Managing arthritis with Food

By Veronica Kirigo

For a long time, Arthritis has been thought to be a disease for old people. However, young people are increasingly suffering from the joints disease due to their lifestyle.

Fortunately, it is a manageable and curable condition when one seeks treatment early enough.

Nutritionists say, it is possible to recover fully provided one changes their lifestyle. Signs of athritis include; swollen, stiff and painful joins. Pain becomes aggravated when one fails to follow the right diet.

The two most common types of arthritis are rheumatoid and osteoporosis. Osteoporosis results from cartilage damage, where wear and tear takes place in the joint, making it tender and painful. Rheumatoid arthritis on the otherhand takes place when the immune system by mistake attacks the lining of the inner side of the joint.

Rheumatoid arthritis can be controlled through avoiding dairy products. Milk ,for example, is known to cause inflammation of the intestines, making them more permeable, thus worsening the rheumatoid.

A proper arthritis diet should, therefore, be devoid of red meat but rich in whole grains. For example, brown rice or brown ugali.

Avoid frying your foods, instead boil or steam them. Eat lots of fruits and drink plenty of water.

With time, you can make your own elimination diet and find the food combination that works best for you, with the help of a nutritionist. For instance, you can prepare brown rice and vegetables, accompanied by fresh juice or fruit. You can then monitor the intensity of the joint pain in the morning or at night. Following such tests, you can slowly eliminate the foods that aggravate your condition.

As your condition improves, ensure to seek the guidance of your doctor on whether to switch to less strong drugs or to stop taking the medication.