Hi all,
I have PA. I want to start a anti inflammatory diet. How long before I might feel some relief? I also notice that when I eat brown rice and oatmeal( my carb goto's) it aggravates my P. Any one else notice this?
Ive tried paleo in past but I lost to much weight. Plus eggs beef dairy and bacon all aggravate me. Any thoughts?
I eat a diet that works for my body. I kept a food diary, and tried removing various foods to see the what that did to my body. The anti-inflammatory diet recommended in books wouldn't work for me. Some of the foods recommended in the diet bother me (brown rice and oatmeal for example), while the diet says they are anti-inflammatory. I can eat some foods contraindicated in the diet.
My advice? If there was a magic diet that worked for everyone, we'd all be doing it. Find out what works for YOUR body and go with that. It won't cure you, but it will make you feel better. And FWIW, some people find that diet doesn't affect their disease AT ALL.
Diet can play a big role in how you feel. Definitely eat foods that help you feel good and avoid those that don't. Most oatmeal is cross-contaminated with gluten, so if you're going gluten-free, make sure you get gf certified oatmeal if you eat oats at all. Cutting out processed foods as much as possible is a great idea for anyone.
For general good health, it's suggested to eat foods as close to their natural state as possible. For me that also means avoiding pesticides, hormones, etc. so I only eat organic produce and natural/organic/etc. meat to avoid reactions.
It does help to keep a food diary and record how you feel throughout the day as well to see if there's a trend in feeling worse when you eat certain foods.
Keep in mind that it takes different amounts of time for different foods to be fully out of your system. For some it's days, for some, like dairy, it's 8-12 weeks!
Hello Carle38
There is plenty of information on the net about what foods are good for your body. I found the best way for me was to research the net for information.
These are things that I try and do. I don't always succeed but I do try and I don't beat myself up over the occassional slip up as I now feel that my body copes with a little just not too much of the wrong foods. I can indulge a little occassionally. I can't always eat what I want when I am in a social situation or away from home but I try and choose carefully when I am out.
Increase your anti-oxidants as they strengthen the immune system and are anti inflammatory and so much more. The list is too long to put on here. Do try and look it up on the net.
Increase your Vitamin C to help your increase your immune system.
Avold the foods that cause inflammation which are Processed foods, saturated and trans fats and white processed cane sugar. Honey and Maple syrup, Agave are good substitutes for sugar. Limit your sugar to no more than 6 teaspoons per day if you can't give it up as that is all the body can cope with without doing damage or putting an overload on the body.
Add the foods known for their benefits, like tummeric, garlic, ginger, chilli, lemon, horseradish and parsley to your food or cooking.
Reduce your intake of red meat and make sure what you do eat is very lean and no bigger in size than the palm of your hand. Look for organic if possible and definately no hormones which is hard to verify unless specifically labelled.
I avoid preservatives. I also avoid chemical additives in my foods and cosmetic and beauty products.
You can't go past the five vegetables and three fruits per day. Make sure there are as many colours in that mix as possible as this increased you eating a variety of vitamins and minerals.
I try and drink plenty of water which is filtered and caffiene free tea. I limit myself to one good coffee per day. No fizzy drinks as just a can of fizzy drink may contain 10 teaspoons of sugar in it. Freshly squeezed juice or make your own with a juice extractor. Check the contents especially the sugar if you buy your juice and if it is too high, water it down you will hardly notice the difference.
I try and get out in the sunshine for ten minutes on most days to get enough Vitamin D. Get out into the fresh air, plenty of sleep which is not always easy for me so I rest often, gentle exercise all help. I feel that it is important to relax and de-stress. Tai Chi is a gentle form of exercise. I swim and when I am not up to swimming I exercise in the pool. I can do some gentle resistance type exercises while sitting in my recliner chair. I feel that food alone is only part of the process of helping our bodies cope with PsA and P skin.
Vitamin and mineral supplements do not work in the same way that foods do and some we need some several times a day and at regular intervals. I do take Fish Oil Capsules because I don't eat any oily fish, because it is a food that I don't like. That does not mean you can't take a multi vitamin capsule daily. Do be very careful with supplements when you eat well as there are serious health consequences if you take too much of specific kinds of supplements.
When I am feeling worse I become very strict about what I eat for a few weeks or until I feel I am back on track. I usually feel the benefit after two weeks. This does not mean I won't have some days with increased joint pain where my movement becomes more difficult. I do bounce back quicker physically and mentally as well as I seem to cope better with dealing with my pain and difficulty moving and my mind seens to stays sharper as well.
I do think that eating healthy helps me avoid going into a bad flare as I can relate my flares to times of me not eating properly for a few weeks. Once in a flare I find it so difficult to shop and prepare food. I have gone over a year without a flare in the past. Good food alone will not get me out of a bad flare. I am trying to cook a double amount so I can build up a supply of cooked meals in my freezer for times when I am not up to cooking. I no longer own or use a microwave because I am not convinced about the safety issues to our health.
If you believe you have an allergy get tested. There is a big difference between an allergy which always causes a reaction and a food sensitivity which is much harder to recognise but they are the ones you also need to recognise and avoid. Mine is preservatives which only slightly affect my skin, but make me feel so sluggish if I eat food with it in. Add that to PsA fatigue and it is not good. I find eating healthy helps with my fatigue but not enough to overcome the affects of fatique from the days following my meds days.
These are only my views on my research and my own experiences. There are many people who do not believe that food makes a difference and I even went through a phase when I doubted this when I was in a bad flare. I have always eaten reasonably healthy all of my life now I have fine tuned it. I think I was disappointed as my expectations were too high. I was hoping for food to cure me even though I know there is no cure. I have since gone back to sticking to eating healthy and I do feel better for it.
There are known facts about what bad eating does to the body and your bloo. The risk categories it puts people into with heart, liver, kidney disease and diabetees and cancer. As PsA sufferers we don't need any more health issues to cope with in our bodies. For that reason alone and for me it is worth eating healthy, but don't expect it to cure yourself but still hope that it will improve your life with PsA. I have read about the miraculous cures to some, but it hasn't worked for me and I would not want to build up false hopes for anyone with PsA.
I do hope that I have helpd in some way. I hope you find what works for you.