do you like
Well, it’s that season again. Ripe tomatoes and beer… and maybe a pizza or two… and you have a recipe for the taste.
Taste It is a form of arthritis that affects the big toe, other peripheral joints, the tendons, and the kidneys. The first sign of a gout attack is a sharp, needle-like pain caused by uric acid crystals burrowing into surrounding tissues, turning the joint bright red. Generalized fever may result. Gout is caused by overproduction or underprocessing of uric acid, allowing it to build up in the blood, tissues, and urine. Uric acid is a waste byproduct of protein breakdown. In most cases, the digestive tract does not produce enough uricase, a digestive enzyme responsible for the breakdown (oxidation) of uric acid.
Statistics:
Ninety percent of gout cases occur in overweight men over the age of 35. Gout, often called “rich man’s disease,” is usually hereditary. May also be associated with improper digestion, toxic intestines, kidney stones, atherosclerosis, overeating fatty foods, drinking too much alcohol, crash diets, stress, certain medications (blood pressure, chemotherapy, and antibiotics), fungal infections, surgery or joint injury.
Diagnosis:
It is diagnosed in the medical profession by symptoms and/or by inserting a needle into the joint to remove a small amount of joint fluid, which is then examined microscopically for uric acid crystals.
Avoid these foods:
During an active gout attack, dissolve and process uric acid crystals by avoiding the following high-purine foods*:
Alcohol (everything except rum and vodka), Anchovies, Apples and Apple Cider, Aspirin (causes crystal formation) Beef, Beer, Brains, Brewer’s Yeast, Chocolate, Crab, Cranberry Juice, Dark Grapes, Fresh Fruits general (except as listed below), fresh pineapple, glycine supplements (which is converted to uric acid), hot dogs, jams/ jellies, kidney, liver, lobster, beef broth, organ meats of all kinds, peanuts , cakes, soft drinks (fruit flavored), raisins, rhubarb, Sardines, Pigeon, Tomatoes (fresh/canned/in juice) Turkey, Beef, Whole grains, Whole grain bread.
*Purine is one of four building blocks that combine in various ways and amounts to form amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein.
Use these foods in moderation:
Asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, dried beans and lentils, fava beans, mushrooms, onions, peas, radishes, spinach.
Eat more of these foods:
Apricots, bacon (crispy), bananas, beef (twice a week only), bread (white or rye), chicken, buttermilk, cantaloupe, carrots, celery and celery juice, cereals (any except whole wheat), cheese, cherries (by the concentrated ounce or by the pound), chicken soup, comfrey tea, corn, cottage cheese, custard, eggs, fish, grapefruit, green grapes, green beans, ham (lean), iced tea , Jello (non-strawberry), Kava Coffee, Lemonade, Lettuce, Nuts (all except peanuts), Oranges, Peaches, Pears, Pineapple (canned), Prunes (any color), Pop (all except fruit flavored), Pork , Postum, Potatoes (white or sweet), Rice, Rum, Sanalac (drink), Strawberries, Vodka, Watermelon.
Usually:
Most cases of the taste can be treated with diet alone.
Do not add extra salt to food at this time.
Drink plenty of distilled water.
Eat 75% raw, whole foods for a month to balance uric acid formation. Eat foods that are high in potassium to bring the acid crystals back into solution so they can be washed out.
Cut down on sugars, rich sauces, caffeine, fried foods, and saturated fats.
Start a weight loss program (not a strict diet).
Apply plantain, ginger, fresh comfrey, or a poultice of cayenne and wintergreen oil to the swollen area to help relieve pain.
Note: Acupuncture and bee venom therapy (called apitherapy) are known to work well. Bee venom stimulates the immune system and acts as an anti-inflammatory.
Supplements used to treat gouty arthritis:
Carbamide AC (Standard Process Laboratories), alfalfa, aloe vera juice, autumn crocus (Colchicum autumnale is the herb from which the drug colchicine was originally isolated), bilberry extract, birch, black cherry juice, buchu tea ( Green), Burdock, Cayenne, Cherries (1/2 pound/day), Chromium Picolinate, Harpagophytum, DMSO, Essential Fatty Acids, Flax Seed Oil, Folic Acid, Germanium (to reduce pain/inflammation), Calcium Sulfate Glucosamine, Hawthorn Extract, Homeopathic (Arnica, Pulsatilla, Urtica, Colchicum, Ledum), Hyssop, Juniper, Sea Kelp, Pantothenic Acid, Potassium Broth (see broth recipe below), Pychnogenol (Grape & Pine Bark ), quercetin (inhibits the enzyme xanthine oxidase that produces uric acid, also an anti – anti-inflammatory), SOD (antioxidant and free radical scavenger), Vitamins A, B and E Complex, Vitamin C (increases urinary excretion of uric acid. ), Oil of wintergreen, Zinc (important in protein metabolism and tissue repair).
Ask your naturopath to help you find the right treatment for you.
Use this recipe to alkalize and heal your system during the painful process:
Potassium broth
2 large potatoes, chopped or sliced approx. 1/2 inch coins
1 cup carrots, grated or sliced
1 cup celery, minced or grated, leaves and all
1 cup of other available vegetables (beets, kale, turnip greens, parsley, onion, zucchini, etc.)
Add some fresh herbs like sage, rosemary, thyme, garlic, etc.
And a touch of cayenne pepper or a couple of beef bullion cubes for flavor.
1 1/2 quarts of water
Cover and cook slowly for about 1/2 hour. Strain, chill until lukewarm, and serve. If not used immediately, keep in the refrigerator and warm before serving. Compost vegetables or feed them to your pets. Ideal to alkalize your body and is super rich in minerals.
Drink 8 ounces of broth as a hot beverage twice a day. Makes about 3 servings.