Mind & Body

A change of stance

They have taken quite a beating over the years and when we respect the fact that we were designed to walk on all fours rather that upright it is easy to understand why weight-baring joints are often screaming out for a few hours in the horizontal position!

Should we accept that wear and tear is inevitable?

Not so fast. We may not be able to reverse the damage but we can sure as hell limit it. There are a host of reasons why our joints continue to hamper our enthusiasm for life as we get older and many of them are linked to what we eat.

Take more water with it!

Our bodies contain around 40 litres of liquid and the natural state of that liquid is alkaline. The optimum pH should be around 7.4 for good health* (except for our stomach fluids which need to be more acidic for digestion).

There are several reasons why an acid-forming diet can worsen joint pain. When the body becomes too acidic it tries to maintain its natural alkaline state by taking minerals such as calcium, magnesium and potassium from the bones and other essential areas of the body to break down the excess acid. A diet rich in alkaline-forming foods can halt this ongoing mineral robbery and tame the chronic inflammation which is endemic to conditions such as arthritis, tendinitis, bursitis, fibromyalgia etc.

Getting rid of the acid

Many foods in the British diet are highly acid-forming and whilst the kidneys are designed to secrete excess acid through our urine, they tend to get overloaded. So, how do we ensure that we get the balance right? Adopt the 80:20 rule with alkalineforming foods playing the major role.

Top Tips:

Love Lemon

Most people think citrus fruits are acid-forming, but in terms of the action they have on our system, lemons and limes are amongst the most alkaline-forming foods available. Add them to your food regularly.

Lots of Water

Drinking at least eight glasses a day helps flush excess acid from the system.

Best Alkaline-forming Foods

Green or Herbal tea
Raw, unprocessed honey
Fruit juices (especially citrus)
Most fruit (especially cantaloupe melons, grapefruit and kiwi)
All vegetables
Herbs and spices
Olive oil, olives
Flaxseed oil

Worst Acid-forming Foods

Caffeinated drinks
Sugary sweets
Junk food
Fizzy drinks
Refined carbohydrates
Fatty meats and cheeses

A Joint-Friendly Day in your Diet:-

First thing in the morning

A mug of hot water with a good squeeze of lemon juice and grated fresh ginger (buy a large piece of fresh ginger, peel and cut into chunks, bag and freeze then just grate straight from the freezer every morning).

Breakfast

Best Oat Breakfast Ever (see recipe below)

Cup of Green or Herbal tea

Mid Morning Snack

Couple of brown Ryvita with almond butter, topped with fresh tomato and cucumber slices

Glass of fresh carrot and orange juice

Lunch

Bowl of Malaysian Chicken Curry or Thai Chicken Soup (make your own or get one off the shelf)

Large mixed salad (if it’s a bought salad, bin the little packet of sugary dressing and sling on a drizzle of olive/flaxseed oil and a squeeze of lemon juice)

Mid Afternoon Snack

Large slice of watermelon with a small pack of mixed fresh nuts, seeds and dried fruit. Glass of chilled Green tea on ice topped up with sparkling water with a dash of pure
fruit cordial

Evening Meal

Very Quick Fish (serves 1)

Grill a couple of white fish fillets until fish flakes easily (4-6 min dependent on type/ thickness of fish). warm through a couple of tablespoons of tomato salsa while the fish is cooking. Top the fish with the salsa and sprinkle with chopped fresh herbs, ground black pepper and lemon juice at the last minute.

Vegetable Stir Fry

Get as much colour and as many vegetables as you can into your stir fry and use chilli oil to add extra spice.

Large glass of good red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Merlot are richest in anti-inflammatory and protective flavonoids)

Best Oat Breakfast Ever (serves 1)

Put a couple of handfuls of raw oats and a handful of mixed nuts, seeds and dried fruit in a bowl and cover with fresh pineapple juice. Leave to soak overnight (or as long as you can) to soften the oats, plump up the dried fruit and make the nuts and seeds more digestible. Top with a generous tablespoon of natural yoghurt and sliced fresh fruit or mixed berries. Drizzle with raw honey, sprinkle on some dried cinnamon and dig in.

*You can test the pH of your saliva and urine simply and inexpensively. All you need
are some pH test strips. Ask at your local chemist or get them from www.simplexhealth.co.uk or through www.amazon.co.uk  and follow the instructions.

For More Information:

***Reader offer:

Fiona Kirk is a nutritionist and author of ‘So What The F*** Should I Eat?’ and ‘2 Weeks in the Fast Lane’. To purchase her books at the special reader offer price visit www.fionakirk.com and quote the following at checkout:

Ref: GL912 for ‘So What The F*** Should I Eat? (£12 plus p+p)
Ref: GL911 for ‘2 Weeks in the Fast Lane’ (£7 plus p+p)

Offer ends 30th November 2011.