Conquering Arthritis: 2011

Delayed food and chemical sensitivities are an often unrecognized underlying cause of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and other types of arthritis. Because the particular foods and chemicals that are triggering inflammation vary from person to person and can even change over time, it is important to be individually tested.

My most important recommendation would be to be tested at least a month ahead of time, so that you know what your triggers are and have figured out a strategy for your cocktail party or vacation to be arthritis-free. It takes most people about a month to successfully discover and learn to avoid hidden food allergens, once they have a list of which foods are safe for them and which they need to avoid. Once they have this skill, they have the power to stop arthritis flair-ups.

For instance, if you are reacting against grapes, brewer’s yeast, sodium sulfate, beef or pork (because pig and cow byproducts are often used to make gelatin and gelatin is often used to clarify wine) you won't want to skip wine with dinner, but depending on your reaction pattern, you might do just fine with a bloody Mary or a Margarita. If your food sensitivities are moderate or severe, you would be best off skipping the alcohol all together, because it tends to make leaky gut syndrome and therefore inflammation worse. However, that doesn’t mean you have to skip the fun of a cocktail party or drinks with dinner. Knowing what drink set ups are safe for you means you can still “drink” with everyone else without making your arthritis worse and without having to worry about triggering an arthritic flair-up.

If you have a tricky pattern of food and chemical sensitivities, planning a trip to a spa or another place that understands food allergies and can cook interesting and appealing food that is safe for you, might be just the ticket.

A few years ago I noticed that the food concessionaires for the US National Park System were particularly good at creating safe, creative, gourmet entrees even in the face of the food restrictions I had at that time. My best experiences were at the lodges at the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Park. Restaurants that are part of the “slow food movement” are also often a good choice because they are already so aware of what is in the food they serve and much less likely to accidentally include one of your problem foods in the dishes they serve you.

As for the beach, knowing your food and chemical sensitivities ahead of time can be a godsend there too. That will give you time to make sure your sunscreen is not not accidentally triggering your inflammation and if it is, to purchase light colored clothing you can wear instead of sunscreen for sun protection. Knowing if you are reacting against chlorine can let you know if you need to stick to swimming only in the ocean or if the hotel pool is also safe for you.

Since it generally takes about seven days for the inflammation triggered by delayed food or chemical sensitivity to end, mastering how to avoid your inflammatory trigger foods and chemicals before you leave, can make the difference between the vacation of a lifetime and one spent in pain.

Barbara Allan is the author of the best selling book, Conquering Arthritis.

Visit her website for more information on testing yourself for delayed food and chemical sensitivities with the alcat test .

Thursday, April 21, 2011

One underlying cause of rheumatoid arthritis is a disruption of healthy gut bacteria. Learn more: http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/rheumatoidarthritistreatmentprobioticsupplements.htm

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

“Untrigger” your rheumatoid arthritis with probiotic supplements: http://www.squidoo.com/rheumatoid-arthritis-treatment-non-dairy-sources-of-probiotics-supplements

Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment—Non-Dairy Sources of Probiotics Supplements

Rheumatoid Arthritis is not inevitable, no matter the particulars of your family history or genetics. Some people have genetics that make them more susceptible, but something must still trigger the disease process. Likewise, it is usually possible, even after the rheumatoid arthritis has been triggered, to “untrigger” it by reversing its underlying causes.

One underlying causes of rheumatoid arthritis is a disruption of healthy gut bacteria. This can happen because of any number of stressors: taking antibiotics, losing a job, losing a loved one, having a loved one seriously ill or injured, divorce, your home going into foreclosure, surgery, taking a board exam, traveling in a third world country, getting some other illness, working long hours without enough rest and more. Even joyful events like the birth or a child, a job promotion or, moving to a new house can cause stress that can trigger RA.

This is because for most people stress has a strong impact on the gut. Once gut flora gets out of balance it can stay that way for years and years, until something helps it to rebalance itself.

This rebalancing of gut flora is one way to help “untrigger” rheumatoid arthritis.
One way to do this is by reintroducing healthy bacteria everyday through your diet.

Most people know about the benefits of eating live culture yogurt because of the healthy bacteria it contains. Most people don’t realize the almost infinite number of other sources of probiotics. Many can be made in your own kitchen without much effort and easily incorporated into your everyday diet.

If you can eat dairy, it is easy to get probiotics through yogurt, kefir, and the many commercial probiotics supplements grown on a dairy base.

If you can’t eat dairy, you may not realize how easy it is to still get enough probiotics.

Here is partial list of the many non-dairy probiotics-containing foods you can eat and drink:

1. Commercially available cultured coconut milk

2. Homemade cultured coconut milk, soymilk, rice milk or fruit juice made using kefir grains

3. Unpasteurized sauerkraut

4. Unpasteurized kim chee

5. Sour pickles

6. Other vegetable ferments, such as sour beets, sour turnips, fermented radishes, etc.

7. “Potato cheese” – cooked potato fermented with brine from live sauerkraut culture

8. Brine from ferments used as a digestive tonic and Soup Stock

9. Fermented chutney

10. Miso

11. MIso Pickles

12. Tempeh—soy

13. Ferments made from other beans such as pinto beans, kidney beans, navy beans, etc.

14. Rejuvenac—made from sprouted grain

15. Kombucha—a tea fermented with a special kombucha culture

16. Porridge—fermented overnight before cooking to increase digestibility

These probiotics-containing foods start with either an already established culture which you can buy or someone can gift you (yogurt, kefir, miso, tempeh and other bean ferments and kombutcha) or capture wild bacteria from the air (sauerkraut, kim chee, sour pickles, other vegetable ferments, brines, rejuvenac and porridge.)

Barbara Allan is the author of the best selling book, Conquering Arthritis.

Visit her website for recipes and more information on rheumatoid arthritis treatment—non-dairy probiotic supplements .

Some of the book's methods specifically remedied the underlying causes of my arthritis, and some are applicable to anyone who wishes to feel better, no matter their current state of health

This book will show you, step by step, how you can get better. http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/cabook.htm#why

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Choose treatments that are likely to actually lead to healing, instead of only suppressing symptoms. http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/cabook.htm

How you choose to treat your arthritis matters. Choose arthritis treatments that do no harm to yourself or our larger world. http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/articles/tiger_bones.htm

Monday, April 18, 2011

Learn how to locate and release your own pesky trigger points. http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/secrets.htm#Secret9

Even after your arthritis is gone, you can still have pain and stiffness caused by myofascial trigger points.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Say yes to a healthier, happier you. http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/secrets.htm#Secret8

Learn the 7 best types of exercise and how to get the most out of them.

Learn the 4 keys to exercising safely even if your arthritis is still bad.

Exercise is critical to the recovery of anyone with arthritis.

Friday, April 15, 2011

Transform your arthritis pain with meditation: http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/secrets.htm#Secret7

Thursday, April 14, 2011

How to Cure Arthritis? …Eat, Drink and Be Merry! http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/secrets.htm#Secret6

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Learn the 8 types of food and supplements that can help make even painful arthritis a distant memory. http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/secrets.htm#Secret5

Healing from arthritis can be as easy as eating well.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

No need to feel deprived! Forty six quick and delicious recipes for healthy, allergen-free food: http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/secrets.htm#SR10

Are you on an arthritis healing diet or considering starting one?

Monday, April 11, 2011

How to Avoid Offending Foods and Food Additives in a World of Vague, Incomplete, and Confusing Food Labels: http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/secrets.htm#Secret4

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Learn the four ways fasting activates your body's natural ability to heal, and the six simple skills you need to successfully undertake a therapeutic fast: http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/secrets.htm#Secret3

Fasting is an extremely powerful way to heal arthritis and food sensitivities.

European Fasting Clinics have a long history of success using juice fasting to cure arthritis.

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Knowing if you have food sensitivities and if so, exactly what they are, is powerful information in the quest to get well again. http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/secrets.htm#Secret2

Friday, April 8, 2011

Strangely, it is often our favorite foods that cause the problem. http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/secrets.htm#Secret1

Eliminating problem foods can eliminate arthritis pain.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

What does this mean for people suffering with arthritis? http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/articles/genetically_modified_foods.htm

Not only are there no labeling requirements, there is also no regulatory system in the US for GM foods.

Roughly 75% of US processed foods contain some genetically modified ingredients.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Changes to the food labeling laws affect your ability to know what is in your food, and therefore your success in healing your arthritis: http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/articles/food_labeling_laws.htm

One of the most important parts of curing arthritis is knowing what is in the foods you eat so that you can avoid your problem foods long enough to heal.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

The 1st step to researching a potential health product: Find out exactly what it contains. http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/articles/researching_brand_name_products.htm

Are you curious about a health product, but unsure of how it might affect your arthritis?

Monday, April 4, 2011

Check out new arthritis treatments before you try them: http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/articles/research_using_pubmed.htm

Whenever I want to verify scientific claims about arthritis treatments, one of the first places I go is PubMed.

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Where can you go on-line for trustworthy arthritis information? http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/articles/arthritis_resources.htm

Friday, April 1, 2011

Learn more about arthritis and wheat: http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/articles/wheat_and_wheat_grass.htm

Arthritis is a disease of acidity. Regular consumption of wheat grass tends to make arthritis better.

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Food sensitivities are the main cause of arthritis. Take the Alcat blood test, discover your sensitivities, and cure your arthritis: http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/alcat/index.htm

Monday, March 28, 2011

Discover your personal arthritis cure today! http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/alcat/index.htm

There is no single food or single list of foods that cause arthritis. Take the ALCAT test and discover what's causing your arthritis: http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/articles/blood_test_food_sensitivities.htm

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Learn why pregnancy improves the symptoms of RA in about 75% of women: http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/articles/rheumatoidnpreg.htm

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Learn more about the influences of omega-3 and omega-6 on the body. http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/articles/oemga_6_and_inflammation.htm

Is your current diet making you more prone to inflammation?

Friday, March 25, 2011

Conserve and build your vitality so that you can heal and stay healed. http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/articles/secondaryc.htm

For many people, arthritis starts after a stressful period in their life.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Just because you don't know the answer now doesn't mean it will evade you forever--unless, of course, you give up looking for it.

You deserve to heal, and you are worth all the attention and detective work and care that it can take to accomplish that healing. http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/articles/healingcomplex.htm

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Bacterial vaginosis is relevant to arthritis because many doctors will tell you that antibiotics are the only way to wipe it out. http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/articles/bacterial_vaginosis.htm

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Anytime we remove an ongoing drain on our health, energy is freed up for healing arthritis or anything else that ails us.

Could dirty electricity be draining your healing energy? http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/articles/dirty_electricity.htm

Monday, March 21, 2011

What you believe shapes your world. Use the placebo effect to your advantage. http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/articles/using_placebo_effect.htm

Positive expectations alone have the power to create positive outcomes in your body.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Without meditation, I would probably still be using an electric cart to get around.

One of the most powerful, life-altering therapies available for arthritis is meditation training. http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/articles/meditation_gone_mainstream.htm

Friday, March 18, 2011

Your internal acidity or alkalinity is an important factor in healing your arthritis.

Can your pH level affect your arthritis? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FBRgamitvQ

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Are Glucosamine and Chondroitin Safe For Type 2 Diabetics? http://ezinearticles.com/?Are-Glucosamine-and-Chondroitin-Safe-For-Type-2-Diabetics?&id=243100

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Is your arthritis pain overwhelming you? http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/articles/overwhelm.htm

Monday, March 14, 2011

Listen to advice from an Arthritis Conqueror: http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/speaking/index.htm

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Let Barbara Allan guide you through your arthritis healing process: http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/phonecons.htm

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Meditation: release the deep root causes of your pain and allow your arthritis to heal. http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/download.htm

Friday, March 11, 2011

Today I'm working on making Conquering Arthritis available as an e-book for Kindles!

Get the guidance you need to heal your arthritis: http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/phonecons.htm

Thursday, March 10, 2011

How to Reverse Arthritis: An interview with Barbara Allan: http://joanneunleashed.com/1221/how-to-reverse-arthritis-with-dr-barbara-allan/

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Meditation is better than any anti-inflammatory drug. Find out why: http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/articles/tonglenmed.htm

Monday, March 7, 2011

Is there such a thing as an arthritis diet? http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/cabook.htm#answers

Friday, March 4, 2011

Are you taking Enbrel™, Remicade™, or Humira™ for your arthritis pain? Be aware that these drugs are toxic: http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/articles/arthritis_pain_medication.htm#tnf_inhibitors

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Is it possible to heal your arthritis through mediation? http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=D8AE2A17FEBA46B9

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Train your mind to heal your emotions and your body with meditation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5nFrfFjxGo

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Using this powerful tool can change your life and even help to heal your arthritis. http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/articles/who_gets_well_5.htm

Monday, February 28, 2011

Identify the sources of hidden allergens in your diet and heal your arthritis! http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/updates.htm#milk

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Even after the original problem has been corrected, other 'secondary' problems can keep your arthritis alive for years. http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/articles/secondaryc.htm

Friday, February 25, 2011

Could a hormone imbalance be influencing your rheumatoid arthritis? http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/articles/hormone_rheumatoid.htm

Treating adrenal fatigue may be one of the critical factors in your recovery from RA. Learn more: http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/articles/hormone_rheumatoid_2.htm

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Are you suffering with arthritis pain? This book will show you, step by step, how you can get relief: http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/cabook.htm#why

Monday, February 21, 2011

I cured my arthritis completely without the use of conventional pain medications. Learn how you can too: http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/articles/arthritis_pain_medication.htm#about_Barbara_Allan

Sunday, February 20, 2011

We are all unique in the exact details of what needs to happen for us to heal. Learn what it takes to heal: http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/articles/reader_experience_rheumatoid.htm

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Are you struggling with yeast infections? They may be linked to your arthritis. http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/articles/food_sensitivities_yeast.htm

Friday, February 18, 2011

Learn how to eradicate your arthritis pain and completely heal your arthritis with diet: http://vimeo.com/11082969

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Healing arthritis isn't just physical. There is almost always an emotion, mental, and spiritual component to any kind of healing, including arthritis. http://www.squidoo.com/boardbreaking

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Could exposure to dirty electricity be draining your health and ability to heal arthritis? http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/articles/dirty_electricity.htm

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

The Power of Positive Expectations on Arthritis Pain: http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/articles/using_placebo_effect.htm

Monday, February 14, 2011

One of the keys to healing arthritis is knowing what is in the foods you eat so that you can avoid your problem foods long enough to heal. http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/articles/food_labeling_laws.htm

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Your arthritis is NOT just in your head. Learn about arthritis as a psychosomatic disease. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkRfs4bGDCE

Friday, February 11, 2011

Tetracycline works not only as an antibiotic, but also as an immune system modulator. http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/articles/tetracycline_treatments.htm Learn about more alternative arthritis treatments.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

DMARDs can slow joint damage, but their effectiveness comes at a price: They are toxic. http://www.conqueringarthritis.com/articles/arthritis_pain_medication.htm#dmards

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

New Rheumatoid Arthritis Medications: The Life Threatening FDA Drug Approval Process

Your doctor may not be telling you about all the risks associated with any new drug that comes to the market, including new arthritis drugs:

http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2011/01/deadly-medicine-201101

This well documented article, in the Jan 2011 edition of the respected magazine, Vanity Fair, is important because it exposes fraud and testing issues within the FDA drug approval process. These problems allow potentially life-threatening drugs to be approved for use in the United States.

I recommend not using any newly approved drug (including arthritis drugs) until it has been on the market for a while. In this way, any undisclosed problems will come to light first.

Remember Celebrex? It is one of the many drugs mentioned in the Vanity Fair article. It developer and manufacturer, Pfizer, apparently knew before it ever applied for drug approval, that Celebrex increases the chance of heart attacks and strokes among those who take this long term (like people with arthritis).

However, Pfizer did not release this information to the public, to doctors, or to the drug approval committee. The Vanity Fair article explains how the drug trial process makes it easy for companies to avoid disclosing the results of trials with negative results.

Instead of dropping Celebrex or disclosing this known danger, Pfizer aggressively marketed Celebrex without disclosure. It sold $3.3 billion of Celebrex in 2004, the year it was finally pulled from the market.

By that time many people were taking the drug. It became impossible to hide the fact that too many long term users were having heart attacks and strokes.

Pfizer was able to make a lot of money for many years by withholding information on one of the dangers of this drug and then aggressively marketing it while these dangers were still not recognized by doctors and the general public.

Ironically, the marketing for Celebrex suggested that this drug was safer than other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on the market.

Next time big pharma is pushing its next latest and greatest arthritis drug, don’t be the first to try it out. Leave that to other eager beavers. If the drug is really that great and that safe, you can try it later, after any problems with the drug have time to come to light.

In the meantime, I suggest other non-drug solutions, like the ones I advocate in my book, Conquering Arthritis.

I’d really rather you eliminate the underlying causes of your arthritis and no longer need any drugs at all.

Barbara Allen is the author of the best selling book, Conquering Arthritis. Visit her website for more info on rheumatoid arthritis medications .