This has been probably been discussed ad nauseum, but has anyone modified their diet with any success? Experience any improvement?
I'm starting to add fermented foods to my not so great diet in hope of improving said diet. My goal is to move toward a paleo type diet...eventually...
As fermented foods go scotch tops the list. I'm not that familiar with the caveman diet, but I do hope its not the raw version!!!! Eliminating legumes, carbs (sugar), and such has helped many of us. They all contribute to inflammation. I suspect though its more a case of gluten intolerance and liver taxing than anything. Best of luck....
I've found beneficial changes over the years from eliminating high fructose corn syrup (hcfs), hydrogenated and partially-hydrogenated oils, trans fats, monosodium glutamate (msg), gluten (I have celiac), and am working on eliminating/moderating other foods from my diet as well - dairy and nightshades included. I eat foods as close to their natural state as possible, rarely eat processed foods, and try to eat organic, local food and humanely raised meats.
If only I could have scotch or any fermented beverage for that matter...damn methotrexate. I'm not going the way of the raw caveman diet, just trying to eliminate the processed crap as well as gluten and possibly dairy and now nightshades...thanks, nym. I have to travel on business a lot which makes adhering to a diet quite difficult.
I was just pulling your chain on the raw. When travelling, you can normally get by with the lo-carb options on most menus or Argentine barbecues!!!
Sounds like you and lamb are going to get on great with the love of coffee and Scotch! LOL!!
As for me, I am more careful what I eat when the grandkids are here, as I always want to provide the very best of foods for them.
The biggest help to me, in my situation, is to add a digestive enzyme, all plant based, helps me to break down foods. Being older I have less digestive juices, then the GB extraction really make it difficult. Sometimes take OX bile too. And yes, all of my Docs know.
We have our raised bed veggie gardens and will be eating fresh green beans, squash, onions, tomatoes and herbs throughout the season, we also blanch, cut and freeze corn every summer, we buy the corn locally.
I like Scotch but it doesn't like me...nasty headaches. I've started eating raw sauerkraut which has a number of good bacteria in it as well as drinking kefir. Time will tell if it helps or not.
Kefir?????? Rotten milk mixed with rotten grain. That doesn't sound very paleo......... The best thing to put into a goat skin botta bag is fermented grapes for skiing not half done cheeses and half done beer (IMHO)......
Hey Coffee! YES! I have had some luck with changing my diet, in fact I've lost 30lbs since november, and who knows if it is the weight loss or the actual foods that are helping most, but whatever, I'm happy! here's what I've done, my rhu recommended the omega diet, which is hard to follow and expensive, so I do what I can with it, eat fish when I can, buy my peanutbutter with omega3 in it, and in general just look for foods high in that kind of fat (walnuts, tuna... etc) and then eat (very)reasonable portions. I have cut out most read meat with exception of the lean red meats, and have substituted ground beef for ground turkey.
I saw this article several months ago, bought the book and have taken many of his ideas and implemented them into my own diet. http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/04/27/chef-fights-rheumatoid-arthritis-with-hero-foods/
I avoid processed foods the best I can, for me processed=flare up. My goal is to get off all my meds and if the foods I eat are preventing me from doing this, then I am not working towards my goal.
Ever done a 5k? Check this out http://www.arthritis.org/jingle-bell-run.php
I did a 5k for the first time in March, and a walk for the arthritis foundation in May.
Pain be gone! You can do this!!
You all crack me up. The downside....I want a freakin' beer and can't. Stupid Mtx! BTW, I'm trying dietary measures and don't see huge improvements yet. I haven't cut sugar yet. I have gone GF, drastically reduced red meat intake, no caffeine, no hfcs, and very little dairy. I have increased fresh fruit and veg intake as well as fish. I did notice something interesting after not having any nightshade veg and then enjoying some homemade Baba Ganoush which was awesome. Eggplant (a nightshade) seems to do me in BIG. Not sure yet about tomatoes (I'd be sad because my fav snack is salsa). Damn, I still want that beer. : )
tntlamb said:
Kefir?????? Rotten milk mixed with rotten grain. That doesn't sound very paleo......... The best thing to put into a goat skin botta bag is fermented grapes for skiing not half done cheeses and half done beer (IMHO)......
omg dmara, I have a cherry wheat sam adams in my fridge that I am just waiting to down as soon as I get the ok to get off mtx.... still waiting......
I keep trying to be practical about my symptoms and such. I have a rheumy appointment on the 30th of Jul. I don't think the mtx is working anyway, but I don't want to sound like I want off of Mtx (at least to the rheumy) just because I'd love to have a beer! I'm not sure what would be best anyway and if getting off of mtx and/or adding a biologic would be akin to getting out of the frying pan and into the fire, so to speak. I've been on the mtx since March and don't notice much of a difference. I'm wondering what the next step will be. Some things are worse actually, like neck and ribcage. It's so bewildering sometimes.
Humble opinion? Is that what this means? LOL!!
tntlamb said:
Kefir?????? Rotten milk mixed with rotten grain. That doesn't sound very paleo......... The best thing to put into a goat skin botta bag is fermented grapes for skiing not half done cheeses and half done beer (IMHO)......
I have the ribcage problem, Demara, was just talking to Petunia about that! Have not had it bad enough to be called 'an attack' since Enbrel! That is fabulous news for me!
DMaraJade said:
I keep trying to be practical about my symptoms and such. I have a rheumy appointment on the 30th of Jul. I don't think the mtx is working anyway, but I don't want to sound like I want off of Mtx (at least to the rheumy) just because I'd love to have a beer! I'm not sure what would be best anyway and if getting off of mtx and/or adding a biologic would be akin to getting out of the frying pan and into the fire, so to speak. I've been on the mtx since March and don't notice much of a difference. I'm wondering what the next step will be. Some things are worse actually, like neck and ribcage. It's so bewildering sometimes.
Lamb, you're correct the kefir isn't paleo, and I agree wine in the bota bag is a hell of a lot tastier. I'm not sure I could go full paleo anyways.
Angie, good to here your diet is making a bit of a difference. Unfortunately, I won't be running any 5k races or any races. I have damage in both knees and had a total shoulder replacement done last year. I'm 45 and I would rather not go through another joint replacement anytime soon. However, I sure would like a pint of black butte porter right about now.
Dmara, I see my rheumy in Aug and I'm hoping she takes me off the mtx. The psoriasis is much better but the joint pain hasn't improved all that much.
Anyone have pain in the sternum where the second rib attaches?
Yep, for years. At one point my husband took me to see Doc, I was so bad, couldn't pick up a tea cup, wouldn't take pain meds, they held me down, gave me a shot of Demerol in the sternum area, I will never forget it! Whew! It knocked it out of me for a long time, but I get it back.
Had a Chiropractic appointment yesterday, that helps, but of course I am sore from it today, trying to stretch that out.
My Rheumatologist told me that it could be tendonitis that it can be very prevalent in that area. But I do not have a concrete answer. The Enbrel seems to help a little!
Fortunately, I haven't had pain in my sternum since I was in my early twenties, now I just have a nice bump where the joint fused together. This does help to confirm my suspicions that my PsA started in my teens and that I'm not imaging things.
Wonder if that is the noticable bump about T 7 on my mid back? Someone brought this up before and they are talking about this very thing right now on the Fibromyalgia site.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/costochondritis/DS00626
Could be the name for it, but what you mentioned could be the cause of it, who knows!
ineedcoffee hope you find something that works well. I'm not sure if I should keep taking the mtx or not. I've been on it since March and have not noticed much improvement. I'm early in my dx so I don't know what phase 2 will be. The mtx did nothing to help the psoriasis either. The upside was that I seem to tolerate the mtx well which was a relief since I don't tolerate many other meds very well. I wonder how many of us think that the drug isn't working, go off it, only to have the flare act up exponentiallly. Maybe the mtx worked better than I thought? Some days I just don't know anymore. I still limp quite a bit, still have trouble in the mornings, and now some new areas are flaring up. However, this dang thing hopscotches all over the place, so I never know what to expect from day to day. On a good day, I end up over doing it and pay dearly for the next two. I haven't studied my spoon theory too well! LOL If you don't know what that is, there are other links to it within this forum somewhere. Try a search on it, or just google it. Anyway, I don't know what to expect from my third Rheumy visit at the end of this month. I feel that I'm not a very good judge at my pain levels...reality gets in the way. Yes, it wakes me up, yes, I have swelling, yes, I often limp...but I see others post horrific stories of pain and I just don't know how to guage this. I don't feel like I should complain since I have no joint damage. I'm still riding this roller coaster of a learning curve I suppose.
ineedcoffee said:
Lamb, you're correct the kefir isn't paleo, and I agree wine in the bota bag is a hell of a lot tastier. I'm not sure I could go full paleo anyways.
Angie, good to here your diet is making a bit of a difference. Unfortunately, I won't be running any 5k races or any races. I have damage in both knees and had a total shoulder replacement done last year. I'm 45 and I would rather not go through another joint replacement anytime soon. However, I sure would like a pint of black butte porter right about now.
Dmara, I see my rheumy in Aug and I'm hoping she takes me off the mtx. The psoriasis is much better but the joint pain hasn't improved all that much.