Virtually all symptoms and illnesses are the result of inflammation and everything affects everything. Other than breathing and water, food is the most essential for life itself. Following an anti-inflammatory diet for chronic pain is effective and fairly simple.

Eighty percent of your food should be vegetables and fruits and twenty percent protein. Since the average American eats only 2.2 servings of veggies and fruits daily, we have a long way to go to get healthy and prevent pain and illness.

Unfortunately, much of the soil is deficient in magnesium; even the vegetables and fruits in our stores are not adequate. In fact, even so-called organic foods are contaminated with glyphosate, since 65% of rain has Roundup® in it.

Unless you raise all your own food, it is impossible to get what you need to avoid inflammation and pain. Since 80% of Americans live in homes, at the top of the list for optimal health is to replace your lawn with a vegetable and fruit garden! As an added bonus, tending the garden is stress-reducing.

The anti-inflammatory diet for chronic pain means you eat nothing from a fast food restaurant and buy nothing from the center aisles at grocery stores! And, if possible you buy as much food as possible from a trusted organic farmer.

You also include as much fish and non-processed meat as possible. Incidentally, unless you are allergic to dairy, milk, plain yogurt, and eggs are excellent sources of protein. 

Although legumes have good protein, there is no taurine, a conditionally essential amino acid, in any plant food. Taurine works synergistically with magnesium to keep your cells electrically balanced. 

And of course, in today’s highly polluted world, we need considerably greater intakes of the B complex, E, D 3 and C vitamins. One of the major causes of inflammation is inadequate basic vitamins.

Finally, you need another essential: methylsupfonymethane, organic Sulphur, which helps prevent Alzheimer’s disease, allergies, asthma, chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic pain, constipation, diabetes, diverticulosis, hypertension, high cholesterol, and migraine.

MSM is also useful in preventing osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, tendonitis and TMJ syndrome. In fact, MSM is a major regulator of immune function, including protection from developing cancer.

If you are not going to commit to eating adequate vegetables and fruits, you may consider concentrates such as tart cherry juice concentrate, ORAC RICH GREENS and Kyani Sunrise. Beyond following an anti-inflammatory diet for chronic pain there are other essential habits to reduce chronic pain.

These include avoiding sugar, artificial foods, fluoridated water and getting adequate physical exercise and sleep. Everything affects everything, and that includes your thinking about life and purpose in life. Happiness is an inside job. Every thought is a prayer.

Anger, anxiety, guilt and depression are inflammatory emotions which can cause as much pain as a big physical injury. You cannot afford the luxury of wallowing in emotional trauma. This means that you need to have personal spiritual awareness.

Each of us is much bigger than any individual. We need an anti-inflammatory attitude towards everything in life. It means we need to sense purpose in our life and to do whatever we can to help others. The single best way to do this is to practice autogenic focus.

Physical exercise is one of the best anti-inflammatory tools, not marathon running, just moderate movement. Walking, yoga, using a vibration platform, bouncing in place are all good. Sitting all day is inflammatory! 

Stress of all kinds is inflammatory. Physical stress, inadequate nutrition, junk food, inactivity, pollution and all emotional distress create inflammation and pain. Total stress reduction is the single greatest way to minimize inflammation 

The anti-inflammatory diet for chronic pain is a life commitment to self-health, which includes every aspect of life – nutrition, sleep, physical activity and attitude. If you need more help then you may benefit from reading 90 Days To Self-Health.

Norman Shealy, M.D., Ph.D. is the father of holistic medicine. He recommends autogenic focus (the basis of the Biogenics System) as part of your commitment to self-health and reducing chronic pain. Register to download your FREE autogenic focus MP3 now.