Foods that Trigger Pain and other Problems

Vasoconstrictive Foods

What are "Vasoconstrictive Foods"?

According to Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary: causing constriction of blood vessels constriction: a binding or squeezing of a part; the narrowing of a vessel or opening as constriction of blood vessels
{Latin: con-together + stringere-to draw}

In short, these are foods that will cause pain, stiffness, soreness, and in general, are Bad Dudes.
(Er, I mean bad "foods")

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VASOCONSTRICTIVE FOODS LIST

Cola Drinks:

ALL, including cream soda, fruit-flavored sodas, special diet drinks w/sweetner, all soft drinks, coffee and tea

Nuts:

Butternuts, Chesnuts, Walnuts, Peanuts, Cashews, Brazil, Peanut Btr, Hazel Nuts, Almonds, Peanut bars, Pistachio, Pine Nuts, Peanut candy, Hickory

Alcohols:

Ale, Gin, Whiskey Brandy, Beer, Rum, Scotch, Tequila, Wine, Liquers

Chocolate:

in any form, including marble cake

Cheeses:

ALL except yogurt, cottage cheese & cream cheese

Coconut: ALL forms

Breakfast Cereals:

except those that are cooked

Milk:

Cow's, Buttermilk, Ice Milk, Ice cream, frozen custard
(And my husband thought I was goofy at first when I told him I'd like to have dairy goats!)

Salted:

Any product with salt, especially herring, salted/smoked mackerel, potato chips and sticks, pretzels, saltines, soy sauce, smoked eel, smoked finnan haddie

Nitrites & Nitrates:

Bacon Anchovies, Sausage, including vienna sausage Bologna, Ham croquette, Bratwurst, Frankfurters, wieners, hot dogs, Deviled Ham, Knockwurst, Luncheon meats, Ham/Pork, Salami, Cold cuts

Sugars: (See more below on the negative effects of sugars)

Icings from mixes, Charlotte Russe, Caramel candy, Sandwich-type cookies, Sugar-coated candy

MSG (Monosodium Glutamate):

Barbeque sauce, Corn chips, Canned soups, Chinese soups, Soy sauce
Read The Labels!!!

Miscellaneous:

Olives, Pineapple and juices, Popcorn, Riceflakes, Rye wafers, Scrapple, Seaweed, Sour cream, Welsh Rarebit, Baking powder, Chipped beef, Corned beef, Dried beef, Bouillon, Bran flakes, Bread sticks, Fruit cakes, Deviled crab, Licorice, Filberts

CAFFEINE is the real villain here (although sugar's no real friend either) so avoid ALL beverages containing caffeine. If you do notice a headache that seems to temporarily persist (for a few days to a week) it is probably due to caffeine withdrawal so hang in there!!

Additional Info on the Effects of Sugars:

1. teaspoon of sugar blocks the immune system for 4-5 hours.

2. sugar blocks enqyme production which can lead to undigested proteins which enter the bloodstream. The body sees these as 'foreign particles' and attacks them, hence, another lowering of the immune system.

3. sugar increases adrenal production which increases thyroid production which may result in adrenal/thyroid EXHAUSTION.
Significance: the thyroid plays a significant role in energy metabolism. Thyroxine affects the rate at which the cells & tissues use oxygen to burn the foods we eat. My note---(sometimes a thyroid medication...for life...may not be necessary)

4. sugar decreases phosphorous in the body...significant: an ideal balance of calcium and phosphorous is 2.5 : 1 ratio. phosphorous is important to build teeth and bones/cells/store energy (ATP) increases calcium deposits in the body may affect certain joints (i.e. cervical calcium deposits causing pain on range of motion)

5. calcium is absorbed in the small intestines & needs hydrochloric acid to DIGEST calcium.
Significance: antacids decrease or stop hydrochloric acid and decrease calcium utilization. Also, calcium is necessary for nerve function and decreasing muscle irritability.

6. Aspartame (NutraSweet) is produced from ... phenylaline (an amino acid), METHANOL, aspartic acid (amino) One DIET SODA contains over 10 times the EPA for methanol content.