What Can Nutrition REALLY Do With Chronic Conditions?
- Samantha
- Sep 7, 2015
- 2 min read
There's a lot of people out there who think that they are stuck with their illness, will gain no relief from it except with medications, and poo-poo the idea that nutrition might help them.
I would never claim to cure a person - I simply help facilitate the healing process of my client's body. But there are plenty of ways that nutrition can help support pretty much any chronic condition, from chronic pain to diabetes to genetic conditions. Here are just a few of them:
Nutrition can reduce your inflammation
Most chronic conditions have inflammation as either a root cause, or as a consequence of the condition - in both cases, it can cause system-wide symptoms, from digestive upsets, to skin breakouts, to pain and fatigue.
Supportive nutrition can bring down this inflammation within your body, through multiple biological pathways. A common anti-inflammatory food is oily fish - this reduces inflammation through inhibition of multiple inflammatory compounds, as well as forming the basis of anti-inflammatory compounds.
Nutrition can replace the nutrients lost
A lot of chronic conditions lead to depletion of essential nutrients, which can leave you feeling tired, lower your immune system, and reduce your pain threshold.
Conditions of the female reproductive system that lead to heavy menstruation can cause iron and B12 deficiency. Conditions that strain the immune system can cause zinc deficiency or copper toxicity.
Nutrition can help correct these deficiencies, whether they are frank deficiencies or borderline deficiencies that cause symptoms. This will help lift your health back up, so that you can look after yourself and enjoy your day-to-day life again.
Nutrition can boost levels of supportive nutrients
Nutrients can play an incredibly supportive role in chronic disease and symptom relief. A common nutrient used to support pain clients is magnesium, which acts as a muscle relaxant and can reset the pain threshold of the nervous system. Zinc can help with conditions that require ongoing repair of tissues. Vitamin D can modulate immune function even when you're prone to every illness that goes around.
Nutrition can help identify the best nutrients to support your needs, and the levels you should aim for daily for the greatest effect.
Nutrition can identify triggers that may worsen your symptoms
Just as there are supportive nutrients and foods, there are some that may trigger your symptoms. Common intolerances such as gluten and dairy are well known these days, but there are many other intolerances that are less well known, such as histamine, salicylates and fructose. These intolerances can trigger a wide variety of symptoms, from itchiness to fatigue, from headaches to bloating and bowel changes.
Having an intolerance doesn't mean that removing the food will make your condition disappear - but it could mean significant relief from your most debilitating symptoms.
Would you like to see what nutrition can do for your chronic condition? If you are in Melbourne, Australia, you can book an appointment today.
Otherwise, subscribe today - I will be launching Skype consultations shortly, and my subscribers will be the first to know!
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