More than 116 million people – that is the estimated number of people residing in the U.S. living with some form of daily pain.

The most common underlying reason for pain in the U.S. is osteoarthritis, what is generally accepted as a progressive degenerative disease of the joints and spine. The mainstay of “treatment” focuses on managing the symptoms. This is commonly what I describe to my patients as treating the light on the dashboard, not the underlying engine problem responsible for triggering the warning signal.

Looking at the overall health of the country, the trend over the past several years has been escalating numbers of patients with high blood pressure (67 million), heart disease (80 million), and diabetes (29 million). Unfortunately these diseases previously seen in later adulthood are now being diagnosed in children at an ever quickening, and what I see as a sickening, pace.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the overweight or obese population now comprises more than 75% of the total population in the U.S. If you visit the CDC website you will see the tagline “CDC 24/7: Saving Lives, Protecting People”.

As a healthcare system are we saving lives? Are we protecting people? Are we providing true health care, or have we just become more skilled at maintaining and prolonging disease states? Many disease states, such as those listed above, that are entirely preventable.

I’ve watched many patients struggle in the system of healthcare that has been created – especially as it relates to seeking treatment for pain. They have seen all of the specialists, tried every medication, and have had every shot and procedure promised to take their pain away, but most with limited success.

How could this be with all the wonderful technological advances in medicine we have seen over the last several decades? (All while watching the above statistics soar decade after decade).

I firmly believe it is because as a system we have lost our way as to what it means to deliver health care. In Latin, doctor means teacher. In Greek, the translation is naturalist.

If you were a fly on the wall in a hospital or clinic you may be waiting a long time to see a patient being taught how to reverse obesity, pain, or chronic disease. You would also likely not see many natural and effective treatments being offered for those conditions such as prescription of the appropriate diet, exercise, and other lifestyle measures. That approach, what is known as preventive care, is nearing extinction as the system continues to rely so heavily on pharmaceuticals and other costly interventions and procedures, many of which have shown only marginal improvements in quality or expectancy of one’s life.

I made the choice just over a year ago to leave a comfortable position in a practice in order to take the road less traveled and start my own practice, Rejuv Medical Southwest. The vision was to not follow the status quo of the current system, but to create a system of healthcare that engages the patient and practitioner in a team-based approach with the goal of restoring health, minimizing pain, and maximizing function. What I have coined regenerative care – that is, if the patient missed the boat on the preventative care model.

The goal is simple – to educate the patient about the particular problem they present with, and empower them to take on ownership for the restoration, regeneration, and rejuvenation of their health and quality of life. In time, I hand over the wheel and ride along as a passenger to help navigate the road to recovery on their journey to alleviate pain and improve their health.

Simple enough, right?

In fact, yes. It is a simple model. Patient works hard. Health care provider works hard. Great results are delivered. For the patients that seek out this model of health care – whether called Functional Medicine, Regenerative Medicine, or otherwise – the outcomes will likely be far greater than what they have experienced in the prior system.

In the past year in my new practice, I’ve had more than a thousand patient encounters. I’ve seen many people who have made a choice to buck the trend in healthcare to seek out a more sustainable plan to treat their pain and rebuild their health. It did not necessarily come as easy as popping a pill, but the results were far greater, and with far fewer side effects.

So what does all of this have to do with writing a book?

The book gives me the opportunity to reach a broader audience than I could ever do one patient at a time in my practice.

The Pain Free Diet is the culmination of more than three years of research dedicated to the overlooked connection between your diet and the pain you, or someone you know, may be experiencing. I share my personal experience of living with daily pain and how I found the path through the traditional healthcare “treatments” that weren’t working, and found the essential elements that I feel are required for you to eliminate pain, reverse disease, and feel and function your best.

The most critical of the essential elements discovered in the pursuit of Pain Free is what you choose to eat and put in your body. This can have harmful or healing consequences depending on you, and depending on the food. In the book, you will learn the science as to how food can be so incredibly powerful – more powerful, and safer, than the effects of some prescription pain medications.

In closing I am going to share my lofty goal for the coming years. (We’re coming up on a New Year so time to think big).

I would like to find a way through my practice and book to make an impact on just 1% of those suffering in pain.

I would like to start with you, or someone close to you, that could benefit from the potentially life-changing information in the book.

It may not be the flashiest gift you could give for the holidays, but I can think of no better gift for you or someone you care about, than to have less pain and better health in 2015.

Get the book —> Click here

Makes a great electronic stocking (inbox) stuffer!

Happy Holidays and a Healthy New Year.

I read an article recently in NPR talking about the popularity of scare tactics, fear-driven marketing, and pseudoscience being used by the ballooning number of “experts” adding information and growing their following on the Internet.

It is my prediction for 2015 that this type of information will be pumped into your email inbox and newsfeed in the coming year with ever-increasing volume.

Get your boots and shovel because a lot of it smells, and it is piled high and deep.

The Internet is a wonderful tool at your fingertips, accessible each second of the day, allowing you to access an unfathomable amount of information – information however that is constantly evolving and changing.

In just a few clicks, keystrokes, or a voice command to your phone you can have the answer to any question you have. So what is the problem?

You are left to decipher whether or not the information you find in a search (or what is being marketed to you on the page after you input that search) was written or produced by someone with expertise in that area (often times not), is supported by the weight of the research evidence in the context it is being discussed (often times not), and is good intentioned to inform and educate the reader (often times not).

While I could crank out an email to you every day, post a hundred things on social media each week, or promote to you every product sent my way for a hopeful endorsement, I choose not to.

Why? Isn’t that the best way to market? Shouldn’t I constantly be bombarding my audience with more intrusive ads forcing their submission to the click?

Frankly I don’t have the time to do that even if I chose to. I have a full-time job as a physician, and that takes a good chunk of my time as I help patients fight against the current of what is going on in our “health care” system. I don’t spend my day cranking out marketing schemes (like some of the high profile doctor endorsements you may see) to get you to buy more stuff from me that may or may not impact your health.

Don’t get me wrong; I would like you to buy my book. However, the difference is that I put a painstaking amount of time into the research of the content in my book over the past few years. I can’t say that of most of the social media drivel that seems to get the most likes, shares, and forwards. Such is life in media.

Second, I am careful and respectful about adding to the pile of information being thrown at you on an epic scale each day – especially in the form of email and social media. According to the American Institute of Stress, “media overload” such as television, radio, email, Internet and social media is the #6 cause of stress for Americans. By the way, chronic illness or chronic pain ranked #3.

Much like my aim with The Pain Free Diet, I want everything I take the time to write to be something that you can readily apply to your life. The information is to stimulate food for thought, and is to be used as a guideline or roadmap to help you evaluate and hopefully improve some aspect of your health for the better.

Putting stock in a single isolated factoid, nutrient, or supplement, rarely leads to major change in my patient’s lives. Laying out a more comprehensive plan for their health, as delivered in my book, most often will.

Science- and nutrition-related messages can be confusing or contradictory. If the information is delivered through popular media, it often gives a quick blurb about the findings or recommendations, but not much about the who, how, or why the study came to be.

To that point, as 2014 draws to a close and we embark on the New Year, I want to present you with a better system to evaluate what you read, and to become a more confident, critical consumer of information.

Of course, I’ll continue to shovel the pile in order to deliver to you what truth may be buried beneath the marketing BS (Big Spending).

Here are the questions I use, and I recommend that you use, to critique what you hear or read in the popular press or scientific literature:

1. What is the message recommending or promoting?
2. What problem is the recommendation intended to solve? In your opinion, is it an important problem?
3. What questions are being asked about this problem (by the author, or in the research cited)? What questions are not being asked?
4. What kinds of evidence are being used to answer these questions? How does it relate to other evidence on this topic, if you know?
5. What kinds of assumptions are being made about the problem? (An assumption is a belief that may be unstated or taken for granted without evidence)
6. What can you tell about the author’s approach to nutrition science? What might be missing?
7. Are the conclusions well reasoned and warranted by the evidence?
8. What might become important consequences of accepting these conclusions (for society, the environment, etc.)?

This is the approach I used to evaluate the research and opinions that made it in to the second edition of The Pain Free Diet.

Committed to your health,

Dr. Tait

The answer – maybe.

You may know this already but your ability to concentrate, be creative, and exercise better judgment all rely on an adequately rested mind….and body. The issue is that many of us (myself included at one time or another) burn the candle at both ends in the pursuit of getting everything off our ever-expanding to-do list each day.

That approach unfortunately sets you up for the mental trap of thinking you are getting ahead when you are really not, because in time your work performance is suffering – whether you feel it or not. More importantly, shorting yourself on sleep has several negative health consequences. Here are just some:

• Impaired immune system = more colds, illnesses, increased inflammation, aches and pain in the body, impaired recovery from injury or chronic pain
• Increased stress or irritability = inability to productively deal with daily stress and perform under pressure
• Impaired cognition (brain power) = memory problems, poor judgment, increased time to complete tasks, and symptoms similar to ADHD
• Increased risk of heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, and obesity = shorter life span and increased risk of death

According to the National Sleep Foundation, less than half of Americans get enough sleep. Few people are at their best with less than 7 hours per night, with most needing somewhere between 7-9 hours each night – consistently.

One of the easiest, cheapest, and most effective ways to make a difference in your health is to focus on getting your self in the sack at a reasonable and consistent time each night. You also need to get up at the same time – 7 days per week. The reason for this is that your body wants to be in a natural rhythm, what is referred to as the circadian rhythm. Before the advent of lights in every home and performing a sync for all of your electronic gadgets, your body was programmed to be in sync with the rise and setting of the sun.

The reason according to Travis Bradberry, PhD, co-author of Emotional Intelligence 2.0, is that sun exposure, and specifically the wavelength of blue light from the bright blue sky in the morning, halts the production of melatonin, one of the chemicals in the brain that makes you feel sleepy. A jolt of morning blue sky for 15-20 minutes will do more to make you feel energized and alert than your morning jolt of joe. Later in the day, blue light should naturally decrease in our environment, causing a slow steady production of melatonin heading into the night in preparation for sleep. The production starts to kick up in the early afternoon, and that is another reason for that “2:30 feeling”.

The problem is that all of the gadgets you love to use in the evening hours – computers, televisions, tablets, and that smart-phone held inches away from your face, emit a very similar wavelength of blue light. Is it a coincidence that one of the most popular social networks also uses blue in the background color scheme to keep you scrolling late into the night?

In Chapter 18 of The Pain Free Diet (**In final publisher preparation for release this month – just in time for the holidays**), I discuss sleep in greater detail as a required “supplement” for reducing inflammation, pain, and living life at your fullest potential.

Here’s a sneak peek to get you started on this essential supplement today:

1. Shoot for the same bedtime and same awakening time seven days per week.
2. Shut the caffeine down by early afternoon. Drinking caffeine later in the day will interfere with a healthy sleep cycle, and starts a vicious cycle of “needing” a coffee or energy drink to get going the next morning.
3. Shut your electronic devices and TV down at least one hour before bed. Relax and read a book, take a bath, and spend some time with the loved ones in your life.
4. Stop working into the night. You are not getting ahead, and you are putting your brain in a very stimulated state before bed. This is guaranteed to disrupt the quality of your sleep.
5. Start meditating or practicing mindfulness. Research shows those who perform some form of meditation on a routine basis reduce the time to fall asleep, and report better quality of sleep.

This time of the year can be hectic. Get a jump-start on a healthier you for the New Year by putting these 5 steps into action today.

Committed to your health,

Dr. Tait

For those of you who celebrated Thanksgiving last week, did you go a little into the red zone on the calorie meter?

You are probably not alone. According to the Calorie Control Council, the average American consumed about 4,500 calories last Thursday while giving thanks.

Tis the season for holiday gatherings and the chance to overindulge.

For many of us the holidays present an opportunity to take a couple of days away from our hectic schedules, enjoy the company of our family and friends, and share some great food. On the surface, there is nothing wrong with that.

The problem may come with the temptation to overeat, or it may be to eat just a little more of what your maybe not so health-conscious friends or family prepare for their holiday feasts. Either way, not all is lost.

An interesting (and very old) concept that seems to be gaining more traction in the medical and nutritional community is the concept of intermittent fasting. Long known to be effective to help with weight loss – or ahem, battling the bulge during the holidays – it may have far wider effects.

Research led by Mark Mattson from the National Institutes of Health and Johns Hopkins University, suggest “minifasts of 500-600 calories a day, or skipping breakfast or lunch several days a week could boost the immune system, sharpen the mind, and fight off disease”.

The benefits of fasting can be improved metabolism, or how effectively your body uses calories consumed. Specifically it can improve insulin sensitivity, allowing better regulation of blood glucose levels, which translates to an easier time regulating weight. Once incorporating these minifasts into your schedule on a more routine basis you will also find that somewhat ironically, you will be less hungry, and less likely to overindulge.

To be clear, this is emerging and ongoing research, with the exact mechanism of the proposed health benefits, the optimal fasting diet, and meal frequency still being figured out. The initial findings however are promising.

The core idea according to Mattson’s paper is that a fasting state can induce some mild stress on the cells of your body can make the cellular function stronger and more efficient. Therefore your body is able to ward off more severe bouts of stress, i.e. colds, viruses, and other daily stressors. This is similar to the subtle damage to the muscles created when you exercise. In turn the muscles become stronger and more resilient with better endurance and can stand up to more taxing demands.

I tried this most recently (maybe not in the purest form) this past Sunday after consuming a monstrous brunch. Although I probably consumed enough calories for the entire day, I skipped lunch and stuck with water until dinner. On other occasions, usually when incredibly busy in the office, I’ve intentionally skipped lunches. The results were consistent – I felt cognitively sharper, more focused, and more energetic throughout the remainder of the day. Of course I made sure to drink plenty of filtered water to stay well hydrated, and had a great, healthy dinner that evening.

Researchers will continue to debate what constitutes a “real fast”, with some feeling 4-5 days fasting is needed to see considerable changes in immune system function. (Warning: You should not attempt this unless you are under the supervision of your health care provider).

However, the consensus seems to be that breakfast may not really be the most important meal of the day, and skipping it, or other meals, on occasion may improve your overall health.

To successfully implement this:

• Start with skipping breakfast or lunch a couple of times per week
• For the meals you have those days, make sure they contain higher protein, higher fiber, and complex carbohydrates.
• Avoid refined foods and sugars as those will contribute to blood sugar spikes
• Exercise during the time you would normally eat the meal you are skipping – it will take your mind off the fact that you are not eating
• Stay well hydrated. Stick primarily with filtered water. Headaches can be reported when fasting, but more commonly this is due to dehydration.
• Get an accountability partner – friend, family member, or co-worker – and do this as a mini-challenge during the holiday season.

References:

Mark Mattson et al. Meal frequency and timing in health and disease. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. Vol. 111, no.47. October 7, 2014.

We have heard it for years. Get your three servings of dairy each day. Got milk? Got a milk mustache? Milk is a great source of calcium. On and on.

What you probably haven’t heard. Got hip fracture? Die younger. Raise your cholesterol. Have more pain.

A recent study published in the British Medical Journal last month is challenging the health value of milk, and it turns out that guzzling milk isn’t quite as healthy as maybe once thought. They looked at those with a high milk intake (three or more glasses of milk each day) compared with those consuming less than one glass per day. They found that high milk intake was associated with higher rates of death (during the 20+ year follow-up), as well as higher rates of fractures in women.

Wait. Higher rates of death? Higher rates of fracture? I thought milk “does the body good” and helps build strong bones. Not the case according to this study that followed more than 61,000 women and 45,000 men over more than 20 years.

Milk has been promoted for years as a convenient source to obtain calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D – all essential building blocks for healthy bones. However, what is lost in this recommendation is that the cows don’t magically produce these building blocks as some sort of internal chemical magic. The cows obtain these elemental building blocks from what they eat (or at least used to eat) including grass and other plants on the rolling hills where they graze and live a happy existence. (We know that idyllic visual is no longer the case with factory farms producing the bulk of dairy milk these days)

Getting back to the subject at hand, the researchers believe that the problem with milk specifically is D-galactose, a breakdown product of the milk sugar lactose. Research in many types of animals fed D-galactose induced accelerated aging thought to be caused by oxidative stress damage (think of this like rusting of a car), chronic inflammation (an underlying factor in almost every disease process), neurodegeneration (dying off of nerves), and decreased immune response (lowers your body’s ability to ward off attacks from illness, or recovery from injuries).

How much milk were the animals fed? What would be equivalent to about 1-2 glasses per day.

They went on to explain that the oxidative stress and inflammation produced as a result of chronic D-galactose exposure underlies other conditions such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, bone loss (osteoporosis) and muscle loss (sarcopenia).

Now before you milk-lovers start sending me emails telling me that this can’t possibly be true, and that dairy isn’t the only source of D-galactose in our diet, let me delve into this a little more. D-galactose is found in non-dairy sources. In fact it is found in many of the foods I recommend you eat on The Pain Free Diet, including vegetables, fruits, and some cereal grains. The amount however is miniscule compared to that found in a glass a milk.

Example:

One glass of milk = about 5 grams of D-galactose

¼ pound of fruits and vegetables = about 5-10 milligrams of D-galactose

Don’t fret however cheese and yogurt lovers. In the study they looked at the difference between high milk consumers, and those eating other dairy products such as cheese or yogurt.

They found out that the inflammatory markers in those consuming more of these foods (and less milk) were much lower. This was likely because of lower lactose and D-galactose content. Fermented products such as yogurt also may convey a positive probiotic antioxidant effect – meaning they can help maintain a better balance of normal, healthy gut bacteria. The subjects consuming cheese had a neutral effect on oxidative stress and inflammation.

Those consuming relatively more cheese and yogurt in their diet, compared to higher milk intake, had lower risks of fracture and death, lower cardiac risk factors, and better cholesterol profiles

So what do you do with this information?

In my book (2^nd edition coming very soon!) you will see that I’m not a huge fan of dairy because of the high inflammatory potential, as confirmed by this research study.

More inflammation = more pain.

Less milk = less pain.

Food for thought:

If you choose to consume dairy, stick with the occasional high quality (preferably certified organic and grass fed) cheese or yogurt, and swap your dairy milk for almond, coconut, or rice milk instead. Your hips and your heart will thank you.

Committed to your health,

Dr. Tait

References

Michaelsson, K, Wolk, A. et al. Milk intake and risk of mortality and fractures in women and men: cohort studies. BMJ 2014;349.

Authors and speakers from all walks of life – business, health, wealth, and personal growth will be helping you gain the skills, wisdom, and ways to help you get better in many aspects of your life.

This is completely FREE online event that you can enjoy from the comfort of your home or office but space is limited.

Register by clicking here

Is our health doomed?

That is a question I was asked over a week ago by a patient, but it is still stuck in my head.

The answer is that it could be (if you live in the United States) in large part because as a country there has been little emphasis placed on improving and safe-guarding the quality of what ends up on your plate, and in turn in your body.

In a recent Washington Post article by Mark Bittman, Michael Pollan (both New York Times best selling authors), Ricardo Salvador (director of the food and environment program at the Union of Concerned Scientists), and Olivier De Schutter (Professor of International Human Rights Law), they make this damning assessment:

“The food system and diet it’s created have caused incalculable damage to the health of our people and our land, water, and air. If a foreign power were to do such harm, we’d regard it as a threat to national security, if not an act of war, and the government would formulate a comprehensive plan and marshal resources to combat it.”

The health and environmental impact of our food is a mounting concern, but little action has been taken they suggest because as of right now we do not have a comprehensive food policy. We have separate policies to address food safety or green house emissions, but no unified policy to oversee the largest part of our economy – the food industry.

How could that be? Well, the simple answer is that the food industry, specifically big agriculture business, has powerful influence on policies to make sure they don’t hurt the bottom line. When I say agriculture business I’m not talking fruits and vegetables, I’m talking about high fructose corn syrup and refined grains that get packed into all of those delectable sugary treats – soda and junk food.

Another great example from the article:

“…the federal recommendations for the American diet, known as MyPlate recommends a diet of 50 percent vegetables and fruits, the administration devotes less than 1 percent of farm subsidies to support the research, production and marketing of these foods. More than 60 percent of the funding subsidizes the production of corn and other grains – food that is mostly fed to animals, converted to fuel for cars or processed into precisely the sort of junk the first lady is urging us to avoid.”

Is it becoming clear now why the organic fruit and vegetable section in the average grocery store is smaller than a smart car? Which then shouldn’t come as a surprise that the soda and junk food isles course through the heart of the store like Willy Wonka’s milk chocolate river – tempting you the consumer to dive right in.

Further:

“The government now finds itself in the absurd position of financing both sides of the war on Type 2 diabetes…….subsidizes soda with one had, while the other writes check to pay for insulin pumps. This is not policy; this is insanity.”

I agree.

The two biggest problems I see in health care that will cripple the system, and millions of people, in the coming years is obesity and pain. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 50% of the U.S. population is overweight, and more than one-third are obese. It is estimated that more than 116 million people (greater than one-third) of the population is living with some kind of daily pain.

Do you think the two might have a relationship?

I do, and it is more than a casual fling. They have been in a decades-long unhealthy marriage that is going to get more ugly in the years to come.

And although we would hope they wouldn’t produce any offspring and subject them to this toxic environment, it is too late.

Their teenagers and live-in-the basement twenty-something’s are contributing to the worst health crisis we have ever seen at such a young age – diabetes, heart disease, chronic pain, opioid addiction, and disability.

Again, from the article:

“Because of unhealthy diets, 100 years of progress in improving public health and extending lifespan has been reversed. Today’s children are expected to live shorter lives than their parents.”

Despite being the most powerful country in the world, other countries such as our neighbors to the south, Mexico, have better national food policies than we have currently.

Where it goes from here, and how your health may be affected, is still in your control.

You can choose what you put in your body.

You can support local farmers rather than big agriculture.

You can raise some awareness at the local and state level.

You can choose to have better health, and take action today.

Maybe in time we can all create enough noise that someone in a big White House in Washington has to listen. Maybe before we are all swept down the chocolate river.

In the last post, I challenged Colonel Sanders and his secret herbs and spices

Teas, spices, and herbs have been used to treat various ailments and diseases, preserve food, and support a healthy digestive system for thousands of years in “eastern medicine” – Asia, the Middle East, as well as several other cultures.

For a period of time in western countries, it was also fairly common for physicians and other health professionals to use medicinal herbs to treat various ailments.

Mainly plant, but also animal “materials”, were extracted and made into tinctures, then dispensed with exact prescriptions to help treat certain conditions.

Using herbs and spices will make every recipe taste better, guaranteed. They work as a catalyst in your cooking experiments, multiplying not only the taste, but also the capacity of the body to maximally extract the vital nutrients in healthy foods consumed.

According to weight, spices by far have the highest antioxidant value of any food. Remember though that the ORAC value (or antioxidant capacity of a food) is calculated based on 100 grams of the food.

Most people are probably not going to chow down on nearly a quarter pound of any one spice in any recipe, but small amounts incorporated into the diet daily can still be quite potent and have a positive effect.

Previously, I challenged Colonel Sanders to a duel, commenting on his secret herbs and spices.

I’m going to give you the “Doctor’s Top 9 Secret Herbs and Spices” to use in your battle against pain and improving your health.

If you are suffering from pain or punish your back, neck, shoulders, hips, or knees on a regular basis working out, then you will want to start eating a few of the following (probably not all at once):

Cloves (ORAC 290,283)

• Origin – Native to Indonesia, from the flower buds of the evergreen tree family Myrtaceae.
• Taste: sweet, spicy, similar to cinnamon, but not as hot
• Culinary uses: combines well with allspice, cinnamon, vanilla, basil; can be added to tea, coffee or dessert dishes
• Medicinal uses: In Indian ayurvedic medicine as well as Chinese medicine, the essential oil derived from cloves is used as a potent pain killer, particularly for dental procedures.
• Caution: Cloves can overpower the flavor of your dish, so only use a small amount.

Oregano (ORAC 175,295)

• Origin: Native to Eurasia and the Mediterranean, part of the mint family Lamiaceae, a perennial herb.
• Taste: aromatic, warm, bitter, spicy
• Culinary uses: Italian dishes, soups
• Medicinal Uses: It is a potent antioxidant due to a high concentration of flavonoidsand phenolic acid.¹ The essential oil derived from oregano shows antiseptic, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal qualities.^2,3 In some cultures it is still used for treatment of stomach and respiratory ailments, and even parasites.

Rosemary (ORAC 165,280)

• Origin: Native to the Mediterranean region, part of the mint family Lamiaceae, a perennial herb.
• Taste: highly aromatic, bitter, astringent
• Culinary Uses: stuffing, roast meats
• Medicinal uses: Has been shown to help concentration, improve mood, and have a positive impact on memory.⁴ Can also be effective for muscle soreness and headaches.
• Other effects: Marinating meats in liquid mixtures containing rosemary and other herbs/spices can dramatically help to reduce HCA’s (heterocyclic amines), which are carcinogenic compounds that can form when meats are grilled.
• Caution: Large amounts can stimulate bile production and should be avoided if there is a history of gallstones.

Thyme (ORAC 157,380)

• Origin: Thought to be native to the French and Italian Riviera now multiple regions, from the family Thymus, most commonly Thymus Vulgaris.
• Taste: lemon, pepper, mint
• Culinary Uses: savory dishes like stews and soup
• Medicinal Uses: The essential oil derived from thyme is thymol, an ingredient commonly used in commercially made mouthwashes and alcohol-free hand sanitizers.⁵ Can also be used for mild indigestion.
• Other Effects: Greek mythology shows that thyme was burned as incense, and was thought to be a source of courage before battle.

Cinnamon (ORAC 131,420)

• Origin: Native to Bangladesh, India, and Nepal, from the inner bark of the evergreen family Lauraceae.
• Taste: bitter, spicy, hot
• Culinary Uses: desserts, tea, coffee
• Medicinal Uses: Due to the potent anti-inflammatory effect, used daily it can help with joint pain, stiffness and inflammation. Has been shown to help regulate blood sugar in Type II diabetics, as well as improve LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.⁶ It is also thought to be antimicrobial and research is ongoing using cinnamon as a natural food preservative, rather than the harmful chemicals commonly used.⁷ Researchers have also show that cinnamon extract may have a powerful effect on memory and cognitive dysfunction in Alzheimer’s dementia.⁸

Turmeric (ORAC 127,068)

• Origin: Native to tropical south Asia, from the family Zingiberaceaea, member of the ginger family.
• Taste: mild aromatic, earthy, bitter, ginger, pepper
• Culinary uses: used to impart a yellow color to foods, commonly used in combination with other spices such as curry or cumin
• Medicinal uses: The active ingredient, curcumin is tied to the anti-inflammatory effect, and why turmeric is felt to significantly ease pain and inflammation from osteoarthritis.⁹ Has also shown promise in the treatment of Alzheimer’s dementia.¹⁰
• Caution: Although it can be a remedy for irritable and inflammatory bowel disease, it can have the opposite effect causing nausea and diarrhea. Large amounts can stimulate bile production and gallbladder contractions so may want to be avoided if there is a history of gallstones.

Tarragon (ORAC 15,542)

• Origin: Native to Central Asia, a perennial herb in the family Asteraceaene.
• Taste: aromatic, mint, licorice, pine and pepper.
• Culinary Uses: Used in chicken, fish, and egg dishes. A key ingredient in Bernaise sauce, usually in the form of tarragon vinegar.
• Medicinal Uses: Researchers at the Pennington Biomedical Research Institute at Louisiana State University are investigating the positive effect on symptoms of peripheral neuropathy of pre-Diabetes and obesity.¹¹Positive effect on blood sugar and lipid profiles, and may also have a role in cardiovascular disease by decreasing platelet adhesion and blood coagulation.

Ginger Root (ORAC 14,840)

• Origin: Native to South Asia, from the plant family Zingiberaceae. Other notable members of this plant family are turmeric and cardamom.
• Taste: pungent, aromatic
• Culinary Uses: The pickled variety is commonly served with sushi. In many cultures it is brewed into ginger beer or tea.
• Medicinal Uses: Used for centuries in Chinese medicine as a remedy to decrease muscular soreness and joint pain.¹² Fresh and dried ginger demonstrates anti-viral activity against the common cold virus, human respiratory syncytial virus (HSV).¹³ Can be used as a mild digestive to combat nausea, vomiting, and motion sickness.
• Caution: Known to be a weak blood thinner. Can lower blood pressure and also add to the effect of some diabetic medications. Large amounts can stimulate bile production and gallbladder contractions so may want to be avoided if there is a history of gallstones.

Garlic, fresh (ORAC 5,708)

• Origin:  Native to central Asia, front the species of the onion genus, Allium, which also includes onions, leeks, chives, and shallots.
• Taste: Pungent, spicy
• Culinary Uses: Very commonly used as a base ingredient, cooked together with onions, for savory dishes
• Medicinal Uses:  Although there is in conflicting evidence in research studies, it is thought to have a positive impact on heart disease, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. It has also been found to help regulate blood sugar levels. Good for overall health. Vegetables and herbs of this species produce sulfur-based compounds that give garlic the characteristic pungent flavor. These compounds can can have an anti-inflammatory effect, help repair cartilage, and reduce muscle and joint pain.

If you want to improve your health, you have to decrease the inflammation that is the root cause for chronic pain and disease.

In The Pain Free Diet, you will learn the science connecting certain foods to inflammation and pain, and  learn a little more about some terrific herbs and spices, as well as teas, that can also be used to stamp out inflammation, pain, and help treat other ailments.

Rest in peace Colonel Sanders

References:

1. Dragland S, Senoo H, Wake K, Holte K, Blomhoff R. Several culinary and medicinal herbs are important sources of dietary antioxidants. J Nutr. May 2003;133(5):1286-1290.

2. Preuss HG, Echard B, Enig M, Brook I, Elliott TB. Minimum inhibitory concentrations of herbal essential oils and monolaurin for gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Mol Cell

Biochem. Apr 2005;272(1-2):29-34.

3. Manohar V, Ingram C, Gray J, et al. Antifungal activities of origanum oil against Candida albicans. Mol Cell Biochem. Dec 2001;228(1-2):111-117.

4. Moss M, Cook J, Wesnes K, Duckett P. Aromas of rosemary and lavender essential oils differentially affect cognition and mood in healthy adults. Int J Neurosci. Jan 2003;113(1):15-38.

5. Pierce A. American Pharmaceutical Association Practical Guide to Natural Medicines. NewYork: Stonesong Press; 1999.

6. Lu T, Sheng H, Wu J, Cheng Y, Zhu J, Chen Y. Cinnamon extract improves fasting blood glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin level in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes. Nutr Res. Jun 2012;32(6):408-412.

7. Hong YJ, Bae YM, Moon B, Lee SY. Inhibitory effect of cinnamon powder on pathogen growth in laboratory media and oriental-style rice cakes (sulgidduk). J Food Prot. Jan2013;76(1):133-138.

8. Frydman-Marom A, Levin A, Farfara D, et al. Orally administrated cinnamon extract reduces beta-amyloid oligomerization and corrects cognitive impairment in Alzheimer’s disease animal models. PLoS One. 2011;6(1):e16564.

9. Henrotin Y, Clutterbuck AL, Allaway D, et al. Biological actions of curcumin on articularchondrocytes. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. Feb 2010;18(2):141-149.

10. Lazar AN, Mourtas S, Youssef I, et al. Curcumin-conjugated nanoliposomes with high affinity for Abeta deposits: Possible applications to Alzheimer disease. Nanomedicine. Dec 7

11. Watcho P, Stavniichuk R, Ribnicky DM, Raskin I, Obrosova IG. High-fat diet-induced neuropathy of prediabetes and obesity: effect of PMI-5011, an ethanolic extract of Artemisia dracunculus L. Mediators Inflamm. 2010;2010:268547

12. Black CD, Herring MP, Hurley DJ, O’Connor PJ. Ginger (Zingiber officinale) reduces muscle pain caused by eccentric exercise. J Pain. Sep 2010;11(9):894-903.

13. Chang V. Fresh ginger (Zingiber officinale) has anti-viral activity against human respiratory syncytial virus in human respiratory tract cell lines. J Ethno pharmacol. 2013;145(1):146-151.

Where have you heard about secret herbs and spices?

That’s right – Kentucky Fried Chicken.  Umm. Umm. Finger-licking good.

Now before you think that I’m suggesting that you roll down the street, pick up a bucket of the Colonel’s original recipe and go to town, put down the keys and let me explain why he may have originally been on to something.

If we break down the Colonel’s original blend of secret herbs and spices, many would make the list for healthy additions to your cooking.

• 1 tsp ground oregano
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground sage
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried marjoram
• 1 tsp pepper
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp paprika
• 1 tsp onion salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tbsp Accent (an MSG-based seasoning)

Other than the salt and MSG (and maybe the chili powder if you’re sensitive to nightshade plants that you can learn all about in The Pain Free Diet), the rest are very high in antioxidants and will help create a more anti-inflammatory environment within the body by bolstering the immune system.

Unfortunately, Colonel Harland David Sanders gave up command of the restaurant chain after his death in 1990 (He actually lived to 90!), and a new regime has dramatically altered the original recipe most likely to cut costs and boost profits.

The healthier herbs and spices have been replaced with the following: The New Secret Chemical Herbs and Spices

Seasoning: (Salt, Monosodium Glutamate, Garlic Powder, Spice Extractives, Onion Powder), Soy Protein Concentrate, Rice Starch and Sodium Phosphates.

Battered with: Water, Wheat Flour, Leavening (Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Monocalcium Phosphate), Salt, Dextrose, Monosodium Glutamate, Spice and Onion Powder.

Predusted with: Wheat Flour, Wheat Gluten, Salt, Dried Egg Whites, Leavening (Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Sodium Bicarbonate), Monosodium Glutamate, Spice and Onion Powder. Breaded with: Wheat Flour, Salt, Soy Flour, Leavening (Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Sodium Bicarbonate), Monosodium Glutamate, Spice, Nonfat Dry Milk, Onion Powder, Dextrose, Extractives of Turmeric and Extractives of Annatto.

Breading Set in Vegetable oil

If you look at the list, it reads more like an inventory for a science lab rather than a list of ingredients you would ever want to put in your body.

A four-step formula guaranteed to have your insides churning, your joints aching, and your brain buzzing for more.

Another “secret” is that KFC is one of the fast food industry’s leading users of MSG, or MonoSodium Glutamate, known to be a potential neurotoxin even in small amounts.

And this is just what goes on the OUTSIDE of the chicken.

I haven’t even gotten into the quality of fast-food chicken, or the highly inflammatory canola oil that is used to fry that chicken (and your arteries) to extra-crispy perfection.

We’ll have to save that for another day. Spoiler alert – it is even scarier.

In Part 2, I challenge the Colonel’s blend of spices with my own recipe of anti-inflammatory “special herbs and spices”.

I already shared with you several reasons why vegetables pack such a punch against pain, and why they should be a powerhouse staple in the foundation of your diet.

Another tidbit most people don’t know is that calorie for calorie, many vegetables are fairly high in protein content. Broccoli, romaine lettuce, and kale actually have more protein than a porterhouse steak by weight.

Of course, because meat is more calorie-dense than vegetables, you would have to eat a considerable heap of broccoli or kale to get the same amount of protein in a reasonable serving of meat.

The point to make here is that quite a bit of your protein can and should come from plant-based sources, and not just from meat, eggs, dairy and protein supplements.

There is a myth, largely due to very successful meat and dairy lobbyists and millions of dollars spent in marketing, that we will become protein deficient and waste away if we are not consuming meat and dairy products multiple times per day.

This is completely false.

Most people think they need far more protein than they actually do, and just as many people feel there is no way to get enough protein on a primarily plant-based diet.

Also, not true.

I will get deeper into this topic in future, but for now lets agree that if you are are going to continue to eat meat and dairy products, I would make them a much smaller portion of your diet, and source the highest possible quality available.

So what vegetables are on the top of my shopping list each week?

There is a pretty simple rule to follow when you’re walking through your favorite farmer’s market or produce section in the grocery store.

Anything Green = Great

Leafy greens

• Kale – This is a powerhouse of a green that is great raw in salads, baked into chips, or thrown into soups, stews, and smoothies.
• Lettuces – Romaine, green leaf, red leaf, arugula,
• Bok choy
• Collard greens
• Spinach
• Swiss chard

Other good greens

• *Peppers (technically fruits because they have seeds) – green bell, jalapeno, serrano, and other types of chili peppers can be potent pain killers for some, but as you’ve learned for others may crank up inflammation and pain.

• Broccoli
• Brussel sprouts
• Cabbage
• Avocado
• Asparagus
• Green beans
• Cucumbers
• Celery
• Peas – snap, snow, sweet (a serving of sweet peas actually has more protein than a tablespoon of peanut butter, or one whole egg, and with no fat)

Not Green = Still great

If you are eating a wide variety of colorful vegetables in addition to your greens, you should have no issue acquiring the essential vitamins and trace minerals your body requires for optimal function.

• Beans – yellow, purple
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Artichokes
• Jicama
• Onions, shallots
• Parsnips
• Yams
• Sweet Potatoes
• Squashes
• Radish

Fruits

For all the same reasons as vegetables, fruits should be a regular staple in your pain killing arsenal of foods.

The only difference is that they naturally contain more sugar than vegetables so most will have a higher Glycemic Index (GI) than vegetables.

Sticking to low GI fruits may be a better choice if you are diabetic, or keeping an eye on your waistline. However, with very few exceptions, if you are replacing refined foods with a few pieces of fruit each day, there is very little chance you are going to pack on the pounds, or go off the charts with your blood sugar regulation.

Fruits that pack a punch against pain:

• Cherries – Being from Michigan where we have exceptional cherries a couple months of the year, they are by far my go-to fruit for snacking. A lot of people know about tart cherry juice having anti-inflammatory properties, but consuming the whole form is more bioavailable and carries along health fiber. They are also quite low on the GI scale.

• Berries of all varieties – strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, cranberries are all great sources of antioxidants, and most are lower on the GI scale as well.

• Pineapple – Contains a very important enzyme, bromelain, that has properties to enhance healing. (We’ll dive into that in a future article).

• Grapes
• Apples
• Pears
• Mango
• Peaches
• Nectarines
• Pumpkin
• Plums

There you have it, my “secret” list of the most potent vegetables and fruits guaranteed to help your body’s inflammatory balance.

References

1. Cao G, Alessio HM, Cutler RG. Oxygen-radical absorbance capacity assay for antioxidants. Free Radic Biol Med. Mar 1993;14(3):303-311.