Arthritis is the inflammation of one or more of your joints, causing stiffness, swelling, pain and sometimes a reduction in mobility. There are two types, Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis. Here are 15 easy, common sense lifestyle tips to help you with Arthritic symptoms and reduce general inflammation, making life more comfortable.
1. Cut Out Alcohol
This will keep your yeast overgrowth at bay and reduce the bodies acidity levels.
2. Cut out refined carbs
Switch anything 'white' to 'brown'. Introduce power grains like Quinoa, buckwheat, millet, amaranth and brown, short grain rice as these soak up toxins in the body.
3. Cut our refined sugars
A LOW G.I. diet needs to be adopted. Refined sugars actually create an immune system response in the body and high blood glucose levels cause inflammation.
4. Cut Out Acid and Introduce Alkaline
Acid = tea, coffee, milk, wheat, fried foods, soft drink, sugar and drugs
Alkaline = Millet, brown rice, all the power grains, cruciferous veg, lemons, cider vinegar (that might seem odd but they are both acid until they are ingested, when they turn alkaline!), sea veg as well are very alkalising!
5. Support your immune system
Particularly for Rheumatoid Arthritis - great herbs for this are Oregano, Rosemary, Echinacea, Thyme, Turmeric, antioxidents through foods and also Selenium and Vitamins A, C and E
6. Cut out wheat and cows milk
Gluten (from wheat) is extremely resistant to intestinal digestion and can cause damage to the intestinal lining. This can cause leaky gut which can then release toxins into the bloodstream causing inflammation. Also, cow's milk, once pasteurized, changes from alkaline to acid.
7. Source seaweeds and algaes
These are highly alkalising, clean the blood, detoxify the whole system and work on oxygenating and repairing cells. They also support general immunity.
8. Work Out your Food Intolerance
If you are intolerant to foods this causes the body to live in a state of 'emergency', stress and inflammation can then occur.
9. Take Omega 3's
We have become Omega 6 dominant over time as this is found in nuts, eggs, organ meat, beef and dairy. This can cause an inflammatory reaction - Omega 3 is an excellent anti-inflammatory! Eat more fish and find a great fish oil supplement.
10. Don't fry food or heat fats!
This can cause a bad inflammatory response because they create advanced glycation end products (something the body treats as an invader).
11. Get enough sleep!
During sleep, the body regenerates which calms the immune system. Lack of restorative sleep is a major promoter of inflammation and rheumatoid arthritis sufferers often associate pain with how much sleep they did or didn't get.
12. Lose weight now!
I'm sorry but it's just too important not to add into this list! Excessive weight encourages inflammation. Toxins also hide in excess fat meaning that the more over weight you are, the more you are likely to be acidic and toxic.
13. Drink water!
This lubricates the joints and flushes away toxins. Alkalising is also about staying hydrated.
14. Cut out the 'nightshade' family
potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, aubergine etc. This family are very acidic and also contain 'Solanine' which is a calcium inhibitor (especially significant in cases of osteoarthritis!).
15. Cut out oxalic acid rich foods
These can exacerbate symptoms - tea, coffee, wine, spinach, gooseberries, oranges, strawberries, blackcurrants. These can be re-introduced in small amounts once symptoms have reduced or disappeared.
No comments:
Post a Comment