Fasting for arthritis: types, basic rules, possible complications

Fasting as a therapeutic procedure

Fasting is an alternative medicine

Fasting for the purpose of treatment is a procedure that belongs to alternative medicine. The bottom line is that a person voluntarily refuses to eat food, and sometimes even water, for a certain period. Without breaking down and processing elements entering the digestive system, the body is able to remove accumulated toxins and wastes and restore its barrier functions.

If fasting for arthritis is carried out correctly, according to certain principles, then it will not cause any harm to the body. The only thing a person can feel is minor changes in mood.

The process can last from 1-3 to 21 days. To increase the effectiveness of fasting, it is necessary to perform additional cleansing and supporting procedures: enemas, massage, breathing exercises.

Types of therapeutic fasting for arthritis

The type of fasting depends on the stage of arthritis

There are different types of fasting for rheumatoid arthritis in terms of severity and duration. The correct type of abstinence should be selected depending on the stage of the disease, the intensity of the symptoms and the characteristics of the body.

It should be borne in mind that refusing food for 1 day will not bring the expected result. For arthritis, fasting should last from 3 to 5 days.

Types of therapeutic restrictions and their characteristics are presented in the table:

Rheumatoid arthritis? I'm almost living in fear and despair, help

Tatiana

May 16, 2020

Hello, dear doctors. I am 35 years old, I have been living in ignorance for almost a year and going crazy with fear. It all started in July 2021. I am holding a bird, after prolonged physical activity (cutting a large amount of bread into crackers for two days in a row), I got up in the morning with pain in the shoulder area, first the right one, then both, then the elbows, then the hands, the pain persisted for a week. I contacted a rheumatologist (I know what RA is, my mother suffers from this disease). After all the tests, it was normal. RA was ruled out and sent home, reassuring that it would all go away soon. And it went away two weeks later. I was immensely happy, but not for long. In October 2021, after physical activity (for work), suddenly aches all over my body began, it was so painful that I almost went crazy within 24 hours, and after that, flying pains began every day, either the knee, then the hip, then the hands, more often the joints in my hands ache, I suffer for a day, in the morning I get up as a normal healthy person, about an hour passes and somewhere “shoots” either my knee or my hand, and so on every day. The pain is tolerable, if you have TSD then I just walk carefully and quietly, if there are joints in my hands then I try not to do anything with my hands, etc. Since December 2019, a constant low-grade fever appeared. I went back to the rheumatologist. Now, in addition to the tests, I took an X-ray of the knees and an ultrasound of the hands. Ultrasound: echographic signs of minor degenative-dystrophic changes in the wrist joints and joints of the hands. X-RAY: no bone changes are detected ACCP: Antistreptolysin O: 144 .3 (0-200) Rheumatoid factor: 10.4 (0-14) Immunoglabulin M: 1.13 (0.40-2.30) CRP (ultrasensitive): 0.91 (0-5) MRI of the cervical spine: MRI signs of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. Protrusion of the C3/C4 disc. Herniated discs C4-C6. Hemangioma in the C7 vertebral body. Instability of the cervical spine. They prescribed treatment that did not help: chondroguard, sustagard, arthroker, ketoprofen... etc. My eldest son, 12 years old, has severe cerebral palsy, my hands are everything to him... The youngest is going to first grade in September... RA is the worst thing for me nightmare.. now the pain is more muscular, not like before in the joints, the muscles ache, twist, burn, radiate to the joint.. I keep hoping that this is some kind of malfunction in the body, from heavy physical exertion. I’ve been working a lot for the last year, a lot and often on my laptop, and there’s a lot of physical activity, I spent the whole year building a house with my husband, I was often very tired... I bake cakes to order, I also spend hours working on my hands when decorating a cake... + caring for a child - he is severely disabled, he weighs 25 kg and cannot sit or walk on his own... and the psychological situation in the family this year has been very difficult... a few months ago I started taking amitriptyline, the temperature now does not last all the time and it has become a little better.. but the pain persists , my hands are always “tired” even from the slightest exertion (for example, I wash my hair with shampoo and my hands are already tired, it’s hard) what should I do? could it be RA with such symptoms and such tests? if not what is it? where should I go? what examinations should I undergo?

The question is closed

temperature

physical activity

bone change

General principles of therapy

Upon completion of therapy, it is forbidden to eat fatty foods

To ensure that treatment of arthritis by fasting does not cause harm to the body and is easier for the patient, you need to follow some general recommendations:

• Beginners should start with a short fasting period of 24-36 hours. During this period, you need to track the body's reaction to stress. These nuances will allow you to choose the right fasting mode and avoid breakdown.
• The day before starting a hunger strike, you need to eat exclusively raw food. In the evening or morning on the first day of fasting, you should do a cleansing enema. Refusal from food will be much easier to bear if there are no food residues in the intestines.
• To ease your physical and emotional condition, it is better to spend time outdoors and communicate with people. In the morning and evening, be sure to do the exercises recommended by the doctor.
• On the day you end your fast, dry or wet, you need to drink some water. It is forbidden to immediately load the stomach with fatty, spicy foods, and complex carbohydrates.

How to fast properly with arthritis?

It is advisable to get your doctor's approval before starting a fast.

Periodic and cascade types of therapy do not require a special approach. But the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis by fasting of a complex dry type or a moderately complex wet type is characterized by three main stages, the observance of which is mandatory.

Entrance

Preparation should begin a week or 5 days in advance (depending on your usual diet). You need to adjust your daily menu:

• Reduce meat consumption. The method of its preparation is also important - it is better to give preference to boiled or baked poultry meat. During the week of preparation you can eat it 1-2 times.
• This also applies to fish. It is forbidden to eat fried or smoked fish of fatty varieties. It should be present in the diet of a given week 1-2 times.
• You need to eat more fruits, vegetables, greens; drink natural juices; prepare watery porridge from any cereals except pearl barley.
• It is better to give up milk and butter, replacing it with cold-pressed vegetable oil. Cheese and dairy products are allowed.
• Completely eliminate sugar, flour products, potatoes in any form.

Over the course of a week, you need to gradually reduce the size of portions and adhere to a fractional nutrition system. Be sure to do an enema in the morning of the first day of the fast.

Hunger

Days of abstinence from food must necessarily include cleansing enemas according to a certain scheme (if we are talking about prolonged dry fasting), gymnastic and breathing exercises, morning and evening showers (toning, improves well-being, improves mood), daily walks. It is important to maintain a sleep-wake schedule. If the patient is on a wet fast, then he needs to drink 1.5-2 liters of clean water every day.

Exit

The result of fasting treatment for rheumatoid arthritis and human health depend on the correctness of the solution. The basic rules are as follows:

• You should start your exit day with a few large sips of water, then you can drink half a glass of vegetable or fruit juice, but not citrus juice.
• At first, you can eat only on a fractional nutrition system. The quantity and concentration of products are increased gradually.
• The duration of withdrawal is ideally equal to the period of fasting or not less than half of it.
• During this period, it is forbidden to consume salt and protein foods (meat, eggs, mushrooms, legumes, cheese). Vegetable fats are possible from day 4 (with prolonged fasting).

Diet for rheumatoid arthritis

The causes of the disease are unknown, and constant pain in the joints

significantly reduces the standard of living. Since the disease is not only infectious, but also allergic in nature, it can manifest itself in relapses even after complete recovery.

Distinctive features of nutrition for rheumatoid arthritis

Experts are inclined to believe that food products that are unsuitable for the patient can trigger the return of the disease.

With the help of strict adherence to the diet, you can achieve the following results:

• increasing the firmness and elasticity of periarticular tissues;
• relieving joint inflammation;
• restoration of metabolic processes in tissues;
• general improvement in well-being.

With the right approach, it is necessary, first of all, to rely on the phase of the disease. In its active manifestation, rheumatoid arthritis requires more careful adherence to the diet; in its inactive form, the patient may be given some relief.

The active form of arthritis is most easily tolerated by reducing caloric intake by reducing the amount of carbohydrates consumed to 300 g per day. As a basis, you can use dietary table No. 10. The amount of fat consumed is calculated depending on the body weight of the patient and averages 60-70 g per day, the amount of protein should not exceed 80 g.

After an exacerbation, after 10-15 days, you can increase the amount of food consumed, the volume of liquid and the amount of salt consumed with food. Please note that whenever possible, proteins should be of animal origin, including those found in dairy products.

During the inactive phase, the best option is to stick to a high-protein diet. In this case, the amount of protein consumed should be at least 80-90 grams per day. You should reduce the amount of simple carbohydrates you consume, especially foods containing sugar. Drinks containing caffeine and nightshade-containing vegetables are also undesirable.

What products are excluded?

Complications can be caused by foods containing allergens and histamine. In order to alleviate the condition in the acute stage of rheumatoid arthritis, it is worth excluding:

• sugar-containing products with a large amount of carbohydrates, including those of natural origin, for example, honey;
• plant products containing large quantities of proteins, such as nuts;
• all foods that increase the amount of calcium excreted from the body: drinks with high caffeine content and foods such as sorrel, rhubarb, spinach and cauliflower;
• alcohol;
• large amounts of salt in the diet.

As support, the patient is recommended to eat foods containing magnesium, such as greens and cereals. Calcium salts are found in excess in dairy and fermented milk products. In order not to overload the body with large amounts of carbohydrates, you should exclude carbonated drinks, baked goods, sweets and chocolate, and instead of sugar, if necessary, use substitutes. Broths, spices, smoked and salted foods, canned fish, meat and vegetables are also contraindicated. Fermentation-based products should be used with caution.

Essential microelements

The most important supporting element in the diet of patients with rheumatoid arthritis is fat-soluble vitamin D. It is found in high concentrations in fatty fish; to absorb it, it is also necessary to enrich the diet with vegetables and fruits.

On a regular basis, patients are prescribed medications with a high content of omega-3 fatty acids. To do this, it is recommended to eat fish, legumes and soybeans, and walnuts. Cold-pressed flaxseed oil added to regular dishes will also be a useful source of the vitamin.

Much depends on the patient’s place of residence - for example, residents of the northern regions especially need a diet high in vitamins and minerals. You can use drugs and dietary supplements purchased at the pharmacy that contain vitamin D and fish oil.

It should be borne in mind that almost all medications prescribed for rheumatoid arthritis have side effects. If it is not possible to exclude anti-inflammatory drugs, great attention should be paid to the damaged gastric mucosa. Doctors recommend taking medications after meals. In some cases, fractional meals alleviate the condition.

If you are prone to osteoporosis when using hormonal drugs, it is necessary to increase the amount of calcium consumed, which is contained in dairy products. As an alternative, you can choose supplements containing calcium and substances that have a beneficial effect on its absorption.

Unconventional approach to nutrition

Many specialists around the world regularly develop new ways to maintain the satisfactory condition of patients with rheumatoid arthritis through diets. In the United States, the Dong diet has become most popular. It is based on eliminating all foods that contain additives and preservatives. You should also avoid alcohol and foods that contain histamines - red meat, citrus fruits, nightshades and cocoa-based drinks. Dairy products are also prohibited due to difficulty in digestion. This diet plan must be followed for at least ten weeks. It is better to discuss the nuances of using the diet with your doctor.

Many patients note an improvement in their condition by completely abandoning animal products.
One of the food options is Living Food, in which the products are not cooked. For convenience, raw vegetables are chopped in a blender. One of the features of the diet is strict adherence to the combination of foods with each other. Author: K.M.N., Academician of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences M.A. Bobyr