Ward Off Aches and Pains

To stay healthy: get your rest, drink lots of distilled water, exercise, do not smoke cigarettes, eat lots of organic fruits and vegetables (in as wide a color range as possible: the more intense the pigment, the better), and get your balanced doses of Omega-3 and Omega-6 essential fatty acids.

Recent studies indicate that allergies, arthritis, and chronic joint pain can be attributed to inflammation and triggered in part by eating certain foods.

Cold-water fish are among the best sources for omega-3 fatty acids. Health experts like Dr. Andrew Weil continue to advocate for eating fish. In his book, "Healthy Aging" Weil says he eats wild Alaskan salmon, Alaskan black cod and sardines. Many experts recommend Pacific-caught fish over Atlantic.

Here's a partial list of what I call "the GOOD STUFF" from "The Inflammation-Free Diet Plan" (McGraw-Hill, $24.95), by Monica Reinagel and Julius Torelli.
Fruits:
Acerola (West Indian) cherries
Guavas
Kumquats
Lemons, limes
Mulberries
Raspberries
Rhubarb
Strawberries
Vegetables:
Chilies
Garlic
Kale, collards, chard, turnip greens, etc.
Onions (also green onions and leeks)
Spinach
Sweet potatoes
Fish:
Arctic char
Herring
Oysters
Rainbow trout
Salmon (not farmed)
Sardines
Striped bass
Tuna, bluefin and white (canned)
Whitefish
Date: April 11, 2006
Credit for this info goes to: alternativemedicine.com and
© 2006, Chicago Tribune. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service.