Why Was My Immune System Broken
Excitedly, I told a good friend of mine about my success. You shouldnt be reacting to nightshades, he said. If youre reacting to nightshades, you have a problem with your immune function. You should look into whats wrong with your immune system.
Wow, I thought. He was right. Most people dont react to nightshades. If they did, nobody would be eating pizza or French fries. McDonalds and Dominos Pizza would go out of business.
So, what was wrong with my immune system?
I was glad I had tested the nightshade theory, because even though it wasnt the ultimate answer, it had convinced me that you can stop pain by changing your diet. This was huge!
I didnt know anything about the immune system, so I went back to the library.
I searched on the computer at the library computer for immune system and I found a book called The Yeast Connection by Dr. William Crook.
I checked the book out from the library and read it cover to cover . Dr. Crook said that to have a healthy immune system, you need a healthy gut. Dr. Crook said that in order to have a healthy gut, you need a healthy amount of good bacteria. Without enough good bacteria, your digestive tract gets overrun with yeast and other pathogenic bacteria
It all made sense. I had grown up on antibiotics and sugar. My good gut bacteria had been killed off by the antibiotics. And all the sugar had fed the bad bacteria and yeast.
Maintaining A Healthy Weight
Being overweight can put extra pressure on the joints, and excess fat stores in the body can cause further inflammation. Maintaining a healthy weight can lessen the symptoms of osteoarthritis.
Keeping to a healthy weight can be difficult for some people, especially those who have a medical condition that reduces their mobility, such as osteoarthritis. A doctor or dietitian will be able to provide advice.
Including specific foods in the diet can strengthen the bones, muscles, and joints and help the body to fight inflammation and disease.
People with osteoarthritis can try adding the following eight foods to their diet to ease their symptoms:
Increase The Amount Of Fibre You Eat
Fiber is another powerful way to keep the inflammation in the body to a minimum. Did you know that 80% of your immune system lives in your gut? If you can keep that healthy, you will find that the natural responses like inflammation are kept to a minimum.
As Ive said above, inflammation is a major issue for the body, and it occurs a lot in the gut. Digestive inflammation leads to a lack of nutrient absorption and causes various chronic illnesses, including arthritis. If you can keep that inflammation to a minimum, you stand a better chance to reduce the number of health problems you have.
Fiber can be gained through all types of snacks. Fruit and vegetables are among the healthiest of forms. Consider cutting up some fruit and vegetable slices and enjoy them with a healthy dip. You can even have a bag at work, which you can dip into on a regular basis.
Bran flakes are another option for adding fiber to the diet. This is usually insoluble fiber, so you want to watch the amount that you eat. The body reacts better with soluble fiber from fruit and vegetables.
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Stay A Healthy Weight
The most important relationship between diet and arthritis is weight. Excess weight can make some specialist medications ineffective, may increase disease activity and delay remission. If you are carrying more body weight than you should, try and lose the excess weight by combining healthy eating with regular exercise.
Eating Cheese May Reduce Diabetes
Eating high-fat dairy products like cheese may reduce your chances of getting diabetes according to new research from the Journal of Nutrition .
In fact, the risk of diabetes among cheese eaters was 63 percent less than those who ate low amounts of cheese . Many other studies find that cheese may help reduce metabolic syndrome risk as well .
However, not all research shows this effect, as some studies show that substituting cheese for lower fat dairy may reduce diabetes risk . The type of cheese likely makes a difference in diabetes risk.
For example, cottage cheese can result in an increased insulin release. On the other hand, eating aged cheddar cheese resulted in the smallest spike in blood sugar compared to all dairy products in a recent clinical study .
Tip: you can eat aged cheese if you have diabetes, but make sure to eat it along with vegetables or healthy foods to assure that your blood sugar levels dont spike.
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Vegan Cheeses Are A Good Alternative
High-quality vegan cheese can be a great substitute for dairy cheeses. Recently, the taste and quality of vegan cheeses have gone up exponentially. Many people benefit from getting more plant-based foods into their diet.
Is vegan cheese healthy?
As with anything, the benefits of vegan cheese depend on the aging process and the quality of the ingredients going in. Many vegan kinds of cheese are highly processed. Others are made with care and the skill of aged dairy cheeses.
Vegan cheese brands I like:
My favorite vegan cheese by far is Called Plant Perks. This vegan cheese is made in Missoula, Montana. It contains many fermented ingredients, which I love!
Plant Perks cheese has the complex flavor of aged cheese, is smooth, creamy, and decadent. I am embarrassed to say that I ate a whole container in one sitting because it was SO delicious.
Other nice vegan cheese options include making your own! You can make your own plant-based Camembert cheese. The recipe is here. I also enjoy the taste of Wayfare cheeses, but it isnt quite as healthy as the Plant Perks cheese.
Fermentation Reading and Gear
My favorite fermented food of all time is not from the dairy at all. It is sauerkraut. While cheese can be an important part of the diet, it should not serve as the ONLY fermented food in your daily routine.
How to Ferment
Other Potential Dietary Risk Factors For Developing Rheumatoid Arthritis
In a cross-sectional study involving 1209 adults aged 2030, it was found that participants consuming sugary drinks rich in fructose such as high-fructose corn syrup, sweetened soft drinks, fruit drinks and apple juice at least 5 times a week had a three times higher risk of developing arthritis , irrespective of other dietary factors, plasma glucose levels, physical activity or smoking .
In the case of alcohol, surprisingly, no significant correlation between alcohol consumption and RA was discovered in the Västerbotten Intervention Program cohort, which included 386 RA patients, matched to 1,886 healthy controls. Moreover, in this study no significant relationship between diet, evaluated as dietary groups, macronutrients, the carbohydrate-restricted diet score, the Mediterranean diet score and the healthy diet indicator score, and RA was found. However, the authors allow that the results might have been influenced by low alcohol consumption in the studied group overall and other methodological issues .
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Cheese Helps Fight Cavities
Most research points to the benefits of cheese as a food that can help prevent cavities. This is especially true if you eat cheese at the end of a meal. How does cheese protect teeth? It has been shown in research to protect the tooth enamel by :
- Increasing saliva
- Dilutes harmful sugars in the mouth
- Provides calcium and phosphorus, which protect the enamel
- Proteins in cheese protect tooth enamel
Tip: By supporting the overall pH balance, saliva, and microbiome in your mouth, eating aged cheese may help improve your dental health.
Considering A Medication Switch
There were pros and cons to swapping out one treatment for another. Obviously trying something new might work better, but there was no guarantee. Plus, once I switched to something else, if the new treatment didnt work and I wanted to go back to Remicade, there was no guarantee it would work as well as it once did.
I honestly wasnt even sure whether my new symptoms were related to my RA. Its true that Id gone off methotrexate for two weeks after I got a COVID booster shot. Id also been playing a ton of golf, so maybe it was weekend warrior-type sports injuries. There was no absolute way of knowing.
If I switched medications, how do you know which one to pick? I asked my headphone-donning doctor, who, now that I thought about it, looked less like a NYC tour guide and more like Ariana Grande onstage at Madison Square Garden.
He suggested the next medication he would recommend would be a different biologic called Simponi . Like Remicade, it is a anti-TNF biologic. It acts on immune system proteins called tumor necrosis factor, or TNF, to tamp down overactivity and inflammation in RA.
Remicade may be more likely than other TNF biologics to cause the development of those antibodies that make the medication less effective, I learned.
It sounded promising but Id seen a lot of fancy commercials lately for new pills to treat RA. Couldnt I just take one of those?
Im sorry, I got Ds in science my whole life, I said shrugging. He might as well have been speaking Mandarin.
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How Can You Care For Yourself At Home
- Try to eat at least 2 servings of fish each week. Oily fish, which contain omega-3 fatty acids, include:
- Tuna.
- Herring.
- Sardines.
Dairy Sensitivity Is A Big Deal
Should you avoid dairy, and therefore avoid aged cheeses? I cant talk about cheese without talking about food allergies and sensitivities. Dairy sensitivity is a common problem.
Dairy allergy and intolerance prevalence
Dairy is at the top of the list of common food intolerance and allergies. According to the National Institutes of Health, over 60 percent of people have lactose intolerance or issues eating dairy .
This dairy intolerance can even show up in the body as eczema. Before you decide whether or not to eat cheese, know that cheeses have most lactose removed.
Tip: Cheeses tend to be better tolerated than many dairy products, but make sure you know your limits.
Cheese and blood pressure precautions
Be aware that a drug called MAOI inhibitors affects our ability to metabolize a nutrient called tyrosine. Avoid aged cheese if you take MAOI medications because it can cause a hypertensive crisis .
Tip: Cheese may help support blood pressure, but eating foods with cheese that are otherwise processed is not a good idea. These processed foods include pizza, burgers, nachos, etc. Enjoy cheese along with fresh vegetables and fruits for the best health.
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Very few people are out there criticizing dairy and telling you that it is one of the worst foods that you could eat. The reason that youre not hearing this message is that nobody makes money out of it telling you this message. Who do you know would make money out of telling you to stop consuming dairy products? Absolutely no one. Besides, who wants the argument every day with all of the dairy lovers? I certainly couldnt be bothered hearing another parent insist that they cant possibly remove dairy products because if we removed milk and ice cream what on earth would we give the kids?
On the contrary, who makes money out of telling you that dairy is good for you? The Trillion-dollar industry worldwide who is hell-bent on having you and your kids jam as much dairy into you as your body can possibly handle! If you do, say goodbye to your health.
Doctor Neal Barnard writes “Casein is a common trigger for rheumatoid arthritis and joint pain. People often find that their pain disappears when they refrain from eating dairy products.
So what does the actual scientific studies show between the link of Rheumatoid Arthritis and dairy products?
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Foods That Arthritis Sufferers Should Avoid
If you suffer from arthritis, then you know the pain and tenderness that comes along with the condition. Fortunately, there are at-home remedies that can help alleviate your discomfort. One of the best ways to calm the pain is by eating a healthy diet of non-inflammatory foods.
Arthritis is a very common health condition, with over 3 million cases being reported in the US every year. This condition manifests by swelling and tenderness around your joints that typically worsens with age. The two most common types of the disease are rheumatoid and osteoarthritis. However, there are more than 100 types, including:
- Rheumatic Fever
- Tendinitis
- Back pain
Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage in bones begins to break down, whereas rheumatoid X is a disease that occurs when the immune system attacks your joints. Treatment depends on the type of condition that you have, but the main focus of treatment is to alleviate symptoms and improve the quality of life.
A key part of treatment is preventing inflammation from flaring up, as more inflammation means more pain. What can you do? A great first step is to avoid whole foods that are scientifically linked to chronic inflammation, such as refined sugars and fried foods. Making simple changes to your diet can help relieve some health symptoms, like pain and swelling.
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What Are The Best Foods To Eat If You Have Arthritis
The best diet to follow if you have arthritis is an anti-inflammatory diet, also known by many as the Mediterranean diet. Here is a list of the best foods for arthritis.
Fish
Studies show that eating fish or taking fish oil supplements of 600 to 1,000 mg positively impact joint health, reducing stiffness and swelling.
Fruits
Packed with antioxidants, vitamins and anti-inflammatory anthocyanins, certain fruits such as cherries and blueberries keep joints healthy can help prevent inflammatory arthritis flare ups.
Vegetables
Vegetables, leafy greens especially, share the same health impact for arthritis as fruits.
Dried prunes
The polyphenols in prunes may ease the symptoms of inflammation in an arthritis sufferer.
Nuts
Eating 1 ½ handfuls of nuts a day gives you a fantastic dose of inflammation-fighting monounsaturated fat.
Olive Oil
Antioxidants and oleocanthal are what make olive oil such a beneficial food for an anti-inflammatory diet, with oleocanthals effects having been likened to that of ibuprofen but in natural form.
Quinoa
Wanting a simple recipe for helping with arthritis? Reach for the quinoa. Full of fibre, quinoa is reported to lower levels of the inflammatory C-reactive protein in the blood.
Porridge
Risks Of Eating Cheese
Some people need to use caution when eating cheese. Be aware of the following when considering eating aged cheeses:
Tyramine sensitivity
This includes people who are sensitive to tyramine, such as people with migraines or people on certain kinds of medications.
Dairy sensitivity and dairy allergy
People with casein allergy, whey allergy, dairy sensitivity, or lactose sensitivity should also be careful about eating cheeses. Some people need to reduce their intake while some people need to completely eliminate dairy.
Digestive conditions
In some people, cheese can be constipating or cause digestive imbalance.
Rheumatoid arthritis
There is some concern that dairy sensitivity or allergy can increase symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis .
Medications
Are you on an MAOI medication? Make sure to avoid aged cheeses.
Low sodium diets
Limit cheese intake to smaller amounts you still can have cheese on a low sodium diet many pieces of bread have more sodium than a slice of cheese!
The lowest sodium aged cheeses are:
Swiss, Brick, Chevre, and Emmental
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Ra Diet: What Foods To Eat If You Have Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis patients require a stable, healthy diet for a number of reasons. Patients may become overwhelmed by their chronic pain and inflammation, remain undernourished, or develop medical complications.
Maintaining a healthy diet is an important part of protecting your overall health, managing weight, improving energy levels, boosting your mental health and boosting your immune system. While diet alone cant treat your symptoms, the right diet for RA can certainly go a long way in helping you feel better overall.
Foods To Avoid With Ra
Red meat and dairy
Theyâre our main sources of saturated fats, which can cause inflammation in fat tissue. Other sources include full-fat dairy products, pasta dishes, and grain-based desserts.
Corn oil
The culprit here is omega-6 fatty acids. You want to cut down on them while youâre going for more omega-3s. They can lead to weight gain and joint inflammation if you overdo it. Sunflower, safflower, soy, and vegetable oils are also sources.
Fried food, fast food, and processed foods
Theyâre the major source of trans fats, which are created when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil to extend shelf life. They can trigger inflammation throughout your body. Plus, they raise bad cholesterol and lower the good type.
Salt
Not only is too much salt bad for your blood pressure, but if you have RA and take steroids, your body may hold on to it more easily. Aim for less than 1,500 milligrams a day.
It tells your body to release chemicals called cytokines that kick-start the inflammation process. Check food labels for words that end in âose,â like fructose or sucrose.
Alcohol
It doesnât mix well with your RA meds. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen and naproxen can cause stomach bleeding and ulcers on their own. Those odds go up when you add alcohol.
If you drink while youâre taking acetaminophen, leflunomide , or methotrexate, it could damage your liver.
Fried or grilled food
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