Rheumatism is a collective name for over 100 musculoskeletal disorders. Muscles, tendons, bones and joints can be involved. It is not caused by an accident. Sometimes also the internal organs can be involved. Anyone can get rheumatism at any age.
Types of rheumatism
There are various types of rheumatism:
* autoimmune disease/inflammatory rheumatism
* arthrosis
* gout
* soft tissue rheumatism.
With the autoimmune variety, the immunesystem sees healthy cells as angry invaders and attacks the own body. Because of this, inflammation can occur. This happens with rheumatoid arthrosis, Bekhterev’s disease and SLE.
With osteoarthitis, cartilage becomes thinner and worse in quality. Sometimesthe cartilage disappears completely, the bone can get dammaged and can be distorted. Because of this, inflammations might occur, but it is not an autoimmune disorder.
Gout.There are two forms of gout. The first form is a congenital metabolic disease. The second form is the result of a condition with an increased uric acid production or a reduced uric excretion.
Osteoporosis reduces bone mass, thus reducing bone strength. This makes it easier for fractures to occur.
Soft tissue rheumatism is a condition of muscles, tendons and soft tissue. Fibromyalgia is the best known form. It involves pain in muscles, tendons and connective tissue.
Chronic inflammations are at the basis of many syndromes. An inflammation is a reaction of the immune system. The immune system tries to repare everything in your body; it wants to keep you healthy. It is important to know, that more than 70% of the immune cells are in the microbiome of your intestines. Your digestive tract is a system that comes into contact with the outside world through your food. That is why food is so incredibly important in strengthening your immune system. So, try to avoid food which stir up inflammations and eat food that deminish inflammations.
Food that fuel inflammations:
* an excess of Omega 6 fatty acids from sunflower-, soy- and cornoil (think of frying fat).
* Arachidonic acid contained in animal products, such as dairy and pork.
* Carbonated and light products.
* Too much cafeine, alcohol and nicotine.
* All genetically modified seeds, such as wheat, corn and soy.
* All forms of sugar, fructose and fast carbohydrates. Insuline production causes belly fat and that in return is the cause of inflammation.
* All hardened fats from a factory, such as margarine and halvarine. These are called trans fats.
* The microwave turns all fats into toxins.
Food that prevent inflamation:
* All plant food, such as fresh, organic vegetables. Specially the green vegetables and the vegetables with a bright colour. And furthermore, garlic, onion and wild garlic (allium ursinum).
* Omega 3 fatty acids from wallnuts, linseed, hempseed, fatty fish, algea oil and krill oil.
* Cold pressed olive oil (do not heat on high heat!) is an anti inflammatory, which works great with bowel infections and with heart and vascular disease.
* Fiber from buckwheat, psyllium, oats, quinoa and teff.
* Proteins such as seaweed, chlorella and spirulina.
* Herbs such as ginger and turmeric.
* A vitamine D deficiency can cause inflammation. A blog entirely devoted to vitamine D is on our planning.
* Boswellia is also an anti inflammatory and a painreliever. Don’t use it though during pregnancy and breastfeeding or during the use of blood coagulation medication.
* Green-lipped mussel extract helps with pain, swelling and stiffness. It also helps getting a healthymicrobiome and it has a detoxifying effect on the liver.
* Good breathing is very important, because your breathing is the greatest deacidifier. Good breathing involves the lower abdomen.
* Our contemporary diet, often lacks the bitter substances. Bitter substances are a kind of superfoods. They inhibit appetite, activate digestion, strengthen the immune system and help against the acidification of the body. Bitter substances are in cucumbers, icebug lettuce, grapefruits, endive, radish, argula, marjoram, lemonbalm and dandelion. Goldenmilk and the tricolourviolet are anti inflammatory. A dried cornflower in the tea, Argimony, sheabutter, essential anise oil and juniperberries also work for rheumatism.
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May 2019
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