- This topic has 22 replies, 13 voices, and was last updated 13 years, 8 months ago by
.
-
Posts
-
Hi, are any of you on the Raw Food Diet and if so has it helped your RA? I saw some old posts from 2008 in this BB, but no results or long term analysis from any members. I'm really curious to know if it helps. Right now I'm eating a standard american diet and I admit to a sugar problem. I also get bloated every time I eat and feel very uncomfortable (no matter the portion).
About 2 years ago I had the extensive food testing done, and the results came back as nonsense to me (allergic to foods I never eat and not sensitive to even common offenders like wheat or dairy…very odd). I thought it was an expensive hoax and became jaded about the diet and RA connection. However, I've seen a lot about fasting for RA lately. I cannot fast because I am hypoglycemic, so the next best thing I think would be the raw food diet.
I doubt I could ever go 100% raw, but might try to breakfast and lunch raw. I have two hungry, meat demanding men for dinner each night, so the best I can do there is have a big salad to accompany the main meat.
I have been on Minocin since spring, and now on low dose of Prednisone and Meloxicam. I'm finally at a place where I can start working out regularly again, but my stomach is constantly bothering me now. Acid reflux, burning, belching, bloaty, etc. (I'm sure it's all the meds and supplements burning a hole in my stomach!) When I add a heavy meal on top of that, I really feel awful. Often I cannot fall asleep at bedtime cuz I feel my dinner hasn't even digested. Not good.
I've resisted the diet angle for a while, but the reasons above plus weight gain from the predinose are starting to make RAW look more and more appealing.
Has anyone out there experienced anything similar. RAW does seem drastic to me, but perhpas drastic measures are required for a dramatic cure? My Rheumy would have me believe there is no hope, but I can believe that is true.
Thoughts?
Carrie,
While you are considering diets, you might look into the GAPS diet or Specific carbohydrate diet which is used to heal the digestive tract. http://www.gapsdiet.com
Carrie…if you are bloated after eating it could be gluten causing this. I would avoid gluten and see how you do. I've been gluten free since March and it has made a huge difference!
Carrie-RA,
I'm rushing (as usual), but did read your initial post.
Am wondering if your being on prednisone may be keeping you from experiencing reactions, etc. regarding not only pain, etc., but foods as well. Over the years, I've read posts where patients have had improvement from remaining on prednisone and gradually weaning down.
In my opinion, diet is very important. But, sometimes, even for years, we can be consuming what we think is a great diet, and we can be “blind” to something in our diet that is contra-indicated with a present set of circumstances.
I did really, really well on AP and this “so-called” excellent diet, but all the time my body was not able to properly digest (especially) the red meat and pork (even in smaller amounts), and since I lacked the ability to digest high acid foods like these, and had apparently used up all my readily available minerals for doing this — plus as a Blood Type A I later learned, I lacked the hydrochloric acid needed to even eat such in my diet. At the end of my rope in 2006, after sliding downhill for several years, I learned that my pH measured 5.0-5.5. An eyeopener. Then I began learning about pH, metabolic acidosis, Blood Type diets, how very deficient most of us are in Magnesium, and how when we consume a lot of calcium foods, and don't consume enough magnesium (foods and/or supplements like MagChlor90) these calcium sources can use up all our magnesium, because they work in tandem throughout the body, and this can leave us still magnesium deficient. (There's lots more, but if interested, you can probably find older posts with links, etc.)
The good news was/is that when I had the big picture, everything began turning around very nicely. Even previous bone scans, etc. that had been scary were shown on last year's nuclear body scans to be very nicely improving. My AP physician and my local PCP both tell me to keep on doing what I'm doing.
If you are pretty young, sometimes we can get away with things that we can't get away with as we get older. We may run out of resilience.
Best to you. Getting well is hard work, but I believe all of us can improve greatly,
AF
Hi: All …. I don't know if there is a connection between food and RA , at leased not for me because I do have RA and I know eating a well balanced diet of superfoods,fruits, vegetables, whole-grains, fish and meats. These are the foods that I have been eating for the last nine years and I can truly say was a vital part of my recovery. Also staying away from factory made foods, eat it cooked or raw. Joe RA
Carrie, a friend of mine has a daughter (19) who was diagnosed with JRA at a very young age.. Recently she was also DX'd with lyme..
I talked to her briefly (my friend) at a party and asked about her daughter.. She said they had just got back from MI for a week.. They went here: http://www.creativehealthinstitute.com
She said it was absolute HELL.. She said both of them wanted to quit / leave after the 3rd day (said you only eat living food, drink wheatgrass juice, detox, etc).. She said they both encouraged each other to stick it out..
Well, at the end of day four her daughter was in tears.. As a mother she said to her “That's it, we've had enough, let's go..” Her daughter said “No mom.. These are tears of happiness.. For the first time since I was 11 years old I can actually feel my knees.” She said her knees were so swollen she could never really feel the bone.. And now she could..
They stuck out the rest of the stay and are now home.. I believe they've been home for about a month. She said her daughter says she feels the best she's felt in years.. They are still doing the diet. Her daughter has quit all her meds (not per dr's orders FYI). She gets up and runs every morning where as before she was always so tired she couldn't function..
As for my friend, her mom… She has had bad asthma since she was a very very young child.. For the first time she has not needed her asthma medicine.. She said she has more energy then she ever has..
It really is quite astounding.. I plan on talking with her and her daughter in more detail over labor day weekend..
Hi Carrie,
[user=2256]Carrie-RA[/user] wrote:
About 2 years ago I had the extensive food testing done, and the results came back as nonsense to me (allergic to foods I never eat and not sensitive to even common offenders like wheat or dairy…very odd). I thought it was an expensive hoax and became jaded about the diet and RA connection.
I read that such allergy testing is unreliable, and the results must still be confirmed using an elimination diet. So, although it may not be a complete waste of money, it's pretty close.
[user=2256]Carrie-RA[/user] wrote:
I doubt I could ever go 100% raw, but might try to breakfast and lunch raw. I have two hungry, meat demanding men for dinner each night, so the best I can do there is have a big salad to accompany the main meat.
Meat is fine as long as it's not red meat. Red meat is high in arachidonic acid which is pro-inflammatory.
[user=2256]Carrie-RA[/user] wrote:
Has anyone out there experienced anything similar. RAW does seem drastic to me, but perhpas drastic measures are required for a dramatic cure?
A raw diet is drastic. And unnecessary. You do need to eat plenty of raw fruits and vegetables, though. A large salad for lunch is a very good idea. Salad with dinner is also a good idea. Years ago, back when my symptoms were at their worst, I ate a large salad for dinner several times a week.
My experience is that what you don't eat has a much bigger impact on how you feel than what you do eat. What do I mean by that? If you eat pro-inflammatory foods and foods to which you are sensitive, all the good food and all the vitamin pills in the world won't help. It will be like trying to put out a raging fire with a squirt gun while pouring gasoline on it at the same time. That's why an elimination diet is so useful.
Phil
"Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth."
- Albert EinsteinTbird, OMG! That is an awesome story. I'm going to check that place out cuz I've been thinking maybe I need to go somewhere to kick it off right. I really don't know what I'm doing. Also, it's really hard in my house with two grown men who want steak or pizza or tacos and no veggies for dinner every nite. I've finally gotten then to eat salad but they load on the blue cheese like it's going out of style (I keep mine separate). Bottom line, it's hard for me because I have to still buy all that crap (I've tried to push healthier meals, but they just never want it and it rots in the fridge and we waste money).
Thanks, Phil. I probably can't go 100% raw (see my other post about meat eating me in the household). So I'm trying to be raw during bfast and lunch. Then sit down to a reasonable meal (with a large salad) for dinner with the guys. I take a very small portion of the non-salad items. They don't seem to notice or care as long as they have theirs
: ^ )
Why don't you do food combining, it's the best of both worlds. I've been eating like this for years and years and it's easy.
The days I don't eat like this, I feel horrible. So check it out. I'm on the original Fit For Life”. But there are other ones out there.
Good Luck!
[user=1429]PhilC[/user] wrote:
Hi Carrie,
[user=2256]Carrie-RA[/user] wrote:
About 2 years ago I had the extensive food testing done, and the results came back as nonsense to me (allergic to foods I never eat and not sensitive to even common offenders like wheat or dairy…very odd). I thought it was an expensive hoax and became jaded about the diet and RA connection.
I read that such allergy testing is unreliable, and the results must still be confirmed using an elimination diet. So, although it may not be a complete waste of money, it's pretty close.
[user=2256]Carrie-RA[/user] wrote:
I doubt I could ever go 100% raw, but might try to breakfast and lunch raw. I have two hungry, meat demanding men for dinner each night, so the best I can do there is have a big salad to accompany the main meat.
Meat is fine as long as it's not red meat. Red meat is high in arachidonic acid which is pro-inflammatory.
[user=2256]Carrie-RA[/user] wrote:
Has anyone out there experienced anything similar. RAW does seem drastic to me, but perhpas drastic measures are required for a dramatic cure?
A raw diet is drastic. And unnecessary. You do need to eat plenty of raw fruits and vegetables, though. A large salad for lunch is a very good idea. Salad with dinner is also a good idea. Years ago, back when my symptoms were at their worst, I ate a large salad for dinner several times a week.
My experience is that what you don't eat has a much bigger impact on how you feel than what you do eat. What do I mean by that? If you eat pro-inflammatory foods and foods to which you are sensitive, all the good food and all the vitamin pills in the world won't help. It will be like trying to put out a raging fire with a squirt gun while pouring gasoline on it at the same time. That's why an elimination diet is so useful.
Phil
I didn't know red meat was inflammatory. Will stay away!!!!!
I didn't know red meat was inflammatory. Will stay away!!!!!
Trouble with staying away from red meat is that you are then likely to be lacking in iron……..and low iron levels are very common in people with rheumatoid disease. My AP doc has told me I have to eat red meat at least 3 times a week for the iron. I do and this doesnt impact inflammation for me, though there are other things that do. Lynnie
Be well! Lynnie
Palindromic RA 30 yrs (Chronic Lyme?)
Mino 2003-2008 100mg MWF - can no longer tolerate any tetracyclines
rotating abx protocol now. From Sep 2018 MWF - a.m. Augmentin Duo 440mg + 150mg Biaxsig (roxithromycin). p.m. Cefaclor (375mg) + Klacid 125mg + LDN 3mg + Annual Clindy IV's
Diet: no gluten, dairy, sulphites, low salicylates
Supps: 600mg N-AC BID, 1000mg Vit C, P5P 40mg, zinc picolinate 60mg, Lithium orotate 20mg, Magnesium Oil, Bio-identical hormones (DHEA + Prog + Estrog)[user=30]lynnie_sydney[/user] wrote:
I didn't know red meat was inflammatory. Will stay away!!!!!
Trouble with staying away from red meat is that you are then likely to be lacking in iron……..and low iron levels are very common in people with rheumatoid disease. My AP doc has told me I have to eat red meat at least 3 times a week for the iron. I do and this doesnt impact inflammation for me, though there are other things that do. Lynnie
Well, I guess we are back to the red meat!!!!!!
My diet makes me go from bad to worse. My brother was able to lessen the pain from his Psoriatic Arthritis with his diet. He bought a book called Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman. He feels so much better by reducing the amount of pro inflamatory foods. I too tried the diet for my RA, but I seem to be sensitive to a lot of foods on th emenu in the books,mostly nightshades and grains.
Elimination diets are helpful to find what might be the cause of bloating and for me a 3 day Apple fast helps my RA swelling.
By the way,I'm new to the Bulletin Board. I'm on my second week of minocycline for RA. I noticed diet does play a big part in some of the stories I read recently on the Road Back personal stories log.
The topic ‘ Raw Food Diet Anyone?’ is closed to new replies.