gout diet plan

gout diet plan

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Does painful gout give you sleepless nights and keep you from moving around? Do medications give you only temporary relief? Then, you need to find a permanent or long-term solution to this serious problem. One of the best solutions is to watch what you eat.

Since gout is caused by an excessive buildup of uric acid, a low uric acid diet will not only help your medications work but also give you lasting relief. So get ready, read this article to find out what type of diet you should follow, foods to eat and avoid, and much more. But first, let’s find out more about gout and how a low uric acid diet can help.

What is gout?

Gout is a painful inflammatory disorder of the joints caused by a metabolic disorder. It is caused by an over-accumulation of uric acid or uric acid (MSU) crystals in the synovial fluid . Synovial fluid is a fluid found between all joints that acts as a lubricant. Uric acid is a waste product of chemicals called purines. Excessive buildup of uric acid occurs when the kidneys fail to excrete these waste products effectively.

Increased levels of uric acid do not mean you have gout. When serum uric acid reaches its limit (above 9 mL/dL), MSU crystals are deposited in the joints

In some cases, it also occurs when the body is unable to produce the enzymes involved in the metabolism of uric acid. Because of increased levels of uric acid, the synovial fluid becomes less effective at lubricating the joints. This causes friction and leads to inflammation, swelling and unbearable pain. The joints become sensitive, red, and hot

How does a low uric acid diet help gout?

Uric acid is the waste product of purines found in many foods, such as seafood, poultry, meat, etc. If your body is unable to process or eliminate uric acid, and this causes painful inflammation in the joints, it is best to eat foods low in purines or limit your consumption of foods rich in purines. This will give your body enough time to get rid of uric acid from the system and lower the levels of uric acid in the blood and synovial fluid. This, in turn, will result in less friction between the bones and reduce inflammation and swelling.

Let’s find out which foods you should be consuming more, which foods you should absolutely avoid, and which foods you can eat in limited quantities.

List of foods for gout

food to eat more

  • Vegetables – spinach, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, beetroot, green peas, potatoes and cabbage
  • Fruits – cherry, strawberry, raspberry, lemon, grapefruit, orange, pineapple, pear, clementine
  • Proteins – proteins from all types of vegetables such as beans and other legumes
  • Carbohydrates – pasta, white flour, bread
  • Cereals – rice, couscous, quinoa
  • Beverages – water, fresh lemonade, fresh cherry juice, yogurt, tea and coffee
  • Others – nuts, parsley , flax seeds , apple cider vinegar

Foods to eat in moderation

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  • Fruits and vegetables – tomatoes
  • Animal protein – chicken and salmon
  • Plant protein – legumes, beans and pulses
  • Cereals – oats
  • Dairy products – low-fat milk, low-fat yogurt, eggs
  • Fats and oils – peanut butter and olive oil

Foods to avoid

  • Animal proteins – sardines, mackerel, anchovies, tuna, trout, herring, cod, haddock, beef, veal, liver, scallops, duck, turkey, tofu, lobsters, crab, squid, oysters, shrimp
  • Carbohydrates – calf pancreas, natural and artificial sugar
  • Beverages – canned fruit juice
  • Fats and oils – animal fats, mayonnaise , butter
  • Others – high fructose corn syrup and chicken / fish / meat broth

Now that you have an idea of ​​the foods, it will be easier to follow a proper diet plan. The next section contains a sample diet plan that you can use as a template to design your own diet plan. take a look.

Low uric acid diet plan

Early morning meals

( 7:30 –  7:00 am  )
1 cup water with 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar + 3 soaked almonds

Breakfast

(8:15- 8:45  a.m. )

Options:

  • Medium bowl of quinoa + 1 cup of coffee
  • 1 white bread with peanut butter and berries + 1 cup grapefruit juice
  • 1 boiled or scrambled egg + 1 bread + 1 cup of fresh orange juice

Mid-morning snack

(10:30 – 11:00 a.m.)

½ cup

lunch

cherries (12:30 – 1:00 p.m.)

Options:

  • 3 ounces baked salmon (without skin) and broccoli
  • green leafy vegetable salad
  • Low-fat yogurt with a pinch of cinnamon

Evening Snack

(4:00 – 4:30 pm)

Options:

  • 1 cup green tea + 2 nuts
  • 1 cup cherry/pineapple juice

Dinner

( 7:30 –  7:00 pm  ) Options :


  • 2 ounces grilled chicken with mashed potatoes
  •  spinach

Why it works

Apple cider vinegar, although not directly related to reducing gout symptoms, can help with weight loss and increase your metabolic rate, which is essential if you have gout . Always take enough water with it to maintain the pH balance.

Read also: Detox in 3 days

Always eat a healthy, balanced breakfast before going out. In this diet plan, low uric acid breakfast options are listed. It is full of nutrients and keeps your energy levels up . Since cherries are the right fruit for treating gout, eat half a cup of cherries as a mid-morning snack. Save your lunch.

Green tea is great for an evening snack because it helps flush out harmful oxygen radicals and reduces inflammation ( 6 ) . If it’s not green tea, a glass of fresh cherry or pineapple juice is great for reducing inflammation. You may eat chicken in moderate amounts for dinner. Potatoes are good for you, but be sure not to use full-fat cream for mashed potatoes. Both spinach and pasta are allowed, and the combo is a great option for dinner.

If you are picky to eat or are allergic to any of the foods included in the diet plan, here are the foods you can replace them with.

alternatives

  • Apple cider vinegar – lemon or lime juice
  • Quinoa – 3 tablespoons of oats
  • Coffee – green tea
  • White bread – brown bread
  • Peanut Butter – Flaxseed Butter
  • Blueberries – strawberries
  • Grapefruit juice – orange juice
  • Eggs – 3 medium mushrooms, sliced
  • Orange juice – pineapple juice or carrot juice
  • Cherry – or strawberry
  • Salmon – 2 oz chicken
  • broccoli – spinach
  • Green leafy vegetable salad – vegetable soup
  • Chickpeas – 3 tablespoons of yellow lentil soup
  • Chicken – 2 ounces duck or 3 ounces salmon (without skin)
  • Mashed potatoes – green peas and mashed broccoli
  • Noodles – rice

Therefore, you have a lot of options to choose from, which makes this diet plan very easy to follow. However, there is another factor that affects the severity of gout. She gets enough exercise or movement. Explain more in the next section.

exercises to treat gout

A lack of exercise can worsen gout. Hence, you should include gout-friendly exercises in your exercise regimen. Make sure to consult your doctor before starting to exercise. Here is what you can do.

  • Cycling
  • Walking
  • swimming
  • Up the stairs
  • dance
  • Stretching
  • strength training
  • yoga

Some people need an additional boost in nutrition apart from eating foods that are low in uric acid. For this reason, we recommend taking nutritional supplements and other treatments to reduce inflammation. Here is what you should do.

Supplementation and other treatments for gout

You can take the following supplements or try other treatments.

  • Vitamin C Supplements
  • Quercetin and folic acid supplements
  • ashwagandha
  • castor oil
  • pine extract
  • Grape seed extract
  • Celery seed extract

Consult your doctor before taking or using any of the supplements and treatments listed above.

In short, a diet low in uric acid will help reduce inflammation and swelling, reduce joint pain, help you move freely, lift your mood, and increase your productivity. Sounds like a better idea than taking the pills and getting temporary relief? at all! what are you waiting for? Follow a low uric acid diet plan and exercise regularly to say goodbye to gout.

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