Battling Arthritis

The bone health ‘industry’ is dominated by Calcium and Vitamin D, as many people already know. I know this is an arthritis blog but for now I want to talk about our bone health. For somebody who has never been a religious milk drinker, I wanna take this opportunity to remind myself of the importance of starting early on milk. While I cannot take back  or even make up for the years lost of not drinking milk (I’m a true-blue coffeeholic!), I remain a work in progress in putting milk into my diet. (The time I was pregnant and breastfeeding and of course when I was a kid was the only times in my life I was on milk!)

There is always the option of taking the supplemental Calcium with Vitamin D. I was on this too when I got pregnant and even afterwards. However, I have always believed that taking the dietary sources are a lot better than taking the supplements. That’s why I have always resorted to other dairy products ( and other food sources rich in calcium) such as cheese and fruit yoghurt (yikes, i never thought the day would come I’d be brave enough to try yoghurt!). Just think non-fat dairy folks, that’s arthritis-friendly.

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Honestly I never thought about it before, never bumped into the information as well until recently that I have been exchanging emails with an old college friend of mine that is working at Dole (Asia) and saw this in her email signature:

“A Superfood for Your Joints - pineapple is the only source of the anti-inflammatory enzyme bromelain. Research has linked bromelain with significant reduction in knee pain. Learn more at dolesuperfoods.com.”

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According to researchers of Wake Forest University School of Medicine, the popular fish - the farm-raised tilapia has less very low levels of the beneficial omega-3 fatty acids and very high levels of omega-6 fatty acids.

The said combination is bad one, making tilapia not a good food for some people suffering from heart disease, arthritis, asthma and other allergic and auto-immune diseases (particularly vulnerable to an “exaggerated inflammatory response). More →

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Fish oil. We’ve been hearing and reading tonnes of health benefits from increase intake of fish oil (omega-3 fatty acids), either from food sources or dietary supplements.

Now, as presented at EULAR 2008 (the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism held in Paris, France)…fish oil has been associated with reduced risk of rheumatoid arthritis.

Take note of the following summary of findings: More →

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Okay, before you all get too excited with the title, let us all remember the word moderation when pertaining to alcohol intake.

Now…studies are claiming that it may be possible that drinking five glasses of wine per week can reduce the risk of the onset of rheumatoid arthritis by 50 percent.

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If you dig into my old posts, I have always mentioned that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, fish and non-fat dairy is good for people suffering from arthritis.

Once more from Reader’s Digest. But this time, a list of nutrient-rich food that is best for people with arthritis:

1. Salmon - one of the riches sources of healthy fats and omega-3 fatty acids. I guess most fish will be good as well? More →

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After months of being a lot better (read: less attack of osteoarthritis symptoms), the last three days found me on square one. Knees and thighs stiff again, trouble standing up again after a bit of inactivity (i.e. sitting down in front of my PC). This time was even worse because both my knees were swollen. I never had those before.

So I had to reflect on what I have been doing wrong. Alright, I do not have an exercise regime. Only leisurely walking around the house every now and then, if you can call that exercise. Just to stretch my legs and lessen the stiffness.

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Ever since I bumped into Dr. John La Puma in the web, I was hooked. Dr. La Puma is the ChefMD® himself.

As seen on the Sunday, February 3, 2008 “What’s Cooking with ChefMD®?” on Lifetime, the Recipe of the Week is Dark Chocolate and Lime Pudding — a recipe that could be good for people with rheumatoid arthritis, among others.

Here is what Dr. La Puma said about the main ingredients of this recipe (highlight’s mine): More →

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