Anti-Inflammation Diet for Arthritis
22 Jul
David saw an acupuncturist here in Dallas last week. He didn’t get the pain relief he got from the acupuncture treatments he had in Dallas, but we did have a good consultation with the acupuncturist about David’s diet.
He wants David to stop drinking all soda. He said soda contains phosphoric acid that can leach minerals from David’s bones. Since David has Psoriatic Arthritis, it’s obviously important that he take care of his bones.
He also suggested David eat more green, leafy vegetables and eat less sweets. This led to my experiment in making kale chips. If you’ve never had kale, it smells and tastes kind of like broccoli, but not as good. And I love broccoli. Read my post on Luby’s Cafeteria if you don’t believe me. I won’t be making kale chips again.
The acupuncturist also said David should try eating less acidic food. He says the acidity can cause inflammation. So instead of oranges every other morning with breakfast, David’s eating bananas. He also recommended avoiding nightshade vegetables like tomatoes and peppers.
The biggest blow was his suggestion that David go dairy free. He’s done so well eating gluten free, but to take away dairy, too? Ugh. That one’s going to be hard.
It’s a big long list for an anti-inflammation diet to help David’s arthritis. The acupuncturist encouraged us to take it slow and focus on one or two things at a time. I bought rice milk this week and made soup and scrambled eggs with it instead of regular milk. We couldn’t really taste a difference. David has eaten more vegetables this week, and he’s had far less soda than usual. I don’t think we’ll work too hard on it until we get back from our trip home to Dallas. There are just too many delicious Tex-Mex foods we’ve been missing.
Has anyone else tried an anti-inflammation diet? Does anyone have any tips for going dairy free? There are several really great, healthy dishes I make that I top with cheese so David will eat them. Is there a dairy free cheese substitute?
It would be really wonderful if this diet helped David with his pain. It is a lot of work to radically change our eating habits, but the pain is so intense it’s quite motivating.
My husband is vegan so I have tons of dairy free tips:
~ Vanilla almond milk is great in smoothies
~ Daiya (sold at Whole Foods) is the best vegan cheese for making things like pizza, quesadillas, etc. It comes in a bag and they have cheddar and mozzarella flavors. It melts really well and tastes best when served hot
~ Tofutti makes sliced cheese (similar to Kraft Singles) in American and mozarella flavor. This type works best for eating on sandwiches and making grilled cheeses with. On grilled cheese you’d never know it was dairy free.
~ Tofutti also sells cream cheese that is dairy free and tastes just like the real stuff.
~ If your husband likes Mayo veganaise is the best tasting brand out there. It is dairy free.
~ Soy ice creams tend to taste a little wierd. However, the Peanut Butter Zig Zag is like a little bowl of chocolate deliciousness. I am getting hungry just thinking about it
~ If your husband likes the flavor of coconut the So Delicious brand of coconut ice creams are so good!
~ The Silk brand yogurt is dairy free. I have only had the vanilla flavor and it tastes like real yogurt to me.
Since I have RA I am on an anti-inflammatory diet for the most part. I use soy milk. I gave up sodas about 3 months ago. I’ve seen an improvement for sure.
Here is how I get green in my diet everyday…it sounds weird but tastes amazing. It’s a recipe I modeled after one I got from a friend. I posted the recipe on my blog…here’s the link…good luck!
http://lindyandree.blogspot.com/2010/05/my-favorite-green-smoothie.html
WOW… that just makes me want to give up my Diet soft drinks even more.
I cant imagine giving up cheese… that’s part of the dairy-free diet, right? WOW… I bet once he gets use to new things though, it’ll just be 2nd nature. Let us know if you find out any good recipes & stuff!
Best of luck on all the changes….
I had to go dairy free when I cut the gluten out of my diet and I have found that I really like almond milk the best out of all of the non milk products.
The barista at Starbucks the other day said she drinks Vanilla almond milk in her caramel mochiato because she can’t have dairy and she said you can’t taste the difference. She suggested I try it sometime and now I will so I can report back to you.
For what it’s worth, I am on an anti-inflammation diet, but it’s a bit different than what your husband is on. It has helped A LOT and is good for a lot of different conditions. I don’t eat ANY grains and no sugar, so some of the recipes on my blog would probably interest you. If you want more information about the reasons I am grain and sugar free and more info on this eating plan, you can visit http://www.knowthecause.com
P.S. Be careful of those soy, almond, and rice milks. A lot of them add sweeteners. And I too like the unsweetened plain almond milk the best. Also, you can do a LOT with coconut milk and cream. You should check out Tropical Traditions for more info on this.
Sorry, I am no help here! I have very mild arthritis in my hands and just take a daily supplement to help. And staying away from certain activities is good too.
You may want to check on sites designated for Autism. They have a TON of great info on going dairy free, among many other diets too.
We were vegan for a few years. It takes a little work to figure it out at first, but there are some great cheese substitutes (Marissa gave the names of several). We make a “nacho cheese” out of cashews that is very good. I can send you the recipe if you’d like. Also, you can make your own almond milk pretty easily. We use rice milk, but I’m going to start making almond milk to save money and cut out some sugar.
Interesting. I have nothing but problems with my joints. Stopping by from SITS! Be sure to enter my Dyson giveaway (it ends tonight) http://bewitchinkitchen.blogspot.com/2010/07/dyson-review-giveaway.html
This is so right up my ally
This is the kind of stuff my husband and I do for a living. You should check out our website http://www.bodyalive.com/
With so many wonderful alternatives to dairy products available these days, going dairy free has never been easier (or more delicious!) One caveat: Beware of so-called “dairy-free” products that contain the milk protein, casein, listed on the label as casein or caseinate.) You also want to avoid dairy-free products that contain hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils (trans fats.) These are extremely health damaging.
Following are a few of my favorites:
Milk: So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverages (no other substitute comes closer to cow’s milk)
Coffee Creamer: So Delicious French Vanilla Coconut Milk Creamer (vanilla, coconut, creamy, need I say more?)
Sour Cream: Follow Your Heart Sour Cream Alternative
Cream Cheese: Follow Your Heart Cream Cheese Alternative
Yogurt and Kefir: So Delicious Cultured Coconut Milk (there are yogurts and drinkable beverages just like kefir. The strawberry and chocolate flavors are yummy!)
Meltable Cheeses: Daiya Vegan Mozzarella and Cheddar
Feta Cheese: Synergia Feta Cheese
Whipped Cream: Soyatoo Whipped Topping (YUM!)
Ice Cream: So Delicious and Purely Decadent made with coconut milk (The creamiest, tastiest dairy-free ice creams by far, and there are so many gluten-free flavors to choose from! They even make a dairy-free, gluten-free chocolate chip cookie dough flavor!) These ice creams also typically have half the fat and a third fewer calories than dairy-based premium ice creams.