Diet Plan for Arthritis

Arthritis is characterized by swollen and painful one or more joints. Stiffed and painful joints are the main complaints presented in Arthritis. The peculiar point is that these complaints worsen with age. There are different types of arthritis from which the more commonly occurring are rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. In Osteoarthritis there occurs breakdown of bone cartilages. While in Rheumatoid arthritis the body’s own immune system attacks the joints causing damage to them. Increased uric acid, lupus or psoriasis causes the other form of arthritis.

Along with the medicines, you must need to control your diet in order to get treated. There are certain foods which increase the inflammation and worsen the disease so it needs to be avoided and on the other hand some foods help in healing.

Arthritis diet chart, Arthritis diet plan, Foods To Avoid and Consume in Arthritis

DIET CHART

EARLY-MORNING

Amla juice / Herbal tea

BREAKFAST

Sprouts / Vegetable soup / Vegetable sandwich / Egg sandwich / Green tea

MID-MORNING

Coconut water / Fruit / Herbal tea

LUNCH

Chapatti / Curry / Parboiled rice / Veg pulav / Vegetables / Dal / Low fat curd

EVENING

Toast / Green tea / Black tea / Herbal tea

DINNER

Vegetable curry / Chapatti / Veg dalia / Dal / Broken wheat upma

DIET INSTRUCTIONS

CEREALS

Cereals to be consumed

Quinoa, Buckwheat, Brown rice, Oats, Little millet, Corn, Kamut, Wheat

Cereals to be avoided

Barley, Rye, White rice

FRUITS

Fruits to be consumed

Apple, Banana, Cheery, Avocado, Peaches, Pear, Pomegranate, Sapodilla, Apricot, Blueberry, Amla

Fruits to be avoided

All citrus fruits like lemon, oranges, sweet lemon, etc; Strawberry, Mango, Kiwi

VEGETABLES

Vegetables to be consumed

Ridge gourd, Pumpkin, Spinach, Potato, Drumstick, Carrot, Broccoli, Onion, Ginger, Beetroot, Bitter gourd, Round gourd, Mushroom, Bottle gourd, Kale, Zucchini, Turnips, Beans

Vegetables to be avoided

Tomatoes, Eggplant or Brinjal, Radish

PULSES

Pulses to be consumed

All pulses and legumes

Pulses to be avoided

None but limit the use of Black gram / Kidney beans

DAIRY PRODUCTS

Dairy Products to be consumed

Occasionally or limited intake of ghee, Skimmed milk (by adding turmeric) and Low fat Yogurt

Dairy Products to be avoided

All the other milk products

OILS

Oils to be consumed

Sunflower oil, ghee, Olive oil, Mustard oil, Rice bran oil

Oils to be avoided

Canola oil, Palm oil, Coconut oil

SPICES

Spices to be consumed

Turmeric, Cumin, Coriander, Ginger, Fennel, Peppers, Curry leaves, Mustard seeds

Spices to be avoided

Pimiento, Red chilli

DRINKS

Drinks to be consumed

Vegetable soups, Coconut water, Herbal tea, Green tea, Juices, Skimmed milk (Occasionally)

Drinks to be avoided

Alcoholic beverages, Cream based drinks, Full fat milk based drinks, Canned drinks, Carbonated and sweetened drinks

FLESH FOODS

Flesh Foods to be consumed

Eggs, Fish, lean chicken (Occasionally), (Take both Baked or grilled)

Flesh Foods to be avoided

Beef, Pork, Red meat, Prawns

DRY-FRUITS / SEEDS

Dry Fruits to be consumed

Flax seeds, Sunflower seeds, Almonds, Walnut, (Soaked one)

Dry Fruits to be avoided

Cashew, Pistachios, Peanuts

PREPARED FOODS

Prepared Foods to be consumed

None

Prepared Foods to be avoided

Bakery foods, processed and packaged food, Fried food, Junk Food, Pickles, Refined sugar, Vinegar

SWEETENERS

Sweeteners to be consumed

Honey

Sweeteners to be avoided

Jaggery, Sugar, All the artificial sweeteners

HOME REMEDIES

  • Manage your weight. If you are overweight, reduce it as extra weight puts more pressure on knees, feet, hips and other joints.
  • Go for light exercises like walking, cycling, or swimming. It helps in managing weight and also maintain good flexibility of joints
  • Yoga can help in reduction of stress, eases joint pains and improves joint flexibility. The asanas that can be done in this condition (under supervision) are:
    – Eagle pose
    – Forward bend
    – Bow pose
    – Camel pose
    – Head to knee pose
    – Knee to chest pose
    – Child’s pose
  • Abhyanga massage can be a good way to relieve arthritic pain. It is a sort of oil massage which can be done at home also with sesame oil.
  • Take some castor oil mixed with turmeric and rub it on the painful joint. Then wrap that joint with a towel and place a hot bottle over it (as your body feels better) for around 10 minutes.
  • Pranayama can be a good option to ease the arthritic pain as it has been used since ancient times to treat various illnesses like arthritis.

LIFESTYLE INSTRUCTIONS

  • Drink at least 8-10 glasses of water daily
  • Avoid stress as it is also a triggering factor. You can do Yoga and meditation for it