Controlling Joint Pain With a Healthy Diet

Yes, I know it's not what you wanted to hear but the truth is, being over-weight puts a load on our joints that they were never intended to bear. Several forms of arthritis are said to be genetically induced and are strongly correlated with the presence of a specific gene shared by 70% of arthritis sufferers: HLA-B27. Therefore, many specialists believe that arthritis is an ailment that cannot be prevented but can be treated. The most common form of arthritis is osteoarthritis that affects the load-bearing joints of the body such as the hips, spines, and limbs. It results from the inflammation of the joint's connective tissues or cartilages. Inflammation may stem from traumatic injuries, malnutrition, dehydration, and other sources of excess pressure. A prevalent cause of osteoarthritis in Americans is obesity. Being overweight adds more pressure to these joints inducing pain and lessens mobility and flexibility.

An early treatment for osteoarthritis, which is strongly recommended by doctors, is an effective weight loss program combined with a healthy and nutritious diet. Obesity or being overweight has something to do with the presence of excess fat, cholesterol, carbohydrates, sodium, and sugar in the body and may cause a series of other diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. A healthy diet that involves food portioning allows less of the following components that add to one's weight:

Fat

We all have heard that fat keeps foods tasty and keeps us feeling full for a longer time. However, fat that is more often found in meat, cooking oils, butter, eggs, and others come with cholesterol that not only makes you heavy but burdens your heart as well.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates appear in various foods but are more often associated with bread and rice. The most effective weight loss programs and diets have to do with lessening the intake of carbohydrates by lessening the intake of rice or bread.

Sodium

Packaged preserved foods in the grocery are often high in sodium. Sodium is basically salt that is present in preserved foods to keep them fresh for a span of time and to trap in the flavor of these foods. Sodium in normal amounts is not at all bad but must be avoided especially by overweight people or those who plan on losing some pounds because sodium is known to trap in body fluids such as water which adds to a person's weight.

Sugar

Processed foods, pastries, candy, sweet foods and even fruits contain sugar. Only the latter contains minerals and vitamins that balance with sugar intake while the others are full of empty calories. Sugar not only adds significant calories but it's also a leading source of diabetes.

Regular exercise goes hand in hand with a healthy diet. It keeps your body strong and burns those calories. Exercise that involves a lot of cardio burns your body's stored fat and carbohydrates which causes weight loss and keeps your heart and joints healthy. Stretching exercises and other flexibility exercises help keep your joints in motion and will eventually make them stronger.

Alternative Treatment

Short term, NSAIDS (Celebrex), Ibuprophen etc. can provide short term arthritis pain relief but with health risks familiar to us all, through countless warnings in the news. Another alternative, much safer and made for long term use is Glucosamine supplements such as Synflex Liquid Glucosamine. Used widely in the treatment for osteoarthritis, Syn-flex combines ingredients such as shark cartilage and chondroitin that protects and strengthens your joints with an adequate amount of vitamins and minerals such as essential fatty acids and vitamins A and E to slow the progression of osteoarthritis (because osteoarthritis is not an isolated condition and may affect other joints due to further damages in the joints) and keep your immune systems healthy. Synflex glucosamine supplements are very effective because they come in liquid form which allows faster, more complete absorption (98%) and digestion of the minerals to the body's cells.