Last week we talked about a healthy diet for arthritis sufferers, on the flip side, here are some pro-inflammatory foods you should try to avoid.

Fatty fats

Consumed properly and in moderation, notorious artery-cloggers like meats, eggs and dairy products can be an important (and delicious) part of a healthy diet. And sometimes it can be hard to find protein and certain vitamins elsewhere.

But these foods also tend to be guilty of containing large amounts of saturated fat and a fatty acids called arachidonic acid, both of which can make inflammation worse. Similarly, trans fats can cause the same problems, but without some of the benefits. Insist on low fat dairy products, lean meats and egg whites.

Sugary Foods and Simple Carbs

This category contains the most obvious pro-inflammatory bad habits… and for many people the most difficult bad habits to break. High-sugar foods such as soft drinks, some juices, candy, pastries, popular “candy coffees” like mochas and blended iced drinks, and sugary cereals can all lead to inflammation (as well as innumerable other problems). The list is long and notorious. High-sugar foods worsen inflammation because they increase levels of pro-inflammatory compounds like cytokines. Foods like white rice and white bread — while less obvious than Snickers bars — can have similar effects.

Nightshades

There’s plenty of debate about nightshades — i.e. foods like potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplant — but many experts believe that this family of plants makes inflammation pain worse, despite other, more obvious and well-documented nutritional benefits. The reason lies in a chemical called solanine, a natural substance used by plants as a defense mechanism that has been known to cause pain in some arthritis patients. Since the science here is still unclear, monitor your own reactions to these foods.

TV Dinners & Fast Food

We know the allure — you’re busy, with little time to cook. But cheap, frozen, pre-prepared dinners and fast food taste decent for a reason. Since it’s difficult to lock in more natural flavors in such foods, these meals tend to contain enormous amounts of lowest common denominator ingredients like sodium and cholesterol instead. Despite the tempting benefits, avoid these.

Grimacing about changing your dinners? This kind of diet isn’t that different from what most nutritionists recommend for non-arthritis patients as well. So use the anti-inflammatory benefits as the motivation you’ve been looking for to embrace a healthy lifestyle.

Visit our Guide to Joint Health for more arthritis health and lifestyle tips and remember to continue using Castiva Warming Arthritis Pain Relief Lotion with Capsaicin or Castiva Cooling Arthritis Pain Relief Lotion for fast acting temporary relief from arthritis and joint pain.

There’s not a more discussed topic concerning osteoarthritis relief than diet. This obsession makes sense — diet is one of the few things patients can control while fighting a condition that seems to do little else beyond stripping them of their independence. The science is by no means settled when it comes to diet and arthritis, and it seems like every day there’s a new study claiming something different. But here are a few diet basics you can count on and apply to your daily life:

1. Antioxidants

During inflammation, your body produces something called “free radicals” — basically the unpaired, cell-attacking molecules behind the aging process that are released in response to toxins in your system. Foods rich in antioxidants help lessen the damage done by free radicals, and slow the progression of arthritis.

Antioxidant-rich foods come in all shapes and sizes, but usually include at least one of these elements:

• Vitamin C in most citrus and berries, vegetables and colorful peppers
• Selenium in nuts, tuna, crab, and whole grains
• Beta carotene in sweet potatoes, carrots, squash, and greens
• Beta cryptoxanthin in peppers, corn, oranges, watermelon and squash
• Anthocyanidins in most berries, eggplant, plums, and red onion.
• Quercetin in onions, leeks, cherries, tomatoes, blueberries, cocoa powder and red apples.

2. Savory Soys

Soy products like tofu, soy milk and tempeh protect bones through compounds called isoflavones — organic compounds that might also help prevent breast and prostate cancer — plus heavy doses of vitamin E and calcium.

3. Omega 3 Fatty Acids (Salmon, Most Seafoods, Some Eggs, Flaxseeds, Seaweed)

Omega-3s make up one of the healthiest groups you can eat. The fatty acids suppress the production of cytokines and other enzymes that damage bone cartilage. While studies have only proven omega-3s’ positive benefits for rheumatoid arthritis, many experts are recommending the acids for osteoarthritis as well.

4. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

This ubiquitous oil is rich in monounsaturated fat — known also as the “good’ fat — which does wonders for the body by protecting against inflammation. The magic ingredient? Again — antioxidants, this time specifically in a form called polyphenols. An easy way to get more olive oil in your diet is by substituting it for butter or vegetable oil while cooking.

Visit our Guide to Joint Health for more arthritis health and lifestyle tips and remember to continue using Castiva Warming Arthritis Pain Relief Lotion with Capsaicin or Castiva Cooling Arthritis Pain Relief Lotion for fast acting temporary relief from arthritis and joint pain.

We understand the feeling. One of the most difficult aspects of life with arthritis is the loss of control. Something bad is happening in your joints and it’s not your fault. Simple tasks have become more difficult. You can’t live your life the way you want.

Thankfully — with medical advances, treatments like our warming and cooling arthritis relief creams, and simple, common sense everyday activities — there is still so much you CAN manage.

Here are some highlights from our Health and Lifestyle Choices For Arthritis (plus a few more relevant tips we’ve picked up from the arthritis community):

Slim Down/Remember to Eat Properly

If the primary color of your diet is “steak brown,” you might want to add a little color to the plate. Fresh oranges, orange juice and many other fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidants and offer more for your joints than that rib eye steak.

Also, did you know that the amount of your vitamin C intake can have effects on arthritis ? Take this diet quiz to see how much there is to learn.

Have a Plan

Limit your sitting time. Sitting loads more forces into the discs of your spine than any other position. Standing all day is not good either. Get up and move around every 45 minutes or so. Stretch and loosen up.

Also, consider reading aides to improve your sitting posture and ease strain on your bones. Be aware of how you are pacing your activities throughout the day, so you won’t be stuck in one position too long. This means driving, working, cleaning, shopping… and even reading.

Cool Swollen Painful Joints

Ice therapy can be great for inflammation, swelling, pain and edema. Don’t run out and waste money on ice packs. You can make them yourself in a one-gallon freezer bag. Put in two parts water and one part rubbing alcohol and toss it in the freezer. Also consider using Castiva Cooling Arthritis Relief Lotion.

Warm Stiff Painful Joints

Warming your joint tissue helps increase blood flow to the affected area and eases joint pain. A hot bath or a good heating pad can do the trick. Also consider using Castiva Warming Arthritis Relief Lotion with capsaicin.

According to the Mayo Clinic and WebMD, proper and regular exercise can help:

• Strengthen the muscles around your joints, and increase joint flexibility
• Build and preserve bone strength
• Leave you with more energy during the day, while making it easier to sleep at night
• Help you lose weight, which makes it easier on your joints.
• Maintain joint movement
• Help keep bone and cartilage tissue healthy

With that in mind, let’s explore some easy ways for you to reduce arthritic pain and improve your overall health through exercise (remember that exercise only helps — don’t substitute workouts for your regular arthritis treatment program).

Workouts for arthritis relief can best be broken down into four categories:

• Range-of-motion exercises like dance help keep your joints moving normally and without stiffness. It just takes simple exercises like raising your arms over your head and rolling your shoulders forward and backward — all designed to move your joints through their normal range of movement. Try to do these daily.
• Strengthening exercises like light weight training and swimming help keep or increase muscle strength. Strong muscles simply protect your affected joints. Try these kinds of workouts every other day, but don’t be afraid to take some time off if the exercises lead to any extra pain or swelling.
• Aerobic/endurance exercises like bike riding, walking and swimming can help you improve cardiovascular fitness, control your weight (important to relieving stress from your already beleaguered joints), give you more energy to get through the day, and improve your overall functionality. Studies have even shown that aerobic exercise can reduce joint inflammation. Try aerobic workouts for 20 to 30 minutes, three times a week.

Check out our Guide to Joint Health for more information and remember to continue using Castiva Warming Arthritis Pain Relief Lotion with Capsaicin or Castiva Cooling Arthritis Pain Relief Lotion for fast acting temporary relief from arthritis and joint pain.

This September, Castiva observes Healthy Aging Month by providing the top 5 tips on the safest, most effective ways to relieve the symptoms of arthritis.

With arthritis becoming one of the most prevalent chronic health problems and the nation’s leading cause of disability among Americans over age 15, it’s clear Americans need help with the management and prevention of pain that comes from this debilitating disease. Symptoms of arthritis include pain, loss of movement and pain with movement in and around joints and arthritis limits everyday activities such as walking, dressing and bathing for more than 7 million Americans.

Dr. Kenneth Hudspeth, M.D., a Board Certified Family Practice physician currently practicing at the Executive Wellness Center of the Heart Hospital of Austin, has pulled together the below top five arthritis tips that are easy, safe and effective ways to manage arthritis pain relief:

• Exercise Regularly: Through moderate exercise, you can improve your overall health and fitness, as well as your arthritis symptoms.
• Consider Massage: Massage brings warmth and relaxation to the painful area.
• Try Over The Counter: Products like Castiva Cooling Arthritis Pain Relief Lotion and Castiva Warming Arthritis Pain Relief Lotion with capsaicin provide sufferers with temporary relief from minor muscle and joint related aches and pains associated with arthritis. Additionally, ibuprofen or aspirin help reduce swelling and alleviate arthritis causing pain.
• Get Enough Sleep: Sleep restores your energy so that you can better manage pain. It also rests your joints to reduce pain and swelling.
• Practice Relaxation: Relaxation can give you a sense of control and well-being that makes it easier to manage pain.