Fascia Foods Do's and Don't's

At the end of my junior year of college, I was at my best friend’s off-campus house, celebrating her brother’s graduation. It was one of those perfect evenings–warm even after the sun went down, surrounded by my favorite people, feeling the energy of school being out. After casually drinking one beer on the porch for over an hour while chatting with friends, the cops suddenly came swerving in to bust up the party. 

Alas, I was one month shy of being 21, and I promptly got taken down to the police station and “booked” for a blood alcohol level of .01% (I’m serious).

While certainly not ideal to ride in the back of a cop car, two things came about from this little mishap:

#1: I got sentenced to 20 hours of community service at the local animal shelter (HA–joke’s on them–I loved it, put in 20 extra hours, and made every human and animal there my bff)

#2 My parents thought my delinquency required me to stay on campus for a few summer classes, by myself, instead of staying with any friends nearby.

The dorms were practically deserted in May, so it certainly felt like living solo for the first time in my life. I had to buy my own groceries, make sure I did my off-season volleyball training program, and generally take care of myself.

I literally had NO idea that the food I was eating was affecting the way I felt until this period of time in my life. (I grew up in the 90’s where Poptarts, Lunchables, and Gushers were pretty much daily staples). I started realizing that I could run further and faster if I avoided certain foods, and felt more energized and focused on my studies when I added certain foods to my diet. I even noticed my shin splints and a bit of knee pain I was experiencing faded away. What madness is this, I thought?

Ever since that summer, I have always been a bit fascinated with nutrition and how small things can make such a huge impact. And as I've learned more and more about FASCIA over the years, I understand even more deeply how these two things are linked and contribute to health of our body.

See, fascia is highly sensitive to inflammation. While inflammation can absolutely be caused by stress and exposure to things we can’t completely control (EMF, pollutants in the air, etc), much of the inflammation in our body can be created through what we consume. The result? Fascia that's dehydrated, rigid, and dense: a recipe for chronic pain (especially in the tendons and joints), stiffness and decreased mobility, poor blood flow, brain fog, and so much more. 

Want to lower your inflammation? Here’s some Do’s and Don’t’s:

Most Common Culprits That Are Making Your Fascia Cranky:

 Caffeine – I’m sorry my coffee loving friends. But caffeine spikes cortisol, making your pain receptors throw a party (the bad kind) and dehydrating your fascia.
 Gluten, corn, dairy, eggs – Sneaky inflammation bombs.
 Sugar & processed foods – Basically glue for your fascia.
 Alcohol – Dehydrates and irritates your tissues (also, hangovers).
 Vegetable oils – Your body: “What even is this?!”

What Your Fascia Actually Wants:

 Collagen & bone broth – Fascia is made largely of collagen! We need to continually give it more to keep it happy.
 Leafy greens & fresh celery juice – Hydration, minerals, magic.
 Garlic, ginger, lemon, turmeric – Anti-inflammatory superheroes.
 Apples & probiotics– Gut support and fiber.

Flaxseeds & Walnuts–omega 3’s, baby!
 High-quality water – NOT the stuff from your sad plastic water bottle. High quality, filtered water with minerals added (or spring water has those minerals in there naturally)
 Vitamin D – I know can consume it in supplement form, but studies show that it's most potent and bioavailable when you simply get outside in the sun for 20 min (plus it's freeeeee)

No need to overhaul everything overnight (unless you’re an overachiever). Just start swapping out the troublemakers and see how your body responds. Your fascia will thank you!