Arthritis Tips

It is not fully documented in clinical studies, but if you suffer from rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis, these tips have shown surprising promise according to Harvard-educated Dr. Andrew Weil, a pioneer in the field of holistic medicine:

Eat several servings weekly of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids as found in wild Alaska salmon and other cold-water fish, freshly ground flax seeds, omega-3 fortified eggs and walnuts. Get used to seasoning foods with ginger and turmeric as often as possible. Those spices possess anti-inflammatory properties. Both ginger and turmeric are fairly strong in taste, so experimentation is necessary. Try a little on a favorite food—if it seems to work, stay with it.

We all already know that it helps to eat at least five to nine servings of fresh fruits and vegetables every day. Don’t forget to cover the color spectrum in selecting your fruits and vegetables—again, experiment, mix and match—nothing is taboo. Be courageous in creating tempting and nutritious combinations of fruits, vegetables, spices and herbs.

Avoid all grain products and all synthetic foods. These have both been strongly linked to arthritis and other inflammatory diseases.

(You may have heard that certain foods exacerbate arthritis pain—such as tomatoes, peppers and eggplant. There is no scientific evidence to support these rumors.)

Another important tip for those of you suffering from arthritic pain. Avoid foods that directly cause inflammation, hence pain. They include polyunsaturated oils such as corn and soy oils (your paleo lifestyle excludes them anyway) and partially hydrogenated oils found in most margarines, vegetable shortenings and processed foods containing forbidden fats. (Ditto says the paleo lifestyle.)

Veering away from animal products and concentrating more on fruits and vegetables has been proven, in many studies, to moderately improve joint swelling—and, of course, there is the source of the pain! You don’t have to become a vegan, but it would probably help.

One last point—if you suspect a particular food is causing or contributing to arthritic pain, cut it out of your diet for a few weeks and document your findings, then reevaluate how you feel. You can be your own best counsel.