Archive for category Diet

Food to avoid:

All Pasteurized and Dairy Products

Egg Plant / Brinjal

Potatoes

Tomatoes

Corn

Bacon & Pork

Oranges

Refined Sugars

Chemical Sugar Sweetners

MSG (Monosodium glutamate)

Alcohol

Caffeine

Red Meat

Processed food

Common salt

Tobacco

Food to Eat:

Salmon

Flax Seeds

Walnuts

Green Tea

Black Tea

Cherries

Papaya

Bell peppers (yellow, red and green)

Broccoli

Brussel sprouts

Strawberries

Canteloupe

Kiwifruit

Cauliflower (boiled)

Grapefruit

Raspberries

Cod – baked or broiled

Shrimp – steamed or boiled

Snapper – baked or broiled

Tuna – yellowfin, baked or broiled

Halibut – baked or broiled

Salmon – chinook, baked or broiled

Calf’s liver – braised

Whole egg

Turkey breast

Lamb loin – roasted

Barley – cooked

Whole grain oats – cooked

Chicken breast – roasted

Beef tenderloin (lean) – broiled

Garlic

Brown rice – cooked

Tofu – raw

Avacado

Grape Fruit

Best and Worst Foods for Arthritis

“How Do Foods Spark Inflammation? To find the answer, Philip P. Cavicchia, MSPH, a PhD student in the department of epidemiology at the Norman J. Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina, helped design this new inflammatory index. He and his colleagues scored 41 foods and food components thought to positively or negatively affect levels of inflammation, based on a review of all English language, peer-reviewed studies relating to diet and inflammation that were published between 1950 and 2007.

“ Carbohydrates, fat and cholesterol were among the food components most likely to encourage inflammation, while magnesium, beta-carotene, vitamins A, B-6, C, D and E, fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, flavonoids, turmeric and tea were the strongest anti-inflammatories.

Next, using data from the Seasonal Variation of Cholesterol Levels Study (SEASONS), they examined the records of 494 men and women (average age 48), looking specifically at the relationship between the inflammatory index (what they ate) and their blood levels of C-reactive protein (typically called CRP), manufactured by the liver, CRP predicts vulnerability to inflammation and is also elevated in people with obesity, allergies and immune disorders. A lower CRP is thought to translate to reduced risk for heart disease, cancer and other inflammation-related chronic health conditions.

After factoring in variables such as age, weight and smoking status, Cavicchia and his team found that there is indeed a relationship between an anti-inflammatory diet based on the inflammatory index and a reduced level of CRP.

These findings appeared in the December 2009 issue of The Journal of Nutrition.

Now, here are Dr. Rubmanâs picks of the best and worst foods if you want to reduce inflammation in your body.

GOOD FOOD TO EAT IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

1. Wild salmon, mackerel and other omega-3-fatty-acid-rich fish.

2.  Berries.

3.  Green, leafy vegetables (e.g., spinach and kale).

4. Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, etc.)

5. Deeply pigmented produce, such as sweet potatoes, eggplant and pomegranate along with carrots, plums, oranges, peppers, peas and red grapes.

6. Nuts.

7. Whole grains.

8. Tea, specifically black, green and white teas.

9. Cold-pressed fresh oils, including avocado, flaxseed and olive oils in particular.

10. Spices (specifically, garlic, ginger, turmeric, saffron)

BAD FOOD TO EAT IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

1. Desserts made with lots of sugar (cookies, candy, ice cream and so on).

2. Sweetened cereals.

3. White carbohydrates(eg,white bread, rice, potatoes & English muffins)

4. Non-diet soft drinks.

5. Anything containing high-fructose corn syrup.

6. Processed meats (bologna, salami, hotdogs, sausage and others made with preservatives and additives).

7. French fries, potato chips and other fried snack foods.

8. Fast foods, most specifically the ones that are high-fat, high-calorie, high simple carbohydrate which describes most of the offerings at quick-serve restaurants.

9. Margarine, because it contains processed sterols called stanols that have been implicated in both atherosclerosis and various fatty-deposit diseases.

10.Organ meats such as liver, because these often contain undesirable products including antibiotics, fertilizer and other unwanted residues.

How to Feel Better Fast

One bit of information to this “highly inflammatory” list is “almost any food eaten quickly, especially if you drink a lot of liquid while eating”. Please eat slowly, chew thoroughly, avoid liquids during a meal so that you don’t dilute the stomach acid and reduce its ability to help digest food. You are also advised to include items from the “best” list in every meal, every day, while eliminating those from the “worst” list or at least reserving them for an occasional treat. Within weeks, you will decrease your risk for disease, improve your digestion, enjoy more energy and feel better overall.