Gout Prevention Diet

Gout is a type of arthritis, which is associated with excruciating pain in the joints. It is characterized by sudden bouts of redness, pain and inflammation in the joints. Gout generally attacks the big toe and then it spreads to other joints. It is caused by excessive saturation of uric acid in the blood and tissues. Uric acid gets crystallized in the joints and leads to this troublesome type of arthritis. Body system of a gout patient can't break down uric acid, which is a byproduct of certain foods. Gout is also associated with several other health conditions like kidney disease, uric acid kidney stones, diabetes, atherosclerosis and high blood pressure. Uric acid is the byproduct of the purine rich foods and as a result, a gout prevention diet should preferably be a low purine diet.

Ideal Gout Prevention Diet

Gout attacks are recurrent and painful and hence, a person must be careful while planning the diet to prevent gout. Gout prevention is possible with a good combination of gout cures and gout diet. As far as gout medication is concerned, the doctor may prescribe you low-dose NSAIDs, allopurinol or febuxostat, low-dose colchicine or probenecid. But along with the medications, you must also be aware about the foods to avoid with gout. High purine foods and high protein foods have always been under suspicion for being the prime causes of gout.

Foods to Avoid
While planning the dietary changes, a person must concentrate on avoiding the foods that cause gout. While avoiding purine rich foods, a person must consume plenty of water (at least 6 to 8 glasses a day), avoid alcohol, coffee, spicy food, yeast products, fried food, heavy desserts, cream, ice cream, simple sugars, white flour, oatmeal and most of the grains. Along with the aforementioned foods, here are the foods that you must strictly avoid.

• Meat: Bacon, sweetbreads, organ meats, meat extracts, veal, consomm, meat gravies and meat broths, turkey, goose, etc.
• Seafood: Shrimp, mussels, crabs, salmon, trout, mackerel, sardines, cod, herring and anchovies. etc.
• Vegetables: Asparagus, beans (black beans, green beans, chickpeas, lentils, kidney beans, lima beans, pinto beans, soy beans, peas, white beans, etc.), cooked spinach, cauliflower, mushrooms, rhubarb (with excessive sugar), etc.

Foods to Eat
Having a low purine diet for gout is the key to prevent the gout attacks. Since gout can further cause high blood pressure and heat diseases, you must consume a low fat diet in the first place. As a result, though milk and milk products are low purine, you must opt for low fat milk and milk products, when opting for a low purine or purine free diet. Always opt for foods that are high in complex carbohydrates. Along with it, the diet to prevent gout must contain low protein and low calorie diet. Here is the list of foods that you can include in your diet.

• Fruits: Redberries, blueberries, strawberries, fresh cherries, bananas tangerines, oranges, mandarins, etc.
• Vegetables: Tomatoes, celery, kale, parsley, cabbage, red cabbage, red bell peppers, potatoes and all green and leafy vegetables, etc.
• Carbohydrates: Cereals, pasta, wheat bread, rice, tofu.
• Fats: Tuna fish, peanuts, flaxseeds, etc.

Miscellaneous List of Gout Prevention Foods

• Cooked rice
• Plain yogurt
• Cherry
• Cucumber
• Cottage cheese
• Wheat flour
• Chicory
• Pear
• Rhubarb
• Lettuce
• Onion
• Radishes
• Apple
• Fennel leaves
• Gooseberry
• Carrot
• Red currants
• Endive
• Raspberry
• Avocado
• Beet root
• Kiwi fruit
• Pineapple
• Aubergine
• Peach
• White cabbage
• Brazil nuts
• Plum
• Grape
• Cress
• Bamboo shoots
• Morel
• Quince
• Black elderberries
• Dried dates
• French beans
• Sweet almonds
• Savoy cabbage
• Hazel nuts
• Rye
• Sweet corn
• Green peppers
• Black pudding
• Garbanza beans
• Crayfish
• Sesame
• Chives
• Brussels sprouts
• Sesame
• Apricot
• Leek
• Cranberry beans
• Artichoke
• Peanuts
• Tench
• Oyster

The above mentioned foods must be constantly included in your gout treatment diet. However, you need to consult a health care provider prior to starting any diet. For instance, a patient of kidney disease, needs to consult the doctor about the fluid and water intake. Well, there are numerous gout remedies like using herbal medications, diuretics and regular medications and you need to be pretty sure about the kind of gout remedies that you want to opt for. Along with proper diet and medications, if the patient is overweight, then he needs to maintain the weight with proper workouts to lose weight.Take care!

Six Pack Abs Diet for Men

If someone tells you that all of us, even the ones who are over weight, actually have six pack abs, you would not believe it, would you? Well, whether you believe or not, this is the truth. All of us have those hidden six pack abs, under the layers of fat that we have put on due to our sedentary lifestyles, overeating and wrong food choices. So what do you think a person should logically do in order to reveal those abs? Simple, get rid of that unwanted layer of fat. However, this is easier said than done.

If you are aiming for a six pack abs, first of all, you need to be totally devoted and determined to get them as it is not a child's play. You need to be very disciplined with what and when you eat, in order to lose weight on your abdomen. The diet has to be combined with a workout plan, to get the results that you want. Given below are some effective tips.

Breakfast is a Must
A six pack diet plan would be ineffective without a healthy breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal and thus, should never be skipped. A healthy breakfast should comprise fiber-rich cereals, protein rich egg white omelet, some fruits and milk.

Healthy Food Choices
As is true for any fat loss diet, the best diet for six pack abs is that which is low in calories. Low in calories though in no way means that you have to eat less. Just make healthy choices vis-a-vis food.

• Eat lots of veggies and fruits, especially, the ones which are rich in fiber. Some of the fiber rich foods are apples, blackberries, oranges, prunes, pears, raspberries, beans, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, sweet corn and turnip greens.
• Eliminate junk food, fried food, processed foods, alcohol, caffeine and red meat completely from the diet.
• Include lots of high protein foods in the diet. Egg whites are a rich source of protein, so should be included in the everyday diet plan. Cottage cheese, tuna, chicken, salmon are some other rich sources of protein which help in boosting the body's metabolism.
• Take a low carbohydrate diet, mostly consisting of complex carbohydrates such as those found in green leafy vegetables, legumes and sweet potatoes. Some other carbohydrate foods that can be included in the diet are brown bread, brown rice, whole grain pasta and oatmeal.
• Incorporate healthy fats such as those found in olive oil, salmon and peanut butter in your diet. Almonds, nuts and flax seeds are a must too in the diet as they are rich in omega 3 fatty acids.

Small Meals and Food Portions
Most of us are habituated to eating three large meals in a day. However, for a flat stomach abs diet for men, five to six small meals should be taken, spread at regular intervals throughout the day. Eating regularly ensures that you do not suffer from hunger pangs. Usually what happens is that when we keep our stomachs empty for a very long time, we tend to eat in excess in our next meal, which adds up to our calorie intake. So, to avoid this, eat small meals throughout the day. Another important thing to remember for a 6 pack abs diet is portion size. Keep the portion size small and instead of eating one food in excess, include a variety of foods which provide the body with multiple healthy, required nutrients.

Water
Water is very essential as it helps in better digestion of food. It eliminates toxins and wastes from the body, thus aiding in losing weight. So, drink two-three liters of water everyday. Avoid packaged fruit juices and sodas as these are high in calories.

As mentioned above, the diet has to be combined with a regular exercise routine, which includes cardiovascular exercises and abdominal exercises, such as crunches, sit-ups and leg lifts, to be truly effective. So, follow the diet tips mentioned above, undertake cardiovascular exercises everyday and abdominal exercises on alternate days, and if you stick to this routine, within a few months you will see those coveted, well-cut abs revealing themselves.

Duodenal Ulcer Diet

Duodenal ulcer is a type of peptic ulcer, referring to the ulcer which is caused to the duodenum or the first section of the small intestine of a person. Studies show that more than 80% cases of duodenal ulcer are caused by bacterial infections of Helicobacter pylori. It is caused by breakage in the lining of the small intestine. However, several other causes like stress, alcohol abuse, excessive caffeine intake, smoking and excessive secretion of stomach acids can also cause duodenal ulcers. Since, this disease is related to the digestive system, when a person is diagnosed with it, he/she is recommended to follow a strict duodenal ulcer diet.

Diet Considerations

In order to avoid and reduce the stomach ulcer symptoms and signs, immediate treatment is extremely important. Duodenal ulcer treatment consists of lifestyle changes including proper stomach ulcer diet, medications including antibiotics and proper diet for duodenal ulcer symptoms. Diet for stomach ulcer should be helpful to avoid triggered acidic levels of the stomach and increase anti-inflammatory reaction of the body. Main objectives of the duodenal ulcer diet are to provide adequate nutrition, gastric acid neutralization, lowering acid secretion and reducing irritation of stomach lining which is caused by ulcer. In order to achieve these objectives, mandatory changes are required in levels of regular intake of vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, proteins, fats and energy.

The stomach ulcer diet that the patient will be following for duodenal ulcers should consist enough calories that are required for a healthy day-to-day living, which means, carbohydrate intake should be closely monitored. Hence, along with introducing a high fiber diet, fibers that might increase irritation should be avoided. Also, adequate amount of vitamins and especially vitamin C should be provided. Vitamin C not only increases the healing process of ulcer, but it also helps in iron absorption. Moving on to fats, emulsified fats (cream, butter). When it comes to protein, a high protein diet is often recommended for the people who are suffering with duodenal ulcer pain. Protein provides essential amino acids and buffer well insider the body. However animal sources of protein (meat and milk) should be restricted in this peptic ulcer diet. However, eggs can be consumed.

Diet Ideas

In order to achieve above mentioned objectives, one needs to make deliberate changes in the daily diet so that it can be a balanced diet for proper healing of the stomach ulcer symptoms. The patient needs the perfect combination of low calorie diet and high fiber diet. Along with its, there are a few minor things that can be observed, that may hasten the recovery. These things include, reduction of spicy foods, alcohol, caffeine, carbonated drinks, acidic drinks and high sodium foods from the diet. Instead of all these foods, the patient should consume omega 3 fatty acid supplements or fish like salmon, sardines, mackerel and herrings that are rich sources of omega 3 essential fatty acids.

Fresh vegetables have abundant antioxidant properties and hence they are also recommended to be included in the diet. Along with antioxidants, vegetables and fruits that can be included in the ulcer diet list are: carrots, red peppers green peppers, cabbage, apricots, kiwi, etc. are also rich with vitamins and minerals that are very helpful in the healing process of intestinal lining. Along with the above mentioned foods to include in this peptic ulcer disease diet, there are a lot of foods that should be avoided. These foods are: packaged foods that are high in sodium (soups and pickles), all sorts of chips like corn chips, potato chips, tortillas, fish chips; salted nuts, cornflakes, blue cheese, etc.

There are a few trivial things that one should always keep in mind. For instance, the patient should consume 5 to 6 smaller meals, rather than 3 straight large meals. They should also eat slowly and chew each bite well. Avoid eating chocolates, smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, tea, coffee, soda, cola, etc. Along with avoiding overeating, one should not skip the regular meals. It is also important to have the last food of the day, at least 3 hours before going to bed. Here is a sample diet for peptic ulcer: a bowl of oatmeal + scrambled egg + decaffeinated black coffee for breakfast; turkey sandwich made of whole wheat bread and cheddar cheese + carrot sticks and water for lunch; and steamed fish/baked chicken + mashed potatoes for dinner. In between each meal, the patients should consume fresh fruits like kiwis, grapes, etc.

Although now you are well aware of the foods that should be avoided for duodenal ulcer, you need to consult your health care provider and dietitian before you actually start on with any healthy diet, including the one mentioned above. Take care!

Anti-gout Diet

Gout is a type of acute inflammatory arthritis, characterized by buildup of urate crystals in the body, especially in the joints. Such crystals are formed when there is an elevated uric acid levels in the bloodstream or the body has problems in getting rid of this acid. In the body, uric acid is formed as a result of purine metabolism. Thus, gout is indirectly related to purine substances, which are naturally present in the body, as well as food items. So, avoiding food items rich in purine are imperative to manage painful gouty arthritis.

Anti-gout Diet Tips

Depending on the manifested symptoms, gout is classified as primary or secondary type. In the former case, gout symptoms are manifested alone; whereas secondary gout refers to occurrence of gout along with other medical conditions. For both the cases, following a well-planned anti-gout diet (low in purine) forms a part of the treatment strategy. Refer to the useful tips in order to plan a balanced diet for gout sufferers.

Include Anti-gout Diet Food
According to a 6 year study conducted in Harvard Medical School, it was found that consuming dairy products resulted in reduced uric acid concentration; while including seafood and meat increased the blood uric acid levels. Listed below are food items to be included in anti-gout diet plan.

• Milk and milk products are excellent food options in the low purine diet for gout. Ensure that low-fat dairy products are incorporated in the regular diet plan.
• Plain yogurt and sweetened yogurt are good to lower uric acid levels in the blood. So, have one or more servings of yogurt daily to combat gout pain.
• Drink lots of water and healthy fluid (about 8 cups) on a daily basis to treat gout naturally. This will help in flushing out uric acid in urine and help prevent formation of urate crystals.
• Moderate protein intake will cause no virtual effects, provided that the nutrient comes from healthy sources, like nut butter, eggs and fruits.
• Tofu prepared from soybean milk is an excellent protein rich food for patient having gout condition. So, to get optimal protein essential for the body, incorporate tofu and tofu based products.
• Food products to eat for gout include blackberries, blueberries and other dark-skinned berries. They are found to lower uric acid levels and alleviate inflammatory responses. Thus, berries are good fruits for gout patients.

Understand Gout Diet Restrictions
As the daily diet plan of a gout patient greatly influences his/her urate crystal buildup, a patient should go through gout diet handout given by the concerned doctor. This will help in sorting out the food items that contain higher amounts of purine. Food items to be avoided in anti-gout diet are:

• All varieties of seafood (herring, sardines) contain a higher percentage of purine, which when consumed will initiate onset of gout symptoms for them. So, eatables to avoid with gout include seafood items.
• Red meat and any type of meat are rich sources of purines and they are included in the list of food products that cause gout. The same is with meat extracts and meat soups. Hence, they are strictly not recommended in the anti-gout diet plan.
• Liver, kidneys and alike organ's meat are considered as a delicacy for many non-vegetarian people. But, for gout patients, they are nothing more than a contributory food for gout attacks.
• Purine containing vegetables that should be avoided in the gout treatment diet are mushrooms, cauliflower, asparagus and all types of legumes (both fresh and dried).
• Last but not the least, refrain from beer, alcohol and any type of beverages that contain alcohol. These are food drinks well-known for triggering gout symptoms.

Relying on a strict diet to prevent gout attacks is effectual in many of the patients. In addition to gout prevention diet, they should minimize the use of niacin, aspirin and diuretic medicines. If required, the doctor will recommend gout medications to reduce uric acid levels, inflammation and pain. A little change in the diet and lifestyle habits will go a long way in managing painful signs of gout. So, why not follow the anti-gout diet and lead a cheerful life, instead of having desirable food and suffering worse symptoms.