I've written about various diets on my  blog  before  now, concerning a healthier nutrition programme to help arthritis pain relief, so I’ll recap here, along with giving some other tips that have come to mind.

We are all aware, I think, that foods that are low in fat usually have fewer calories, and are therefore healthier. I’ve mentioned before that if you take milk, it should be the skimmed variety. Try to buy low fat versions of foods that you normally have in the house, such as low calorie mayonnaise and light margarine. Reduce the amount of fat that you use for cooking, such as oil, butter etc. Grilling, baking, and poaching are all low fat cooking methods. For vegetables, you get to retain more of their vitamins if you microwave or steam them, instead of boiling them in water. Although I don’t use a microwave, if you DO have one, it’s an excellent method of cooking many foods in a fat free way.

Fruits, of course, have almost no fat, so it follows that you should take plenty of them, along with vegetables. As far as fruit go, remember that citrus fruit should be avoided by those who suffer from uric acid kidney stones. The Japanese believe that cherries each day are very good for you, as they contain magnesium, which is a natural painkiller. Ginger is helpful in that it increases the blood flow, and this in turn may carry away inflammatory substances faster. Incidentally, the Japanese government took an interesting approach to diets. They recommended that you eat at least 30 different foods per day, thus making almost certain that you’ll be getting a wide variety of nutrients. In the case of vegetables, fresh ones are best for you, and you can enjoy them raw in your salads. As far as meat goes, you should eat less of the red variety, but if you DO decide to have some, choose the leanest cuts, and remove any fat that you see, before you cook it. I was diagnosed as having high cholesterol years ago, and so I had to give up eating pork - it’s a good idea for arthritis sufferers to give it up as well.

Certain types of fish are to be recommended, and I would suggest having a fish dish at least five times in a week. You want to select the ones that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as wild salmon, tuna, herring, mackerel, and wild halibut. (By wild, I mean the type found in the sea, and not farmed). If you buy tinned tuna, remember to get ones packed in water, and not in oil, as it’s vegetable oil that’s used in the canning process, and it does not have any omega-3 fatty acids. Poultry is also a good alternative, but as the skin, say, of a chicken contains much of the fat, it’s advisable to remove it before cooking.

You should definitely try to cut down on your intake of sugar and salt. You can nowadays obtain low or no sugar jams and jellies, and also canned fruits that are packed in their own juices instead of in heavy syrup. In the case of salt, cut down on processed meats, soups and sauces, and of course, salty snacks.

Turning to liquids, it’s recommended that we drink around 8 glasses of water per day. Researchers from the University of North Carolina had 118 overweight women substitute water for their normal sugary drinks. As a result, those women consumed fewer calories over the course of the day. In fact, they eliminated a total of 200 calories per day by drinking water instead of sweetened sodas or juices. Skimmed milk is good for washing down arthritis drugs, as it lines the stomach, and also provides calcium. As citrus can be harmful, especially in cases of gout, you can try other fruit juices, such as apple, pear, or grape. If caffeine does not agree with you, take decaffeinated coffee or herbal tea.

In conclusion, try not to skip your meals, and this is especially important in the case of breakfast. This meal should supply about a quarter of your daily needs of calories and nutrients. It can also help to minimise any side effects that you might encounter from taking medication. Remember that if you skip meals, you will more than likely make up for it later by over indulging, probably with some foods that should be on your banned list!

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