Is there an arthritis diet?

Anywhere from 33% to 75% of people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) feel that there are some foods that make symptoms, such as stiff and painful joints, better or worse.

However, the scientific evidence is spotty.

“There’s no compelling data that generalizes all patients,” says Nortin M. Hadler, MD, professor of medicine and microbiology-immunology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and author of Worried Sick.

“There are multiple trials, but the effects are minimal.” Even if some foods do alleviate RA symptoms, it would be hard to sort out individual diet factors, Dr. Hadler adds.

That said, here are six dietary changes that may be worth trying if you have rheumatoid arthritis.

Cheap, healthy meals

Here’s a list of dishes that were all (well, almost) under $10 to make.

Each makes at least four servings.

Try the recipe ideas, or just buy the necessary ingredients and get creative with the spices that are kicking around in your cabinet.

TUESDAY, Aug. 9 (HealthDay News) — As parents prepare to send their children back to school, they need to remember that nutrition is an important factor in academic performance, an expert advises.

Studies have shown that children who eat healthy, balanced breakfasts and lunches are more alert throughout the school day and also earn higher marks than those who have an unhealthy diet, says Mary Pat Alfaro, clinical manager of the division of nutrition therapy at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, in a center news release.

A healthy breakfast includes a variety of foods such as fiber-rich and whole-grain cereals with low fat milk; yogurt and berries; toast, eggs and 100 percent fruit juice; or whole wheat bagels and cream cheese with low-fat milk.

When packing lunches, use the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Guide Pyramid, Alfaro suggests. Include at least two servings from the bread group and one serving from each of the other food groups.

One way to prevent children from becoming bored with their lunches is to use pitas, bagels, English muffins, crackers or tortillas to make sandwiches instead of using bread all the time.

Alfaro also suggests packing fruit such as grapes, strawberries, apple wedges or melon chunks that’s quick and easy to eat. Including a toothpick and a dipping sauce made with yogurt can coax reluctant fruit eaters to try it.

Children should be encouraged to drink low-fat white milk or plain or sugar-free flavored water. They should not drink beverages with added supplements such as herbs and caffeine, Alfaro says.

TUESDAY, Aug. 9 (HealthDay News) –
Kids’ meals at fast-food restaurants are high in fat, calories and sodium, a new study shows.

In fact, researchers from the University of California, San Diego, found kids’ fast-food lunches, often offered as rewards, accounted for up to 51 percent of most children’s daily caloric needs and more than 50 percent of their recommended daily sodium intake (100 percent of recommended sodium levels for preschoolers). Moreover, at least 35 percent of those fast food calories came from fat, the study noted.

“We found that families perceived fast-food restaurants as easy and cheap, and many were using fast food as a reward for their children,” Kerri N. Boutelle, behavioral director of the Weight and Wellness Clinic at the University of California, San Diego and Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego, said in a university news release. “Considering the high prevalence of fast-food consumption by adults as well as kids, it’s important to recognize the impact of fast food and its impact on the current obesity epidemic in the U.S.”

Over the course of six weeks, the researchers surveyed 544 families with children as they entered a fast-food chain restaurant located inside the Rady Children’s Hospital for lunch. Although the families’ receipts were collected to record what they ordered, they were asked to explain what they chose and why. For instance, they had to clarify who ate particular items, if food was shared and if their sodas were diet.

The study found the foods most often bought for preschoolers were French fries, soda, chicken nuggets, cheeseburgers and hamburgers. Older children ate similar foods along with hot apple pies (ages 6 to 11) and chocolate chip cookies (ages 12 to 18).

Soda was also ordered more often than milk or juice, the researchers added. The families also passed over healthier food options, like fruit parfaits, in favor of more traditional fast foods.

The study authors pointed out the fact that the fast-food restaurant was located inside a children’s hospital may have influenced their results since the families’ options may have been limited. Although they had the families’ receipts, the researchers admitted they had no way of confirming exactly how much each person ate.

The study, published in the journal Childhood Obesity, also revealed that families went to the fast-food restaurant for the following reasons:

• The children (and the adults) liked the food
• Convenience
• The fast food was a reward
• The family was hungry, and had no other food options

The toys included with the children’s meals were not a big factor in the families’ decisions to choose fast food. In fact, the researchers noted 49 percent of the families surveyed said that didn’t enter into their decision at all.

The study’s authors concluded that families should receive more information on proper nutrition, taking into account that people simply like fast food. “Bottom line, we need to educate families on making health decisions when in a fast-food restaurant,” Boutelle said.

When it comes to natural treatments for psoriatic arthritis, there’s not a ton of research. Conventional drugs have been shown to delay damage from the disease, but alternative therapies have not.

“Many of these supplements or vitamins may ease some of the symptoms of psoriatic arthritis, but none have been shown to prevent damage,” says Guy Fiocco, MD, assistant professor of internal medicine at Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, in Bryan.

That said, here are nine vitamins or remedies that may be helpful in addition to conventional treatment.

Not a tea drinker? Any warm liquid—including chicken soup and fruit drinks—can help relieve cold and flu symptoms. Heated drinks help loosen congestion and stimulate the flow of mucus, as well as keep you hydrated.

From Health magazine

When it comes to losing weight, the little things add up—trying just one new thing every day can quickly make a big difference. With that in mind, we’ve taken science’s best weight-loss strategies and created a week’s worth of slimming to-do’s.

Sunday: Shoot it, and shed pounds.
Studies show that recording meals may help you lose up to 5% of your weight, says Robert A. Carels, PhD, an associate professor in the psychology department at Bowling Green State University. Start today: Snap before and after photos of each meal with your camera phone. Keeping a visual food diary is a more accurate way to see what and how much you’re eating, United Kingdom researchers say. Afterward, download the pics so you’ll have a record.

Monday: Pop a vitamin to kill hunger.
Taking a daily multivitamin may make you less hungry, two studies in the British Journal of Nutrition suggest; people who take one tend to weigh less and have lower BMIs.

Start today: Pop a multi with at least 100% of the RDA for vitamins included in the studies: chromium, copper, folic acid, iodine, manganese, molybdenum, niacin, pantothenic acid, riboflavin, thiamin, vitamins B6 and B12, and zinc.

Tuesday: Speed up to burn more calories.
Strength-training circuit-style torches more calories than the traditional way, says Jim Stoppani, PhD, author of the Encyclopedia of Muscle and Strength. Research shows that the shorter the rest period between sets, the more calories you blast off. “In addition,” Stoppani says, “doing a whole-body workout employs more muscle, which in turn burns more fat.”

Start today: Turn your usual strength-training routine into a circuit by doing one set of 15 reps for each exercise with no rest in between; wait 20 seconds and repeat the circuit twice.