| Doctors are now taking diet seriously because in | | | | providing energy over a longer period than refined |
| recent years there has been an increasing amount of | | | | carbohydrates such as sugar. Ideally, two thirds of |
| evidence that nutrition plays an important part in | | | | your calories should come from complex |
| arthritis, particularly in rheumatoid arthritis. Research | | | | carbohydrates, which are found in pasta, grains and |
| shows that changing what you eat can help relieve | | | | vegetables. Eat a multi colored range of fresh fruit and |
| symptoms. You may not be able to cure rheumatoid | | | | vegetables to get a mixture of nutrients. |
| arthritis with diet, but it can mean less pain, shorter | | | | Cooking vegetables by steaming or microwaving them |
| periods of stiffness, and a stronger grip. Some people | | | | is the best way to retain their nutrients. Try to eat at |
| who change their diet are able to reduce drugs. There | | | | least one totally vegetarian meal once a week. When |
| are some people, however, who do not benefit much | | | | eating meat, choose mainly from poultry sources. Cut |
| by changing their diet. | | | | down on your fat intake as fat has twice the number |
| Many people with rheumatoid arthritis are not eating a | | | | of calories as protein and carbohydrates. Saturated |
| healthy diet. According to the journal, only six per cent | | | | fats, found in biscuits, cheese, margarine, pastry and |
| of sufferers consume the recommend daily intake of | | | | chips, are the most important type to reduce. Also |
| selenium, which helps protect against arthritis, and only | | | | reduce your sugar intake, which provides calories but |
| twenty three per cent eat enough calcium, which is | | | | not nutrients. |
| essential for strong bones. The best way of ensuring | | | | Many people with arthritis can relieve their symptoms |
| that you get these and other essential nutrients is to | | | | with a combination of healthy dietary changes and |
| eat a healthy, balanced diet. Being overweight can | | | | medication. Preparing meals with certain herbs, such as |
| make symptoms of arthritis worse. The most | | | | ginger, which is an anti inflammatory, and parsley, which |
| important thing that you can do is to lose weight. Eating | | | | is rich in calcium, have been found to be useful in the |
| a balanced diet and taking exercise will help you do so. | | | | treatment of arthritis. Except for gout sufferers, all fish |
| What is a balanced diet? Start by increasing your | | | | are good, especially cold water, oily fish such as |
| intake of starchy foods, which contain complex | | | | mackerel, sardines, herring, salmon, halibut, trout and |
| carbohydrates, and fresh fruit and vegetables. | | | | tuna. Eat at least five fish meals a week. |
| Complex carbohydrates are digested more slowly, | | | | |