Rheumatoid arthritis: inflamed joints

Here are some most important facts about rheumatoid arthritis:

• About one half of one percent of the population has rheumatoid arthritis, about 20 million people around the world and most of these people (about three-quarters) are women

• The condition usually appears in middle life, in the forties or fifties

• In rheumatoid arthritis, the synovial membrane lining (joint synovium) in the joint becomes inflamed

• Because of the bulk of these inflammatory cells, the joint becomes swollen (swollen join capsule), and feels puffy or boggy to the touch.

• The increased blood flow that is a feature of the inflammation makes the joint warm

• The cells release chemicals (called enzymes) into the joint space and the enzymes cause further irritation and pain .

• If the process continues for years, the enzymes may gradually digest the cartilage and bone of the joint, actually eating away parts of the bone.

This, than, is rheumatoid arthritis, a process in which inflammation of the joint membrane, over many years, can cause damage to the joint itself.

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Healthy eating – first steps

Here are some nutritional tips to start with from “the ultimate makeover nutrition program” from David Kirsches Ultimate New York Body Plan :

Week 1

• Ease yourself into eating regularly and preparing most of your meals

• Give up fast food

• Begin to create time to cook and brown-bag your lunch

• Give up soda and fruit juice, including diet varieties and

• Switch to herbal tea or club soda with lime or lemon

• Get in the habit of eating regular meals – three main meals and two small snacks

• If you are breakfast skipper, get into the habit of eating breakfast

Week 2

• Start to transition your diet away from processed foods (anything that comes in box, can, bag, or a shrink wrap) and toward whole foods

• Switch from fatty sources of protein to lean sources of protein. For example, instead of heaving t-bone steak, opt for skinless chicken breast

• For grains, choose whole grain options such as whole grain pasta and brown rice over pasta and white rice.

Ultimate strategies for success

• The next time you pack or buy a lunch, make it full of vegetables and whole foods

• When you are choosing protein, stick to the stuff that swims or flies (fish, poultry)

• When designing your meals, keep it lean and green – pair a lean protein source with vegetable.

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Should you wear high heels?

Ted Tanaka, doctor of pediatric medicine in interview also about wearing high heels and their impact on womans body:

For women, it’s hard to escape wearing high heels. Are they really that bad for the feet?

When you raise your heels more than two inches off the ground, the biomechanics of the whole body dramatically change. You force more weight on the balls of your feet, which adds more pressure onto joints and nerves and than changes the pull of the tendons and muscles. Wearing high heels continually over a matter of years can actually cause the calf muscle to shorten and tighten, which can cause arch cramps, achilles tendinitis and knee and hip joint pain. The back can become tired and sore because your muscles will try to keep you in balance.

So you would say don’t wear them?

Not higher than two inches. They look nice, but they aren’t very functional. They’re made purely for for cosmetic reasons – not long walks.

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