A Diet for Arthritis

A diet for arthritis can reduce inflammation and the pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis.

There is so much conflicting advice today concerning diet and arthritis but most everyone agrees that a Mediterranean diet is the most apt to give relief for rhematoid arthritis sufferers.

It is important to understand what the Mediterranean diet is. The Mediterranean Sea covers a very large area. The different countries surrounding the Mediterranean have many different diets. What I am talking about here is the diet of Greece, Crete, and southern Italy. You usually read about this diet being good for the heart and it is. There is also evidence that it reduces inflammation and that is why it is increasingly being recommended for reducing the pain of inflammed joints.

What to Eat on the Mediterranean Diet

• Eat four portions of vegetables and two portions of fruit a day. These can be fresh, frozen, or canned. A portion can be anywhere from 1/4 cup to a half cup. Eat a wide variety. Don't just stick to the same ones every day. Include salad greens and salad vegetables.

• Eat small portions of lean red meat no more than twice a week. Eat more chicken, turkey, and fish. Oily fish such as salmon, tuna, sardines, mackerel, herring, and snapper should be eaten at least twice a week or more. These fish are high in Omega 3 and are known to decrease inflammation. Eggs are also high in Omega 3 and can be substituted for fish. It is not recommended that women who plan on having more children, are pregnant, or are breast feeding eat fish more than twice a week. Read about why you need fish oil supplements at Fish Oil Arthritis.

• Reduce or eliminate completely the kind of fat found in dairy products. Use skim or low-fat milk and yoghurt. Eat only low-fat cheese.

• Use a high quality olive oil for cooking and in salad dressings. Use an olive-oil based margarine instead of butter or other vegetable oil based margarines.

• Eat only whole grain products. When buying bread, read the label. Many so called whole-wheat breads have more bleached white flour than whole wheat. Brown bread is usually just that--it has been colored brown. The heavier the loaf, the more whole grain will be in it. Choose breads that contain nuts and seeds. Bread made with linseed or flax seed is a good choice because these seeds are high in Omega 3.

• Include beans in your diet for arthritis. Put them in soup, salad, and stew.

Buy a good Mediterranean cook book. Shop around and look at several before you buy. You can move to this diet for arthritis in small steps and it will probably be easier that way. It takes time to change eating habits. Even if you abruptly changed your way of eating to the Mediterranean diet, you probably would not see quick changes in how you feel. It might take 12 or more weeks before you noticed an improvement.

You may also be interested in food to avoid with arthritis.