Reach And Maintain A Healthy Weight
Tips for weight loss:
- Eat less fatty and high sugar foods.
- Small meals eaten at regular times are best avoid eating large meals or going for many hours without eating.
- Eat a sensible breakfast, every day .
- Remember to drink plenty of fluids, at least 8 glasses per day if possible.
- Avoid fizzy drinks .
- Regular exercise, such as a brisk walk for 30 minutes five times a week, will reduce your weight and have other good effects on your heart, blood pressure and blood sugar levels.
Natural Home Remedies For Gout
People with gout are increasingly looking for natural home remedies for gout. So, if youre in that group, here are ten of the most popular and effective.
But first, please take a couple of minutes to listen to gout specialist, the excellent Dr. Edwards
To summarize:
- It can affect various joints in the body, not just the big toe.
- Repeat gout attacks can eventually lead to disablement.
- The incidence of gout worldwide has doubled over the past 20 years.
- Gout isnt just a disease of the rich, those who overeat, or those who drink alcohol to excess.
- Theres certainly a link between obesity and gout, but not all obese people will have gout.
- Theres also a link between alcohol and gout, but not all people with gout drink alcohol.
- Middle-aged men are most at risk although women also have a higher risk as they grow older.
- Once you have gout its for life, not just when youre suffering the symptoms of a gout attack.
Note: Dr. Edwards spoke about the links between obesity, alcohol and gout and explained that not all people who are obese or who drink to excess have gout.
However, studies have shown that obesity and alcohol are high risk factors for gout. So although some people who are obese, or who drink to excess, may not have gout now, nevertheless they are still at a higher risk of gout at some point in their lives compared with those who are not obese and who dont drink to excess.
For me, the two main takeaways from Dr. Edwards very informative video are:
Who Is At Risk Of Getting Gout
High uric acid levels are caused by the following factors:
- Genetics some Mori and Pasifika people have genes that make it harder to get rid of uric acid from their bodies.
- Being overweight carrying extra weight slows down the removal of uric acid by your kidneys.
- Increasing age in about 90% of cases, gout affects men aged over 40 years and women after menopause.
- What you eat and drink you increase your risk if you drink a lot of sugary drinks or alcohol, or eat too much food that is rich in purines, such as liver, meat or seafood.
- Having high blood pressure .
- Taking certain medicines, such as water or fluid tablets for high blood pressure or heart failure. Read more about medicines that increase uric acid levels.
- Existing kidney problems and some other conditions.
In people with known gout, there are changes you can make to reduce the risk of developing gout.
Tip: Ask your doctor whether you need to change any medications you take for other health problems.
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Avoid Alcohol And Sugary Drinks
The heavy consumption both of alcohol and of sugary drinks â such as sodas and sweetened juices â correlates with an increased risk of developing gout.
Alcohol and sweetened drinks also add unnecessary calories to the diet, potentially causing weight gain and metabolic issues.
2010 analysis of data from female participants in the Nursesâ Health Study found that gout risk decreased as coffee consumption increased.
Women who consumed 1 to 3 cups of coffee per day had a 22% reduction in their risk of gout compared with those who drank no coffee. Women who consumed more than 4 cups of coffee per day had a 57% decrease in their risk of getting this condition.
A handful of studies have also linked coffee consumption to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. A 2014 systematic review and meta-analysis of long-term coffee consumption found that people who consumed 3â5 cups of coffee per day had the lowest risk of cardiovascular disease.
As people with gout have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, drinking coffee may help improve their overall health.
2011 meta-analysis of 13 randomized controlled trials found that vitamin C significantly reduced levels of uric acid in the blood.
Reduced uric acid levels could lower the risk of gout attacks. Research has not conclusively proven that vitamin C treats or prevents gout, however â only that it lowers uric acid levels.
Natural Ways To Prevent And Get Rid Of Gout
What is Gout?
Gout is a type of arthritis that affects most often the big toe, but it can affect other joints, such as the ankle, hip and others. This type of arthritis usually affects more men than women. This comes about when there is too much uric acid in the blood, due to drinking too much alcohol, or eating too much meat that is high in purine chemical that can increase the uric acid. Most of the time having too much uric acid in your blood is not a problem, until crystals start to form in the joints.
What does Gout look like?
People suffering from gout can experience tenderness, severe pain, redness and night time attacks of swelling in the joints that are being affected. If gout goes untreated, it can move onto affect tendons and other tissues in the body. Your chances of getting Gout are much higher if you are overweight.
How to diagnose Gout?
Gout can be diagnosed usually by the representation on the physical exam, but some doctors may want to take a blood test to check for the uric acid levels, others may want to take a sample from the joint itself to diagnose the issue.
How is Gout treated?
Vitamin C is an important vitamin for those with gout. Sodium ascorbate is the best form of vitamin C to take. It is less acidic than ascorbic acid and easier on the stomach.
Garlic can be ingested and is a wonderful, natural anti-inflammatory.
It is very important if you have something like this going on, consult your physician immediately for proper diagnosis and treatment.
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Know What Else You Can Do
- Take control by knowing your uric acid level.
- Work with your healthcare team and be an important part of it.
- Know about your treatment options, ie, physical therapies, preventive medicines, prescription and non-prescription medications.
- Find new ways to stay active.
- Learn techniques to help manage your pain.
- Acknowledge your feelings and seek support.
- Make food choices that count milk, low-fat dairy products, coffee and vitamin C appear to reduce the risk of developing gout.
- People with gout often have higher risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and kidney problems. Ask your doctor/nurse for a heart & diabetes check.
- Create your own care plan and ask any health provider you see to fill it in.
Attending a self-management course is a great way to find out what you can do to help yourself, meet new friends, support each other and make some healthier choices for yourself and your family. Ask your doctor for groups in your area.
Gout Ph Booster Remedy #1
If you’re suffering from a bout of gout right now then one of the quickest ways to alkalize your body is with a combination of raw organic apple cider vinegar and baking soda. Take two to three tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with 1/2 a teaspoon of baking soda three times daily, 20-30 minutes before each meal. This is a sure fire way to get rid of your gout symptoms, usually within a day or two. .
For some people though, the ACV liquid is simply too hard to drink. If you find that you really can’t handle the taste then it’s fine to take the tablets or capsules instead.
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Lemon Juice For Gout Treatment
Lemon is a rich source of vitamin C which provides natural protection from gout pain. It helps to reduce the uric acid level in our bodies. The acidic nature of lemon juice acts efficiently to neutralize uric acid in the body and prevent a gout attack. It also helps to improve your kidney functioning which helps to eliminate the excess uric acid from the body.
So start includes lemon in your diet. You can prepare lemon water by squeezing 1 medium-size fresh juice in a glass of water. Drink it 2 to 3 times per day. Additionally, you can try various recipes for lemon juice.
Gout Nicola Dalbeth Goodfellow Unit 2017
“Professor Nicola Dalbeth shares an update on the management of gout. Nicola is a rheumatologist at the University of Auckland and Auckland District Health Board. She is a founding member of the Mori Gout Action Group, chair of the Atlas of Health Care Variance Gout Expert Advisory Group and was clinical lead advisor for the gout clinical pathways and bpac gout treatment guidelines.”
Diane Phone a pharmacist from Middlemore Hospital and Angela Moananu a primary care nurse, talk about their clinic’s own my own gout programme, where patients connect directly with their pharmacist to manage their gout.
Also Check: How To Fix Gout Pain
Can Gout Be Prevented
Some people with gout experience recurrent attacks, which may be prevented by using prescription medications. These medicines work by lowering uric acid levels in the blood. The most commonly used is allopurinol. This helps to lower uric acid levels by reducing the body’s production of uric acid.
You can also reduce your chance of having further attacks of gout by adopting some sensible lifestyle changes, such as:
- reducing alcohol intake avoid binge drinking, in particular
- gradually losing weight if you are overweight, while avoiding fad diets
- eating a healthy, balanced diet
- drinking plenty of water, especially when at risk of dehydration
There is no scientific evidence that particular foods cause gout, but some studies have shown that people who are prone to gout are more likely to eat foods rich in purines a substance that’s converted into uric acid within the body.
Foods with high levels of purines include:
- red meat and offal such as liver, kidneys and heart
- seafood, especially shellfish, scallops, mussels, herring, mackerel, sardines and anchovies
- foods containing yeast such as Vegemite and beer
It’s best to seek the advice of your doctor or an accredited practising dietitian before making any changes to your diet. Most people with gout find that a healthy, balanced diet along with medication is enough to reduce their uric acid levels.
Practice Mindfulness And Meditation
The good news: A gout attack is self-limited and will clear in time. In the meantime, according to the Arthritis Foundation, meditation, yoga breathing, mindfulness, and guided imagery can help you deal with the pain.
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Natural Ways To Get Rid Of Gout
By | Submitted On May 01, 2010
There are many natural ways to get rid of gout. But some are better than others, and, some work better for some people than others. Here, you’ll discover 5 of the most popular natural ways to cure gout.
Since gout attacks are caused by uric acid crystals in your joints, many natural remedies for gout focus on preventing, neutralizing and / or excreting crystals from your body. And also reducing the high uric acid levels that give rise to crystal formation.
But natural home remedies can also act like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and so can help reduce inflammation and relieve the agonizing pain of a gout attack. Here are five of the most popular ways to eliminate gout…
5 NATURAL WAYS TO GET RID OF GOUT
Drink Lots of Water
Water helps to prevent uric acid crystal formation by keeping you better hydrated. It also helps you flush uric acid out of your body more easily. Drink at least 12 x 8 oz glasses of water everyday.
Take Vitamin C
Studies have shown that vitamin C can increase uric acid excretion through urine, and, reduce uric acid levels in your bloodstream. Fruit such as oranges, mandarins and tangerines are great. You can also take it in supplement form, which is especially effective during an attack.
Eat Cherries
These berries have natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties to help reduce inflammation and relieve your gout pain. Between 30 and 40 a day, or, 30 to 40 every 4 hours during an actual attack.
Cherries And Cherry Extract
A 2012 study published in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatology showed that consumption of both cherries and cherry extract reduced the risk of gout attacks by about 35%. These findings were corroborated by a 2014 study that demonstrated that Montmorency tart cherry concentrate reduced blood levels of uric acid and the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein.
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Stay Away From Sugary Sodas
I cannot stress this enough. Increased consumption of sugar can increase your risk of gout by almost eighty five percent! You can have as little as five or six sodas a week and still be at risk for gout. Diet sodas do not increase the risk and it doesnt have the sugar which can also raise your blood sugar levels and risk for diabetes.
Maintain A Healthy Weight And Take Your Vitamins
Obesity increases the risk of gout, so maintaining a healthy weight can prevent flare-ups and keep uric acid levels in check. Take note that rapid weight loss, especially due to fasting, can also elevate uric acid levels. So its important to maintain a healthy weight by making long-term sustainable changes to your lifestyle, such as exercising regularly and eating a balanced diet rich in nutritious foods.
Another way to counter hyperuricemia and prevent gout attacks is by taking vitamin C supplements.
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How Doesyour Ph Level Work
If you dont know anything about pH readings then this is how it works
pH runs on a scale from 0-14 with 7 being the neutral level . Any reading below 7 is acidic and anything above 7 is alkaline. Our bodies must be kept alkaline at all times for perfect health. And whats significant in regards to treating gout and gouty arthritis is these two conditions simply cannot occur in an alkaline environment.
Its virtually impossible!
But gout and arthritis will definitely occur and flourish very nicely in an acidic environment. In fact, the main culprit of gout, a build up of uric acid, actually thrives when the body is acidic . But even worse than this is killer diseases such as cancer also grow and thrive in an acidic environment.
So to test your pH level all you need to do is purchase some test strips, either online or from your local health food store, and follow the instructions. These strips are very simple to use and really are worth their weight in gold.
Take Your Gout Medication Regularly
In addition to the strategies described above, a doctor will usually recommend taking a prescription medication, such as allopurinol, that is proven effective in preventing gout attacks.
Allopurinol and other medications that lower the uric acid can have several benefits, including reducing gout flares, improving function and quality of life, increasing productivity at work, decreasing sick-days from work, and reducing gout-associated cost. Like most drugs, the long-term use of prescription gout medications carries a small potential of side effects and health risks.9 You should discuss the potential benefits and risks with your provider.
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How Can Losing Weight Help My Gout
Being overweight can increase your risk of gout because carrying extra weight slows down the removal of uric acid by your kidneys. Gout is caused by high uric acid levels in your blood as your level of uric acid rises, your risk of gout increases. If you are overweight, gradual weight loss can help to lower your uric acid levels and reduce your risk of gout attacks.
Weight loss is best achieved by eating a balanced diet and regular physical activity.
- Avoid fasting or crash diets, where you go without adequate food for long periods and lose weight rapidly. This type of dieting can increase uric acid levels and trigger a gout attack.
- Examples of foods to include in your diet are low-fat dairy, soy-based foods, vegetable sources of protein and foods high in vitamin C.
- Exercise moderately, but during an acute attack rest, elevate and cool affected joints.
If You Are Having Repeated Attacks See Your Doctor
Some patients can go a long time between attacks. In fact, for 62 percent of patients the next attack will be more than a year away, and some won’t have another attack in the next 10 years. However, if you begin to have more frequent attacks, talk to your doctor about escalating treatment. People think its normal to have flares every now and then, but its not. The gout can be doing damage to your joints. It means you still have too much uric acid, says Shakouri. In particular, ask about allpurinol. It wont help with an acute attack but will help prevent future attacks by reducing uric acid production.
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Treating Acute Gout Attacks
For treating acute gout attacks the following medications may be used:
Allopurinol is a uric acid lowering medication used for the prevention of gout attacks. Allopurinol has traditionally not been started at the time of the attack because of the risk of triggering acute gout. However, there is some evidence emerging to suggest a slow titration of allupurinol with NSAID or colchicine cover may be an option to improve allopurinol uptake.