Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Diet and Rheumatoid Arthritis

Robb Wolf, author of  The Paleo Solution frequently has real life success stories on his blog.  A recent post was on the success of diet and rheumatoid arthitis.  Here's a bit of the story:

Within two weeks her blood pressure was normal. That was nothing compared to what other benefits she has experienced. Since May 1, 2010 my mom has lost 45 pounds, eliminated her asthma and allergies, and started sleeping well every night.


If that wasn’t enough, she is now completely off prednisone and painkillers for the first time in 15 years. AND at her last rheumatology appointment, her blood tests showed that two of three markers for rheumatoid arthritis are now in normal range. She has even forgotten to take her ra medicine a couple of times and plans to talk to her doctor about tapering off it.

Click here to read the whole story.

11 comments:

  1. Have you seen this site:
    http://gutfood.net/index.php?route=common/home
    Some nice treats for paleo dieters.

    Isabelle

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  2. Yummy. No, I haven't seen this site before Isabelle. Thanks for sharing it.I wonder what the white bread is like. My daughter misses bread the most. So far we have had very good success with anything we have made with almond flour.

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  3. You've inspired me. (Not a lot of people have that impact.) I've ordered the book and the cookbook and I'm going to take the first step to investigate whether I think I can make this work in my current lifestyle. I don't pay a lot of attention to diet hype, but with you presenting such compelling evidence that it can make a difference, I hope to give the diet a try. Thanks.

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  4. Oh Carla, I am SO excited for you! I love this way of eating. Did you order Everyday Paleo Cookbook? It is not only a cookbook but the author gives ideas on everything from how to start to exercise. I can't wait to hear what you think.
    PS: If you need ideas on how to eat Paleo when away from home, I have ideas. :)

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  5. Hi Cathy

    I am interested in how to eat paleo away from home. That is a big challenge for me as I understand that sugar and flour are often put in marinades and sauces so we don't even know they are there. I therefore eat at home pretty much always now. I haven't tried any of their items but the person who told me about it said the donuts were really good. I want to try the bagels. I miss bread the most too. Not a big sweet person at all anymore. I made some coconut yogurt yesterday and it is so tasty.

    Isabelle

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  6. See this post for ideas on how to eat paleo away from home:
    http://thelifeandadventuresofcatepoo.blogspot.com/2011/05/eating-paleo-away-from-home.html

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  7. I got my books (Paleo Solution and Paleo Cookbook) today from Amazon. I was a bit disappointed in the Paleo Solution because I didn't find food lists in the book (or haven't yet and that's the first thing I look for in a diet book). However, the cookbook has the good/better/best/and avoid lists, so I'm good there. I think I'll also enjoy reading the science behind the diet.
    Eating out will be hard, but also we order in a lot of food at the office (when we're working late) -- that's not good on Paleo. I'm willing to give it a 30-day trial starting June 1. (I have a trip to Las Vegas and Memorial Day plans that will make it very difficult to give Paleo a fighting chance.) We tend to eat at "good" restaurants rather than fast-food when we eat out, so I think I'll be able to manage that. And since I fix my own breakfast and lunch for the office, I've got an advantage there. I'll keep you posted and thanks for the inspiration. (I have my next PCP AND rheumatology check up in July, so I'm wanting my "numbers" to be improved!)

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  8. Best of luck Carla. The diet does take some getting used to and I have heard many people have withdraws from the sugar and preservatives, but hang in there. I love eating this way!!!

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  9. Thanks Cathy, I'll keep you posted. Diet starts May 29. I've been on the Atkins/low carb diets before with good results (so I understand the carb cravings), but I've never believed low-carb is healthy long-term because of the restrictions against fruit and even many vegetables. I feel a lot better about Paleo.

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  10. Carla, that's what I like about the Paleo diet too is that veggies are strongly encouraged. What I love about Everyday Paleo's cookbook is she uses a lot of different veggies with every meal. We have enjoyed trying out new veggies and spices. She also has a blog with additional recipes.

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  11. Cathy,
    Thank you for the eating Paleo away from home piece. I have seen hundreds of quick fix, herbal and “homeopathic” supplements and diet augmentations but the metabolic changes the Paleo employs on the body and the inflammatory response have been the ones that my friends with RA seem to notice the sharpest benefits from.
    http://www.dailyrx.com/news-article/healing-powers-thunder-god-vine-12338.html

    In this article about the plant called lei gong ten, researches found the chemical triptolide and noted its ability to slow or halt RNA replication which was found beneficial for Inflammatory response patients. I was wondering how do you think that when a discovery like this is found it can be vetting among the RA community and espoused if it has real benefits, especially awash in such advertisement heavy discourse?

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