Stop Joint Inflammation

Antioxidant-rich foods reduce inflammation and strengthen our joints.

With age, bones tend to shrink in size and density. It weakens them and makes them more susceptible to fracture. You might even become a bit shorter. Muscles generally lose strength and flexibility, and you may become less coordinated or have trouble balancing.You should include plenty of calcium and vitamin D in your diet. Build bone density with some weight-bearing activities, such as power walking and strength training at least twice a week, too. By stressing your bones, strength training increases bone density and reduces the risk of osteoporosis. Building muscle also protects your joints from injury and helps you maintain flexibility and balance.

Joints consist of the following:

• cartilage: the bones are covered with cartilage (a connective tissue), which is made up of cells and fibers and is wear-resistant. Cartilage helps reduce the friction of movement.
• synovial membrane: a tissue called the synovial membrane lines the joint and seals it into a joint capsule. The synovial membrane secretes synovial fluid (a clear, sticky fluid) around the joint to lubricate it.
• ligaments: strong ligaments (tough, elastic bands of connective tissue) surround the joint to give support and limit the joint's movement.
• tendon: tendons (another type of tough connective tissue) on each side of a joint attach to muscles that control movement of the joint.
• bursas: fluid-filled sacs called bursas, between bones, ligaments, or other adjacent structures help cushion the friction in a joint.
• synovial fluid: a clear, sticky fluid secreted by the synovial membrane.
• meniscus: a curved part of cartilage in the knees and other joints.

Osteoarthritis is the most common cause for achy joints. It is a chronic, degenerative disorder characterized by loss of cartilage and found in men and women. Rheumatoid arthritis is the second most common type of arthritis and involves the immune system, which sets it apart from other joint pain illnesses. Finally, gout is the least common and occurs mainly in men. Gout is characterized by a chronic elevation in serum uric acid levels, causing crystals to form and collect in joints and soft tissue. This collection of crystals can cause you sudden, severe pain, with tenderness, redness and swelling of your joints, specifically ankles, knees, and toes. If your joints feel creaky or painful, the food you eat can make them feel worse, or better. While no single food is a magic cure, a combination of things in your daily diet can help to alleviate joint problems. Food can either increase or decrease levels of inflammation in our bodies. Internal inflammation isn't visible in the same way as a rash so it's easy to ignore, but that doesn't mean it doesn’t exist. Inflammation is one of the key reasons why joints hurt. Think about a splinter or even a hangnail that makes your finger red and very sensitive to the touch. You can see the inflammation. Well we can't literally see the inflammation inside our bodies but it basically works in the same way and sometimes, we can feel its effects on our joints. The foods you eat, or avoid, can calm or fuel the fire.

Now certain categories of foods, especially red meats, fried foods, fast food, starches, and added sugars, contribute to inflammation. Key foods that reduce it include fish and seafood, and fresh vegetables and fruit. Red meats contain fat that contributes to inflammation. Starches and sugars do the same thing in a different way: They are very rapidly converted to blood sugar, and that initiates a series of hormonal events that leads to inflammation. Fast food contains a combination of unhealthy fat, (trans-fat) starch, and sugar. Trade bad options for good ones, sometimes eat fish over red meat or pork. Salmon, herring, and sardines are especially rich in anti-inflammatory omega 3 fats so aim to eat more than 2 meals of fresh fish a week. Any other seafood is also a good choice. Those that are particularly high in mercury, such as swordfish or tuna, are best served with a cup of green tea which aids in preventing mercury absorption. Skinless breast meat from poultry is another option. So replace pasta, refined breads, and fried potatoes with lots of non-starchy vegetables. Whole grains like as brown rice as a side dish is fine, but if you make it a priority to eat lots of non-starchy vegetables, you're on a good path. Sodas are poison especially diet soda, so try fresh made lemon aid, or my favorite white peppermint ice tea, which contains anti-inflammatory ingredients. For dessert, pick fresh fruit, or dark chocolate with at least 70 % coca.

Frying food, including in batters for fish or chicken dishes, is the key type of cooking to avoid. Ideally with grilling or roasting you're better off than frying. When roasting, a low-salt marinade is a healthier alternative to breading. Vegetables don't become pro-inflammatory if they’re grilled, or steamed. A light brushing with some olive oil is all they need. Steaming is an easy way to cook vegetables on the stove top, and you can use an inexpensive steamer insert that fits most pots. Sugar is also a major player in the inflammation game. One of the reasons inflammation occurs is from a rapid rise in blood sugar, which causes biochemical changes in the cell. Staying away from sugar and high-glycemic (simple) carbohydrates, which the body rapidly converts to sugar, is one of the best ways to decrease inflammation. C-reactive protein (CPR) is a key factor of inflammation. In a major study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, people with elevated CRP levels were four and one-half times more likely to have a heart attack. Not only is elevated CRP more 
accurate than cholesterol in predicting heart attack risk, but high CRP levels have turned up in people with diabetes and pre-diabetes and in people who are overweight. A study by Simin Liu, M.D., Ph.D., of the Harvard Medical School found that women who ate large amounts of high-glycemic, or diabetes promoting carbohydrates, including potatoes, breakfast cereals, white bread, muffins, and white rice, had very high CRP levels. Women who ate a lot of these foods and were also overweight had the highest and most dangerous CRP levels.
Also fish and vegetables in your diet is good for joints in two other ways, they help to control weight, and losing excess pounds reduces stress on joints. Some of the best foods for joint health include oranges, carrots, apples, asparagus, pineapple, dark leafy greens, avocados, red peppers, peaches, strawberries and other also nutrient-rich green vegetables, any omega-3 containing food from flax to fish, also are very helpful for joint health. These foods lubricate the joints and reduce inflammation in the body. Foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids include sunflower seeds, salmon, cod, flax seeds, eggs, almonds and other nuts. Also garlic has anti-inflammatory uses. Our our musculoskeletal system and respiratory system can benefit from anti-inflammatory compounds in garlic. The diallyl sulfide (DAS) and thiacremonone in garlic have been shown to have anti-arthritic properties, and in the case of allergic airway inflammation, aged garlic extract has been show to improve inflammatory conditions, in animal studies.Lately more people have asked me about Glucosamine. Well this is what we know,

• Many people do not believe it works for them. It can take awhile to build up enough for people to see a direct benefit from it. I think that most people give up before reaching that point.
• The pills are very large and hard to swallow and you are often required to take large numbers of them every day. I think that leads to not taking them.
• Only a small fraction of the glucosamine you take is actually utilized by your body. In the case of pills and capsules, the studies demonstrate that only about 15-20% is absorbed.
• Much of the glucosamine on the market is derived from shellfish, specifically crab, lobster, and shrimp shells, a common allergen. Obviously, you should avoid glucosamine if you're allergic to shellfish.
• The long-awaited NIH trials on glucosamine showed disappointing results. There were no significant differences between glucosamine alone, chondroitin alone, or the two combined, when tested against placebo.
• While generally considered to be free of side effects, some people do experience gastro-intestinal upset from it. Chondroitin molecules are large, making it difficult for your body to digest, which could be what causes problems for some people.
• It's not clear, even after many studies, whether glucosamine affects blood sugar levels. Most doctors agree, people with diabetes or hypoglycemia should be cautious about taking glucosamine, and should carefully monitor their blood sugar levels if taking it.  

Water is still the most essential anti-inflammatory nutrient you can consume. Clean filtered water without the fluoride, chlorine. Water lubricates your joints, and helps to prevent aching. Men should consume at least 125oz (3.7 liters) of water daily depending on activity level and climate. About 91oz. for women.Your joints have to support your body weight, so in addition to following the dietary recommendations listed above, lose weight if you are overweight. 

This will take any excess pressure off your joints and bones. Just like your bones need calcium, so do your joints. Make sure you get enough calcium for your gender and age, in diet or supplementation, and if you haven't yet, grab a friend and start an exercise program. NOW ! As you can see these girls are doing heavy curls, To improve their elbow joints, and they look to be in quite good shape, Good Luck..

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