Many patients who are suffering from arthritis have found great benefits in following a rheumatoid arthritis diet. This diet is easy to follow and if followed consistently may help to alleviate the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.
Gluten Free Foods
Processed foods with wheat, barley or rye in them may aggravate rheumatoid arthritis. Trying a gluten free diet can help to cleanse these toxins out of the system and may provide some relief to the condition. The patient may also need to eliminate breads, wheat cereals as well as some coffee creamers (yes, wheat in a coffee creamer) and the patient should learn to read labels consistently.
Processed Foods
Many processed foods have a lot of chemicals in them. These chemicals can break down the body’s immune system and in turn bring on the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. Again, read labels and if foods are mostly additives, don’t buy them.
Weight
Maintain a healthy weight. Studies show that being overweight can greatly aggravate the condition and may cause more symptoms.
Eat Less Protein
Again, studies show that eating less protein may help relieve the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. When considering a rheumatoid arthritis diet one may consider lowering protein levels by eating smaller portions of protein and reducing the intake of such things as nuts, beans and meats. On a 2000 calorie diet for example, only 400 to 600 of those calories per day should be protein.
Drink Tea
Green and white teas have high levels of phytochemicals and antioxidants in them. Raising these levels has been shown to reduce symptoms as well.
Drink Water
Most people don’t drink enough water. Water helps to flush toxins out of the body and thus reduce symptoms.
Fats and Oils
Lower saturated fats and increase healthy oils such as Omega 3s. Omega 3s have many health benefits and will help to maintain normal liver function as well as the rest of the body. Saturated fats will slow the metabolism down and clog the arteries.
Healthy Omega 3s are found in sardines, salmon, mackerel, trout, walnuts and flaxseeds.
Eat More Green Veggies
Eating more green veggies will not only fill one up, it will also help to reduce arthritis symptoms. Great veggies to choose from include broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, Bok Choy and Kale. Kale is also high in Vitamin K.
Vitamin D
Many people are suffering from very low Vitamin D levels. Vitamin D helps the body to regulate waking and sleeping as well as protecting the body from viruses. It may be had by simply taking a walk in the sunshine but can also be included in the diet by eating more dairy and by taking a Vitamin D3 supplement.
Olive Oil
Get rid of those other oils and move some virgin olive oil in to replace them. Olive oil used in cooking, on salads and ingested will help to ease those joints and reduce inflammation as well as pain.
Following a rheumatoid arthritis diet can greatly reduce flare ups and pain in the body.
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