What Is The Best Diet For Arthritis – Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes pain, inflammation, and stiffness in the joints. If you are one of the over one million people with rheumatoid arthritis, I want you to know that you can reduce inflammation, address the autoimmune spectrum, and turn your condition around with a rheumatoid arthritis diet!
Conventional medicine tells you that there is nothing you can do except take harsh drugs that sometimes have terrible side effects. In functional medicine, we strive to identify the root cause of autoimmunity so you can reclaim your health. Conventional medicine has failed me, and my mission is not to fail you, either.
What Is The Best Diet For Arthritis
I will give you my rheumatoid arthritis diet plan and tell you about the foods you should eat and the foods you should avoid. My goal is to empower you and provide you with the tools I wish I had during my personal struggle with autoimmune disease when conventional medicine failed. Before we talk about a diet plan for rheumatoid arthritis, let’s take a look at what happens with rheumatoid arthritis.
Don’t Believe Common Myths About Easing Arthritis Pain
Autoimmune disease develops from a constant state of inflammation. What do I mean by that? Our modern lifestyle has caused at least a little inflammation in almost everyone. There is some inflammation and nothing to worry about. Being in a state of chronic inflammation keeps your immune system on high alert, causing it to mistake healthy tissue for foreign invaders.
Five factors that I have found in my patients to cause chronic inflammation are diet, leaky gut, toxin exposure, infections, and chronic stress, or a combination thereof. Chronic inflammation is a major cause of autoimmune disease, including rheumatoid arthritis.
Rheumatoid arthritis occurs when your immune system mistakes your joints for foreign invaders and starts attacking them, causing painful inflammation and allowing fluid and immune complexes to build up in the joints. Normally, these immune complexes filter out of your blood on their own, but they tend to settle in various joints, causing local inflammation and tissue damage when they accumulate. This causes the characteristic swelling and pain caused by rheumatoid arthritis.
Rheumatoid arthritis usually starts in the smaller joints, such as the toes, fingers, and hands. After a while, it can spread to larger joints like the wrists, ankles, knees, and hips. Let’s discuss the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis
How A Raw Food Diet Can Improve Your Dog’s Arthritis
If you develop any of the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, talk to a functional medicine practitioner and have them order tests. Rheumatoid arthritis can be diagnosed through blood tests and digital imaging such as X-rays or MRIs.
So what causes rheumatoid arthritis? I have mentioned five factors that I have seen in patients with autoimmune disease. In my clinic, the most common factor I saw in rheumatoid arthritis patients was poor diet, especially gluten. Gluten is the number one cause of leaky gut, a precursor to autoimmune disease.
Since diet is a common factor in autoimmune diseases, it is important to have a diet plan for rheumatoid arthritis. First of all, I will tell you about the foods to avoid.
As part of a rheumatoid arthritis diet, you’ll want to avoid foods that cause inflammation, such as gluten and dairy, sugary drinks, and processed foods. Foods to Avoid in Your Diet for Rheumatoid Arthritis:
Best Foods For Arthritis
Grilled, fried or fried meats contain high glycated products (AGEs). AGEs are compounds that form when proteins or fats combine with sugar in the bloodstream. This process is called glycation. This can also happen when meat is heated to extreme temperatures.
To avoid consuming too many AGEs, it is best to limit the consumption of grilled, broiled or fried meat. When cooking meat, try to use alternative cooking methods such as steaming, boiling or baking the meat.
Omega-6 fatty acids are the only type of fatty acid that your body cannot produce. It is a type of polyunsaturated fat found in vegetable oils, nuts and seeds. However, many processed foods are rich in omega-6 fatty acids. Some omega-6 fatty acids, such as conjugated linoleic acid, have many health benefits, including supporting weight loss. However, excess can lead to inflammation and heart disease.
Refined sugars and artificial sweeteners are inflammatory foods that can lead to leaky gut syndrome. Eating sugary foods leads to increased production of AGEs, which cause oxidative stress and increase levels of inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP). Refined sugar is found in many processed and packaged foods, including cookies, cakes, candy, and soft drinks. It’s not the end of the world if you indulge in a sweet treat every now and then. However, eating too much sugar can lead to inflammation, diabetes and obesity.
Quick Morning Meals For Rheumatoid Arthritis
As I mentioned above, gluten is one of the factors that contribute to the development of rheumatoid arthritis. Also keep in mind that this is a major cause of leaky gut.
Gluten is a protein found naturally in certain grains such as wheat, rye and barley. Because the casein and gluten found in dairy products have similar molecular structures, your immune system cannot tell the difference between gluten and casein, so it attacks both. Gluten and dairy are two foods that I recommend that everyone eliminate from their diet, not just a rheumatoid arthritis diet plan.
Many processed foods contain preservatives and artificial flavors to improve the taste and extend the shelf life of the food. The most common is monosodium glutamate (MSG), which is added as a flavor enhancer. MSG and other preservatives are toxic and can cause inflammation.
Alcohol can cause leaky gut, which as I mentioned is a precursor to autoimmune disease. Alcohol can be good in moderation. Red wine contains resveratrol, which destroys free radicals and facilitates the anti-inflammatory response. However, if you have Candida overgrowth and the sugar is too high and is a byproduct of yeast fermentation, red wine can cause problems. If you have RA, it’s best to eliminate alcohol from your rheumatoid arthritis diet.
Foods For A Healthier Gut And Less Arthritis Pain
Now that I’ve told you about foods to avoid, I’ll tell you about foods to enjoy that help fight inflammation.
Fortunately, by reducing inflammation, you can move back down the autoimmune spectrum, reverse your autoimmunity, and achieve optimal health. A diet plan for rheumatoid arthritis includes a number of foods that can help reduce inflammation, including:
Red superfoods like raspberries, beets, and cherries are loaded with free radical scavengers and phytonutrients that help reduce inflammation. Red superfoods contain over 25,000 phytonutrients. One of them is carotenoids, which give red superfoods their color. Carotenoids act as antioxidants in your body, fighting free radicals that can cause oxidative damage.
A great way to get more red superfoods in your diet is to use Organic Reds. It’s just like fruit punch! I personally developed my organic red berries fruit flavor using only certified organic natural flavors and certified organic monk fruit extract.
Eating To Cure Chronic Disease: Food As Medicine.: Afshine Ash Emrani, Md, Facc: Cardiologist
Blueberries are loaded with vitamin C, a powerful free radical scavenger. Eating blueberries can reduce the risk of heart disease, and their benefits facilitate a healthy immune system response. Phytonutrients known as anthocyanins give blueberries their distinctive color. When buying blue, the darker the better!
Ginger is another anti-inflammatory powerhouse. It has been used for thousands of years to treat indigestion, nausea, diarrhea, arthritis, and even heart disease.
In addition to being anti-inflammatory, ginger also supports the immune system and reduces damage caused by oxidative stress.
Salmon is rich in Omega-3s, which support a healthy immune system. Many studies have shown the benefit of fish oil supplementation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Eating salmon or other oily fish is a great way to get more omega-3s in your diet. However, you can eat fish for every meal and not get the full amount of omega-3 fatty acids. I recommend adding an Omega-3 supplement to your rheumatoid arthritis diet plan.
Recommended Diet For Rheumatoid Arthritis
Avocados are another healthy fat option that can easily be included in your rheumatoid arthritis diet. This superfood is high in monounsaturated fats (MUFA). The most abundant MUFA in avocados is oleic acid, which has been linked to reduced inflammation in the body. Unlike most fruits, avocados are also a good source of vitamin E, a micronutrient that has anti-inflammatory effects and has been linked to a reduced risk of joint damage in osteoarthritis patients.
Leafy greens like arugula, kale, spinach and chard are the undisputed superstars of the nutrition world. Low in calories but high in fiber, vitamins and phytonutrients, the benefits of leafy greens are incredible for your health in more ways than you might think. Leafy greens have many health benefits, including supporting bone health, gut health, healthy aging, and fighting bloat.
One of the most promising benefits of leafy greens is supporting your immune system. Dark leafy greens like moringa leaves provide a healthy response to oxidative stress caused by free radicals, which, if left untreated, can lead to autoimmunity and heart disease.
