Does diet affect RA?

10/27/08

SuziKelley

Topics:RA and diet

Hi! =) I've had RA for 9 1/2 yrs now, and JUST found this site a month or so ago. I'm so thankful I did... I've learned so much! I've heard little bits and pieces around here that some have felt better after giving up soda. I would love more advice about foods/drinks to avoid and foods/drinks that may help this disease. I will admit, I eat like crap right now. I have 4 children of my own full time and 2 stepdaughters part time... and just feeding our crew eats half of my husbands paycheck, so money is tight. Healthy food is expensive, as I'm sure you all know... so we've been eating a lot of cheap convenience foods. (frozen pizzas, frozen salisbury steak, frozen fish patties, etc) I'm also totally addicted to diet coke... but I would be willing to give it up if it really will help.

Any advice would be so appreciated!

Thanks in advance,

Suzi

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Answers (2)

Monday, October 27, 2008

Carol

I try to follow a healthy diet. I do have my bad days. Have you heard of Eating for Optimum Health or The Anti Imflamatory Diet by Dr. Weil? (Google it) First thing he has you do is go through your kitchen and throw out all artifical sugar and anything with trans fats. Your diet soda will go. I think I am sinsitive to artifical sugar but it has more to do with panic attacks for me. I feel beter and lose weight when I go off diet coke. Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center wrote Nutrition & Rheumatoid Arthritis http://www.hopkins-arthritis.org/patient-corner/disease-management/nutinra.html

Thank you for your input
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Friday, November 28, 2008

Kimms

Hi Suzi,

When I first found out that I have RA, I sought help from a Naturopathic Dr in hopes that I could cure it myself. After a year of trying the gamut of supplements and diets, I know that I can't cure the problem with diet alone. HOWEVER, I do know the foods and supplements that make my RA worse and which ones ease the pain.

For me, too much dairy and soy products causes more inflammation and pain, but I can have them in controlled amounts. Gluten (found in all wheat products) definitely causes more inflammation/pain. It's hard to completely give up these products; they're in EVERYTHING. Who knew there was wheat (gluten) in soy sauce?! For me, I only eat gluten on rare occassions, or when someone's made something that looks too good to pass up.

If you're curious and whiling to find out what foods effect you, take them out of your diet completely for a month. Then have one serving of it after a month and see how it affects you. If you notice anything different (ie. more inflammation/pain) then it's possibly making it worse for you. If you don't feel any difference, give yourself a few days (let's say 3) before trying it again. Have two servings the second time but the same principle applies. If you still have no effects and you like the food, I'd keep it in your diet. If it does cause pain/inflammation, you do with that what you want. You can completely take it out of your diet. Or know that when you do eat it, it causes you pain.

Simply to clarify, if you're going to take out soda, you should take out all refined sugars for a month (Good news! You can keep eating 100% honey, agave nectar, and maple syrup). Although this seems like torture, it's only for a month and you'll either find out one of two things. Your body can handle sugar without causing more inflammation, which is GREAT news! Or your body can't handle it and you can be the wiser!

If you're whiling, try it!