I wish, twenty or thirty (or preferably forty) years ago, someone had impressed upon me the importance of health and the implications of chronic disease. I wish I could have learned and absorbed a few simple lifestyle principles and made certain choices that would have enabled me to avoid developing rheumatoid arthritis. I’ve since learned many of these principles the hard way and I am living by them, and they are helping me to recover (again) from a thirty-five year struggle with severe chronic RA. These same principles could be used by anyone to help them avoid (or at least significantly postpone) the development of RA and many other chronic diseases. Read more . . .
Rheumatoid Arthritis – Infection Plus a Gut Reaction
Your gut is the best friend you will ever have, treat it with respect, look after it, think carefully about everything that you eat and drink including medicine. Only use antibiotics when they are essential, if you smoke – stop, if you drink alcohol – reduce the amount. Stop eating all junk, processed and fast food (and drink) immediately! I know it’s extremely difficult to achieve these changes but I promise you; it’s easier than being completely crippled – unable to walk or even move, and losing your freedom, confidence, self-esteem, hope and future… Pain is not the worst aspect of RA – hopelessness is the real killer.
Start eating probiotic foods and drinks (sauerkraut, kefir, miso, rejuvelac etc.) and eat prebiotic fibre rich whole foods; beans, chickpeas, hemp seeds, chia seeds, freshly ground flax seeds, garlic, onions, celery, cucumber, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, bok choy and other green leafy vegetables and root vegetables (organic where possible). Also, blueberries, kiwi fruit and papaya.
Eliminate dairy and gluten containing foods such as wheat and oats. Remove meat and other animal products except for fish and omega 3 fish oils. Read more . . .
My Rheumatoid Arthritis – I Finally Discovered its Original Cause
I have proof of what I always suspected to be the case; that my joint inflammation was caused (in part or wholly) by some type of infection, and now I know what it was and how it started (a streptococci group – tooth/gum infection).
This of course makes me think that there could be many more people out there suffering with rheumatoid arthritis or other inflammatory conditions, who may have a tooth related infection (there appear to be three types of tooth/gum abscesses) and who may not realise its importance as a potential cause of their disease. Read more . . .
Does Vitamin D Deficiency Cause or Contribute to Rheumatoid Arthritis?
It makes sense for anyone with RA to make sure they receive enough vitamin D (in my case using a D3 supplement with an extra virgin olive oil base) of course, but I wasn’t aware of the research linking RA (and other form of arthritis) more directly with vitamin D deficiency.
Also, there are a number of people (including doctors) who are promoting the use of vitamin D supplementation as either a possible cure for rheumatoid arthritis or as a method of significantly reducing symptoms. The proponents of this idea suggest using a much higher dose than the typical 200 to 400 UI per day recommendation. They suggest a dose of 4000 to 6000 UI per day. Read more . . .
RA and the Pain and Inflammation Gang – A Detective Story
In this post I want to explain in more detail what led me to the design of a diet which eliminated all the symptoms of my RA effectively ‘curing’ it (as long as I stuck to the diet).
I have read hundreds of books relating to RA and thousands of articles and papers over the years. This is how in my case, I separated fact from fiction, followed clues, uncovered and tested the evidence in a massive effort to find the true cause(s) of my RA.
I tried two main approaches over a 28 period; I consulted various medical specialists, had lots of tests, and studied a huge amount of research material including alternative and complementary treatments & therapies. Read more . . .