Arthritis and joint pain are not uncommon these days with a huge percentage of people who suffer all these ailments without knowing there are effective natural remedies. This is especially true for expectant mothers who most likely think that it’s a normal occurrence because of extra body weight during pregnancy or any other such time for that matter. For arthritis sufferers in general, this is a leading cause of disability. It seems modern medicine is powerless against it and has little to offer except pain killers.

The keyword is inflammation !

Arthritis is primarily a disease of inflammation and what you eat is important to your health and healing. There is no need of suffering as a result of this. There are effective natural remedies for reducing joint pain. One of the most effective way to overcome inflammation is when the first symptoms appear, simply by avoiding inflammatory food.

Change of Diet and Lifestyle
Joint pain during pregnancy can be reduced by changing diet and lifestyle. Try out some safe exercises like walking, jogging, swimming and any other that your Ob or Midwife recommend as this can help you to become less sedentary. Try to drink a reasonable amount of water. It helps to flush out harmful toxins in the body which can cause inflammation.

Add This to Your Diet
When you change your diet to reduce joint pain during pregnancy start with foods that are rich in vitamins A, C, E and B complex. Include foods such as: ancient grains, natural dairy products, pasture raised meats and eggs, and nuts. Also, eat foods rich in zinc to offer natural relief from joint pain. Some types of fish like wild caught tuna, salmon, herring, and sardines have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Turmeric and Ginger also have anti-inflammatory properties. Ginger makes tasty tea which provides a soothing relief of joint pain as well as an upset tummy or nausea.

Foods to Avoid
Public enemy number 1: SODA yes, even diet soda. Drinking sodas causes weight gain and contributes to type 2-diabetes, but it doesn’t stop there. It causes many other far-reaching health problems including arthritis. Soda can cause osteoporosis because it contains phosphoric acid which gives soda its tangy taste.

Foods to avoid: Corn and soybean oil, cottonseed, safflower, canola and sunflower oils. Other arthritis and pain activator are: Processed snacks, crackers, chips, granola and energy bars, any deep fried and fast foods, baked goods and cookies, mayonnaise, margarine. Plants that may aggravate arthritis pain are: Potatoes, chili peppers, green and red bell peppers, tomatoes, as well as products made from hot sauce, ketchup, dried red pepper flakes etc. By cutting out most of these foods you will find your inflammation and joint pain improving or disappearing.

As every day becomes less painful and more enjoyable you will gain pleasure and peace of mind. Let’s hope this will help you to navigate some of the more common discomforts of pregnancy. See the Recipes Category under my blog Posts.