Most people think that joint pain is a normal consequence of aging. They assume that joint inflammation happens to everyone and they take Advil to cover up the pain. Not true one bit! To me, joint pain signals that there is something the body is trying to convey to you.
Joint inflammation is an overall reflection of systemic inflammation, and it just so happens to settle in the joints. Joint pain in one area does not mean that you don’t have it in other joints. It just may mean that the inflammation is brewing there too and will eventually show up.
Dietary influences are a major contributor to joint inflammation. Inflammatory or acidic foods, such as coffee, tea, sugar, dairy, animal meat, gluten, and some grains are all inflammatory foods, and when ingested, they trigger a signal of chronic inflammation to the immune system. I have watched patients restrict their intake of inflammation-producing or acidic foods and in a brief period of time, their joint pain diminishes.
Acidity can be turned around by alkalinizing your diet. This is done by increasing alkaline foods and avoiding acid foods. The more radical the shift, the faster the results. If you want to test this and would like to do a seven-day alkaline diet start by:
Avoiding Acid-forming foods:
meat
sugar
alcohol and caffeine
refined and processed foods
dairy
wheat
Alcohol
Adding Alkaline-forming foods:
vegetables (all of them)
healthy fats (avocado, nuts, olive oil)
whole grains (e.g.rice, quinoa)
ripe fruits
fresh herbs and spices
General Guidance;
eliminating coffee and tea (green tea is ok)
eliminating all animal products (meat, milk, cheese, yogurt, bacon, smoked meats)
including cooked vegetables in the forms of soups and roasted veggies
including healthy fats such as cold pressed olive oil, flax oil, hemp oil, avocado oil (added in at the end of cooking to preserve their nutrients)
If you can do this above diet, you will see changes in your joint pain. I promise. The longer you stick with the diet, the more you will benefit.
It has always baffled me that a rheumatologist will not inquire about dietary habits but will instead quickly hand you a prescription for Humira for symptom control — a drug prescribed to address joint pain. If there was a diet or a way of changing your lifestyle would you do that instead of being on a drug for the rest of your life to control your joint pain? The goal of treating the upstream cause of your joint pain is not achieved with taking a drug. If you take a medication to control your joint pain and the source of this pain is not eliminated, you will likely end up with additional symptoms that will also require medication to control it.
In addition to dietary changes there are a few nutrients that are powerful reducers of inflammation:
Turmeric or curcumin: This is a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant that can interrupt the same inflammatory pathways that Advil and Ibuprofen can. Take 1-2 grams per day, but be cautious if you are on a blood thinner. Use it in your cooking as much as possible as well.
Omega 3 - You can take it from fish oils or flax seed oils. The essential fatty acids contained in fish oils are the active ingredients and should be in the dose range of: EPA 1200 mg and DHA 800 mg. Take with food ideally for best absorption.
Wobenzyme - This is an enzyme that combats inflammation. It goes to areas of inflammation in the body and “digests” the inflammatory cells. Useful in the beginning to bring down inflammatory symptoms. Take 5 tablets on an empty stomach, twice per day. After you are successful with the above diet, you will likely not need this.
For more information on how to reduce inflammation in your diet this is a good resource: https://www.amazon.com/Anti-Inflammatory-Diet-Action-Plans-Restor
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