Chondroitin, Glucosamine & MSM

Cider Vinegar & Honey
Organic cider vinegar with organic honey and warm mineral water can help dissolve the crystals which build up around joints. Add two teaspoons of organic cider vinegar and two teaspoons of organic honey to a glass of warm mineral water (not tap water) and drink two or three times a day before meals. This dosage relieves the pain from joints and gives back freedom of movement in most people. If you stop taking the apple cider vinegar for a few days, you will feel your arthritis symptoms return again.

You can also get relief by soaking arthritic joints in hot organic apple cider vinegar. Use a quarter cup mixed with one and a half cups of hot water. Use a flannel to cover the joints with the liquid. Repeat with more hot mixture as required.
Once you feel less pain and have more freedom of movement from the apple cider vinegar, exercise regularly to keep the joints flexible. But ‘not’ leg squats with weights until much later.

Devil’s Claw
This bitter-tasting African herb contains compounds called harpagosides that reduce inflammation, helpful for conditions such as chronic back pain and osteoarthritis. It is commonly available in liquid, capsule and powder form

Garlic
This herb helps boost the immune system and can help reduce the pain of arthritis.

Holy Basil
Holy basil is an Indian herb long used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine. Natural chemicals contained in holy basil leaf inhibit both COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes – which cause inflammation and thereby rheumatoid arthritis. It can be so effective, some companies have been trying to patent it in the USA. They cannot patent the herb as it is a gift from nature, so attempts have been made to patent specific dosages mixed with other herbs – traditional Chinese and Indian remedies long used as natural medicines.

Tested with rats, holy basil was about 60 percent as effective as sodium salicylate (an aspirin-related compound) in reducing inflammation. It was also shown to reduce corticosterone release in response to noise stress in rats confirming its natural, adaptogen properties.

Acupuncture
Ancient holistic therapies are continuously found to be valid. In the case of acupuncture, researchers at the University Medical Center in Berlin found that arthritis sufferers given acupuncture for three months suffered less pain and stiffness. Those receiving acupuncture typically saw symptoms reduce by 37%.

B-Complex Vitamins
The B group complex – not the individual B vitamins – can help ease the pain of arthritis. But best to avoid lab-based synthetic vitamins and obtain them from wholefood sources and your diet.

Boswellia
The bark of the frankincense tree provides an aromatic gum resin that is used to make a standardised extract which can help reduce pain, swelling and discomfort almost as well as the drug Ibuprofen. As most arthritis and osteoarthritis patients know, inflammation is the culprit that keeps them awake at night and makes their days a painful struggle.
Phytochemicals in the bark, called boswellic acids, interrupt inflammation and keep the body from producing the chemicals that cause pain. This action makes it an effective agent to treat arthritis.

In 66 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee, a boswellia serrata extract was just as effective as Bextra (a COX-2 inhibitor) in relieving pain, stiffness, and difficulty in performing daily tasks. Animal studies show that boswellia reduces the deterioration of joint sugars and proteins required for healthy function. People taking boswellia along with
ashwaganda, turmeric, and zinc for degenerative osteoarthritis reported less joint pain, better movement and improved strength without serious side effects. Boswellia can be taken internally or applied directly to skin irritations ranging from diabetic ulcers to acne. As a cream or poultice applied to joints, it is well known to reduce the pain of arthritis and injury.

Celadrin
Celadrin reduces inflammation and lubricates membranes of cells throughout the body, replacing fluids that help cushion bones and joints to contribute to overall flexibility and mobility. When taken over time, because of the decrease in inflammation achieved by Celadrin, the joints and surrounding tissue have an opportunity to promote healthy joints.
Celadrin works in similarly but more dramatically than, the essential fatty acids EPA and DHA from fish oils. Celadrin`s complex blend of esterified fatty acids are able to cater for the many vital and beneficial effects for the inflammatory responses in the body. Celadrin induces changes at cellular level, in the cell membranes. This helps reduce cartilage breakdown in the joints.

Loss of cell membrane integrity from internal and external stressors begins a number of rapid ageing processes. This can lead to various forms of arthritis, periodontal disease, wrinkles, cardiovascular disease (CVD), rapid ageing and many other related maladies. Celadrin can help reduce inflammation and rapidly begin to restore the body on a cumulative basis. Flexibility is restored, pain is eliminated and the appearance of wrinkles reversed to some degree. The enhancement of the cell membrane leads to the multitude of restorative, healing and age reversing processes
- including arthritis and other inflammatory conditions.

 Stay tuned for Part 2!

Rheumatoid Arthritis Diet and Supplements

I thought I’d post a good list to go by to help out with the everyday rheumatoid arthritis diet that most RA sufferers should help themselves go by. If you have anymore to list, please let me know! Be sure and print this out and post it on your fridge.

Diet:
Avocados, beetroot, bilberries, blackcurrants, goji fruit, broccoli, cabbage,
coconut, chicken, celery, cider vinegar, ginger, green tea, kale, kelp, spinach, kiwi
fruit, nuts, lentils, onions, olives, olive oil, oysters, mangosteen, pineapple, peaches,
plums, pumpkins, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, strawberries,
soya, tofu, oily fish, salmon, tuna, turmeric, wholegrains, yoghurt.
Dietary Supplements : Vitamin A, B Group of Vitamins, Folic Acid, Vitamin C,
Vitamin E, Brewer’sYeast, Bromelain, Calcium, Cayenne, Chromium, Copper,
Chondroitin, Garlic, Ginger, Glucosamine sulphate, Grapeseed extract, Holy Basil,
Methionine, Pycnogenol, Quercetin, Manganese, Molybdenum, MSM, Sodium
Chlorite, Selenium, Shark Cartilage, Turmeric, Udo’s Oil, Virgin Coconut Oil, Virgin
Olive Oil, Zinc.

Herbal:
Angel Grass, Ashwagandha, Asiatic Pennywort, Astragalus, Bilberry,
Black Cohosh, Boswellia, Burdock, Cat’s Claw, Chapparal, Chrysanthemum,
Comfrey, Dandelion, Devil’s Claw, Fennel, Feverfew, Gazaban, Ginger, Green Tea,
Gravel Root, Holy Basil, Horsetail, Indian Mulberry, Liquorice, Maitake, Reishi &
Shiitake Mushrooms, Nettle, Oregano, Picrorhiza, Primrose, Red Clover, Red
Raspberry, Rosemary, Scutellariae, Sea Cucumber, Sichuan Lovage Root, Suma
Root, Thaowan Prieng, Turmeric.

Homoeopathic: Arnica; Bryonia; Calcarea hypophos; Colchicum; Causticum;
Gelsemium; Pulsatilla; Rhus tox.

Eating Right Part 4 70 Years

For this age group, one of the most common deficiencies is vitamin D. This is the vitamin that helps the body absorb calcium which is crucial at this age because of the higher risks for fracturing bones and osteoporosis. While some studies show that vitamin D can help to reduce chronic pain and the risk of cancer, it can also help fight against heart disease.

You can get vitamin D from sources such as salmon, fortified milk, cereal, most foods, and even the sun. If you’re just not able to get enough this way and your doctor recommends a type of supplement, just be sure and look for one that contains cholecalciferol (another fancy word for vitamin D3). This is way more effective than vitamin D2.

For more about dieting see this article: Rheumatoid Arthritis Diet

For more about dieting see this article: Rheumatoid Arthritis Diet

Go check out his site and print out his report.

Happy Thanksgiving!

That’s the tip for today! It’s getting close to Thanksgiving so keep these things in mind.

For more about dieting see this article: Rheumatoid Arthritis Diet

By the time you reach 30 years of age, your bone mass peaks. That’s why it’s important to get as much calcium and Vitamin D as possible as this helps your body absorb calcium in your teens and 20′s.

If you’re eating two to three servings a day of dairy, you’re probably getting enough.

Food Sources of Calcium and Vitamin D

Since your body doesn’t make it’s own calcium, the best way to get it is by improving or adding it to your diet. Such dairy items like milk, cheese, and yogurt are good sources of calcium but here are some other foods:

• Spinach
• Kale
• Okra
• Collards
• Soy beans
• White beans
• Some fish, like sardines, salmon, perch, and rainbow trout
• Foods that are calcium fortified, such as some orange juice, oatmeal, and breakfast cereal

Vitamin D is a little more difficult to get because it’s not common on most foods. Here are a few that help provide it:

• Fatty fish (like tuna, mackerel, and salmon)
• Foods fortified with vitamin D, like some dairy products, orange juice, soy milk, and cereals
• Beef liver
• Cheese
• Egg yolks

A good vitamin could help because only about 20% of vitamin D will usually come from the types of foods that you eat. Your body can also make it’s own vitamin D by just taking a nice stroll in the sunlight!

How to Get Enough Calcium and Vitamin D

How much calcium and vitamin D do you need? The Institute of Medicine has released the following guidelines:

Calcium

• Young children 1-3 years old should get 700 milligrams (mg) per day.
• Children 4-8 years old should get 1,000 mg per day.
• Children 9-18 years old should get 1,300 mg of calcium a day.
• Adults up to age 70 should get 1,000 mg per day.  Women 51 and over should get 1,200 mg/day.
• Women and men 71 and over should get 1,200 mg per day.

For more about dieting see this article: Rheumatoid Arthritis Diet

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Stage 1

This is when people with RA don’t have any symptoms of arthritis and their joints appear normal. Just because somebody has the RA gene marker, doesn’t mean that they will automatically develop it. The factors that actually trigger the development are still unknown. To make it even better, unknown factors trigger the inflammatory process and some other unknown trigger keeps going by not allowing the normal inflammation process to happen.

Stage 2

This is when people with RA start having the first symptoms. During the beginnings of this stage, the development of synovitis occurs (synovitis is when the synovium becomes inflamed). There is also an increase in the development of two cytokines in particular that cause significant increase in inflammation. The continued production of chemicals related to RA in the body can also cause fatigue as well as swelling, warmth, and pain in the joints. During stage 2, there is a production of plasma cells that are responsible for producing antibodies. Antibodies (also known as immunoglobulins) are what the body normally produces to fight against viruses and bacteria that are not normally present in the body. In the case of RA, the body produces an excessive amount of the antibodies. One of the antibodies is called the rheumatoid factor. (Read more about the rheumatoid factor here in osteoarthritis vs rheumatoid arthritis)

Stage 3

There’s an increase in the amount of synovial fluid in the joint adds to the stiffness and puts a limit on the motion of the joints. (Joint effusion is when there is an accumulation of fluid in the joint) In the synovial joint fluid there is a lubricating substance called hyaluronic acid. With RA, there is an increase of this acid that many people believe is the reason for morning stiffness because after sitting for a long period of time the without moving causes a gelling of the acid in the synovial fluid. In any of the three earliest stages of RA, a person may experience joint symptoms including pain, heat, swelling, stiffness, and a loss of motion. But, all of these are potentially reversible with the proper medical therapy.

Stage 4

During this stage, the synovium that is inflamed can grow and spread over the top of the cartilage in the joint. There can be the breakdown or degrading of the cartilage that protects the bones and joints. There can also be the breaking down of the bone where the synovitis meets the bone and tiny holes (or erosions) can be formed in the bone and cartilage. Erosions most often happen first at the point at which the protective cartilage ends at the margins of joints.

Stage 5

If the arthritis is left untreated, there can be further erosion through the cartilage and bone. Any loss of this cartilage reduces the amount of cushioning that is between the bone and the joint. After the cartilage becomes rough due to the erosion, the smooth movement of that particular joint is gone and sometimes a grating sensation can be felt during movement. This is called crepitus.

Early symptoms of RA include pain, swelling, warmth, and stiffness (especially in the morning) of the joints and a mild restriction of motion. Joint symptoms and other symptoms categorized as fatigue are caused by variety of inflammatory substances that are produced by different cells. In RA, the normal cells of the joint lining and white blood cells become overactivated and result in uncontrolled inflammation of the joints. The reason why is still unknown.

Early stages of RA are often reversible with timely medical therapy.

Arthritis and Emotional Health

Negative emotional resentments and obsessive-compulsive actions have been known to aggravate arthritis and emotional health. Emotional stress can bring an onset as well. What seems to be a common theme is the fact that arthritis sufferers don’t have the ability to relax very much and relaxation is one of the essential healing techniques for arthritis. So how about trying to relaxation therapies like yoga, meditation, and massage therapy is another excellent way. Another way to help rheumatoid arthritis sufferers is to actually write about your dealings with RA and any other stressful or traumatic life experiences you have gone through.

Have you ever thought about an arthritis detox? (Be sure and read more on what is rheumatoid arthritis)
A detox diet will help dissolve and flush out the inorganic mineral deposits and replace them with healing nutrients. Vitamin C powder (with bioflavinoids), 1/2 teaspoon at a time mixed with juice or water will do the trick. It’s recommended that you do this 5-6 times per day. At least this way you’re getting in most of your water too so it’s a win/win!

Speaking of water. The lack of water in your body is also linked to arthritis pain and stiffness. There is a certain molecule in cartilage (chondroitin sulfate) that attracts and holds water. A typical healthy joint will consist of about 85-90% water. Cartilage doesn’t have it’s own blood supply so the chondroitin sulfate helps to hold water (like a sponge) remove waste, and lubricate. Water can help restore healthy cartilage as it relieves osteoarthritis symptoms. Be sure and include eight or more 8 ounce glasses of water daily in your arthritis diet. Mix in some vitamin C for 6 of those glasses and you’ve knocked out both. Another thing is to limit your alcohol consumption since they are especially dehydrating. If you don’t think that arthritis and emotional health aren’t tied together, think again.