anti-inflammation diets for RA | Arthritis Information

Well, first of all, I don't believe that diet can cure RA, but anything that can help reduce inflammation is worth trying. So, I've been trying to modify my diet to see if it will make a noticeable difference. I've been adding the following items to my diet: flax cereal with Omega 3, wild blueberries and walnuts with the cereal, broiled salmon (or cooked in light olive oil...someone told me you shouldn't cook in dark olive oil), fresh fruit particulary dark berries like blackberries, cranberries, cherries, etc., olive oil, almonds (no salt) for snacks, and dark chocolate (72% cocao with low sugar and only cocao butter...no other added fat - a bit bitter but pretty good!). Not doing too well on the vegie side. I'm also eating less beef and chicken with nitrates. Too soon to tell if it's helping, but pretty tasty! Any other suggestions?

Alan

Alan, this is so good. I"m glad to see you are eating so healthy. I eat that
same diet and have improved my general health so much from it. Have lost
35 lbs. Once you switch to eating this way, you feel so good, that bad food
makes you feel noticably different. I cannot eat candy anymore as the sugar
makes me feel sick. I made the changes slow, over time and it has really
paid off. Hopefully, the veggies will come with time but the improvements
you have made are so good. Your labs will show it next time you have them
drawn. It is amazing how it improves how you feel overall.

Alan, this is basically the diet that I'm on. I'm eating a little more fruit types than you mentioned. Lots of fish, lean beef, lean pork, some chicken. Only use olive oil, no sugars, white rice, flour. Am eating brown rice - small amounts. I feel better than I've felt in ages and like Lorster I've lost weight, 25 lbs. total. Am also eating dark chocolate and I'm loving it way too much! Forgot about those 8-10 glasses of water with lemon or lime. So glad you started this thread. Maybe we can all share some recipes. I've also cut my portions in about 1/2 and eat 5 times during the day to keep blood sugars stabilized. I've lost 25 lbs. and have 35 more to go.

Lorster, welcome back. Your trip sounded divine. Sugar makes me ill now when I eat it and so does fat.

Another thing I forgot to mention...no more soft drinks including diet drinks. I drink mostly water and tea...sitting down to a cup of pomegranate and green tea now.

I found a restaurant near where I work that serves organic foods including free range beef, pork, and chicken...very good and not that expensive.

Alan

Today, I purchased some organic sweetner, had never heard of it before,
derived from concentrated cane juice, no calories. It was expensive but I
bought a box and sweetened my coffee with it. Was wonderful, could not
tell the difference. Even looks like real sugar. I love some of the new
options out there these days. I am in the process of making my home
chemical free with the use of home made cleaning products. It is actually
kind of fun but I feel that if I clean up my eating habits, I need to take it one
step further and make my environment a bit healthier. I would love to share
some of my recipes. I've been using a natural sweetner called Stevia. It is an herb - does not contain ANY sugar so is safe for diabetics. My breakfast usually consists of a little oatmeal w/blueberries, oj, coffee. Mid-morning snack could be a lowfat yogurt w/some chopped walnuts or a handful of raw almonds. My biggest problem is lunch. ANy ideas anyone? Dinner is usually grilled or poached fish or chicken, and grilled veggies (grilled asparagus is my favorite). I end my day w/a cup of green tea sitting on my front steps watching the birds. I could use some easy, fast lunch ideas anyone.

Aspartame - artificial sweetner used in low cal soft drinks and sweetners has been knwn for a long time to cause joint pain

http://presidiotex.com/aspartame/Facts/Joint_Pain_and_Aspart ame/joint_pain_and_aspartame.html

Also, google "dangers of Splenda". It's got chlorine - a known carcinogen. It's just as dangerous (or more) than aspartame.alan
wheat and dairy are supposed to be inflammatory... my hubby and daughter are both allergic to wheat dairy and eggs so we don't have any of those in the house so i dont eat them. when the family first cut these out it did have a dramatic effect on me, but if youve read any of my recent posts you'll know im flaring quite badly at the moment ....
anyway... personally, i would nt recommend cutting out wheat and dairy because of my own experience, (unless you have a genuine allergy) because at first its good but everything seems to return to what is was after a while.
by the way, congrats on getting your diet sorted out . anna

Alan..This is my favorite subject at the moment. I do NOT believe you can cure RA from diet. I DO believe you can decrease your inflammation and therefore your pain. I am currently having some sucess with this. I am now off of Planquenil and Prednisone! I take Enbril and Imuran and I feel so much better.

I have a yogurt smoothie in the morning. Today I had fresh strawberries and blueberries with a tsp of flax oil, 1/2 scoop of egg white protein powder, frozen berries. It is very filling.

Lunch is salad with protein. Dinner is chicken or fish with veggies and salad. Yesterday I had some lentil as well.

The main thing that has helped me is the nutritionist at Mercola. They encouraged me to give up gluten. Being off gluten and sugar has been good for me. It was initially VERY hard. Once some time passed ..I realized I have no more cravings. I feel calmer.

I pulled this from the home page of organiczero.com. I had never heard
of this, but it is good, tastes like the real thing. I also use stevia and
really like it. All these sweetners are a bit more expensive but it sure
beats splenda and equal.

Wholesome Sweeteners Organic ZeroTM is the perfect sweetener for those
living a healthy lifestyle. It is virtually calorie-free (0.2 cals/gram) and has
a glycemic index of zero, so while it sweetens, it does so without adding
calories or spiking blood sugar the way other sweeteners often do. It’s
non-allergenic and non-toxic, too. Use it without worrying about other
unpleasant digestive problems you can sometimes have with other
“calorie-free, low glycemic” sweeteners. Zero is great for diabetics,
seniors, active adults, and because Zero is made from plants, it is also
perfect for vegetarians.
           Zero does not promote tooth decay. Research shows that Zero
neutralizes cavity-causing bacteria in the mouth, preventing plaque build
up. It has even passed the tooth-test with the FDA—they say that ZERO
“does not promote tooth decay.” (Follow this link to more information
about ORGANIC ZERO in the Body.)
It is great in baked goods, as a sweetener for coffee and tea, sprinkled
over fruit or cereal, or in savory sauces. Keep it in a favorite sugar bowl
on the kitchen table—even in humid climates. It doesn’t absorb air from
the atmosphere so it remains free flowing. And baked goods made with
Zero have longer “shelf lives” than those made with regular sugar.
Zero is 70% as sweet as table sugar. But with zero calories and zero on
the glycemic index, consumers can indulge with zero guilt!

Zero is made from Organic Erythritol, a natural component of the natural
world. It's in all kinds of fruits and vegetables, from watermelons to
mushrooms, and in aged cheeses and fermented sauces and drinks. It
also occurs naturally in our bodies--a sweet part of each of us.
                No chemicals are used in the production of Wholesome
Sweeteners Organic Zero™. Organic cane sugar is liquefied and a starch
solution formed. Fructose is separated from the starch by enzymatic
hydrolysis. An organically approved fermenting agent (Moniliella polinis)
is added to the fructose and that starts the fermentation process. This
solution is then sterilized and filtered. Finally, the solution is
concentrated by heating to evaporate the excess liquids and crystallized.
The process uses approximately 2lbs of Organic Cane Sugar to produce
1lb of Organic Zero.

As with all of Wholesome Sweeteners’ products, Zero is made special care
and concern for the environment and people.
           Buy NOW! In 12 ounce pouches and 5g packets (in 35-count
cartons!)

I would be more than happy to send anyone packets if they want to try
them rather than expend the 8 bucks for the box of packets.

You all sound like you are feeding your bodies very well! I'm impressed!

Hi, I know you believe diet can sure Ra, but I don't. (a good healthy diet is good for all of us....but we who have had this disease a long time know we need 'the meds'.

Lynda

I don't believe that anyone posted here that we can cure RA by diet. We said that inflammation from RA can be helped by a proper diet. I don't think for a moment that I can be cured by what I eat, but I know for a fact that what I eat affects how I feel. I'm not bloated, no inflammation, no swelling - anyplace. I still have some aches and pains but it's due to damage and I can't change that. My knees are still painful but I didn't expect them to change. I am surprised at the difference that diet has made in how I feel. Tapering Prednisone has also helped. When I tapered a year ago I still had inflammation and swelling, but this time around I don't. The only difference is my diet.

Am going to look into Zero for sweetening. The other sweetners upset my intestional tract so I've been staying away from them as much as possible. I've come to the conclusion that you can't eat pure, good for you, with no side effects foods entirely. There will always be something that science says we shouldn't consume but if we're careful then I think we're way ahead of the game. The small amount of Splenda that I use can't be as bad for me as the larger amount of sugar that I was consuming.

The cravings don't go away over night. They stay with you for a long time. It's been 2 months and I still crave a big, fat baked potatoe or a hunk of sourdough. I'm slowly introducing some of these foods back into my diet but at a very controlled size and way. I had roasted potatoes the other night but I only ate 2 of them and my craving was satisfied. They were quite small but they tasted very sugary. It was a strange taste and I didn't really like them. My brain wanted them but my body rejected the taste. We all have to listen to our bodies. Mine is much happier now and I'm hoping that I can continue eating this way. It helps because Stan is also eating exactly the same way and he has lost 20 lbs. and feels great even after golfing 18 holes in the heat. My goal is to lose 60 lbs, recover from my knee and play 9 holes of golf by January 1st. Stan misses his golf buddy and I miss the challenge.

Sounds like there are quite a few of us that have made food and life style changes. I'd really like for this thread to continue and not get way laid like so many of the other threads. Am going to make a cake using almond flour tomorrow. Will post the recipe after we have it. Don't want to post an untasted recipe. Lindy

Almond flour? Wowza!

I felt great when I was on that detox diet (Dr Joshi) and a lost a few
pounds, but it was a bit too restrictive for me. It was a lot like a hard-core
antiinflammation diet. I try to eat healthy but, alas, my downfall is sweets.
Also, now that it's barbecue season I am eating more red meat. But I think
it must be harmful because I notice I'm not doing as well as when I'm
being more careful about diet. Let this be a lesson to me.
Here's a yummy recipe I made yesterday

Put 3 tbsp oil in a fry pan over medium heat and add 2 or 3 shredded
leeks and 1 tbsp lemon zest. Fry until starting to turn crisp (about 8
minutes). Add 2 or 3 sliced cloves of garlic and fry 1 minute. Add two
cans drained chick peas and stir until heated (5 min?). Stir in about 1/4
cup chopped parsley and serve with fish or whole grains.

I also season with salt and pepper.Please use olive oil.Anyone here ever done fasting? Didn't want to start a new thread, but was curious. Thanks, J

Hurts..you must not have read the posts. No one posting believes you can cure RA from a diet. We need to decrease our inflammation to feel better.

One drink I make for the summer is an iced tea. I use 5 hibiscus tea bags and 5 Passion in a tea kettle of boing water. I pour it over ice..throw in some sliced lemons and a couple droppers of Stevia. It sure beats water!!

I love the chick pea recipe!

THis year I began taking 1000 mg of vitamin D and taking calcium faithfully and it has been amazing. I have never in my life been able to run without an immediate flare.... last weekend I completed a triathlon. I have been training since August with no major flare ups. I have some overall pain, but no joint swelling. I credit GOD and vitamin D.

Gimpy a gogo, love those leeks. Am getting my infusion this pm. but want to stop by the store and get some leeks. Sounds like a really good recipe. In some recipes I use leeks instead of onions. LindyI'm jealous, you guys eat so much better than me but I am trying! For lunches, I like pocket pita, whole wheat, with tuna and sweet relish or homemade chicken salad. I have been on a big cottage cheese with strawberries kick, goes great with my sandwiches!!

OOOPs! Sorry, mis read the post,

lynda

[QUOTE=Gimpy-a-gogo] Almond flour? Wowza!

I felt great when I was on that detox diet (Dr Joshi) and a lost a few
pounds, but it was a bit too restrictive for me. It was a lot like a hard-core
antiinflammation diet. I try to eat healthy but, alas, my downfall is sweets.
Also, now that it's barbecue season I am eating more red meat. But I think
it must be harmful because I notice I'm not doing as well as when I'm
being more careful about diet. Let this be a lesson to me.
Here's a yummy recipe I made yesterday

Put 3 tbsp oil in a fry pan over medium heat and add 2 or 3 shredded
leeks and 1 tbsp lemon zest. Fry until starting to turn crisp (about 8
minutes). Add 2 or 3 sliced cloves of garlic and fry 1 minute. Add two
cans drained chick peas and stir until heated (5 min?). Stir in about 1/4
cup chopped parsley and serve with fish or whole grains.

I also season with salt and pepper.[/QUOTE]

Gimpy, long time. You know, I used to have those same concerns as you
about sweets. I am a sweetaholic.   I had to really look at it differently.
Now, if I eat anything processed sweet wise, It makes me sick to my
stomach, just generally don't feel very good. I started however, getting
very selective about the sweets I choose to eat. I will only eat home
made. I have to know each and every ingredient that is in it. I use cane
raw sugar when I bake and I'm trying my very best to stay away from
equal and splenda, I know these are bad and who knows, couuld be
making our inflammation worse. But at the same time, I am not going to
not eat something I enjoy, so if it is made from healthy whole ingredients,
I don't feel so bad. I just have to work on not eating the whole pan, lol.   I
also feel strongly about the inflammation in our bodies. If we are over
weight, some of that inflammation that is showing up in our labs, is from
our obesity. When the weight comes off, down come the markers. I am
proof of this. We need to do whatever we can to get the ESR and CRP and
whatever labs down to as normal as possible. It is more expensive to eat
healthy in the area I live in. McDonalds is cheap and easy but hard on our
bodies. Smoking is horrible on inflammation as it raises blood pressure
which causes an elevated lipid profile. If anyone on here can quit, try
hard to. It will certainly pay off down the road. I've heard smoking is so
hard to quit. Anyway, hope all is well with everyone.   The recipe looks
great. That's good advice Lorster. All this healthy eating sure is time consuming,
though!

I'm not overwheight (barely) and I don't smoke, and actually right now my
sed rate is 4. I asked my rheumay last week if my numbers had improved
on my bloodwork since I started AP and she said when I started they were
in "normal" range and they're still in normal range, and you can't improve
on normal! I don't want to take it for granted, though. I got this way in
part by trying to take really good care of myself, but now that I feel better
I've been backsliding.

Like I said once before, sugar is my Waterloo.

I guess I could bake sweets at home and then freeze them. Or buy really
expensive whole food ones at Whole Foods or Capers. Thank you for the
inspiration!

Nice to see ya post, by the way! [QUOTE=JuliahRA] Anyone here ever done fasting? Didn't want to start a new thread, but was curious. Thanks, J[/QUOTE]

I'd be interested if anybody does this too. I read that you could decrease flare time by just taking in water and juice in order to detox. I just don't know how you would take your meds on an empty stomach.

I saw this note on detox fasting...talks about some of the risks you might want to be aware of.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/18595886/

Alan

Yeah, I've read a lot of similar articles since I hate doing detox diets and my
partner loves them. The one I was on you could eat as much as you wanted,
including chicken and fish. You just had to stay away from certain foods,
whcih can get to be a pain.

Studies have shown that people with RA feel better when they fast, but as
soon as they stop fasting they go right back to feeling lousy.Thanks. I think I'll just try to eat healthier. I LOVE all things junk food.I have to second completely eliminating gluten and dairy from your diet if you have RA.

RA people have a high likelihood of developing issues with both. Also some think there is a chicken-or-the-egg relationship with celiac & RA diseases.

Either way the thing plays out, due to the increased chronic inflammation we ALL will eventually have issues with small peripheral vessels dying. These tiny blood vessels are what supply the villi that line your intestines and do the actual work of digesting food. When these villi begin to die off is when we all begin to have issues with various foods, especially gluten & dairy. There are lots of theories here but they all revolve around eliminating foods which causes our body to react in a fashion which INCREASES inflammation and causes more damage.

I have recently eliminated gluten and found I feel significantly better including better BM's. I also added Senokot to help with any opiate related issues on elimination of wastes.

I had already eliminated dairy a few years back. Still had inflammation/bloating issues though things did improve. Now I really do have almost no bloating and just feel healthier. Though I still bloat with melons. Cantaloupe is especially bad and so is watermelon. I can eat a cup of cantaloupe/honeydew and at max 2-cups of watermelon before the bloating makes me look 27-months preggers...

Just know if you simply have a currently minor reaction to gluten it will get worse over time...the sooner you stop eating it the less permanent damage will be done to your innards.

As I mentioned it seems to be a chicken-egg relationship for RA peeps...I feel it should be "de rigor" to move to a gluten-free & lactose free diet soon as you are Dx'd...just to stave off the eventuality of developing issues with both from the inflammation from the RA. Even if a person is not currently showing signs or is negative to a gluten allergy test. Our issues are a special-case situation not necessarily a genetic cause...Brecklundin...have you tried mochie? I think that is how it is spelled. It is a
sweet brown rice that is compressed into a big patty. You cut it in squares
and bake it until it puffs up. Nice treat for the kids. It is gluten and dairy
free. Try it if you haven't. Do you think people with RA should be all dairy free, or is it enough to be
just cow dairy free? I don't eat much dairy anyway, but I do like a bit of
yoghurt and I LOVE a small bit of cheese. Could I have goat or buffalo or
sheep cheese?
Gluten is a tough one but I think I could do it.drrr...posting problemsGimpy-a-gogo39252.9799537037Mmmm...I've had Mochi---I love the texture!

http://
www.grainaissance.com/mochi.html gimpy
gluten free is really hard - no wheat barley rye oats - no pasta except gluten free stuff which is disgusting - and basically nothing ready made from store whatsoever. everything has to be fresh. wheat/gluten is put into everything as a thickener including chocolates! all cereals would have to be certified gluten free and bought from health store. it will drive you mad.

re dairy - personally i dont think a bit of plain organic yoghurt or goats cheese is bad, but it's always worth cutting it all out for say a week just to see how you feel and then add it in and see if it has any effect.

the problem with rice crackers is that after 4 years of no wheat they start to get a bit boring!!

anna
anna_uk39253.2818518519

I was off of dairy for a long time and I there was no difference in my RA. I am currently off of gluten ..which actually has not been that hard because you can have brown rice and rice crackers.

The doctor I am seeing right now believes in RAW dairy. I have added raw cheese to my diet and a little milk in my coffee. You can purchase raw cheeses directly from a farmer or at whole foods.

I think it is different for EVERY person.

I'll chime in on the gluten-free. I was VERY surprised at how much better I felt after even one week. Bread and doughnuts have been the hardest for me. Rice cakes are my new fav, especially the carmelcorn. Grits, polenta, brown and wild rice are now staples in my diet, which, if you look at alot of ethnic foods( mexican, carribean, asian) are right up our alley. Its fun to experiment, and a great excuse NOT to just "stop for a quick burger" My next goal is to greatly cut back(eliminate) the red meat and push the fish. I think I need to move closer to the ocean!

Laura T

ive got a great recipe for a gluten and dairy free chocolate cake with fudge icing. anyone interested? really delicious.
anna
I did gluten free for 3 weeks on a detox diet and it was hard but I did feel I
had more energy. Fortunatly Vancouver has a lot of hippie business people
and there are many gluten free resources here including a couple of gluten
free bakeries and a lot of different health supermarkets. There's usually a
gluten free option at the coffee shop, etc. PLus I know several people who
live gluten free.

To be absolutly gluten free you have to get really educated because it's in
stuff you don't expect, like toothpaste and postage stamps.

What's hard is being gluten free AND sugar free---argh! I heart chocolate!Has anyone posted here about IgG testing yet? It is a blood test that determines food sensitivities. We are taking our 4 yr. old to see an allergist for this in July. I can't imagine trying to keep her off pizza unless we KNOW she has issues with something in it. I will feel better no matter what we learn - if she has no sensitivities, I don't have to wonder if diet changes would make a difference. If she does, we know exactly what to eliminate and hopefully help her! I got tested for gluten and dairy intolerance at my doctor's which came back
negative, but I know those tests aren't very accurate.

Unless you have allergies to certain foods then I think a well thought out and balanced diet specifically tailored to your health and lifestyle is best for your body. I don't have gluten or dairy allergies and I've included very small amounts of them in my daily diet, along with very lean meats, veggies, and fruits. I don't adhere to the food pyramid nor to what's popular at the moment. I eat healthy, period. At least it's healthy for me. I've done the gluten, dairy free, vegetarian, vegan diets and I've never felt better than right now. As far as general overall health I feel better now at 62 than I did when I was 45. I attribute that to a dramatic change in my diet and stress level. If it weren't for RA and it's little demon complications I'd feel absolutely great.

I truly believe in moderation as the key to health. It's just my lowly opinion. I've been through all the lifestyle and dietary changes and moderation has worked the best for me. I've tried all of the popular diets, have been to clinics in Arizona and had my health analyzed and diets made specifically for me. None of those changes made me feel as good as the ones that I've made on my own, in the last few months. My labs are virtually normal, except for some of the RA related lab work and even they have shown quite a lot of improvement.

Just make sure that whichever diet route you take is the right one for your body. You won't know what's right until you've tried them all. Once you've done that then you can put together a health diet plan for yourself. You don't need to be a nutrionist but you do need to do research. It's trial and error, sort of like our RA med treatments. Lindy

Diets: I'm constantly amazed at people who recomment diets (not on this forum), like my friend who thinks raspberries are the end all and eats a lot of them. AT , a little bitty carton, who can afford to eat them day in and day out. My cousin eats cantalop ....no matter the time of year, she'll be buying it at great expense even during the Winter!, I pretty much am limited to affordable foods, (ground extra lean beef made into spaghetti, chili, etc), milk for extra protein as snacks, wwbreads,lettuce salads in season , all fruits and vegs ' in season'. I also eat frozen and canned vegs, but nothing 'special'. Just everyday foods, not exotic fruits or anything.I'm on a limited budget now that I'm paying 0 a month for medications, so it is getting harder and harder to 'make it'. diets are interesting to me but I always think 'what will this cost me? Right now I'd like to take off pounds.me

For some reason, food threads always overwhelm me. There are so many different food choices out there, diet choices, etc. that I feel very anxious about making decisions about what to eat. I pretty much only eat certain foods. I am a vegetarian and have a pretty limited diet which includes: vegetable curry/basmati rice, cappucinos, fruit, vegetables, yogurt and sometimes beans/rice. I feel like I'm probably eating all wrong, but when I look at typcial healthy diets, it makes me anxious. I have gained 30 lbs (due to steroids, not exercising and too much Indian food/vegetable curry) and have decided to "fast" to get it off. I think my food issues are pretty severe, but can't even contemplate the thought of straightening them out.

JuliahRA, talk to either your primary care doc or your RD before you start fasting. Fasting for a healthy person is a dicey proposition and fasting for people with autoimmune diseases can be even more dangerous. Don't do this without being under the supervision of a physician. I can't help you with your food issues but I can direct you to get some help with the problems you have with food. I wish there were more I could do for you, but you've already admitted that food is an issue for you, so hopefully you'll seek out guidance and help. Lindy