Body Image + NFR 6WC Challenge 7/27-9/7

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Anti Inflammatory Diet??

A lot of why I haven’t been posting here is because there hasn’t been much fitness to speak of.  On June 26th, 2012, I finally sought medical advice for my back.  Here on July 9, 2013, I’m still in pain daily.

Originally, we thought it was a Rhomboid Strain and my Primary Care Physician referred me to a physical therapist.  The physical therapist determined that it was not, in fact, a rhomboid strain, but to do with the alignment of my hips.  I followed the physical therapy for a couple of months, and my hips didn’t click anymore, but my back still hurt.  I sought another option.

When I went to the Chiropractor, we found a series of issues with my back that are actually there–the alignment was off, there’s the start of arthritis due to the misalignment, etc. We’ve been working hard since January to bring everything in line and I really

Dr. Pennebaker, doing an adjustment with the Gonstead Method [click to learn more]

believe it’s helping.  My back still hurts every morning, though.  We were getting a lot better, making a lot of good progress, and then we experienced a really bad setback.

When Jeff and I got back from the Canadian reception, I had a few really rough mornings.  I thought it was just because the bed wasn’t supportive enough, or maybe the long ride in the car… But no, this felt like I was being squeezed–like my ribs were being pushed out of place.  It hurt to breathe, hurt to move, hurt to laugh–should I care to, hurt to yawn, hurt to sneeze, cough, or hiccup.  When I talked to my dad about it, he said “Oh, that’s just a pulled muscle–you’ll feel better in about a week.”

It’s been over a week and I’m still waking up in pain.  My Chiropractor gave me a sort of “ah-ha” moment when he observed that it was swelling and inflammation causing the pain. The word “inflammation,” hung in my head repeating itself like a fading memory.  Until all of a sudden, the light at the end of a tunnel turned out to be a train.  What if my DIET is causing me all of this stress and drama with my back!?

It makes sense!  I eat a Western diet high in processed carbs and lots of sugars. Last Friday, by happenstance, I didn’t eat much in the way of sugar or refined carbs.  On Saturday, as if by a miracle, I had no back pain.  Yesterday, I had cereal for dinner, chex mix for a snack, a wrap for lunch, and a breakfast sandwich for breakfast.  My back is killing me today.

So now, the problem that I’m faced with is “how do I convert my eating habits to the anti-inflammatory diet?”

I don’t know 😦

The sites I’ve looked at say

Foods to Steer Clear of—Here’s what you’ll want to wean yourself off of in order to reduce the inflammation in your body: wheat, dairy, potatoes, tomatoes, corn, sugar, citrus fruits (except for lemons and limes), pork, commercial non-organic eggs, shellfish, peanuts and peanut butter, coffee, alcohol, juice, caffeinated teas, soda, anything containing hydrogenated oils, processed foods, and fried foods. – http://primaldocs.com/opinion/how-to-transition-to-an-anti-inflammatory-diet/

I keep seeing conflicting information, though.  One site says pineapple is to be avoided as it’s a tropical fruit.  Another says pineapple will decrease inflammation.  One says nightshades and tomatoes are bad.  Another doesn’t mention them at all.

I’m so terribly lost.  I’ve cast out the line to the Weight Loss Warriors to ask if they have any experience with this sort of conversion.  I read that high quality yogurts and cheeses can be eaten in moderation, so maybe I can use that to my advantage when subbing foods?

Here’s our dinner menu for the week… If anyone has any ideas on how to convert it to an anti-inflammation version, I’d appreciate the help: