Hey there…

Here’s to a day filled with perspective and thoughtful contemplation.

Speaking of contemplation, I was just thinking about the foods I eat in anticipation of my next meal and thought about some information that may prove quite useful to you.

Did you know that the foods you eat can directly effect your knee pain?

If you didn’t, be assured you’ll want to read on.

You’ve heard me say before that we live in a world of fast food and faster living.  What I mean by that statement is that we are going so hard and so fast trying to accomplish all that we need and want to to get done each day that we don’t prioritize that which should be.  And that which should be top priority is what we put in our bodies as fuel and maintenance and how we otherwise take care of ourselves.  Because of this, we often choose to partake in the fast food revolution.

Not a very wise choice.

For several reasons.

We already know that most, if not all, fast food is unhealthy, not what the body was designed to utilize and not really food at all.  That is the truth of the matter.

But did you know that what you eat can effect more than just your waist line?

It’s a given that eating unhealthy food(?) choices will definitely add up to bigger numbers around your waist line.  What you may not know is that eating these unhealthy foods(?) can also cause your body to retaliate against these foreign substances and the result is inflammation.

In a nutshell, inflammation is the body’s defense mechanism to protect itself from potentially harmful foreign invaders and substances.  This is a unique biological response that fights infection and speeds the recovery process.  Without this essential process, wounds would never heal and the body would become overwhelmed with disease.

Because you’ve had a joint injury, you know very well that inflammation is part of the injury and healing process.  If your joint problem is ongoing, you also know that when the joint is irritated, inflammation is usually present.

When this happens it is widely accepted that most will find relief in self administration of anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID’s) like aspirin.  Some individuals can tolerate the occasional use of NSAID’s fairly well but the long term side effects may not be worth the effect they provide.

There are other options you’ll want to consider.

First and foremost, cut out all the processed foods in your diet including all foods that you may be allergic to.  I realize this is asking a lot, but we’re not just considering the effects these foods may have on your joints.  You must consider the long term ramifications these foods have on your over all health and well being.

Here’s a list of the foods that you’ll want to be sure to cut out:

1. All processed foods(cereals, boxed products, processed lunch meats, etc.)

2. All fast food

3. Artificially sweetened drinks (including diet soda and sugar free coffee drinks)

4. Sugar (I know it’s natural, organic cane sugar, but it still causes an inflammatory response.)

Here’s a list of foods you’ll want to consider cutting out for a few weeks before reintroducing them one by one:

1. Wheat

2. Gluten

3. Peanuts

4. Non-fermented Soy products (organic or not)

5. Dairy

6. Nightshade plants (potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant)

Eat a variety of organic fruits and vegetables along with a couple of servings of raw nuts, seeds and avocado daily and be sure to consume adequate servings of lean protein.  Foods like wild caught cold water fish, elk, venison, bison, organic eggs, and organic grass fed and finished beef.

The poultry and pork industries are struggling to produce flesh offerings that aren’t ultimately fed processed feed.  So unless you raise your own pigs, turkeys and chickens and know exactly what you are feeding them, be mindful of the quantity of these protein sources you eat.

Something else to consider is adding natural herbs and spices to your diet.

Herbs have long been used as a remedy for disease and infectious conditions before modern medicine produced man-made remedies.  Herbs will also complement your meals with a variety of savory and robust flavors.

The added benefit you’ll receive is that by adding different herbs and spices to your recipes you’ll have the ability to create new flavorful dishes which will add variety to your meals and keep you from being bored with the foods you eat.  Because of this variety, you’ll be more likely to stay on track with your healthy eating plan.

Many studies have produced similar results indicating that herbs and spices can help to battle the inflammatory response of foods and even chronic joint inflammation caused by injuries and even arthritic conditions.

Cinnamon and turmeric are two of the most popular herbs studied that have proven to be effective at calming the inflammatory process.  As little as 1/2 teaspoon a day of cinnamon can make a considerable impact at reducing chronic and food related inflammation.

The Knee Pain Solutions program has a whole section devoted to the herbs and spices that can potentially have a great effect on your health and well being.  I have detailed each herb and spice with information on their origins,which foods they complement the best and how to add them to your favorite recipes, how to supplement them and what positive effect they can potentially have on the body.

If you have knee pain, you’ll want to get your hands on your very own copy of the Knee Pain Solutions program just for this valuable information alone.

Just think about what it would be like to have less joint inflammation and pain.  It’s time to live your life again.  Pick up a copy of Knee Pain Solutions and start living again.

I want you to be healthy.  So start making healthy choices and I’ll be here to give you advice and suggestions along the way to help support your worthy undertaking.

Until next time…

Get strong and stay strong,

Rochelle Gravance

PS- After you’ve given these herbs a try (it often takes 60-90 days of consistent use to see a difference), be sure to comment on your experience and let others know about the benefits of eating healthy and supplementing naturally.

Today’s discussion dives into the missing link.

Why do I have knee pain?

Where is it’s origin?

It’s like hunting.

We see the signs of pain in the knee, or the tracks that have been left.  Now we go in search of the den, or the possible origin of the pain which has left it’s tracks in your knee joint where the pain is being expressed.

I was working with a client today that has lower back pain.  We were working on a particular muscle activation exercise that proved to be very difficult for the client.  The reason for all the difficulty is that the client’s inherent movement patterns have been lost due to injury.

While attempting  to assume the starting position for the activation exercise, the client began to experience knee discomfort and foot discomfort/pain.

This is where, as a trainer and movement specialist, I get excited and fascinated all at the same time.  I could see that the loss of the movement pattern that we were working hard to reestablish was causing the pain in both the knee and the foot.  A trickle down effect that originated in the hip, torso and pelvis.

Once I was able to point out all the compensations that were being made throughout the chain of muscles and joints from essentially the head and neck right down to the foot, the client was able to eventually make the corrections necessary AND reestablish the pattern with much success that we were attempting to recreate.

Maybe, equally important was that all the discomfort felt in the knee and the foot was completely relieved as well.

Next, I had the client stand on one foot without shoes.  The foot that wasn’t experiencing the initial foot and knee discomfort.  The client was able to stand and hold the position with balance for 30 seconds without difficulty.

When we switched feet to the leg the client was experiencing the foot and knee pain, the client was no longer able to stand securely with balance without rolling to the outside of the foot and swaying in the torso.

What does all this mean?

Quite a lot of things, quite frankly.  But, the most important realization the client left with was there is a way to trace the pain back to it’s origin(s) and once the inherent patterns were reestablished, all the discomfort was relieved.

Does this mean that all pain can be relieved by correcting movement patterns, probably not.  Can much improvement be made through body awareness and reestablishing inherent movement patterns, absolutely.

The  next task is to hold these patterns together by getting stronger.  This client is not quite at that point yet because there is much work to be done in the realm of increasing flexibility and muscle activation work, but we’re getting close.

I’m following the exact sequence of work that I use in my LoseTheKneePain program to help this client become pain free, or as close to it as possible.

If you have knee pain and you desire to be in better shape, you need to get your hands on a copy of the LoseTheKneePain program that will be available right here on www.LoseTheKneePain.com.

It will soon be complete.  I’m putting the final touches on it right now.

This program is designed to get you moving better and as pain free as possible.  Then it takes you far beyond.

Once your movement patterns have improved and your knees have been relieved of the stresses that caused the pain, then we really turn up the heat with strength exercises that challenge your fitness level and hold those movement patterns in place.  You’ll also get great nutrition strategies and done for you healthy recipes that help you lose that extra body fat to relieve those knees even more.

Keep checking in here at the blog for all the news updates and get ready for the program that’s going to help you lose body fat, get in shape and lose the knee pain.

Get strong and stay strong,

Rochelle Gravance