According to the modern medical system, there is no cure for arthritis and the patient must learn to live with it. Naturopathy, however, believes in dietetic cure of the disease. Most chronic arthritis patients are heavy eaters and often take food furnishing 3,500 to 4,000 calories. As they cannot utilise all the starchy elements of this intake, toxins accumulate and an excessive acid waste results in the aggravation of prevalent joint condition. A low-calorie diet, consisting of about 2,000 calories with a minimum carbohydrate content, is advisable. The diet should, however, include an adequate amount of vitamins, calcium, phosphorus and iron.
The diet of the arthritis patient should be planned along alkaline lines and should include fruits and vegetables for protection and proteins and carbohydrates for energy. It may consist of a couple of fresh raw vegetables in the form of salad and at least two cooked vegetable, Cabbage, carrot, celery, cucumber, endive, lettuce, onion, radishes, tomato, and water cress maybe used for raw salad. The cooked vegetables may include asparagus, beets, cauliflower, cabbage, carrots, celery, brinjal, mushroom, onions, peas, spinach, squash, tomatoes and turnips.
In severe cases, it will be advisable to put the patient on vegetable juice therapy for about a week. Green juice, extracted from any green leafy vegetable mixed with carrot, celery and red beet juices, is specific for arthritis. The alkaline action of raw juices dissolves the accumulation of deposits around the joints and in other tissue. Fresh pineapple is also valuable as the enzyme in fresh pineapple juice, bromelain reduces swelling and inflammation in osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Repeated juice fasts are recommended at intervals of every two months.
Certain foods are harmful for arthritis patients and these should be excluded from the diet. These include aerated waters of any kind, all cheese except cottage cheese, bacon, ham, sausages and preserved meats, pastries, cakes, pies, sweet buns and white bread, all salad dressings, all soups from meat stock, rice and white flour products. Candy, sweetmeats, sugar, ice cream, condiments, tea and coffee should also be avoided. Fruits permitted in arthritis are apples, lemons, oranges, banana, pears, the various berries, apricot, pineapple, plums and melons.
The raw potato juice therapy is considered one of the most successful biological treatment for rheumatic and arthritis conditions. It has been used in folk medicine for centuries. The old method of preparing potato juice was to cut the potato into thin slices, without peeling the skin, and place overnight in a large glass filled with cold water. The water should be drunk in the morning on an empty stomach. Fresh juice can also be extracted from potatoes and drunk, diluted with water on 50:50 basis first thing in the morning.
Garlic is another effective remedy for arthritis. It has shown to exhibit an anti-inflammatory property which could account for its effectiveness in the treatment of this disease.
The tea made from the herb alfalfa, especially that from its seeds has shown beneficial results in the treatment of arthritis. The patients benefit greatly by the alkalizing of food residues aided by this tea. Six or seven cups of this tea should be taken daily by arthritics for at least two weeks.
Vitamin A and D play an important role in warding off infections, thereby preventing arthritis. Orange, papaya, carrot, whole milk and butter, all green leafy vegetables, tomatoes and raw bananas are rich in Vitamin A Vitamin D is chiefly obtained from exposing the skin to natural sunshine. Sunlight is an important factor in the prevention of arthritis.
Constipation should be avoided as it poisons the system and adds to the irritations and inflammation of the joints. Light exercises such as walking, cycling and swimming are beneficial. Maintaining a normal body weight is also an important factor in preventing arthritis. Obesity places stress on weightbearing joints and interferes with the smooth funtioning of tendons, ligaments and muscles.
Source: Health Guidance
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