You go to sleep perfectly well at night, but in the morning, you wake up with unpleasant aches and your body feels stiff. The aches and stiffness may start in one joint area but jump to another area within weeks.

You bear with it for a while, but when it becomes unbearable and interferes with your work, you go to a sinseh or for a massage. Still, it doesn't get rid of your aches.

Sounds like you? Then, you may suffer from an inflammation of the joint, which commonly manifests as some form of arthritis.

More women than men here suffer from joint pain, but arthritis (rheumatism) in general is a major problem affecting many and can affect those as young as six months old. So, let us break down what you need to know about inflammation and its associative diseases.

What is inflammation?

Inflammation is a necessary process by which the body's white blood cells and chemicals protect us from infection and bacteria and viruses. From the Naturopathic perspective, inflammation plays a key role in the development of any disease and can affect organs in autoimmune diseases.

Why does it turn rogue?

Those same chemicals that protect you could cause fluid to leak into your tissues. Misdirected inflammation causes irritation, wears down the cartilage and swells up the joint lining.

What are some symptoms of inflammation?

Redness, swollen joint that is warm to touch, joint pain, joint stiffness or loss of joint function. You might also have "flu-like" symptoms such as fever, chills, fatigue, headaches, loss of appetite and muscle stiffness.

What diseases result from inflammation?

The associative diseases include

• Rheumatoid arthritis, an inflammation of the knees;
• Ulcerative colitis, an inflammation of the large intestine;
• myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart; and nephritis, an inflammation of the kidneys.

What could result from prolonged inflammation?

Studies have shown that many illnesses, including several types of cancer, Alzheimer's and heart disease are influenced by chronic inflammation in the body Of course, suffering from the various inflammative diseases could give you sustained pain in the joints and muscle, thus interfering with your life and work.

Be sure to speak with a doctor or nutritionist before taking larger, therapeutic doses of any supplement, or follow label instructions.

A Healthy Lifestyle

The good news is, apart from taking the commonly prescribed steroids, exercise and diet can help with inflammation.

Pro-inflammatory foods will increase inflammation, increase your pain and may also raise your risk for chronic disease.

SUGAR Eliminate high-sugar foods such as sodas, soft drinks, cakes, pre-sweetened cereals and candy.

JUNK FOOD usually has trans-fats and saturated fats. Processed meats, such as luncheon meat, hot dogs and sausages also contain chemicals such as nitrites that are associated with increased inflammation and chronic disease.

POTATOES, TOMATOES and EGGPLANT may make pain from inflammation worse. These veggies are part of the nightshade family of plants and contain a chemical alkaloid called solanine. Solanine can trigger pain in some people. There aren't any formal research findings that back this claim, but you can avoid them for a few weeks to see if your condition improves.

Eat Rights

Here are a few tips to get you started on a better and (pain-free) life:

• Get regular exercise
• Focus on eating fresh foods, including as much produce as possible
• Breakfast could be oatmeal served with fresh berries and walnuts, with a cup of soy milk
• Snack on whole fruits, nuts, seeds, and fresh vegetables instead of cookies and candy
• Eat more fish and less fatty red meat
• Stay away from deep-fried foods and bake or stir-fry your meals instead
• Be sure to choose low-fat milk and cheese
• Choose green, orange, and yellow vegetables for your side dishes
• Drink plenty of water
• Drink tea instead of coffee
• Rice, quinoa, oats, almond and low-fat milk if u must have it