Managing Your Type of Arthritis With Diet

Did you know that there are over one hundred different types of arthritis and arthritis-related conditions? While some are brought on by age- and activity-related wear and tear, others are due to inflammatory autoimmune conditions. Some are even triggered by viruses!

Although there are many different kinds—and no cure—getting arthritis or only managing it through anti-inflammatory medications doesn’t have to be a foregone conclusion. By maintaining good lifestyle habits, such as staying active, maintaining a healthy weight, and eating the right diet to reduce inflammation, you can drastically reduce pain, prevent flare-ups, and even slow the development of the condition.

Five Common Types of Arthritis

1.     Osteoarthritis: Many people might not realize that the most common form of arthritis, osteoarthritis, is more than just a mechanical issue involving the breakdown of cartilage and joint tissue. Though age and injury are major contributing factors, so is diet and weight, making lifelong positive nutritional habits absolutely essential in both the prevention and management of the condition.

Maintaining a healthy weight is crucial in reducing joint stress and cartilage wear and tear, as is focusing on the right foods that are rich in joint-supportive nutrients, as well as eating an anti-inflammatory diet. When you eat properly, you can reduce—or eliminate altogether—your reliance on NSAIDs and other pain medications whose prolonged use can lead to even more health issues.

2.     Rheumatoid Arthritis: Also known as RA, rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition that causes your body to mistakenly attack healthy joint tissue, leading to pain, swelling, and stiffness. Although genetic predisposition plays a role, RA can be triggered by environmental factors including hormonal changes, illness, exposure to certain pollutants, and even food sensitivities.

Diet plays a key role in managing the development and flare ups of RA, as certain foods can disrupt gut bacteria and promote inflammation, while others can lower inflammation, decrease inflammatory cytokines, and fight oxidative stress, thus slowing the progression of the disease. Determining food sensitivities early may even help prevent triggering the disease in those with a family history of RA.

3.     Gout: Unlike other forms of arthritis that are impacted by diet, gout is directly caused by dietary choices. When your body has too-high levels of uric acid, it can form sharp crystals in the joints—especially in the big toe. Proper nutrition is a cornerstone of preventing and managing the condition. This increase in uric acid can be caused by some otherwise healthy foods. Understanding which foods lower inflammation can help manage not only uric acid and prevent gout, but can help prevent kidney stones and decrease your risk of developing diabetes as well.

4.     Psoriatic Arthritis: Although not well understood, psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a form of arthritis that approximately 10 to 30 percent of people with psoriasis will develop. Because many people who suffer from PsA also suffer from poor gut health and metabolic problems, a holistic nutritional approach is key to managing the condition.

Avoiding certain foods can reduce inflammation and trigger an attack. But boosting antioxidant-rich, anti-inflammatory foods can help prevent flares. Working with a nutritionist can help identify foods that are problematic as well as the foods that are necessary for you.

5.     Ankylosing Spondylitis: A type of arthritis that affects the joints in your spine, ankylosing spondylitis (AS) commonly starts in the sacroiliac joints where your spine joins your pelvis. Although it typically presents with pain and stiffness, AS can also cause digestive problems, rashes, weight loss, and nutritional deficiencies.  

While a diet rich in antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, and other nutrients is important, working with a healthcare provider to adopt a low-starch diet may also be beneficial to AS patients, as starch feeds a group of gut bacteria known to trigger an immune response.

Four Ways a Nutritionist Can Help

In addition to building a meal plan that is suited to your individual needs and arthritis type, I can guide you through certain practices to help you get the most from your lifestyle changes. For example:

1.     Keeping a Food Diary. A food diary with personalized check-ins can help us connect certain foods to symptoms and flare-ups, enabling you to make good choices that support your health—rather than detract from it.

2.     Guide You Through an Elimination Diet. Elimination diets, where you eliminate potentially problematic foods and systematically add them back in, can be extremely challenging to do correctly on your own. With my help, we can build a plan that is both easy to follow and provides ample time to discover what types of foods may impact your arthritis.

3.     Focus Your Nutrient Intake. Sometimes, conditions like arthritis can require the limiting of certain foods that are otherwise healthy. I can help ensure you’re getting all the vitamins and minerals you need even when there are certain foods or food groups you can’t eat. Plus, I can help you include foods that offer benefits specific to managing inflammation and arthritis.

4.     Keep You Consistent. When it comes to managing a chronic condition like arthritis, it’s not about eating just one or two specific foods. It’s about consistency. Eating well just some of the time—or only getting certain vitamins and nutrients occasionally—won’t help you reduce your reliance on medications and improve pain and flare ups. Having a support system, and targeted guidance, guarantees results.

If you’re struggling with arthritis and want to know how to eat in ways that can help get you off medications, improve symptoms, prevent flare-ups, and slow disease progression, you’ve come to the right place.

Contact me to learn more about how I can help you adapt and stick to key lifestyle and dietary changes that will give you more pain-free days and better mobility.