Healthy Food Choices for Arthritis

Video Transcript

MARY HONDROS: All right, now I'm going to talk a little bit about arthritis. Arthritis is an inflammatory condition. So what happens in arthritis is that your joints, especially in your knees and elbows, become inflammed and it tends to cause pain in the joints and things like that. Most people think arthritis is actually a natural condition of aging but it's not. The truth is that you can avoid developing arthritis by following a healthy diet throughout your entire lifetime, also known as an anti-inflammatory diet. Some things that help with inflammation in your body are omega 3 fatty acids from fish. Sources of protein are also good for reducing inflammation and some supplements like chondroitin or glucosamine supplements help reduce inflammation. If you however develop arthritis, you might find it hard to prepare meals because of limited mobility. So some tips to keep in mind if you have arthritis and you're trying to eat a healthy diet. First thing I would suggest is go for a protein source like boiled eggs. They're soft, easy to chew and easy to make, and those are easily available. Secondly, you can try taking glucosamine or chondroitin supplements. Those might help with some of the stiffness in your joints. Thirdly, try dehydrated soups. They're less sodium than canned versions of soups and they're easy to prepare so it doesn't wear on your joints. And fourthly, try eating a couple servings of tuna or salmon per week and try getting the kind in a pouch, because it's easy to open and it's ready to eat, very easy to prepare. So these are 4 tips if you currently have arthritis and you're trying to cook for yourself.