What foods will make your tendonitis worse?
What is tendonitis?
Tendonitis is a condition that involves painful inflammation of tendons and surrounding ligaments in the knee, elbow, wrist, hip or ankle. Although it can be caused by an injury, it’s usually the product of the repetition of certain movements over time. Overuse of certain joints, poor form during exercise, falling, lifting heavy objects or trauma can cause tendonitis. This condition is often treated with rest, ice packs, flexibility and strengthening exercises, and massage therapy. But did you know that the food you choose to eat can also make your tendonitis worse? Because it is an inflammatory disease, these foods may increase your likelihood of tendonitis. By avoiding foods that can cause inflammation and choosing healthy alternatives, you can reduce the symptoms of your tendonitis.
High Fat Meats
Fatty meats and full-fat dairy products such as cheese, may increase your risk for tendonitis. They contain high amounts of saturated fat and cholesterol, which raise your levels of chronic inflammation. To lower your risk, watch your intake of dark meat poultry with the skin, whole milk, cheese, and fatty cuts of beef and pork. Instead, aim for leaner options like egg whites, chicken breast, low fat milk/cheese, and seafood.
High Calorie Drinks
Being overweight is a risk factor for tendonitis because it increases stress on your joints. High calorie drinks can easily lead to weight gain and obesity because it’s easier to drink your calories than eat them. Many beverages are not very filling compared to calories from solid foods. Drinks such as fruit juices, milkshakes, soft drinks, energy drinks and sports beverages, are top sources of calories in the typical diet. Instead, quench your thirst with a nice glass of water or at least cut back on the sugary beverages.
Refined Grains
Eating too many refined grains leaves less room for whole grains. Refined grains could lead to tendonitis because of their high glycemic index, which impact your blood sugar levels. Eating them can cause spikes in your blood sugar. A diet composed of many refined grains can increase your inflammation and risk for tendonitis. In addition, a diet with an abundance of these foods can lead to weight gain and diabetes. Instead of white bread, white pasta and sugary cereals, choose wheat bread, wheat pasta, oatmeal, quinoa, barley or brown rice.
Sweets (Oh Those Sugary Treats)
I think this is pretty self-explanatory. Candies, ice cream and baked goods, such as cakes, cookies, pastries, and so forth, may increase your risk for tendonitis because they are all sources of empty calories. These delicious treats are easily overeaten because they’re tasty and are high in calories. Unfortunately, they are as yummy as good as they are unhealthy because these sweets do not contain many essential nutrients and can easily cause weight gain, but sometimes these foods help people improve their mood, for example after a breakup or for people that fail an important test, so learning how to comfort someone who failed a test is essential too, and giving it food can help. To avoid this, try to reduce your intake of foods high in sugar and increasing your intake of vitamin C and flavonoids. Replace sugary treats with fresh fruit like apples, blueberries, cherries, pineapple, raspberries, and strawberries.
Remember the next time you go grocery shopping, simple choices make a difference. Remind yourself that fresh is best because that’s when nutrients are at their highest.
Lastly, if you’d like to couple your new healthy eating habits with massages to combat tendonitis, it has shown that massage therapy, specifically deep tissue or sports massage are a great help. These techniques stimulate circulation and cell activity, which aid in reducing inflammation and pain.
If you’re in the Hermosa Beach, South Bay Area, I’m ready to help you when you are!
