flour. 

How does wheat help in pain reduction?  In eating the wheat germ, we get higher level of vitamin E which help in reduction inflammation.  The folic acid, zinc and calcium help keep our muscles and tendons in higher function and finally,  keeping out bowel in tip top shape reduces our toxin load with regular bowel movements.

So, eat up, always using whole grains –it is soooo good!!!

Next week, I will discuss the minor grains --- some are very interesting.
‘Till then my friends!