My first bit of advice is for you to take charge of your own health. Pick up a Healing Foods or Super Foods book/cookbook. I can not say enough about the belief I have in healing foods, herbs and spices. I have many friends and family members who suffer with arthritis, and I have been researching it for quite some time. I am posting some of what I have found and what I believe to be effective food and juice treatments. It is my hope that they benefit you if you suffer from it as well. Natural treatments and alternative medicine can serve to compliment more traditional arthritis therapies. Keep in mind some alternative approaches have questions regarding their efficacy and safety. I have a very strong belief in healing foods and have practiced my own advice on my road to recovery after my heart attack and stent placement in February. I am happy to report I now have a clean bill of health (much to my Drs surprise!) and I am no longer in a prediabetic stage, which the heart attack pushed me into. Be your own best friend. It's not easy but you can take control with the foods you eat.
Also: This is not meant to replace medical advice. Please consult your physician.
Two of the most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. People suffering with osteoarthritis should avoid or cut down on highly refined and processed foods, sugar, salt and saturated animal fats. A healthier diet would be to include wholegrain cereals, fresh fruit and vegetables. By eating a more healthy diet, sufferers can boost their immune system and provide them with extra energy they need to fight the disease.
Studies have found that rheumatoid arthritis sufferers have benefited from a vegetarian diet. Celery and ginger contain an anti-inflammatory agent and celery and bananas are a good source of potassium. Green vegetables should be included in the diet as they are a good source of beta carotene, calcium, iron, folate and vitamins.
Pineapple contains an enzyme called bromelain that is effective in breaking down protein. Researchers have been looking into the medicinal properties of bromelain since the mid 1950’s. It has been used in treating the inflammatory symptoms of both Rheumatoid arthritis and Osteoarthritis and is thought to aid in tissue repair.
Juices, especially Black Cherry, are very effective for arthritis. Take two glasses of Black Cherry juice twice a day (each glass contains four ounces of juice diluted with four ounces of water). It
must be the 100% juice..not the sugar added or "juice drink". You can find it in your bottled juice aisle at the market. You can also discontinue this treatment once the pain clears up or keep drinking to your health. This juice also works if you are a gout sufferer.
People with rheumatoid arthritis should include in their daily diets, juices high in anti-inflammatory nutrients. These nutrients include beta-carotene (found in parsley, broccoli and spinach) and copper (found in carrots, apples and ginger). Rheumatoid arthritis improves with a glass or two a day of pineapple juice. Pineapple is a rich source of the enzyme bromelain, which has strong anti-inflammatory properties.
Other Useful Juices:* Carrot, celery, and cabbage juice. Add a little parsley.
* Potato juice (If you are not allergic to this).
* Cherry juice.
* Take juice of half a lemon before every meal and before going to bed.
* Carrot, beet, and cucumber.
* During acute stage, one pint to one quart celery juice daily.
* Radish, garlic
Caution: Certain juices may cause adverse reactions in people with osteoarthritis. Avoid citrus fruits, and be careful with vegetables from the nightshade family, including potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and eggplant. Citrus seems to promote swelling, and nightshades contain psyllium alkaloids, which cause problems for some people.
Home Remedies:* Epsom Salt: Magnesium has both anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic properties and it can be absorbed through the skin. Magnesium is one of the most important of the essential minerals in the body, and it is commonly deficient in the American diet. A New England remedy for arthritis is a hot bath of Epsom salts. The heat of the bath can increase circulation and reduce the swelling of arthritis. Fill a bathtub with water as hot as you can stand. Add 2 cups of Epsom salts. Bathe for thirty minutes, adding hot water as necessary to keep the temperature warm. Do this daily as often as you like.
NOTE:If you are pregnant or have cardiovascular disease consult your doctor before taking very hot bath.
* A low-fat, low-cholesterol diet filled with the complex carbohydrates found in vegetables and grains has been shown to be very helpful in dealing with many cases of arthritis. This type of diet reduces the fat in the tiny arteries that supply blood to the joints, allowing more oxygen, and in addition to a good low-fat diet, a number of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients are useful for arthritis.
A number of foods that are believed to "irritate" your arthritis or are associated with arthritis “flare ups” are –
• Caffeine
• Red Meat
• Dairy products
• Processed foods
• Sugar
• Salt
• Vegetables of the nightshade group (tomatoes, peppers, etc.)
• Preservatives and additives
• Chocolate
As with many allergy triggers the effects are not always consistent with everyone, what triggers a flare up or allergy on one person may have no affect on another.
