Welcome back. Glad to see you here in Carol’s Corner. Hope you’re nice and warm where you are, cause were having an Artic Blast. So get comfy and stay awhile. My outfit for today was picked out especially to go with my newest FitBit band and it couldn’t be more perfect, down to the colors and the pattern. The blouse and the band are in perfect sync.

So last night we talked about foods or groups of foods that were beneficial to someone with a a Rheumatoid disease. Tonight we are going to explore what to avoid. Again this information will come from Healthline.com Arthritis is a general term encompassing conditions that share joint pain and inflammation. Typical treatments involve pain reducing medications, among other things. While there is no definitive Arthritis diet, research suggests including anti-inflammatory foods in your diet, and limiting foods that may trigger joint pain. Researchers at The Mount Sinai School of Medicine examined disease prevention through diet. Their findings showed that “cutting back on the consumption of fried and processed foods, such as fried meats and prepared frozen meals, can reduce inflammation and actually help restore the body’s natural defenses”. Specifically what can you do? Cut down on the fried and processed foods you consume, and include more fruit and vegetables in your diet. The next area is kind of interesting and it’s called” Lowering Your AGE’s”. Of course this does not refer to how many birthdays you’ve celebrated . An “advanced glycation end product” or AGE for short, is a toxin that appears when foods are heated, grilled, fried, or pasteurized . AGE’s damage certain proteins in the body, and the body tries to break these AGE’s apart by using cytokines, which are inflammatory messengers. Depending on where the AGE’s occur, they may result in Arthritis or other forms of inflammation. Again what can you do? A 2009 study found that reducing the amount of foods cooked at high temperatures in your diet, could potentially reduce blood AGE levels. Number four on the list of foods to avoid is (here it comes) sugar and refined carbs. You gotta know that all the things you love are bad for you. High amounts of sugar in the diet result in an increase in AGES’s. As we just discussed , an increase in AGE’s can result in inflammation. And you’re just gonna love the answer to the what can we do question. Are you ready? Here it comes! Cut out candies, processed foods, white flour baked goods, and soda to reduce your Arthritis pain. So to inject a little humor here, trying to get healthy can be a pain in itself. Next up, here we go again. When we’re done with this you’re gonna think there’s not many things left to eat. Ok, so the next group of avoidance foods is Dairy products. Dairy products may contribute to Arthritic pain , due to the type of protein they contain. According to The Physicians Committee For Responsible Medicine, for some people this protein may irritate the tissue around the joints. Some sufferers of Arthritic pain have had success switching to a vegan diet which contains no animal products whatsoever. Kudo’s to you if you can do that, but that is just not something I could ever do. So this is the answer to the “What can you do?” question . Rather than getting your protein from meat and dairy, get the bulk of your protein souces from vegetables like spinach, nut butters, tofu, beans,lentils, and quinoa. The next group of avoidance foods is Alcohol and Tobacco. Tobacco and alcohol use can lead to a number of health problems, including some that may affect your joints. Smokers are more at risk for developing Rheumatoid Arthritis, while those who consume alcohol have a higher risk of developing gout. Here are your answers to the “what can you do? “question . Healthy joints require a balanced diet, physical activity, and an adequate amount of rest- all of which can be compromised by alcohol and tobacco use. Cut back on drinking and smoking and ramp up your eating habits with healthy choices,regular exercise, and good quality sleep. Moving on, the next group to avoid is Salt and Preservatives. Are you starting to feel like you need to avoid almost everything? Know what’s in your foods. Many foods contain excessive salt and other preservatives to promote longer shelf lives. For some people excess consumption of salt may result in inflammation of the joints. It may be worth trying, to reduce your salt intake to as modest a level as possible. And so we arrive at that ever burning question “what can you do?”. Read labels to avoid preservatives and additives. This can be a tall order, since just about anything you buy that is not produce would contain both. Less salt will help manage your arthritis, so avoid prepared meals. Though they’re convenient , microwaveable meals are usually very high in sodium. Ok , we’re getting to the end, and as I write this, I’m laughing at myself, cause I here myself saying it in my head just like Leslie says that line in her videos. You have no idea how many times I find myself doing something like that . I always have the same voice inflections she uses and everything . It’s really quite funny. So I think this is our last category of avoidance foods. And this would be corn oils. Many baked goods and snacks contain corn oil and other oils that are high in omega-6 fatty acids. While your taste buds like these treats they may trigger inflammation. Some studies have looked at the pain relieving effects of omega-3s on individuals with Rheumatoid Arthritis , and have found that fish oil, which contains omega-3s, may help with joint pain relief in certain people. So here goes with the last answer to that ever burning question, repeat after me,”what can you do?”. Replace foods containing omega -6 fatty acids with healthy , anti-inflammatory Omega-3 alternatives such as olive oil, nuts, flax seeds, and pumpkin seeds. So in conclusion, there is no established Arthitis Diet plan. What works for one person, might not work for another.Trial and error will help you determine which foods you need to eliminate. In general Arthritis patients are advised to maintain a healthy body weight and eat a balanced diet. I am going to post the links to the material I used for both issues. Within each one are many links you probably are going to want to read.

http://www.healthline.com/health-slideshow/8-foods-fight-arthritis#1

That’s for the first one.

http://www.healthline.com/health-slideshow/foods-to-avoid-with-arthritis

Remember, look through the site andI’m sure you will want to pursue some of the links you will find there. Be sure to bookmark them so they will be easy to find another time. It is my pleasure to be the researcher for the people in my group and to any in the Leslie Sansone group. God has shown me that this is my calling and my purpose, and that this is my gift, and I promise to always use that gift to the best of my ability. It is an honor to be able to do so. The weekend will be in full swing. Have a great one. Stay Strong , stay focused. Keep your goals in the forefront of your mind. Stay in the journey. Love it,live it, do it. Till next time, God bless.

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