Diet Guidelines for Inflammatory Conditions

As we get older, sometimes our bodies do not react well to the foods we were once able to eat regularly. Has this happened to you? I have had discussions with many people who are suffering from various inflammatory ailments. The range includes everything from arthritis to IBS - Irritable Bowel Syndrome. My general practitioner recommended a homeopathic diet that is meant to ease inflammatory conditions. I have followed this diet for several weeks now and I can tell you that it works!!

Here is a copy of the guidelines:

MOHRDAR
Institute of Homeopathy and Integrated Medicine
3816 Twelfth Street
Riverside, CA. 92501
(951)781-4529 (951)781-8198 fax

INFLAMMATORY CONDITIONS

Dietary Guidelines:

Eat a diet that is high in fiber and that is not tainted with chemicals, which stress the body. Maximize your intake of fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. Make sure your diet includes cold-water fish such as salmon and halibut. The oils in these fish are beneficial to the joints (for patients with arthritis) and act as natural anti-inflammatories. Be sure to drink six to eight glasses of water daily.

Food to Include:

Fruits: unsweetened fresh, frozen, or water-packed. Lemon, lime, grapefruit

Starch: non-gluten grain: brown rice, millet, quinoa, amaranth, teff, tapioca, buckwheat

Bread/Cereal: any made from rice, buckwheat, millet, soy, tapioca, arrowroot, amaranth, quinoa

Meat: all fresh fish such as halibut, salmon, cod, sole, trout, wild game, chicken, turkey, lamb

Legumes: all dried beans, peas, lentils

Nuts and seeds: raw almonds, cashews, walnuts, sesame (tahini), sunflower, pumpkin, and nut butters made from these seeds

Dairy Products: milk substitutes such as rice milk, soy milk, ( I use soy milk and my favorite is the WestSoy low fat vanilla) nut milk, hazelnut milk, almond milk

Vegetables: raw, steamed, saut’eed, juiced, or baked vegetables (except those specifically prohibited)

Fats: olive oil, flax seed oil, cold/expeller-pressed canola, safflower, sunflower, sesame, walnut, pumpkin, almond oil, dressings made from these oils

Beverages: 8 cups of filtered or distilled water per day, herbal tea

Spices: cinnamon, cumin, dill, garlic, ginger, oregano, parsley, rosemary, tarragon, thyme, turmeric

Sweeteners: brown rice syrup, fruit sweetener, blackstrap molasses, stevia

FOODS TO LIMIT

All nightshade family vegetables, including tomatoes, all potatoes (except yams and sweet potatoes), eggplant, red, green, and yellow bell peppers, dried fruit (sulfite free)

FOODS TO EXCLUDE

Fruit: oranges, tangerines, grapes, fruit drinks, ades

Starch: Wheat, corn, oats, barley, spelt, kamut, rye, and all gluten-containing products

Meat: Beef, port, cold cuts, frankfurters, sausage, canned meats, eggs, shellfish

Nuts: Peanuts, pistachios, peanut butter

Dairy: Milk, cheese, cottage cheese, cream, yogurt, butter, ice cream, frozen yogurt, non-dairy creamers

Fat: Margarine, butter, shortening, processed oils, salad dressing, spreads

Beverages: Soda pop, alcoholic beverages, coffee, teas, all caffeinated beverages

Spices: Cayenne pepper, paprika

Sweeteners: White or brown refined sugar, honey, maple syrup, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup

Source:

Lavelle, James, Allan Spreen, et al. Smart Medicine for Healthier Living. Avery Publishing: MY, 1999
www.metagenics.com

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I have been able to discover rice and soy substitutes for almost everything that I used to love to eat. Soy yogurts are really good. Soy ice cream (thought it tasted better than the "Rice Dream" kind) replaces regular ice cream and frozen yogurt. Rice chips replace all other kinds of chips. Just last night, I made spaghetti with brown rice pasta.

I use turkey or chicken substitutes for sausage, burgers, etc. Veggie burgers are good too.

I use Smart Balance spread on tapioca or rice bread. I use veggie slices instead of cheese on sandwiches. I usually use rice or tapioca bread slices, but I have found that multi-grain rolls don’t bother me if I just eat them occasionally.

If you happen to suffer from an inflammatory condition, I hope that this diet helps you, too.