How keeping a journal will help relieve arthritis
Sonia Jones ND from The Haven Spa and Health Clinic
It is very important you keep a daily journal to help you understand and manage your arthritis. This can be done in an out of date diary costing next to nothing or a beautiful journal bought from the gift store or record everything on your computer its up to you.
1) write down everything you eat and drink – everything. Even down to those fresh breath things or chewing gum.
2) list the ingredients of food you eat – for example pasta is not enough info – pesto sauce then list the ingredients.
3) it is a good idea to note the time you ate -what ever it was.
4) how do you feel, what symptoms do you have etc etc? For example did you sleep well? Do you have a headache? Do you have any cravings today? More energy or less energy? More or less pain? More or less joint stiffness?
5) list the supplements you remembered to take.
6) as you remove certain foods from your diet – note any reactions, withdrawal symptoms etc.
The only way you will notice any patterns is to note everything and then work like a detective. Believe me it really will help you understand your arthritis better and help you treat it – reducing pain and inflammation.
Read MoreNatural remedies for reducing pain in arthritis
Even though I am going to advise on natural substances that will help reduce pain, I would still stress you need to change your diet to a healthier one, to help reduce the inflammation your body is producing in the first place. However, when pain becomes chronic any natural help and relief is welcomed.
Research has demonstrated that some nutrients are very affective in reducing pain. Lets take vitamin C for instance – a deficiency causes scurvy, bleeding gums, tender joints and pain plus a considerable amount of other things.
Research had revealed that vitamin C taken with bioflavonoids and something like bromelain or a digestive enzyme for proteins worked better than a NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) in reducing inflammation and pain!
Burns victims in some hospitals are bathed in a vitamin C solution and given vitamin C to take orally experienced pain relief and faster healing, an convention treatment.
When cancer patients were given 10 mgs a day their pain and suffering was dramatically reduced.
Significant differences were found in sufferers of osteoporosis – between those taking vitamin C and those who were short of vitamin C – there was increased activity of the crucial cartilage enzymes of the joint – encouraging repair.
Vitamin C is well known as an affective natural anti-histamine.
If you take Aspirin than protect yourself with vitamin C.
We all know vitamin C rich foods are vegetables and fruits – to enhance the anti-inflammatory and healing process also take vitamin C supplements as well.
Vitamin E This vitamin also has an anti-inflammatory affect helping to reduce pain. Vitamin E is also renowned for encouraging the circulation and anything that improves the circulation will bring extra nutrients and oxygen to the joints and also allowing for a more efficient removal of debris out of the joints.
Vitamins B1, B6, B12 – shown in research to reduce inflammation and combined have an analgesic effect. The easiest way and most effective way is to take a B complex supplement as the B vitamins work synergistically.
B1 can help suppress pain transmission.
B6 works with tryptophan metabolism. A B6 deficiency seems to be associated with low levels of serotonin. It would seem that B6 helps relieve pain and swelling of arthritis.
B12 is also helpful at reducing pain and inflammation but seemed even more effective when taken with other B vitamins.
Magnesium play a vital role in synthesising myelin, the insulation a round the nerves, without it they become sensitive to pain. magnesium also has a calming effect on the central nervous system.
Zinc taken by patients with rheumatoid arthritis seemed to have less joint swelling. Zinc has anti-inflammatory and anti-histamine properties.
Essential fatty acids like borage oil, evening primrose oil and fish oils all help to metabolize anti-inflammatory prostaglandins, especially helpful for arthritis suffers.
Read MoreProstaglandins – inflammation and arthritis connection
Prostaglandins are hormone-like substances that affect every aspect of your health. There are over 30 different types that have been identified so far. These hormone-like substances fall into three main categories, depending on which fatty acid they are made from.
Series 1 prostaglandin is made from omega-6.
Series 2 prostaglandin is made from Arachidonic Acid (AA).
Series 3 prostaglandin is made from omega-3.
Each series has a different function within the body, having far reaching consequences on every cell.
Series 1 PGE keeps blood platelets from sticking together, helping to prevent heart attacks due to clots in our arteries. PGE 1 helps the kidneys remove sodium and excess fluid from the body. It relaxes the blood vessels, improves circulation lowers blood pressure and relieves angina. PGE 1 even slows down the production of cholesterol (our liver produces about 70% our cholesterol the rest comes from our diet). It decreases inflammatory responses helping to control pain. Makes insulin work more effectively, helping diabetes. It improves nerve function producing a sense of well-being. Regulates calcium metabolism, improves the function of the T-cells in our immune system. And from a pain and inflammatory point of view PGE 1 helps to prevent the release of arachidonic acid from our cell membranes.
Series 2 – PGE 2 promotes platelet aggregation, which is the first step in a blood clot formation. PGE 2 encourages the kidneys to retain salt leading to fluid retention and high blood pressure. These prostaglandins also encourage inflammation and hence pain.
Series 3 – PGE 3 also prevents arachidonic acid from being released from cell membranes, therefore preventing PGE 2 from being made. This explains why fish can prevent degeneration of the cardiovascular system, fluid retention, and reduce inflammation.
For a better balance – we need plenty of essential fatty acids plus a good supple of vitamins and minerals like C, B3, B6, magnesium, and zinc. Cut down on your meat consumption as it is a rich source of arachidonic acid and at the same time increase your intake of plant foods of all types.
Increase your consumption of –
Hemp seeds
Flaxseeds (linseeds)
Borage capsules
Evening primrose capsules
Walnuts
Almonds
Sesame
Sunflower
Pumpkin
All fruits and vegetables
Read MoreReduce auto-intoxification, reduce pain & inflammation of arthritis
Sonia Jones ND from The Haven Spa and Health Clinic
Constipation is a common complaint, especially amongst woman and can get worse as we age. If you have a tendency to get constipated you need to make this situation your priority. Solving this problem will have a profound effect on your over all health, and will reduce inflammation and pain. There are several things you can do and naturopathic treatments are always holistic, enhancing your health, improving all the systems of the body.
Laxatives are not a good idea in the long run. They can cause potassium loss and fluid imbalances, leading to dehydration. A lot of the laxatives are irritating to the bowel lining, stimulating the nerves to encourage a bowel movement (peristalsis), for some causing cramps.
Eventually, a dependency develops due to the weakening muscles of peristalsis and ultimately causing constipation. The very condition you are trying to solve.
The longer matter stays in our bowels the more fluids are reabsorbed back into the blood stream, causing our liver an enormous amount of extra work, which is the last thing it needs. This is called auto-intoxification. You are literally poisoning yourself.
Practical Advice
Here are some steps that will help to solve the problem of constipation.
Cut down on or give up dehydrating drinks and add hydrating drinks to your daily routine.
Hydrating drinks
Water
Herbal teas
Fruity teas
Fruit juice with water
Vegetable juices
Dehydrating drinks
Coffee
Tea
Soft drinks
Chocolate drinks
Milk shakes
Alcohol
Much more fresh fruit and vegetables to your daily diet.
I am sure you have noticed that nature has provided us with plenty of watery fruit and vegetables in the summer such as watermelon and cucumbers etc. In the more wintry months nature has provided us with more starchy vegetables like pumpkins and parsnips.
All fruits and vegetables provide fiber, fluid and nutrients in varying degrees, all of these are necessary for a healthy working bowel and the correct bowel flora. Reducing your toxic burden.
Whole grains are a very important part of any diet. They need to be in their natural state with their fibre and nutrients intact. Drastically cut down on refined flours (foods made with white flour) or better still avoid them altogether, add a variety of whole grains, like brown rice, beans or lentils or millet that provide the all important fiber an much needed nutrients.
Linseeds (flaxseeds) are wonderful little seeds. These seeds are indispensable for a number of reasons. They add loads of fiber to your diet, along with ‘essential fatty acids’ (reducing inflammation), and due to the fact they are mucilaginous have a very soothing affect on our digestive tract. The total opposite is true of wheat bran which irritates the delicate lining of the bowels.
Flaxseeds (linseeds), in research have shown they contain compounds that protect us from breast cancer (men can also get breast cancer, admittedly much less often). They are also good for any inflammatory conditions. Most people find them very effective in relieving constipation in a very mild and soothing way, with plenty of added bonuses.
Read MorePatient handout for Arthritis from Blackmores Company
Arthritis – Osteoarthritis/ Rheumatoid
Arthritis is inflammation of one or more joints, usually accompanied by pain, stiffness, swelling, loss of function and over time, changes in structure. Arthritis is associated with many diseases including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, lupus erythematosus, Lyme disease, psoriasis, scleroderma, Reiter’s syndrome, Sjogren’s syndrome, and ankylosing spondylitis.
Symptoms
Osteoarthritis, usually found in elderly people, develops mainly as a result of the continuous wearing away of the cartilage in a joint. It is the most prevalent form of arthritis. It is characterised by pain and stiffness (especially after exercise), swelling, deformity, and/or a diminished range of motion.
Bone growths or spurs may develop on the margins of affected joints, increasing pain and decreasing mobility. There may be audible cracking or grating noises when the joint moves.
Rheumatoid arthritis causes stiffness (especially in the mornings), swelling, and, often, crippling pain. It may also cause fatigue, anaemia and weight loss. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder: it is a “self-attacking-self” disease. The body’s immune system improperly identifies the synovial membranes as foreign. Inflammation results, damaging cartilage and tissues in and around the joints. Normal spaces within the joints become narrowed and the bones may even fuse together.
Causes
The causes of osteoarthritis can be injury or an inherited defect in the protein that forms cartilage. Mostly, it is a result of the wear and tear related to ageing, diet and lifestyle. Risk factors include obesity, overuse or abuse of joints as in sports or strenuous occupations, and trauma.
The underlying cause of rheumatoid arthritis is unknown.
Natural Therapies
The application of proper diet, and lifestyle changes, combined with nutritional supplements may relieve the inflammation, pain and slow-down degeneration of the affected joints.
Glucosamine- Clinical trials show that glucosamine may help reduce joint inflammation and swelling, increase joint mobility and provide temporary relief of the pain of osteoarthritis.
Blackmores Lyprinol® is a natural anti-inflammatory supplement containing a unique patented marine extract. Its potent anti-inflammatory action assists in the maintenance of healthy airways and breathing passages, and may provide relief from joint swelling and arthritis.
Fish Oil 1000 contains omega-3 fatty acids which provide an anti-inflammatory action within the body which may be beneficial for the relief of inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Lifestyle Factors
- Eat a diet rich in deep sea fish, green leafy vegetables, yellow vegetables, fruit, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, natural herbs, garlic, ginger, lemon juice, olive oil and drinking plenty of filtered water.
- Avoid refined, devitalised, processed foods, excess sugar, caffeine, saturated fats and alcohol.
- Exercise (especially non-weight-bearing exercise such as swimming) is important in both the prevention and treatment of arthritis. It improves muscle strength and maintains mobility.
- Overweight and obesity also affect the weight bearing joints, which become irritated and stressed by having to carry too much of a load.
- Correct posture is also important in avoiding uneven distribution of body weight, causing stiffness and crippling.
Remedy
Exercise is important in both the prevention and treatment of arthritis . It improves muscle strength and maintains mobility.
Overweight and obesity also affect the weight bearing joints, which become irritated and stressed by having to carry too much of a load.
Correct posture is also important in avoiding body weight to be distributed unevenly, and causing stiffness and crippling.
Important Notes
- If you suspect you are suffering from arthritis, prompt diagnosis will help to determine the type, and therefore, the right treatment and prevention.
- Food allergies may be a cause for some individuals especially if there is only occasional joint pain. An elimination diet, or allergy diet, may be necessary to determine which foods are the offending allergens.
- Arthritis is sometimes described as just a symptom of an underlying condition. If you are suffering from arthritis, it is imperative to investigate the health of all the different systems of the body, especially the health of the digestive, circulatory and immune systems. Arthritis is a complex, and also very individual condition requiring individual attention.
What you should know before buying and eating fish
Sonia Jones ND from The Haven Spa and Health Clinic
We have known for many years, that fish is good for us. We have been encouraged for years to eat more fish, especially if you have a condition like arthritis. My father-in-law at 85 still keeps up the old tradition of eating fish every Friday, come what may. He might eat fish on other days too, I’m not sure.
Fish is a rich source of protein, low in cholesterol and easier to digest than meat. Cold water fish – oily fish are high in omega-3 essential fatty acids. This essential fatty acid helps to lower cholesterol, maintain a healthy circulation, protect the heart and keep blood thin, also a powerful anti-inflammatory. Making it a good food if you have an inflammatory condition like arthritis.
So if we are going to eat more fish to slow down the degenerative aging process, there are a few things you should know.
Cod and chips please, use to be common place, for how much longer? Once upon a time the best place for cod was off the coast of New England. This fishing ground use to serve Europe. Then giant trawler nets were introduced scooping up everything, literally everything in its path. By the 1980s the traditional fishermen began to realize stocks of fish were seriously dwindling. Their pleas to the US government were ignored. By the 1990s the traditional fisherman had nothing left to catch. These waters use to the best cod fishing grounds! This gap has allowed an opportunity for the Artic cod to move into the area, where once Atlantic cod thrived, that doesn’t sound so bad, or does it?
The Artic cod has no market value and they eat the Atlantic cod’s eggs!! This makes it almost impossible for the Atlantic cod to make a comeback and today cod have been classed as endangered. What a shame as I use to love cod, one of my favourite fish.
I am glad to say in Norway the picture is quite different. By the 1980s their fish stocks were also becoming seriously depleted. However, the Norwegian government listened to the fishermen’s pleas taking them seriously, and did something before it was too late. After only three years the fish stocks were improving, saving some of the traditional fishermen and the fish.
Due to an international quota system fishermen are encouraged to throw back one third of their catch. This maintains their quota and they keep the more valuable fish. The problem is that a lot of the fish have been damaged in the nets and more often than not are dead when they are returned to the sea.
Salmon was such a luxury when cod was cheap, and then came farmed salmon. Just four countries produce and supply almost 98 percent of the world’s farmed salmon! These are Canada, Norway, Chile and Scotland/UK. Farming has focused on increasing production with little regard to the environment and the effect intensive farming might have on it. Salmon farming is slowly polluting the ocean’s coastlines and is slowly contributing to dwindling stocks of wild fish.
Salmon in the wild live on deep-ocean krill this is something we don’t eat. On the other hand farmed fish are fed fish we would eat, literally taking the food right out of our mouths. It takes about 3 to 5 pounds of fish meal to add 1 pound of weight to a farmed salmon. Does this make sense! Not to me. It is taking a huge amount of fish to produce some inferior farmed salmon compared to the wild salmon. This is putting a large strain on fish stocks. The industry is looking to give farmed salmon bean feed for most of its growing life and then towards the end, feed them fish oil. Most of the world’s soy beans have been genetically modified. Plus salmon are not naturally soy bean consumers.
Wild salmon per 100 grams will contain about 6.5% omega-3 fatty acid, with a total amount of 6 grams of fat.
Farmed salmon per 100 grams will contain about 0.80% omega-3 fatty acid, with a total amount of 11 grams of fat.
This is a perfect example of ‘you are what you eat’. The diets of the wild salmon are completely different from those fed in captivity.
The Pew Commission reported in 2003 –
A fish farm of about 200,000 will release as much faecal matter as 65,000 people, straight into the shallow coastal regions. This can kill the other fish in the area, marine plants and encourage harmful algae. According to the Pew commission escaped farmed fish carry sea lice that eat fish flesh. If they mate with wild salmon they can past on genes to the off-spring that can disadvantage them for life in the wild.
700 wild and farmed fish were purchased from 8 countries and analysed. David Carpenter from the State University of New York at Albany said “We found that farmed salmon contained 7 times higher levels of PCBs, dioxins, and pesticides than wild salmon”. The survey also revealed that salmon from Norway, Canada and the UK was twice as contaminated as farmed fish from Chile. They recommend you eat salmon from Norway and Canada once every 2 months only, salmon from Chile once a month.
The US Environmental Protection Agency says- you can cut your risk by half. Score the salmon fillets grilling them and letting the juices drip away, cooking until the internal temperature is 175F and removing the skin before eating.
Shrimp Fishermen lose their ability to support themselves and their families as fish stocks decline. Shrimp was another food I remember in the past as being a real treat, a luxury. Now they are farmed in places like East Asia, and the shrimp farms have a shelf life of about 10 years, after which the area is too polluted to support any life. In this process they put traditional farmers out of work for good. A traditional industry in areas that had been sustainable for hundreds of years, wiped out in a decade!
Tuna – much is farmed in pens off the coast.
Trout has been farmed for some years now. As for the wild trout, after years of modern farming methods with chemical fertilizers, insecticides and the pollution from industry, our rivers and waterways have become heavily polluted. The chemicals found in our rivers today encourage the growth of algae which robs the fish of oxygen. There have been reports that fish from some rivers should not be eaten, due to levels of pollutants.
Buying Fish
Try to buy fish that is not farmed. Some fish is frozen at sea as soon as it is caught, so in a sense is very fresh.
Fish is important to our diet. It is a high-quality protein the flesh is tender, flaky and easy to digest (if it’s not over cooked). It contains ‘essential fatty acids’ lowering cholesterol and protects against heart disease, balancing inflammatory responses.
Fresh fish once dead rapidly becomes prone to fungal and bacterial infections, which usually cause corrosion of the skin of the fish.
A fresh fish will have:
·shiny, clear, bright eyes
·moist purple gills
·neat and clean body flaps
·scales that are firmly attached (unless they have been removed)
·an agreeable aroma, with a hint of the sea
A stale or badly stored fish will have:
·skin that appears dull and slimy to the touch
·eyes that have become dull and sunken
·gills that have turned grey
·loose scales
·a very fishy smell
Press the fish lightly with your thumb, the flesh should bounce back if it is fresh.
Once you have purchased your fresh fish, it is best to use it almost immediately. If you want to store it for another time, you would be better off buying frozen. Once you get your fish home wash it well and cook it enough to kill any pathogens but not too much as to make it dry.
Omega-3 essential fatty acid is found mainly in marine plant life called phytoplankton and on land in linseeds. Fish such as salmon, tuna, sardines, and mackerel etc are our primary sources of omega-3. It protects against heart disease by lowering LDL cholesterol. Omega-3 helps to keep the blood thin, preventing blood clots. Also an anti-inflammatory, making it useful for arthritis, also helps to protect against cancer.
However, if you don’t like fish, you need to consume flaxseeds or linseed oil, (linseeds or flaxseeds are the same thing).
Practical Advice
If you eat fish try to eat fish that has not been farmed.
The salmon that comes from Alaska is wild.
Supplements – Fish oil capsules from a wild source.
Here is a list of the top five fish to eat that have very low levels of mercury
1)Wild Salmon
2)Herring
3)Sardines
4)Freshwater Trout
5)Pollock
Read MoreArthritis management – Good digestion is needed
As we get older our digestion begins to slow down, especially as we have taken it for granted for so many years. We have constantly been eating foods that have taken their toll over the years.
For the body to perform this enormous task each day it needs plenty of fluids and a huge amount of nutrients to produce enough enzymes and digestive juices.
Unfortunately, the foods that most people have chosen to eat over the years have been hard to digest, supply few nutrients the very nutrients needed for their own breakdown leave alone enough nutrients for all the other systems in the body.
The Perfect Scenario
↓
Choose to eat foods that are nutritious, making sure a large proportion
of them contain ‘live’ enzymes (fresh fruit and vegetables, live yogurt etc)
↓
Easy to digest, provide plenty of nutrients for their own digestion with plenty left over for other functions
elsewhere in the body, ‘live’ food bring with them plenty of enzymes, sparing the body’s reserves for other
important processes like regeneration of deteriorating joints
In reality was has actually happened over the years
↓
Consumed a diet typically full of refined foods and processed foods
↓
Provide next to no nutrients or enzymes – use up a lot of energy not in the
sense of calories, more like vital reserves. In the digestion process of these foods
the body has had to steal nutrients from other systems, digestion struggles
and deficiencies are created – hence aging and deterioration are further encouraged.
For instance a shortage of zinc – affects every aspect of digestion, also affecting your taste and smell, as we age it is noticeable how people add more salt to compensate for the decline in taste.
A zinc deficiency affects the quality of hydrochloric acid levels, the correct levels
·break down calcium sufficiently to enable us to absorb and utilize calcium properly, vital as a we age
·kills bacteria before they enter the body and cause problems
·ensures proper protein breakdown
Enough zinc is also needed for healing and repair, for the immune system, to fight infections, involved in anti-inflammation, it’s an anti-oxidant. It’s a very busy mineral.
Our zinc supplies are primarily stored in our muscles, also found stored in red and white blood cells, the retina of the eye, bones, skin, kidneys, liver, and the pancreas. It is also found in the prostate gland.
Zinc also has some antioxidant properties, which means that it helps protect cells in the body from the potential damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals occur naturally in the body, but environmental toxins (including ultraviolet light, radiation, cigarette smoking, and air pollution) can also increase the number of these damaging particles. Free radicals are believed to contribute to the aging and degeneration processes.
The typical daily intake of zinc is approximately 10 mg, this much lower than the woefully low recommended dietary allowance (RDA). RDA is the lowest setting it’s not for optimum health.
Osteoporosis
Zinc is essential for maintaining proper bone health throughout life. Zinc has been shown to stimulate bone formation and inhibit bone loss, as well ensure the correct breakdown of calcium so it can be used by the body. Depending on your digestive the body will absorb anything from 20% to 40% of the available zinc in foods.
Zinc is more readily absorbed from animal sources like red meat, fish, seafood (is particularly good), cheese, and poultry, than from plant sources as phytates particularly in wheat hinders absorption of zinc. Beans and seeds like pumpkin, sesame and sunflower contain good sources of zinc.
Zinc is also an extremely good antioxidant and has anti-inflammatory actions. Making it invaluable for arthritis suffers. It has been noted that higher levels reduce the generation of inflammatory cytokines, especially as we age. It would seem low levels of zinc allow greater levels of inflammatory cytokines to flourish.
Supplements
Digestive enzymes will improve digestion and absorption.
Mineral - Zinc 25mg
Vitamins – B complex
Food - Apple cider vinegar (no other vinegar will do). Take a dessertspoon in a little water 30 minutes before each meal.
It is so very important to chew your food properly. Never over fill your stomach. When you have eaten a meal wait 10 minutes before you have anything else to eat. The reason being it takes that long before your body tells you whether you have eaten enough food or not.
Spice – Crack fresh pepper on your food. Ginger encourages the production of digestive enzymes.
Herb – Anything that has a bitter taste before a meal will do wonders for digestion. The bitter taste stimulates all the digestive juices. That is why aperitifs often contain bitter herbs.
Remember – Zinc is only one vital nutrient the body needs in adequate amounts there is a huge array of others it needs to function properly.
Read MoreArthritis & Pain Program at The Haven
