Arthritis

[ShelShel]

Ok...not sure if I spelled that correctly. I just got off the phone with my Mom. She just left her doctor's office. Apparently all the pain she is experiencing lately is due to severe arthritis. Does anyone know of someone who was helped with this by eating raw? Thanks!

[Helen Of Tennessee]

Brenda Cobb - early stages of breast and cervical cancer, allergies, acid reflux, indigestion, arthritis, obesity, age spots, gray hair, improved eyesight
http://www.livingfoodsinstitute.com/aboutus.htm

Igor Boutenko – arthritis, hyperthyroid
http://www.consumerhealth.org/articles/display.cfm?ID=20030810073725
http://www.rawfamily.com/products.htm
(read the first chapters of the books on the link above)

Although not all raw, but very high raw:

Testimonies from Hallelujah Acres – arthritis
http://www.hacres.com/testimonies/testimonies.asp?catid=8
Rheumatoid – Arthritis
http://www.hacres.com/testimonies/testimonies.asp?catid=70
Rhonda Maulkmas’ testimony on Arthritis
http://www.hacres.com/about/founders_rhonda.asp

DIET: THE ONLY REAL HOPE FOR ARTHRITIS (rheumatoid)
Dr. McDougall
http://www.drmcdougall.com/newsletter/may_june1.html

[mattsonfamily]

Your morning glass of orange juice may be doing more than just helping you wake up; it might reduce your risk of arthritis. Researchers at the University of Manchester in England have found a possible link between consumption of brightly-colored fruits and vegetables, such as oranges, bell peppers, pumpkins, tangerines and papayas, and lower odds of developing inflammatory polyarthritis. The most common subgroup of inflammatory polyarthritis is rheumatoid arthritis: http://www.brewtonstandard.com/articles/2006/05/03/lifestyles/life04.txt.

Hope somethings helps here.


Mindi

[wizz4ve]

Your morning glass of orange juice may be doing more than just helping you wake up; it might reduce your risk of arthritis. Researchers at the University of Manchester in England have found a possible link between consumption of brightly-colored fruits and vegetables, such as oranges, bell peppers, pumpkins, tangerines and papayas, and lower odds of developing inflammatory polyarthritis. The most common subgroup of inflammatory polyarthritis is rheumatoid arthritis: http://www.brewtonstandard.com/articles/2006/05/03/lifestyles/life04.txt.

Hope somethings helps here.


Mindi

Would carrots be included in the anti-inflammatory properties

[Gosia]

Yes, definitely! Apart from testimonials from the raw foodists, there is a scientific evidence that confirms that:

Fibryomalgia and rheumatoid patients helped with living foods diet:
Acta Physiol Hung 1999;86(3-4):171-80
Vegan diet in physiological health promotion.
Hanninen O, Rauma AL, Kaartinen K, Nenonen M. Department of Physiology, University of Kuopio, Finland.
We have performed a number of studies including dietary interventions and cross-sectional studies on subjects consuming uncooked vegan food called living food (LF) and clarified the changes in several parameters related to health risk factors. LF consists of germinated seeds, cereals, sprouts, vegetables, fruits, berries and nuts. Some items are fermented and contain a lot of lactobacilli. The diet is rich in fiber. It has very little sodium, and it contains no cholesterol. Food items like berries and wheat grass juice are rich in antioxidants such as carotenoids and flavonoids. The subjects eating living food show increased levels of carotenoids and vitamins C and E and lowered cholesterol concentration in their sera. Urinary excretion of sodium is only a fraction of the omnivorous controls. Also urinary output of phenol and p-cresol is lowered as are several fecal enzyme levels which are considered harmful. The rheumatoid arthritis patients eating the LF diet reported amelioration of their pain, swelling of joints and morning stiffness which all got worse after finishing LF diet. The composite indices of objective measures showed also improvement of the rheumatoid arthritis patients during the intervention. The fibromyalgic subjects eating LF lost weight compared to their omnivorous controls. The results on their joint stiffness and pain (visual analogue scale), on their quality of sleep, on health assessment questionnaire and on general health questionnaire all improved. It appears that the adoption of vegan diet exemplified by the living food leads to a lessening of several health risk factors to cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Rheumatoid patients subjectively benefited from the vegan diet which was also seen in serum parameters and fecal analyses.

Sincerely,
Gosia.

[RowanC]

I have arthritis.

When I stay raw it's 80% to 100% better.

When I go off raw, by next morning I can barely get out of bed. If I have to walk to the toilet mid-night, I toddle like a little old lady becuase my feet are so stiff.

The other thing that REALLY hurts my joints is wheat and corn.
Just staying off of wheat and cooked corn will make a tremendous difference, imo. However, sprouted wheat doesn't seem to bother me.

[BDraw]

I too have definately been benefited in this area since going raw! I use to constantly ache (wrist, all 10 finger joints, right hip). Waking up in the morning was worse. Coffee affected my right hip. Tomotoes really do affect my wrist within 20 minutes (even raw). So I have also eliminated all night shade veggies. Now days, I don't even remember that I was beginning to be plauged with arthritis.

It is wonderful!!!!! It scared me enough to look into my future with the aches and pains I was having in my late 40's that I decided to take drastic measures to take care of me. I feel wonderful!

Hope your mom can make the switch! Give her a hug and challenge her to try it for 30 days -- with you!!! My daughter did that to me concerning exercise, dang if I'm not excersising every day just for her (and me!).

[ShelShel]

Thank you so much you guys! You are all so awesome. ;) After reading your posts (all of them!) in great detail, I am going to definitely see if my Mom will let me come to her house and help her start her raw challenge. She doesn't think she could do this, but she has to. She is so young to be so sick. She really has been sick her whole life.
I feel like I have a ray of hope to share with her...but don't want to force it down her throat! :D LOL But I do want to! So...I'm calling her right now and try to encourage her. Wish me luck! I'm going to see if she will let me help her go raw! Thanks for all the support ya'll! Raw (((HUGS)))

[rawpriestess]

I was diagnosed over 20 years ago with arthrtis in my neck, and hands, I used to have to crack my knuckles several times a day, or I couldn't type on the computer because my fingers just wouldn't work and they hurt all the time, my feet were so painful and stiff, that when I got out of bed, or I got out of the car after riding in the care for only 10 minutes, they would be so tight and painful, that I couldn't walk, I would hobble, I couldn't go up or down stairs, or get into or out of the bathtub because of arthritis pain.

I refused to accept it, and found that if I had any dairy, that my symptoms and pain were so much worse, when I cut out dairy, I felt better, but still had alot of pain,

when I went raw, almost immediately no more pain, and I can go up and down stairs with ease, (I have two steps from my studio to my living area of my home) so this is really nice. In and out of the bath tub no problems. I can type all day, and never crack my knuckles anymore.

Before I went raw, I considered getting a walker for my home, and having the lower studio floor built up so I didn't have to go up or down those two stairs, I would often go outside on the main level, and walk all the way around the house to get to the deck, because there was no stairs, only a sloping walkway.

now that I am raw, no pain, no worries, easy moving for me.

[Shona]

A vegan diet and a raw vegan diet are extremely successful in eliminating pain and halting the progression of arthritis.

I have rheumatoid arthritis - it affects both of my hands, my feet, my knees, my hips, and my lower back. For a while, I couldn't carry anything heavier than a piece of paper without feeling it in my arms and shoulders, and if I walked [at a slow pace!] for longer than five minutes, my legs felt like they'd been run over by a train.

I am only 40 years old. It is terrifying to feel this way.

Most of the time I follow the McDougall Program ... extremely low-fat vegan. Once I started learning about raw foods, I have been trying to incorporate more and more raw and living foods as well. When I am strict with this, I have NO PAIN whatsoever. NONE! But the minute I fall off the wagon, it slowly but surely comes creeping back.

Food is powerful medicine.

[sptygl]

ARTHRITIS RELIEF DETOX
For 1 large drink:
Juice a large handful Spinach, a large handful Parsley, a large handful Watercress, 5 Carrots with tops, 3 Radishes.
Add 1 TBS. Bragg Liquid Aminos

[sptygl]

Pain remover
1 lemon
1 orange
3 hard pears
3 apples

ARTHRITIS & BURSITIS RELIEF
For 1 drink:
Juice 2 to 3 Oranges, peeled, 1/4 Pineapple, with skin, and 1/2 Apple, seeded.



hope these help!!
let me know if you see a difference! :)

[sptygl]

Arthritis

Caused by deposits of inorganic calcium in the cartilage of joints, where they eventually form 'spurs' that cause intense pain and inhibit movement of joints.

These deposits are caused by incomplete digestion of incompatible foods and accumulation of toxic wastes throughout the system; the body dumps these inorganic minerals in the joints, where they won't pollute the bloodstream.

Excess consumption of concentrated starch and sugar, and too much cooked meat in the diet, are major factors.

Cleansing-detox is the very first step towards resolving this issue followed by a rejuvenation-diet.

The below foods and juices are therapeutic and healing after your cleansing


Celery juice: rich in organic sodium, which dislodges inorganic calcium deposits from joints and holds them in solution until eliminated through kidneys; 1 pint daily; 2 pints if mixed with carrot juice.

Grapefruit juice: fresh raw grapefruit juice (no sugar) is highly effective in dissolving deposits of inorganic calcium in joints; mix half/half with distilled water, 1-2 pints daily.

Bone meal: bone meal is a rich source of readily assimilable organic calcium and other vital minerals that are indispensable for proper bone and joint formation; mix 1-2 tsp. into any raw juice in the morning.

Cherries: raw black cherries contain active enzymes that help dissolve calcium spurs in joints; eat about 1 pound on empty stomach and take no other food for at least 12 hours, continue for 1-3 days in severe cases.

Grapes: when eaten exclusively for 1-5 days, depending on severity, raw black grapes provide amazing therapeutic relief for acute arthritis; 2-3 pounds per day; chew skin, seeds and pulp very well before swallowing.

Other beneficial foods: molasses, alfalfa (tea or sprouts); asparagus, whole barely; whole lemon, lime or orange pureed in blender with 1 cup distilled water (including peel, fibers and seeds).

Foods to avoid: incompatible combinations, especially of protein and starch; pasteurized milk; cooked eggs; ice cream; salt; excessive consumption of cooked foods, especially animal proteins.

[ShelShel]

Thank you all for all this helpful info! I am going to send it to her and see if it helps. Thanks again! Raw (((HUGS))) :)

[Conscious Midwife]

Getting off meat alone has eliminated the pain I experience inboth knees, ankles, wrist and my right elbow. I suffere with sdever joint immflammation following a car wreck in 2001. Avoiding meat and the high uric acid by product caused by ingesting animal protein has truely healed me!!!


MY RAW DAYS YIELD INCREASED ENERGY AND VITALITY :D

[Secret Heart]

My friend's husband has either degenerative disc disorder or arthritis, or both. Don't know what type of arthritis but it's in his back.

He's noticed that eating bananas exacerbates his condition...have you heard that? What are some other anti-inflammatory foods as well as some ones that he should avoid? Thanks!

I assume flax and omega 3s would be good to consume as they are strongly anti-inflammatory yes?

Heather

[dreamrawalwz]

Your morning glass of orange juice may be doing more than just helping you wake up; it might reduce your risk of arthritis. Researchers at the University of Manchester in England have found a possible link between consumption of brightly-colored fruits and vegetables, such as oranges, bell peppers, pumpkins, tangerines and papayas, and lower odds of developing inflammatory polyarthritis. The most common subgroup of inflammatory polyarthritis is rheumatoid arthritis: http://www.brewtonstandard.com/articles/2006/05/03/lifestyles/life04.txt.

Hope somethings helps here.


Mindi

Make sure it's raw fresh squeezed though! My dad said that OJ makes his knee joints hurt, but my theory is that since it's cooked and acidic it resides in his joints, therefore makign them hurt. He's not man enough to try raw OJ lol.

[Helen Of Tennessee]

Hi Dreamrawalwz,

I found when I drank organic processed OJ I would get sores in my mouth, but when I drank freshly squeezed organic OJ I don't get the sores in my mouth. Tell your dad to try it. It's amazing the difference!!!! And I can't believe the difference in the taste. You're dad doesn't know what he's missing out on!!!

[ShelShel]

Good Morning. :) So, I went over to my Mom and Dad's last night. We chatted about going Raw. I guess my 72 year old Nan wants to try it too. But the sad thing is they are all just looking at my weight loss. That's not the point people! Just the bonus side affect! :confused: Why when people have health issues, do these things not take priority??? Who cares how you look when you feel horrible.

My Mom is extremely overweight at this stage of her life, but the real problems are that she has extreme sleep apnea (she has to sleep with a machine that keeps her breathing or she could die in her sleep) and severe arthritis (so much pain she doesn't think she can get up and sit down on the toilet in the middle of the night). Did I mention she is only in her early 50's? It makes me nuts! To hear about her health issues and be so powerless to help. I told her last night, "Mom, you've got to know coming from me, this has nothing to do with your weight. I feel like I am sitting on your cure and keeping it to myself by not sharing." She said, "Oh, honey, I understand...and it's obviously working for you...look at you, you look fantastic." :rolleyes: Icarumba! It's working for me because I can stay up and function all day without needing 64 oz of coffee a day! It's also working for me because I'm happier...more at peace with myself and the world around me. More content to just breathe the fresh air as I'm walking. My periods are shorter...it clears my skin...what else is there?!?!? Yes...I'm losing weight, but it's so much more than that. It's really living...and loving to just be alive. Because you like who you are and who you are ultimately going to become. That's the cure! That's what raw does for you.

So, her next question comes, "So, I can still have a few eggs once in a while, right?" :eek: Mom the list of foods is: RAW vegetables, fruits, seeds and nuts. That's it! No dairy...no meat...no eggs...cheese. Which she replied, "No yogurt?" :eek: Nope...no yogurt Mom. It's just very simple. She said she will try to transition...very slowly. :p Good Lord.

I told her I would buy her Alissa's non-cook book. :rolleyes: I figure that will answer all her questions...and show her how she can make more "normal" looking meals. She seemed thrilled with that idea. ;) It will take me a while to help her get on track...but the benefits will be sooooooooo worth it. Thanks for all your wisdom you guys have been great!

[rawnora]

I'm glad your mom is open to making some changes. I wouldn't risk overwhelming her with the idea of going all raw at this early juncture, though. There are some easily do-able things she can do short of going raw that will pay huge dividends in health improvements (including weight loss). For one, she could eat only fruit till noon. Tell her if she wants cooked foods for breakfast, eat them for lunch instead and eat only fruit until then. Morning is when our bodies cleanse the most and eating complex foods at that time competes with the energy needed for cleansing. It's extremely important to cooperate with the body and adjust to its schedule, rather than forcing it to adapt to ours. As others have mentioned, the other thing arthritics can do to start feeling quick results is cut down on animal protein. I don't think it's necessary for her to stop eating meat completely right away (this might be too much of a change for her), but decreasing it would be important and even more important would be practicing correct combining. That means, mainly, no starches and proteins together. No potatoes with meat, no sandwiches, no pasta and meat, rice and chicken, etc. You get the idea. When your mom eats meat, it should be with salad greens or non-sweet fruits (tomatoes, cucumbers, etc.) only. Meat is acid-forming in the body, and the problems it causes are compounded when proteins and starches are eaten together because the chemicals needed to digest them are opposites and effectively neutralize each other in the gut. What that means is that less of both foods are digested, which results in more waste in the body (the cause of all disease, including arthritis).

If you or she are interested, some guidance from a qualified health coach would be helpful, imo. Btw, next time your mom says "it's working for you", tell her it works for *everyone*. :)

Warmly,
Nora
www.RawSchool.com

[lindy]

Greetings...

Love everyone engaging in the thread and all the info coming forth... what a tremendous supportive forum we have.

A couple of things that worked for me and I've since turned many other people onto are:
Montmorency Cherry Juice... you can get the concentrate at local health stores. Take 2 tblspn w/ 7oz of purified water daily... because this is a whole food it will not interfere with any meds she may be taking. You can read more about it via Cherrycure.com

And while I highly recommend a diet packed with as much raw as she can, sometimes it can be a bit daunting for folks who are hearing it for the first time. Alyssa's book and DVD are fantastic and if you have them, share with her, of course. I loved the DVD because everything was so simple, and done right then and there... it is really hard NOT to get excited and want to try. And, maybe if you are able, you could do what Alyssa has done... go to you mom's... do the shopping and un-cooking for the week and help her see and understand as she learns by doing.

One other thing to consider would be the book The Raw Food Detox Diet by Natalie Rose. She has a self assessment in which one gauges where they should start and then lays out a plan for transitioning to a mostly raw diet.

I wish you and your mom good health!
lindy