It consists of whole grains, beans, green and yellow vegetables, local fruits, soups, salads, Omega 3 essential fatty acids and small portions of meat or seafood (if you’re not a vegetarian). Those of us living in affluent societies tend to eat too much of the calories we need, eight times the fat we need, twice the protein we need, and less than half the fibre we need. We are certainly overfed and undernourished.
All of us have unknown food allergies. Food allergy is a major cause of all inflammation, not just joint inflammation. “Leaky gut syndrome” is the best explanation of food allergy. Unfortunately, there is currently no means of accurately diagnosing food allergies no matter what you have heard. Blood tests and results from allergy testing equipments may not paint the whole picture. Moreover the affected person may not be disciplined enough to restrict certain types of food because in practice, it is not that easy to eliminate the allergen from what you eat.
Whole grains are rarely allergenic except for corn and wheat. Beans are rarely allergenic, and that includes soybeans. Most green and yellow non-tropical vegetables are not allergenic. You should, however, avoid 1) Nightshade vegetables (which contain toxic solanine) including potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers, and 2) oxalate vegetables such as Swiss chard and spinach. Many people have gotten dramatic relief from arthritis by simply removing Nightshades from their diet (American Medical News, January 25, 1999).
Fruit of all kinds may be allergenic due to the sugar content. Allergy to all simple sugars is due to infection with Candida yeast which feeds on these sugars. Sugar is sugar. Fruit juice can contain much sugar. Tropical foods and tropical fruits such as all citrus, mangos, bananas, and avocados can be very allergenic for European people, especially in temperate climates.
Red meat is generally not allergenic, but is full of saturated fat and cholesterol with no fibre whatsoever. A few people are allergic to fish and seafood, but should know this by their reaction to it. Seafood should be limited to 10% of your diet if you include it. They are subject to heavy metal contamination depending on the areas they come from. Poultry and eggs are two of the top ten allergenic foods known. Milk and dairy products are the most allergenic food known due to the lactose and casein content.
Your basic food should be whole grains such as brown rice, whole grain breads and pastas, oatmeal, barley, corn, wheat, and others. Beans and legumes of all kinds are a tasty and nutritious staple. Green and yellow vegetables except for Nightshades and ones high in oxalic acid are good. Local (not tropical) fruits can be eaten in moderation by most people. Never eat refined foods, chemicalized foods, preserved foods, or anything with hydrogenated oils. Your fat intake should only be 10% to 20% of your caloric intake and from vegetable sources basically. Isn’t it ironic that poor people in Third World countries have far less arthritis and bone disease than the people in the richest top ten countries? When these people come to affluent countries, and adopt the Western diet, they suffer from the same rates of disease we do.
Obesity is a critical factor in Western Countries, and is an epidemic in America – the fattest country in the world. Australia is just after America. You are never going to be free from disease, pain and suffering until you normalize your weight. You can do this by making better food choices, yet still eating all you want. You simply cannot go hungry, as the hunger instinct is stronger than our sexual desires by far. Eat whole natural foods, and you can eat all you want and stay slim and healthy all your life. The most powerful healing method known is fasting. You should fast one day from time to time from dinner to dinner on water by simply skipping breakfast and lunch on a given day. You don’t have to eat less food, just better food. Calorie restriction and eating low glycemic food (slow releasing blood sugar or energy) is the most effective and proven way to extend life known to science.
Your bones and joints must get the minerals they need in the biological amounts required to be strong and healthy. Bone and joint health depends on minerals. We are all mineral deficient. Glucosamine is good for the joint cartilage. There are four vitamins proven to be effective in reducing inflammation. Natural mixed vitamin E, and not the cheap single tocopherol. In addition, vitamin D3 unless you are out in the sun a lot. Vitamin D is simply not found in food, except very small amounts in some animal products such as eggs. Vitamin K should already be in your daily vitamin. Take Vitamin C but not the cheap ascorbic acid type. Do not take megadoses of vitamin C. Vitamin C will acidify your normally alkaline bloodstream which could encourage the growth of cancerous cells. In fact megadoses of anything are unhealthy whether it is food, water, oxygen, exercise, sun, fun or vitamins.
Flax oil is a great way to deal with inflammation. Our diets are far too high in omega-6 fatty acids and deficient in omega-3 fatty acids. Flax oil is a good source but unpalatable for children. The alternative is to use deep sea fish oil without mercury contamination which has high Omega-3 source too.
There is a Catch-22 with regard to exercise. You must do low impact exercise like walking or swimming so as not to injure your joints. Low impact exercise is very important here. Heat can be good, so use heat pads if you can.
Diet and lifestyle is the real cure for arthritis or any other condition. Unfortunately, we can’t get all the nutrients we need from out diet nowadays. Thus high rated supplements and hormones are very powerful, but still eat your good, healthy, whole natural food. Arthritis, rheumatism, osteoporosis, and other bone/joint conditions can take a long time to heal. It usually takes decades to develop these problems, so this can’t be undone in a year or two. Also, the bone and cartilage is very slow to regrow. Elderly people often have such advanced conditions and at such poor health, the best they can do is to simply stop the further progression of the deterioration.
