Carbohydrate diet/True story

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone - I found this on the internet, whilst trying to find

out abou vinegar and arthritis. I found it very interesting, and

thought I would share it with you.

Some of the foods I might include in my plan.

Carole

~~^^~~^^~~^^

Diet and Arthritis - what's the true story?

Jane , consultant nutritionist and accredited sports

dietitian, takes a hard look at the truth behind the myths.

Let's start with the bold facts. Arthritis is not caused by diet nor

will diet cure it. However, being overweight doesn't help the

condition as it places stress on painful joints, particularly hips,

knees and feet. Following a diet that helps to keep weight under

control is obviously a good idea. Don't groan and say " I've heard it

all before. Doesn't she know how hard it is to control my weight

when I can do very little physical activity? " Please keep on

reading, you may find some surprising information based on the

latest thinking about weight loss diets. And I'm not talking wacky

celebrity diets based on your blood group or diets which require you

to consume vast quantities of cabbage soup. But more of this later.

Let's first look at diet in relation to arthritis itself rather than

the consequences of being overweight.

Special diets

The " bible " of all dietitians, the " Manual of Dietetic Practice " has

a table of unproven diets popularly recommended for treatment of

arthritis including:

Vegetarian diet - because meat causes arthritis

Vegetarian diet with no cooked or processed foods or grains except

sprouted grains - because it has a cleansing effect

No meat, dairy products or additives - because allergy to these

foods causes arthritis

Acid reducing diets - because acids cause arthritis

Diet of fish, brown rice and vegetables - because all other foods

cause arthritis

Having whole milk before meals and including butter in the diet -

because this helps to lubricate the joints.

Fasting - because it cleanses the system of toxins and rests the

body. (Enemas are sometime used to speed up the process!)

Special diets may work or appear to work for a short time for some

individuals but none have been proven as an overall treatment,

remedy or cure. At best they may be harmless or beneficial for a

short time due to the placebo effect. (You do something which you

believe will have a positive effect and it does, for a time, but it

is the belief rather than an actual effect that is working.) At

worst the adopted diet may be unrealistically restrictive, of

doubtful value and almost certainly nutritionally unsound. At the

moment there is no one diet that is recognised and recommended by

the medical profession except an all round healthy diet.

The ARC's Diet and Arthritis booklet offers more information

Special foods or supplements

That same bible suggests that there is no proven evidence that cider

vinegar, garlic, alfalfa, honey, New Zealand green lipped mussel,

kelp, Devil's claw and ginseng that help either. However I know

there are people who are convinced that any one of these is helping

them. Backed-up by a " good " diet, I have less of a problem with

their use than an ill thought-out diet that does not provide all the

essential nutrients needed by the body.

One area where research is being undertaken is the investigation

into the role omega 3 fatty acids in relieving arthritic joint pain

and aiding joint mobility by reducing the inflammation in the

joints. These " beneficial " fatty acids are found in oily fish such

as salmon, herring, mackerel, sardines and trout and the livers of

other fish, the most notable being cod. The general recommendation

is to include oily fish in the diet at least three times a week.

Unfortunately, we are not a great fish-eating nation and taking a

supplement of cod liver oil is an easier option. Taking it in this

way also guarantees a regular daily intake in a controlled amount.

Indeed much of the research has been conducted using cod liver oil

as a supplement rather than oily fish in the diet. The evidence

suggests that the best way to take cod liver oil is off the spoon

(Granny really did know best). It takes about three months for the

effects to be noticeable and you do need to keep on taking it for

the benefits to be maintained.

What's new on the weight loss front?

A year ago, I was involved in a study of overweight and obese cab

drivers - a group of individuals who on the whole lead a very

sedentary life style. Exercise or raised physical activity level can

certainly help to control weight, but lifestyle and incapacity may

make this at least difficult if not in some cases impossible. So did

I have to put those cabbies on a low fat, no sugar, no alcohol

boring diet? Not a bit of it! Just the low fat bit (and some control

of alcohol). What? Sugar? I hear you say. Yes, you can have some!

Research suggest it is excess consumption of fat rather than sugar

or other carbohydrates that is linked to people putting on weight.

Studies have shown that the amount of fat in the diet is directly

correlated with body fat. In contrast, and here's the surprise, the

greater the proportion of the diet made up of carbohydrate, the

lower the proportion of body fat. People who eat sugar tend to be

slimmer than those who avoid sugar in their daily diets.

The worst aspects of being on a diet are feeling hungry and bored.

Eating plenty of carbohydrate-rich foods and reducing fat intake can

help you to stop the hunger pangs while still reducing your overall

calorie intake (and therefore helping you to lose weight).

Carbohydrate offers several important benefits:

We enjoy eating foods containing carbohydrate - and it's much easier

to eat plenty of things we enjoy

Carbohydrate has less than half the calories, weight for weight,

than fat

Scientific research has shown that people accept cutting down fat in

their diet when they eat more carbohydrate

Carbohydrate plays a central role in controlling appetite. High

carbohydrate intakes reduce appetite far more successfully than high

fat intakes.

Tips for successful weight loss

Eat bread with little or no fat spread but add marmalade, jam or

honey instead to make it more interesting and still save on calories.

Include regular small amounts of carbohydrate in your daily diet.

Stop talking about snacking (seen as something naughty) and view

these carbohydrate snacks as important fuel supplies. Fuel up mid-

morning and mid-afternoon with half a small packet of Jelly Tots or

Jelly Babies, five large marshmallows, a soft drink, a low fat fruit

yogurt or six small dried apricots. (But don't forget to look after

your teeth)

Make your low fat lunchtime sandwiches more exciting. For example

try reduced fat Cheddar cheese with a tablespoon of chutney, low fat

soft cheese with chopped dates, chicken or turkey slices with

cranberry sauce, Parma ham with figs, banana and honey or peanut

butter and jam.

Spice up quick meals - add a little curry powder and some sultanas

to baked beans, heat and fill a warmed pitta bread pocket; top a

baked potato with reduced fat Cheddar cheese and mango chutney; warm

a pizza base, top with tomato-based pasta sauce, shredded wafer thin

ham and canned pineapple and a few thin slices of reduced fat

Mozzarella cheese; cook thin strips of chicken, add some stir-fry

vegetables and sweet and sour sauce and serve with quick-cook

noodles.

If you do need to lose weight, make it less monotonous and more

tasty by cutting back on your fat intake but including more

carbohydrates such as both the starchy and the more sugary sources

of carbohydrate.

Published July 2001

© Arthritis Research Campaign 2004 - Registered Charity No. 207711