Arthritis

Arthritis is an inflammatory condition, like all other "itis's"- think of sinusitis, otitis, prostatitis, mastitis, rhinitis, colitis, for example.

It can affect any joint- the prescription is the same, regardless of where you may have it.

Part of the standard treatment is to give anti-inflammatories. First used were the steroidal ones, which are misnamed, because they are actually Cortico-steroids, and not at all steroid like! These are incredibly harmful to health- they paralyse immunity, freak out brain chemistry, and wreck gut health. And they are still widely used! Enter the non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, with less side effects? Not! They are just as full of side effects, only they are slightly different. They tend to hammer the kidneys and liver, as well as wreck the gut.

What to do?

Go on an anti-inflammatory diet, for starters. No side effects!  This alone can give serious relief for arthritis sufferers, but for those who 'want to go all the way', there is more.

Anti-inflammatory diet how I would do it;

1. No nightshades which are tomatoes, eggplants, potatoes, and peppers- especially sweet peppers. Black pepper is ok- I am talking about the vegetable here.

2. No dairy. No milk, no cheese, no yogourt or kefir, and no milk or cream in your coffee or tea.

3. Find out your blood type diet, and follow the right diet for your blood type. My blood type pages on this site are a good intro.

4. Only consume red meat if it is appropriate for your blood type.

ADD

5. Fish oil to your diet- a good tablespoon a day. Don't mess around with pills.

6. Water- drink up- and/ or herbal tea. Go through 2.5-3 litres a day, minimum.

7. Antioxidant action- go for 400-800iu per day of vit E, and 2000-5000mg per day of vit C. Add other antioxidants if you feel like it.

8. Detox!! Really- it will totally help! (ref. 1, at the bottom of the page is one of many studies proving this!)

Helpful Supplements 

MSM - I like the opti brand- see the side label, and see if your brand is sourcing from Opti MSM. ALl the better ones do.

Pancreatin - wonderful anti-inflammatory- I have had very strong positive feedback on this one.

Turmeric - get the powder, in bulk, organic from a health store- I would take 1 or more tablespoons a day- far better and cheaper than the turmeric pills!

Bromelain - works well with Bromelain. I like the Trophic Super Bromelain product.

Remember, recommendation number 8. Detox is the most powerful aid on this page. If you want to be lazy and start with the easier stuff, that is ok- just remember- it all works better when we detox our bodies.

Also helpful is massage- to bring healing improved circulation to the area. Stiff muscles and tissues can really aggravate arthritis, by choking off blood, lymph, and healing prana/ energy supply.

 

Gout

As with many conditions, the popular thinking on gout somewhat misses the boat, since most professionals parrot what they are taught, and don't keep up with the research.

Standard recommendations for persons with gout is to stay away from alcohol, and high- purine foods, such as dark meats, organ meats, dark fish, and dark beans.

One of my clients drank heavily, and did not want to curb his eating of rich foods. Following the above list is a real challenge for some people. So, I found research that linked gout attacks to elevated insulin levels. Lowering insulin levels was more effective than following the low purine, low alcohol diet!
So, I put this person on pancreatin (5-8 per day), and chromium (500-1000 mcg per day), both of which are well proven to reduce insulin. He started drinking MORE, against my advice, but with his supplements, his debilitating gout attacks were GONE.

Now, I am not advocating eating an unhealthy diet. I just know that for some people, certain recommendations are unrealistic, for them. I might find it easy to have 5-10 drinks PER YEAR, while others would rather die, than curb certain foods, drinks, or behaviours. When I can, I find alternatives for clients who need them.

Other proven methods of lowering insulin? Just read my fat loss pages, since real fat loss relates to lowering insulin levels- they are one and the same. So, now we know that high insulin levels contribute to gout, as well as excess body fat.
Syndrome X is a symptom picture, described best by Dr. Gerald Reaven, where we see the links between high insulin levels, or insulin resistance, causing obesity, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and other hyperlipidemias. Insulin is best kept at low levels, for everyone, regardless of how thin they may be.

 

References

1. Müller, H. , Toledo, F. W. de , Resch, K. L. Fasting followed by vegetarian diet in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic review.   
Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology, 2001, Vol. 30, No. 1, pp. 1-10