anti inflammatory diet

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rkmeyer41
rkmeyer41 Posts: 58 Member
in Introduce Yourself
I am starting another journey into getting healthy...this time with a significant other. We both suffer with arthritis. Him hands..me knees and elbows (had a total knee replacement on my left leg last September). We just received the anti inflammatory diet book today. To my dismay many of the low fat high fiber foods I have been filling our diet with are deemed high on the inflammatory index by Monica Reinagel and Julius Torelli M.D.. I would love any input as to your experience with is diet or related subjects.

Robin
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  • becajb
    becajb Posts: 50
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    I have no idea but my naturopath said I needed to take fish oil tablets to allow more water to move in and out of my cells for hydration, cell health and to help with inflammation.
  • twistygirl
    twistygirl Posts: 517 Member
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    Bump
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    Good luck. I know ginger is a good anti inflammatory. Just get done root, peel it and steep it into a tea.
  • csheltra26
    csheltra26 Posts: 272 Member
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    I took a fish oil supplement as well. I also did a lot of reading on inflammation and it can be caused by an undiagnosed food allergy. I realized through trial and error that I have a gluten allergy. Between the supplement and removing gluten from my diet (for the most part) my inflammation levels dropped into a normal range.

    In my household, we eat more potatoes, rice, corn tortillas, etc. Things that are naturally gluten free. And lots of protein, fruits, veggies, nuts, and diary. The occasional gluten still shows up but I feel much better when I don't eat it.
  • LTKeegan
    LTKeegan Posts: 354 Member
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    If you had asked me 6 months ago, I would have said its all bull****, but my mind has been changed.

    My dad had HORRIBLE psoriasis. Like I don't think you would want to picture it, horrible. There were piles of dead skin on the floor of his car in the drivers seat. PILES. Gross. He couldn't wear shorts in public. This had been going on for about 10 years.

    Anyways, around October, he got really really ill, like throwing up all the time, for about 3 months and no one could figure out what was wrong with him. And my mom, getting desperate, started researching and came across a naturopath who said that food linked to inflammation could be the cause when people have stomach issues and psoriasis. So he went on the diet (which basically means he can eat spinach, apples, and chicken-- I exaggerate but the list of foods isn't long) and I know you wont believe me but his psoriasis was gone within 2 weeks. I saw him a month after he went on this diet and it was as if he had never even had psoriasis before. And he stopped throwing up and has been healthier than I've seen him in years!!


    So long story short, it worked for him really AMAZINGLY well. I know this wont work for everyone/everything, but its totally worth a try.

    Just FYI, his doctor said it could take up to 6 months to notice results.
  • raaachelmarie
    raaachelmarie Posts: 67 Member
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    I have pretty bad arthritis in my ankles and hip. I've found that adding turmeric supplements have really helped. I also take a ginger root supplement since I can't get enough of it through food. Fish and krill oil seem to help people. but I haven't tried them myself.

    Hope that helps :)
  • CynthiaT60
    CynthiaT60 Posts: 1,280 Member
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    In.
  • brewji
    brewji Posts: 752 Member
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    Turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory as a spice. I usually use some (you don't need much) in potato or white fish recipes.

    I have Crohn's, which is a different auto-immune inflammation issue...but it might be worthy of a try.
  • Lesa_Sass
    Lesa_Sass Posts: 2,213 Member
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    I have an auto immune disease which causes me a great deal of pain as well as arthritis in my hands, elbows, hip and spine. I started eating from Dr Andrew Weils anti inflammatory pyramid and it changed my life in ways I never thought possible.

    I cut out a great deal of processed and refined foods, and my pain levels went from an 8 to a 2 on non barometric pressure days. I had someone in my life that thought they would prove to me it was all in my head and gave me something processed under the ruse that it was all natural and organic, I was in so much pain with in 45 minutes I considered going to the ER. She came clean to me at what she had done, talk about feeling like crap, she did. So it is not psychosomatic.

    I ate a great deal of Morning Star Farms and Quorn products because I liked to eat mainly vegetarian, but found that it is better for me to eat all natural and organic meat instead of the processed fake meat products. I also notice a difference in my pain levels when I eat a good amount of sugar (which I love). I am finding that whole wheat products hurt me too. It is not as hard for me now as it used to be because 5 minutes of delicious is not worth 4 hours of pain.

    So, for these reasons no one is going to ever be able to convince me that processed and refined foods are not unhealthy.
  • donyellemoniquex3
    donyellemoniquex3 Posts: 2,384 Member
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    No
  • rkmeyer41
    rkmeyer41 Posts: 58 Member
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    Thank you all so much for the great advise...and success stories.
  • Lesa_Sass
    Lesa_Sass Posts: 2,213 Member
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    Good luck. I know ginger is a good anti inflammatory. Just get done root, peel it and steep it into a tea.

    This, very much this! It does help. I get a big root, chop it into big chunks and freeze it, then pull it out and throw it in a cup of boiling water and let it steep until it cools enough to drink. I like spicy, which it can be rather hot if you use enough, which I do because it helps with my pain levels.

    I also use turmeric, fresh raw turmeric that my grocer carries now. I will try to put it in what ever I can. When I was first discussing my move to India with my Rheumatologist, she was excited for me because of all the turmeric they use there.
  • Barbsunshine7
    Barbsunshine7 Posts: 2,693 Member
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    I have arthritis and fibromyalgia, so I've been researching anti-inflammatory diets for a while but haven't jumped fully into it yet. Being a big fan of Dr. Weil's for years now, I gravitated toward his diet. I just haven't had the willpower to give up all the sugar yet, but I'm doing better!
  • BeachGingerOnTheRocks
    BeachGingerOnTheRocks Posts: 3,927 Member
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    I don't know anything about this diet book, but some things that are supposed to have anti-inflammatory properties are turmeric (mentioned), ginger (mentioned), lemon, cinnamon, fatty fish, wild rice, soy, some dairy like greek yogurt, kale, spinach, beets, red and orange veggies...

    A rheumatologist discussed this with me a few years back as I have a pain disorder. A lot of these are part of my regular diet, but honestly, I can't say that I've noticed much difference when I eat them versus when I don't eat them. When it comes to autoimmune disorders, doctors don't really know a whole lot in general (it's being studied in every way possible, though), so if going on a diet that is supposedly anti-inflammatory has the potential to work, then I would do it. It's not like any of these foods can harm you. They're all healthy and, except for kale, pretty tasty.
  • Lesa_Sass
    Lesa_Sass Posts: 2,213 Member
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    I have arthritis and fibromyalgia, so I've been researching anti-inflammatory diets for a while but haven't jumped fully into it yet. Being a big fan of Dr. Weil's for years now, I gravitated toward his diet. I just haven't had the willpower to give up all the sugar yet, but I'm doing better!

    I do not think I will ever give up sugar, I just love it too much! What I do is 1. eat it in moderation and 2. eat the highest quality that I can. So, I will make cookies with sugar in the raw or get the products from a high end bakery. Now there are times I reach for a processed "whatever" at the store and do end up paying for it later. But I find if I watch how much I consume and what it is exactly I am eating, I do still get to enjoy sugary treats. One thing I am sad about though is I can not eat the fiber one brownies anymore. They are not worth it, so I find 200 calories for a home made brownie when the mood strikes me.
  • Camera_BagintheUK
    Camera_BagintheUK Posts: 707 Member
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    My mum used to pick nettles, stick them in a jug, pour boiling water on them and leave to steep, and then strain off a tot or two every time she passed it. She swore by it for her arthritis.
  • lousoulbody
    lousoulbody Posts: 663 Member
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    Curcurmin its what gives turmeric its colour and a higher level of anti-inflammatory, tart cherrie juice (has to be tart has the highest of all foods), salmon, kelp, extra virgin olive oil, ginger, green tea, garlic,curry, coloured peppers,edamame, sweet potatoes, beets, mushrooms, onions, kale, chill/cayenne,cruciforms vegetables(broccoli, brussel sprouts, blueberries andy berry, walnuts & almonds. Phew i have been doing my homework and have been a work in progress for 2 weeks now and feel a difference. Add curcurmin, glucosamine and chondroitin, and and omega 3 supplements and you may as well add a daily multivitamin.

    cheers:drinker:
  • pusheen12
    pusheen12 Posts: 192 Member
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    Check out ground flax seed.
  • donnam40
    donnam40 Posts: 246 Member
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    Interested - I suffer from RA and have been considering this as an option.
  • AmandaLY17
    AmandaLY17 Posts: 184 Member
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    http://nutritiondata.self.com/ great website for the nutritional info for foods... one of the things they list is the inflammation factor of whatever food you're looking at.

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