Sciatica Foods To Avoid
The pain and discomfort you experience varies from slight to severe. Sciatica is rather easy to remedy naturally. Exercising and taking arnica homeopathic tablets often help.
Another great way to reduce inflammation and pain is to look at what you eat and drink.
The Worst Foods For Sciatica
Processed Foods
Our supermarkets are full of processed foods. Many of us feel we don’t have the time to cook. Instead, we buy readymade foods.
Almost all processed foods are rich in artificial additives. Excessive salt and sugar are also added to precooked food.
Another common ingredient is monosodium glutamate. Artificial ingredients and salt plus sugar increase inflammation in our bodies.
Inflammation causes pain which is the main symptom of sciatica. You can boost the body’s natural healing by avoiding processed food.
Say No To Sugar
Sugar increases the taste of food but does not always make it taste great.
The problem is our taste buds are so used to sugar we find it hard to live without it.
Not only do we risk diabetes, but we also risk increasing our body’s inflammatory response.
Sticking to a sugar-free diet is challenging, but if you have frequent sciatica attacks, you should do your best.
There are plenty of alternatives to sugar. One of the best is stevia. Unlike saccharin, sucralose and cyclamate, stevia comes from a plant. It is not associated with any negative side effects.
Salt and Sciatica
Although salt is not as bad for you as excess sugar, it increases the risk of inflammatory conditions such as sciatica.
Too much salt in your diet can lead to fluid retention. When your body can’t flush out fluids, natural fluids in the body risk becoming inflamed.
As the inflammatory response increases, heat and toxins build up. Muscle and nerve pain is often the result.
It is also well-recognised that a reduced salt intake boosts the body’s healing power.
Citrus Fruit
Citrus fruits include oranges, mandarines, nectarines and grapefruit. The worst culprit on this list is oranges.
Although oranges are rich in vitamin C, they contain a high level of citric acid. This acid can rapidly cause inflammation in the body.
You may be experiencing the effects. If you drink orange juice every morning, the chances are you experience painful joints. It is a negative side effect of the citric acid in orange juice.
If citric acid can do that to your joints, imagine what it can do to your nervous system.
Find another juice to drink if you can. Great options are cherry and pomegranate juice.
Red Meat
Red meat often gets bad press. Many who experience sciatica recommend avoiding red meat.
The downside is that red meat is an excellent source of vitamin B including iron. All members of the vitamin B family support the nervous system and reduce inflammation.
Perhaps it is not the red meat itself which causes the problem. It could be the way the meat is reared.
Eating red meat from cattle and farm animals reared organically, is a better idea. The same thing goes for chicken.
Chicken is a great source of protein. When reared organically, none of the harmful compounds which may be found in cheap chicken feed are passed on to us.
Certain ingredients in farm animals' food are associated with inflammation. Organic meat is much better for you.
What Foods Are Good For Sciatica?
Eating foods which reduce inflammation is one of the best natural remedies for sciatica.
Let’s take a look at what you should be adding to your diet.
Cold Water Fish
The health benefits of eating cold water fish regularly are well-known. Not only can it help to reduce inflammation of the sciatic nerve, but it also boosts your health in other ways.
Cold water fish are salmon, tuna and mackerel. To that list, you can add anchovy and herring. Cod is considered a cold water fish as well.
You don’t need to eat cold water fish every meal. But, it certainly helps if you eat it three times per week. Incidentally, tinned cold water is also good for you. The fish does not have to be fresh.
Omega 6 Oil
Fish contains Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids which is what makes it beneficial for your health.
Omega 6 comes from the plant kingdom and is just as good for you.
You find Omega 6 in very common foods including linseeds, nuts and grains.
Add a handful of nuts to your diet to boost your health. Seeds are also very good for you. Linseeds are one of the best seeds you can add to your diet.
Healthy Fats
What are healthy fats?
Omega 3 and Omega 3 are great examples of healthy fats.
Another fat we underestimate is the fat we find in avocados. It is a monosaturated helps which helps to balance your cholesterol.
Avocado oil also helps to lubricate the joints and reduce inflammation of the nervous system.
If you are looking for a food which packs a punch when it comes to vitamin B, avocado is the one. It is super rich in vitamin B. Also super rich in potassium which also supports the nervous system.
Add one a day to your diet to benefit from the health benefits avocados offer.
Cruciferous Vegetables
Scientists know cruciferous vegetables are good for us.
In a perfect world, we should try to eat three different types of cruciferous vegetables every day.
What are cruciferous vegetables? They are some of our most inexpensive vegetables. Popular choices include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and cauliflower. On the list, you also find bok choy, kale, kohlrabi, mustard, radish, rocket, turnip, watercress and wasabi.
Spring greens and horseradish are members of the cruciferous family. Try swapping your iceberg lettuce for spring greens.
Final Thoughts
What you eat may not get rid of your sciatica but it can help to reduce symptoms and inflammation.
Don’t forget eating an anti-inflammatory diet has many other health benefits. The more healthy foods you incorporate, the better you will feel. Combined with exercise, it is a win-win.
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