For many of us, arthritis can be a painful and debilitating condition that adversely affects our ability to perform even the most common daily tasks. Arthritis can be caused by several things, including injuries, abnormal metabolism, genetics, infections, and immune system dysfunction.
Throughout my childhood and teenager years, I sustained a number of injuries, including being trampled by a horse, falling off a cliff while hiking, being run over by a car, wrecking a motorcycle, and wrapping my first car around a telephone pole, all before the age of seventeen.
The results of these incidents included several broken bones, a ruptured kidney and spleen, a collapsed lung, spinal cord damage, and several operations. Although I obviously survived, the doctors warned me that these numerous injuries would cause problems later in life, which they have. The winter months and rainy seasons tend to be the worst, and I have tried just about every method of pain relief known to mankind.
If, like me, you are struggling with arthritis, you might want to first look for natural remedies for your pain. One of the best ways I’ve found find relief for arthritis pain, which is aggravated by inflammation, is to choose the right foods to eat. Here are some different foods that help to reduce inflammation causing your arthritis flare-ups.
Fish
Consuming Omega-3 fatty acids is an excellent way to help reduce inflammation and swelling in your joints. Since this is where arthritis pain comes from, that is what you want to help reduce. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in a variety of foods, but primarily in fish like salmon, mackerel, and tuna.
Baked Salmon with Rice and Veggies
For this reason, I try to eat fish at least a few times per week. Grilled or baked fish and veggies for dinner, tuna in a salad, wrap, or sandwich, or a bagel with cream cheese and lox (thinly sliced smoked salmon) are all healthy and easy choices.
Broccoli
Steamed Broccoli
Broccoli is one of the best vegetables to eat if you suffer from arthritis. Broccoli is a type of cruciferous vegetable that can actually slow down the progression of arthritis. It is also considered a “superfood,” so you’ll also benefit from a lot of excellent nutrients. Some other vegetables that can help with arthritis include cauliflower, bok choy, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage.
Fruit, Especially Berries
If you have arthritis, you’ll also want to consume as many antioxidants as you can, since they can also help with the inflammation in your joints. Anthocyanins are among the most important antioxidants for arthritis; they are abundant in several varieties of berries, including blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries. You can also find them in eggplant, plums, grapes, and cherries.
Berries are super easy to incorporate into your regular diet; for example, you can put them on your cereal, oatmeal, yogurt, or even ice cream. Sounds like a good excuse for a bowl of Breyer’s Natural Vanilla to me!
Spices
Finally, one overlooked type of food to that can help with your arthritis is spices, especially turmeric and ginger. These spices contain natural anti-inflammatory properties, so they are perfect for controlling arthritis pain.
Some spices can help relieve arthritis pain
Spices are also really easy to add to your diet simply by seasoning your food with them, either before or after cooking. There are tons of recipes that use one or both of these spices, and I’ll be posting a few of them soon. You can also add them to smoothies, juice, or detox water. The options are endless!
As you can see, there are numerous ways to use food and spices to help control your arthritis pain. Check back often, as I’ll be publishing some more articles on this topic in the near future.
And in the meantime, be sure to Live Well, Eat Well, and Be Happy!
Lawrence J. Clark: The Mountain Man Gourmet!
p.s. Here are some excellent books with information and recipes to help you fight your arthritis pain with good nutrition:
