Thursday, August 20, 2009

Gout Diets: Foods to Eat




Dietary restrictions for Gout patients suggest what people should not eat, but what should people eat? What foods will help control gout attacks? The American Medical Association recommends the following dietary guidelines for people with gout, advising them to eat a diet:

high in complex carbohydrates (fiber-rich whole grains, fruits, and vegetables)

low in protein (15% of calories and sources should be soy, lean meats, or poultry)

no more than 30% of calories in fat (with only 10% animal fats)


Recommended Foods To Eat

  • Fresh cherries, strawberries, blueberries, and other red-blue berries
  • Bananas
  • Celery
  • Tomatoes
  • Vegetables including kale, cabbage, parsley, green-leafy vegetables
  • Foods high in bromelain (pineapple)
  • Foods high in vitamin C (red cabbage, red bell peppers, tangerines, mandarins, oranges, potatoes)
  • Drink fruit juices and purified water (8 glasses of water per day)
  • Low-fat dairy products
  • Complex carbohydrates (breads, cereals, pasta, rice, as well as aforementioned vegetables and fruits)
  • Chocolate, cocoa
  • Coffee, tea
  • Carbonated beverages
  • Essential fatty acids (tuna and salmon, flaxseed, nuts, seeds)
  • Tofu, although a legume and made from soybeans, may be a better choice than meat

Foods considered moderately high in purines but which may not raise the risk of gout include: asparagus, cauliflower, mushrooms, peas, spinach, whole grain breads and cereals, chicken, duck, ham, turkey, kidney and lima beans. It is important to remember that purines are found in all protein foods. All sources of purines should not be eliminated.

How to Choose a Healing Diet


We hear a lot about food that are bad for us, but you can choose a healing diet that will restore your health without the use of drugs. Here are some ideas for a diet that will enhance your well-being.

INSTRUCTIONS

STEP 1 Know what foods are bad. Avoid aspartame, salt, additives, refined sugar, processed foods and soft drinks. Read labels for any processed foods that you buy to ensure you are getting quality ingredients before you eat. Better still, avoid processed foods whenever possible.

STEP 2 Take stock of detoxification diets that may be good for you. Choose a healing diet that will help you eat foods that will purge the toxins you have ingested. Some diets that can be helpful are a Macrobiotic diet, metabolic typing diet, the Alkaline diet and a Ayurvedic diet.

STEP 3 Understand allergies and problems digesting certain foods. If you are allergic to dairy, avoid yogurt and cheeses. If you are allergic to wheat, get your carbs from fruits, legumes and vegetables. Undergo a food allergy test to eliminate harmful foods from your diet.

STEP 4 Fill out quizzes and questionnaires or talk to a nutritionist to help you focus on the right diet. The Metabolic Typing Diet directs you to healing diets based on your genes. A screening quiz can help you find a detox diet. A nutritionist can inform you which foods heal which ailments.

STEP 5 Review your diet with your physician so he can determine if it may exacerbate any health issues you might have.

STEP 6 Consider your lifestyle before you choose a healing diet. If you don't have enough time to properly prepare the foods, it will be difficult to follow some healing diets. However, you can buy prepared meals at your local health food store and organic market.

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