The benefits of a high protein diet for chronic pain patients
KKT recommends that patients undergoing treatment consume a high protein diet, particularly in the first month and a half of treatment. This is because the entire nervous system, which is built primarily of what we call neurons, is loaded with neurochemicals, which are responsible for communicating between nerves. Neurochemicals are proteins and the nerves themselves are built on a framework and structure of proteins. These proteins allow the nerves to maintain a firm shape, further utilizing neuro-filaments and neurofibrils (proteins).
Your body also has other structural proteins called actin and microtubules and these are also crucial to the functioning of a nerve and the network of nerves which eventually become the spinal cord and the brain. We suggest a high protein diet as it assists during the healing phase of KKT as the body regenerates tissues, especially the nerves in the spinal cord and brain.
For patients who have been subjected to concussions, trauma, ripping of the spinal cord, or traumatic impact on the brain we often recommend a keto diet. A keto diet is a low carb, high fat diet where the body produces ketones in the liver to be used as energy. Referred to as many different names including the ketogenic diet, low carb diet, low carb high fat (LCHF), the focus of a keto diet is ensuring your body is burning ketones as its primary form of energy.
When you eat a diet high in carbs, your body produces glucose and insulin. Glucose is the easiest molecule for your body to convert and use as energy, while insulin is produced to process the glucose in your bloodstream and circulate it around your body. When glucose is being used as your primary source of energy, your fats are not needed and are often stored by the body. This means that on a higher carbohydrate diet, the body will use glucose as the main form of energy. By lowering your intake of carbs, however, the body is induced into a state known as ketosis.
Ketosis is a process that occurs in the body to help you survive when food intake is low. When your body is in this state, you produce ketones. Ketones are produced from the breakdown of fats in the liver. The benefits of a keto diet include weight loss, consistent blood sugar levels, increased mental focus, increased energy, and reduced cholesterol and blood pressure.
Along with introducing the right diet, we also advise that our patients reduce their consumption of junk food when undergoing KKT treatment. Monosodium glutamate or MSG, which can often be found in a lot of Chinese or packaged foods, should be avoided when you’re undergoing KKT treatment.
MSG is a taste enhancer and the reason why it can accomplish this is because it mimics the role of one of the most common neurotransmitters in the brain, glutamate. MSG can interact to overproduce and overreact, or sometimes have the opposite effect, depending on its location in the brain. The main thing to keep in mind is that MSG can act as a neuro-toxin and therefore one should not be using it in any form, particularly in food.
The other neuro-chemical people should be cautious about is aspartame or artificial sweeteners. Once these sweeteners reach the brain, they can create functional confusion and pain in the body such as headaches. During KKT treatment, we recommend restricting your use of artificial sweeteners.
KKT’s state-of-the-art technology is designed to return your body to its peak state through a comprehensive treatment and post-treatment plan. If followed consistently, KKT’s treatment is often more effective and less invasive than other invasive treatments which often don’t treat the underlying cause of your pain.
If you are concerned about the symptoms or physical pain you are experiencing, a comprehensive diagnostic assessment by a KKT physician will determine if you require treatment. Click here to find your nearest KKT clinic and book an appointment