Can an Anti-Inflammatory Diet Ease Arthritis Pain?
Ease arthritis pain by choosing foods that fight inflammation. There’s no cure for arthritis, but some foods may reduce inflammation in some people. It never hurts to try and see if foods can ease the pain your parents experience.
Tips for Easing Arthritis Pain
Elderly Care Northbrook, IL: Anti-Inflammatory Diet
When it comes to arthritis, doctors usually recommend weight loss and over-the-counter NSAID medications like Advil to start. Losing weight lessens the pressure on joints like the ankles, hips, and knees. Warm and cold compresses and muscle ache creams and patches may also be recommended.
Diet is next. Your parents want to focus on lean proteins, plenty of nuts and seeds, fruits and vegetables, and reducing intake of processed foods, sugar, and saturated fats. An anti-inflammatory diet does all of this.
Foods That Are Recommended in an Anti-Inflammatory Diet
What foods are part of the anti-inflammatory diet? Here’s a quick look at what your parents should be eating.
Beans/Legumes: Dried beans and legumes are high in protein and fiber. Lentils and black beans are easy to cook from their dried state. If you shop for canned beans, aim for low-sodium versions or thoroughly rinse them before use.
Fish: Choose fish with high levels of fatty acids like salmon, mackerel, sardines, and tuna. Canned is okay, but watch the sodium content when you’re shopping.
Fruits and Vegetables: Berries are excellent components of an anti-inflammatory diet. Blueberries and cherries are good options. Citrus fruits are also good to keep on hand. Vegetables that have high vitamin C or vitamin K levels are also good. Leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, and red peppers are all key players in an anti-inflammatory diet.
Oils: Two oils are ideal for an anti-inflammatory diet. Extra virgin olive oil is one of the two. The other is walnut oil. If your parents want more options than that, look at avocado and safflower oil, too.
Seeds and Nuts: Most any seed and nut is acceptable, but some are better choices than others. Chia seeds are high in omega-3 fatty acids and are a great choice for creating anti-inflammatory desserts like chia pudding, which is easily made with almond milk, chia seeds, and frozen cherries. Walnuts and almonds are great choices for nuts.
Whole Grains: Choose high-fiber whole grains like barley, farro, and quinoa. Avoid white rice and enriched pasta.
Have your parents been struggling to prepare meals? If they’re often tired at the end of the day and don’t want to cook, elderly care aides can help. If they have a hard time chopping, grating, peeling, and dicing food items, caregivers can help with that too.
Talk to an elderly care agency about meal preparation services. Arrange to have caregivers prepping foods, cooking meals, and taking your parents shopping for groceries. Elderly care will make a big difference in your parents’ daily routines. Call to learn more.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Elderly Care in Northbrook, IL, contact the caring staff at Companion Services of America today at (847) 943-3786. Our home care service area includes Northbrook, Highland Park, Deerfield, Glenview, Buffalo Grove, Evanston, Des Plaines, Skokie, Lake Forest, Wilmette and the surrounding areas.
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