Tag Archives: Arthritis Diet

Rheumatoid Arthritis – Indian Diet Plan

One of the most common types of arthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, is still baffling scientists the world over. Patients suffering from this disease face pain and swelling in the joints of bones. The suffering can be reduced by following a carefully devised diet plan that is based on an Indian diet chart.

Vulnerabilities of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is suspected to be the result of aging and consumption of unhealthy food items. It is found to be more prevalent in women over the age of 40 years. Another cause is the presence of uric acid in unusually high levels in the human body.

Suggested food items for patients suffering from Rheumatoid Arthritis

The suggested Arthritis Diet Plan for patients having rheumatoid arthritis can be broken down into four categories:

  1. Vegetables and Fruits: Papaya, Cucumber, Apple, Drumstick, Pointed Gourd (Parwal), Indian Round Gourd (Tinda), Bitter Gourd (Karela), and Bottle Gourd (Lauki).
  2. Lentils (Dal): Red Lentil (Masoor Dal), Pigeon Peas (Arhar Dal), and Mung Bean (Moong Dal).
  3. Grains: Wheat, Barley, and Old Rice. Old rice is preferred because of the dried and dehydrated nature of rice grains.
  4. Other Foods: Buttermilk, Creamless Milk, Lukewarm Water, Ghee, Garlic, Ginger, Rock Salt, Black Salt, Oil, Black Pepper, Coriander, Cumin, Castor Oil, Asafetida (Hing), Celery, and Fennel.

Food items to be avoided while suffering from Rheumatoid Arthritis

A patient with rheumatoid arthritis should avoid the following food items:

  1. Vegetables and Fruits: Root vegetables such as Potato, Carrots, and Radish, Mustard Vegetables, Ladyfinger.
  2. Lentils (Dal): Black Chickpeas (Kala Chana), Chickpea (Chana), Garbanzo Beans Kabuli Chana), and Peas.
  3. Grain: Refined Wheat (Maida) and New Rice.
  4. Other Foods: Fish, Milk, Yoghurt, Jaggery, Cold Drinks, Chilled Water, Cold Food, Excess Salt, Impure Water, Dry Vegetables, Hard-to-Digest and Fried Items, Food Infected with Fungus.
  5. Food Items to be Strictly Avoided: Spicy and Oily Food, Food Prepared from Refined Flour, Fast Foods, Pickles, Oily Food, Canned Food, JunkFood, and Non-Vegetarian Soup.

Suggested Rheumatoid Arthritis Diet Plan  with an Indian touch

  1. Immediately After Waking Up
    • Before brushing your teeth, consume a glass of lukewarm water on an empty stomach.
    • Take some Aloe Vera juice and Indian Gooseberry (Amla) before having your breakfast.
  2. For Breakfast
    • Single-cup of coffee or tea made from low-fat milk.
    • Poha / Upma (Semolina) / Sprouted Grains / Oatmeal (Namkeen Dalia) / 2-3 Multigrain Biscuits / Fruit Salad (Apple, Banana, Papaya).
  3. For Lunch
    • A couple of thinly cooked chapatis (Indian Bread).
    • 1 plate of green salad.
    • 1 bowl of boil green vegetables.
    • 1 1 bowl of moong dal.
  4. Evening Tea-Time Snack
    • Any beverage that has low-fat.
    • A couple of biscuits or a cup of vegetable soup.
  5. For Dinner
    • A couple of thin chapatis.
    • 1 bowl full of moong dal.
    • 1 bowl of green vegetables that are rich in fiber.
  6. Half an hour before Bedtime
    • Mix 15 ml castor oil in 1 cup of milk or lukewarm water and drink it 30 minutes before you sleep.

Focus Areas for Patients Suffering from Rheumatoid Arthritis

  • Avoid internal organ injuries
  • Maintain a bare minimum physical movement of the body and bone joints by exercising
  • Regulate your weight. If it is beyond the normal range, consider doing some activities to shed some weight.
  • Avoid stretching of muscles and joints.

Some Basic Things to Look After if Suffering from Rheumatoid Arthritis

  • Try to wake up early, before sunrise if possible.
  • Take proper care of dental hygiene by brushing your teeth twice a day and cleaning your tongue every day.
  • Practice Yoga and Meditation every day.
  • Eat freshly cooked warm means, in a calm and quiet place, with a positive mind and a smile on your face.
  • Span out your meals into 3-4 times a day but don’t skip meals.
  • Try to fast once a week.
  • Eat slowly and chew your food properly.
  • Each meal should be followed by a 3–5-minute walk as it helps with digestion.
  • Avoid staying up late at night and sleep early instead.

While Rheumatoid Arthritis is a painful disease, the pain and agony can be overcome by following a carefully planned diet plan with natural supplements and maintaining the basic physical activity of the body.

 

Arthritis Self-Care: 5 Healthy & Easy Anti-Inflammatory Recipes

Arthritis results from the inflammation of joints in our body. Around 200 conditions are affecting our joints and their connecting tissues and are called rheumatic conditions. Arthritis patients often go through a lot of pain and stiffness along with swelling in their joints. These symptoms can occur either suddenly or over a period that can also involve many organs of the body and the immune system.

One of the most important things along with getting proper treatments while suffering from arthritis is taking charge of it yourself, and looking for options of self-care at home. This starts by understanding what kind of diet and meals are important.

These meals should be anti-inflammatory and should work on boosting your immune system and strengthening your bones. But more than all these things these meals should be tasty and full of nutrition.

Below are some healthy recipes that you can try at home for all four meals.

Oat porridge with fruits

Oat porridge

 

  • Take 1 cup of oats (use gluten-free if possible) add the oats to a saucepan over medium heat to toast. Keep stirring the pan every 2-3 minutes till it is done.
  • Now take 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. After reducing the heat to a simmer, add the oats and cook for another 25 minutes until they are tender. Now, add a little milk or any dairy-free alternative as per your choice. Add a pinch of salt to the oats and top it with some fresh fruits, some almonds (sliced would be better), pumpkin seeds, and any other nuts or seeds of your choice. Sprinkle some maple syrup or any sweetener of your taste and eat it up!

Scrambled eggs with turmeric

Scrambled eggs

 

  • Take 3 white or brown organic eggs, whisk them and add a pinch of freshly grated turmeric, a spoon of chia seeds, a pinch of sea salt, some coconut milk and set aside.
  • Now take 1 teaspoon of the olive oil you have at home and pour it into a pan on low heat. Take around 100 g of baby spinach leaves either in full form or chopped and add it to the pan sautéing it gently for around 30 seconds until it’s cooked and then remove the cooked spinach from the heat and keep it aside in a bowl.
  • Heat the same pan with another teaspoon of olive oil and let it heat over a medium flame. As soon as the oil is hot, pour the whisked eggs gently stir through them till they start to set and become a little creamy. Now add the spinach and cook thoroughly.

Pineapple smoothie

Pineapple Smoothie

 

  • Take some bananas, pineapples, kale, honey, Greek yogurt, almond milk, and peanut butter for your ingredients as they are rich in fiber and protein. Add them to your blender and blend until smooth.
  • If you have a regular blender than a smoothie maker, start by adding almond milk and kale first. Once they are blended properly then start adding one ingredient at a time.
  • Depending on the thickness, you can add almond milk or ice to give it the texture you want.

Baby spinach and mushroom frittata

Spinach and Mushroom

 

  • To make baby spinach and mushroom frittata, you will need 6 white or brown organic eggs, ¼ cup or 250 ml of milk, and one cup of cheese cheddar. Take a large bowl, put the eggs and some milk and whisk them until smooth, add some cheese and season it with some salt and a pinch of pepper. Once done, keep the bowl on the side.
  • But before starting your preparations, preheat your oven to 180 °C (350 °F) with the tray in the center and buttering a 20-cm (8-inch) square baking dish.
  • Now take one onion and chop it thinly along with 4-5 mushrooms that are sliced. Take a pan, add some butter around 3 tablespoons, add the chopped onions and sauté them till they are brown. Now add the sliced mushrooms and continue sauteing. Add some baby spinach and continue cooking while stirring for a minute or more till it’s cooked. Add some salt and pepper.
  • Now, put the mushroom and spinach mixture into the egg mixture. Keep stirring while you pour into the baking dish. Bake your frittata for 25 minutes or until it’s light browned and puffed. Now, cut the frittata into squares. Remove the squares and place them on a plate and serve warm or cold.

Sweet potato black bean burger

Burger

 

  • To prepare this amazing and healthy burger, you will need ½ cup of quinoa which needs to be washed with cold water then boil in a pan on low flame for about 15 minutes. Remove the mater, separate the grains with a fork and let them set aside to cool down.
  • Now, take one large sweet potato and poke it several times with a fork. Place the poked potato in the microwave and cook it for about 4 minutes till it is soft and thorough. (Don’t overcook the sweet potato as it will get hard otherwise). You can also roast these potatoes in an oven at about 400 degrees F for 30 minutes until they are tender. Now, remove the skin once they are cool.
  • Take a bowl and add a cup of black beans, cooked sweet potato, ½ cup of diced red onions, ½ cup of chopped cilantro, 2 cloves of garlic, a teaspoon of cumin, 2 teaspoons of Cajun seasoning spicy, and put them in a grinder and grind until the batter is ready.
  • Now, mix both the mixture and the quinoa, adding salt and pepper for taste, and mix some oat flour that is enough help to create patties. Divide this mixture into 6 patties and place them in the refrigerator for 30 mins. This will help the patties to bind.
  • To create the avocado-cilantro cream, take the food processor bowl, put ¼ cup of sour cream or Greek yogurt, ½ large diced avocado, c2 tablespoon of chopped cilantro, and one tablespoon of lime juice. Process them together till they are smooth adding a pinch of salt to taste. You can place the Sause in the fridge till you prepare the burgers.
  • Now to prepare the burgers, heat the pan on medium heat and spray it with either coconut or olive or canola oil. Now, place in your skillets and pan-fry for about 3-4 minutes on each side until they are golden brown.
  • Your burgers are ready to serve with buns, some sprouts, cream, and any desired toppings of your choice.

Try these easy-to-cook and healthy recipes that will help you look after your health. These recipes are anti-inflammatory and will help you boost your immune system and strengthen your bones.

Foods and Beverages to Avoid with Arthritis

Living with arthritis in this day and age is more common than you know. In fact, up to 40% of men and 47% of women may be diagnosed with osteoarthritis during their lifetime. Both rheumatoid arthritis and Psoriatic arthritis are chronic inflammatory diseases. They are also auto-immune diseases that have no known causes. Having said that, they are also progressive diseases that means managing the condition is mostly carried out by lifestyle changes which ultimately slows down its effects and progress.

Arthritis, though a chronic, and painful health condition can be managed through a healthy diet.  It has not been proven medically but people suffering from arthritis have claimed effective and positive results by changing their lifestyle and taking herbal supplements.

In most cases, people are aware that staying active and eating healthy would cure arthritis and bring about good results. However, they are not aware of the foods they should be avoiding while suffering from this disease.

We have got you covered, take a look at the following list of foods and beverages you must avoid if you are suffering from arthritis:

Refined Carbohydrates and Sugar

Refined Sugar

 

Whether or not you have a liking for sweets, it is the go-to food item for days when you wish to feel better emotionally or physically (during cramps and pains, etc.). The fact remains it is not easy to give up on sugary items and they are no less than addiction. Most of us, like our meals with soft drinks and other sugary sodas.

Sweet treats like cookies, pastries, candies, donuts, etc. are full of refined sugars which is harmful to the body. If you find glucose, fructose, or any word that ends in ‘ose’ in the ingredient list of the edible product you are purchasing; you must keep it back as it is packed with refined sugars. Other harmless products like baked goods and white bread are also packed with refined sugars which you must avoid to improve your health condition.

Dairy Products

Dairy Products

 

This one’s a shocker as it is a universal fact that dairy must be consumed to get enough vitamin D and calcium. It is encouraged and promoted right from our childhood to consume products rich in calcium, particularly, dairy. However, you also must know that dairy also increases inflammation in the body as it contains saturated fats.  Therefore, you must keep a check on your dairy consumption. Lifestyles changes should not be sudden, you can gradually reduce dairy by switching to low-fat dairy products for starters.

Alcohol

Alcohol

 

Alcohol is toxic for your body regardless of your health condition. Nevertheless, it is one of the major contributing factors to inflammation. Moderate and occasional drinking is not harmful but if you are suffering from arthritis, you must avoid it at all costs.  Another major reason why alcohol is not recommended is that it would hamper the effects of the strong medicines prescribed to a patient suffering from arthritis. Your body will not be positively receptive to the medicines. Therefore, a big no to alcohol and alcoholic beverages.

Processed and Red Meat

 

Red Meat

 

Again, inflammation is inevitable due to the consumption of processed and red meats. High levels of inflammatory markers like interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), and homocysteine are present in red meats and processed meats which are harmful to people suffering from arthritis. In a rather detailed study, it has been proven that people with Rheumatoid arthritis complained of conditions worsening due to diets heavy in red and processed meats.

Gluten

 

Gluten

 

Gluten is a family of proteins found in grains including barley, wheat, spelt, and rye. Wheat among all is the most of all gluten-containing grains. There have researches conducted to prove that gluten, after all, is a major contributing factor for increased inflammation, and reducing it may reduce the effects of arthritis symptoms. This is why people suffering from celiac disease are at a greater risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. It is a known fact that celiac disease sufferers often have inflammation and joint pain as symptoms. Gluten can be found in some other harmless food items like soups, soy sauce, pasta, and couscous, etc. Be wary of gluten content in medications, vitamins, and supplements.

Omega-6 Fatty Acids and Fried items

 

Omega fatty acid

 

Regardless of the kind of oil you use to cook your food, fried foods are never good for your health. They are high in trans fats and therefore, it would be best to eat broiled or grilled foods. Why? Because not only do trans fats lead to tons of life-threatening diseases but also increases inflammation. Some varieties of vegetable oils are toxic to your health. Heavy diets rich in omega-6 fats and low in omega-3 fats increase the severity of the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. This means avoid butter, coconut oil, lard, margarine, etc. as much as you can. Fried foods are dangerous as the most common oils used for frying like corn oil and vegetable oil are rich in omega-6 fatty acids. Also, frying itself as a cooking method can lead to inflammation.

Artificial sweeteners

 

Artificial Sweetener

 

This is going to be disappointing for some to digest but as healthy as they seem, that is just a marketing gimmick, they are a lot more harmful. Artificial sweeteners or aspartame seem perfect as you require a very little amount of it to get a good amount of sweetness in your teas and other beverages but since they are artificially processed, humans cannot digest it easily, this results in increased inflammation.

The Bottom Line

Arthritis, regardless of how uncomfortable the journey is, it gets better with the right choices in life. Take control of your dietary habits and a daily dose of ayurvedic supplements for joint pain, you will soon see a reduction in inflammation and its inducing symptoms.