Another type of ‘Med’ found to bring relief from arthritis

If you or someone you love has arthritis, here’s some very good news!

Researchers in Europe have found that a particular diet, one you’ve likely heard a lot about, can really help those with arthritis — especially knee arthritis.

It’s a way to decrease the pain and increase your ability to do the everyday things you enjoyed before arthritis started ruling your life.

From olive oil to nuts

There’s nothing like chronic pain to get you popping all sorts of drugs for relief – despite all the risks these meds come along with.

That’s why I was so happy to read about a different sort of “Med” — actually a way of eating that a group of researchers from Italy and the UK discovered can significantly help arthritis pain.

And surprise — it’s none other than the Mediterranean Diet!

For years now I’ve told you all sorts of good things about the Mediterranean Diet, which has been proven to be excellent for our all-around health – especially if you need to keep your blood sugar levels in check.

But this could be the first time that researchers took a big look at how this diet might help improve the “quality of life” for people with the crippling pain of arthritis.

And what they found was pretty amazing. The researchers surveyed over 4,000 men and women, finding that those on the Mediterranean Diet said they had less pain, were better able to do day-to-day activities and less likely to suffer from depression.

Talk about a win-win!

Now, even if you work hard to make sure the things you eat are as healthy as possible, there are some easy tweaks you can make so they’ll be even better – and closer to a true Mediterranean-style diet.

Mediterranean Diet basics revolve around less processed foods with more fresh foods, fruits, veggies and very few sweets. Actually, moms have been telling their kids to eat this way for ages!

Here are the basics:

• Eat at least two servings of veggies a day.
• Try to cut down on red meat, while upping servings of fish.
• Add a variety of nuts to your meals (or snacking sessions!).
• Ditch drinking sodas and eating processed foods like cookies and candy.
• Ban those Frankenfood oils, canola and corn, from your kitchen. Start using olive oil instead as your main cooking fat — and add it to other foods as well, such as salads, rice and even popcorn!

Think of olive oil as much more than just something to cook with or use in salads. Studies have found it can lower you risk of heart disease, stroke, dementia and even breast cancer. It’s a powerhouse of nutrition that has also been found to slash your risk of developing type 2 diabetes!

But getting high-quality olive oil is often easier said than done.

Some brands are diluted with cheap oils, or so old and rancid they’ve lost all their nutritional value and could even be bad for you. Since you can’t take advantage of all the Mediterranean Diet has to offer without good quality olive oil, here are three tips to get your olive’s worth:

Tip #1: Never buy the “light” or “extra light” varieties of olive oil.

Tip #2: Good olive oil doesn’t just come from Italy! Australia has received high grades for its extra virgin oil and California also produces some excellent, “certified extra virgin” olive oil.

Tip #3: Only buy brands that list a “harvest date” on the label and look for the one bottled most recently.

Finally, if you have any doubts about switching to the Mediterranean Diet, you’ll be happy to know that another big feature of it is a glass of red wine with dinner!

“How to avoid arthritis pain with a Mediterranean diet” Terry Graedon, November 10, 2016, The People’s Pharmacy, peoplespharmacy.com