Food as Medicine: Healing Arthritis

Here, in its entirety, an article by Dr. Ruth Yale Long of the Nutrition Education Association, as shown on ghc.health.com, quoted in its entirety there by Dr. Ellen Tart-Jensen:

Healing Arthritis
Dr. Ellen Tart-Jensen

There has been a request from one of our students this
month for me to write about arthritis. Dr. Ruth Yale Long from
the Nutrition Education Association wrote, “Arthritis is a
nutritional deficiency disease. If we all eat the nutrients we
need, we can live out our lives without the misery of
arthritis.” Indeed, Dr. Bernard Jensen, my late father-in-law,
traveled into Russia and met people over 100 years old
completely free from arthritis. He said that some of these
people rode up to greet him on horseback, very limber and
agile. Why did these people not have arthritis? They lived
close to nature, growing their own gardens, picking their own
vegetables and eating them. They went barefooted on the earth
and worked outside in fresh air and sunshine. They were happy
and contented.

How can we prevent arthritis? And if we have arthritis,
how can we heal it? First of all, let’s examine some of the
causes of arthritis. When people eat denatured foods that have
been canned, preserved, packaged and nuked, there are no
vitamins and minerals left in them. The joints need minerals in
order to stay lubricated. The joints are lined with lymph
fluid. That lymph fluid is the same fluid that makes up our
tears when we cry. Have you ever tasted your tears? They are
very salty. Organic sodium is necessary to keep the lymph
healthy. Organic sodium helps to hold calcium in the bone.
When calcium comes out of the bone, crystals form in the joints
causing pain, inflammation and swelling. Soon the joints become
enlarged and hardened.

Some people reading this will think they need to eat
lots of salt. This is far from the truth. Salt dries up the
lymph fluid. Table salt is much different from natural, organic
sodium. Table salt is made from salt rocks and is mined from
the earth. This salt is nearly impossible for the body to
absorb. So, you may ask about sea salt. Most sea salt does
come from the sea, but it has been heated to high temperatures
and all the minerals are destroyed. In order to get natural,
organic sodium, we must get it from plants or goat whey. Plants
stretch their roots far into the earth and absorb the salt that
is there and transmute it to a form we can absorb. Goats eat
those plants and the organic sodium goes into their milk. Goat
whey is the clear fluid that is in the milk. It is separated
from the milk solids during the cheese making process and is
very rich in organic sodium. Dr. Jensen insisted that every
person with arthritis, take goat whey to help dissolve the
arthritic crystals and help them be reabsorbed by the bone. The
organic sodium in goat whey also helps to relieve inflammation.
It can be taken in powdered form in a cup of hot water. It
tastes salty much like bullion. Goat mineral whey also comes in
capsule form.

So, the first cause of arthritis is neglecting to
consume the foods we need that are high in organic sodium and
organic minerals. The second cause is consuming “foods” that
actually drain the body of the sodium, calcium, minerals and B
vitamins that are already there. Some of these “foods” are
coffee, sugar, table salt, black tea, chocolate and sodas
(sweetened with sugar or nutra-sweet). In order to process
these unnatural foods, the body has to use up its reserves of
sodium, calcium, minerals and vitamins and these unnatural foods
have no nutrients in them to give back to the body. Over time
the body is in a deficit of nutrients just like an empty bank
account is in deficit of dollars.

The third cause of arthritis is long-term stress.
Stress causes the body to burn up nutrients very rapidly and if
one is not eating properly to replace these nutrients, arthritis
can occur. Organic sodium and B vitamins in the body are the
first elements to be used up under stress. Without natural
sodium in the body, inflammation takes place. Without B
vitamins the nervous system and the adrenal glands become weak.
Stress weakens the adrenal glands so they are no longer able to
produce normal amounts of cortisol. A lack of cortisol also
causes inflammation. When people go to the doctor with
arthritis, they usually receive cortisone and it may reduce
their symptoms. After a while, if they don’t change their diets
and lifestyles and they continue taking the cortisone, they can
have very bad side effects.

To prevent arthritis or to help it to heal, one needs
organic sodium and all of the B vitamins in the form of a B
complex. Foods high in sodium are: GOAT WHEY, celery, dark
green leafy vegetables, beet tops, dandelion greens,
strawberries and okra. Foods high in the B vitamins are RICE
BRAN SYRUP, brown rice, rice bran, oats, Brewer’s yeast,
cornmeal, almonds and alfalfa. ALFALFA TABLETS are high in B
vitamins and minerals. They are also high in chlorophyll that
cleans the blood and liver and fiber that cleanses the bowel.
Because of all of the wonderful nutrients in alfalfa tablets,
they have been known to help arthritis tremendously.
Glucosamine Sulfate helps to support the joints and build
healthy connective tissue as well. Tumeric, aloe vera juice and
white willow bark also help to relieve inflammation and pain.
One must also avoid all of the foods listed in this letter that
are completely deficient in nutrients.

Soaking in hot baths with three cups of Epsom salts can
be very soothing for those with arthritis. Epsom Salts are high
in magnesium and help the muscles relax. Castor oil packs on
affected areas can truly help to relieve pain and dissolve
crystals. Dr. Christopher’s Complete Tissue and Bone Cream
combined with Eucalyptus or Peppermint oil rubbed into aching
joints has helped many. Arnica cream has often helped as well.

Finally, review your life. Let go of what is stressful.
Balance stress with deep breathing, nice music, relaxing walks
in nature or reading a pleasant book. Avoid loud and aggressive
people. Do things that bring you joy!

CASTOR OIL PACKS
Warm castor oil in a small pan. Do not boil. Dip a
cotton or wool flannel cloth into the oil and apply to affected
area. Cover first with plastic wrap and then a towel. Place a
heating pad on top of the pack. Turn the heating pad on and
leave it on for about an hour. Castor oil packs can work
miracles."

Foods to Avoid

Here's a list of the top ten foods to avoid, according to Dr. Ted Broer:

1. Pork/High Fat Luncheon Meats
2. Shellfish
3. Margarine/Hydrogenated Oils
4. Aspartame / Nutrasweet
5. Junk Food
6. MSG
7. Chlorine / Flouride
8. High Fat Dairy Products
9. Caffeine
10. Alcohol

Dr. Mercola would add that everyone should avoid overconsumption of grains, potatoes, sweets, and other starchy and sugary foods. This impacts negatively on insulin production, resulting in obesity, diabetes, and more. He's particularly focused upon avoiding grains because in many cases, there is the danger of acrylamide consumption, which is toxic. Eat grains rarely, avoid wheat, and always buy organic.

Dr. Mercola would also include Splenda along with Aspartame on the list of foods to avoid. He considers it as dangerous, if not more so, as Nutrasweet. Poison.

Mike Adams would say don't eat any processed meats, not just the high-fat ones. He has a great book, Grocery Warning, as well as a fantastic website and newsletter (free) at his site, NewsTarget. More than can be put in this posting, the summary of studies linking sodium nitrite (hot dogs, sandwich meat, pepperoni) to cancer alone is worth the read.

Great Coupon/Savings Site

Here's a great online coupon/savings site: TechBargains.Com. Don't let the name fool you: lots more than techie stuff here, including online sites with free shipping. And, best of all, a column that lets you know when the deals are expiring. Nice.