Best Food for Rheumatoid Arthritis
Should you choose foods from the grocery store that are different from what everyone else eats if you have rheumatoid arthritis?
Well actually, it’s everyone else who should be eating differently! If people are consuming the average and standard American diet, they are headed for health disorders and health disasters. Even though it may take longer for these disorders to occur, they WILL occur. It’s inevitable. So yes, the food you eat can affect your RA symptoms.
That’s because your body is human, and your physiology is not any more superhuman than anyone else’s body. The human body is predictable and certain foods will cause damage in the body while others don’t damage the body at all.
Foods to Buy on Your Next Grocery Store Trip
When you have rheumatoid arthritis, a sample trip to the grocery store might look like this:
- Start out with the produce section. You’ll spend the most time in this section. Load up on three to four types of fruit to keep your taste buds happy, five to six salad ingredients, and four to five vegetables that would accompany your main entrée. Here’s an example of what that might look like:
- Fruits to keep your taste buds happy: apples, berries of all types, oranges, peaches, pears, apricots, plums, nectarines, dates, figs, lemons, grapefruit, cantaloupe, honeydew melons, Crenshaw melons, bananas, and watermelon
- Vegetables for salads: romaine lettuce, head lettuce, bibb lettuce, arugula, spinach, kale, swiss chard, tomatoes, green onions, cilantro, cabbage, carrots, parsley
- Vegetables to accompany your main entrée: carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, yams, acorn squash, zucchini squash, garlic, ginger, asparagus
All of these fruits and vegetables are excellent choices for those who have rheumatoid arthritis.
- Next go to the protein/meat section. Choose three types of protein for the week. For example, you might select chicken, beef and buffalo for week 1. For week 2, you might select turkey, pork and fish. For week 3, you might select shellfish, duck, and beef. Whichever types you select, make sure you get enough for at least 3 meals. This way you’ll have enough for the week.
- Next, go to the dairy and egg section of the store. Select yogurt, any milk or cheese products you need, and eggs as well as butter.
- You’ll also need some nuts, seeds and oils. Pick up a pound or two of one type of nuts and seeds, preferably raw. Select an olive oil with a flavor you enjoy.
- Pick up some bottled water if you don’t have a filtration system on your water faucet at home. Hydration is important!
- Then finish up the grocery store visit with a trip to the frozen section. There you may find frozen juices, berries or other fruit, and vegetables. You might even select an ice cream with low sugar content, or a pie for an occasional good dessert during the week.
What you want to stay away from as much as possible is processed and packaged foods. Notice you didn’t visit the boxed cereal part of the store, the cookies and candy aisle, the crackers and breads section (those with rheumatoid arthritis do better without grains and sugars), or the carbonated beverages section?
Your grocery store visit shouldn’t take too long; about 20 minutes tops. Yet, it’s a healthy one – these are the best foods for rheumatoid arthritis and will help to provide some relief of your symptoms.