Healthy Eating Tips for Juvenile Arthritis Patients
July is Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month, and at Pasco-Hernando Foot & Ankle, we want to share some important information about this disorder with our families. Juvenile arthritis (JA) affects nearly 300,000 teens and children in our country. It can manifest in a wide range of disorders, including juvenile lupus, psoriatic arthritis, fibromyalgia, and juvenile scleroderma. Just as is in adults, one of the primary symptoms of JA is pain, swelling, redness, and inflammation of the joints. If your child complains of pain in their feet, toes, or ankle joints, it’s important that you contact our Hudson office (727-868-2128 or 352 683-5799) for an appointment. Our podiatrist, Dr. Lawrence J. Kales, will do a complete examination of your child’s feet and determine what the source of their pain is and whether or not a consultation with a rheumatologist is in order.
Treatment for juvenile arthritis is aimed at reducing inflammation and other painful symptoms, and is done using a multi-pronged approach, one of which is diet. While there is no specific “arthritis diet,” eating a healthy, balanced diet of unprocessed foods with a few additions to help reduce inflammation can be a significant help to JA patients. An added bonus—healthy eating will benefit your entire family. Below are some tips to improve your family’s eating plan.
Switch to whole grain versions of some common favorites. Fiber-rich foods help fight inflammation. Whole-grain bread, rice, crackers, and other snacks will provide a fiber boost.
Eat a rainbow. Fruits and vegetables contain a wide range of nutrients that help fend off disease and can also reduce inflammation. The best way to ensure your family gets a variety of vitamins and minerals they need is to eat a colorful array of fruits and vegetables. A simple rule of thumb, the darker and more colorful the produce, the more disease-fighting chemicals it contains. Consider adding more beets, kale, berries, tomatoes, and broccoli to your meals.
Get creative. If your children are not big veggie fans, find new ways to sneak these into their diets. Puree vegetables into smoothies, add them to dips, and cook them into casseroles, soups, and stews.
Decrease sugar. Sugar is a known inflammatory agent. Look beyond cookies, candy, and sugary drinks. Often the sugar is lurking in foods where you wouldn’t suspect like spaghetti sauce, bread, and yogurt. Get in the habit of reading labels to weed out unnecessary sugar from your family’s diet.
If you have questions about JA or the potential effect on the feet of other systemic diseases, don’t hesitate to contact us.