The FastDay Forum

I have heard - and am no expert - that lemons transform into an alkali in the stomach. So they are sometimes used for heartburn, lemon juice in hot water first thing for example.
It is a mystery tho'. Why does grapefruit inhibit some medications also, but not other citrus?
In line with the thread on sucrose/fructose on the forum I would be wary about too much fruit anyway. Having been brought up on the 5 fruit and veg a day mantra I am having to rethink a lot of my food!

I find I am just not getting to eat as much fruit and I was worried about that. Maybe I can relax about that ... phew

Hi Kathy & all I have one and can eat almost anything!! I have lost 1stone in fist 5weeks also started to walk again 2or3 times per week and the difference is amazing was on medication but doing nothing for me at all so stopped 4weeks before starting 5:2 my legs & feet were swelling up terrible and the doctor won't have it that it was the pills but I know nothing changed as I started diet 3or4 weeks later, had phiso No change but was told to exercise more ie walking which I'd enjoyed but couldn't get in any footware of any kind coz of swelling my pain in knees and hips is so much better I've a long way to go but thing can only get better now with each stone I lose good luck.Sue

Tried to answer earlier and got my reply all typed out only to have my tablet shut down on me!

Osteo arthritis is different in that it isn't actually inflammatory. Its degenerative. Of course no-one seems to know as yet why exactly some of us have cartilage that just breaks down for no reason so knowing it isn't much help except that theres little point in risking the effects of NSAIDs as there are safer painkillers.

gillymary, I tend not to eat any carbs other than those in veg (not roots) and the occasional small portion of fruit. If I want a substitute when the family are having rice or pasta I use cabbage tagliatelli or I slice courgette into pasta-like strips with a Y-peeler. Its only the wheat and gluten that affect my joints though. I avoid the other grains from personal chioce as they make me feel bloated and sluggish.

Like some of the others, my joints werre much worse with oranges than lemons. I can tolerate lemon juice but have trouble if a recipe requires the zest.

Someone mentioned grapefruit and medication. Grapefruit is broken down via a specific metabolic pathway in the liver. Certain drugs follow the same pathway and so eating grapefruit when you are taking them can either enhance or inhibit the effects.

Thanks miffy appreciate your reply, its a real nuisance when you have done a reply and have to start again. I appreciate getting to know more about foods people don't tolerate especially gluten and wheat. Also the citrus thing interested me too.

Our bodies are complex but i believe we can find ways around and through things. The old adage we are what we eat is so true. I like your pasta solutions

Theres always the cauliflower rice too. The recipe is on here somewhere. Maybe it will surface in Moogie's new recipe section. The cabbage is lovely with a curry. I warm some spices and stir them in at the last minute for an extra kick and I like it much better than rice.

Thanks Miffy - I should have remembered OA is a "wear and tear" thing rather than an inflammatory "itis"! Sorry.
Got confused when quoting my friend's anti-inflammatory diet, and now remember she has polymyalgia as well as OA and must be doing the diet for that. Whatever it seems to have helped her. She has lost weight and has far more energy.
I suppose the allergy and intolerance thing might well come in an anti-inflammatory diet.
I wish some doctors would pay more attention to the nutritional approach to health though! Allergies and intolerances have a lot to answer for!
I certainly find 5:2 is working for me though - feel much healthier having only lost a small amount.

A physio checked me a couple of months ago and recommended I stop running and get a bike to avoid impact

I stopped running about 10 years ago to ensure my joints lasted . I got a nordic cross country ski machine which eventually wore out. Then got an elliptical trainer which is also great. However now doing HIIT pullup squats. You only need a pullup bar for this or something to hold onto.
I'm your age and joints have thanked me for giving up on impact exercise. I think you should do what physio says !

My Dad had osteo and rheumatoid. He always felt extra lousy after red meat. He took all sorts of meds and only prednisone helped but eventually was the cause of many other problems. He passed two years ago. He was my hero. How he suffered. Yet whenever asked how he was feeling he always said GREAT! Anyway he was vigilant in keeping his weight down and walked three miles daily no matter how long it took him. Matter of fact when he could no longer walk due to bone growth in feet he had some bones remove from the feet and started walking again. All in all he had all his knuckles replaced, a knee replaced, bones removed, the latest drugs. His fight was valiant and I miss him so.

Almost forgot he took vit C which helped.

My arthritis is related to my IBD, it is the inflammatory type, and so is definitely affected by my diet. I feel best when I do a generally anti-inflammatory diet. I keep wheat and most other grains and high starchey things out of my diet. I try to stick to real whole foods as close to how they come in nature as possible. I eat fruits, veggies, meats of all kinds, very very little processed or fast foods. I also try for variety.

My issues are with my hands right now, so general walking and movement are not effected by it and vice versa.

Thank you for all your replies. I always find what affects arthritis to be really interesting though I think it can be different things for all of us. For me, I want to be able to walk more as this was something I used to do a lot of and then suddenly had to stop and ended up putting on even more weight. I find I really have to not overdo exercise as I end up paying for it. I use the power plate in the gym and I have heard great things about how it can help arthritis. Unfortunately, I went on the power plate half an hour before a Pilates class and it really made me worse. My own fault and I should have listened to my joints. Since then, I have been on holiday and I started walking more. This and the 5:2 has made me feel more optimistic. This time last year I was feeling very low about my diagnosis but it sn't me and I won't let it beat me.

Anyone else tried taking rosehip for arthritis? Seems to be helping me. Wonder if it's the extra vitamin C?

Izzy, thank you so much. He was a wonderful father, a man you could really look up to. Can't think off the top off my head the name of the last med he was on, it was an injection. It gave him great relief though but shot down his immunity. I am one of five siblings and each one of us cringed thinking that one of us would end up with the problem. I am thankful everyday to God for at least two things...no arthritis and no problems with alcohol. Any who I am very satisfied with 5 2 and its results so far. Good luck.

Yes, vit c helps a lot. It is an antiinflammatory