Aches and Pains

There's nothing like cold, damp weather to make us aware of any aches and pains, and with 8 million of us in the UK affected by arthritis, that's a lot of people suffering. But the good news is there are quite a few things you can do to help yourself as far as your diet is concerned as some foods aggravate the condition, whilst others soothe inflammation, remove toxins and acids from the joints and generally promote flexibility.

The foods to avoid are those rich in oxalic acid, like spinach and rhubarb, and vegetables which belong to the solinaceae (deadly nightshade) family, that is, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and aubergines; also red meat, sugar, alcohol, coffee and, to some extent, tea because these are acid-forming and aggravate stiff and aching joints.

You're better off cutting down or cutting out wheat and dairy products because these inhibit digestive activity and increase the possibility of allergic reactions and over-active immune responses in the body which produce uncomfortable symptoms like inflammation and other potentially more serious reactions. Also steer clear of foods which contain high levels of 'trans' fats: these are fats which have been damaged by heat or manufacturing processes and are found in all deep-fried foods, crisps, bought cakes and biscuits (unless organic), margarine and mayonnaise.

So, what can you eat? Oily fish, because it's rich in valuable omega 3 fatty acids, and for vegetarians, powdered golden flax seeds (use a coffee grinder and have a heaped tablespoonful every day) or flax seed oil: buy from a health shop where is should be kept in the fridge - continue to keep it in the fridge and take some (unheated) every day - 3 tablespoons is the 'therapeutic dose', 1 tablespoon for maintenance.

Nuts and nut butters such as almond or hazelnut (not peanut) are excellent because they're full of magnesium, as are leafy green vegetables and also buckwheat - try the grain itself - see recipe - and look out for buckwheat pasta and noodles.

Drink plenty of water, which plumps out the cartilage surfaces and keeps them gliding smoothly, and try taking 2-3 teaspoons of cider apple vinegar each day, because it alkalinises the system and remove toxins which cause pain and stiffness. Lemon juice is very helpful, too. It's so acidic that it actually becomes alkaline in the stomach, which makes it very therapeutic for arthritis.

This was brought home to Jill one day when a man - a complete stranger - walked into her consulting room and said ' you'll want to know why I'm here'. 'Of course', replied Jill, thinking 'it takes all sorts'. 'Well, I couldn't have done it a month ago', the man said, 'I was in a wheelchair for years. What I did to cure myself was a bit severe, but it worked.' Jill pricked up her ears as he then went on to explain that, along with a healthy diet, like the one described above, he'd drunk the juice of 12 lemons every day for the past month! We're not advocating this extreme treatment, but you might find benefit from taking perhaps the juice of two lemons a day.

Other kitchen remedies include celery and parsley (the plants and the seeds) which help to propel toxins out of the joints, and garlic, rosemary, cinnamon, ginger and pineapple which all assist circulation, detoxify and cool or warm the system as required.

Buckwheat and Parsley Pilaf

Buckwheat is easy to prepare and can be served instead of potatoes with all kinds of dishes. The best type to buy is organic unroasted buckwheat which you can get from health shops - it's far nicer than the other types.

Serves 4

250g/9oz organic untoasted buckwheat
600ml/1pint boiling water
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1 tbsp cider apple vinegar
2 stalks of celery, chopped
4 heaped tbsps chopped flat-leaf parsley
6 spring onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed

Rinse the buckwheat in a sieve under the cold tap, put it into a pan and cook over a moderate heat for about 5 minutes, stirring it about a bit from time to time, until it smells gorgeously toasty and looks toasted.

Pour the boiling water into the buckwheat, standing well back, then take it off the heat, cover and leave for 15 minutes, when it will be tender but still 'al dente'.

Using a fork, stir the olive oil, cider vinegar, celery, parsley, spring onion and garlic into the buckwheat. Season with salt and pepper.

To sum up:

Avoid acid-forming and other aggravating foods such as coffee, alcohol, tomatoes, spinach, red meat, wheat and dairy, as explained above
Drink plenty of water, perhaps with a dash of lemon juice
Get your circulation going with exercise and eating warming foods like ginger and garlic
Avoid trans fats - see above - and make sure you get plenty of omega 3 oils