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Arthritis
“I have been
diagnosed with
osteoarthritis in my
neck and have heard that
it can be helped with
diet - do you have any
information about this?”
- Osteo Sufferer
Dear Osteo
Sufferer,
This is an interesting question and is oddly topical in my latest
article. Given the suggested possibility that yeast may be linked to
arthritis I would proceed with an anti-candida diet with a focus on
cinnamon, recent research suggests cinnamon may kill yeasts in the
blood stream that are contributing to the arthritis. You could even
buy a cinnamon supplement.
As the osteoarthritis is in the neck I would suggest consulting a
postural correctional specialist or trainer and check with your
health professional about massage to help correct the alignment of
the neck. I would also try and get a 'yoga boxing' video. It’s an
excellent low impact spinal realignment video.
Causes of primary osteoarthritis
- Diets predominant in sucrose, white flour products and refined processed foods.
- The nightshade family (Solanaceae) of vegetables have been known to trigger osteoarthritis. These include tomatoes, potatoes and eggplant. Some speculate that it is not the vegetables themselves but pesticides residues on the plants that are to blame.
- 'Junk in the joints'. Leaky gut syndrome is a condition where excessive wear on the intestinal membranes (usually by gluten and other antagonists), render them permeable to undigested food proteins passing from the digestive tract into the bloodstream, thickening up the blood (a condition known as 'Rouleau'). The body attempts to stash the junk, sometimes into the joint area, provoking an immune system reaction. Excess acid is a common by-product of 21st century diets, which inhibits the formation of new cartilage.
Causes of secondary osteoarthritis
Include 'primary events' that trigger the condition. This could be a fall, hormonal problems, or other conditions usually revolving around an overly acidic body system.
Diet
Commence hydrating the body by drinking at least eight glasses of good water a day with a teaspoon (tsp) of dissolved Himalayan salt. Maintain
this diet over the long term.
COMMENCE THE ANTI-CANDIDA DIETARY REGIMEN. High quality, organic food is the key here, as always, eaten four or five times per day. The diet should be at least 70% raw to preserve enzyme activity, vitamins and other nutrients. Remember, cooked food is dead food nutritionally. Avoid cow’s milk and dairy in general.
DETOXIFICATION: Magnesium oxide bowel cleanse or colonic irrigation (don’t go mad, colonic irrigationists often encourage you to do more than is necessary).
Try 10mls of Hyaline Liquid Formula supplement 10 which includes high grade forms of glucosamine, chondroitin, aggrecan, dermatan sulphate, keratan sulphate, hyaluronic acid, fibronectin, collagen and elastin, boron, manganese, chromium and zinc, once a day or as directed by your healthcare professional. Children should only take the supplement as directed by a healthcare professional.
RESTORE NUTRIENT BALANCE: COMMENCE THE BASIC SUPPLEMENT PROGRAM, ensuring you take:
- Two Grammes of Vitamin C complex (ascorbates plus bioflavonoids) four times per day.
- Vitamin D3, 5000-10,000iu/ day or better still, decent sunlight for at least 30 minutes a day. If you are worried you are taking the wrong amount of supplement or are not getting enough sunlight, you can have periodic checks on D3 levels. Optimum levels should be around 60ng/ml and can be confirmed with a 25 hydroxy test. If your levels are too low, you can supplement with D3.
- Selenium, 200 mcg per day.
- Frankincense extract capsules, as directed.
- Digestive enzyme supplement, as directed, taken between meals on an empty stomach
TIP: Essential fatty acid intake is vital (this is part of THE BASIC SUPPLEMENT PROGRAM). Ideally, increased intakes of fish oils and flaxseed oil (1 tbsp per day) meal should be included. The diet can also include oily fish such as mackerel, herring, halibut and salmon (not farmed, but cold caught).
TIP: Pay special attention to foods that need to be avoided in THE ANTI-CANDIDA DIETARY REGIMEN. These will also include the nightshade family, e.g. potatoes, peppers, tobacco, eggplant and tomatoes.
Other supplements that may be effective:
Flax Seed Oil:
Flax Seed Oil's main content, Omega-3 fats, help our body produce Prostaglandins Series 1 and 3, which are anti-inflammatory hormone-like molecules. These molecules help reduce the inflammation associated with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis, therefore Flax Seed is often believed to be a natural cure for arthritis.
Cold pressed Flax Seed Oil can also be used instead of the raw seeds and I personally think it is more effective. Take 1 teaspoon of Flax Seed Oil 3 times daily. The oil can be added to food as well.
Simply take one tablespoon of Flax Seeds or 1 teaspoon of Flax Seed Oil three times daily. Continue this remedy for at least one month to cure the primary forms of arthritis.
Epsom Salt:
Epsom Salt is high in magnesium. Magnesium is important for bone growth and regulates the body's pH level. A deficiency of magnesium lowers the ability of the body to absorb and use calcium and phosphorus, which are the two primary bone-building minerals.
The following home remedies using Epsom Salt can be used to reduce the symptoms associated with arthritis.
NOTE: If you have heart or kidney disease, consult your doctor before using these remedies. Excessive magnesium can cause diarrhoea, nausea, cramps, muscle weakness, and heart abnormalities.
* Mix 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice and 3 tablespoons of Epsom Salt in one pint of warm water and take one teaspoon in the morning and one at night – only use this if you are not using the Himalayan salt in your drinking water.
* Add three cups of Epsom Salt in hot bath water and soak in it. The magnesium in the salt is absorbed by the body, soothing and relaxing stiff joints and muscles.
Alfalfa:
A tea made from Alfalfa, especially from its seeds, has shown beneficial results in the treatment of arthritis. Simply add one teaspoon of Alfalfa seeds to one cup of boiling water. Take three to four cups of this tea daily for approximately two weeks to reduce inflammation. Another option is to regularly take alfalfa capsules or add a small amount of alfalfa to your diet.
Cod Liver Oil:
Research has shown that consuming a small amount of Cod Liver Oil each day can potentially slow down cartilage degeneration, which is one of the main symptoms of osteoarthritis. Additionally, the omega-3 acids contained in the oil can help reduce the pain and inflammation associated with arthritis. Therefore, simply consuming one to two teaspoons of cod liver oil daily could be very beneficial.
Turmeric:
Turmeric, a common spice in Indian cuisine, has been used to reduce inflammation for hundreds of years in Ayurvedic medicine. By taking 500mg to 1000mg Turmeric capsules three times per day, many individuals have reported significant relief from osteoarthritis pain.
Ginger:
Similar to Turmeric, the common kitchen spice Ginger has been found to be an effective natural anti-inflammatory. Therefore, a great remedy for Arthritis is to peel and slice 1/2 inch of fresh ginger and take it with each meal.
In addition to this, Shyam Singha, perhaps one of the worlds best and most controversial ayurvedic specialists, suggests the following. His remedies are often in direct controversy with common advice but they always seem to work in my experience and therefore I recommend following them.
Mr Singha’s advice:
Generically, arthritis refers to inflammation of the bones. There are a number of forms: rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid spondylitis, to name just a few, but rheumatoid arthritis is probably the most painful. Arthritis is caused by an over-production of acid which is deposited in the joints in the form of crystals. The treatment aims to completely eliminate these crystals without causing damage to the body. A good treatment to achieve this is a potato peel diet.
Remedy:
Boil 1kg of 12mm-thick potato peelings in 3½ litres of water. Mash them and eat nothing else for at least seven days, drinking lots of hot water at the same time. This diet provides dramatic, sudden relief. Avoid aspirin-based tablets during this period. Follow this diet by eating only raw food for 28 days. The two diets should relieve the acute pain and result in the body functioning more effectively. After the two diets (7 days and 28 days), continue to eat only non-protein food. If you require protein, eat only vegetable proteins such as lentils, legumes and soya beans. Avoid eating eggs, poultry and, most definitely, red meat. If your desire for protein proves irresistible eat sea fish, but avoid the scavengers such as prawns, shrimps and shellfish.
It is advisable to consult a medical practitioner before commencing the above diets and allow for supervision from the medical practitioner during the five weeks of self-treatment.
In addition to the above diets, the discomfort of arthritis can be further minimized by taking hot baths containing 500g of Epsom salts, 500g of sea salt and 125g of bicarbonate of soda. The bath should be as hot as you can bear it, adding hot water every 5 minutes and taken for 20-30 minutes. This enables all the pores to open fully. Follow this bath with a cold shower to close the pores. Go directly to bed after drying the body. The sweating will help dispel excessive acid from the body.
While osteoarthritis is difficult to treat with juices they certainly help treating rheumatoid arthritis during the early stages.
Fresh Juice Recipe:
Make 500inl from equal amounts of the following juices:
carrot
celery
raw beetroot
cucumber (with skin)
Drink undiluted on an empty stomach and at the same time chew and eat 100g of ripe pineapple.
Prevention:
The best way to prevent a chronic disease such as arthritis is to ensure that you eat balanced meals. An effective diet contains 80 per cent alkaline-forming and 20 per cent acid-forming foods. Remember the general rule - food that is acidic or sour before eating becomes alkaline when digested. Most vegetables and fruits are alkaline-forming. Berries are acid-forming. Grains are acid-forming with the exception of millet. Fizzy drinks, coffee, black tea and beverages are all acid-forming. Water, fresh fruit and vegetables, juices and herb teas are alkaline-forming.
This diet has a preventative effect so try it from time to time if you are prone to arthritis.
Sarah.
If you have any questions about
your health, email: asksarah@tstnz.com
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