Happy and Blessed Monday!
We are going to travel down a health pathway this week. Arthritis affects me personally, and because many of us are at an age that if it doesn’t yet, it may in the future.
As we have talked about so often in the past, diet affects many aspects of life and especially our health.
I came across a video talking about the “5 Worst Foods for Arthritis” and thought it was worth sharing.
You will notice, I spent more time on trans fat. They are not only very dangerous to our health, but included in many convenience/fast foods.
- Gluten – A major trigger for inflammation.
Gluten is a general name for the proteins found in wheat (wheatberries, durum, emmer, semolina, spelt, farina, farro, graham, KAMUT® khorasan wheat and einkorn), rye, barley and triticale – a cross between wheat and rye. Gluten helps foods maintain their shape, acting as a glue that holds food together. Gluten can be found in many types of foods, even ones that would not be expected.
2. Trans Fats– Trans fats are a type of dietary fat. Of all the fats, trans fat is the worst for your health. Too much trans fat in your diet increases your risk for heart disease and other health problems. Trans fats are made when food makers turn liquid oils into solid fats, like shortening or margarine. Examples of some of the most common trans fats are: A. Vegetable Shortening
Vegetable shortening made from partially hydrogenated oil was invented as a cheap substitute for butter. However, due to its high trans fat content, most manufacturers have now reduced or totally eliminated trans fats.
B. Some Varieties of Microwavable Popcorn
If you prefer microwavable varieties, choose brands and flavors that don’t contain partially hydrogenated oil. Alternatively, make your own popcorn on the stovetop or in an air popper — it’s simple and cheap.
C. Certain Margarines and Vegetable Oils
Partially hydrogenated oils contain trans fats. To reduce your trans fat intake, avoid all vegetable oils and margarines that list partially hydrogenated oil on the ingredient list — or use other cooking fats, such as butter, olive oil or coconut oil.
D. Fried Fast Foods
It can be hard to avoid trans fats from fried food, so you are better off limiting your intake of fried food altogether.
E. Bakery Products
Bakery products are often made from vegetable shortening and margarine, which were previously high in trans fats. Most companies have reduced the trans fat content in these
products, resulting in less trans fat in baked goods. Best choice would be to make your own baked foods at home so that you can control the ingredients.
F. Non-Dairy Coffee Creamers
To avoid trans fat from these products, select non-dairy varieties without partially hydrogenated oil or use alternatives, such as whole milk, cream or half-and-half, if you’re not restricting dairy altogether.
G. Other Sources
Trans fats can also be found in smaller amounts in a range of other foods, including:
potato chips, crackers, pies, pizza and canned frosting. Even if a product lists 0 grams of trans fat on the label, check the ingredients list for partially hydrogenated oil.3. Blackened/Barbequed Foods
Although delicious, crusty seared or grilled meats may exacerbate inflammation. Researchers at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York found that frying, roasting, searing or grilling certain foods at high temperatures produces compounds called advanced glycation end products (AGEs)
A number of studies published in the past two decades have also turned up evidence that eating charred, smoked, and well-done meat could raise cancer risk—pancreatic, colorectal, and prostate cancers, in particular.
4. Alcohol
For some types of arthritis, alcohol is called a trigger food because it dehydrates or because it may cause more inflammation, which can make symptoms worse as well. Alcohol may also interact with either prescription or over-the-counter drugs you may be taking to treat arthritis.
5.Sugar
Eating excess sugar causes the body to produce more cytokines, which are inflammatory proteins. People with arthritis already have high levels of cytokines, so increasing inflammation can make them feel worse.
So, know your own body and evaluate what effects these foods may have on you. I will warn you, they are difficult to get away from. As always,
Pray Unceasingly!!
Lois