Healthy foods for healthy joints

I recently ran across another set of guidelines for a diet that seems to be very joint friendly - appealing to those of us prone to arthritis, inflammation, and swelling. The article, entitled "The 20 Best and Worst Foods for Joint Health", was provided by Penny Thomas, physical therapist for over 20 years and webmaster of the site How to Become a Physical Therapist. Feel free to browse the entire article here - I've just cut and pasted a few of her top picks (and bottom of the barrel picks) for foods that could help (or hinder) arthritis pain and swelling. As always - I'm not a doctor, nutritionist, or the like - so please consult a professional before diving into the foods below. And of course, other allergies, drug interactions, and your own personal dietary needs should be considered.
Enjoy!

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1. Shrimp : Its shells contain high levels of glucosamine, a known vitamin to help combat inflammation of the joints.

2. Salmon : A regular of “top foods” list, salmon is an excellent source of omega 3 fatty acids that have benefits for weight, heart health, and of course, joints.

3. Almonds : Almonds are also high in the omega 3 fatty acids found in salmon. They also have loads of vitamin E and manganese. Adding manganese into your diet will help the glucosamine in your body, as well as speed up and increase its productivity.

4. Pineapples : Containing an element called bromelain, it has remarkable healing properties. According to Boulder Natural Labs, bromelain and its ability as an anti-inflammatory is superior to that of a comparable drug.

5. Extra Virgin Olive Oil : Because extra virgin olive oil is derived from the first pressing of olives, it has the most antioxidant benefits. These work to extract the free radicals in your body that can lead to inflammation and joint pain.

6. Bell Peppers : All peppers are rich in vitamins A, C, and K, but red peppers are the best choice, included for naturally fighting joint pain. Antioxidant in peppers help to prevent cell damage, cancer, and diseases related to aging, and they also reduce inflammation like that found in arthritis and asthma.

(Note - I always thought bell peppers were night-shade vegetables, which I've tended to avoid - but I'm finding conflicting information online. Some sites say they are, others say they aren't - so this one may require a little personal trial and error.)

7. Avocado : Good news for everyone who loves guacamole: it can help you joint health. In fact, it has been referred to as “the most nutritious of all the fruit.” It provides about twice as high a proportion of the daily needs for antioxidant vitamins as its calorie proportion.

8. Turmeric : Orange in color and often used in Indian cooking, it is long known for its anti-inflammatory properties. The site Health Diaries has 19 other reasons to add turmeric to your diet, in addition to fighting off arthritis.

9. Ginger : Denmark researchers have discovered that ginger can block the effects of prostaglandins. These are substances that cause inflammation of the blood vessels in the brain, which leads to migraines. Just a half teaspoon of ginger in your tea can lead to marked relief in arthritis pain.

Worst Foods for Joint Health

1. Red Meat : According to British researchers, eating a diet high in red meats could actually lead to rheumatoid arthritis. The study linked the amount of protein taken in with higher risk.

2. Dairy : In an entry from PCRM Health, they tell the story of a woman who was completely cured of arthritis after eliminating dairy products from her diet. With the theory that it has similar properties to the above, the protein found in dairy may have been the cause of her joint pain. If you suspect dairy may be causing your arthritis pain, try cutting it out of your diet or substituting for soy milk and other alternatives to dairy.

3. Saturated Fat : Because this is a main source of weight gain and has inflammatory properties, saturated fat can be a bad choice for those with joint pain. Butter, cheese, fatty meats, and more all contain high levels.

4. Trans Fats : According to The Examiner, trans fats are linked to belly fat, ADHD, cancer, diabetes, and arthritis. These fats are commonly known as hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils and can be found by reading the nutrition label.

Like reading lines from a script

Every time I meet someone who's just been diagnosed with a chronic illness, I feel like I'm looking in a mirror. I see the frustration in their face, hear the desperation in their voice, and remember that not so long ago, I felt as lost and panicked as they feel right now. I listen to their concerns, their fears, and think, "that's exactly how I felt," and I mean exactly. It's as though we're all reading lines from a play - as if there's an actual script that we're handed the day we're diagnosed.

I'm thankful every single day that I started attending a lupus support group early on - so that I could hear the script being read by everyone else in the room, and not just me. So that I could see their heads nod in agreement, hear their words of encouragement, and feel the power and strength they were able to conjure up, in spite of their disease.

It's because of the women and men in my support group that I was able to see clearly enough to make sense of my 0wn life with lupus. They earned a credit in the Acknowledgements of my book, and appear in practically every chapter. Without them, I would still be floundering...and blindly reciting the lines from the lupus script over and over again. See if any of these "lines" sound familiar:

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If I slow down, I'm afraid I'll lose my get-up and go attitude.

My future is never, ever going to be the same.

If I give in to the disease now, I'll never be able to reassert myself later.

I have to take advantage of today - who knows what I'll feel like tomorrow.

If I don't act like I'm sick, maybe I won't be.

Every day I wake up in pain - will it ever stop?

I have so many decisions to make - about my job, my life, my family - but it's so hard to think straight.

How can I ever get ahead of the disease when it seems like every day, there's a new symptom, a new side-effect, or something new that I can't do?

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I said all of these things and more, many times, over and over again. Don't think you're alone, and don't feel that you have to face this without help. There are ways to work through life with a chronic illness - ways in which you'll be able to emerge victorious. The script you're reading from just needs to be rewritten.

Do you have someone you can talk to who knows what you're going through? Are you in contact with other people with chronic illnesses? Are you attending a support group? If not, I encourage you to reach out, and connect with someone today. Maybe you're not quite ready to attend a meeting, but I bet you're definitely ready to feel like you're not alone. Check out the Lupus Foundation of America website today - give a call to the office - talk with someone who understands.

And my revised script? It even has a name. It's called "Despite Lupus."

6 weeks and counting...

Does someone want to fill me in on how I'm only 6 weeks away from having a second baby?!!

Hard to believe how quickly time has gone. I was worried that this last trimester would inch along...but it's going fast, and I'm not sure I'm ready! (Are we ever ready for those little bundles of joy?)

We're up to weekly appointments at the OB's office - and things are looking good. At my last appointment, Kit Kat was weighing in at 4 lbs on the nose, looking good and moving like crazy. The sonographer wasn't able to get a good picture, but I'll be sure to post another picture of little Kit Kat soon. I'll be back in tomorrow, and I'm hoping the big K will cooperate.

Deirdre was with us last week, and she had her heart set on seeing the baby's nose, ears, eyes, and hips (the latter being the most recent body part to be added to her repertoire.) However, we didn't have time to dwell on the lack of photo op, because there was something else afoot with KitKat.

Thankfully, nothing is wrong - and all looks good, but the sonographer detected what's called premature atrial contraction - a condition that causes an irregular heart rhythm. It sounds as though the baby's heart skips a beat, but from what I've read online, it's not that the heart actually skips a beat, (darn, those cliches!), but rather that one heart beat comes too close to the next, so that the following beat is actually forced to pause a split second.

The good news (and thankfully, there's no bad news here at all...) is that the PAC was very intermittent, and the doctor thinks it might even go away before delivery. And if it doesn't, no one seems concerned. We'll know more after this week's appointment, as my weekly non-stress tests were scheduled to begin anyway, and we'll be able to see and hear if the irregularity is still occurring.

Note that a non-stress test, or NST, is performed by strapping a little heart monitor (kind of like an EKG machine) to my belly, and tracking the baby's heartbeat and contractions over the course of about 20 minutes. Sometimes it can be shorter, sometimes longer...but Johnny and I quickly learned that once the NST's begin, a good book or magazine is a necessity. When I was pregnant with Deirdre, they upped the NST's to twice a week...and there's only so much chitchat a husband and wife can have in the presence of doctors, nurses, and the like!

When I asked the cause of the PAC, my doctor chalked it up to immature wiring, or an immature connection - which should right itself as the baby continues to grow and develop. (Please note - this is NOT meant to be a medical explanation for PAC. Please consult your doctor for additional details!)

And when I asked if there was any relation to the congenital heart block we've been checking for (due to lupus antibodies I carry), Deirdre's VSD that was discovered when she was born, but that disappeared at her 6 month cardiologist appointment, or to my mitro valve prolapse condition, my doctor said no. Guess these three members of the Gorman clan just insist on adding a little "hearty" spice to life!

So - that's the big news on the baby front. Check in later in the week or next week for another update. Cross your fingers that Kit Kat's feeling photogenic!

The miracle that never loses its luster....

Allow me a moment to state the obvious - this so-called miracle of life is absolutely, positively, the most incredible thing that occurs in the world today. The fact that I'm, right now, cultivating a living, breathing, human being in the inner sanctums of my body is beyond me. I've mentioned before how active KitKat is - this baby is kicking, and elbowing, and tossing and turning like no other. And every time I feel the baby move inside me, I just think about the fact that it's not just me in the room...KitKat is very much alive and well...just within the confines of my very own body.

What's even crazier - is that come October 13th, or there abouts, KitKat is going to emerge with, ideally, 10 fingers, 10 toes, a perfectly formed little body with all the fixin's. And this happens day after day after day to women all over the world. Wow! I mean WOW!

I think my appreciation for this process has increased since I've seen Deirdre blossom into the sweet young thing she is. I remember just like it was yesterday when she emerged, finger, toes, and all, and to look at her now, as a walking, talking bundle of joy...well, it's just too much to comprehend sometimes. (And, no, I'm not burying my head in a box of kleenex right now. I've actually been a lot less emotional this pregnancy...but I guess there's still time, right?)

I got to thinking about this concept particularly because my friend from Ottawa, with three lupus pregnancies under her belt, put me at ease about all of my recent lupus activity. She said she, too, spilled protein all throughout her pregnancy...and she just figured that our kidneys are simply under a little extra strain during the 9 months we're carrying the baby.

And if you really think about what my body is trying to accomplish right now - putting all of the finishing touches on Kit Kat - you better believe my body is being taxed! So to Karen - thanks for speaking from experience, and to KitKat - here's to just 8 more weeks of fireworks. Once you're born, I'm sure your dad, sister and pug brother will appreciate hearing all about your time in the pen. At least I'll finally be able to share the wealth!

Your own personal curve ball...

I just finished reading a great book - Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner. The book tells the story of two couples, the Langs and the Morgans, who develop a lasting friendship that endures through what tend to be considered the major events of one's life: job hiring and firing, childbirth, sickness, and even death. It's a wonderful story with rich, complex characters, and I highly recommend it.

In fact, there was a quote from the book that stuck with me to the end, and I thought it was particularly appropriate to feature here on Despite Lupus. The narrator, Larry, one of the 2 husbands in the story, candidly describes what it was like when Sally, his wife, suddenly becomes ill. It is discovered within a few pages that she has contracted polio, was confined to an iron lung for a period of time, and is eventually left severely handicapped and must use the help of braces in order to walk. Here are his words describing what it was like moments before she was diagnosed:

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"Order is indeed the dream of man, but chaos, which is only another word for dumb, blind witless chance, is still the law of nature.

You can plan all you want to. You can lie in your morning bed and fill whole notebooks with schemes and intentions. But within a single afternoon, within hours or minutes, everything you plan and everything you have fought to make yourself can be undone as a slug is undone when salt is poured on him. And right up until the moment when you find yourself dissolving into foam you can still believe you are doing fine."

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Fitting for folks with a chronic illness, don't you think? You can plan all you want, but no matter how well-thought out life's agenda may be...there's always the chance that your plans could suddenly be revised. Without warning, without cause, and without your consent. When that happens, how will you react? What will you do when life throws you your own personal curve ball, perhaps in the form of lupus or another chronic illness? Will you try to dodge it, run away from it, or will you live well, despite it?

Anti-Inflammatory Lupus Diet - could it be true?

My local lupus foundation (LFA, DC/MD/VA) recently provided these guidelines for an Anti-Inflammatory diet to my lupus support group. I think they have some great tips - I've tried (and had success with) many of the items mentioned, so see what you think. As always, I recommend checking with your doctor before making any major changes to your diet or lifestyle regimen. No need to put the body into a state of shock. I'd say lupus has that base covered, don't you?

Have any other ideas? Feel free to leave a comment. I think all of us are up for suggestions on how to tame the swelling!

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Anti-Inflammatory Diet

An anti-inflammatory diet can help reduce symptoms of inflammation and prevent the development of complications and advanced diseases related to chronic inflammation.

General Dietary Guidelines

-Incorporate fresh fruit and vegetables into your diet – they provide a good source of

antioxidants

-Minimize your consumption of processed foods

-Aim for a large variety in the types of foods you consume

-Fresh foods are always best

-Choose organic when possible

Minimize the intake of:

-Dairy products (except high quality natural cheese and yogurt)

-Animal protein (specifically red meat)

-Highly processed foods (crackers, cookies, breads, canned products)

- Products made with high fructose corn syrup.

- Saturated fat by eating less butter, cream, high-fat cheese, unskinned chicken and fatty

meats, and products made with palm kernel oil.

- Avoid margarine, vegetable shortening, and all products listing them as ingredients.

-Avoid all products made with partially hydrogenated oils of any kind.

Increase the intake of:

-Whole Grains

-Vegetable protein, especially from beans. Become familiar with whole-soy foods

-Fiber (aim for 30grams a day)

-Omega-3 Fatty Acids; specifically salmon (preferably fresh or frozen wild or canned sockeye), sardines packed in water or olive oil, herring, and black cod (sablefish, butterfish); omega-3 fortified eggs; hemp seeds and flaxseeds (preferably freshly ground); or take a fish oil supplement (look for products that provide both EPA and DHA, in a convenient daily dosage of two to three grams).

- Choose whole grains over refined

Antioxidants:

-Vitamin C – Citrus fruits, green peppers, broccoli, strawberries, blueberries

-Vitamin E – Vegetable Oils, Kiwi, Wheat germ, Green leafy vegetables

- Polyphenolic antioxidants – Tea, Coffee, Soy, Fruits, Olive Oil, Chocolate, Cinnamon,

Red Wine

-Vitamin A – Carrots, squash, broccoli, tomatoes, mangoes, oranges, peaches, apricots

Anti-inflammatory Supplements: *A doctor can provide dosage amounts and instructions

Fish oil

Ginger

CoQ10

alpha-lipoic acid

**Information above reposted with permission: Erin Lewis MS RD LDN CNSC

How do you spell RELIEF? I-R-O-N!

I can't believe it - since I've been taking the iron pills that my OB prescribed for my anemia, I feel like a new woman! I can't believe I forgot what it feels like to be anemic, but more importantly, I can't believe I forgot the transformation that occurs when you bring your body back into balance. What a relief! Who knew so much goodness could be packed into those little red pills...

Before I started on the iron, I was experiencing an all-over malaise feeling, a bit of an upset stomach, a headache now and again, and pretty significant fatigue, with my naps growing closer to 2 1/2 hours or more. What's more, I could have probably gone to bed every night at 9 o'clock, and I'd developed the inkling (and ability) to close my eyes mid-morning (say around 11am) and fall right asleep. Of course, I wasn't allowing myself to do so (I DO have a child to take care of!), but the fact that I was so sleepy, on top of getting 9-10 hours of sleep at night and an extra 2-3 hours during the day, had me baffled.

Of course, the way I work, I had a million and one reasons (everything BUT anemia) as to why I was feeling so crummy: third-trimester pregnancy, a couple of late nights, too much dairy, maybe even lupus. Whatever it was, I just figured I was going to have to grin and bear it. I had every intention of mentioning it to my doctors at my next appointment, but I certainly wasn't going to make a big deal about it. Why is it that when we're feeling bad, our instinct is to just "deal", rather than take a step back and think, "I feel crummy all of a sudden. Could there be a concrete, medical explanation?" Instead, we tell ourselves that we're imagining it, being dramatic, or that we just ate too much dessert. (Speak for yourself, pregnant lady...)

Thankfully, I didn't have to grin and bear it too long, because my high-risk OB was all over my blood tests. As mentioned a few posts ago, my bi-weekly sonograms have turned into weekly appointments, and the increased frequency seems to have come in handy. My doctor picked up on my screwy hemoglobin and determined pretty quickly that I was anemic. And at my last appointment, when I mentioned how tired I'd been, she confirmed that my low hematocrit level (pre-iron pills) would have definitely been causing the baffling fatigue.

So post-iron supplement, I'm feeling fabulous. I can't say I'm feeling particularly light on my feet, (who could be, with a big ole' belly like this one out in front?), but I am feeling pretty darn energized. It was such a significant change from the way I was feeling - I have no idea how I was even functioning. (Isn't that always the case, after the fact?) I also can't believe it took me almost a week to pick up my iron pills from the drugstore after my doctor prescribed them. (More on my reluctance to start OTC drugs immediately upon recommendation in a future post.)

I've even increased the iron in my diet, per doctor's orders. In addition to the pills, I'm grabbing a big bowl of iron-rich cereal every day and adding spinach to our weekly dinner menu, and it's really paying off. I think I'm going to make it these next 8 weeks or so. For awhile, I wasn't so sure!