The best diets for gout are those that can trim your waistline while keeping in mind that there are some foods that you must eat and others that you must avoid to help prevent a gout attack. You will need to dedicate yourself to gout "friendly" foods in portions that will allow you to shrink your waistline as well as build in enough time for the appropriate levels of activity.
The best diets for gout feature foods that are generally low in purines as these foods raise the body's uric acid levels which can lead to a painful gout attack. Eating foods containing purines, as well as drinking excessive alcohol can cause uric acid to build up in the joints. Beer, specifically, is considered to be among the worst food choices for gout sufferers.
If you want to make sure that you're following the 'best' diet for gout, then try putting the following tips into action:
- Make sure that you drink between two and three liters (around eight - 10 8-ounce glasses) of water every day. This is vital for diluting the uric acids that have been produced in your body and encouraging quicker elimination.
- Limit your intake of fat and fatty foods as they can encourage uric acid production in your body. Also this will help with weight loss.
- As already mentioned, it is important to avoid eating foods that are high in purine.
- Aim to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight. This will decrease your risk of a gout attack, make it easier to exercise, and give you more energy overall.
- Avoid fad diets and those that are high in protein, particularly animal protein. A high-protein diet can aggravate symptoms of gout.
- Low-fat dairy products and tofu are good substitutes for the nutrients you usually receive from meats and full fat dairy products.
Of course, after hearing about eating "low purines" so often in order to prevent gout, you might be wondering exactly what these mysterious purines are, and how to cut them from your diet.
Generally speaking, foods that are high in purines are organ meats, fatty meats, and shellfish. Specifically, foods very high in purines include sardines, mussels, sweetbreads, and yeast. More foods that are also high in purines are mutton, anchovies, bacon, scallops, and pheasant.
On the other hands, foods that are considered to be low in purines, and therefore are good to include in gout diet are: fruits, low fat dairy products, eggs and green vegetables. These also have the added benefit of being foods low in fat, with the exception of eggs. However, you can't live off these ingredients alone.
A well balanced diet for gout sufferers should be low in saturated fats and higher in complex carbohydrates, which are useful for gout prevention and give you a feeling of "fullness". They can also be good for keeping your body weight down as long as you watch your portion sizes. Even better, they're generally high in minerals, vitamins, and fiber.
Add foods such as cereals, rice, and pasta to your gout diet, and include foods with unsaturated fats that may be good for your uric acid levels. Unsaturated fats can be found in olive oil, nuts and avocados.
Now that you understand what goes into the best diets for gout, you're ready to create your own and get it started.
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