| In at least some rheumatoid arthritis sufferers, the pain | | | | tolerate potatoes, for instance, for two or three days in |
| they feel may be an allergic reaction to a common | | | | a row before you have a reaction. |
| group of food plants known as nightshades. Potatoes, | | | | Once you've defined the level of tolerance that you |
| tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, and eggplants are | | | | have for your favorite foods, develop a rotation diet |
| members of the same group of plants that has been | | | | based on your new knowledge. You may want to eat |
| implicated in arthritis pain. | | | | only one member of the nightshade group on a certain |
| Luckily, this problem is an easy one to identify; the | | | | day; you may want to keep track of when you eat |
| sufferer simply needs to try an elimination diet for a | | | | these foods and only eat them every three or four |
| few days. Here's what to do: eliminate all these foods | | | | days. Of course, if you react to a particular food like |
| from your diet for a week; then, one by one, add the | | | | peppers after a single instance of exposure, it's wise |
| foods back to your diet. If you're sensitive to any of | | | | to eliminate those from your diet completely. |
| these items, you'll most likely end up having a reaction | | | | You may find that your arthritis pain disappears |
| to the food that mimics your arthritis pain, perhaps in | | | | completely, or that the pain lessens once you've |
| addition to other physical symptoms. | | | | eliminated or reduced your use of the offending foods. |
| So what if you're a meat and potatoes man, or your | | | | But before you throw away prescribed pain or |
| favorite comfort food is a big plate of pasta and | | | | anti-inflammatory medication or begin to change your |
| marinara sauce? Do you have to give up all of your | | | | behavior (boosting your exercise routine or other |
| favorite foods forever? Maybe not. Try a second | | | | activities, for instance), have a serious talk with your |
| phase of the elimination diet, avoid all nightshades and | | | | doctor. Discuss your allergies, discuss his or her plans |
| then test one food at a time, for several days, before | | | | for ongoing treatment of your health issue, and come |
| going on to the next. (Make sure you avoid all | | | | to an understanding of how to proceed. Arthritis is a |
| nightshades for at least four days between each test, | | | | serious chronic, and sometimes progressive, illness, and |
| and only include one of these foods at a time.) You | | | | you need professional help to manage it, even if |
| may find that you can tolerate some members of the | | | | you've succeeded in controlling the symptoms with |
| nightshade group better than others; and that you can | | | | diet. |