Myth: The Right Diet Cures RA?

[Amy_Lee]

I tend to believe in this instead of a diet plan that can cure RA.

"If a diet claims it can knock out your condition forever, beware. Some meal plans may help with symptoms like achy joints and morning stiffness, but it isn't going to make your disease go away. A shift in your eating habits works best when it's part of an overall treatment strategy that you work out with your doctor."

webmd.com/rheumatoid-arthri...

[CherylDV]

Thanks for the info.

[Amy_Lee in reply to CherylDV]

You are welcome, Cheryl. I find it is just too risky to skip the medication and go for only diet really. However, I do agree it will help to improve our condition if we also ensure the right diets intake.

[andyswarbs]

Any slideshow that is promoting cows milk as part of an RA diet needs serious fact-checking imo. Dairy products are show to contribute to RA for a large part of the RA community.

On the other hand I know many RA warriors have no problems with nightshade plants. That's annoying for me because I do. Do I need a research paper to tell me that if I eat capsicum or tomato at 7pm I will be in severe pain by 3am? I do not.

Is diet the complete answer to resolving RA? No it is not. RA is such a thoroughly debilitating illness that so many other things need to be added to the restorative process, not least of which is hard exercise. But choosing a great diet is the fundamental start of the process towards recovery.

An effective drug regime will stabilise RA problems and halt RA in its tracks. However all drug regimes do absolutely nothing to restore anyone to full health. Sadly for many people getting to an effective regime is not easy, if possible. Taking drugs begins a process of adding more and more drugs to counter long term side-effects as years progress.

[Amy_Lee in reply to andyswarbs]

Dear Andy,

I can understand what you said here. I do not believe diets alone will be able to help to stop the RA problems. However, I do strongly believe if we also take care of our diets concurrently, it will help in our recovering process.

In addition, I believe what diets suit us is very individual. Therefore what I believe is to test them out individually and let our bodies tell us what is good and bad for us.

I love dairy products but I stopped them completely when I was diagnosed because I read that it would make our situation worse. Beside that, I also stop nightshade foods but I put them back on slowly. Few months ago, I put back the dairy products in my diets slowly, I was okay with them. Again not long after that my left hand develops numbness and tingling problem, I stopped the dairy again. The problem got worse and my left hand at one stage cramp regularly and it went up to my shoulder and the left muscle near my heart. Recently, it improves and there is no more cramp but the numbness and tingling continue though the intensity is very much reduced.

So, I am not sure what causes this problem. I will be due to visit my rheumatologist in Nov, I will be able to know if it is due to the deficiency of vitamnin B12.

[CherylDV in reply to andyswarbs]

True about the drug regimes. As I haven't found a regime that works for me yet I have been banned from exercise of any kind, much less hard exercise. Wishing you good health

[Amy_Lee in reply to CherylDV]

Dear CherylDV,

May I know why you have been banned from exercise of any kind? Said if your joints are badly damaged, you still can do some sitting down exercise. There are many different kind of chair exercise you can try. Go online to check some out to see if they are okay for you. Exercise is one of the key to restore our health from RA. Have a look at the link below to see if they are okay for you?

youtube.com/watch?v=Mt_hUka...(Not working as expected?)

youtube.com/watch?v=BSnYWGq...(Not working as expected?)

youtube.com/watch?v=1xC9khi...(Not working as expected?)

[CherylDV in reply to Amy_Lee]

Dear Amy Lee

My rheumatologist has banned me from exercise because my RA meds have not been working. Even moderate exercise causes inflammation/pain. Until I find a drug regime that works I am only allowed to walk, less than 1 mile per day. That's about 1/2 mile at my speed.

[Amy_Lee in reply to CherylDV]

Dear CherylDV,

I am very sorry to know about your situation. Yes, it will be very painful during this process. I was down for a few months at the very beginning of my AR treatment. Then I was left with 38 kg because of muscle wastage due to not able to exercise. When mtx started to work, my rheumatology sent me to the occupational therapist to get assistance to wake up my muscle. 2 months down the road, she sent me to the physiotherapist to start the exercise immediately to build back my muscle.

It was so painful when I tried to lift up my hands but I had not failed to continue the exercise. It is more than 2 years now, I am back to quite a normal life now. I know I can go further for my improvement, I will continue the journey.

I wish you can find the right medicine for yourself soon so that you can start your exercise to put you back into your good health again.

[ShannonMFG]

There are a multitude of things you must incorporate in taking control of RA. And everyone responds differently to different things. What works for me may not work for others and vice versa. But we CAN take control! We just have to keep fighting.

[Amy_Lee in reply to ShannonMFG]

Agree with you totally. We are all different, we know best of what good for us. Yes, we just have to continue fighting and keep fighting! We are in control of our own health and body!

[Frangipane]

I think its important to take care of yourself through your diet. That's my part and my doctor prescribes the meds.

[Amy_Lee in reply to Frangipane]

Agree. I don't believe the diet alone will cure RA methodology.