The Mediterranean diet consists mostly of fruits and vegetables, some whole grains, and healthy fats. Olive oil is an example of a healthy fat. You might consider swapping your butter to oil olive when you cook. Likewise, the Flexitarian diet does not limit intake, but it mainly comprises fruits and vegetables, with minimal meat intake. With a Flexitarian diet, you may want to limit your intake of processed meats, although they are allowed. Lastly, the DASH diet, or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, comes highly recommended for those who wish to self-treat arthritis. In fact, because DASH is so low in saturated fat, sugar and salt, in can improve a range of issues.
Along with your diet, you may consider including exercise in your arthritis self-treatment plan. Exercise comes highly recommended because arthritis stiffens joints, so movement can help increase mobility. Also, improving muscle strength around the joints plagued by arthritis might ease the pain. However, most people find that rest can help arthritis inflammation. Acknowledging when it is time to rest and when it is time to exercise could be part of your self-treatment plan. The rule of thumb for arthritis exercise is usually “little but often.”
Lifestyle Changes
Other than diet and exercise, some arthritis suffers find that lifestyle changes can also be worked into their self-treatment. For example, lowering your stress, moving to a warmer climate and joining a self-treatment support group might be changes that benefit arthritis. It is said that these tactics can be used to lessen the pain, swelling and stiffness in joints.
Stress can be a vicious cycle. For instance, if arthritis causes you stress, it could worsen arthritis. It is suggested that stress levels are different among people, but researchers aren’t sure why. Arthritis can be linked to stress because when people are stressed, the body releases cortisol, which is meant to help reduce stress. However, cortisol causes arthritis inflammation. Therefore, lowering your stress levels might be something you add to a self-treatment plan.
Although there are conflicting outcomes of studies done on the connections between cold weather and arthritis inflammation, many people believe their arthritis worsens on cold or rainy days. Research has shown that people who live in dry or warm climates have fewer incidences of arthritis inflammation, although living in dry or warm climates will not change the course of arthritis. Consequently, warm or dry weather may help decrease inflammation, but it cannot cure arthritis.