Whole Grains & Low-Fat Dairy
Whole Grains
Getting plenty of whole grains is also extremely important in controlling your gout. While you want to avoid simple sugars, like those found in cheap white bread and most baked goods made with white flour, complex carbohydrates help control your weight and any insulin issues you might be having. Since whole grains don't digest quickly, this means you feel fuller for a longer period of time, which helps you eat less overall. Plus, they can help stabilize your blood sugar, which may keep gout attacks at bay for longer.
Low-Fat Dairy
If you’re already having trouble with joint pain and arthritis, skimping on the calcium isn’t doing yourself any favors. This is a tricky balancing act, though, because the high fat content that tends to be in dairy products is bad for gout. Instead of missing out on your calcium or trying to get it all through alternative sources, choose low-fat dairy options instead.
Since you’re missing out on a lot of the protein derived from meat, skim milk and low-fat Greek yogurt can be great protein sources. Additionally, low-fat dairy may actually provide some protection from gout. At least one serving of dairy a day showed lower uric acid blood levels in the patients of some studies—and other studies suggest that dairy may actually help move uric acid out of the body more effectively.
Did you know...
- Need a quick cool down? Try drinking some hot liquid. It's true! As counterintuitive as it may seem, the heat from hot liquids will raise your body temperature. This will heat you up and cause you to sweat. The increased perspiration will wind up helping you feel cooler as it evaporates. Try it out!
- Starting to feel claustrophobic? The smells of apples may help keep your claustrophobic feelings at bay according to a 1995 study by Dr. Alan Hirsch. Green apples, specifically, helped people change their perception of their space. Maybe they thought of expansive apple orchards? Cucumbers and barbecue made the feelings worse.
- A hearty laugh is good for the heart. Laughing can increase blood flow by 20%. Additionally, looking on the bright side can help you live longer. Studies have shown that a more optimistic outlook is linked to a healthier heart, lower blood pressure, and a lower risk for coronary artery disease.
- There are many factors that contribute to your body odor, but one of the strongest links is our diet. This may be some bad news for meat-lovers because many studies have shown that those who refrained from or ate less red meat were judged as being more pleasant smelling. The meat sweats are real, and they don’t smell great!
- Does your job make you stressed? We all know that stress is psychologically bad for you, but it also has an effect on…your allergies? A Harvard Medical School study has shown that stress causes your allergies to become worse because your body's defense response loses efficacy when repeatedly triggered by stress. Then, when you really need to physically fight something off, you're less able to!