Are you often stiff after waking up, or in the middle of the day? If so, it might be time to make some changes to your diet.
Certain foods can cause stiffness, while others can help support body discomfort and improve mobility. Here are five of the best foods to eliminate stiffness and improve your overall health!
Baking Soda in Water
Baking soda can neutralize the acid in the stomach and make your body more alkaline, which will lower uric acid that is built up in the body. This is usually what is causing stiffness.
I recommend starting with a half-teaspoon of baking soda in water–make sure the container says that it doesn’t contain heavy metals. Do this twice a day and see how your body responds.
Use baking soda for a 10-14 day period of time so you can see how the stiffness responds.
If you have high blood pressure, I recommend charting your blood pressure daily and notifying your doctor, because baking soda in water can impact your blood pressure levels.
Fish Oil
The American Heart Association and the Academy of Nutrition recommend 3-4 ounces of fish twice a week. Arthritis and stiffness experts claim that more is better because some fish are very effective at supporting discomfort in the body.
One study found that those people with the highest consumption of omega-3s had lower levels of two inflammatory proteins: C-reactive protein, which is related to heart problems; and interleukin-6, which modulates discomfort.
More recent research shows that taking fish oil supplements helps reduce joint swelling, discomfort, and duration of stiffness.
Some of the best sources of fish oils are:
Salmon
Tuna
Sardines
Herring
Anchovies
Scallops
Cold-water Fish
If you don’t want to eat any of these, I recommend taking a fish oil supplement. Studies have proven 600-1000 milligrams of fish oil daily eases joint stiffness, tenderness, and swelling.
Make sure it’s a high-quality omega-3 so you get a small pill with a high dose. You can also double your dose as a healthy alternative for discomfort.
If you’re really hurting, take 1500 milligrams, but taking approximately 750 milligrams a day will help you reduce stiffness.
Turmeric
Turmeric is high in curcuminoids, which supports stiffness in the body. It has been clinically shown to reduce the symptoms of conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, and morning stiffness.
You can take it through a tea, powder, or smoothie, but the most effective method is having it emulsified. The emulsification of turmeric helps it be absorbed 30 times better than if you took powder by itself.
Some sources tell you to take it with pepper, but that irritates the gut lining to help it get absorbed, so I don’t recommend that.
Oils to Support Stiffness
Olive Oil
You should take 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil a day, either through cooking or straight up. Olive oil is loaded with heart-healthy fats. It’s also high in a compound called oleocanthal, which inhibits the activity of enzymes in your body. This dampens discomfort and reduces sensitivity to discomfort.
I recommend extra virgin olive oil because it goes through a lot less refining and processing.
There are a couple more oils I love equally:
Avocado Oil – Heart healthy cholesterol-lowering properties, produces more omega-3s
Walnut Oil – Walnut has ten times more omega-3s than olive oils.
These oils can help out with stiffness and are easy to use in cooking, foods, and salads.
These vegetables boost maximum nutrition and have minimal calories.
Nightshade vegetables also contain a compound called solanine, which is branded as a culprit for arthritis, but there’s little evidence to support this.
Some experts believe that it contains a potent nutrient that inhibits arthritis discomfort, but others report symptom relief after they cut nightshade vegetables out.
If you notice that your arthritis discomfort flares after eating nightshade vegetables, try taking them out for a few weeks, then slowly add them back in.
Summary
There are other things that will make you feel old faster and can tie into stiffness. If you want to learn more about that, and the potential causes of your stiffness, check out my video on it here.
