Dietary choices for RA

Shortly after discovering I had RA I went to the internet in search of natural options to medication. There were so many opinions out there. I tried a few supplements and made a few diet changes, no sodas or coffee/caffeine, except for my cup of green tea in the morning, are two changes I've stuck with but nothing seemed to change the progression of the disease.

A gluten free diet was suggested by several people so I did that faithfully for 6 months. At the end of the 6 months my husband asked me how I was doing and I had to say, "not too good". I was stiff and sore every morning and the diet had not made an observable improvement. So that night I enjoyed the bread basket when we dined out at one of our favorite restaurants. That bread was delicious! So I was back to eating what sounded good at the time for several months.

After a particularly challenging flare up that resulted in the doctor ordering me a wheelchair to use when necessary, I felt a pang of desperation that my life was spiraling quickly towards disability. So I researched on-line afresh. One thing I read was that a 3 day fast for RA patients made them symptom free but that once they began to eat again their symptoms returned. Doesn't this show that there had to be something dietary that could be adjusted that would reduce inflammation and pain? What foods caused inflammation? What foods lessened it?

I found some study results that said a vegan/gluten free diet showed good success with RA victims. Eliminating dairy and wheat products together was something I hadn't tried before. So I started following both these diets. I also eliminated sugar and began to make fresh vegetable juice almost everyday. There was definitely improvement. The main thing I noticed was that the swelling was reduced and I had more energy and stamina. I ate beans, lentils or raw nuts everyday for my protein. I also lost weight which could only be beneficial to my joints.

After 10 weeks on the diet I began to add in fish, goat cheese and chicken as protein sources on occasion and continued to feel good. I found that the substitute vegan cheeses did not appeal to me and that eating as natural as possible was more desirable than having "substitute foods".  Some treasures I discovered included brown rice tortillas from our local health food store. This meant I could have Mexican rice and beans  for burritos, minus the cheese - divine. Another wonderful treat was "Coconut Bliss" frozen dessert. It is all natural and uses agave syrup instead of sugar. So I have a little of that a few times a week for a special treat. My youngest daughter found special recipes and has made me wonderful yummies to enjoy for special occasions. Bless you my dear!

At this point I have been following these dietary changes for 4 months and continue to feel better. The medication change from Enbrel to Humira was 5 weeks ago so that may be one of the reasons for continued improvement as well. Regardless I have been rejoicing in the results. Thank you Lord!

I'm still not able to easily manage a walk of more than a quarter of a mile but I hope to see improvement continue on that front as well. In the meantime it feels great to have increased energy in order to enjoy my grandchildren and to make it through a full day rather than being exhausted by mid afternoon.

The discipline of these dietary changes have taught me they are well worth any sacrifice. Discipline - that can only be good for me, right? I have been learning to look at the abundance of food I can enjoy and not dwell on what I miss out on...like a cheesy thick crust pizza! :-) OOPS! Maybe I better get out for a little walk instead of thinking about that pizza!