What to eat and what not to eat? If Rheumatoid Arthritis is troubling you, know the dietary modifications

Rheumatoid Arthritis is an autoimmune disorder that involves inflammation of the lining of the joints. Mainly, the joints are affected if you are diagnosed with RA.

A person who is suffering from Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may experience the symptoms:

1. Pain in more than one joint
2. Stiffness in joints
3. Tenderness in joints
4. Swelling in more than one joint
5. Nodules formation
6. Weight loss
7. Fever
8. Fatigue
9. Weakness
10. Deformity in hands, feet, fingers and toes.

The various risk factors that are responsible for a person who is affected with Rheumatoid arthritis are listed below. These can be the trigger points for the flare-ups.

• Stress/trauma: Stress, anxiety, depression, and trauma may flare up the inflammation. The negative emotions are equally responsible for the physical deformities. The mind plays a major role in any disease. 
• Chronic constipation: The toxins get accumulated in the body. The bacterial growth lowers the immunity which increases the inflammation. So, the impurities that are aggravated put the digestive system in an unbalanced state. 
• Bad lifestyle: If you follow a sedentary lifestyle and are not active in the daily routine it also increases the risk. Substance abuse will harm the body which will take a great amount of time to heal. Alcohol, tobacco, and any other drugs are actually destructive to the body's metabolism.
• Unhealthy Diet: The diet plays a very important role in shaping the body. All those junk foods will deteriorate the body. All the unhealthy food items will prove to be bad for the health.
• Infections: Bacterial or viral infections also put you at risk of getting diagnosed with arthritis. Sometimes after a severe infection phase, a person gets diagnosed with this disease. The infections cause the immunity to get weakened; hence it paves the path for Rheumatoid arthritis.
• Medications: If you have been taking certain medications which include steroids, it will also put you at a risk where the disease symptoms may flare up. Steroids have an enormous amount of side effects that is negative for the body. It will, no doubt, provide instant relief, but in the long run, it is harming the body and is actually deteriorating the already existing conditions.

Everybody is aware of the phrase, “You are what you eat.” This phrase stands true irrespective of the branch of science. Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment in Ayurveda is based on the principle which promotes a healthy diet and lifestyle along with natural herbs. You can also opt for Home Remedies to Get Relief from RA, Since Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder, the body demands to heal with a safe and natural approach.

This blog will share you with the dietary intake one must follow in order to save the bones and joints of the body.

The food items must be included in the daily regimen

1. Consume fresh vegetables. They will instill in the body with required nutrition. 
2. The spices and natural herbs that have shown great benefits in the treatment of RA are fenugreek seeds, cumin, asafoetida, carom, and turmeric.
3. The oils that can be used to cook the food can be mustard, linseed, sesame, or coconut.
4. Cow’s ghee can also be used as it is the best remedy for treating RA. 
5. For the snacks, roasted lotus seeds and pearl millet can be eaten as they are healthy. 
6. The vegetables that must be included in the diet are bottle gourd, apple gourd, pointed gourd, bitter gourd, pumpkin, cabbage, mushroom, onion, beetroot, broccoli, zucchini, summer squash, ginger, garlic, ridged gourd, carrot, turnip, fenugreek, green amaranth, and Chenopodium album.
7. The salad must be eaten regularly. Chop those cucumbers and tomatoes; you may also add the sprouts for healthy living. 
8. Hot soups should also be included in the diet. Just make sure they aren’t spicy. 
9. The drinks that can be included in the daily routine are Honey water, coconut water, and juices of the fresh fruits and vegetables that are mentioned.
10. For the caffeine alternative, you may have herbal tea, Lemon, honey tea or ginger tea. 
11. The dry fruits can be eaten. But before consuming them, soak them overnight and then have them because it is the right way!
12. You can also have mint and coriander chutney. It is good for health and is tasty too!
13. The substitute for wheat is barley, pearl millet, finger millet, and porridge. Start using any of them instead of wheat.
14. Pink salt and rock salt can be used instead of processed salt.
15. The substitute for sugar is jaggery, rock sugar, or dates. Ditch the processed one. 
16. If you are looking for a meal substitute, you can have Khichdi, Upma, Poha, semolina, and Idli.
17. You should drink lukewarm water.
18. Another tip for you is to fast weekly. One must fast for the whole day, and the only mode of consumption should be fresh juices of fruits, vegetables and coconut water can also be consumed. 
19. You can take almost every fruit.

The food items must not be included in the Daily regimen

1. Processed food items, instant food, and ready-to-make mixtures must be avoided at all costs as they are synthetic food items that will only hinder the digestion process. Items like biscuits, rus, chips, namkeen must not be included in the meals or in the form of snacks.
2. The oily foods, foods that are made with saturated fats are a big no! It again becomes heavy on the digestive system and is often left undigested. So avoid having oily food items. 
3. Start having a vegetarian diet and get rid of the non-vegetarian diet. The plant-based diet is much easier on the digestive system than the animal-rich protein diet. 
4. The pulses must be avoided until the condition is improved. Till then just stay away from having pulses. 
5. You should not have wheat products if you are suffering from RA as the wheat will increase inflammation. The intake will only intensify the already existing conditions.
6. You should not eat if you are not hungry as it will put a load on the digestive system. Also, when we eat unnecessarily, without hunger the food is not digested rather it rots inside. This undigested food is referred to as Mandagni.
7. Similarly, drink only when you are thirsty. Excess of everything is bad, so limit the diet according to your bodily needs. 
8. Another thing that must be kept in the mind is if you are diagnosed with RA you must reduce your meal intake, i.e., do not eat more than 1-2 meals per day. Let the digestive system relax. 
9. Do not eat heavy food articles, don’t strain the digestive organs and consume a light diet that is easily digested by the system. 
10. The cold food items must not be eaten as they are not fit for the patients and make the situation worse.
11. The stale food is a BIG NO! Stop opening the refrigerator for the old food items. Do not cook extra and do not eat your favorite cheese chilly which was cooked the day before yesterday! Stale food must not be consumed. The dough every time must be kneaded fresh and eaten fresh!
12. Dairy products and milk should be avoided. The proteins present in them turns out to cause inflammation in the body. Although it contains an enormous amount of nutrients, for the patients who have been suffering from RA it is harmful. 
13. Get rid of coffee! Cut out that addiction. The coffee will help in the development of Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms. So it should be avoided. Try the healthy drinks instead. 
14. Exclude the processed sugar and salt from your meals. The excess of these substances will only help the RA symptoms to flare up. 
15. Avoid sugarcane juice.
16. The food articles that are made from all-purpose flour should also be avoided as they are heavy to digest and are unhealthy.
17. Do not eat pickles. Let the taste buds relax. 
18. Do not drink cold water and do not add ice cubes to the water. Coldwater is not good for your rheumatoid arthritis. 
19. The vegetables which are not good for the health and which make the situation worse are cauliflower, arum, potato, brinjal, ladyfinger, spinach and bell peppers.
20. The other food products that should not be included in the diet are cashews, peanuts, radish, neutri, soybeans, and curd curry with rice.

Follow a healthy regimen to stay fit and be disease-free. Keep this in mind, health is wealth and if today you are compromising on your health later on you will have to face the consequences. So stay fit, healthy and adopt Ayurveda. For Rheumatoid arthritis Ayurvedic treatment to fully work you need to be patient and strictly follow a healthy routine.

If any of your loved ones or you is suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, then without a second thought, consult us!

Article By:

Dr. Mukesh Sharda

Dr. Mukesh Sharda (BAMS, Ph.D.) founder Dr. Sharda Ayurveda is a worldwide renowned Ayurvedic doctor withholding more than 15+years of experience in treating autoimmune disease patients. The root cause treatment and its effectiveness make this clinic stand out from others. Dr. Mukesh Sharda is serving mankind through its various widespread branches in India and globally through telephonic and video consultations.