1. Inflammation and Arthritis
Some case studies
Patient: 66 year old male with arthritis (OA) in lower spine, neck and shoulders. As well as diabetes, elevated cholesterol, and – since this year – prostatitis (with elevated PSA).
Patient: 51 year old male with diagnosis of acute, aggressive rheumatoid arthritis. Extreme pain and swelling developed after a couple of injuries (bike and slipping/falling). At the time of diagnosis (RA), it was also discovered that he was diabetic……….
3. Patient: 74 year old female with fibromyalgia and osteo arthritis (shoulders and neck/back). With FM – hip and knee pain is bad. History of stomach acid medication – for 20 years to prevent reflux………

2. Normal vs Inflamed Joints

3. Common Myths Surrounding Arthritis
This is a natural/inevitable part of the aging process
Arthritis pain can be successfully managed with NSAIDs and Tylenol
Arthritis is hereditary: both my parents had it, so it figures that I will too……..
Diet has nothing to do with arthritis – it’s simply part of natural wear and tear on the joints
You should avoid exercise – it only further contributes to wear and tear
‘Home Remedies’ such as ginger and turmeric don’t have any proven success in treating arthritis

4. How to Prevent and Treat Arthritis:
For anything “inflammatory” – I always start with the gut!
If you have arthritis or any inflammatory condition – then you have “leaky gut”
We need to heal the gut by stopping inflammation:
By removing those foods that are causing inflammation
What are the most inflammatory foods?
Gluten
Dairy
Nightshade vegetables (alkaloids + lectins)
Legumes – including soy and peanuts (lectin-rich)

5. Leaky Gut

6. Inflammatory foods
It is important to distinguish inflammatory foods from anti/non-inflammatory foods. Foods that cause inflammation include: Sugar Refined carbohydrates (white flour, white rice, white potatoes) Gluten Conventionally-raised (factory farmed) meat and dairy Farmed fish Processed meats Trans fats (partially hydrogenated oils) Bad Fats, Food Additives and Preservatives such as mono-sodium glutamate (MSG) and highly processed vegetable and seed oils, such as canola, corn, sunflower, peanut, grapeseed, and safflower Artificial Sweeteners such as aspartame, acesulfame potassium, saccharin, sucralose (Splenda) and cyclamate (‘Sweet’N Low) for example High Lectin-containing Foods such as ‘nightshade vegetables’ and legumes

7. Probiotics and Prebiotics to heal the gut
You are only as healthy as your gut microbiome

8. Prebiotics: food for your ‘good’ gut bacteria
Prebiotics: food for your ‘good’ gut bacteria. These are the foods with insoluble fibre (what you can’t digest is food for gut bacteria) – such as ground flax seed, leafy greens, broccoli, cabbage, asparagus, onions and leeks, garlic, Jerusalem artichokes, plantains, seaweed, sweet potatoes, and coconut.
Probiotics: beneficial bacteria and yeast. Found in fermented foods such as kefir, yogurt, sauerkraut, kvass, kimchi, and kombucha. Strains such as Lactobacillus, Bifidobacteria….. Saccharomyces boulardii

9. we need to facilitate the repair and generation of tissue
Supplements such as Vitamin C, collagen (home-made chicken bone broth), and MSM provide the basic ingredients for your body to produce new tissues and cartilage.

10. Natural Anti-inflammatories
And then you have