Living with arthritis means living with pain and stiffness on a regular basis. As your joints swell, you feel discomfort and probably some frustration. Doctors, family members and friends have likely recommended hundreds of different health tips and suggestions, but it’s been overwhelming.
Among the array of tips, you don’t know where to start and you may feel helpless.
Take the first step to improving your health by considering the following foods to avoid with arthritis. By focusing on decreasing foods that cause inflammation, you may reduce the pain you experience from arthritis.
Decrease Sugar & Refined Carbs
Once digestion begins, any refined carbs we have eaten are converted into sugar and sugar can cause inflammation in the body. Refined carbs are grains that have been processed, including white flour, breakfast cereal and pasta.
Sugar is found in a variety of products, even those you would not suspect, such as yogurt, ketchup and granola. Make sure to carefully check each label before consuming a food item.
Although the taste can make these foods hard to give up, your arthritis will thank you when you do. Start by substituting candies, milk chocolate and soda for healthier alternatives such as berries, dark chocolate and herbal tea.
Avoid Unhealthy Fats
Fat is necessary for a balanced diet, but there are three types of fat to avoid: saturated fat, trans fat and omega-6 fats. Saturated fats are found in meat, cheese and butter while trans fats typically enter our diets in the form of vegetable oil.
Omega-6s are found in oils made of corn, soy, sunflower, vegetable and safflower. The easiest way to keep unhealthy fats off of your plate is to pick whole foods instead. Fill your plate with nuts, avocados, lean meats and fresh fish.
Eat Less Salt
Too much salt can cause swelling, which may irritate arthritis. When we eat salt, our cells attract and hold onto the liquid. This causes water retention and puts pressure on our blood vessels, which may make those with arthritis uncomfortable.
Products with unnecessary salt include canned, frozen and convenience foods. Reduce your salt by cooking meals at home and skipping the saltshaker.
If the flavor is lacking, try adding more spices into your meals to keep the taste while decreasing your risk of inflammation.
When making changes to your diet to aid your arthritis, spend time focusing on what you can eat rather than what you are trying not to eat. As soon as we tell ourselves we can’t have something, we want it even more.
Each time you make a decision on what to eat, think of the foods that will make you feel your best. By choosing foods other than sugar, refined carbs, unhealthy fats and salt you will feel less inflammation in your body.
This inflammation can hold you back and make you feel uncomfortable. By making a few food changes you can begin living a life with decreased pain from arthritis.
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Bio: Paisley Hansen is an avid student of health and fitness and overall well-being. She has devoted herself to the field, loves acquiring new knowledge about anything related to health and fitness, and leads a very healthy lifestyle for her family to follow.
In recent years she has decided to share much of her knowledge in this field. When she isn’t writing she can usually be found reading a good book, outside with her family or at the gym.
Hometown: Bend, OR United States Occupation: Freelance writer Interests: Fitness, exercising, health, healthy eating, beauty, fashion, wellness, motherhood.
