Healthy Meals For Gout Sufferers

The Connection Between Food And Gout Flares

For centuries, diet was believed to be the primary cause of gout.1 However, recent research has shown that heredity plays a bigger role in the risk of gout attacks than diet.2,3 Nonetheless, your food choices may still impact your risk of flares, as some foods are more likely than others to trigger painful attacks.4 Red meat, organ meats, certain types of seafood and beer are among the most well-known culprits.4

Day Gout Friendly Meal Plan

Notes:

All meat, poultry and fish used in a dish must be no more than 4 ounces per serving in order to get the right balance between their high nutritional value and moderately high purine content.

Cherries should be eaten everyday, as one of your allotted snacks, so you wont forget to take them: studies have shown they are actually able to reduce uric acid. You can eat other fruits outside of your designated snack times.

In some countries the main meal of the day is lunch, whilst in others its dinner. Swap lunches and dinners to suit your culture.

Monday

• Lunch: Mixed salad, baked apple.
• Afternoon snack: 1 cup of fresh cherries.
• Dinner: Baked wild salmon with potatoes, broccoli and carrots.
• Late snack: 1 slice of carrot cake.

*Based on suggested menus in Christine Craggs-Hintons excellent book Coping with Gout published by Sheldon Press, London SW1P 4ST.

Whites Or Yolks Or The Whole Egg For Your Gout Diet

Most vitamins and minerals are to be found in both the whites and yolks in varying concentrations, while some are only found in one or the other.

Heres a breakdown of how whites and yolks compare in terms of their nutritional distribution

Egg whites contain the likes of:

• protein
• vitamins B2, B6, B12

• cholesterol

So you can see

Egg whites have almost no fat, which is great. And they contain most of the protein and higher concentrations of riboflavin, magnesium, potassium, and sodium, than yolks. They also contain nearly all the niacin. Excellent!

Egg yolks contain nearly all of the fat, which isnt so good. But, they contain all, or nearly all, of the omega-3, omega-6, lecithin, folate, thiamin, carotenoids, phosphorus, and zinc in an egg. In addition, they contain higher concentrations of selenium, pantothenic acid, manganese, and copper than whites. Wow!

So, although egg whites may seem the healthier option because they have almost zero fat, and have the bulk of the protein, you shouldnt underestimate the depth and breadth of healthy nutrients contained in egg yolks.

Thats not to say that, if your healthcare professional has advised you to avoid egg yolks because you have a medical condition, you should start eating the whole egg. No. If youve been advised by them to avoid eating egg yolks, or eggs in general, then you must continue to follow their advice.

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Can Losing Weight Help Gout

If you are overweight, gradual weight loss can help lower uric acid levels and reduce the risk of gout attacks. However, it is important to avoid fasting or crash dieting, where you go without adequate food for long periods and lose weight rapidly. This type of dieting can actually increase uric acid levels and trigger a gout attack. A combination of balanced healthy eating and regular physical activity is the best way to lose weight safely. Talk to your doctor or see a dietitian for advice.

Gout Diet: Dos And Donts

Maintaining a balanced diet, low in uric acid, is critical for lowering the risk of a gout attack. Learn which foods and beverages you should eat and which ones to avoid.

1. What You Eat and Drink Matters

2. DO: Drink Water

3. DONT: Drink Beer

4. DO: Drink Milk

5. DONT: Drink Liquor

6. DO: Drink Coffee

7. DONT: Drink Soda

8. Do: Eat Citrus

9. DONT: Eat Organ Meats

10. DO: Eat Vegetable Proteins

11. DONT: Eat Certain Seafood

12. DO: Eat Cherries

Nutrition

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Delicious Gout Diet Recipes We Love

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Its so important in a gout diet plan to find recipes that are low-fat and low in purines. Lean proteins like chicken or lean beef, fresh fruits and vegetables, and reduced fat, reduced sugar alternatives are must-haves for gout diet recipes. Gout is caused by excess uric acid crystalizing in your joints, causing painful flare ups of swelling, tenderness, and feverish heat in your joints . Excess uric acid comes from eating foods that are high in purines, such as chicken liver, fatty meat, asparagus, alcohol, process white flour, and shellfish like shrimp and scallops.

Gout is a form of arthritis that is unique because you can eliminate it naturally by eating a diet that is low in purines. However, spending every night eating grilled chicken breasts can get pretty boring. Thats where these recipes come in! Give them a try to transform your plain chicken breast in a braise balsamic chicken dinner, or your plain glass of tap water into a refreshing watermelon-infused lemonade. Eating a low-fat diet doesnt have to be boring!

Here is a list of 10 delicious, amazing, mouth-watering gout diet recipes that will help you control your gout.

Shopping List For Gout

What to put in your cart and what to pass up when planning your gout diet.

A diet to lower uric acid levels, along with medications prescribed by your doctor, makes gout one of the most controllable forms of arthritis. While you should always discuss the merits and drawbacks of specific foods with your doctor, use this shopping checklist as a general guide to food choices to improve your overall health, lower uric acid levels and reduce your risk of painful gout attacks. Put in Your Cart

• Skim milk.
• Low-fat dairy products .
• Whole-grain products .
• Plant oils .
• Vegetables.
• Cherries.
• Vitamin C supplements .
• Coffee .
• Water bottles .

Pass Up

• Red meat and organ meats .
• Shellfish such as shrimp and lobster.
• Refined carbohydrates .
• Processed foods .
• Sugary beverages.
• Alcohol .

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How Is Gout Affected By Diet

Gout is a type of arthritis that is associated with elevated levels of uric acid in the blood. High levels of uric acid can cause crystals to form in the joints, causing pain and swelling. Uric acid is a normal waste product formed from the breakdown of food, particularly compounds called purines. It is believed that lowering uric acid levels through small changes in your diet may help reduce the chance of future gout attacks.

A healthy, balanced diet may help reduce the risk of gout attacks.

The Ingredients And How They Work With Gout:

Citations:

Collins, M. W., Saag, K. G., & Singh, J. A. . Is there a role for cherries in the management of gout?. Therapeutic advances in musculoskeletal disease, 11, 1759720X19847018. https://doi.org/10.1177/1759720X19847018

Lowcock EC, Cotterchio M, Boucher BA. Consumption of flaxseed, a rich source of lignans, is associated with reduced breast cancer risk. Cancer Causes Control. 2013 Apr 24:813-6. doi: 10.1007/s10552-013-0155-7. Epub 2013 Jan 25. PMID: 23354422.

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Grilled Or Baked Chicken Breast

Have you ever been in a fast food or fast casual restaurant, looked at your grilled chicken order and said, I can make this? Learning to grill, pan-fry or bake chicken breasts is easier than you think. Plus, it tastes so much fresher when you cook you own.

Eating chicken and turkey is less of a gout risk than beef and pork. Here is a another gout-friendly recipe with just six ingredients chicken, lemon, garlic, salt, olive oil and basil.

To simplify things even more, you can bake this instead of frying. Also, there is large variety of dry rubs or marinades you can buy to find a favorite.

Make sure the ingredients in the rub powders and marinades are not gout starters like monosodium glutamate , yeast extract and shellfish ingredients.

Important Tips For Managing Gout

In addition to eating a low-purine diet, there are many things you can do to take good care of yourself as you manage your gout:

• Drink plenty of waterDrinking at least 8 glasses of water each day helps flush uric acid from your system.8
• Maintain a healthy weightLosing weight may help reduce the amount of uric acid in your bloodstream.9
• Take medications as directedAccording to the Mayo Clinic, medication is often the most effective way to treat gout and prevent flares.10
• Visit your doctor regularlyTake an active role in your care by seeing your doctor as scheduled and following your treatment plan.4 This especially important if you have other medical conditions such as heart disease or diabetes.4

Gout Friendly Diet Cheat Sheet

Discover the benefits of a gout-friendly diet that may reduce your risk of future flares. INFOGRAPHIC

NOTE: This article was not written by a medical professional and is not intended to substitute for the guidance of a physician. These are not Hikmas recommendations for gout flare prevention, but rather facts and data collected from various reliable medical sources. For a full list of resources and their attributing links, see below.

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Which Foods Should You Avoid When You Have Gout

Purines are compounds that are found in specific food and drink and they change to uric acid in the body. Most meat and seafood are high in purine and can increase uric acid levels in the body. These therefore should be limited during episodes of a gout attack and portion size should be reduced. Common examples of foods high in purine include anchovies, sardines, offal foods such as liver, kidney, sweetbreads, game, goose, minced meat, mussels, partridge, roe, scallops, herring, gravies, stock cubes and meat and yeast extracts.

Be Choosy About Carbs

Carbs can be helpful or harmful to your gout health. The most helpful carbs are found in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes. Sweet potatoes, beans, apples, and popcorn can all be served in wholesome and delicious ways as part of a healthy gout diet.

Other carbs come as natural and refined sugars. Candy, sports drinks, some breakfast cereal, and some pasta sauces all contribute to dietary sugar from unhealthy carbs.

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What Can You Not Eat With Gout

Foods rich in purines must be avoided if you have gout. Purines are a type of chemical that produce uric acid in the body. They are naturally found in the body and can also be found in certain foods. The main modification in the diet traditionally involves eating a low-purine diet. Although avoiding purines completely is not possible, you should strive to limit them.

Both moderate and high-purine foods and drinks must be avoided if you have gout. These include

• Alcohol is a major trigger for gout attacks. This is because when you drink alcohol your kidneys filter it out instead of uric acid. This leads to the build-up of uric acid in the body. All alcoholic beverages are bad for gout. Beer is especially bad for gout since it is rich in purines.
• Certain fish, seafood and shellfish, including anchovies, trout, sardines, herring, codfish, mussels, codfish, scallops and haddock
• Organ meats such as liver, kidney, sweetbreads and brain. People with gout, however, can have a moderate intake of lean meats such as chicken and turkey.
• Red meat including bacon, turkey, veal and venison
• Dried beans and peas
• Food products containing a high amount of fructose such as soda and some juices, cereal, ice cream, candy and junk food

The Moral Of The Story

What is all comes down to is this eat clean, organically grown or raised whole foods. Avoid processed foods i.e. anything that comes in a box, bag, can, or bottle.

When you eat at restaurants, keep one thing firmly in mind they are in business to make moneyNOT to keep you healthy. They buy the cheapest ingredients they can get away with no matter how fancy the restaurant and they doll it all up to make look and taste good. That doesnt mean its good for you.

The first thing to do is go buy Michael Pollans book, Food Rules and read it. Then make a list, go to the produce section of the grocery store and fill up. Then come home and prepare/cook your food for yourself. Make enough for left-overs for lunch tomorrow.

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What Does Real Food Look Like

There are countless books and websites out there about what to eat and what not to eat in general. Were not going to go down that rabbit hole on this one. Think: Caveman

What did cavemen do? Did they grow fields full of corn and wheat to bake crackers and chips? No. Did they have a herd of cows and goats to milk? No. They wouldnt wait that long they would have clubbed them and started chewing.

Cavemen didnt need any kind of gout diet recipes. They ate a pretty clean diet mostly plants, mostly raw, and some meat . . . raw.

Understand this with my gout diet recipes, I dont want you to eat everything completely raw, BUTfood substances go through major changes with heat and lose a lot of nutritive value due to cookingjust an FYI.

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Why Do People Get Gout

Gout is a type of arthritis causing pain and swelling in the joints. The symptoms usually occur as flares lasting for a week or two and then go away. Gout flares usually start in the big toe or a lower limb.

The disease happens when the body has high levels of a substance called uric acid or urate. When high levels of uric acid build up, the needle-shaped urate crystals form in and around the joints. This causes inflammation and arthritis of the affected joint. Many people with high serum uric acid, however, may not develop gout.

Some factors may increase a persons risk for gout, including

• Male gender

Gout is a lifelong disease and cannot be cured. The disease, however, is one of the most controllable forms of arthritis. It can be effectively managed with early diagnosis, medications and lifestyle changes.

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Baked Chicken & Pasta With Bchamel Sauce

Its wiser to eat chicken and turkey because of their lower purine content compared to red meat. This healthy gout friendly recipe requires to stir-fry chicken and vegetables, boil pasta, and then bake everything together. A little more prep work, but not complicated.

The key to this gout friendly meal is before baking drain well the extra grease from the chicken-vegetable mix and keep the pasta half-cooked. This will prevent the dish from becoming too soggy at the bottom of the tray.

Note, the word plain is misspelled for plain flour in the video. Just in case, you think it was a hard to find bougie ingredient. From this dish you basically learn how to stir-fry chicken and vegetables. If out of pasta or sauce, simply serve over rice or in a wrap. To save even more prep time, use a store-bought béchamel sauce.

Avoiding The Spread Of Bacteria

All foods not stored, handled, and cooked properly pose a risk to health and eggs are no exception. In fact, they have to be handled with particular care since studies have found microbial growth, including Salmonella and E. coli, on shell surfaces. And the incidences were higher on free-range eggs than on factory produced eggs.

Dont let that put you off though. Eggs are safe to eat as long as you take proper precautions. Here are some simple things published on the UKs National Health Service website you can do to avoid food poisoning when handling and eating eggs:

There can be bacteria on the shell as well as inside the egg, which can spread very easily to other foods, as well as to hands, utensils and worktops.

These tips can help avoid the spread of bacteria:

• keep eggs away from other foods both when they are in the shell and after you have cracked them
• be careful not to splash egg onto other foods, worktops or dishes
• always wash your hands thoroughly with warm water and soap, and then dry them after touching or working with eggs
• clean surfaces, dishes and utensils thoroughly using warm soapy water after handling eggs
• dont use eggs with damaged shells, because dirt or bacteria might have got inside them

Only eating thoroughly cooked eggs , and completely avoiding raw or lightly cooked eggs, is the safest option if youre still concerned about food poisoning.

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