I did the food elimination diet some years ago and I kept a food journal for a while. I never found that the food I ate was in any way releated to joint pain until a couple of weeks ago.
I ate coconut shrimp and hour later I was starting to hurt. The next day I could barely move. I checked the list of foods I am allergic to and both coconut and shrimp were high on the list. A few days later I ate mashed potatos and agin I had pain. The potatos were also on my list.
Now I am re-thinking the fact that some foods could make us feel worse. In fact I am going to start another food journal and see for my self.
Have any of you had a flare after eating certain foods??? Have you kept a food journal???
Ironically I am going today to buy The Inflammation Free Diet Plan by Monica Reinagel. I have heard that about potatoes.Nightshade foods are big nono's for RA. They consist of:
1) Tomoato
2) Potatoe
3) Eggplant
4) paprika
5) tabacco
6) Black pepper
7) Bell Peppers
Other things to stay away from include seafood like muscles, shrimp, lobster, crab, salty foods, trans fats and processed foods (some diet frozen dinners are ok, low in salt and not too many bad additives), beef and pork.
These are things i have read about on various arthritis websites.
POTATOES are bad for me? YIKES!
I've had RA for six years. I guess I eat more potatoes than anybody on earth...
I found great information in Arthritis Today Mag. put out by the ARTHRITIS FOUNDATION. My doctor suggested I read it and it gives good information on diet, research, meds and exercises. It lists berries, cold water fish, curry powder, poultry, nuts, sweet potatoes, greens, onions, and whole grains as a must to have in your diet. It is a great source of information on side effects of most of the meds we take for our RA. I have never thought about my flares being brought on by the food I eat AND BOY DO I EAT POTATOES!!!! Thanks for the info.I actually picked up a copy of the Inlalmation Free Diet book a few weeks ago and read through it. Basically foods that are high in Omega 3 is good and high in Omega 6 is bad. If you can get a list from somewhere you dont really need the book. I decided not to buy it. I bought the Arthritis for Dummies and it talks about the same thing, plus a whole lot of other info. I bought that one. I have never heard anything about low sodium helping but it seems like it would, it certainly couldnt hurt. My mother (as many of you know) has had RA for over 50 years. She notices a big difference when she eats processed foods vs. whole or fresh foods. She also keeps her weight down. If you are going by the Omega 3 foods, pork and beef are actually good and poultry is on the bad list. Any diet that says tomatoes are a no-no is not the diet for me!!! I am an Italian, who lives in Texas and that means all the best of Italian, Tex-mex, Mexican, Cajun, and Bar-B-Que that I want + living on the Gulf Coast means lots of fresh sea-food. I dont drink, smoke, do drugs and party, or have cheap taudry sex---I've gotta have great cuisine!!
Don't forget the library and the book store.
I see people all the time in book stores reading the entire book and taking notes and then puting the books back on the shelf. It's odd how they let you do that as if it is a library.
But, if you don't have money, i see people doing that stuff all thetime.
Shanbr- I live near a really nice big Barnes and Noble. There are comfy chairs all over the place and a Starbucks inside too. I cherish the times when I can go by myself and get a cup of java and then read through books at leisure. Sometimes I read for a while and get a few tid-bits of info and decide that it is still not worth the money. Maybe the book will give me enough info to research further on the internet. Other times I will thumb through and decide that I want to buy the book 'cause it is just too good to put back. I think it is great that you dont have to feel obligated to purchase. I guess they know that you could just go the library and then you would never buy anything. At least this way there is a chance that you will spend some money if you go in. For us the advantage of the book store vs. the library is that the bookstore has the latest books on hand. And for me, anyplace that has a starbucks is high on my list! I drink Starbucks almost daily. I am addicted.