Get rid of joint pains

As winter sets in and the temperature drops stiffness of joints, aches and pains throughout the body are quite common for both young and the old.

However, certain foods can boost the immune system and help the body fight this depleting ailment as the foods you eat can ease your symptoms and give you relief.

Winter is the time to get the best vegetables and they taste scrumptious in this season. There is a huge repertoire available to us like the entire gourd family of vegetables from bottle gourd to the bitter gourd, pumpkin, onions carrots, radish, cucumbers, flat beans, sword beans, all green vegetables, leafy greens and sweet potatoes.

Play around with them by sautéing them, tossing them in your salads, making soups, grilling them; add it to your rotis, rice, lentils and bakes the list is never ending.

By adding amazing spices which are available all around India like cumin, mustard seeds, and pepper, we not only enhance the flavour but they also act as a most valuable tool to protect you from the throbbing joint pains.

Add turmeric ginger and garlic to heal pain as they block the enzyme that sparks the inflammation. You could have them fresh in the form of a root in winter months or in powder form.

Capsaicin, an extract from chilly prevents pains so add it to your food. All spices and condiments should be eaten with either cold pressed oil such as mustard in winter or ghee or butter as they get better absorbed through fat.

The miracle fat for joint pains is cow’s ghee with its amazing benefits to lubricate and soothe aching joints.

Try and get plenty of sunlight during any time of the day, as you need sunlight for your body to absorb vitamin d which is a fat soluble vitamin.

So, good quality fat is a key ingredient in the prevention of joint pains along with absorption of calcium which is needed for your joints.

Change your grain to gluten free ones as gluten can be responsible for pain. We have plenty of options in this country to choose from. Ragi, bajra, jowar, rajgira, verghu, unpolished rice to name a few. Make rotis from these instead of using wheat.

Eat Omega 3 fatty acid-rich foods that reduce inflammation. Good sources include flaxseeds, walnuts, and oily fish.

Toss sesames seeds as they are a good source of calcium and fat which is needed by the joints.

Avoid foods that reduce your immunity and increase pain and discomfort. Highly refined foods especially sugar as it increases inflammation and cutting out sugar reduces inflammation.

Say no to fried food, ready-to-eat packaged snacks, pastries, cakes, and mithai. These foods deplete your body of the essential vitamins that you need for good joint health.

Stay away from all dairy products including milk, curd, cheese and paneer they are known to trigger pain.

Avoid peanuts, tomatoes, citrus fruits like oranges and sweet lime, potatoes, wheat oats, rye, maize, semolina, couscous as these grains contain gluten and red lentils (tuvar dal).

Ensure that your iron levels are stable because excess iron levels in the blood cause joint pains. Supplement with vitamin D3 and B12 if levels are low.

Make sure your weight is under control. Research indicates that every kilo of excess weight is 7 kgs more especially on the knees and increases the chances of knee pain .

Exercise within limits. This will strengthen the muscles responsible for protecting the joints and prevent stiffness.

Some form of gentle exercise, such as swimming, cycling or walking will help. Ease your pain with a simple switch in grains adding plenty vegetables , cow ghee , flax seeds , walnuts , ginger garlic and turmeric daily to your food.

Bajri/ragi roti or unpolished rice, fenugreek and spinach vegetable, green chili, turmeric and ginger pickle, pumpkin and lentil soup, mustard seeds sesame and carrot salad, white butter and ghee on everything should feature in your mouthwatering plate.