Delicious Picks to Help You BANISH ACHES & PAINS
The muscle soreness and joint stiffness that trouble 56% of women over 50 won’t put a damper on your spring fun, thanks to superfoods study-proven to work as effectively as OTC pain meds!
1
GINGER TEA SHUTS DOWN PAIN MESSENGERS
Sipping a glass of ginger iced tea daily can chase away chronic stiffness and achiness for 63 percent of people within a week, report Danish researchers. Credit goes to compounds in ginger (called gingerols), which shut down the production of chemical messengers that trigger pain. For a delicious sip, steep 2 tbsp. of sliced ginger in 8 oz. of boiling water for 2 minutes, then strain and pour over ice.
2
LEAFY GREENS BLOCK PAIN HORMONES
Dark leafy salad greens like spinach, arugula and baby kale are packed with chlorophyll and vitamin K. Researchers at Stanford University found that this powerful nutrient duo slows the body’s production of pain-triggering hormones called prostaglandins, cutting stiffness and aches by 25 percent. The study-proven dose: 1 cup of greens daily.
4
POTATOES RELAX TENSE MUSCLES
Whether you enjoy them baked, fried or roasted, adding 1 cup of potatoes (with the skins on) to your daily diet can help reduce your risk of painful muscle spasms and charley horses by as much as 65 percent. Australian researchers explain that the potassium in the spuds’ skin can calm the nerves that trigger sharp muscle contractions as powerfully as some OTC muscle relaxants.
3
SALMON CALMS INFLAMMATION
Enjoying a 6 oz. serving of seafood three times a week has been shown to soothe back pain, neck pain and chronic headaches — plus cut the ache of allover joint stiffness in half. Researchers at the Inflammation Research Foundation in Marblehead, Mass., credit seafood’s rich stores of omega-3 fatty acids, which tamp down pain-causing inflammation.
5
BERRIES SPEED TISSUE HEALING
Fresh or frozen, these tasty gems work as well as aspirin to deliver fast pain relief. That’s because berries are packed with a trio of plant compounds that Canadian researchers say curb inflammation, soothe pain nerves and speed tissue healing. The result: Women who munch on the sweets daily report less pain and increased flexibility and mobility in as little as four days.
“I always start my day with warm water and lemon juice.”
—Linda Gray, 77