What is Gout? Common Causes, Symptoms & Problems
Gout is a painful form of arthritis that causes pain and swelling in the foot. There are several causes, and obesity is one of the main factors.
Gout can be treated with a common-sense diet and weight-loss plan. In most cases, gout is associated with a lifestyle that includes too much weight and excessive use of alcohol.
If you have developed a case of gout, losing weight will be helpful in getting rid of this painful and debilitating ailment. However, you shouldn’t go on a crash diet; check with your doctor and formulate a sensible weight-loss plan.
Planning a gout diet that will aid in getting rid of this malady and also help in preventing a recurrence is easy to do, but sometimes hard to follow.
You should avoid high-purine foods. Purines are natural substances in human cells that are produced by the body’s breakdown of foods. Uric acid is a form of purine.
Foods that Cause Gout
Some of the foods you shouldn’t eat and lifestyle habits that may need to be changed include the following:
- Starting with your lifestyle, you should be conservative in your use of alcohol. Beer in particular—because of the yeast—should be used in moderation or not at all.
- Most people who suffer from gout are overweight; if you fall in this category, you should consult your doctor and devise a gout diet that will help you lose weight and cure the disease.
- Avoid foods that are high in purines and protein. Meats that are high in purines include beef, pork, lamb, and liver. You shouldn’t avoid all meats with purine, but consume them moderately.
- Reduce your consumption of oatmeal, peas, spinach, and mushrooms. That doesn’t mean eliminate them completely, but eat wisely.
- Don’t eat large quantities of seafood, particularly anchovies, sardines, cod, scallops, trout, and haddock.
Gout Remedies, Cures & Treatments
Lifestyle choices and foods that are beneficial include the following:
- Drink a lot of water. This helps remove excess uric acid from the body, which is one of the causes of gout.
- Low-fat dairy products are helpful in the cure and also in reducing the chance for a recurrence of gout.
- There are a number of low-purine foods that are beneficial in curing existing cases of gout and preventing another bout of this painful disease. Some of these foods that should become staples in your diet include coffee, cereals, chocolate, fruits, breads, grains, pasta, rice, cheese, eggs, milk products, sugar, tomatoes, and some green vegetables.
It’s important that you consult a dietician and your doctor before you embark on a new gout diet. You might have some pre-existing medical conditions that make some of the foods recommended in a gout diet an unwise choice.
Losing weight is one of the best options and that will benefit your battle with gout as well as improving your overall health. You will find that most of what you eat and how you maintain your calorie intake will become a habit if you follow a practical plan.
As you gradually reduce the amount of food that you eat, you’ll be amazed to find that your appetite will decrease slowly but surely. It’s just a matter of your digestive system becoming used to smaller portions of food during your meals.
Limiting your consumption of alcohol will help with your diet because you won’t have the urge to eat such large portions. Alcohol reduces many inhibitions, including what and how much you eat. You don’t have to become a teetotaler, but you’ll be much healthier and avoid the gout if you curtail your use of spirits.
Gout is caused, for the most part, by eating the wrong foods, drinking too much alcohol, and being overweight. All of these faults can be corrected with a heavy dose of willpower. This would be a perfect New Year’s resolution.
