Rheumatoid arthritis

[Dexter1414]

can anyone give me some tips of what is ok to eat and what isn’t and also to keep weight down and any good meals to eat

[Lolabridge]

The Mediterranean style diet is recommended for RA. Plenty of fruit and vegetables and as little UPC (ultra processed foods) as possible. Some people try cutting out dairy, or gluten but I don’t. Others opt for a vegetarian or vegan diet. If you use the search tool on this site you will find plenty of posts for RA diet.

[Chester1975]

The auto immune protocol diet. Medetaranian diet. Cutting out refined carbs. Trial lactose, wheat and gluten free. Plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. Dark leafy greens and dark fruit are full of polyphenols. I make my own ginger, turmeric and black pepper shots which I take each morning on an empty stomach to help with inflammation. Take probiotics xxx

[Lolabridge in reply to Chester1975]

Hi Chester and Dexter

You may already know that Turmeric is not recommended with some of the medications we may take. It’s always a good idea to check with the Rheumy team before taking any supplements.

[JenniferW]

Don't go vegan! Lots of fruit and veg is great, but RA is associated with low iron levels, so a bit of good quality meat (or eggs if you're a vegetarian) is good.

[Fruitandnutcase]

I just eat good quality home cooked food. Mostly chicken, fish, the occasional bit of pork or lamb and I only use beef if I make lasagne and only because I don’t really like it - not for health reasons.

I eat eggs for breakfast every day, with grapefruit slices or mixed frozen fruits with yoghurt, the odd bit of cheese, yoghurt, lots of veg - Mediterranean and green veg - I eat more veg than fruit really although I eat berries, unsalted nuts, dried prunes, things like pumpkin and sunflower seeds and the occasional square of 90% dark chocolate. I drink water or weak decaf tea or coffee, maybe the occasional glass of wine.

Basically I eat most things although I have eaten a totally gluten free diet for the last ten years and I don’t eat a lot of bread, biscuits or cakes although I have that sort of thing occasionally, I never drink fizzy drinks like Coca-Cola I avoid sugar and don’t eat junk food or anything that contains lots of chemicals, preservatives etc

[KaysDad]

We have found the Michsel Mosley 's 2:5 diet to be effective and quite easy to keep up

[allanah]

Just a word of caution people will try to sell you " cure all diets" some very expensive. If you go onto the NRAS website there is a lot of dietary advice x

[Mall]

eat healthy well balanced meals. A Mediterranean diet which contains lots of vegetables, salad , fish and chicken is a good start. Include lots of different foods in your diet, nuts seeds, dairy, proteins ( all fresh meats are good) Avoid foods highly processed and foods high in sugar. Try and include protein in each meal if you want to lose weight as this will help you feel full for longer and help stop you reaching for snacks. Variety, lots of veg and colour avoiding sugary snacks. Fresh is best.

Avoid any diet that wants you to pay money whilst promising a cure.

[Hisue]

The nightshades (tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, etc.) bother some people w/RA. Try eliminating them & see.

[bpeal1 in reply to Hisue]

This is information from Versus Arthritis

Extract from versus arthritis

[Hisue in reply to bpeal1]

Thanks for your post. Here is info from the renowned Cleveland Clinic (USA):

"Do nightshade vegetables worsen arthritis?

The answer is a definite maybe. (How’s that for being specific?)

There’s evidence suggesting that solanine in nightshade vegetables can irritate your gut and cause intestinal inflammation. This inflammation appears to heighten joint pain in a complicated gut and musculoskeletal system relationship that continues to be studied."

[Dexter1414 in reply to Hisue]

I like peppers and tomatoes too

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to Dexter1414]

I eat love and eat loads of tomatoes - cooked in an omelette for breakfast most days and raw plus peppers in the form of Mediterranean roast veg - topped with a cod steak. I have eaten tomatoes all of my life since I used to steal them from my aunt’s greenhouse - I wonder if having grown up eating them all that time makes a difference?

[Dexter1414 in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

Can you eat tomatoes with arthritis

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to Dexter1414]

Well I do but I’m 76 and I always have eaten tomatoes in one form or another - I love tomato sandwiches, tomatoes on a pizza, cooked tomatoes in my morning omelette, raw tomatoes in salads the only things I don’t like are tomato soup and tomato juice.

I’m not sure what other people do but I don’t avoid any foods other than sugar in all its various forms and foods with chemicals and additives. You could always experiment and see how you feel without them.

I wonder if most people with RA avoid them? I’d be interested to know.

[bpeal1 in reply to Dexter1414]

According to Versus Athritis there is no research to suggest you shouldn’t eat them and they argue that they could be beneficial as they contain a lot of anti-oxidants.

Try it and see what happens . We are all different.

[Neonkittie17 in reply to Dexter1414]

I find they don’t affect my joints if they’re grilled, or cooked in casseroles and soups.

[bpeal1]

There is some good information on both these websites .

nras.org.uk/resource/

versusarthritis.org/media/2...

[lovemydoggy]

Cutting out added sugar and simple carbs has been best for me. Lots of leafy greens in salad and no low-fat foods. Just natural healthy fat. Yogurt, butter, avocado oil. Plain almond milk instead of milk.

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to lovemydoggy]

🤗 My kind of diet.

[PurpleSE]

We re all different, an elimination diet would show what foods you may be sensitive too. I have identified that tomatoes and strawberries irritate mr and make my symptoms worse. I cut out a lot of foods early on then reintroduced and monitored my symptoms. I couldn't tolerate oats for over a year but now eat them no problem. I was gliten free for over 4 years but can now tolerate whole wheat sour dough bread. Soy doesn't agree with me. I eat only whole foods organic meat oilly fish and still can't tolerate dairy. I eat all nuts and seeds but limit oils and only use coconut avocado and olive oil. Processed oils are highly inflammatory...rapeseed etc for me. No ultra processed food. I noticed pain reduction after 6 months.