Diets

There is no specific diet aimed solely for CRPS, but there are diets designed around the anti-inflammatory properties in foods. This involves the 4 F's, which are:

1. Fresh Fruit – Not canned
2. Fresh vegetables – Olive oil is the best cooking oil
3. Fish – Baked or broiled, use fresh lemon juice for flavor and avoid the use of margarine
4. Fowl – Skinned, not fried but baked, roasted or grilled

(Hooshmand, H MD.)

The diet that Hooshmand, H. MD. devised, in conjunction with the Neurological Associates, is not aimed at losing or gaining weight. It is designed to exclude those foods that are deemed harmful to your health and could aggravate chronic pain, i.e. the Five C's: cookies, cakes, chocolate, cocktails and candy. Instead this diet emphasises the intake of foods that help the inhibitory nerve cells that suppress the pain input (4 F's: Fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, fish, and fowl).

• Lean meats (e.g. skinless chicken or turkey) - Roast lamb or beef should be kept in moderation because of the high content of fat
• Low-fat dairy products
• Skimmed Milk
• Iced Tea
• Whole grains
• Fish (e.g. crab, prawns, sardines or lobster, as well as white wish such as cod or haddock, but not in batter from the local chip shop!!)
• Fresh and natural produce without preservatives or fillers (e.g. different coloured bell peppers, chilli peppers, garlic, onions, avocados, tomatoes, fruit, spinach, sprouts, aubergines, squash, beetroots and broccoli)
• Different types of nuts (e.g. unsalted and raw)
• Raisins
• Olive Oil

By eating these food groups, it is to aid and enhance your overall well-being.

There is some suggestion that organic produce is good, but this is not been authenticated.

Best Methods of Cooking

The generally recognised best methods of cooking include roasting, grilling, baking or broiling. Try not to fry food and, if you do, use an oil spray which are now widely available in supermarkets.

There are some foods that healthcare professionals advise against eating when living with chronic pain, including the Five C's (cookies, cakes, chocolate, cocktails and candy):

• High sugar content food (e.g. cakes, pies or ice-cream)
• Sugar unless it is in the raw form
• Fizzy drinks (e.g. Coca-Cola TM, 7-Up TM)
• Alcohol
• Coffee or strong tea
• Bleached flour products (e.g. white pasta)
• Processed food
• Crisps
• Fruit in tins that contain syrup (if you have to eat tinned fruit get the fruit in natural juices)
• Offal or internal organs (e.g. liver, heart)
• Margarine

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