Do you have Osteoarthritis?

“The most beneficial foods are Anti- inflammatory”

Marianne Roberts. BHSc Naturopathy

Here is how an anti-inflammatory diet can help you:

Firstly, let us start with a brief understanding of what Osteoarthritis is:
Osteoarthritis involves bone re-modelling, synovial inflammation, articular cartilage loss and the introduction of inflammatory cells that perpetuate more inflammation. These processes start driving the breakdown of certain structures in your body, causing pain, joint stiffness, swelling and limited range of motion.

As a Naturopath I am asking myself, if this condition creates a lot of inflammation, then would reducing inflammation in the body help reduce the symptoms of Osteoarthritis? For me, the answer is YES!!!

This is where diet can play a crucial role in your health, as what you eat directly affects your body. By understanding what Osteoarthritis is, you can start to form a link between the role of dietary intake helping to reduce inflammation, and how inflammation can exacerbate Osteoarthritis. So, implementing an Anti-inflammatory Diet would be a great place to start in helping you to control some of the debilitating symptoms of Osteoarthritis.

What does the evidence suggest?  

Evidence suggests that following current treatment options from your General Practitioner/Specialist is essential. Integrating the nutritional guidance from your Complementary Medicine Practitioner (Chiropractor/Naturopath/Nutritionist) has shown to provide beneficial outcomes regarding symptom relief. Evidence also recommends that maintaining a stable blood sugar level, weight, and cholesterol reduction (if needed), regular exercise, along with specific vitamins and minerals can assist in slowing Osteoarthritis progression.

Top 5 Anti-Inflammatory Foods to stock up on:

I am sure you all know the most popular anti-inflammatory foods like turmeric, ginger, oily fish, and berries. We know that increasing a variety of different coloured fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and water is a good place to start when it comes to reducing inflammation; but here are some not so common anti-inflammatory foods that you could add into your daily dietary intake to help you to further reduce inflammation.

1. Green leafy vegetables like radicchio, rocket, and baby spinach.
2. Pepitas (pumpkin seeds).
3. Cinnamon (make sure you buy Ceylon cinnamon).
4. Walnut oil (cold pressed unrefined).
5. Beetroot.

What foods to Avoid:

The most common pro-inflammatory foods (causing inflammation) are usually the processed, fast foods that are high in processed meats, refined sugars, saturated fats, vegetable oils, artificial preservatives, and flavors. You may think they taste good, but to our bodies they find these foods hard to digest and therefore start creating inflammation, causing pain and stiffness within your body.

Here are some other foods to consider trying to avoid or at least reduce to help control inflammation.

1. Fruit juices
2. White Potatoes
3. Dairy products
4. Wheat products
5. MSG

Environmental Triggers:

I wanted to talk briefly about environment triggers because daily our bodies are working hard for us, trying to filter through as many of the pollutants that are filling our air. These pollutants can trigger your immune system (that is working so hard to eliminate them from your body) and over time can cause an over-stimulated immune response, potentially leading to autoimmune conditions like Osteoarthritis if accompanied with other causative factors.

Here are some tips to reduce your environmental load:

1. Choose foods from Australia’s “Clean 6” list.
2. Choose natural soaps without SLS & SLES.
3. Use a diffuser with 100% natural essential oils in your home.
4. Avoid products that say “Fragrance” because they are usually artificial.
5. Choose cosmetics and creams that do not have petrochemicals (propylene glycol).

Well…. There you go, some easy tips on how an Anti-inflammatory diet and reducing environmental pollutants can help you!!!

To Your Health and Wellbeing,
Marianne Roberts

Naturopath
Founder of Whole Vitality Healthcare

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Disclaimer: This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any medical condition. This information is general guidance only and not intended to be used as individualized treatments. Use of any information provided by this newsletter, is entirely the risk of the reader. You should always consult with your primary care practitioner before starting any form of naturopathic treatment.