Food And Arthritis

Add the RIGHT foods to your diet to REDUCE arthritic pain and inflammation.
Include the WRONG foods to your diet and INCREASE arthritic pain and inflammation.
My choice? A life-journey based on a low-oil whole-food plant based diet.
Whatever your current state of health, make yourself healthier - you deserve it. Start your plant based diet journey today.

Saturday 14 May 2016

Jargon

Trying to become some kind of expert in my medical condition is not made easy by the quantity of jargon. So here is my attempt to pull some notes together.
  • Anemia: A low red-blood cell count, which may mean less oxygen circulating the body and thus, amongst other things, tiredness.  Often this is treated with iron supplements but there are chronic forms that need different solutions.
  • Anti-inflammatory: A food or drug that discourages inflammation of the joints.
  • Antioxidants: Simply put antioxidants reduce oxidisation.  Which means we stay younger longer!  Berries are a very good source of antioxidents, as are teas such as green and hibiscus-based teas.
  • Arthritis: one big pain!
  • Auto-immune disease: Normally the body's immune system helps keep it healthy.  However sometimes the body's defence mechanism reacts incorrectly.  In arthritis this reaction causes the inflammation in the joints.
  • Bromelain: A substance found in pineapple that is reported to help relieve pain and swelling.
  • Cortisol: Otherwise known as the stress hormone, it helps reduce inflammation and commonly injected as the steroid Cortisone.  However it also reduces digestion which means proteins are not broken down effectively, which will increase risk of ill-health.
  • CRP: C-reactive protein is a prime marker in your blood showing inflammation levels.  If you are having blood tests then this is one item that will be tested.
  • Detox: The process that starts with drinking just liquids for a day or so to help clean your digestive system
  • DMARDs: Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs. Methotrexate is in this class of drug.
  • Electrolytes: Are chemicals calcium, chloride, magnesium, phosphate, potassium and sodium, a balance of which are needed for proper bodily function.
  • Endothelial: DNA cells that might be damaged by taking iron supplements (usually prescribed for anemia.)
  • Endoscopy: An examination of your digestive system using a thin telescope through the mouth or anus.
  • Endomysium: is a whispy fibre that sheathes muscle fibre and cells.
  • Enthesitis: Inflammation of the entheses, where tendons or ligaments enter the bone.  Common in Psoriatic Arthropathy.
  • Erythropoietin: A hormone drug that stimulates blood marrow so that it producec more red blood cells.
  • Glutathione: The body naturally produces this antioxidant that importantly contains a chemical called sulfur, which attracts free-radicals, toxins etc from the body and thus helping to cleanse your body.
  • GF: Gluten-free
  • Hematocrit: shows the proportion of your total blood volume composed of red blood cells. A hematocrit (Hct) test indicates whether you have too few or too many red blood cells.
  • Leaky Gut Syndrome; The idea that foods are not being digested properly and, incorrectly, some components are going into blood and causing pain, inflammation and fatigue.
  • Melaena: Faeces with blood in them.
  • Methotrexate: The drug of choice for many with chronic arthritis.
  • Micronutrients: another name for electrolytes, see above.
  • MTX: The usual abbreviation for methotrexate.
  • NSAID: An acronym for Non-Steroid Anti-Inflammatory Drug. Most people, if not all, with arthritis will be prescribed such a drug. Mild forms are available over the counter.
  • Nightshades: Plants of the family Solanaceae which are thought to cause inflammation.
  • Osteoarthritis: Arthritis primarily showing problems in the joints, most commonly the knees and hips.
  • Prebiotics: Are foods that feed the good bacteria already living in your gut.
  • Probiotics: Are foods that contain live bacteria that is good for digestion.
  • Prostaglandins: Hormone-like substances that regulate the immune system and fight joint inflammation.  They are the body's way of dealing with injury and are created by chemical reaction at the site of the damage.
  • Proteinuria: The presence of protein in your urine, which may indicate kidney damage.
  • Pseudograins: A true grain come from grasses whereas pseuograins come from plants.
  • Psoriatic Arthropathy: arthritis manifesting itself in skin problems, including persistent dandruff and nail pitting.
  • PTSD: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
  • Purines: are substances in animal and plant foods that the body converts to uric acid, which causes Gout.
  • RA: A common acronym for Rheumatoid Arthritis.
  • Reticulocyte Count: The count of immature red blood cells.
  • Serotonin: Is a neurotransmitter which can help regulate moods.
  • Serum Ferritin: Measures iron-storing protein.
  • Serum Iron: How much iron is in blood.
  • Superfood: I think of a food that has a wide range of nutrients. For example you might almost live from a diet of sweet potatoes.  However the term is more often a marketing term used to increase the sales price of foods they want to sell.
  • Synovial Fluid: The egg-like liquid that fills most of our joints to reduce friction.  Regular movement of a joint will help move blood into the joint and thus can help repair the synovial membrane.
  • Transfats: a class of fat that causes inflammation. Avoid foods with any trans-fats in them!!! Sometimes this may be labelled hydrogenated or partially-hydrogenated fats. It will take you 2 months to clear your system of trans-fats.
  • Transglutaminase: In the kitchen this enzyme is called meat-glue because of its ability to bind protiens together.  This item can tested for in blood tests to determine gluten intolerance.
  • Triglycerides: The main constituents of body fat in humans.
  • Vegetarian: Someone who does not eat meat but does eat dairy products.
  • Vegan: Someone who neither eats meat nor dairy products and so concentrates on a plant-food diet

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