So now what are the foods that make it better
'cause this is the interesting part.
This is where you can have more control, right?
So remember, when we're treating inflammation
or arthritis or joint pain,
we're not just looking for one thing that makes it better.
We want to eliminate what makes it worse
and add what makes it better.
So here's the adding of what makes it better.
Anti-inflammatory foods, in general.
Now a lot of times people are told
this is an inflammatory diet
and it's very confusing out there.
What is an anti-inflammatory diet?
Is it a Mediterranean diet?
Is it this diet?
Is it a low-carb diet?
Is it the other diet?
Well, an anti-inflammatory diet
is a diet that when you consume it,
it doesn't promote inflammation.
And the most effective
and the most anti-inflammatory diet that we've seen
whether in studies and clinical practice,
in my practice, is a plant-based diet.
And it's a whole food plant-based diet
meaning whole meaning, it's not over-processed.
Maybe it's processed into a pasta or rice
and you have to cook it a little bit
like a whole grain or a bean,
but it's not overly processed like in packages and all that.
So a whole food plant-based diet.
And we're talking a little bit more about that.
Turmeric in food, turmeric is a spice.
We'll show you pictures of that.
Ginger, garlic and spice and herbs,
definitely make a big difference.
We'll have a little bit, talk a little bit about that later.
And plants that are rich in vitamins
and antioxidants and phytonutrients and minerals.
And by the way, phyto means plant.
So phytonutrients are only in plants.
So when you have, when you eat fruits and vegetables
and herbs and spices,
you're adding a lot of those elements in your diet
and you're going to be healthier
because you're helping your body heal better
and your cells get healthier.
So to help nourish your cartilage and your joints,
these foods can help decrease the inflammation.
Plus they nourish and they provide the nutrition
your body needs.
So anti-inflammatory plus nutrition supplies nutrition.
So the foods that are beneficial for arthritis,
I just gave you a few examples.
There's plenty, but let me just go through a few of them.
So in general, most plant food, if they're whole,
they're not fried or you know,
made in to syrup are actually healthy and beneficial
for the joints, in general and for health, in general.
You know, if you're healthy,
then your joints are healthier, right?
So it's not just the joints that we want to focus on.
So spice and herbs, it's amazing.
It always amazes me with spice and herbs.
So a little bit goes a long way.
They're so potent, so powerful
and it ranges anywhere from like your turmeric,
your ginger, black pepper,
usually black pepper does very well with turmeric.
You want to make sure you have black pepper
with your turmeric so it's better bioavailable
and has more potent benefit,
better anti-inflammatory benefit.
Cinnamon, cayenne, which is what Capsaicin is made of,
cloves, rosemary, sage, green tea, et cetera.
The list is huge.
Fruits, berries, cherries, pineapple, citrus,
and yes, cherries can help.
You know, one of the myths are
is it a myth that cherries help with gout?
Cherries do help with gout.
Cherries also help with inflammation, in general,
but that alone is not going to take care of the problem.
Pineapple.
We'll talk about bromelain in a minute
but pineapple contains bromelain
and bromelain has anti-inflammatory benefits.
Vegetables, especially green leafy vegetables.
The more you can increase your diet
with green leafies,
whether you're putting it in a smoothie
or you're putting it in your plate
or you're steaming them,
or you're adding them to your soup and stews,
anywhere you could add greens,
you're doing yourself a favor.
So everyday, tell yourself, ask yourself this question.
Did I have something green leafy today?
If not, go and eat some.
Now there are, when people have kidney stones,
oxalate kidney stones, like calcium oxalate,
you just don't want to be eating one kind of green
so much of.
You want to have a variety of greens.
So for example,
if you eat too much spinach and only spinach,
and you have kidney stones, oxalate kidney stones,
you're raising your risk for that.
If you eat too much Swiss chard and only that,
that could raise it or the leaves of the beets,
that can increase it or rhubarb, et cetera.
So make sure that you're hydrating well
and you're eating a mixed variety of greens,
not just one thing only,
especially if you have tendency for kidney stones.
Fiber in plants actually has benefits to arthritis.
So what is rich in fiber?
Every vegetable and fruit
and the richest are the whole grains and the legumes
and the beans and the soy.
If you're not soy allergic, so you can do soy.
Nuts and seeds are also very powerful,
especially ground flaxseed, chia seeds, walnuts, hemp seeds.
These actually are packed in Omega-3
and Omega-3 is anti-inflammatory.
So you consume those,
you get more anti-inflammatory benefits.