Let’s face it no matter how well we “sew smart” some mornings are tough. If you’re hands feel like sausages and your back aches before you even get out of bed, it doesn’t make spending the day sitting at your sewing machine much fun. You will only be sorer and stiffer at the end of the day, no matter how great your posture is. Adding a few items to your diet can greatly reduce inflammation, which means you wake up pain free , which means you can sew, sew, sew.
1. Tart Cherry Juice
All I need is 3-4 oz of tart cherry juice at night and my hands will thank me in the morning. I am fortunate to feel the benefits quickly, but for some it may take a little longer. In a 2012 study[1], researchers at the Oregon Health & Science University In Portland, Oregon had twenty women with inflammatory osteoarthritis aged 40-70 years consume either 10.5 oz of tart cherry juice or a placebo cherry drink twice daily for 21 consecutive days. Subjects on the tart cherry juice showed a statistically significant reduction in the serum bio-marker CRP (p<0.05). The researchers concluded that tart cherry juice may reduce inflammation as measured by certain serum inflammatory bio markers among women with Osteo-Arthritis.
Try adding freshly squeezed lime juice and 4 oz of your favourite fizzy water to 4 oz tart cherry juice and serve over ice.
[1](Kerry S. Kuehl 2012)
2. CBD Oil (cannabidiol, cannabis oil)
One of the primary CBD oil benefits for arthritis sufferers is its positive effect inflammation, which in turn reduces pain. A study[1] published in the journal Pain in December 2017 analyzed whether CBD could prevent osteoarthritis pain. Based on their findings, researchers found that it did decrease joint inflammation.
The arthritis foundation provides the following suggestions for trying CBD oil:[2]
Use low doses, which seem to work best for pain relief.
Start with a CBD-only product, 5 – 10 mg twice daily, and then slowly increase, going up to dose of 50 – 100 mg per day. If that doesn’t help, try a CBD product with a low dose of THC.
Use only at night at first; slowly increase dose if needed. Edibles’ effects last longer than vaping, so don’t try them until you know what CBD strain and dose work for you. Use caution if you are 25 years old or younger and using CBD products that contain THC. This age group is at highest risk of addiction, dependency or even psychosis.
Most people just place the oil directly under their tongue for the best absorption, but a Canadian Company named Fire and Flower is now selling diffusers. It’s good to be Canadian.
[1] (Philpott HT1 2017)
[2] (Rath n.d.)
3. Turmeric
Turmeric is known for the powerful anti-inflammatory nutrient curcumin and can be effective at reducing inflammation. Turmeric is a spice with a strong, earthy flavor that's often used in curries and other savoury dishes. Luckily when I add it to a smoothie, I don't notice anything different in the taste of my blueberry smoothie. News to me - eating black pepper with turmeric can significantly enhance the absorption of curcumin – do I want to try a new smoothie recipe with pepper? Not so sure. Or perhaps taking supplements containing isolated curcumin combined with piperine is an option as this can boost curcumin absorption by 2,000% . For now studies are not conclusive - in one experiment, a single gram of curcumin daily combined with black pepper caused a significant decrease in the inflammatory marker CRP. Yet in another study, women who took 2.8 grams of turmeric per day had no improvement in inflammatory markers. It's not expensive, so why not give it a try?
An Avocado a day
While tart cherry juice and CBD oil may provide more immediate relief to achy joints, a diet high in healthy fats will help in the long run. It is always good to include a variety of anti-inflammatory foods in the form of healthy fats. Nuts, seeds, fatty fish and avocados are always good to have on hand. #quilt2A100
Latte anyone ? I recently purchased this powdered coffee supplement to make an anti-inflammatory cup of coffee. But it just didn't taste great, I ended up dumping it and pouring another coffee. Since I purchased it out of town, I will most likely not return it, maybe I can use it in a muffin recipe ? any suggestions ?
Nice sharing