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Eat Away Arthritis
by author Ruth Yanor-McRae, MH

For some sufferers, arthritis is a minor irritation, a stiff finger or a mild ache in a hip. For over four million Canadians, arthritis is a disabling fact of life

Studies around the globe support the contention that a vegetarian diet will reduce all arthritic symptoms. Mineral imbalances are commonplace in arthritic disorders. Coffee, alcohol and refined sugar each contribute to creating mineral imbalances. Avoid these and allow your body to maintain proper usable mineral (especially calcium and iron) quantities. Ensure you are getting enough iodine, selenium, calcium and magnesium in your diet. Food sources of these minerals include kelp; dark green leafy vegetables; seafood; nuts; legumes; and whole-grain breads and cereals.

Drink one half ounce of pure water for each pound of body weight you carry. Eat sparingly of rhubarb, cranberries, plums, spinach and chard. These foods are high in oxalic acid and tend to disturb mineral balance in the body. Nightshades tend to aggravate the inflammatory response, so avoid the whole family. These include tomatoes, tobacco, potatoes, peppers and eggplant.

Eat whole grains, lots of vegetables, fruits and tofu and add herbs instead of salt and sugar to your meals. Avoid all refined flour, sugar and fats. Sea salt or Celtic salt may be consumed in moderation; avoid saline salt. Add good fat to your diet, like cold-pressed (extra virgin) olive oil, flax seed oil, walnut or almond oil, hempseed oil or evening primrose. Adding omega-3 oils, such as salmon and halibut, can enhance proper immune response and lessen pain.

Cleanse and Tone

Toxic debris like uric acid accumulated in your body can be the second major culprit in aggravating an inflammatory response. A liver and bowel cleanse can help. Many herbs cleanse both the liver and the bowel, such as dandelion, milk thistle, barberry, cascara sagrada, licorice, chickweed, ginger and cayenne. The aromatic herbs, such as fennel, anise, dill and cinnamon, reduce gas and gastric pain.

Bowel cleanses work best with dry herbs, especially with the addition of organic flax seeds, which provide bulk to move material from the digestive tract. Dry herbs, in addition to stimulating the liver, stomach and bowel, also add bulk and fibre to assist in scrubbing and pushing debris out of the bowel. Consume these either as teas or capsules. Remember to drink extra glasses of water to move the herbs and flax seeds through your digestive system.

Having a series of colonics can expedite the clearing of debris from your bowel. Find a reputable therapist and begin this therapy while undertaking a bowel cleanse or fast. The first session may be quite uncomfortable for a few of us (I remember), but the huge increase in physical energy and well-being is worth it. The subsequent sessions are generally much less dramatic but do their bit for a more thorough clearing of your bowel.

Toning the kidneys and liver will increase excretion of excess acids in the body. Uva ursi, dandelion, stinging nettles, cleavers, gravelroot (joe pye weed), horseradish and horsetail all work well. Adding chickweed, marshmallow or plantain will increase the safe diuretic effect, while adding a demulcent one. (Demulcents are soothing agents that protect mucus membranes and relieve irritation.) Urinary demulcents will ensure that passing those acids will not irritate the kidneys or bladder.

Mix three or four of the herbs together, making sure that one of them is a demulcent. Use one teaspoon of the blend per cup of boiled water. Drink at least three cups each day for best effect. These herbs work very well to reduce the painful swelling of arthritis, especially gout. Clover tea with uva ursi, horsetail or stinging nettle will cleanse your blood and help eliminate excess acids in your system.

Juice Your Joints

Ruth Yanor-McRae is an iridologist and speaker working as an alternative practitioner in the Edmonton General Hospital.

Source: alive #214, August 2000