Eating well

Eating a well balanced, healthy diet is important when you have arthritis. As well as providing you with all the nutrients you need, it will help you maintain a healthy weight.

Carrying extra weight adds extra pressure on weight bearing joints such as the back, hips, knees, ankles and feet. Losing even a few kilos can make a significant difference. By simply adopting a healthy diet you will find you will probably lose some weight.

Your diet should avoid sugary and fatty foods such as red meat, cream and cheese. Try instead to eat healthy foods such as:

• fruit
• vegetables
• pasta
• brown rice
• fish
• white meat

Eating oily fish provides your body with the essential fatty acids (EFAs) it needs. Oily fish produces something called omega-3 EFAs which are thought to ease the symptoms of arthritis. As it is also a good source of iron and good for the heart, dieticians recommend you eat oily fish three or four times a week.

As well as a healthy diet, reducing the size of the portions on your plate will help you lose some weight. You should make sure that vegetables make up the largest portion on your plate.

Exercise is an important part of weight loss and control, so make sure you incorporate that into your daily routine. You can find out more in our Exercise and Arthritis booklet.

Alcohol

All alcoholic drinks contain calories – something people often don’t realise. Cutting down on alcohol will help you lose some weight and will be good for you too.

Alcohol can interact with arthritis medication or make some side effects worse.

Supplements

You shouldn’t need to take additional supplements if you are getting the nutrients you need through your diet. These include enough calcium and iron. If you do take supplements though, check with your doctor that they don’t interact with your prescribed drugs.

Our Healthy Eating and Arthritis booklet contains more information.

Special diets

There is a lot of debate about whether what you eat affects your arthritis. If you notice that certain foods make your symptoms worse, then it makes sense to avoid them. You must ensure that your diet is still balanced, so you may like to take supplements to keep getting the right amounts of vitamins.

Some doctors recommend trying ‘special diets’, which might exclude a certain type of food. You should always get some advice from your GP and/or a dietician before starting a special diet. Certainly, never begin a diet that involves stopping medication without discussing it thoroughly with your doctor.