Food can’t cure arthritis, but it can make the disease less
painful and
help keep it from getting
or worse. Small changes in your diet can yield big rewards in managing the disease. Every pound you carry around your belly
puts 10 pounds of pressure on your joints.
#1: Fatty fish (salmon, herring
sardines) or any other food with omega-3 fatty acids, such as walnuts, soy
beans, flax seeds, canola oil and pumpkin seeds
Omega-3s
decrease the production of chemicals that spread inflammation
Fatty fish also contain vitamin D, which helps prevent
swelling and soreness.
Get at least one gram of omega-3s a day. Four ounces of salmon,
for example, has 1.5 grams of omega-3.
Add ¼
walnuts
to a salad
Add two tablespoons flaxseed to your
cereal.
Spend
10-15 minutes a day in the sun to trigger vitamin D production
in your body.
#2: Extra-virgin olive oil
Olive oil contains oleocanthal,
which blocks enzymes involved in inflammation.
Approx 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil acts
like one-tenth of a dose of ibuprofen (Source:
Monnell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia)
Eat one tablespoon a day on salads, bread or vegetables.
#3: Sweet peppers, citrus fruits and other vitamin C-rich foods
Vitamin C protects collagen, a major component of cartilage.
Eat 200-500 milligrams a day.
An orange or a cup of
broccoli will net you about 200.
High in vitamin C foods have other plant nutrients that you
won’t get from a vitamin C supplement.
#4: Brazil nuts
Brazil nuts
contain huge amounts of selenium Low
selenium may also be linked to rheumatoid arthritis. The mineral helps
antioxidants clear out cell-damaging free radicals, aids the regulation of the
thyroid gland and may prevent cancer.
Eat 55-200 micrograms a day.
Eat tuna
One cup of cooked oatmeal
will provide 12 micrograms
#5: Onions and leeks
Onions and leeks contain quercetin, an
antioxidant that may inhibit inflammatory chemicals (much like aspirin and
ibuprofen)
Eat ½ cup of a high-quercetin food a day
Eat kale, cherry tomatoes or apples – all are high in quercetin.
#6: Tart cherries
A diet plump
with tart cherries can cut inflammation. The magic ingredient is anthocyanins
Eat ½ cup of tart cherries – fresh,
frozen, canned or dried – or 8 ounces of juice.
#7: Green tea
Studies show
that certain antioxidant compounds in green tea lessen the incidence and
severity of rheumatoid arthritis. One University of Michigan study found that
epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) lowers production of inflammation-causing
substances in the body that cause joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis
sufferers.
Drink
3-4 cups a day.
Foods to Avoid
Bad food #1: Shellfish, red meat (especially if you have gout)
Why
they hurt:
Gout results from the build-up of uric acid in the blood, which forms crystals
that painfully settle in the joints. Purine, a compound that’s abundant in
shellfish, meats, high-fat dairy foods and beer, converts to uric acid. For
people at risk for or suffering from gout
avoid clams, oysters, mussels, anchovies,
herring, mackerel, liver, brain, kidney and sweetbreads.
Alternative: No more than 5-6 ounces of lean meat, poultry or fish a
day. For protein, eat some beans
instead; they offer muscle-relaxing magnesium and bone-building calcium.
Bad food #2: Sunflower,
safflower, corn and soybean oils
Why
they hurt: They're high in omega-6 fatty acids,
which increase inflammation. Alternative: Switch
to healthy olive or nut oils.
Bad food #3: Sugar
Why it hurts: Studies suggest
that sugar may increase inflammation. Sugar is also high in calories,
which leads to weight gain leading to
additional pressure on your joints.
Alternative: fresh fruit; 2-4 half-cup
servings a day.
Yours in health,
Dr. Velonda
Facebook: Be-Fit, Inc. Twitter: #drvelonda 877-888-3546
