To ask what on earth I'm supposed to eat if I've been "advised" to cut out..?

[dottytablecloth]

I'm in the process of being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, as in doctor is 99% sure I have it but am needing further tests.

Anyway lots of people are recommending that changes to diet is my best option to control it. I'm not listening to well meaning people over the doctor but if it helps I'll try it.

Anyway so far I've been advised to cut out:
Dairy
Red meat
Caffeine
Processed food

I really don't know what I can eat instead

I have porridge or eggs for breakfast so the milk on the porridge and the eggs are dairy.

My one pleasure in the morning is a skinny latte, so I can't have that.

I have a cup of tea in the evening so I can't have that.

We try to eat fresh home cooked food but I enjoy a pizza or Chinese takeaway once a fortnight, so I can't have that.

No red meat means, no shepherd pie, lasagne etc, I'm not a fabulous cook and these were so good for family dinners with a fussy 2 year old.

I eat lots of fruit and trying to eat more vegetables and my only vice is a few squares of chocolate in the evening.

I try to eat as much fish as I can 2-3 times a week.

I'm aware I sound really negative here, but am I missing something? Do people really manage to eliminate these things from their diet?

Am struggling with possibly having RA, feeling quite down at the minute but just wanted some views.

I had to cut out dairy and fat and coffeine too prior to gallbladder operation and I discovered Soya Light "milk" by Alpro.

it is delicious,slightly sweet taste but more like hint of vanilla then sugar.
great on cereal or with porridge, and I drank some hot choc instead if tea and coffee.
it's a shock to the system and I truly sympathise.

Most quorn has dairy in it btw

I have suspected RA and to follow your guidelines I'd only need to cut caffeine and "processed food" because I'm vegan. And there's definitely a lot to eat as a vegan seeing as I'm fat haha :) Don't worry too much, you will find something to eat :) As you could continue eating fish, eggs, white meat on top of healthy veg-filled vegan recipes you'd not have anything to worry about at all. (Apart from the lack of tea and coffee!! Good luck!)

Sorry to hear about your condition OP.

Porridge: Oats in alternative milk. I like Rude Health Almond Milk. Heat up and add anything you like. I like almond butter, frozen raspberries, a chopped up banana and sprinkle it with seeds (Aldi do a great range of linseed mixes). Try these:

ohsheglows.com/2014/11/17/5-minute-oatmeal-power-bowl/

This is the recipe that got me started on porridge but I replace coconut milk for almond milk but koko is good.

deliciouslyella.com/recipe/coconut-porridge/

Eggs are not classed as dairy but if you do want to avoid them try this really nice chickpea pancake. Tastes eggy to me and there are none in it.
ohsheglows.com/2013/09/15/jumbo-chickpea-pancake-a-high-protein-filling-vegan-breakfast-or-lunch/ I love it with chopped up chery tomatoes, avocado and chilli sauce.

You'll get used to tea without milk- seriously. After a while, if you do accidentally have it the milk will leave a nasty film on your tongue that you did not notice before. I recommend lady grey, lemon grey or earl grey if you want to use black tea. I chug them down all the time now.

Coffee- in coffee shops I ask for soy milk lattes and they taste great. Top trick though if making at home, the soy splits if added cold, it needs to be heated up then added.

Cottage pie you could make with Quorn mince if you're still having egg and there are plenty of meat replacement non-egg minces around. Fry's is a good brand. Alternatively to keep it whole food you could do:
Fry garlic and onion, add pepper, carrot, celery, leeks etc. then add brown lentils with red wine, stock and herbs. Add diced sweet potato and butternut squash with a tin of tomatoes. Top with mash (use Pure Sunflower marg- tastes fine and no milk). Bob's your cottage pie.

Lasagne- same basic recipe as above but add lasagne sheets. for a cheesy sauce try this one: ohsheglows.com/2014/01/20/cauli-power-fettuccine-alfredo-vegan/ Its seriously yummy and very good for you. Nutritional yeast is available in most supermarkets or health food shops, isn't at all marmity and has a cheesy flavour.

Other websites to look at are Detoxinista and Nutrition Stripped. I have the Oh She Glows cookbook too and its brilliant.

Have a look at this for something to aspire to in terms of tackling your health via food: deliciouslyella.com/philosophy/about/

Hope this all helps.

Porridge with frozen berries and almond milk is delicious. It's sweet and tasty and I prefer it to dairy milk.

Not CADBURYS DAIRY MILK obviously, cow's milk.

It's tough at first but gets easier.

You can make your own almond milk really easily (the shop bought ones are nasty and full of crap) and for everything else start replacing red meat with chicken/turkey/fish.

Pinterest is brilliant for recipe ideas and Deliciously Ella will give you some fantastic ways of replacing all the things you need to in a tasty way.

I did all this when I was first dignosed with RA. Along with various magnets, supplements, exercises etc etc.

My top tip is to forget about it all and get straight on the meds they prescribe. A good DMARD (disease modifying anti rheumatoid drug) is what you need. Along with anti-inflammatory's (NSAID) and a treatment like methotrexate.

Nothing else works

I follow a dairy free, sugar free, processed food free diet. There's lots of choice, you just have to make small changes.
Porridge can be made with water, or nut milks.
Look on vegan recipe websites, you'll be surprised at the choices. Then just modify them yourself, add chicken or whatever, and you've got very tasty very wholesome food.

"Cut out dairy" seems to be the standard advice from the well-meaning for absolutely everything. I had a look on the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society website here and they say

"There is some evidence that certain components of the diet may increase the risk of RA in susceptible individuals. Diets high in red meat and low in vitamin C and other components of brightly coloured fruit and vegetables appear to carry an enhanced risk of RA. Conversely, the so-called Mediterranean diet appears to be relatively protective."

The same advice is on the Arthritis Research UK site.

The only thing I'd try cutting out would be red meat based on that. I'm an omnivore but DP is veggie, so I'm mostly veggie at home and can promise that Quorn mince is quite nice! Only thing is that it is much lower fat than meat mince so needs a little help to avoid dryness. I usually grate a carrot into the sauce which works well.

There is no concrete evidence that there is a link between diet and RA. You may find some foods trigger your pain levels but apart from that, ignore the diet aspect. People talk shit sadly.

My one pleasure in the morning is a skinny latte, so I can't have that.

I have a cup of tea in the evening so I can't have that.

I was told by my first consultant that what I eat won't make any difference.

People have told me to avoid oranges and tomato-based sauces, caffeine, cut down on red meat, the list goes on. Obviously if I overeat and pile on weight then my joints will be under more strain. I have to be careful about cholestrol so yes I pay some attention to what I eat and drink but it's bad enough having this condition, what's life for if you don't have some little pleasures to keep you going.

Quinoa porridge is surprisingly nice, I like it with strawberry or raspberry soya yoghurt.

Bean chilli with brown rice. Raw beans are very good value for money, and I like them because they give your body something to work on, so to speak.

Chickpea curry. Lovely.

Even as a committed meat-eater, I love all of these.

Drinks... fruit teas (go for the best quality you can, cheaper tends to lack flavour in my experience). Have a look at Twinings' website for inspiration; some teas are delicious black.

Goat milk? Lots of milk alternatives, but seem to be very much down to personal taste. Soy milk latte is okay, but I need a stronger coffee to offset the milk's sweetness.

Hope you get some progress with yout health soon.

Has your doctor advised you to change your diet like this? Or does this just come from well meaning but uninformed people?

There is no strong evidence that changing diet in RA will make a difference, as others have said. If you notice something triggers pain/swelling, then stop that to see if it makes any difference, but beyond eating a healthy balanced diet and trying to keep your weight normal, there is absolutely no need for dietary restrictions.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an immune mediated condition if it is linked to some form of food allergy, cutting that food out before diagnosis is complete will make diagnosis more difficult.
Keep eating your normal diet and only once you have a diagnosis consider this.
I have a similar condition and correct diagnosis found I am coeliac as well, if I had stopped eating gluten before the diagnostic process was complete the coeliac disease could have been missed.

if you are having skimmed milk in your skinny latte you can still keep on having that.

I have inflammatory arthritis and have found no proper evidence to suggest diet reduces inflammation.

I would wait until you have a firm diagnosis before you start cutting anything out of your diet - and if you do choose to eliminate a food group do it one at a time so you can pinpoint the trigger.

Personally I'd be careful of Quorn as a meat replacement too as it seems a lot of people get a bad reaction to it - see recent thread

Don't change your diet!

I have a type of RA and would advise you to take the medications that will be prescribed as they will help far more than any dietry changes.

If you have RA please don't cut out dairy from your diet as you need strong bones and joints to fight the disease.

It is important to control your weight so stick to a normal, healthy diet which includes all types of food. Ignore all the mumbo jumbo advice you will get unless it comes from a doctor or hospital dietician. RA will not be cured by diet, despite what many people try to tell you. While you are getting used to dealing with your condition it is important to get enough rest, eat well and avoid stress. I wish you well dotty, good luck!

What Sidge said.

I'm an OT and have worked with people with RA, including running a cooking session for people with associated hand problems. The only dietary things to think about are to eat a healthy, balanced diet to minimise weight-gain, and thereby stress on your joints. None of the things you have listed have any decent supporting evidence to indicate that they have any bearing on your (possible) condition, so don't make life any more stressful for yourself than it already is with this potential diagnosis and follow through with any dietary substitutions yet. If you receive a confirmed diagnosis, you will get lots of information about it and possibly get to attend groups with other people with RA, so will have plenty of opportunity to find out what NHS-approved recommendations there are, if and when you need them.

Thanks so much for the advice given on this thread.

Just to clarify, my doctor hasn't told me to cut anything out of my diet. It's advice from people who know others who have RA who have seen wonderful results through dietary changes.

Lots to think about here!

I'm skeptical about diet advice you've had, sorry, I bet there's little evidence for most of it.
This sugests some good things to eat and IS evidence-based.

I suggest if you want to try 'cutting out' things, just do one food type at a time to see what works for you (or doesn't work at all for you), and try to keep everything else in your life about the same so that you can be confident that the hassle is worthwhile.

Sorry to read you've got RA. It is a difficult disease.

I have ME which obviously isn't the same as rheumatoid arthritis but I can totally empathise with what it's like to be diagnosed with a chronic illness. I felt totally powerless and desperately wanted to figure out how to make it go away...right at the beginning you can be really vulnerable to falling for non scientific nonsense that really isn't helpful.

I have lots of very well meaning friends who know someone who had a complete recovery when they did this diet thing or some other magic cure. I would be very wary of putting too much stock in these anecdotal miracles. You can tie yourself up in knots trying to find that perfect thing to eat or cut out that will make you better and feeling worse when it doesn't happen. I have learnt to nod, smile, say thanks and then ignore this sort of advice! The people who are most able to help you are the medical professionals or people who actually have what you have.

Really good luck with your diagnosis and treatment. There are some great drugs around now for managing RA and I hope your symptoms get better as quickly as possible. X

If you are going to cut out an entire food group speak to a dietician, if you followed all the well meaning advice you've been given you'd be on a very restricted diet.