Hi all, I had written earlier that I am trying to eat food that is suitable to my type of RA according to Ayurveda. I am very happy to say that my RA factor has reduced by 20, to 120. It is still high, but surprisingly I have no pain. I took the test after 2 weeks of juicing and souping. I am putting together a chart of the veggies and fruits that the 3 different categories of RA people can consume according to Ayurveda. Will post it once it is ready.
RA and Ayurveda: Hi all, I had written earlier that I... - NRAS
RA and Ayurveda
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Padram
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Very interested to see it as I have RA no oa as well
Hi pop smith 1874, will try to post it as early as possible.
Gosh my consultant wouldn't redo my RA factor within two weeks. !
There's some good info too on the NRAS site about diet and what is proved scientifically to help RA.
A balanced Mediterranean style diet with lots of fruit and veg is suggested too.
Hi Allanah, hope your hand is healing well. Nice to see you getting better. Coming to the tests, I wanted to ensure that my pains were reducing because my diet was working, and it was not all psychosomatic . (In India we have to go to pvt medical practitioners, as public health system is overburdened. And yes, I do have big medical bills, but that is another topic altogether) . Yes, Mediterranean diet works for many, but I think Ayurveda is the only system that differentiates RA according to the Body type. I don't have swelling at all, but I do have unbearable pain and deformed fingers. The vata type is advised to avoid eggplant , cabbage etc, but pitta type can have these in moderation. This is why I , a vata type will not be able to have beans, a typical Mexican food. That is why I thought I would make a chart , so that in case people in this forum want to try diet to reduce pain, they can do so.
I tried the Ayerveda at the time I was not yet diagnosed and had a lot of issues. For me it became too complicated and took so much time and effort. In my case AIP really made the difference and was easier to follow. Although the change in my diet wasn't easy at first. So many things to give up! But it was well worth it?
Hi Simba 1992, I would give up anything to be free from 24/7 pain. and what is AIP?
Allanah even though I know that the NRAS website talks about a Mediterranean the thing is that in my opinion we need to be so careful about eating fish because of the mercury in fish and also I know with some ra patients eating a high fat diet can cause there RA.
We are all different and because no ones bio chemistry is the same we need to eat a diet that is best for us.
The general consensus is that it's beneficial, otherwise the NRAS wouldn't recommend it surely?
How do you reliably detect or quantify how much mercury there is in fish & what is an acceptable level? I admit this is my failing & only really like oily fish so I'm interested to know if what I am eating is of any consequence if it's 'contaminated'.
no more heals there is a lot of evidence online and done by drs that says that if we don eat we need to be careful because a lot of the water is contaminated and the fishing industry has unfortunately changed. I am a big believer in doing what is right for you and your body but I know people who have had blood tests done and have had there mercury levels tested and they have found out that they are high in mercury.
I do know that some dr's will still give patients fish supplements because this can also apparently help with our brain function etc but on a personal note if I need to take a fish supplement I know that there are vegan fish supplements we can take but even they get a bad rep these days.
you may enjoy reading these articles
kimberlysnyder.com/blog/201...
nutritionfacts.org/video/ne...
youtube.com/watch?v=4MI53Il...
youtube.com/watch?v=qmE7e0w...
like with anything in life we all need to do what is right for us and our body but I do know that if you do some research a lot of people are now saying that if we eat fish then we need to be careful about where we purchase our fish from etc etc.
Just my opinion but if I did eat meat I would eat rather eat organic grass fed meat and look into taking a fish supplement rather than eating fish but that is just me we all have our different opinion on these things.. right?! 
I take a daily Omega 3 fish oil because I know I don't eat enough oily fish, I'd have a boring diet if I ate enough to be beneficial! I'm aware of the problems with fishing etc from research I've done myself but what I really wanted to know was if what I was eating is contaminated, how to find out if it is & how to test. Our meat is bought from an established farm shop reasonably local to us (or from a nursery who sell their produce) & grown in the next field (in the case of the beef) & further down the road (pork & lamb), all organic. The difference between that & Morrison's (which we've had on occasion) is remarkable.
ok well you can always talk to your dr see if they will do some blood work for you. I don't know if they will think it depends on the dr.
Not to worry, I don't think my GP would be open to testing, just wanted to know if & how I could check the fish for myself. Thanks anyway.
If your dr won't let you get your mercury levels tested you could always pay to get the tests done privately .. if you can afford it and if it is something you are worried about. I have recently had some blood work done privately where they checked for any type of autoimmune problems etc that I may be prone to in the future because as you know the nhs would never pay out for this type of blood work.
I don't think she won't let me rather that she may not consider it necessary. It was more out of curiosity than concern as I don't think we can avoid mercury, it's all around us in daily life & we have no control over that. I was just intrigued if what I did eat contained any & if so how much. I can't eat shellfish so it's really only the limited oily fish I eat so unlikely to be much if any. Thanks again.
To be honest don't you have to eat a lot of one thing, like a lot of fat, a lot of sugar , a lot of fish to cause severe problems? I don't like the idea too much of testing bloods as the companies often say yes you have a problem then offer you very expensive supplements in my experience, which may really help or may not.
However when it's proved by evidence based and another post tonight shows a lot of research none that really prove any specific ingredients or diets work then I and everyone will do it. I would take this evidence from the department of health and not so much from individual doctors ideas. However I'm thrilled that a lot of you tonight feel the difference.
Of course this is just my point of view ! And maybe im wrong . Looking forward to the studies developing soon if they help auto immune diseases . The recent work on T cells was interesting too .
allanah I must go to bed now but just want to quickly say I follow and have spoken to a lot of drs and the general impression that I get is that standard drs look at the science of things very different in comparison to functional health dr's. For example if you go to a standard dr for heart problems apparently they will not do the type of blood work that a functional health practitioner may do.
we all have to do what is right for us but for me I started eating a vegan diet because well firstly I enjoy this way and secondly I find that certain foods like meat are to acidic for me to eat and my body does not digest meat, fish and eggs well.
Disease starts in the gut and you also need to look at microbiome and the stress in your life and all sorts of other things.
However you could follow a load of drs and they may all say different things I think until someone sees a dr who specializes in integrated health and looks at us properly we cant really say what we should and should not be doing because everyone is different right.
The best advice I can give you is if you want to find out about diet and certain things well follow a few drs and keep a food diary etc and see how your body reacts.
At the mo I take supplements to help heal my gut etc but I am doing what suits me and my body.
In regards to food well everyone is different some people could lets say eat a bagel maybe once every three weeks and others like me could eat a bagel and get a bad reaction. We are all different and I don't believe that anyone can say well this is what everyone should be doing, For example there is a lot of evidence now that says that high fat diets are better for people who have heart disease and low fat diets are not the way to go.
I could talk about health forever but the best advice I can give you is look online and read a book called the medical medium or look him up online, on facebook and listen to his
podcasts.
I was told by a naturopath that chewing parsley helps get rid of mercury in the body. I didn't ask how much we should eat but if I have any I think of her and eat it.
I had a good amount last night chopped & sprinkled over my rice! I know it's an excellent source of Vitamin C & good source of folate but I've read positives & negatives about it's mercury eliminating properties so I don't quite know what to make of it. We like it anyway for flavouring & it's one of the fresh herbs we have growing (in the kitchen in winter), both flat leaf & curly. It's supposed to be good at getting rid of garlic breath as are fennel seeds.
cilantro is apparently the best to use for getting rid of mercury. I add organic cilantro to my green juices because I used deodorant for many years and want to get rid of any toxicity I had from using normal deodorant. If it works or not who knows but I always hear good things about cilantro
I'm not sure where I would buy that, I take it it's some type of green vegetable?
It's coriander Baileybiscuit. In Spain cilantro is the whole plant, leaves & stalk but here it's generally the dried seeds we call coriander seed, more readily available....tastes quite different though. You can buy fresh coriander in pots in most supermarkets. Looks a bit like flat leaved parsley.
I grow it but didn't recognise the name. Is it the plant you can just eat? The seeds I know go in some recipes.
The fresh coriander stems are full of flavour so use those in cooking, my h adds it to carrot or any of the squashes blitzed up into soup, add chopped leaves to finish off curries, in a green salad. He added it in his guacamole once but I wasn't keen, I prefer the way he normally makes it. There are lots of uses.
Fresh fish? Farmed and human feed or from the sea, iced or frozen, not fresh.
Where can you get fresh fish, living near a market town near the coast?
what chemicals are in the sea?
In 21st century all we buy have chemicals.
Gosh it must cos you a fortune, we r so lucky to have the nhs. I'm really glad the diet is helping you! 😀
Ha, ha, so now you know why I am obsessed with diet. 
Padram I am really pleased that you have found something that works for you. This is pretty much what I have done for my ra. Actually every time with my RA I will go back to having plenty of green juices etc.
I must admit that I have not looked into Ayurveda for RA but I know a lot about it would be interested in looking at this chart.
I am really into science and hearing about what certain dr's have to say about autoimmune disease and healing the gut and how important our Microbiomes etc our in our body.
Good luck with everything.
Hello kalel,
Yes it is quite exciting to follow what is happening on the treatment and understanding of autoimmune diseases. Two websites of well known doctors that have an experience and wide knowledge of reacent research.
mercola.com and chrisskresser.com. 😊
Thanks for the link Simba yup I know a lot of changes in regards to health.. I am a bit of a science geek.. Maybe I should not say that out loud but anyways.
I will check the websites out tomorrow.
I don't know if you are allowed this on your diet but try adding in some fermented foods .. not kimchi unless it is fermented properly and probiotics or prebiotics and if you are seeing a dr I know there are herbs that you can take that help heal your gut.
Thanks so much for the links.
That's great to hear Padram!
Could you possibly comment on this post when you put up the new post please as I am now following this one and do not want to accidentally miss you next one?
Sorry everyone but I'm a veggie and have been living the 'Med' diet for years and it has made no difference to my RD sympthoms what's so ever.....IMHO. XX
I think the Med diet is more about a good balanced fresh food diet taking in natural vitamins & minerals, so eating healthily really Jean. I'm not sure diet alone would control our RD, it could go some way to supporting our immune system but there's not enough convincing evidence yet for me that a diet could mean we do away with meds altogether as it's such a variable disease & affects us each differently. I was eating this way long before RD came along & living in a Med country 7 years when diagnosed, that said the prevalence of inflammatory disease is apparently less in those living on the Med but maybe that's more down to the wine warding it off!
Hope you're having a nice day & the sun's shining over there. Px
Hi jeanabelle 60, I too am a veggie, and the veg fare in the Mediterranean diet didn't suit me . So I turned to Ayurveda. May be it could help you too.
the thing is jeanabella is that we are all different I mean for me yup I enjoy eating fruit and veg but foods like grains are just awful for my ra and you know we all need to do what is right for us. I mean for me I realised that I did not want to be on meds for the rest of my life. Whilst meds can of course help with ra it concerns me about the long term side effects of these drugs.
At the end of the day we all need to do what is right for us and for our body. No two people are alike but I will say this it is only about what we eat that will help get rid of RA symptoms it is also about healing the gut and getting rid of as much of the toxicity in our lives.
I mean for me I will only use natural cleaning products now and I won't have any chemical products in my house and yup some people think oh your crazy, it is an obsession and all that crap but for me my health is my wealth and not only that but because I have already had to heal my body from two autoimmune problems I can't afford to have anything else go wrong in my life but we are all different and need to do what is right for us.
Last thing I know in extreme cases they will put ra patients on water fasts and that get rids of a lot of there ra pain.
All I will say is we don't know how certain things in life will work out for us till we try them right.
Sorry Jeanabelle60, The Med diet is by far not strict enough for autoimmune patients. The AIP diet compared with the Med diet has proven more effective and also harder to follow😊. The diet is not a cure just as the meds are not, but a suprising number of RA patients have been able to decrease their meds and gain better control over their illness following this diet.
Hello Padram, I am very interested in Ayurveda and am looking forward to your food lists for RA. I believe that I am Kapha/Vata. I do have a book about ayurveda but sometimes I get a little confused with what I can and cannot eat as apparently the seasons of the year matter too. I have found though that when I fast on thick Vegetable soup and a little fruit for a few days I do feel a lot better. I should avoid dairy but I try to avoid cheddar cheese and will have a little goats cheese and goats milk and I feel fine. I also feel fine on Mediterranean diet which I think maybe due to the fact that I am half mediterranean and my mother was brought up on goats milk and goats cheese. Looking forward to your list Padram and glad that you are feeling better!
ambita I get what you are saying I also get a bit confused by the Ayurveda diet. Just simple things like when I am asked well am I fit, thin, do I have muscles or not. The whole thing confuses me to be hoenst.
I guess this is why I stuck with a simple vegan raw fruit and veggies diet for so long but I do know I need to improve my diet.
I think a lot of people get addicted to dairy. Even though I don't like cheese or yoghurt myself I have found that a great way to give up dairy is either make your own vegan cheese or look into buying some vegan cheese but I don't think the vegan cheese in Europe as good as the ones you can buy in the USA.
I don't know if you drink milk but I try to make things like pecan or macadamia nut milk. Buying nuts can be expensive so I buy my nuts in bulk but homemade vegan milk in my opinion tastes so good.
I have to try vegan cheese, I have never tried it before! Where can you buy it in the UK? Unfortunately, I can not eat raw vegetables as it seems to affect my stomach. Lightly steamed is best for me. We are all different and what works for one may not work for another and I think this is where Ayurveda comes in useful as you are given your diet according to your body type, Kapha, Pitta or Vata but you can also be a mixed body type, for example Kapha/pitta or Kapha/vata etc plus you eat certain foods according to the seasons. Dampness and cold weather affects Kapha and Kapha types suffer from sinus problems, lots mucus so they should steer clear from dairy products, cows milk and have lots hot soup and veg in the winter. It does kind of make sense but there is a lot to take in! However you still have to take in to account the culture you were brought up in and the typical foods you ate. The english typical diet was in fact very healthy, fresh veg etc and it suited the english climate and our way of life whereas now processed foods have taken over and that is what is making people ill. There is a good cookbook on Ayurveda, Heaven's Banquet which explains all the above. However I do still get confused with it all!
ambita I agree with what you are saying but on a personal note what I have found is that eating raw foods can also affect you if you have any sort of gut issues and thyroid issues.
We are all different but for me I found that I could not digest raw foods well at first but I started eating fermented foods and probiotics and taking enzyme pills and herbs and eventually I healed my gut and now I am fine.. of course some people can't handle eating fermented food.
We are all different and need to do what is right for us.
If you want to try some vegan cheese check out places like whole food, planet organic and health food store but some vegan cheeses in the uk really don't taste very good.
If you want to make your own vegan cheeses take a look at these sites
nouveauraw.com/raw-recipies...
UK supermarkets do sell "vegan cheese ". give it a try.
Thank you Kalel and Bala for your tips above!
I would be very interested in your diet regime and grateful, please let me know asap. I will also google it to understand more about it. x
Hi martinilady, glad to be of help. According to ayurveda, the body has 3 DOSHAS, and each person may have one or 2 dominating DOSHAS, the diet varies accordingly. Please see my posts on the diet for vata, pitta and kapha., ( the 3 DOSHAS). You can find out your dominant DOSHA online. It is free. Many Ayurveda sites have this test. Or you can find out by checking your swelling of the joints. As far as RA is concerned, if there is no swelling , vata is dominating. ( I fall in this category). If the swelling is warm and reddish, pitta dominates and if the swelling is cool , kapha dominates. Hope you find this helpful.
Hi Padram, thank you for your post. I am also trying Ayurvedic treatment ( as much as I can here in USA) also Ayurvedic medicines, glad that it worked for you. It gives me hope that someday I can get off the RA meds. Overall I found that fasting and Ayurvedic diet ( vata one for me) works well. I also tried Virechana ( using Castor oil) that helped me tremendously as well. I consulted an Ayurvedic physician and he prescribed the treatment, however he also advised me to keep taking conventional RA meds until the disease is under control, while trying the ayurvedic treatment and natural remedies. I need to get panchakarma treatment done as well when I visit India next time around. Have you had any Panchkarma done? if yes, did it help?
Hi, good to know that Ayurveda helps you.
I DO NOT TAKE AYURVEDIC MEDICINE either for MY RA or for my ITP.
No, I have not done Panchakarma.
I apply Castor oil every night on my belly button, eyelids, mid point of the soles of my feet. Have found this v
I can't take,(Don't want to, also, because of the many side effects) allopathic drugs for RA reduce my Platelet count.
I only follow the Ayurvedic diet, according to my DOSHAS.
The Anti Inflammatory diet, along with Vitamins B12, FOLIC ACID, D3, CALCIUM with K2, is what keeps me going.
Till date, I have been able to maintain my inflammatory markers at a reasonable level.
In my view NO DRUG in any system of medicine, has the capacity to Cure Any Auto Immune Disorder.
I am Hypersensitive to most drugs, herbs. Also most drugs and herbs tend to reduce my Platelet count. So I am VERY CAREFUL OF WHAT I TAKE.
But since starting the diet according to my predominant Dosha, I have found immense relief, not only from Pain, but also the Flares. I have had maybe a flare or two in these 3 years, and ONLY BECAUSE I CHEATED ON MY DIET. 😊
I have much more energy, can walk a km or two every alternate day, ( unfortunately not every day, as I get bruises and fatigue, something goes wrong with my Platelet count)
As I keep saying, my RA behaves like a good child with this diet, but my ITP is like an errant child. It has a mind of its own. 😁
Have recently started taking Bitter gourd raw slices along with food, to increase my Platelet count. Will write a post on it if I find it beneficial.
Overall, I have found that Eating food that I digest well, is the Crux. I have tried re introducing some foods, but my body rejected it - meaning, my joints started paining, or I got back Acidity etc. Listening to what my body says, has done me a world of good.
Hope you too are able to reduce or totally do away with drugs.
Not everyone is the same. Every drug will give different reactions to different people. Because, What we eat, How balanced our Emotions are, How well we digest our food, All these have a BIG influence in our Health.
Ayurveda is not just a treatment. It is a Way of Life. It deals with All aspects of Life, not just medicines, or massages.
In connection with this, I have written a post on the Vagus nerve. Stimulating this nerve is supposed to reduce Inflammation. Please check that post too.
Thank you, I will look for the post on Vagus nerve as well. I agree, Ayurveda is not just treatment but a way of life. Hope bitter gourd helps with your platelet count, I have heard it helps with RA too.
The post is : Humming/ Chanting Om. A couple of links. A very useful link posted on this by Simba too.
Forgot to add this. Have been taking a small cup of boiled Cassava, also called Tapioca, for the past 2 weeks. Have found it to relieve constipation, absolutely no bloating of stomach, and most importantly, no joint swelling or pain. Read it was Anti Inflammatory, gut helping, so trying it. I get fresh root here, so soak it in water, peel it and boil it.
Caution : if the root has bluish tinge, avoid it. It is because that is Cyanide. The root SHOULD BE COMPLETELY SOAKED IN WATER PRIOR TO USE.
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