Marra (olympia, wa) on 03/15/2007

Replied By Michael (New Zealand) on 09/15/2021

Hi there Beladonna (ON)!

you have my sympathies regarding the perceived complexity of the advice regarding the implementation of an anti-arthritis treatment protocol!

However, we must think positively and note that there are so many foods one can turn to whilst moving ourselves towards a diet that causes us less pain and suffering.

The difficulty we have in the "West" is that we have gone down the wrong road in the past and now the chickens have come home to roost as it were and for a restoration of balance to take place, there is no quick fix-sorry, no magic bullet and your doctor / pharma giant will not "cure" you. Not fair I know but the answer is in our own hands if we remain focused and determined. Bodies can be re-built over time-good mantra to remember and treasure!

If you are young (lucky you! ) you will often times see results more quickly.

So, what to do? For sage guidance, switching gradually to the Mediterranean Diet would be a sensible starting point as an antidote to our present poor nutrition regime of too much meat, sugar (public enemy number one in my humble opinion), simple carbohydrates, fizzy drinks, alcohol etc etc - you get the picture?

The human body is a marvelous machine but eventually too much self- abuse will cause it to rebel by letting you know it through pain and suffering of the joints, bones, ligaments and muscles etc - the response will manifest itself in differing ways between individuals - some get IBS say but not others....

Having moved successfully to the MD (Mediterranean Diet) then one should seriously self-evaluate whether or not some components are "fit for purpose".

Should you cut out all that pasta for example? What about those nightshades - leave them alone maybe?

Beans can give you gas, so what is that doing to your intestines?

The above are all ingredients in the MD that we need not necessarily kick into touch but one needs to seriously listen to one's own body and be much more self-aware than we maybe have been in the past. This business requires a whole attitude shift on our part if we are to achieve a pain free future (any reduction would be a blessing though! ).

Lastly (I could rave on and you might fall asleep) a person could do worse than take a digestive enzyme pill or two to aid the metabolism of the evening meal. These little marvels should assist you with the assimilation of fats, carbohydrates, proteins and even raw foods! Well worth serious consideration!

Here we get help with bloating, intestinal gas, wind (lovely euphemism), discomfort and digestive issues after meals. They are also purported to replace the enzymes lost in cooking, which is a nice bonus - I am a big fan of enzymes - the forgotten nutrients. Just because you can't see them doesn't mean they are not there! Need to be kept in the fridge.

Lastly, you do not need to give up fats - they are no longer considered the main enemy. Also, consider all the info readily available on this wonderful Site regarding changing from an acidic body towards a more alkaline one.

Drink more H2O - become a wet person.

Cheers and good luck with your health restoration journey.

Michael from Down Under

Replied By Iowama (New York) on 09/16/2021

Dear Beladonna,

I'm catching up on reading Earth Clinic and your query from 2 days ago. From my experience, the biggest determiner of whether I'll wake up with joint pain is refined sugar. I don't usually eat it, but I happen to have been on a 2 day binge. This morning, I am hurting.

To calm things down, I've got a jar of bone broth thawing. It is homemade. I can't speak for the store shelf kind, but I have read the labels and don't see calcium in there (How is that possible?). A cup or 2 of bone broth over the next 3 to 4 days is what I will use to turn this around. That and no more sugar.

I make broth with roasted venison bones when I have them, but a good quality hen carcass adds a lot more collagen gel. I have never been bothered by nightshades and lately I take the easy route of using a cup of jarred pasta sauce to flavor a batch of broth. It seems to work as well as when I spend half an hour chopping vegetables. We eat from our garden and I take a walk or a paddle almost every day. I do appreciate the Mediterranean diet and always enjoy Michael's posts, but when cooking, I use the fats suggested by Dr. Terry Wahls instead.

Osteoarthritis pain is no fun. I hope you are successful in finding your answers.

Replied By Beladonna (ON) on 09/16/2021

Thank you!

Did you try DMSO? I read a lot of positive things about it!