Last updated on August 21, 2024 by Dr. Subashri Thanigaivel
“உணவே மருந்து”
The lost tamil proverb, like our Tamil Nadu government.
Indeed, food is the best medicine and nobody can deny it.
We are not talking about the fast food edibles–swiggyed food, processed tetra packs, frozen meal packs or junk chats in the street corners.
For chronic health conditions where you need to manage the illness and prevent further worsening, a strict diet is a right choice. One such condition is Arthritis. The joint pain needs a proper food chart to ease them.
Did you know?
A proper diet plan prevents Arthritis
A diet plan is not about eating the right food but also avoiding unhealthy food habits. Arthritis doesn’t need surgery, steroids, NSAIDS as the treatment. It requires home cooked healthy food.
A diet plan is not about eating right food but also avoiding unhealthy food habits
Prevent your arthritis joint pain by in-taking food that is healthy, home cooked with less spice and oil. Avoid foods that are processed, packaged and preserved with chemicals.
Foods to Avoid and Why?
The pain in your joint is a result of inflammation. Arthritis is caused by many reasons, but they all lead to swelling of joint–inflammation. Certain foods suppress inflammation, while others promote the condition.
Here are the foods which increase inflammation, pain and are harmful.
Processed Food
When you see a pack of cookies, you feast your eyes first and then the stomach. We are victims of processed and packaged items. All the packs, jars and containers have trans-fat, along with the food. Trans fat is added as a preservative to prevent the food from getting spoiled.
It triggers inflammation.
Meat & Fried Foods
Next to the Trans-fat, advanced glycation end products (AGE) will also promote inflammation. They are abundant in meat, fried meat, and fried foods. Arthritis pain will increase if you intake deep fried, broiled, grilled, roasted foods. It is good if you take small amounts of them but if you avoid them then it is great.
Tuber Varieties
Starch rich carbohydrates can increase your joint pain. Avoid them in your diet plan. Example: Potato, sweet potato, cassava(மரவள்ளி), Taro(சேம்புக் கிழங்கு) and its varieties.
Tobacco and Alcohol
If you have the habit of smoking, or, and, consuming alcohol, arthritis can spike. Smoking leads to rheumatoid arthritis and drinking causes gout increasing your uric acid levels. Habitual worsen your condition by intensifying your pain.
Foods to intake and Why?
Curbing your inflammation is the goal of your diet plan. Let us see what foods can suppress inflammation. There is no magic food for arthritis pain. It is about your food routines and eating habits.
Veggies, fruits, and whole grains fight inflammation. You can find anti-inflammatory properties in them because they are rich in antioxidants. Here are some of the best foods for your arthritis pain.
Water Nutritious Vegetables
Veggies rich in water content will help you lose weight and that can reduce your load in the knee joint. Add Lettuce, celery, cabbage, radish, cucumber, zucchini(சுரைக்காய்), Ridge Gourd(பீர்க்கங்காய்), tomatoes, turnips, bottle gourd in your diet.
These greens suppress the inflammation in your joints and eases your pain.
Boiled or Steamed Food
When you cook food at high temperatures, it produces AGE, that triggers inflammation. To avoid this, go for boiled or steamed food because they can be cooked at very low temperatures with minimal oil or none.
You can have soups in your diet, steamed food like raagi idly (or any other millets)boiled vegetables instead of sauteed. These foods will make you feel light like a feather and reduce your pain.
For meat lovers, boiled lean meat, steamed fish can be a replacement to the fried spicy meat.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C has antioxidant properties. Fruits like strawberries, Kiwi and pineapple have Vitamin C in them. Taking these natural Vitamin – C supplements can reduce your knee joint pain. A study in USA showed that people who consume the right amount of natural Vitamin C is less likely to face knee pain.
The citrus family fruits such as lemons, oranges, and moosambi are also rich in Vitamin C. Please eat them as fruits rather than as juice.
Don’t take high amounts of Vitamin C because it can cause problems in your kidney. Take about 60 grams or fewer than that to keep your knee pain contained.
Conclusion
Sometimes you have to start to see the difference. Food habits, diet plans, and meal routines are not goals but habits, which need consistency, self-discipline, and commitment.
Sometimes good things are not tasty but we can make them yummy for you. If you want food recipes on any specific food listed in the above, let us know in the comments. We will share it with you.
