Arthritis – here are the facts and many may surprise you!
- 60 million adults have been diagnosed with arthritis
- 52% or more than half of these adults are working age… 18-64 years old
- 54% of adults with doctor diagnosed arthritis are either overweight or obese
- 1 in 4 adults have a type of arthritis
- There are over 100 types of arthritis related conditions
- Most common ones are rheumatoid arthritis, gout, lupus, osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis
- Every pound of extra weight adds 4 pounds to the weight bearing joints – hips, knees and ankles
Can diet and a healthy lifestyle help reduce the pain that possibly results in improved movement and flexibility? According to Arthritis.org, yes, they can. Arthritis is an inflammatory disease and eating an anti-inflammatory diet will help according to the experts. So, bring in the Mediterranean Diet, the preferred diet recommended by leading arthritis treating clinicians. Why? Because the Mediterranean Diet focuses on whole grains, complex carbohydrates, fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes and fish. Processed foods, sweet drinks, desserts, fatty foods are kept to a bare minimum if present at all. Why? because these foods contain highly inflammatory ingredients and are the root of other inflammatory diseases such as high blood pressure, heart disease, high cholesterol and Type 2 Diabetes among others. Multiple studies through the last 15 plus years have proven time and time again that this diet DOES work to help not only alleviate some of the pain but may also help a person lose weight. Since weight contributes to increased arthritis discomfort, appropriate weight loss (with a health care provider’s guidance) is strongly encouraged. Why? An example: for a person with osteoarthritis, a one pound weight loss takes 4 pounds of weight off their knees. If a person lost 10 pounds, that adds up to a 40 pound weight load removed from the knees!!! That can result in much better movement and flexibility. (Imagine that you are at the grocery store, carrying 2 frozen turkeys weighing about 20 pounds each. Then imagine the relief when you set them down!)
Here is the best link that I could find to guide you into the specifics of the Mediterranean Diet. And, just for the record, the Arthritis Foundation is an excellent source of information with loads of free materials to download.
Be well!!
Barbara