Blue Heron Guide to Healing Arthritis

by Shelly Manning

Copyright

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted for resale or use by any party other than the individual purchaser who is the sole authorized user of this information.

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LEGAL NOTICES: While all attempts have been made to provide e!ective, veri"able information in this Book, neither the Author nor Publisher assumes any responsibility for errors, inaccuracies, or omissions. Any slights of people or organizations are unintentional. If advice concerning medical conditions is needed, the services of a quali"ed professional should be sought. #is Book is not a source of medical information, and it should not be regarded as such. #is publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering a medical service. If expert medical assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. As with any medical advice, the reader is strongly encouraged to seek professional advice before taking action.

Published by: Blue Heron Limited

ContentsWhat You Don’t Know About Arthritis Can Hurt YouChapter 1: How I Beat the Most Common Disease In America Without Drugs#en #e Most Amazing #ing Happened ..................................................................................................3How #is Book Will Beat Arthritis For You ................................................................................................5How To Use #is Book .................................................................................................................................6

Chapter 2: A Little Word Called “Arthritis”: What It is, What It Does, and Why Nothing Has Worked So FarWhat Is Arthritis, Exactly? ...........................................................................................................................9Why You’ve Been Let Down So Far ............................................................................................................ 11Action Steps: Find Out What Type of Arthritis #at You Have (Day 1) ................................................... 13

In!ammation. "e Root Cause of Your PainChapter 3: How In!ammation Causes ArthritisWhat’s In$ammation? ................................................................................................................................. 16Glycemix Index –#e Secret Instigator of Arthritis ................................................................................... 17Bad Fats –A Curse On Arthritis Relief ....................................................................................................... 18Omega-3/Omega-6 Ratio ........................................................................................................................... 19Can Sitting On #e Couch Increase In$ammation? .................................................................................. 19Stress and In$ammation ............................................................................................................................. 20Action Steps: Calculate Your In$ammation Score and Know Your Strengths and Weaknesses (Day 2).. 21

Eat Like "is, Beat ArthritisChapter 4: What a moose taught scientists that the Chinese knew for centuriesLittle-Known Allergen #eory of Arthritis ................................................................................................ 25Action Steps: Go On an “Elimination Diet” (Days 5-7) ............................................................................ 27How to Do A Comprehensive Elimination Caveman Diet ....................................................................... 28Action Step: Know #e Basics of #e Blue Heron Arthritis Diet (Day 5) ................................................. 29

Chapter 5 - Arthritis Cure In a Pill? Which Vitamins Are a MustVitamin D .................................................................................................................................................. 35Vitamin C ................................................................................................................................................... 38B Complex Vitamins................................................................................................................................... 39Vitamin E .................................................................................................................................................... 40Glucosamine + Chondrotin ....................................................................................................................... 41How to buy vitamins without getting burned ............................................................................................ 42Action Steps For Chapter 5 (Days 6-21) .................................................................................................... 44

Chapter 6: Omega-3 Fats – Your New Best Friend and Arthritis’ Worst EnemyOmega-3s and Arthritis .............................................................................................................................. 46What are Omega-3s? ................................................................................................................................. 46#e Incredible Science of Omega-3s and Arthritis .................................................................................... 47How Omega-3s Do What #ey Do ............................................................................................................ 48How Much Do You Need? .......................................................................................................................... 49Best Sources of Omega 3s ........................................................................................................................... 50What To Watch Out For: Fish oil supplement dangers .............................................................................. 51Chapter 6 Action Steps (Days 7-19) ........................................................................................................... 52

Chapter 7 - Superfoods "at Drop In!ammation and Destroy ArthritisOxidation: #e Fuel #at Lights In$ammation’s Fire ................................................................................ 54Fight Back: Stop Free Radicals With Antioxidant SuperFoods ................................................................. 55Stack Your Diet With Antioxidant-Heavy Produce ................................................................................... 56Garlic........................................................................................................................................................... 57Cherries ...................................................................................................................................................... 58Green Tea .................................................................................................................................................... 58Pineapples ................................................................................................................................................... 59Ginger–#e World’s First Medicine ........................................................................................................... 60Red Wine .................................................................................................................................................... 60Extra Virgin Olive Oil ................................................................................................................................ 61Turmeric ..................................................................................................................................................... 61Rounding out our superfoods is the Indian herb turmeric. Turmeric, like red wine, starts by "ghting in$ammation, but goes a step further and actually works as a bodyguard for damaged joints. ............... 61Action Steps for Chapter 7 (Days 9-13) ..................................................................................................... 62

Chapter 8: Lose Weight to Lose Arthritis Obesity and Arthritis: Kissing Cousins ...................................................................................................... 63Why Fat Causes Arthritis ........................................................................................................................... 64How to Lose Weight and Reverse Arthritis…Naturally ............................................................................ 65Action Steps for Chapter 8 (Days 15-17) ................................................................................................... 65

Get Moving!Chapter 9: Exercising With Arthritis…It’s Possible!Exercise and Arthritis ................................................................................................................................. 68How to Exercise With Arthritis .................................................................................................................. 69Chapter 9 Action Steps (Days 18-19) ......................................................................................................... 70

Chapter 10: Yoga and "ai Chi for ArthritisChapter 10 Action Steps (Day 20) ............................................................................................................. 74

Chapter 11: Everything Under the Rising Sun -Ancient Asian Arthritis Cures "at Work TodayAcupuncture Basics .................................................................................................................................... 76Massage ....................................................................................................................................................... 77Aromatherapy ............................................................................................................................................. 77Re$exology ................................................................................................................................................. 78Balneotherapy ............................................................................................................................................. 78How To Do It Right .................................................................................................................................... 78Chapter 12 Action Steps (Day 21) .............................................................................................................. 79

Chapter 13 –Wrapping Up

Blue Heron Health Guide to Heal Arthritis 21-Day Plan

Part IWhat You Don’t Know

About Arthritis Can Hurt You

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Chapter 1: How I Beat the Most Common Disease In America Without Drugs

Not long ago, my life was in shambles. Sure, on the surface, I had everything going for me: a lovely husband, a beautiful house in a safe neighborhood, and a son I loved more than anything.

Despite feeling, in many ways, like I was the luckiest gal in the world, I slowly degraded until I became a shadow of my former self. No, I didn’t develop a drinking problem or become a “shopaholic”–I’m not into that sort of thing. What led me down a path of crippling pain, thousands of dollars in needless expenses, and strained relationship with the people I loved the most was none other than the most prevalent disease in America – arthritis.

It all started when I was about 46 (I’m 53 now), and got worse and worse as the weeks and months added up. At "rst, I’d wake up with maybe a sti! back, or some crackling knees. #en, a few days a week, I’d have a “visit from Uncle Arty”, as I liked to say. But over time, arthritis went from a minor annoyance to something that took over my entire life.

I’m sure you can relate to the excruciating pain that this awful condition brings with it. Your back feels like it has a metal rod is jammed inside of it, your hands become more twisted than the branches of a willow tree, and your knees painfully snap, crackle, and pop with every aching step. I can relate –my arthritis got so bad that I thought I’d have to end up in wheelchair.

But as you know, arthritis doesn’t necessarily "ll your body with lightning bolts of pain 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It’s more like riding a roller coaster of agony. It seems that as soon as you feel a bit better, arthritis leaps out of nowhere and wrestles hold of your life once more.

#at’s when arthritis went from being something that just a!ected my knees and back to a disease that hijacked my mind as well. I became depressed, withdrawn from my family and friends, and a zombie at work.

I went from being one of the most social gals in the neighborhood, always hosting the big dinner party or barbeque, to someone who spent her spare time laid out on the sofa trying desperately to forget about the incredible pain. Arthritis changed me from the “go to” woman at the o%ce, always "rst in line for that next promotion, to someone who hobbled around and avoided eye contact with my coworkers.

I’m not proud to admit it, but for a while there, arthritis de"nitely got the best of me. At my lowest points, I almost preferred a visit from the Grim Reaper to enduring another day with arthritis.

And it seemed that no matter how much I fought the pain, whether through drugs, distractions, or wacky miracle cures, it found a way to dig and burrow itself deep inside of me. #e disappointment of trying a new medication, only to see it fall $at, was almost as bad as the disease itself.

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Believe me, I tried it all. Like you probably did, as soon as I started feeling the pain, I went to visit my doctor. Even though I had a great relationship with the guy, and he always seemed to know his stu!, he really let me down when I needed him most. I’d come to him writhing in agony, begging him for something –-anything-- that would give me my life back. He would smile, shrug, and write me another prescription for a drug that did more harm than good.

But I didn’t stop there, of course. I tried some “mega supplements” that were designed to help with the pain, but did nothing but charge my credit card $99.99 per month. Oh, and I went to physical therapy, where they put me in machines that resembled Middle Age torture devices, and forced my tender joints to endure throbbing grief only to feel worse a&er the session.

I even went to a so-called “arthritis specialist”, just to he could inject some sort of funny looking syrup into my back and knees. #e only thing that seemed to do was make yet another part of my body in pain -my skin.

"en "e Most Amazing "ing Happened

About 3 years ago, I had one of those life-changing moments that I thought only happened in the movies.

Since I was a little kid, I had always wanted to visit Asia. But with college, then a job, and then a monthly mortgage, I never had a chance to go. But one day, my boss called me into his o%ce and told me that I had 22 days of vacation days on the books, -and if I didn’t use them…I’d lose them! #e "rst thing that came into my head was: “I’m "nally going to China!”, followed by “what about my arthritis?”

Although I was excited for the fact that I’d get to see this amazing place that I’ve always wanted to go to, I was concerned, downright afraid really, about arthritis and how it would e!ect my journey. A&er a few days of mulling it over, I hunkered down and ordered a round trip ticket to Hong Kong.

I’m not going to lie to you, getting to China was not a pleasant experience. #e tiny seats in the airplane for the 22-hour journey made my joints beg for mercy. And carrying my luggage made me feel like needles were being jabbed into my knees. As you’ve probably felt "rsthand, I had a “$are up” of epic proportions.

But once I le& the airport and "nally saw the amazing Hong Kong skyline with my own two brown eyes, I actually forgot about my arthritis…brie$y. An hour or so later, instead of exploring the hustle and bustle of this Asian metropolis, I was lying in bed, wondering if I’d be able to make it to the lobby without bursting into tears of pain. Eventually, I managed to limp and carry myself to the wild streets of Hong Kong –"lled with sights, sounds, and (especially) smells hat I never knew existed.

My growling stomach led me to the "rst place that resembled a restaurant. But when I looked at the food, it scared the daylights out of me. I said to myself: “I need to "nd some real food”. I wandered around as much as my aching body would take me, only to give up and reluctantly sit myself down for the "rst time in a real Chinese restaurant.

#e friendly Chinese owner, who called herself “Jane”, seemed to size me up as she saw me hobble into

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the place. In near-perfect English, Jane said: “I know just the thing for you”, and without letting me even respond, she rushed to the kitchen to cook my lunch.

A few minutes later, Jane came back with a strange soup and the largest teapot I’ve ever seen in my life. I was so famished that I downed the bowl of soup and entire pot of tea without even looking up. When I did, I noticed Jane staring at me with a strange smile. Expecting her to ask me how I liked the food, she instead asked me: “How do you feel?”

“What a strange question”, I thought to myself. I almost replied with my automatic response: “I’m doing OK”, but then I suddenly noticed that my knees, hands, and back felt better than they had in years!

Wanting to kiss this woman, I begged her to tell me what was in the food. Calm and poised, Jane calmly told me the “secret” was actually what she put in the tea: “I put many things in tea to cool o! your hot joints. #e most important thing, we call ‘Ji'ng’, but you probably say ‘ginger’.”

Other than meeting my husband and having a child, this was the most important thing that ever had happened to me. By making sure to eat the foods and drinks that Jane recommended for the rest of my trip, I was able to tackle mainland China, from giant cities like Guangzhou to tiny villages nestled in the mountains. Everyday, my posture improved, my joints loosened up, and my pain took a nosedive.

A&er returning from my amazing journey and feeling like a million bucks, I realized that I needed some good ol’ American food. On the drive home from the airport, I popped into my local fast food drive- through and ordered nearly half of the menu. Starving, I scarfed down almost everything by the time I pulled into my driveway. Not wanting to wait to tell my husband about my miraculous transformation, I honked the horn, threw opened the car door…but I wasn’t the same!

#e pain, sti!ness, and agony had returned with a vengeance. My arthritic knees and back were back to their old, horrible, selves!

It didn’t take long for me to make the connection between the greasy fast food and my arthritic $are up. Actually, I had once heard something about diet and arthritis, but I didn’t give it much thought at the time.

In the weeks a&er my return from China, along with readjusting to life in #e States, I spent every waking moment studying natural treatments for arthritis that actually work. It turns out, to my amazement, that diet and arthritis is just scratching the surface of the incredibly powerful, but completely unknown, natural treatments for arthritis.

Once I put a few of these secrets into practice, my arthritis almost instantly melted away. And the more new treatments I added to my life, the more energy, vitality, and even fun I had in my life! #e word “arthritis” no longer represents a prison that I was forced to waste away in solitude in. I’ve visited

“It didn’t take long for me to make the connection between the greasy fast food and my arthritic $are up.

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Asia, and “Jane”, several times since my "rst trip to glean more wisdom of the Orient, learn about their culture, and, of course, to do a bit of sightseeing!

My life isn’t just better than it was before arthritis’s hand "rst poked my "rst knee joint -it’s better than ever!

How "is Book Will Beat Arthritis For You

Since I beat arthritis, I’ve run into family members, coworkers, and neighbors complaining about that achy feeling in their joints. Not content with living a pain-free life while others needlessly su!ered, I decided to cra& a plan that would allow others to experience the same remarkable recovery I had.

One coworker tried it. #en another. And then my neighbors started asking me for the plan. Before I knew it, my inbox was over$owing with requests from around town demanding to know how I beat arthritis –and how they could do the same.

Over the course of a few years, and a few hundred guinea pigs, I cra&ed and re"ned the plan that you now hold in your hands. If you follow it, it will sweep away your arthritis, no matter how severe, in a month or less. I say “plan” and not “book”, because I intentionally set out to make sure that the people given these powerful secrets put them to good use. How many books have you read, said, “wow, interesting stu! ”, and then toss it on your bookshelf, never to be seen again?

I’m not judging, I’ve done it too. I know you have a hectic job, bills to pay, and a to-do list a mile long. You don’t have time to take a book of general information and translate it into practice. #at’s why I’ve taken the painstaking e!ort to make the information straightforward, easy to follow, and actionable. If you follow the steps in this plan, in 21 short days (or perhaps even sooner), you could be 100% arthritis free!

Are you ready to "nally defeat arthritis for good and start living the life that you deserve two weeks from now? Good!

I can almost guarantee that you’ve never seen the information found in this book.

To whet your appetite a bit, here’s a taste of the little-known secrets you’re about to be privileged to:

Why your arthritis REALLY gets worse in the wintertime (it has nothing to do with the cold and everything to do with a certain vitamin)How all of the pain and sti!ness in your joints are actually your body’s allergic reaction to something you’ve been eatingWhy most arthritis experts have turned their back on modern medicine…and the amazing results they’re "nding from alternative medicineWhy arthritis rates in Asia are rock bottom…and how you can join them without leaving your hometown!#e tag-team of exercises that blow most arthritis medications out of the water

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Who the participants were that a team of researchers took a group of arthritis su!ers to the Dead Sea…and why their jaws dropped at what happened next.

How To Use "is Book

Like I said, this isn’t #e Da Vinci Code. It’s not a book you read, say “hmm, interesting stu! ”, and then $ip on the TV to see what’s on. It’s a step by step plan that takes you by the hand to make sure that you don’t miss a beat.

To get the most out of this book, here’s what to do:

1. Read through the book from start to !nish: Studies show that people only remember 10% of what they read the "rst time around. To make sure most of the info on these pages end up in your brain, I recommend that the "rst time around, read it once from cover to cover before starting on the action steps. You’ll give it a second (or third) go around as needed.

2. Check out the action steps: To make the information in each chapter instantly valuable to you, I’ve included a bunch of “take away” messages and action steps. If you choose, you can start them right away. Or if you rather “pick and choose” the aspects of the book you want to incorporate, you can wait until you’ve "nished the book. #en, you can go back and start using some of your favorites.

3. Do the 21 Day Plan: Not to give away the ending, but I’ve thrown in a comprehensive 21 day plan at the end of the book for you. #is is the nuts and bolts of the program, and is one of the things that makes this book di!erent from many of the “$u! ” arthritis books $oating around out there.

A&er reading the book, re-learning the causes and cures arthritis, you’re ready to start on “Day 1”. Once you’ve completed the steps for day 1, move onto day 2. Keep going until you’ve found relief or you’ve hit day 21, whichever comes "rst.

4. Re-read the book (optional): If you feel that you don’t 100% understand every single topic discussed in the book, feel free to read it again. #e second time around, many people "nd that their comprehension increases and they get many more “aha” moments.

5. Go past 21 days: An important lesson in this book is that your joints are part of the system that is your body. #e same things you’ve been doing for your arthritis is bene"ting your health from head to toe. Just because you’re pain free doesn’t mean that a diet of soda and French fries is in order. For your overall health, stick to the guidelines in the book inde"nitely.

Also, in some (very) instances, arthritis won’t completely disappear a&er 21 days. However, even people with the most stubborn cases of arthritis still "nd massive amounts of relief. If that’s you, just keep up the good work you’ve been doing for the last 3 weeks and

Of course, these are just guidelines and please feel free to go at your own pace if slower or faster works better for you.

Before we tame the beast, however, we need to know what it is we’re dealing with when we say “arthritis”.

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Chapter 2: A Little Word Called “Arthritis”: What It is, What It Does, and Why Nothing Has Worked So Far

It seems that every time you $ip open a newspaper, turn on the TV, or peruse a magazine, there’s an article about the same three diseases: heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Don’t get me wrong, these diseases are extremely common and deadly.

#e problem is, this coverage ends up overshadowing the most common disease in America – arthritis.

If arthritis does steal a headline, it seems to be related to a drug that’s being rushed o! the market because of suspicious deaths tied to it (Vioxx anyone?). I know that arthritis can make you feel withdrawn and alone, but it shouldn’t –you’re in good company.

#e Centers for Disease Control (CDC), estimates that 46 million –nearly 1 in 5 of all American adults –have been diagnosed with some form of arthritis. And once you hit age 65, your odds of su!ering from arthritis are a coin $ip -50%. Even more startling, many health experts suspect there are many more silently su!ering because they’ve never been handed an o%cial diagnoses from an MD.

#ere really is a silent, but very real Arthritis Epidemic. Time Magazine has predicted that we’re on the verge of an “Age of Arthritis” and that “#e situation with arthritis is about to get worse--a lot worse--and very soon.” Arthritis rates ballooned nearly 25% in the short time period from 1990 to 2005. #e National Institutes of Health warn that by 2030, an astonishing 67 million people will have arthritis –a 40% increase in just two decades. #e rates of this debilitating disease are growing at a tremendous clip –nearly twice as fast as diabetes.

As you know personally, it’s not simply having arthritis that matters; it’s how it a!ects your life. Sadly, the numbers send a clear message that arthritis leaves many people’s lives in ashes. Every year, 750,000 people head to the ER solely due to arthritis, and almost 10,000 people die from arthritis complications.

Research published in Arthritis Care & Research found that up to 90% of people with arthritis are limited in what they can do at work –and nearly half say that arthritis limits the activities they can do like cleaning or taking a walk. Studies show that people with arthritis tend to have signi"cantly lower quality of life and report feeling sick twice as o&en than those without arthritis.

Not only that, but arthritis is one of the most expensive diseases to have. CDC research has estimated that, on a national level, arthritis costs more than $120 billion dollars to treat every year. Costly

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treatments, whether they work or not, are on a meteoric rise. #e American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons expects knee replacements to surge 525% in the next twenty years.

In fact, it’s estimated that arthritis costs almost $2,000 dollars per person to treat -–with much of that money coming right out of the wallets of struggling patients. I know that one of the most frustrating things about arthritis for me was wasting my hard earned cash on a treatment that didn’t ultimately make any di!erence.

As you can see, the numbers don’t lie. #e problem is massive, wide reaching, and has profound implications on society, yet it seems that almost no one (physicians included) know much about arthritis. But that’s about to change. A&er you read the next section, you’ll know more about arthritis than most of the Average Joe, -and even many health care professionals.

What Is Arthritis, Exactly?

You know what arthritis does to you, but what the heck is it? Believe it or not, the word “arthritis” actually describes over 100 di!erent conditions!

I remember when I "rst visited my doc a&er my pain got out of control. Barely looking up from his chart, he told me that I had “arthritis”. At the time, little did I know that I actually had two of the most common forms of arthritis: rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. #e 98 other forms run the gamut from gout, "bromyalgia, and psoriatic arthritis.

Despite the fact that there are so many arthritis categories, they’re all surprisingly similar. Princeton University de"nes arthritis as: “In$ammation of a joint or joints.” #at applies to gout, osteoarthritis, or any other type of arthritis known to man. In$ammation is the common denominator of all of them.

#at being said, there are some caveats in terms of what exactly causes di!erent types of arthritis and how you should tackle each one. #at’s why one of the "rst things we’re going to do during our 30-day healing journey is pin-point your arthritis. #at way, you can tailor the natural cures I recommend to maximize their e!ectiveness.

Osteoarthritis: When most people say, “I have arthritis” they’re actually referring to osteoarthritis –by far the most common type. In fact, over half of all people with arthritis are diagnosed with

“Arthritis rates ballooned nearly 25% in the short time period from 1990 to 2005!

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osteoarthritis.

Unlike other types of arthritis, which can come on suddenly, osteoarthritis takes years to develop. You may not be able to feel it, but as the years add up, the so& cushion between your bones and, joints- cartilage- starts to breakdown. #at’s why many scientists call osteoarthritis “degenerative arthritis” –the cartilage degrades and wastes away. #e incredible pain you feel when you have osteoarthritis is a combination of two things: joints rubbing against bones, and in$ammation irritating nerves.

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA): Although less common than osteoarthritis, a good chunk of people, about 2 million according to the CDC, su!er from this autoimmune-cased arthritis. In a nutshell, autoimmunity is when your body’s natural defense, immunity cells, go rogue and decide to attack your own cells. In some cases, they attack the pancreas, causing type 1 diabetes. Other times, they strike at the thyroid, bringing on hypothyroidism.

In the case of RA, immune cells begin a full frontal assault on your defenseless joints. RA also wears away protective cartilage and causes a boatload of in$ammation. But what makes RA even more of a villain that its arthritis cousins are, is that it doesn’t just cause painful joints –it damages vulnerable lung, eye, and circulatory tissue as well –making your entire life a constant struggle.

Back Pain: #e American Association of Chiropractors reports that an astonishing 85% of all people will experience back pain in their lifetime. In fact, back pain is the #1 reason that someone visits his or her doctor. While sometimes causes by a herniated disc or a muscle spasm, arthritis is a surprisingly common cause of back pain, according to Arthritis Today.

Gout: While all types of arthritis are ultimately caused by diet and lifestyle, gout takes the cake as the arthritis most linked to diet. Gout happens when a compound found in certain foods, uric acid, builds up in the blood. Uric acid eventually "nds its way into joints, making them painful and in$amed.

Fibromyalgia: If you’ve been feeling widespread, unexplained, and hard to pinpoint pain, you may have "bromyalgia. While scientists aren’t sure what exactly causes it, the Mayo Clinic reports that at least 2% of the US population has "bromyalgia.

Psoriatic arthritis: #is arthritis is usually found with people who also have the skin condition, psoriasis. #e Arthritis Foundation estimates that nearly a quarter of all people with skin psoriasis will get psoriatic arthritis.

You should know that it’s possible to have more than one kind of arthritis (like I did). For example, studies show that people with RA also tend to have "bromyalgia. #e good news is that you don’t have to work at beating each one individually. As you’ll soon see, the natural treatments that combat one tend to combat them all!

“85% of all people will experience back pain in their lifetime!

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Why You’ve Been Let Down So Far

Arthritis is hard enough to live with, but it’s three times as tough when your arthritis treatments let you down more o&en than a smooth-talking politician. Don’t think that just because medicine hasn’t improved your quality of life, that you’re a unique medical case.

Despite expenditures of $120 billion to treat arthritis, and throwing more money at the problem, arthritis rates are exploding, not shrinking. #at fact alone should have you scratching your head and wondering what’s going on.

To understand why the medical establishment $at out fails at treating arthritis, it’s important to have a handle on the fatal $aws in the medical establishment itself. And no, this isn’t like the health care debate in Washington –they’re simply rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. I’m talking about the fundamental issues deep within the health care system that make it simply unable to help you with your arthritis.

Patient advocate and renegade physician Stephen C. Schimp!, MD says that: “America has a disease industry, not a health care system.” What he means is that, in a health care industry, the focus would be on preventing diseases from happening in the "rst place, and if they did happen, going a&er the root cause. Unfortunately, money has mucked up these ideals and turned the US health care system into a “disease industry”. Instead of doctors focusing on getting patients back on their feet, it is actually "nancially disadvantageous for them to do so. Instead, they get paid when they treat someone –whether the treatment works or not.

For example, a recent report put together by the US Department of Health and Human Services reviewed all the current treatment options for both RA and psoriatic arthritis –and concluded that many physicians were using medications and treatments that weren’t backed up by evidence. #e authors concluded that:

“Common problems for both RA and psoriatic arthritis [treatments] include the lack of e!ectiveness information i.e., studies and "ndings with a high level of applicability to community populations.”

Other researchers have reached similar conclusions about osteoarthritis.

Not only are most treatments worthless, but they can bring on some unpleasant side e!ects. #e Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality recently reviewed 619 research papers that quanti"ed the e!ectiveness, and safety, of arthritis medications. #ey found that: “Many questions remain about the risks of these agents across a spectrum of adverse events from relatively minor side e!ects, such as injection site reactions, to severe and possibly life

“Despite expenditures of $120 billion to treat arthritis, rates are exploding!

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threatening problems, such as severe infections or infusion reactions.” Severe and life threatening?” I don’t remember my doctors mentioning that when they wrote me Rx a&er Rx.

In her book, Conquering Arthritis: What doctors Don’t Tell You Because #ey Don’t Know, Barbara D. Allan recounts a frustrating experience with her doctor handing her medications that were making her feel worse. “Despite my low dose, I su!ered unpleasant overdose e!ects that my doctor was very slow to recognize or acknowledge. #is was despite the fact that that I was very concerned about these side e!ects and brought them to his attention many times. Finally, my doctors ran out of treatments and went into denial that anything was physically wrong with me.

Sound familiar? I know that I had many heated discussions with my doctors about whether my illness was being caused or treated by the medications. Sometimes it was hard to tell the di!erence.

A class of very common arthritis drugs, known as NSAIDs (Non Steroidal Anti-In$ammatory Drugs), illustrates the sad fact that medical treatments o&en do more harm than good. Despite being one of the most popular over-the-counter and prescription drugs in the world, taking drugs like Advil, Ibuprofen, and Celebrex is rolling the dice with your health. USA Today reported that taking these drugs, even for a short time, greatly increases sudden heart attack risk. And the Annals of Internal Medicine reported that 76,000 people are hospitalized every year from taking these so-called “safe” drugs that you can get over the counter at your local pharmacy.

Now isn’t a time to “try” something new, all the while continuing your unquestionable reliance on the fatally $awed medical establishment. If you’re ready to cure, and not simply treat, your arthritis, then this guide is for you. Some, if not most, of the information here will be new to you. All I ask is that, before we get into these amazing natural cures, that you have an open mind, suspend what you’ve been told about arthritis, and become mentally charged to "nally release arthritis’s painful hold on your life.

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Action Steps: Find Out What Type of Arthritis "at You Have (Day 1)

You know that you have arthritis, but do you know what kind? Most people go through their entire life without a full understanding the disease they face every moment of every day. Fill out this questionnaire to "nd out which type (or types) of arthritis you have (“circle” all that apply).

#1: Other than arthritis, I’ve been diagnosed withA. Hypothyroidism, adrenal insu%ciency, or celiac diseaseB. Obesity or diabetesC. Psoriasis

#2: My Pain Tends to Be Most Severe inA. My knees and handsB. In my hips and backC. All over my body

#3: "e Pain I Feel Is MostlyA. Sharp and suddenB. Dull and throbbingC. Pulsating and constant

#4: I’ve Had Other Chronic Issues WithA. My GI tract/bowelsB. My lower backC. Skin rashes and skin in$ammation

#5: My Arthritis Tends to “Flare Up”A. A&er I eat a mealB. During exercise or walking up stairsC. Seems to always be in $are up mode

#6: My Energy Levels Are UsuallyA. Pretty low. I’m fatigued all the timeB. Haven’t changed much since arthritisC. I’m always tired and/or been diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome

#7: "e Joints in My Body HurtA. On both sides equallyB. On one side only C. All over, up and down, side to side

If you answered:

Mostly A’s: "is means you likely have RA. Food leading to $are ups, su!ering from other in$ammatory autoimmune diseases, and symmetrical and throbbing pain are telltale signs of RA. #e information in this book will be especially helpful for you, as you’ll notice not just an improvement in your joints, but for your entire body.

Mostly B’s: You probably have osteoarthritis. OA is characterized by di!erent scales of pain on each side of the body, normal energy levels, sharp pain, and back and hip pain. #e information in this book will prevent your cartilage from degrading anymore, and even give your body the raw parts it needs to heal and repair.

Mostly C’s: You may have an “other” arthritis type, like gout. 98 conditions are hard to pinpoint using a questionnaire, but most of the symptoms like near-constant $are-ups, fatigue, and “all over” pain are typical signs of the less common arthritis types.

From now on, because the underlying cause and treatments are the essentially the same, I’ll mostly be using the broad term “arthritis” to apply to all 100 types. However, when a research study only applies to one, or to one more than another, I’ll point this out to you.

In!ammation. "e Root Cause

of Your Pain

Part II

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Chapter 3: How In!ammation Causes Arthritis

In Chinese medicine, one of the most important concepts, are the concepts of “hot” and “cold”. Not unlike yin and yang, hot and cold are meant to be balanced in the body. If not, all sorts of health issues inevitably arise.

My Chinese friend Jane was constantly telling me that my joints and bones were “hot” and “overheated”. While you may think of this as silly superstition, the truth is, the Chinese, who invented alternative and complementary medicine, knew about in$ammation well before Columbus set sail for the new world. And while they may have called it “heat”, they were talking about in$ammation. Flash forward to the 21st century and you’ll see medical science taking a radical new view on disease –from each having a unique cause –to all of them having the same root cause: in$ammation.

#is sheer simplicity of in$ammation-focused disease theory has doctors, with decades of training under their belts, afraid of their "eld being simpli"ed into such black and white terms. However, as you’ll see, the numbers don’t lie. In$ammation is an epidemic that’s largely fueling the engine of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and of course, arthritis, that our world is wrestling with.

As Time Magazine, in its cover story on in$ammation states:

“#e speed with which researchers are jumping on the in$ammation bandwagon is breathtaking. Just a few years ago, ‘nobody was interested in this stu!,’ says Dr. Paul Ridker, a cardiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital who has done some groundbreaking work in the area. ‘Now the whole "eld of in$ammation research is about to explode.’”

Although scientists are jumping up and down in excitement over this breakthrough, doctors and other health care professionals are digging in their heals to prevent word from getting out. How else can you explain the fact that this no one seems to know about this crucial, yet life changing, concept?

Now’s the time to understand in$ammation, what it is, what it does, and what you can do about it –before it’s too late. Because, while arthritis is tortuous and sometimes deadly, it’s even worse when combined with diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and heart disease –all of which are linked to excessive in$ammation.

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What’s In!ammation?

Do you remember those Saturday morning cartoons when someone would stub their toe or bang their thumb with a hammer, and it would grow about ten times its normal

size, turn red, and throb uncontrollably? Believe it or not, but that’s a fairly accurate picture of in$ammation.

In the real world, there two types of in$ammation. Acute in$ammation is what you’d experience if you were a cartoon character with a hammer and bad aim --your body’s paramedics and ER. When something goes wrong, whether it’s damage to your body or a viral invader, acute in$ammation kicks in for damage control, mending harm, and getting you back to normal. #e workhorses of

in$ammation are tiny proteins called cytokines. At rest, cytokines should be taking the biological equivalent of a nap –waiting for the bell to ring like a group of "re"ghters playing cards at the station.

However, due to factors I’ll touch on in a minute, in$ammation sometimes keeps going. And like a snowball rolling down a mountain, its impact grows and grows the longer it rages on. When in$ammation gets out of control, it’s considered chronic in$ammation. Chronic in$ammation, the other side of the in$ammation coin, shi&s in$ammation from a process that heals to a process that harms –although “harm” may be an understatement. It’s

in$ammation, and in$ammation alone, that you have to thank for the sleepless nights and incredible pain arthritis has brought with it.

In$ammation doesn’t just that degrade cartilage and swell joints –it also directly agitates pain receptors and interferes with the natural healing process. In 2004, a research study published in Neuroscience Letters found that nasty cytokines become imbedded within sensitive nerve endings –causing them to "re even if nothing’s wrong. #is explains why many painkillers don’t work –they may be able to numb the pain signals a bit, but with in$ammation working 24/7 on your sensitive nerves, they can only do so much.

Also, researchers from the University of Toronto set out to understand why some hospital patients heal “likity split,” while others can’t seem to get better. #ey found that patients with the highest levels of chronic in$ammation healed the slowest. Better yet, when they intervened to "ght in$ammation, patient recovery time sped up signi"cantly.

#e Blue Heron Guide to Heal Arthritis is a simple plan: reduce and eliminate chronic in$ammation, and watch arthritis disappear. With high tech treatments and pharmaceutical companies spending millions on arthritis meds, it may sound a bit nutty that "ghting in$ammation alone will eliminate arthritis. As you may remember, Princeton University de"nes arthritis as: “In$ammation of a joint or joints”. Although there might be slightly di!erent causes and manifestations of your arthritis, by and large, in!ammation is the culprit.

“Reduce and eliminate chronic in$ammation, and watch arthritis disappear.

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To tackle arthritis, we’re going to take a two-pronged attack. First, we’re going to identify and eliminate the lifestyle factors that make in$ammation go up. Once we’ve scratched o! a few of those, we’re going to start adding things to our life to make in$ammation go down. Simple as that.

First, let’s get a basic understanding of what makes in$ammation go up. As you’ll see in the next chapter, diet’s in$uence on in$ammation cannot be overstated. A healthy diet is the fundamental step that reduces in$ammation and melts away arthritis (However, diet is a double-edged sword and certain foods can have the complete opposite e!ect). In general, sugar, bad fats, and food sensitivities are the aspects of diet that ramp up chronic in$ammation.

Glycemix Index –"e Secret Instigator of Arthritis

#e word “sugar” may conjure up images of white sugar packets or pies. #e truth is, sugar is silently rampant in the food supply –o&entimes added secretly to so-called “health foods.” Even if you fanatically read labels and reduce your sugar intake, there are still “sugar-like” foods out there that your body treats essentially the same as pure white, granulated sugar. #ese foods, known as high glycemic index foods, are absorbed incredibly fast by the body (as you may expect, low glycemic index foods are absorbed slowly). A&er you eat a high glycemic index food, like a chocolate chip cookie, your body gets hit with a blood sugar “spike” that shoots glucose levels through the roof.

When this happens, your body scrambles to get glucose back to normal. It secretes insulin. It pumps out adrenal chemicals. And most importantly for our discussion, it ramps up in$ammation. An occasional treat now and again isn’t going to make a dent in chronic in$ammation. However, a diet heavy in high glycemic foods like white bread, pasta, and candy undoubtedly will.

A recent study published in #e American Journal of Clinical Nutrition illustrates this point. While scientists have long understood the link between high glycemic index foods and short-term in$ammation, Harvard University researchers decided to see what e!ect a high glycemic index diet had on chronic in$ammation. #e researchers took a group of 250 women and assessed the glycemic index of their diet and determined in$ammation levels through a highly accurate blood test. To their amazement, they found that the women with the high glycemic index diet had twice the amount of chronic in$ammation than those that ate a mostly low glycemic index diet.

“To keep in$ammation and pain under wraps, make sure most of your carbs for the day are at or below 50 grams.

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#is plays out in terms of pain sensation as well. In one study, a group of volunteers were given two di!erent types of diets: one designed to rapidly raise blood sugars, and another to keep blood sugars relatively steady. While ethically questionable, the researchers hooked up painful electrodes to each group’s "ngers. Despite sending the same voltage through the electrodes, those with the highest blood sugars reported the highest levels of pain.

One of the "rst steps in getting in$ammation under wraps is going on a “seek and destroy” mission for high glycemic index foods. However, the glycemic index can be tricky and foods on either end of the glycemic index spectrum may surprise you. As a general rule, any food with a lot of carbs has a high glycemic index. On the other hand, foods without much in the way of carbs, like nuts, meat, and dairy, barely register on the glycemic index.

Be careful: even “healthy” carb-rich foods like wheat bread and brown rice tend to have a very high glycemic index. Also, any food that’s highly processed, like breakfast cereals, granola bars, and packaged food will almost always have a high glycemic index. On the other hand, you can get low glycemic index carbs from fresh veggies, small amounts of fruit, and legumes.

Check out the list of common foods and their glycemic index on the next page. To keep in$ammation and pain under wraps, make sure most of your carbs for the day are at or below 50 grams.

Bad Fats –A Curse On Arthritis Relief

When it comes to arthritis, fats can be your best friend or your worst enemy. Eat the right kind, and you’ll feel your pain slowly melt away. But dine on the wrong type, and your joints will $are up and your overactive nerves will send out pain signals like a radio antenna.

#e "rst type of bad fat that you need to set your crosshairs on is saturated fat. Saturated fat, made famous as a cause of heart disease, has wide-reaching e!ects all over the body –all caused by in$ammation. While your body needs a certain amount of saturated fat, a&er you reach a certain point, saturated fat is considered toxic by your body. Because saturated fats boost in$ammation and derail your body’s natural anti-in$ammatory mechanisms, you can perhaps see why the Washington Post calls saturated fats, “the evildoers of the nutrition world.”

Even worse are the dreaded trans fats. You’ve probably heard of these nasty little buggers as they’re getting largely banned around the country. Actually, a&er NYC stopped trans fats from being sold, they became the "rst fat outright abolished in US history. Why such bold moves against a single fat?

To understand that, it helps to have a handle on what trans fats are. Trans fats are “Franken fats” that food manufacturers create to extend shelf life of processed food and to retain a rich texture in packaged foods. While it may sound harmless, this man made fat is far from it. Trans fats have been closely linked to cardiovascular disease and diabetes. But it appears that trans fats wedging themselves into arteries causes the damage –they work by pushing in$ammation skyward.

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In fact, Harvard researchers found that women that ate trans fat rich foods, like pastries, cookies, cakes, and deep fried food, had signi"cantly higher in$ammation levels than those that didn’t –even though the rest of their diets were identical.

Omega-3/Omega-6 Ratio

Even if you already avoid trans and saturated fats like the plague, there’s another “big fat issue” that you need to have on your arthritis radar screen. Since the industrial revolution, the fats we take in are largely under a class known as “omega-6” fats. In the body, omega-6 fats act in a completely opposite manner to the famous omega-3 fats, which you may have heard of.

To make a long story short, our intake of omega-3 and omega-6 fats, which are supposed to be about equal, have been $ipped upside down and are more lopsided than ever. In fact, studies show the average American diet is about 20:1 omega-6 fats to omega-3 fats. In other words, for every 20 grams of omega-6 fats you gobble down, you may only get in 1 gram of omega-3 fats. In a later chapter, we’ll discuss the incredible importance of omega-3 fats and you’ll have a better idea of why this ratio is signi"cant. But in the meantime, just know that the fats we eat (including saturated or trans fats) are completely out of whack.

Why does this matter? Because emerging research shows that a higher intake of omage-6 fats to omega-3 fats does a number on chronic in$ammation levels. While saturated and trans fat tend to increase in$ammation via a “red alert” response from your immune system, omega-6 fats act more subtly. You see, your body produces immune cells largely from the fat you eat –a perfect example of “you are what you eat”.

If you eat lots of omega-6 fats, from vegetable oils (including soy oil –which makes up an astounding 20% of the average American’s caloric intake), and processed food, then you’re providing your body’s cell factories with the raw parts for hormones and immune cells that promote in$ammation. On the other hand, by eating hearty amounts of omega-3 fats, your body goes to work creating cells that cause in$ammation to relax. A great deal of your body’s internal in$ammation is dictated by the “raw parts” you hand it –omega-3 or omega-6 fats.

Can Sitting On "e Couch Increase In!ammation?

It certainly can. A “lazy lifestyle”, technically referred to as a sedentary lifestyle, this is one of the least known contributors to in$ammation and arthritis pain. In fact, in an unfair vicious cycle, arthritis pain makes it harder to exercise, which makes you more sedentary, which makes arthritis worse…and on and on.

“#e average American diet is about 20:1 omega-6 fats to omega-3 fats!

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Studies show that people who exercise the most have the lowest levels of in$ammation. Conversely, people who spend most of their time sitting tend to have out of control in$ammation. A 2006 study recruited about 200 men and women to see if they could link a handful of precise in$ammation markers to physical "tness. Sure enough, the participants who exercise the least had sky-high levels of harmful in$ammation proteins $oating around in their body.

For your arthritis, and your overall health, one of the most crucial steps you can take is to get moving.

Stress and In!ammation

Tell me if this scenario sounds familiar. You’re driving home from a long day at work, with a to-do list up to your eyeballs, and some young punk decides to cut you o! and nearly kill you on the highway. You honk your horn. You scream obscenities that would make a stand up comedian wince. And your stress levels burst upward like mercury in an overheated thermometer.

A few minutes later, you’re back to normal mentally. But physically, your knees, back, and hands start to cry out in incredible pain. I know that when I used to have arthritis, this sort of stressful event would light up my pain levels like a powder keg.

Although I probably missed the connection 9 times out of 10, I now realize that keeping tabs on stress if one of the simplest, and most e!ective ways, to control arthritis pain. Skeptical that something that resides in your mind, like stress and anxiety, can set o! a "restorm in your joints?

#en take a peek at this study by Emory University researchers. #ese scientists rounded up a group of 25 healthy men, collected blood for markers of in$ammation, put them under a stressful situation, and then collected blood again. A single minute or two of stress was enough to cause in$ammation levels to spiral out of control.

#e author of the study, Dr Miller, stated that, “While in$ammation is essential for us to "ght bacterial and viral infections, too much in$ammation can cause harm. #ere’s always some collateral damage when the immune system gets "red up.”

Many other studies have linked other stressful mental states, like anxiety and depression, to in$ammation levels and arthritis. One of the most well known of these research studies is one published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. In this 2006 study, they found that anxiety very o&en precedes arthritis –answering the “chicken or the egg question” that plagued arthritis researchers for years.

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Simply by tossing out high glycemic index foods and bad fats, putting your omega-6/omega-3 ratio back in check, getting active, and lowering stress, you’ve already won half of the arthritis battle.

#e other half of the battle comprises the rest of this book: fast-acting, natural, and safe methods to make in$ammation and arthritis pain freefall. We’ll start o! with the most e!ective natural arthritis treatment out there, anti-in$ammatory nutrition. #en we’ll move onto little-known, but incredibly powerful super foods. A&er that, it’s time to learn about scienti"cally backed vitamins and mineral supplements for arthritis pain relief.

We’ll wrap up with the importance of weight loss, ancient cures that still work today, and easy ways to exercise without pain. Along the way, I’ll be giving you “action steps” to make sure you get the most out of the information in each chapter.

But "rst, it’s helpful to know how much in$ammation you have. With that number in hand, you’ll have a better idea of how aggressive you should be.

Action Steps: Calculate Your In!ammation Score and Know Your Strengths and Weaknesses (Day 2)

1) I eat processed foods (frozen dinners, chips, cookies, candy etc.) 1. More than once per day2. About once per day3. Once a week4. Only on special occasions

2) I eat !sh and other seafood 1. “Never. I don’t eat "sh”2. Once per month3. 2-3 times per week4. More than 4 times per week

3) I eat ____ servings of fresh vegetables per day1. 1 or less2. About 23. At least 5 4. 5 or more

4) When it comes to grains, I eat ____ the most1. White pasta, white bread, boxed cereal2. “Whole grain” bread and pasta3. 100% whole-wheat products4. Barely, quinoa, and brown rice

5) When I eat meat, I usually choose 1. Pork chops, steaks, salami and cured meats2. Fried chicken 3. Lean cuts of beef and chicken with skin4. Fat-free turkey breast, beef with fat trimmed, skinless chicken

6) I spend about ____ minutes per day exercising1. Less than 102. Less than 203. Less than 304. 30 or more

7) When I cook with oil, I tend to use 1. Lard or hydrogenated oil (vegetable shortening)2. Vegetable oil (aka soybean oil) or peanut oil3. “Healthy” oil blends like sa(ower and olive oil4. 100% extra virgin olive oil

8) When it comes to anxiety and stress 1. “I’ve been diagnosed with and treated for chronic anxiety”2. “I’m a nervous and anxious person”3. “I have my moments of stress every so o&en”4. “Nothing every seems to get to me”

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Your In$ammation Score (out of 100)Add up the numbers from your answers to these questions and write it down.

Answer Score 10 or less=In#ammation Score 90-100/100#ere’s a biological "re inside of you. Arthritis is likely one of dozens of health issues that you battle with everyday. While you may have had a few health problems in the past, they’ve gotten much worse in last few years.

You’ll need to be extremely aggressive and religious in following the advice in this book if you want to get your in$ammation levels under control.

Answer Score 11-16=In#ammation Score 75-85/100Your in$ammation isn’t as bad as it could be, but it’s more than enough to cause debilitating arthritis. You’ll want to be sure to put the principles and advice in this book into practice right away before in$ammation gets any worse.

Answer Score 16-24=In#ammation Score 65-75/100An in$ammation score here puts you with the average American. Considering the incredibly high rates of arthritis, diabetes, obesity, and heart disease that the average American faces, you don’t want your in$ammation levels to be here for very long.

Eliminating pro-in$ammatory triggers like bad fats and stress will make a huge impact on in$ammation levels. #at likely won’t be quite enough however. It’s a good idea to take further action and try the advice in the rest of this plan to drive in$ammation levels even lower.

Answer Score 25 or higher=In#ammation Score 50 or lessOn the surface, it looks like you’re doing some great things for your health, your in$ammation, and your arthritis. But there’s still some room for improvement –otherwise, you wouldn’t have arthritis.

I tend to "nd that what works best for people with low in$ammation scores and painful arthritis is to continue the positive things they’ve been doing, all the while throwing in some of the powerful treatments that I’m about to describe. Most people "nd that adding a few superfoods, trying some traditional Eastern medicine, and experimenting with vitamin supplements is enough to push them “over the hump” to long-lasting arthritis relief.

No matter what your score, it’s important to look back over how you answered the questions and take note of what areas of your lifestyle could use a faceli&. At the same time that you’re factoring in the powerful natural cures I’m about to describe, work towards eliminating pro-in$ammatory foods, combating stress, and exercising.

Eat Like "is, Beat Arthritis

Part III“Foods and supplements give us new ways to stop local tissue injury, reduce pain impulses within nerves, and even limit the brain’s perception of pain.”

-Neal Barnard, MDFounder, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine

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Chapter 4: What a moose taught scientists that the Chinese knew for centuries

I’ll never forget the "rst time that I returned to Hong Kong a#er making incredible progress in my arthritis symptoms. Instead of struggling through every step of my journey, I con"dently and de&ly waltzed through security, up stairs, and through subway terminals. I legitimately felt like an entirely di!erent person, both mentally and physically. I wasn’t 100% better, but I was close.

Of course, the "rst stop of my trip was to pay Jane a visit and thank her for changing my life. When she saw me walking with perfect posture through the same doorway to her restaurant that I limped through before, her eyes lit up. She rushed to shake my hand and asked me how her suggestions worked for me. Feeling like a new woman, I related to her my story of how I combined ancient Chinese wisdom with 21st century discoveries to not only conquer my own arthritis, but many of my loved ones as well.

As the days of my trip went on, I became less of a customer and more of a friend. One day, Jane invited me out to hike with her on a remote area of Hong Kong known as Laama Island. On our hike, Jane told me amazing things about her family, the history of Hong Kong, and how the trees and bushes we brushed by had hidden healing properties –something that Western medicine seemed to have forgotten.

Along the way, we spotted a young deer with his mother. “See how tall and proud they stand? #ese animals never get arthritis, poor posture or heart problems like we do”, said Jane. “#eir secret? #ey eat straight from the Earth.”

Just a few months before, I would have been skeptical of this cause and e!ect relationship. A&er all, maybe animals don’t get arthritis simply because they aren’t people. Or perhaps their joints are fundamentally di!erent than ours. But because Jane had been right so many times before, I opened my mind and agreed with her. Watching the deer and his mother chew the roots and leaves of a nearby bush, and later steal a drink from a natural stream, it dawned on me that our diets have deviated miles from what nature intended –with our joints paying the price.

Amazingly, this story came back to me with a vengeance when I picked up a recent issue of the New York Times. #e newspaper reported the results of an amazing 50-year old study looking into how nutrition a!ects arthritis –in moose. #is research study, which started in 1958, looked at the diets and health of a species of moose on a remote New York State island. Amazingly, the scientists came to the same conclusion that Jane did on our hike. Or as the newspaper itself puts it: “A study that began in 1958 has found poor nutrition as the cause of arthritis.”

#ey found that the moose that ate poor diets early in life ultimately su!ered from the dis"gured and

“Nutrients, experts say, might in$uence composition or shape of bones, joints or cartilage.

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in$amed joints, which is the hallmark of Rheumatoid Arthritis. #e leader of the study, Dr. Peterson of Michigan State University, went on to say that “Arthritis is a death sentence around here — you need all four legs. Wolves pick them o! so quickly that you don’t even see them limping.”

#e article goes onto highlight all the ways nutrition interacts with arthritis development and severity: “Nutrients, experts say, might in$uence composition or shape of bones, joints or cartilage. Nutrition might also a!ect hormones, the likelihood of later in$ammation or oxidative stress, even how a genetic predisposition for arthritis is expressed or suppressed.”

As you can see, nutrition and arthritis are tied together more closely than most physicians care to know. If you’re like most arthritis patients, your doctor has probably said the words “medication,” “physical therapy,” and “surgery” more o&en than he’s said “diet,” “omega-3s,” or “B vitamins”. #at’s a shame, because when it comes to research-backed arthritis treatments, nothing beats nutrition.

Little-Known Allergen "eory of Arthritis

Let’s ignore the all-important in$uence of nutrients like omega-6 fats and high glycemic index foods on in$ammation and arthritis for a moment. #ere’s another diet-arthritis link that’s not nutrition per se, but those that tackle this issue o&en "nd their arthritis cured within days. #at’s right. Not just “better”. Cured.

And that cure my friends, is based on the theory that much of the in$ammation and pain people feel with arthritis is a direct result of eating foods that they’re allergic to. While you may not be able to feel the allergic response in the traditional “Oh my gosh! I can’t breathe” sort of way, you de"nitely feel it later when your joints ache with arthritic fury.

A certain subgroup of the population is allergic to certain proteins found in food, known as antigens. Unlike people who go into shock when exposed to an antigen, the e!ect is more subtle, at least from the outside looking in. When you eat a food that contains an antigen, like a protein in milk, for example, immune cells in your intestine go on red alert. #inking that the antigen is a foreign invader, in$ammation shoots up like a rocket and immunity goes haywire.

#e idea that allergies are a little known cause of most people’s arthritis is gaining traction in the medical community –although many doctors prefer to “stay the course” with medications that don’t work. In fact, organizations like #e Center for Food Allergies have sprung up to get the word out about the “allergen theory” of arthritis. #eir website states that most doctors think medications are the only viable arthritis treatment and, “this belief ignores a large volume of scienti"c evidence pointing to food allergies as a major cause of arthritis.”

When they say “large volume of scienti"c evidence”, they aren’t kidding. #ere are mountains of studies

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pointing a "nger at hyper-allergenic foods as a factor that makes arthritis worse, and in many cases, downright causes the disease.

Let’s look at a handful. A group of German researchers decided to eliminate the possibility of allergies interfering with study results by asking a group of chronic arthritis su!erers to fast for 2 days. Remarkably, they found that many of the subject’s pain completely disappeared overnight. #ey concluded, “#e e!ect of complete fasting on pain in rheumatoid arthritis is remarkable, but not fully understood”, and that “food allergy may cause or aggravate arthritis”.

#is study led to a slew of others, all "nding similar phenomena and coming to the same conclusions. For example, one study that decided to eliminate a very common allergic trigger, gluten (found in wheat), found that nearly half of those that cut out gluten from their diet signi"cantly improved their arthritis symptoms. Another research study found that, while only one third of people with arthritis thought that certain foods worsened their pain, 48% found clinically signi"cant improvements in their symptoms a&er trying a low-allergy diet. Another study concluded that:” “One of the most promising lines of research on the etiology and pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is its association with … food antigens.”

Yet another, which gave arthritis su!erers a diet completely free from food dyes and milk proteins, concluded that: “#e existence of a subgroup of patients in whom food intolerance in$uences the activity of rheumatoid arthritis deserves serious consideration.”

I really could go on and on. But I think you get the idea that, for a large group of arthritis su!erers, relief is one less piece of bread or glass of milk away. But how can you possibly know if you fall into this group? #ere are a number of blood tests and even biopsies to determine whether you have subdued allergic reaction to certain trigger foods. However, these tests are wrought with issues, especially false positives (the test saying that you have the allergy even if you don’t).

An easier, simpler, and much more e!ective way is known as the elimination diet. In an elimination diet, you toss out the most notorious o!enders of food allergies in the American diet. With thousands of potential trigger foods, you may think this is a tall task, but you’d be wrong. #e US Centers for Disease Control has reported that 90% of all food allergies are caused by these 10 foods:1. Milk2. Eggs3. Peanuts4. Tree nuts (walnuts, cashews, etc)5. Fish6. Shell"sh7. Soy8. Wheat (gluten) 9. Tomatoes10. Corn

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Action Steps: Go On an “Elimination Diet” (Days 5-7)

Allergies are seldom looked at by doctors as an arthritis cause. #at’s too bad, because as I pointed out in this chapter, allergies are a surprisingly common reason that people struggle with arthritis. However, "guring out whether you "t into this category requires that you go on a brief elimination diet.

1. Start recording on pen and paper what you eat everyday: Be extra careful to record everything that you eat, including snacks, drinks, toppings, and condiments. Every crumb counts. Even a small amount of a trigger food is more than enough to set of an allergic response.

At the end of this chapter I’ve provided you with a food diary that you can print out and use yourself.

2. Eliminate not only the top 10 trigger foods, but go on a temporary “caveman diet”: Eliminating any food added to the food supply since the advent of agriculture will ensure that you’re not exposing yourself to the most common allergens. An expert in this technique, Elmer M. Cranton, M.D. says that: “You may not like it, but you will not be deprived of any important nutrients. If symptoms improve and if you feel better on this diet, it means that something you eat or drink on a regular basis is either causing or contributing to the severity of symptoms.” I’ll discuss the ins and outs of a caveman diet in a minute.

3. Be a label sleuth: Most packaged foods are “out” on the caveman diet. However, for the few that are allowed, be sure to read the label carefully, ensuring that there aren’t any added ingredients that may themselves be a trigger food.

4. Take note of your symptoms, whether worse or better: A&er a full 48 hours of following the diet religiously start to notice your symptoms. Are they worse, better, about the same?

5. Continue on this diet or slowly add foods back into your diet: If you feel great a&er eliminating all trigger foods, then you have two options. Some don’t care that the caveman diet is pretty restrictive. #ey have their life back, and they aren’t going to let the temptation to eat toast and butter get in the way of that.

For others, life isn’t worth living without the occasional cookie and glass of milk. If that’s you, then you need to be very careful about how you go about adding foods back into your diet. Be sure to add one food back at a time. If you don’t, and your pain comes back, you won’t know which food was the culprit. On the other hand, if you add back let’s say, tomatoes, then you suddenly feel pain again, then you’ll know tomatoes are a trigger food.

Important note: It’s entirely possible to have more than one trigger food. Keep this in mind as you try to "nd yours.

6. Know everywhere that your trigger food is found in and unmercifully eliminate it from your

diet: Eliminating gluten (wheat protein) isn’t as easy as avoiding bread and dairy isn’t just milk and yogurt. To ruthlessly cut these foods from your diet, you need to be able to read labels like a pro and know the various “nicknames” that your trigger foods are called when they become food additives.

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How to Do A Comprehensive Elimination Caveman Diet

#e advantage of a caveman diet is that once you understand it, there’s no guesswork. Unlike Weight Watchers, there’s no points to count or foods to look up. Even if you’ve never even heard of a food before, based on the criteria for a caveman diet, you’ll instantly know whether it "ts or not.

In a nutshell, a caveman diet only includes foods that were available before the dawn of civilization, a time period known as the Paleolithic era. #at’s why the diet, which is popular in it’s own right, it o&en called the “Paleo Diet”.

To make sure the caveman is easy for you, here’s a run down of what’s in and what’s out:

Grains are OUT: It’s a myth that cavemen ever ate grains like wheat, oats, or rice. Even if a caveman was lucky enough to "nd a wheat plant, it wouldn’t have the mental of technological capacity to turn it into bread or cookies. Ditto for every other grain out there, even uncommon ones like barley, millet, and quinoa.

Fresh or Frozen Vegetables are IN: Vegetables formed the basis of our ancestor’s diet. And fresh vegetable like broccoli, spinach, and beans are perfect additions to a caveman diet. However, vegetables that are heavily cooked or canned don’t count. #e additives and other ingredients make them a modern-day phenomenon. One of the few exceptions to the “no packaged foods” are frozen veggies without added salt or sauce. Because they are pure vegetable, frozen veggies are IN on the caveman diet.

Fresh Fruits are IN (in limited amounts): Fruits are fairly abundant in nature, but not nearly as much as other foods like vegetables. Also, the fruits farms produce are upwards of 12 times larger than they would be if they were grown in the wild. Fruits, while healthy, are high in sugar (and therefore the glycemic index) and should be limited to 4 or less servings per day.

Dairy is OUT: Cavemen probably didn’t milk an animal before poking it’s spear into it. #erefore, dairy in all its forms –milk, yogurt, cottage cheese etc. – aren’t allowed on a caveman diet. WARNING: Dairy is o&en lurking in packaged foods.

Packaged Foods are OUT: I don’t know about you, but I don’t recall seeing a box if Wheat #ins hanging o! of a tree during my last hike. Packaged foods are man made and are therefore OUT on the caveman diet (except for frozen veggies with no added ingredients of any kind).

Seafood is Very IN: It’s thought that the majority of cavemen’s calories came in the form of "sh. In addition to raw calories, "sh provided important nutrients like protein and omega 3 fats to hungry cavemen. Eat "sh in abundance while on the caveman diet (but watch for shell"sh, which are a common source of allergies).

“When eating meat, choose lean meats like low-fat cuts of beef, skinless chicken, and turkey.

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Lean Meat is IN: #e meat our cavemen ancestors ate was very di!erent than the factory farm raised stu! we eat today. Modern meats like bacon, ham, and hot dogs are much higher in total and saturated fat than the meat out bodies were designed to eat. When eating meat, choose lean meats like low-fat cuts of beef, skinless chicken, and turkey.

Beans and Lentils are IN: Beans like kidney beans and chickpeas are rich in protein and slowly digestible carbs. Beans also help you kick the carb withdrawal symptoms you may experience a&er tossing your grains. Choose fresh beans and lentils over the canned variety, which contain preservatives that can aggravate arthritis.

Action Step: Know "e Basics of "e Blue Heron Arthritis Diet (Day 5)

Before getting into the nitty gritty of nutrition and in$ammation, it helps to know the basics ahead of time. Take one or two minutes and read over the fundamentals of the Blue Heron Arthritis diet. Once you have these fresh in your mind, the information in the rest of the book will make more sense and stimulate many, many more “aha” moments.

Books discussing diet and arthritis are already out there, and sure enough, more will be written a&er this one. What separates the diets found in other books from this one is that a) this book is based on the combination of the latest science and wisdom of ancient cures; b) we make everything simple and step by step for you; c) it’s written by an arthritis su!erer; and d) it combines the most powerful cures known to man to "ght the real (and only) cause of arthritis: in$ammation.

Here are the fundamental principles of the Blue Heron Arthritis Diet:

Eliminate trigger foods: Because this has the power to eradicate arthritis within a day or two, I strongly suggest that everyone at least try an elimination diet to "gure out whether allergies are the root cause of your arthritis. I discuss how to successful undertake a caveman elimination diet in the previous chapter.

Limit Pro-In#ammatory Foods: Many foods in our modern day American diet are considered toxic by our body –and it tends to respond in turn with hearty doses of painful in$ammation. To get arthritis under control, you need to make pro-in$ammatory foods like saturated fat, sugar, and trans fat something reserved for special occasions. Because in!ammation is the underlying cause of arthritis, eliminating any factors that contribute to arthritis will make a big di$erence.

Eat Natural, Anti-In#ammatory Foods, Nutrients, and Eastern "erapies: To soothe in$amed joints from the inside out, I recommend a fair number of proven foods and nutrients that act like freezing cold water on “your "re within” –in$ammation. %e remainder of this book discusses the anti-in!ammatory nutrients that, when added to your diet, signi"cantly reduce arthritis pain and in!ammation. Also, I’ll delve into Eastern approaches to arthritis, like acupuncture, that has Western scientists excited.

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Stay Hydrated With Water: Water lubricates joints -keeping them moving freely. When you’re dehydrated, joints become dry, brittle, and more painful.

It’s important to stay hydrated with water only. Foods like soda (even diet soda), juice, and other $avored drinks are full of colors, dyes, and preservatives that can make your pain even worse. You’ll notice that I don’t include any drinks throughout the book except for green tea. %at’s for the simple reason that any drinks except for green tea and water are generally pro-in!ammatory. Sticking to these !uids, and ignoring all others, takes the guesswork out of what to drink.

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Food Diary Day 1Name___________________________________________________ Date______________________

Time Ammount Descriptione.g. 9 am Give as tsp, tbsp, cups,

oz,weight or portion sizeGive a detailed description including type of food,brand name, or restaurant

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Food Diary Day 2Name___________________________________________________ Date______________________

Time Ammount Descriptione.g. 9 am Give as tsp, tbsp, cups,

oz,weight or portion sizeGive a detailed description including type of food,brand name, or restaurant

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Food Diary Day 3Name___________________________________________________ Date______________________

Time Ammount Descriptione.g. 9 am Give as tsp, tbsp, cups,

oz,weight or portion sizeGive a detailed description including type of food,brand name, or restaurant

33

Chapter 5 - Arthritis Cure In a Pill? Which Vitamins Are a Must

On my last trip to China, I had the unique opportunity to spend some time with a Chinese family in a traditional village. One day, when having dinner at their house, I noticed that their 11-year-old son, who couldn’t have weighed more than 80 lbs., was given twice as much food than the rest of us. I couldn’t hold my tongue, so I asked: “Why is this little boy eating so much food. I know that he’s a growing boy, but I think this might be a bit much.”

Ignoring my unwanted parenting advice, the mother of the family calmly replied. “We give him more because he needs more. Last week, he was sick. Four days ago, he fell and sprained his ankle. And yesterday, he strained his shoulder climbing a tree,” she explained.

She went on. “It’s o&en said in this village that, ‘He that takes medicine and neglects diet, wastes the skills of the physician.’ In Asia, we believe that those that are hurt or sick need more than usual –and much more than a well person. We feel that the vital elements held within foods are necessary for healing and recovery. If a sick person eats the same amount that he normally does, he won’t get the vital elements he needs.”

On a roll, she added to her original point. “Our elders tell us that many diseases crop up because the body doesn’t have enough of the vital elements from food and tea. Once you give the body those vital elements back, and in large amounts, the disease disappears.”

I tell you, that woman was wiser than her years (and knew more about the origin of disease than many doctors). While she probably had never even seen a microscope in her entire life, she knew all too well that foods contain nutrients essential for health and recovery. She called them vital elements, but we generally refer to them as vitamins.

Most Americans feel that because they take a popular multi-vitamin and eat vitamin and mineral forti"ed cereal for breakfast that they shouldn’t care about vitamins. #e truth is that although we eat more food than ever, our vitamin intake pales in comparison to the rest of the world. #e processed junk food that comprises the majority of our diets are virtual vitamin wastelands.

And when it comes to arthritis, “vitamin therapy” is one of the hottest areas of research. Many arthritis scientists are head over heels about the fact that they can use high doses of certain vitamins to prevent and treat arthritis –without having to worry about the dangers and expense of prescription drugs.

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Vitamin D

In 2005, Boston University researcher Michael Holick published a paper in #e New England Journal of Medicine that served as a wakeup call to doctors, nutritionists, and public health experts to the silent epidemic that was responsible for the death of thousands every year. He went on to say, “Vitamin D de"ciency is now recognized as an epidemic”.

Since then, scientists have scrambled to "nd out just how detrimental the vitamin D epidemic has been to our nation’s health. I’m sorry to report that the news is not good, and even a bit disturbing.

Let’s take a quick look at the numbers. It’s estimated that more than half of the world’s population –that’s 3 billion people -is vitamin D de"cient. In America, 75% of people don’t get enough of this health-boosting vitamin. And those that don’t get much sunlight, are of dark complexion, and live in the northern hemisphere are at even higher risk.

You may be saying, “My bones are "ne, why should I worry about vitamin D.” It turns out that, contrary to what people thought for the last 100 years, vitamin D does a lot more in the body than help build bones. In fact, it’s now understood that every single cell in the body has a receptor for vitamin D –including the cells that reside within your joints.

In fact, if you were to plot a chart of the rates of people with vitamin D de"ciency along with one of arthritis su!erers, they would match almost perfectly. A growing group of researchers are coming to the conclusion that the vitamin D epidemic and the arthritis epidemic are the very same epidemic. In fact, studies show that people with OA and RA tend to have even lower levels of vitamin D than the general public.

Indeed, it’s one of the most crucial nutrients out there. But because few people get their vitamin D levels measured, de"ciency can wreak silent havoc for years -going undetected until a serious manifestation of the de"ciency, like heart disease or arthritis, pops up.

What exactly happens if you don’t get the vitamin D you need? In$ammation and lots of it! Research published in the Archives of Internal Medicine took blood samples from a group of healthy women, measuring both vitamin D levels, and a particularly virulent in$ammatory protein, called TNF Alpha (this protein has a reputation for making joint pain $are up). #ey found that the women with the lowest vitamin D levels had the highest amounts TNF Alpha proteins in their body –no doubt wreaking havoc on their heart, muscles, and joints.

Best of all, you can use vitamin D to rapidly reverse in$ammation. A study out of Belgium found that giving low doses of Vitamin D to sick people caused an important marker of in$ammation fall by 25%...within a day.

But nowhere is this new era of vitamin D research more exciting than in the area of arthritis. #e scienti"c literature if over$owing with case studies of patients with crippling, “incurable” arthritis, who

“More than half of the world’s population –that’s 3 billion people -is vitamin D de"cient!

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had tried everything (and I mean everything) to ease the pain. #e cases are a bit di!erent, but the story is always the same: a patient’s doctor decided to measure their vitamin D levels, gave them the appropriate supplements to get their vitamin D back to normal, and their pain quickly vanished! No drugs, no surgery…just a dirt-cheap vitamin D supplement that you can buy at your local pharmacy.

#e prestigious Johns Hopkins University, which has led the charge in tying vitamin D de"ciency and the arthritis epidemic, states that, “Vitamin D is proving to be a most promising area for arthritis research.” #ey add, “Unlike other vitamins, vitamin D is not just a simple nutrient. It’s also an active steroid hormone that binds to receptors in a host of vulnerable tissues -- including the joints a!ected by arthritis -- and works to keep these tissues healthy.”

Let’s take a look at some of this extremely promising arthritis research. In case you’re not sure if this vitamin D stu! applies to you, keep in mind that a paper in Pain Treatment Topics reviewed 22 studies of people with chronic pain conditions (including OA and RA), and found that nearly everyone in all 22 studies had low vitamin D levels! As in most studies looking into vitamin D and arthritis, this one also found that almost all of the study subjects who start taking vitamin D either greatly improved or completely recovered.

One study, looking at Vitamin D levels and the status and progression of knee osteoarthritis found a crystal clear link between low vitamin D levels, overall pain, and knee strength. Best of all, supplementing with vitamin D was enough for many of the subjects in this study to bounce back and live a normal life –with very little or even zero knee pain. Another study found that giving just half of the recommended amount of vitamin D to older people slashed their risk of developing RA by 40%.

But not only do low vitamin D levels lead to OA and RA, but it lets the disease run rampant around your body. Without vitamin D, chronic in$ammation slowly eats away at your joints and cartilage–worsening arthritis. A study in Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology found that people with the deadly combination of RA and severely low vitamin D levels had six times the risk of being “moderately or severely disabled”. At the very least, even if vitamin D doesn’t completely wipe out your arthritis, it can be an important "rst step in getting you back on your feet.

Dr. James Dowd, MD of the Arthritis Institute of Michigan and author of the eye-opening book, “#e Vitamin D Cure”, is one of the few physicians putting this vitamin D-arthritis research into practice. He recently told a #e UK Daily Mail about a patient who cured her arthritis solely by taking vitamin D supplements. Dowd says, “It sounds almost magical. But in fact it’s just common-sense medicine based on good science; the sort that has eluded many physicians for decades.”

Perhaps it’s eluded your physican too. I know that it eluded mine. I know for a fact that vitamin D never even entered my doctor’s mind. How do I know? Because he never even measured my vitamin D levels or asked me how much vitamin D I was getting! Instead, like most doctors, he stuck to the tired regimen of the “three P’s”: pills, potions, and physical therapy. Fortunately, you can ask your doctor for a vitamin D blood test. Not just for your arthritis, but also for your overall health, this is one of the numbers (along with your weight and cholesterol) that you need to know.

“#e fatty "sh you started eating in week 1 is especially high in Vitamin D.

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But if you prefer to cut to the chase and start taking vitamin D right away (you should), here’s how to do it. Vitamin D is o&entimes referred to as “the sunshine vitamin” for a reason –the primary way we get vitamin D is from skin exposure to sunlight. When UV rays hit your skin, your body produced vitamin D.

Unfortunately, partially due to campaigns by overzealous dermatologists to avoid the sun at all costs, we seem to think that sunlight is dangerous. It isn’t.

Outside the box MD Dr. Mercola has said that in the “Leading vitamin D scientists in the world have changed their position within the last few

years and have started the warning sirens that most of traditional medicine was dead wrong when it comes to sun avoidance. And that “Following the ridiculous recommendations of avoiding the sun has caused a minimum of 20,000 extra cancers per year, and it is far more likely the number actually exceeds 50,000.” Not to mention countless cases of debilitating arthritis that could have been prevented.

Purposely or not, we don’t get nearly as much sun as our bodies were designed to. It’s estimated that the average American spends 87% of their time indoors! Worse yet, we tend to load on sunscreen and cover up during the few occasions that we do see the sun. Fortunately, you don’t need much sun to get enough vitamin D. Just 15-20 minutes of sun exposure with 25% of our skin exposed (face, neck, ) of arms, and legs from the knee down will do it) in the spring and summer is plenty. However, for older people and those with dark skin, the skin doesn’t make vitamin D nearly as well. #is means you can either get more sunlight or take a vitamin D supplement.

Also, the sunlight in the northern hemisphere from the months of November to April is essentially useless for vitamin D production in the skin. Most people think that their arthritis gets worse during the winter because of the cold –not true! It’s actually due to the fact that already-low vitamin D levels plummet in the winter months.

#is means that, unless you’re a young guy soaking rays in Florida, then you should seek out supplements. Also, keep in mind that, because you’re likely de"cient, then the recommendations for the general public don’t apply to you. What my Chinese friend told me that night: “Once you give the body those vital elements back, and in large amounts, the disease disappears,” is especially true in the case of vitamin D.

Your "rst step is to refresh your sagging vitamin D levels. Once you’ve done that with high-dose vitamin D supplements.

I should mention that the reason I say “supplement” and not “chew”, is because there aren’t many foods with vitamin D. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. #e fatty "sh you started eating in

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week 1 is especially high in Vitamin D. Also, vitamin D forti"ed cereals and dairy products like milk and yogurt are great choices. You may also want to consider eating mushrooms and eggs –also rich in vitamin D.

Vitamin D Dosage: See action steps at end of chapter

Vitamin C

Vitamin C, famous for its presence in citrus fruits like oranges, does more for the human body than many give it credit for. Its main job is as a free radical “scavenger” –a vitamin version of an antioxidant. But vitamin C’s other job in the body is building

and repairing healthy tissue like joint and cartilage. Vitamin C creates the “glue” of connective tissue, known as collagen, which keeps joints limber and strong.

As you may already know, vitamin C is also incredibly important for immunity. It’s thought that infections (even those that you can’t feel) underlie many of the horrendous arthritic $are-ups that you and I

have both struggled with.

Studies show that by shutting down free radical damage, vitamin C causes in$ammation levels to fall. University of California, Berkeley scientists recently found that

vitamin C "ghts an important marker of in$ammation known as CRP

–the same protein that Statin drugs target. #e author of this study, Dr. Gladys Block went on to say that ““#is "nding of an e!ect of vitamin C is important because it shows in a carefully conducted randomized, controlled trial that for people with moderately elevated levels of in$ammation, vitamin C may be able to reduce CRP as much as statins have done in other studies.”

#ere’s no doubt that C can “KO” in$ammation, but what about arthritis pain? For the answer, let’s look at a study from Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. UK researchers analyzed the diets of nearly 25,000 people over a period of 8 years. Amazingly, the only consistent dietary factor they were able to tie to RA risk was their intake of vitamin C –both from supplements and food. #e group ate the lowest levels of vitamin C had more than three times the likelihood of becoming a(icted with RA when compared with those who ate the most. A newer study showed that vitamin C doesn’t just prevent arthritis, but treats it as well. When a group of people with very severe arthritis were given vitamin C supplements, their pain permanently decreased –even a&er they stopped taking the vitamin!

Unfortunately, simply eating an orange now and again isn’t going to be enough to feel a bene"t. You need to get at least 60 mg per day of vitamin C per day for arthritis pain relief. Fortunately, if you eat lots of fruits and veggies, especially oranges, tomatoes, bell peppers, and berries, and take a standard multivitamin, you’ll be getting more than enough.

“You need to get at least 60 mg per day of vitamin C per day for arthritis pain relief.

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I want to warn you that going overboard and eating oranges by the bushel and downing vitamin C supplements every 15 minutes, you may make your arthritis worse, not better. Although not proven, one study found that taking too much vitamin C actually increased cartilage damage and bone spur formation. However, this was at very high doses. A vitamin C-rich diet and the standard vitamin isn’t going to get you anywhere near the danger zone.

Vitamin C Dosage: Vitamin C rich foods plus 500mg per day in supplement form.

B Complex Vitamins

B Vitamins are the renaissance men of the body. When it comes to the millions of processes that are necessary for your body to function, vitamin B is usually involved at some level. B vitamins work night and day activating enzymes, building cells, and ensuring that nerves work properly. Knowing this, it should come at no surprise that low vitamin B levels derail many of the body’s normal processes –including those that govern arthritis.

In fact, B vitamins were the very "rst successful dietary treatment for arthritis –dating all the way back to 1935. William Kaufman, M.D Ph.D. was famous in his time for treating over 1,000 of his arthritis patients with high doses of B vitamins. He was truly a man ahead of his time. And one of the most exciting discoveries to come out of his "ndings was that B vitamins work fast! Many of his patients felt sizeable relief a&er a few hours.

Unfortunately, the medical establishment and big Pharma has worked very hard to keep his work under wraps –hence the reason that there’s been a 60-year gap between his promising results and the fairly new research that we have today.

To make things easier, I’m going to lump all of the B vitamins together, even though some research studies tend to use only one or two at a time.

For example, Columbia University researchers that recruited a group of people with terribly arthritic hands (they included people that had trouble turning a doorknob to open a door), and gave them either Tylenol, a single B vitamin (folic acid), or a vitamin B combination. #ose that took the combination had stronger grip, less sti!ness, less pain, and ended up taking less of the Tylenol they once relied on to get through the day.

In yet another example of Western science playing catch up with Eastern medicine, one study found that people with RA do indeed need more B vitamins than most –exactly what my Chinese friend related to me about her son.

In this study from the Arthritis Research & #erapy, the scientists measured levels of vitamin B6 in people with and without RA. Shockingly, the levels of B6 in people with RA were half that of healthy folks. But what really made my jaw drop about the results was that these low vitamin B6 levels weren’t

“B vitamins were the very "rst successful dietary treatment for arthritis –dating all the way back to 1935.

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the result of a low intake or more excretion –it was that the body used up massive amounts of vitamin B6 to “"ght” the arthritis-causing in$ammation. Other studies have reached similar conclusions with other vitamins (for example, it’s estimated that 1 in 4 people with arthritis have clinically low vitamin B12 levels).

In addition to taking a B-complex supplement, a must for any RA su!erer, but also a good idea for those with OA as well, be sure to eat foods rich in B vitamins like whole grains, eggs, and green leafy veggies.

Here are some foods bursting with B vitamins:SpinachBell peppersTomatoesOnions SeaweedLean beefYogurt CodGranolaCabbage

B-Complex Dosage: 1 capsule containing at least 100mg of niacin, 50mg of B6, and 250 mcg of B12

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is like vitamin C’s little brother. In many ways they’re similar –like vitamin C, vitamin E is a powerful free radical "ghter. However, while vitamin E may be able to go toe to toe with C in terms of antioxidant ability, it doesn’t do much of anything else.

But that doesn’t mean that vitamin E shouldn’t be on your radar screen as a natural arthritis therapy. #at’s because vitamin E’s favorite place to "ght free radicals is in joint and muscle cells. Sure enough, studies have found that vitamin E is able to dramatically drop in$ammation levels within joint cells.

While vitamin E can act fairly well on its own, its arthritis-combating abilities are multiplied with "sh oil. A study in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found concluded that omega-3 and vitamin E in combination were a potent tag team against arthritis pain and in$ammation.

Fortunately, you’re already taking plenty of omega-3s, so tossing in some foods high in vitamin E into your diet is just icing on the cake. Be sure to eat raw nuts (almonds, walnuts), EVOO, and dark green vegetables everyday to bump up your vitamin E levels.

Vitamin E Dosage: 400-600IU per day, from food and supplements.

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Glucosamine + Chondrotin

#ough not technically a vitamin, no book about natural arthritis relief would be complete without at least touching on glucosamine and chondroitin. For one, glucosamine isn’t just one of the most popular supplements among people with chronic arthritis- it’s the top selling supplement in the world!

Also, glucosamine is the most intensely researched nutrient in the history of nutritional science. Over 1,500 studies have looked into glucosamine for arthritis relief.

Billions of dollars of and research hours later, glucosamine remains marred in controversy. Some studies have found it to be “God’s gi&” to arthritis su!erers, while others concluded that it’s an overpriced placebo. In my opinion, the disparity between results is the simple fact that some people respond to glucosamine while others don’t.

For example, when I "rst started assembling this plan, glucosamine was one of the "rst things I recommended to people (this was before I uncovered more powerful arthritis cures like the elimination diet, vitamin D etc). Glucosamine worked so well for some people that they wrapped their arms around me in pure, pain-free glee. Others wondered why they wasted their time and money, so it’s not guaranteed for everyone.

For those that do respond, glucosamine has a three-pronged approach to arthritis relief. First, glucosamine is actually an important building block of joint and cartilage tissue. Taking glucosamine is like giving a construction worker extra bricks to work with –it’ll likely result in a stronger building. Also, studies show that glucosamine “shuts o! ” enzymes responsible for chronic in$ammation. Glucosamine also interacts directly with your genes, $ipping the o! switch on those that kill o! joint cells, and turning up the dial on the ones that make new joint cells.

Even though the data are con$icting, a giant study published in Arthritis Rheumatology pooled together the results from several smaller studies. #ey found that, in general, glucosamine helps relieve painful joints –especially for people with RA.

#e bottom line? Because glucosamine is extremely safe (and fairly cheap), it’s not going to hurt you if you decide to take it. If you’re one of the people who respond well to it, then you’ll never regret giving it a shot.

Glucosamine Dosage: 2,000-3,000mg (2-3g) with or without chondroitin.

“Glucosamine worked so well for some people that they wrapped their arms around me in pure, pain-free glee.

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How to buy vitamins without getting burned

Vitamin and supplement sales are fraught with snake oil salesmen. Contrary to popular belief, the FDA, USDA, or any other government organization for that matter, does not regulate supplements. Simply put, you could take that aspirin you’ve got in your living room, throw a new label on it saying “ginkgo” or “vitamin E” and it would be perfectly legal. Truth be told, the unscrupulous actions that many supplement producers consider standard operating procedure aren’t too far o! from this unscrupulous scenario.

Driving this point home, a 2010 congressional investigation into the supplement industry has found that many supplements don’t have the ingredients they promise, or even worse, contain hidden toxins that can lead to cancer or nerve damage! #is had led the FDA to report that: “FDA has identi"ed an emerging trend where over-the-counter products, frequently represented as dietary supplements, contain hidden active ingredients that could be harmful.” Any if you’re duped by poor quality supplements, you won’t get the life-changing results that you’re looking for. I’ve had people try my program, by discount supplements, and then come to me saying supplement X or Y didn’t work. I only had to take one look a the bottle, and how much they paid, to realize that they sadly got ripped o$ by a shady supplement maker. Don’t let this be you.

#e bright side to all this is that you don’t have to become the supplement scammer’s next victim. Because vitamins are so incredibly important in arthritis relief, you don’t want to waste your hard earned cash on an empty supplement or just give up on supplements altogether.

Here are some power-tips to make sure you get the most from your supplements:

Brands Matter: You may buy generic facial tissues when you’re at the sales club, but supplement purchases aren’t a time to “go generic”. A fair number of supplement companies are here today and gone tomorrow –usually because people eventually stop buying their junk a&er realizing it’s worthless.

So when shopping for a supplement, be on the lookout for a brand that’s well known, has good reviews, and has been in business for at least 5 years.

Don’t Be a Cheapskate…But Don’t Get Ripped O$ Either: Hey, I haven’t been living under a rock these last few years. I know times are tough for everybody. But supplements are not the part of your budget to save a few pennies. #e highest quality supplements, those with high potency ingredients and free of "llers and toxins, cost a pretty penny to produce. If you see a supplement whose price seems too good to be true…it probably is.

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Here’s what you should expect to pay for each of the vitamins discussed in this chapter:

Vitamin D (1000IU, 180-capsule bottle): $10-15

Vitamin C (100 500mg tablets): $7-12

Vitamin E (100 400IU capsules): $15-20

B Complex (250 capsules of mixed B vitamins): $25-30

Glucosamine (180 3g capsules): $20-25

Be a label sleuth: Trusting the bright, bold claims on the front of the label is only going to get you into trouble. #e real information is found in the ingredients list. Be on the lookout for anything that seems out of place –many supplement makers throw in garbage ingredients to add bulk and cut costs.

Every supplement you buy should have a) the active ingredient, b) the capsule or delivery system and c) a preservative. Other than that, you’re just spending money for "ller.

Avoid the Kitchen Sink: A&er reading this chapter, you should have your crosshairs on one or two particular supplements. However, many supplements claim to be “complete” by adding in all sorts of useless nutrients that you don’t need.

When you set out to buy Vitamin E, make sure you don’t buy an “antioxidant blend” with all sorts of dubious ingredients.

“ Be on the lookout for anything that seems out of place –many supplement makers throw in garbage ingredients to add bulk and cut costs.

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Action Steps For Chapter 5 (Days 6-21)

1. Start taking note of vitamin D. As I said, if you’re reading this, chances are you’re vitamin D de"cient (even if you take small doses of vitamin D already). You need to take your vitamin D up a notch to replenish stores and to get your circulating vitamin D back into the healthy range. #at means high doses of vitamin D.

As I noted in this chapter, low vitamin D levels promote in!ammation. Also, many published case studies have found that vitamin D alone was all that separated them from an arthritis free life. Taking vitamin D is one of the most important steps you can take for curing your arthritis. Speci"cally, 8,000-10,000 IU per day in addition to any sunlight you may get throughout the day. Follow this regimen for 2 weeks, then taper o! to 5,000-7,000 IU on week 3, to 3,000 on week 4, and then 2,000IU at week 5. 2,000 IU of supplemental vitamin D should be your target from then on.

Oh, and be sure that you take your vitamin D with a meal. Because it’s a fat-soluble vitamin, absorption skyrockets when you eat it with food.

One last thing about vitamin D. Because it’s a fat soluble vitamin, unlike B complex vitamins and vitamin C, it’s possible for vitamin D to accumulate if you take too much. However, cases of vitamin D toxicity are extremely rare and isn’t a serious concern. To put things in perspective, you make 10,000 IUs of vitamin D when you sit in the summertime sun for about 20 minutes. Considering that everyone who goes to the beach doesn’t su$er from vitamin D toxicity, most scientists and health care professionals don’t consider vitamin D toxicity a threat.

2. In this chapter, I noted a number of vitamin that treat arthritis naturally. However, there’s bene"t to giving your body a wide range of nutrients so that it the weapons to e$ectively combat arthritis. To accomplish this, start taking a multivitamin. Yes, the doses are generally too low to cure your arthritis overnight, but its incredible wide range of nutrients will be your nutritional safety net for days that you don’t get enough of a certain vitamin or mineral.

3. Either set out to eat foods high in vitamin C and vitamin E (the vitamin/antioxidant tag team) or supplement with one or the other. If you’re going to supplement with one of the two, C is your best bet.

4. Special note for RA su!erers: Because the evidence is so overwhelming, be sure to take a B-complex vitamin supplement. B complex vitamins may also help people with OA, but it’s optional.

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Chapter 6: Omega-3 Fats –Your New Best Friend and Arthritis’ Worst Enemy

If you ever have a chance to visit Asia, one of the "rst things you’ll notice about the diets of the people in %ailand, China, and Japan is that they eat so much "sh you’d think they’d grow gills. Its grilled "sh with veggies for lunch, and stir fried "sh for dinner. Heck, they even eat "sh as a snack!

When I "rst went to Asia, I wasn’t a huge fan of "sh. One of the "rst things I learned to say in the native tongue of every country I arrived in was “no "sh please”. However, despite my request, many restaurants would throw in some "sh anyway. I originally got upset when this happened, but I eventually came to understand that they’re just crazy about "sh!

And you know what? #e rates of arthritis in Asian countries as much lower than in America. In fact, a study recently carried out by Japanese scientists found that older people are actually getting arthritis later in life than ever before (not earlier, like in the West). Scientists aren’t quite sure why Asians seem to be nearly immune to arthritis, but many point a "nger at the incredible amount of "sh that people in Asia put down (a study by University of British Columbia found that China and Japan are the counties that eat the most "sh –over 1,100 million tons per year!).

It’s this incredible intake of fresh "sh, and therefore omega-3 fats, that many experts point to in order to explain the rock-bottom levels of in$ammation and arthritis in Asia.

But that doesn’t tell the whole story. Did you know that even Asians that don’t eat "sh have lower rates of arthritis? It’s true. #at means that it can’t just be the omega-3s in "sh that are responsible. #is question, how Asians could be arthritis free without eating "sh, le& me scratching my head for quite a while. #at is, until I cam across a research study published in #e Journal of the American Dietetic Association titled, “Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Comparison of Plant and Seafood Sources in Human Nutrition.”

It discussed the incredible amount of non-"sh sources of omega-3 fats out there. When I saw the list of plant-foods that were high in omega-3s, which are standard fare in Asian menus, I knew I had my answer.

So whether you love "sh or never touch the stu!, stay tuned, because I’m going to show you how you can get the exact omega-3 doses you need to turn o! in$ammation and arthritis.

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Omega-3s and Arthritis

It seems that ever since scientists realized that omega-3 fats "ght in$ammation, they’ve been testing it out to see if it will work on the group of people with the highest rates of in$ammation out there –arthritis su!erers.

Decades later, we know a few things for certain that we didn’t before. First, omega-3’s consistency outperforms over-the-counter anti-in$ammatory drugs like ibuprofen, and even prescription drugs like Celebrex. We also know precisely how omega-3s are able to exert such a profound e!ect on not only arthritis pain, but also the disease process itself. Perhaps more importantly, we have an idea of exactly how much you need to take to make a di!erence.

Believe it or not, using omega-3s to treat arthritis isn’t as simple as popping the "sh oil capsules you just bought at your corner supplement shop. You need to be sure to choose the "sh oil with the right amounts of active ingredients and take a certain amount everyday (the exact amount varies depending on your condition –I’ll give you the exact number right for you at the end of this chapter).

What are Omega-3s?

If you ever pick up a magazine or $ip open the health and science section of a newspaper, then you’ve probably come across the bizarre words “omega-3 fats”. With links to almost every disease under the sun, from heart disease to depression, omega-3s have been “hot news” for well over a decade now. For most people, that’s the extent of their omega-3 knowledge. Knowing the ins and outs of omega-3s will help you make smart choices when you yank out your wallet and understand exactly what you’re putting into your body.

Any type of fat, from olive oil to "sh oil, is in the form of a very long chain, made up of carbon. Like a chain, each “link” has a single connection to the next throughout the chain. However, many fats, known as “monounsaturated” and “polyunsaturated” have links at a certain points in the chain, known as double bonds. Wherever that special double bond link happens to be is called an “omega” link. #e number simply refers how many links from the end that double bond is. So omega-3s have their double bond 3 places from the end. Simple as that.

While this omega business may seem like something that only bespectacled lab coat-donned scientists should worry about, the truth is, the seemingly trivial di!erence of where the omega bond resides has tremendous implications for your body’s health. Remember how I discussed how American’s omega-3 to omega-6 ratio is out of whack? #e only di!erence between an omega-3 fat and an omega-6 fat is that their double bonds sit just 3 links apart. #at’s it. Also, fats that don’t have any double bonds, saturated fats, are one of the worst things we can put into our bodies, as you well know.

Back to omega-3s. Even within the omega-3 family, there are 3 major types of omega-3 fats that you should know. #e "rst two, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), you may

“Omega-3’s consistency outperforms over-the-counter anti-in$ammatory drugs.

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have noticed advertised on infant formula. EPA and DHA are found mostly in "sh and other marine animals and happen to be an incredibly powerful omega-3 tag team. Not quite as powerful, but no slouch either, is alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which you’ll "nd in nuts, seeds, and other plants. In general, research tends to use DHA and EPA, as they’re the most powerful, but as I’ll show you, you can get the same bene"ts from certain, high-potency plant sources of omega-3s if "sh isn’t your thing.

"e Incredible Science of Omega-3s and Arthritis

#ere are literally hundreds of studies showing that omega-3 fats are bene"cial to people with arthritis. In fact, a 2002 review published in Journal of the American College of Nutrition stated that, “#ere are at least 13 randomized controlled clinical trials [the gold standard of clinical research] that show bene"t from "sh oil supplements in patients with rheumatoid arthritis”. And that’s just RA. #ere are dozens more for osteoarthritis, back pain, gout, and every other form of arthritis under the sun.

Rather than inundate you with them all, I’m going to show you a few “classics” that will give you an idea of the incredible potential that omega-3s have for getting rid of your arthritis.

Not long a&er the fog of WWII li&ed and the iron curtain fell, in 1950, scientists headed to a remote area of Greenland to study the health of some of the last whaling and seal "shermen le& in Europe. Not surprisingly, they found that these whalers ate more "sh than just about everyone on Earth. But what did surprise them was that cases of in$ammatory diseases like arthritis, heart disease, and psoriasis were practically nonexistent.

Years later, scientists set out to be sure that the link between omega-3 intake and arthritis wasn’t just a coincidence. #is set o! an explosion of high-quality research called double blind, placebo controlled clinical trials, which solidi"ed omega-3s as the cream of the crop of arthritis treatments.

For example, take this 1992 study published in #e Journal of Rheumatology which proved that omega-3s work better than many prescription drugs. #e researchers recruited about 70 patients with longstanding RA who were resistant to other therapies. #ey split them into three groups: one received a placebo, one received "sh oil, and the third received both the "sh oil and a prescription drug known as naproxen.

A&er a few weeks, the researchers measured joint sti!ness, pain levels, and overall improvement in arthritis symptoms. #e group that received only the "sh oil improved more than any other group. #at came as no surprise. But what astounded the researchers was the fact that at the same time as the "sh oil group improved, the group that received both the "sh oil and the prescription drug got worse! It appears that the drug not only worsened their arthritis, but made it so bad that it negated the bene"ts of "sh oil. #is study should make you think twice about relying on prescription drugs that may be doing much more harm than good.

“#e drug not only worsened the arthritis, but made it so bad that it negated the bene"ts of "sh oil!

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Another study, this one by scientists at Albany Medical College, looked into omega-3’s e!ect on not only arthritis pain symptoms, but in$ammation levels in the body. As expected, feelings of swollen joints, tender joints and overall pain levels dropped dramatically. However, when they looked “under the hood” at what was happening to in$ammation levels, they made an eye opening discovery. Circulating levels of the most harmful in$ammatory proteins in existence, cytokines, fell by 54% in the group taking the "sh oil. Even better, "sh oil ramped up the "sh oil group’s internal anti-in$ammatory machinery.

But it looks like one of omega-3’s favorite places to work is within damaged cartilage and joints. UK researchers recently looked a bit deeper into omega-3’s anti-in$ammatory action in arthritis. #ey found that not only do omega-3s drop systemic in$ammation, but they also reduce in$ammation directly within the joints that need it most.

Finally, we have research that pooled together the results of 17 smaller studies to con"rm that omega-3s work. #ey found that omega-3 supplementation “reduces patient reported joint pain intensity, minutes of morning sti!ness, number of painful and/or tender joints, and NSAID (painkiller) consumption.” In short, they laid to rest the controversy over whether "sh oils work for arthritis. #is led a paper that reviewed the evidence that “On the basis of the totality of the data, it is recommended that patients consume dietary supplements containing omega-3 fatty acids.”

Most of these studies used omega-3 fats in the form of "sh oil, which are high in EPA and DHA. If you’re not info "sh, take comfort in knowing that many studies have used a very healthy omega-3 rich “superfood” ($axseeds) and found that they had similar anti-in$ammatory and pain killing properties as "sh oil. #e only “catch” is that, because they’re less powerful, you have to eat quite a bit of this class of omega-3s to reach the same level of e!ectiveness. While that may seem daunting, you can usually get all you need at one sitting. For example, one study, which fed older women a $axseed-stu!ed mu%n, found that that single serving alone was enough to halt overall in$ammation.

How Omega-3s Do What "ey Do

It’s clear that omega-3s knock out in$ammation and arthritic joint pain. But how do they do it? Scientists are still working to answer the particulars of this question, but they have a good feel of how they work (and happen to work so darn well).

As I touched on, we already know that the raw material (omega-3 vs. omega-6 fat) that you feed your body enters either the pro-in$ammatory or anti-in$ammatory assembly line. Omega-3s, by increasing anti-in$ammatory protein production, can partially make up for an omega-6 laden diet.

Another proven theory is that they make your cell membranes more $uid (this also happens to be very interesting bit of nutrition trivia). You probably know that your body is made up of trillions upon trillions of tiny cells. No matter where they reside, whether in your brain or your eyes, they have a

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layer around them known as a cell membrane –their version of our skin. Because the cell membrane is largely made up of fat, the type of fat that you eat ultimately ends up in their membrane. If you eat lots of omgea-6 fats, for example, then you better believe that your cells will have skin made out of omega-6 fats.

Why is this important? Keep in mind that the best source of omega-3s aren’t just "sh, but "sh that live in extremely cold waters, like Alaskan Salmon. #eir cell membranes, being mostly omega-3s, are nice and $uid –not sti! and rigid like cells made of omega-6 fats. Now think of a river and a pond during the winter. Which is frozen and which is still $owing? #e river of course!

Why? Because it’s moving. It’s the same story with "sh –the $uid cells, being in constant motion, resist freezing. Cool, huh?

You may have already made the connection to arthritis, but if not, allow me to explain it. One of the reasons arthritis is so darn excruciating is that your joints get more sti! and rigid than a $agpole in January. Sure enough, if you were to take a look at your joint’s cell membranes under a microscope, you’d see a bunch of sti! little buggers struggling to move. You have omega-6 fats to thank for that. On the other hand, if you start to eat lots of omega-3s, those amazing fats will eventually "nd themselves as part of your joint’s cells –making them much more $exible than they were before.

However, protein production and cell membrane manufacturing are long-term processes. Omega-3s work so fast that they’re used as IV medication in ERs around the world to drop in$ammation in a hurry –so those two lengthy processes can’t be the whole story.

Recently, scientists at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston made a breakthrough discovery. #ey found that while the fats themselves are powerful in$ammation "ghters, the body actually converts them to proteins 10,000 more powerful than the fats themselves. When taken consistently, "sh oil-derived proteins become the biological equivalent of an “o! switch” on in$ammation, arthritis, joint destruction, and pain.

#ere’s also a fairly new theory that states that because "sh oil has been shown to help with depression, anxiety, and stress, that it can blunt the brain’s response to pain signals coming from your joints.

How Much Do You Need?

#e precise amount of omega-3s you should be eating everyday is dependant on a few things.

Firstly, your type of arthritis makes a signi"cant di!erence in how much you need.

People with RA should take about 6g of omega-3s everyday. People with osteoarthritis need a bit less, about 5 grams. #ose with “other types” of arthritis like psoriatic arthritis or gout should take 4-4.5 grams per day. Of course, more is better (to a point), so feel free to take upwards of 50% more than listed here if you’d like. You’ll still be well within limits of safety.

“the best source of omega-3s aren’t just "sh, but "sh that live in extremely cold waters, like Alaskan Salmon.

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Also, if you’re in serious, debilitating pain, you want to take omega-3s at the higher level of the spectrum. #is means 8-10g for RA, 6-8g for OA, and 5-7g for all other types of arthritis.

Because of the di!erences in potency, your omega-3 source factors into getting to the right dosage for you. #e amounts listed so far assume that you’re getting your omegas in the form of "sh oil. If you prefer to either supplement or eat non-"sh sources of omega-3s, you want to double the amounts given here.

Of course, these numbers only refer to the omega-3s you take purposefully. If you eat a healthy, anti-arthritis diet (which you should), you’ll be getting plenty of “extra “omega-3s from the food that you normally eat.

Best Sources of Omega 3s

You can’t just start eating anything with the words “rich in omega-3s” on the box and expect to hit your omega-3 targets.

In terms of sheer amount and potency (levels of EPA and DHA), fresh, cold-water "sh are the best omega-3 source out there. Salmon, mackerel, trout, tuna, and herring top the list of omega-3 rich "sh. While just about any "sh will work, keep in mind that there are fairly dramatic di!erences in omega-3s between di!erent species of "sh (for example, one serving of mackerel has 26x more omega-3s than sole). A study by the American Heart Association found that farmed "sh had less omega-3s than those caught in the wild. %is is because, like us, the diets of "sh in!uence what their body is made up of. Farmed "sh are fed a grain-heavy diet, which is much lower than the omega-3-rich diets of wild "sh.

Fish oil capsules are a great choice if you don’t like the taste of "sh. Like real "sh, be on the lookout of the source of the oil. #ose from mercury heavy "sh like shark and tuna should be avoided (something I discuss at the end of this chapter). However, most "sh oil capsules are puri"ed of all toxins, making them a safe choice.

Also, eggs from free-range, grass fed (or even omega-3 supplemented) chickens have a fair amount of EPA and DHA…6 times more than standard eggs. Also, when choosing meat, be sure to get grass-fed meat. Studies show that they tend to have much more omega-3s than factory farm raised animals.

Flaxseed is the undisputed heavyweight champion of plant-based omega-3s. In case you’ve never heard of them before, $axseeds are tiny, crunchy, brown seeds that have a mild, nutty $avor. #ey might be small, but they carry a mighty omega-3 punch. A single tablespoon of ground $axseed has 1.5 grams of

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omega-3s –more than in the same amount of "sh. Even better, $axseeds contain a potent antioxidant that can push in$ammation levels even lower.

If you choose to eat your $ax, sure to get your $axseed in ground or milled form. #e fat in the whole seeds aren’t absorbed much at all. Also, generally, people add $axseeds to things they already eat like oatmeal, cereal, salads, and yogurt. When they’re mixed with something else, you can hardly taste them.

Also, you can take $axseed oil in supplement form. Flaxseed oil, which comes in capsules but also in bottles, is rich in omega-3s, just like real $axseeds. However, because $axseed oil doesn’t have the actual seed, you’ll be missing out on some of the antioxidants that $axseeds themselves contain.

#ere are a few other plant sources that have a respectable amount of omega-3s. Nuts (especially walnuts), spinach (and other green leafy veggies), black beans, soybeans, and tofu should be part of your omega-3 rich diet if you choose not to eat "sh (or even if you do).

What To Watch Out For: Fish oil supplement dangers

You may have read that eating "sh, or even taking "sh oil capsules, is a dangerous proposition due to the heavy metals, like lead and mercury, which they contain. Take a deep breath and relax because most of these concerns are unfounded and overblown.

While it’s true that certain species of "sh, like shark, tuna, and sword"sh are loaded with toxic mercury, it’s also true that the vast amount of "sh species out there are virtually mercury-free. In fact, most scientists, a&er looking at the risk/bene"ts of "sh, "nd that the bene"ts of eating "sh on a regular basis blow away the tiny risk of contamination from mercury.

However, I’m not saying that these heavy metals aren’t an issue. #ey are. Mercury is what’s known as a neurotoxin, meaning that it damages sensitive brain cells and nerve cells. Regular exposure to mercury, which can lead to brain cell loss, paralysis and even death, is not something to mess with. However, the amount found in most "sh is so trivial that it doesn’t have any signi"cant impact.

Here’s what you should do to limit your mercury exposure from "sh:

Avoid shark, tuna, and other mercury-packed !sh: Species of large, predatory "sh are loaded with toxic mercury (along with a host of other nasty chemical pollutants).

Eat salmon, bass, tilapia, and #ounder as much as you want: Smaller "sh like these tend to be practically mercury- and toxin-free.

Choose wild-caught !sh: #e living conditions of farmed "sh are downright nasty. #ey’re packed in tight –o&entimes right next to factories that spout out pollutants like there’s no tomorrow.

“Species of "sh, like shark, tuna, and sword"sh are loaded with toxic mercury.

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Make sure your !sh oil supplement is puri!ed: Most cheap "sh oil brands are a mix of the cheapest "sh they can get their hands on –with little regard to health and safety. Make sure any "sh oil you take is puri"ed from toxins and heavy metals.

Take high-potency !sh oil: If you’re willing to spend a bit more, consider a high-potency "sh oil supplement. #is way, you’re getting more EPA and DHA per capsule –with less of the "llers.

Chapter 6 Action Steps (Days 7-19)

Omega-3 fats are nature’s natural anti-in$ammatories. But unlike anti-in$ammatory drugs, omega-3 fats go a&er the root cause of in$ammation. Not only does this make them safer, but more e!ective as well. Considering that in$ammation is the root cause of arthritis, anything that signi"cantly reduces in$ammation will improve your arthritis.

Omega-3s need to be included in your diet. Period. #at’s the only non-negotiable part. How you choose to get the omega-3s is completely up to you. You don’t have to eat "sh or take "sh oil capsules, although because of the particularly powerful omega-3 fats they contain, it should be at least strongly considered.

1. Start eating "sh at least three times per week and take "sh oil supplements on the days that you don’t eat "sh OR if you don’t eat "sh, eat at least 3 tbsp. of $axseeds per day. #is ensures that you get your baseline omega-3s.

2. Add non-"sh sources of omega-3s to your diet. Sprinkle $axseeds on your favorite foods, snack on walnuts, and switch to omega-3 rich eggs. Adding plant based omega-3s helps cool o! in$ammation by giving you “extra” omega-3 fats that you wouldn’t otherwise eat.

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Chapter 7 - Superfoods "at Drop In!ammation and Destroy Arthritis

If you ever have a chance to wind your way through the jam-packed streets of Shanghai, you’ll notice that among the convenience stores, supermarkets, and newsstands, sit these strange-looking stores selling what look like dried versions of mushrooms, herbs, and "sh.

I remember I used to walk by these stores without having a clue why they existed. Who would pay 20 bucks for a dried mushroom? Even a&er I beat my arthritis and traveled in China, I looked at these stores with a mix of curiosity and disdain.

Years later, a&er taking a walk through a quiet, residential Hong Kong neighborhood with Jane, I "nally discovered why these shops were so incredibly popular in Asian cultures.

Walking by perhaps the 3rd shop in our brief walk, I turned to Jane and asked her as politely as I could: “What’s the deal with those weird shops? What is that weird stu! that they’re selling?” Without batting an eyelash, she responded: “#ose are pharmacies…Chinese pharmacies.”

“Pharmacies!” I cried out in shock. Where were the lab coats? Where were all the drugs? In their place, all I saw were old Chinese men and shriveled-looking herbs. More curious than ever, I asked Jane to elaborate what kinds of things these stores sell. “All kinds of things. Herbs, spices, medicinal mushrooms. #ey have something for anything that’s bothering you.”

At this point, a&er overcoming arthritis with the use of certain natural herbs, I was open to the idea that natural cures could put a dent in arthritis pain. But I seriously doubted that they could come close to Western medicine. In time, I learned that most people in China don’t consider Western medicine a step forward. #ey still believe that natural remedies are the best choice for curing whatever ails you.

And you know what? #ey’re right!

When I went home a&er that trip, I headed straight to the library to see if there was any evidence for natural herbs and other special nutrients for arthritis. I was expecting maybe a tiny study published in some obscure journal. Instead, I was overwhelmed with a torrent of incredible eye-popping evidence.

Since then, I’ve become a regular customer at the Chinese pharmacy in my local Chinatown. All things considered, I get much better results from taking the herbs and other special nutrients prescribed to me from there than I ever have from a doctor –with fewer side e!ects too!

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In this chapter I’m going to show you a list of the nature’s most powerful and antioxidant packed superfoods for treating arthritis. While “superfood” has become a buzzword over the last few years, I’m sure a&er you see for yourself what they can do for your arthritis, you’ll agree that they’re the real deal.

Oxidation: "e Fuel "at Lights In!ammation’s Fire

Lately, there’s been quite a bit of buzz about antioxidants. In fact, antioxidant supplement sales are shooting through the roof, right in the heart of the recession. Why are antioxidant supplements $ying o! the shelves? Because they might be the secret ingredient to slow aging, win the "ght against in$ammation, and put the brakes on arthritis.

But to understand antioxidants, you have to know their archenemy: free radicals. When your cells produce energy, there’s an inevitable byproduct, similar to your car’s exhaust. But instead of spewing out smoke, the cell’s “exhaust” comes in the form of deformed molecules called free radicals.

Free radicals are just like normal molecules, with one serious di!erence –they lack one electron. Instead of accepting their fate as a less-than-perfect being, they decide to strike back. Free radicals go nuts- $ying around the body and greedily stealing electrons from other cells like a spoiled child.

Of course, the free radical’s victims, with one less electron themselves, become new free radicals, making the process never-ending.

Fortunately, your body has a way to keep this damaging process from continuing unabated. Acting like a high-powered version of Pac Man, an antioxidant’s job is to squelch the free radical’s demand for one more electron by donating an extra electron that all antioxidants keep on hand.

#e downside to this cat and mouse game is that your body isn’t able to make antioxidants on its own –it needs to get them from food. If it doesn’t, free radicals are allowed to run amok. But if you’re sure to take in certain antioxidants, the superheroes of the antioxidant world, then free radicals don’t stand a chance.

What does this have to do with arthritis, you ask?

Free Radicals Increase Pain: Scientists have long theorized that free radicals may aggravate sensitive nerves –making them hyperactive. A slew of new research has found that free radicals tend to accumulate in nerve cells and spinal tissues –making them "re even if nothing is wrong.

Research shows that unchecked free radicals may perpetuate pain signals, long a&er an injury has healed. Studies that inject free radicals into mice almost always "nd that the pain levels of the mice increase –even if they never had an injury to begin with.

“Free radicals go nuts- $ying around the body and greedily stealing electrons from other cells like a spoiled child.

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Another study, also in mice (it’s unethical to do these sort of experiments in humans, and probably mice as well, but because we have the information we might as well put it to use), injected free radicals. But this time, they followed up with an injection of powerful antioxidants. #e result? Pain levels went into freefall- 98% --almost instantly.

In fact, Ohio State University has come out and suggested that antioxidants may one day become “the new kids on the block for pain relief ” and that “Antioxidant-based pain killers may one day become a viable alternative to addictive medications such as morphine.”

Free Radials=In#ammation: Remember that in$ammation is your body’s reaction to something wrong –whether a stubbed toe or a systemic infection. Free radicals, as they travel around your body, damaging healthy cells, set o! emergency alarms all over the place.

To "ght back, your body taps into its all-purpose emergency plan: in$ammation. Unfortunately, in$ammation can only limit free radical damage and hasten healing time –and does nothing to stop the root cause of the problem. Even worse, the chronic in$ammation that results has a ripple e!ect all over the body, especially your joints.

Free Radicals Make Cells Get Stuck In Joints: In a desperate attempt to foil free radicals, your body’s immune cells (the white blood cells) become extra sticky. Instead of attacking the invader head-on (it has no chance), it simply tries to “stick” to the free radical and keep it under arrest until it can be tossed outside your body. #e downside of this strategy was summarized written by Guido Housemouser, “Alas, when the immune system is in overdrive and free radicals are operating unchecked, as in chronic in$ammation, warrior white blood cells can start adhering to perfectly normal cells, including those in arteries and joints, thus exacerbating in$ammation.”White blood cells stuck in joints not only make in$ammation worse, but pain as well.

Fight Back: Stop Free Radicals With Antioxidant SuperFoods

As I said, your body isn’t able to make antioxidants on its own. You need to give your body a consistent supply of antioxidants from food.

Unfortunately, the typical Western diet, full of red meat, re"ned grains, and processed foods are almost completely devoid of antioxidants. And studies show that popping antioxidant supplements aren’t the answer either –a number of large-scale research studies in the last few years haven’t been able to link antioxidant supplements with lower levels of in$ammation or chronic disease risk.

#at’s the bad news. #e good news is that there is evidence that proves getting antioxidants from certain nutrient powerhouses, like beans, garlic, and green tea makes in$ammation drop faster than a stone dropped into a lake.

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Stack Your Diet With Antioxidant-Heavy Produce

Before we get to our list of superfoods, you should know that you shouldn’t rely on these alone to get the antioxidants you need. While they tend to be incredibly high in antioxidants and other super nutrients, they can’t make up for an otherwise poor diet.

You’ve already added omega-3s to your diet, which is a great "rst step. To take things up a notch in the arthritis pain relief department, make sure that you base your food choices largely around antioxidant content.

Most foods don’t list their levels of antioxidants on the package for two reasons. One, food companies aren’t required to. And two, most foods in packages don’t have any antioxidants!

In other words, your best bet for antioxidant-rich sources is fresh, unprocessed fresh fruit and veggies. But not just any fruit and veggies will do. Scientists have found that the darker the colors of the fruit or veggies, the more antioxidants are hidden within. In fact, the color of the plant is the antioxidant –its own protection from free radicals.

So for example, if you were going to make a salad with iceberg lettuce and pale-looking tomatoes, you’d be much better o! making dark-green spinach your green and throwing in brightly colored yellow bell pepper.

To make things a bit easier for you, here is a list of the 20 most antioxidant-stu!ed foods, straight from research published in #e Journal of Food Chemistry (the “cup” refers to the serving size used in the study).

1. Small red bean (dried), 1/2 cup2. Wild blueberry, 1 cup3. Red kidney bean (dried), 1/2 cup4. Pinto bean, 1/2 cup5. Blueberry (cultivated), 1 cup6. Cranberry, 1 cup (whole)7. Artichoke (cooked hearts), 1 cup8. Blackberry, 1 cup9. Prune, 1/2 cup10. Raspberry, 1 cup

11. Strawberry, 1 cup12. Red delicious apple, 113. Granny Smith apple, 114. Pecan, 1 ounce15. Sweet cherry, 1 cup16. Black plum, 117. Russet potato, 1 cooked18. Black bean (dried), 1/2 cup19. Plum, 120. Gala apple, 1

It doesn’t Sherlock Holmes to realize that this list is "lled with a rainbow of colorful fruits, veggies, and beans.

#ere’s one other wrinkle in this story. #e USDA has found that the levels of antioxidants in fruits and veggies have fallen about 25% in the last 25 years (thanks factory farms!). For this reason alone, you want to seek out organic produce as much as possible.

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One study that gave a group of people produce grown from either agribusiness farming methods or through a natural, organic approach, found that the group that ate the organic produce took in more antioxidants and also had lower levels of oxidation –even though they both ate the same amount, and type, of produce. #e only di!erence was the way the plants were farmed.

%e above list of 20 foods bursting with antioxidants are excellent choices for combating arthritis. However, there are a handful of superfoods that are antioxidant rich too, but also have something “extra” that’s particularly bene"cial to people with arthritis.

Garlic

Garlic leads o! our list of superfoods for arthritis pain. Although you may think of garlic as an Italian food staple, it actually originated in Asia –hence it’s widespread use in Eastern Medicine.

What makes garlic so potent is a special antioxidant found deep within the garlic clove, known as Allicin. #e best part of Allicin is that not that it works well at showing free radicals the door (it does), but just how darn fast it works. #e author of one study claimed that garlic antioxidants worked faster than any other compound they’d ever studied.

Even better, the sulfur that gives garlic its trademark tangy $avor works directly on arthritis pain too. One study that gave a highly concentrated garlic formula to people with arthritis found that almost 9 out of 10 subject’s pain levels quickly and dramatically improved. Best of all, no one experienced any side e!ects.

Garlic goes great in stir-fries, salads, and soups. But to make sure you get the bene"ts of garlic, it’s important that you crush, mash, and smash your garlic as much as possible. Many of garlic’s bene"cial compounds, like Allicin, are trapped far within the clove. #e more you mash it up, the more will end up where you need it.

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Cherries

A Michigan University researcher, a&er "nding that they targeted the same anti-in$ammatory pathways that side-e!ect riddled medications do, said that cherries were, “…as good as ibuprofen and some of the nonsteriodal anti-in$ammatory drugs.”

#ese unassuming, tart little fruits are one of the least-known arthritis superfoods out there. Even though they aren’t famous (yet), cherries contain a slew of antioxidants that knock out in$ammation.

For example, a USDA-funded study asked a group of women with arthritis to down cherries for breakfast. A&er just 3 hours, three di!erent levels of pain-causing in$ammation decreased signi"cantly. A few years later, Baylor University scientists tested the e!ects of a concentrated cherry supplement on pain and quality life in a group of people with OA.

#e cherries worked nearly as well as prescription drugs –showing improvement in nearly all who took the supplements.

To get these remarkable bene"ts for yourself, be sure to buy tart cherries (sorry, the cherry $oating in your Mai #ai won’t due) and eat about 2 cups (about 15-20 cherries) of them everyday. You may also want to consider a cherry extract supplement.

Green Tea

When it comes to superfoods, green tea is in a class of its own. #e antioxidant that’s released as the green tea leaves mix with hot water, EGCG, has been shown to promote the health of just about every part of the body, from your heart, to your teeth, and of course, your achy joints.

Many arthritis su!ers think that one of the secrets behind the remarkably low rates of arthritis in Asians vs. the West is that they guzzle tea while we sip on soda –the health di!erences couldn’t be more profound. Sure enough, you can’t sit down for a meal in most of Asia without having a cup of tea placed in front of you (a well-known Chinese expression goes something like: ““Better to be deprived of food for three days, than tea for one.”).

EGCG, the antioxidant version of Superman, matches up to free radicals like a professional wrestler would to a 110 lb. accountant. It’s really not even fair.

“green tea seems to be especially bene"cial for arthritis pain.

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Better yet, green tea seems to be especially bene"cial for arthritis pain. #e University of Maryland says that: “Research indicates that green tea may bene"t arthritis by reducing in$ammation and slowing cartilage breakdown”.

In addition to "ghting in$ammation, EGCC helps protect and rebuild damaged joints, according to University of Michigan Medical School. In this study, researchers took crucial joint cells known as synovial "broblasts, and exposed them to harmful in$ammatory molecules and ECGC. Amazingly, EGCG didn’t just stop the much of the in$ammation-caused joint destruction, but actually reversed much of the damage that did happen, leading the head scientist to say, “#e results from this study suggest that EGCG may be of potential therapeutic value in regulating the joint destruction.”

#e best way to make sure to drink green tea regularly is to make it in batches. Cook up about 10-12 cups ahead of time, throw it in the fridge, and either drink it iced or heat it up. If you don’t like tea, you can choose from many of the quality EGCG supplements that are out there.

Oh, and if you “like it hot”, make sure that you let the green tea steep for at least 7 minutes in boiling hot water to maximize the antioxidant extraction from the leaves.

Pineapples

#e secret to this sweet treat’s arthritis-killing properties is a unique in$ammation-"ghting compound known as bromelin. Actually an enzyme, when it gets into the body, free radicals run scared.

What’s even better is that bromelin has been shown to work particularly well on the in$ammation most closely tied to arthritis pain.

One particular study, conducted by scientists from the UK, must have made the drug companies nervous as it pitted bromelin directly against a pair of commonly prescribed arthritis meds. #e researchers recruited a group of arthritis su!ers with knee pain that lasted for months and was resistant to medications. 60% of people who took the bromelin supplement reported a drastic improvement in their pain levels, range of motion, and overall wellbeing. Other research has found that taking bromelin or eating lots of bromelin-rich pineapple helps with joint swelling, chronic in$ammation and ARTHRITIS pain.

When shopping for pineapples, make sure that you choose the organic variety. Also, try to eat them as soon as possible a&er you cut them. Over time, bromelin degrades, becoming less useful.

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Ginger–"e World’s First Medicine

If you remember my story of “the cup of tea that changed my life”, then you’ll recall that one of the secret ingredients that JANE threw into the tea was none other than ginger. Still used today, ginger entered Chinese traditional medicine over 2,000 years ago. In fact, Indonesian cultures have considered ginger the cure for arthritis for at least 500 hundred years.

Today, ginger is intensely studied by lab coat-wearing scientists the same way as traditionally dressed Chinese sages did thousands of years ago. In fact, there’s been an explosion of research largely proving many of the health claims that have surrounded ginger for centuries.

Take, for instance, the study by Dr. Altman of the Miami Veterans A!airs Medical Center, which looked at seeing if ginger extract could have an e!ect on people with stubborn OA. Not only did the people who took ginger feel less pain and move around with ease, but they were able to take fewer medications than they did before. #e authors concluded that: “…standardized ginger extract had a statistically signi"cant e!ect on reducing symptoms of OA of the knee.”

Ginger works so well because it has a horde of antioxidants –each working in a di!erent part of the body. Luckily for us, one of the compounds in ginger seems to work particularly well on in$amed joints.

To beat arthritis with ginger, take 4 grams per day, either in extract, juice, or tea form once per day. For some quick natural pain relief, you can rub ginger extract wherever you hurt.

Red Wine

If there’s a bit of nutrition knowledge that just about everybody knows, it’s that red wine is incredibly healthy. What most people don’t know, however, is what makes red wine such a nutritional superstar.

Resveratrol, the primary antioxidant in red wine, is considered to be one of the most important health discoveries of the century. Resveratrol has the amazing ability to reverse artery plaque, slow aging, and stop arthritis dead in its tracks.

Not surprisingly, the Resveratrol in red wine is a potent anti-in$ammatory. Dozens of studies show that Resveratrol vaporizes free radicals and ramps up natural anti-in$ammatory processes within the body.

But even more impressive is the fact that Resveratrol helps repair worn out joints. Scientists recently took damaged, RA-a(icted cartilage samples from people who’s arthritis was so far along that they were about to go under the knife and receive a knee replacement. However, RA was no match for Resveratrol.

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When Resveratrol was applied to the in$amed cells, in$ammation plummeted by 90% and prevented any more damage from happening to the joint. Other studies have found that daily Resveratrol supplementation protects cartilage from degradation.

Luckily, you don’t have to drink wine like it’s #anksgiving to reap Resveratrol’s bene"ts. Just 150ml per day (about 1 glass) is enough to feel a di!erence. If you don’t like to drink or just want an extra pain-relieving boost, Resveratrol supplements work just as well as the real thing.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

A few years back, a University of Philadelphia professor, Gary Beauchamp, took a break from his conference in Greece and tried some of the high-quality olive oils they had in display outside. Instantly, he noticed that the sting he felt in the back of his throat was the same sensation that he felt from the

Ibuprofen he was studying in his laboratory.

Dr. Beauchamp returned to America, found that extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) has a natural painkiller housed within it, and the rest is pain-relief history.

#e compound he discovered, oleocanthal, has been shown to act in the same way as many prescription and OTC anti-in$ammatory drugs. #e huge upside

is the fact that EVOO is 100% side e!ect-free.

Oleocanthal’s pain-besting bene"ts aren’t just theory. Research from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that consistently eating

EVOO was one of the most e!ective ways to prevent and treat RA.

Make sure that you use the highest quality EVOO you can "nd –and the more “bite” you feel in your throat, the more oleocanthal it has.

When it comes to EVOO, you have two options: you can take a small amount of EVOO to "ght chronic in$ammation or take a larger amount for rapid pain relief -3 tbsp. of EVOO is equivalent to 1 tablet of ibuprofen.

Turmeric

Rounding out our superfoods is the Indian herb turmeric. Turmeric, like red wine, starts by "ghting in$ammation, but goes a step further and actually works as a bodyguard for damaged joints.

In a study funded by the National Institutes of Health, researchers added turmeric to joint cells riddled with arthritis. A&er adding turmeric, however, the cells quickly bounced back and returned to normalcy.

Scientists aren’t sure what makes turmeric work so well, but they do know it blocks a wicked

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in$ammatory protein known as NFkB. In fact, it is the drugs that block production of this protein that most pharmaceutical companies are banking on as a future miracle arthritis cure. However, as the authors note, “just as the willow bark provided relief for arthritis patients before the advent of aspirin, it would appear that turmeric might also hold promise for the treatment of joint in$ammation and destruction.” In other words, we’ve had the cure right in front of us for decades –it’s just been largely ignored by Western medicine until very recently.

You can add turmeric to the foods you already eat, like sautéed veggies and stews, or take a supplement –they’re both e!ective.

Action Steps for Chapter 7 (Days 9-13)

Even though you can’t directly feel free radicals, you sure can feel them wreak havoc on your joints. Free radicals, which are deformed molecules, which love to destroy healthy joint cells, will run free unless you get antioxidants. Antioxidants only role in the body is destroying free radicals.

To make things a bit easier for you, here is a shopping list that you can take with you to the health food store:

Supplement Daily Dosage How Much to PayFlaxseeds 3 tbsp. <$15/lb.Flaxseed Oil 4 tbsp. <$17/100 capsulesFish Oil 4 capsules <$20/100 capsulesB-Complex 1 capsule <$25/250 capsulesVitamin E 400 IU <$20/100 capsulesVitamin C 500mg <$12/100 capsulesGlucosamine 2-3 g <$25/180 capsules

1. Refer to the list of the top 20 antioxidant-rich foods. Choose at least 3 from that list, being sure to eat at least one serving per day. #is step ensures that you base your fruit and veggie intake on antioxidant-packed foods. #e antioxidant content in this particular group is much, much higher than seemingly similar foods. Eating these regularly will go a long way towards reducing free radicals in your body.

2. #e superfoods in this chapter contain loads of antioxidants plus some sort of special nutrient that targets arthritis. From the group of superfoods, garlic, cherries, green tea, pineapples, ginger, and turmeric, choose 2 or more. Either eat the recommended amount in food form, or take a high-quality supplement.

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Chapter 8: Lose Weight to Lose Arthritis

For me, the last part of my body parts to "nally “say uncle” were my arthritic knees. When I got out of bed everyday knees would snap, crackle, and pop like a bowl of Rice Krispies. Even a#er I was able to unload the arthritis in my hands, elbows, back, and shoulders, for some reason my knees were the two stubborn twins that refused to let go.

#at is, until my second visit to Asia. If you’ve visited the East (or even seen pictures), you can’t help but be stunned at how thin everyone is. Rich, poor, man, women, old, young, it doesn’t matter –they’re all thin as a rail! #e contrast between me and my bulging belly and my Chinese friends with 6-packs was striking this time around (I was in too much pain the "rst time to notice much of anything).

Without even trying, I lost about 11lbs. on my 14-day tour. I know that sounds like something you’d expect from the cabbage soup diet or some crazy fad diet. But with fresh, unprocessed food, potent herbs and spices, and long hikes, the weight disappeared without any e!ort on my part.

Before I knew it, my knees, once the bane of my existence, felt about one hundred times better than they had when I arrived. #e in$ammation-"ghting nutrients in the food de"nitely played a part, but a&er studying up, I quickly realized that my weight was the "nal piece of the arthritis puzzle.

Obesity and Arthritis: Kissing Cousins

Because it’s so visibly evident, researchers have known for decades that people who were overweight (de"ned as a body mass index between 25-30) or obese (a body mass index >30) were at particularly high arthritis risk (You can calculate your BMI with this free tool here: http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi).

#e Johns Hopkins obesity center claims that extra pounds will eventually bring on OA: “Being overweight is a clear risk factor for developing OA. Population-based studies have consistently shown a link between overweight or obesity and knee OA”. “As soon as your BMI creeps

above 30 (where nearly 1/3 of America is at), your chances of getting OA shoot up a staggering 500%

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In fact, being just a few pounds overweight multiplies your risk of succumbing to arthritis. For example, as soon as your BMI creeps above 30 (where nearly 1/3 of America is at), your chances of getting OA shoot up a staggering 500%. While most people see weight as something that only leads to OA, the truth is, obesity o&entimes causes RA as well.

It’s been said that, “Obesity can cause, and be caused by, Rheumatoid Arthritis”. In other words, because RA o&en leads to physical inactivity and depression –obesity soon follows. But the link goes the other way as well. People who are obese, and especially those with what’s known as metabolic syndrome, (a large waist and low levels of “good cholesterol”) put themselves in RA’s crosshairs. A recent study found that the risk of getting RA shot up 9 times for people that had metabolic syndrome.

For those with “other” arthritis types like "bromyalgia and gout, know that obesity may be behind the scenes of your condition as well. Research published in Arthritis Care & Research found that, “Being overweight or obese was associated with an increased risk of "bromyalgia”. More speci"cally, people with a BMI above 25 bumps up their "bromyalgia risk by 70%. And people with a BMI above 30 are at 5 times higher risk of developing gout than people at a healthy weight.

Disturbingly, despite the overwhelming evidence linking obesity to arthritis, one study found that less than half of all physicians advised their arthritis patients to lose weight or even told their patients that weight loss could help them feel better. Instead, the researchers found, doctors preferred to reach for their pen and write another dangerous, mind-numbing prescription.

Why Fat Causes Arthritis

When scientists "rst saw overweight people with arthritis stumbling into their laboratories, they quickly put 2 and 2 together and theorized that the sheer weight that the people were carrying put more stress and strain on joints and ligaments.

Sure enough, the extra pounds in your midsection do increase the load on your joints. For example, every 10 lbs. of extra weight you have on board increases the load on the knee by 60 lbs –each and every step, every single day. %is is because the stress on your knee joint isn’t determined solely by your weight. %e knee also has to help balance the body, support the body with

its contact with the ground, and absorb the shock of walking –like a hammer beating down.

Unfortunately, unlike muscle, your joints don’t respond very well to carrying this extra weight around. Instead of bucking up and getting stronger, the weight eventually wears down the joints and cartilage (this is especially true of OA, but also applies to RA and other arthritis types as well). And unless you lose weight, joints and cartilage never get a chance to bounce back and repair –meaning that the destruction continues until the pain becomes unbearable (literally).

But there’s more to the story than simple mechanics. For example, obesity has been found to increase the risk of OA in the hand as well –meaning that there’s some less visible force at work. What do you

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suppose that “force” is? You guessed it –in$ammation! Scientists now understand that, a&er you reach a certain critical mass of fat, fat cells themselves begin to churn out in$ammation. #is is especially true of fat that sits in your midsection. Made up of what’s known as visceral fat, these nasty fat cells turn themselves into in$ammation factories that pour out in$ammation like a smokestack!

How to Lose Weight and Reverse Arthritis…Naturally

Even though some of the damage is already done, dropping some serious pounds will also drop the pain you feel as well –no matter how long that you’ve been overweight. Weight loss will ease the load on your joints –allowing them to patch themselves up – and make in$ammation drop like the New Year’s ball.

Luckily, you don’t have to lose massive amounts of weight to improve your pain. One study found that every 10 lbs. of weight lost reduced risk of OA by more than 50%. And if you already have OA or RA, research clearly shows that getting your weight back into the healthy range increases the likelihood of completely reversing arthritis to a respectable one out of three.

Countless weight loss books already line store shelves. However, most of the advice doesn’t apply to people with arthritis. Many of their plans rely on arthritis “trigger foods”, pro-in$ammatory nutrients, and boot camp style exercise plans.

Action Steps for Chapter 8 (Days 15-17)

Arthritis and weight are a real-life vicious cycle. #ose extra pounds put extra stress on your joints and ramp up in$ammation –causing arthritis. Because arthritis makes it painful to exercise, you’re forced to be sedentary. It really isn’t fair.

As I touched on in this chapter, weight loss has been shown in dozens of studies to cure or improve arthritis. Even if losing weight doesn’t make your arthritis disappear, it will improve your levels of pain and allow you to do more activities of daily living. de"nitely Fortunately, it’s possible to lose weight no matter how bad your arthritis already is.

Here’s how to lose serious pounds –even if you su$er from arthritis:

1. Know Your Numbers: It’s impossible to know where you’re going unless you know where you are. You should know your height and weight so that you can calculate your BMI. For a more accurate analysis, try to get your body composition, the ratio of fat to muscle, measured at your local health club.

2. Get to Here: Your goals are simple. No matter how much you weigh (assuming your BMI is above 25), you want to lose some weight right away to take some of the pressure o! of your joints and

“Every 10 lbs. of weight lost reduced risk of OA by more than 50%

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to reduce in$ammation. Once you’re on a roll, your aim should be to get your BMI below 30, and once you’re there, below 25. Also, keep an eye on your waist circumference. Ideally, your waist circumference should below 40 inches for men, and 35 for women.

3. Follow the Blue Heron Guide to Heal Arthritis Diet: It’s not a weight loss diet per se, but the healthy foods that form the base, fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains, and lean meats are a sure"re recipe for fat loss. Most of the recent weight loss research shows that the concept of calories doesn’t matter very much –it’s the type of food you eat that makes the biggest impact.

#ink about it: have you ever heard of someone getting fat from eating too much spinach, grilled salmon, or fresh fruit? Me neither.

4. Set 5 Speci!c, Actionable Goals Related to Weight Loss: You already know where your bull’s eye is: a BMI less than 25 and a waist circumference below 35 or 40. But that’s not very personalized, is it? Research shows that people who set, speci"c and actionable weight loss goals do better than people who just say: “I’m going to lose some weight.”

An example of an actionable goal would be: “I will eat 6 servings of fruits and vegetables everyday.” #is is a goal that you can act on, track, and manage. Actionable goals should be complemented with outcome goals such as, “I will lose 5 lbs. in the next 2 weeks.”

5. Go S-L-O-W: Fast weight loss is temporary weight loss. As you probably know "rsthand, it’s not losing the weight that’s hard –it’s keeping it o!. You’re chances of sustaining the fruits of your hard work increase exponentially the slower you go.

#is means ditching fad diets that promise near-instant results. In reality, you only lose precious muscle, and you can expect the weight to $y back on as soon as you go back to normal eating.

6. Track and Adjust: Entrepreneur Paul Drucker is famous for saying “what gets measured, gets managed.” Same story here. A large-scale study called #e National Weight Loss Registry tracked people’s weight loss and tried to "gure out what works in the real world. #ey’ve found that pretty much everyone who loses weight and keeps it o! weigh themselves at least once per week.

Be sure to write down your weight on a weekly basis. Not only will this keep you motivated, but you’ll be able to tell what’s working for you (and what isn’t).

Get Moving!Part IV

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Chapter 9: Exercising With Arthritis…It’s Possible!

On my second visit to Asia I realized just how sedentary most Americans had become (myself included). While struggling to wade my way through the hustle and bustle of Bangkok, I found myself hiking up stairs, running down tuk-tuks (%ai taxis), and dodging pedestrians.

I’ll never forget the night I "nally made it back to my hotel room. My knees ached, my hands were rigid, and my back was tighter than a Boy Scout knot. “Uncle Arty” decided to $y 4,000 miles to pay me a visit…on my vacation no less.

Because I had no choice, I ended up moving more during my travels around the beaches of southern #ailand than I had all year! To my amazement, exercise went from a source of unbridled pain… to a fountain of relief. You better believe that when I got back stateside that I started working out everyday. Not only did I have more energy than ever before, but my arthritis dramatically improved –something I never thought possible!

Exercise and Arthritis

Whether you’ve been a couch potato because of arthritis or had been a full-$edged member before arthritis struck, it’s crucial that you get moving. It used to be standard medical practice to tell patients with arthritis to sit around and relax. Finally wising up, most doctors realize that this advice actually makes arthritis reversal impossibile.

Scott J. Zashin, MD warns not to let arthritis become an excuse not to exercise: “Yet, while there is short term relief, in the long run, a sedentary lifestyle may lead to obesity and increased pain in weight-bearing joints such as the knees and hips. Also, many [arthritis] patients who are not active are more likely to experience depression which is o&en associated with increased pain and fatigue.”

In fact, studies show that people with arthritis hardly exercised before they got the disease, and become even more sedentary a&er they were diagnosed. #e connection is very real. If you remain sedentary, you’re not only making your arthritis worse than it has to be, but you’re increasing your risk of going under the knife: 87% of all knee replacements are done on people with a BMI >30.

And overweight people who don’t exercise report more pain and higher rates of disability when compared to those who even do a little physical activity everyday. Northwestern University researchers tracked arthritis patients for a period of two years. People that never exercised quickly found themselves having di%culties doing things they were once able to, like opening packages, cooking meals, and

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washing themselves. #ey estimated that for every year that someone with arthritis doesn’t exercise, their overall functioning declines by a 33%.

Along with making you stronger and more able to do the things you need to do without pain, some exercise, any exercise, is a proven way to make pain quickly subside. A study in the Journal of Rheumatology found that when people did a very simple at-home physical "tness program, their arthritis pain levels fell by 43 percent!

As an added bonus, exercise has been shown to help li& the moods of depressed arthritis su!erers. University of Missouri researchers recently took a group of 120 people with RA and OA and had them do a low-intensity, supervised exercise program. #e researchers concluded that, “Exercise groups showed signi"cant improvement over the control group in aerobic capacity, 50-foot walking time, depression, anxiety, and physical activity.” Not only did their arthritis symptoms improve, but they got a brain boost as well.

How to Exercise With Arthritis

I know what you’re thinking: “how am I supposed to exercise when I can barely get up to go to the bathroom?” Look, I can understand where you’re coming from. And if I wasn’t forced by the landscape of #ailand to exercise, I may have found the notion ridiculous too.

But luckily, there are dozens of exercises that people with even the most crippling cases of arthritis can do (in fact, the next chapter is dedicated to two of the best: yoga and tai chi).

Before we get into those, let’s go over the ins and outs of arthritis exercise:

Start Slow: Even if you’re pumped about getting back in action, it’s crucial that you don’t hurt yourself. With arthritis lurking inside of you, you have to be extra careful not to push yourself too far and get hurt.

Once you’re able to do very simple exercises with ease, then it’s time to move on to the next level.

Walk, Don’t Run (literally): Walking is one of the most bene"cial exercises for arthritis su!erers. Walking is easy, doesn’t require any special equipment, and can be done anytime. If walking is too painful for you, stick to some of the easier exercises I’ll describe in a minute –and keep the goal of daily walking in mind.

Do Something You Love: You want to set out doing activities that you’ll stick with over the long haul. So if you hate the water, don’t force yourself to go to a swimming class.

Be Tender to Your Painful Areas: At "rst, try to work around the areas that hurt most. So if you have bad knees, try some upper body strength training. If your hands are your #1 problem area, try going for

“When people did a very simple at-home physical "tness program, their arthritis pain levels fell by 43 percent!

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a walk. Over time, your joints will heal and you’ll be able to do any type or exercise you want –because you won’ have any “painful areas” le&!

Chapter 9 Action Steps (Days 18-19)

Exercise isn’t just important for weight loss. Working out, even if you’re limited in what you can do because of arthritis, is a must. Not only does exercise reduce in$ammation and boost your brain, but it makes you stronger. #is means that you can do more of the things that are important to you –shopping, cleaning, leaving the house-without pain getting in the way.

In this chapter, I discussed that research has been able to get people even with the more crippling arthritis to exercise –with some remarkable results. By following the action steps in this chapter, you can do the same.

Step 1: Besides yoga and tai chi, which we’ll touch on next, select 3 of the following range of motion exercises, and do them at least 4 days per week

Range of Motion Exercise: Hand Stretches1. Make a "st with both hands.2. Slowly extend your hands until your "ngers point back at you3. Gently return to a "st. Do 5-6 repetitions.

Range of Motion Exercise: Knee Bends1. Sitting down, li& one leg o! of the ground 2. Slowly point your foot away from you. 3. Hold for 1-2 seconds. 4. Return your leg to the ground and repeat with the other leg. Do 5 repetitions for each leg.

Range of Motion Exercise: Shoulder Stretch1. Sitting or standing, li& both arms straight above your head. 2. Clasp your hands and let your hands fall back towards you. 3. Hold here for 5 seconds.4. Unclasp your hands and slowly return your hands by your side. Do 8 repetitions.

Range of Motion Exercise: Gentle Twist1. Sitting in a chair with good posture, support yourself with your arms and

hands pressed against the seat of the chair. 2. Turn your head to the right and gently turn your body to follow your vision.3. Breathe and hold this position for 6 slow breaths. 4. Return to center and repeat on the other side.

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Range of Motion Exercise: Lower Back Stretch1. Sit in a comfortable chair, with plenty of room in front of you.2. Bending at the waist, drop your upper body so that it touches and rests

on the top of your legs.3. Completely relax and release your back and neck. Hold this for 5

seconds.4. Starting at the lower back, gently return to the starting position. Do 5

repetitions.

Step 2: Select 3 of the following strength-building exercises, and do them 3 or more days per week

Strength Training Exercise: Overhead Li#s1. Sitting or standing, hold light hand weights or small cans tightly in each

hand.2. Slowly li& them over your head as high as you can.3. Hold for 1 second and slowly bring the weights back near your neck.

Do 10 repetitions.

Strength Training Exercise: Pelvic Tilts1. Stand against a wall with your back $at against it.2. Tilting your waist, push your lower back "rmly against the wall.3. Hold this position for 15-20 seconds, remembering to breathe.4. Rest for 30 seconds and repeat 5-7 times.

Strength Training Exercise: Curls1. Stand straight, holding cans or light hand weights, palms facing away

from you.2. Slowly bend your arms until your hands reach near your chest.3. Return to the starting position and repeat for 8 repetitions. Rest 30

seconds and repeat 2 more times.

Strength Training Exercise: Easy rows1. Sit in a comfortable chair holding weights or cans in each hand.2. Bend slightly at the waist and allow your arms to fall freely on each side

of you.3. Using your back, li& your hands towards you until they nearly touch

your chest.4. Repeat for 8 repetitions. Rest 30 seconds and repeat 2 more times.

Strength Training Exercise: Wall push-ups1. Stand facing a sturdy wall at arm’s length. 2. Extend your arms, pressing your hands against the wall. 3. Slowly shi& your weight onto your hands and arms, carefully letting your

body move towards the wall.4. Hold for 2 seconds and push your self back up straight. Repeat for 8

repetitions. Rest 30 seconds and repeat 2 more times.

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Step 3: Join a Structured Exercise Program (optional)Exercise classes, especially water aerobics, are a perfect form of exercise for people with arthritis. With a quali"ed instructor, you’ve got someone near you making sure you’re doing everything correctly and safely.

It’s not a necessity, but many people "nd that this sort of exercise class accelerates their arthritis relief quite a bit.

Step 4: Walk for 20 minutes per day#ere’s no doubt about it: people with arthritis who walk regularly have less pain, stronger muscles, and better quality of life than those who don’t. I know that walking can be very painful at "rst, but if you start slow and listen to your body, you can eventually build up to 20 minutes per day –and beyond!

It’s no big deal if you can only walk for 2 minutes around your house at "rst. Next time, shoot for 3 minutes, then 5, and then 7. Before you know it, you’ll be doing laps around your neighborhood with ease.

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Chapter 10: Yoga and "ai Chi for Arthritis

In this mini-chapter, I’m going to show you some of the most powerful, safe, and pain-free exercises out there for people with arthritis: yoga and tai chi.

When it comes to RA, OA and everything in between, yoga and tai chi have been shown in clinical research to blow medications out of the water in terms of safety and pain relief. Best of all, unlike medications, the strength you build from these 2 ancient forms of exercise help you with your day-to-day tasks like grocery shopping and cleaning around the house.

Let’s take a second to chat about what these two strange-sounding practices are. Yoga, a 4,000 year-old form of meditation, originated in India, but is now practiced in nearly every corner of the globe. Although you may imagine someone with their legs tucked behind their head when you hear the word “yoga”, yoga is actually a gentle form of exercise that’s especially suited to people with joint pain.

Tai chi is the Chinese equivalent of yoga. Its slow, deliberate movements, linked with breathing is the perfect “gateway” into more intense forms of exercise like walking and water aerobics.

Dozens of studies have been done investigating the e!ects of tai chi and yoga for arthritis patients –with some stunning results. One study found that a handful of tai chi sessions boosted physical "tness and reduced pain in people with severe knee RA.

#e best part of yoga and tai chi is that, along with building strength and physical "tness, arthritis pain levels quickly plummet and arthritis-rooted feelings of stress and anxiety are reduced.

For example, a study out of AT Still University found that a 3-week bout of yoga not only improved balance and pain levels, but reduced feelings of depression and stress too. #e researchers also looked into a biological hormone that shows up when people are under stress, cortisol, and found that yoga made the levels of this hormone fall signi"cantly.

Here’s how to get the most out of yoga and tai chi:

Get Schooled: If you’ve never done them before, the best way to learn is to attend a class. #is way, you’ll learn how to do the movements correctly, and even discover modi"ed versions of the poses to avoid aggravating your most painful areas.

Your local gym, YMCA, of community center likely o!ers yoga and/or tai chi classes.

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Be Adventurous: For many people, the most di%cult thing about yoga and tai chi aren’t the practices themselves –it’s working up the nerve to try it. Hold back any feelings that these are just new-age workouts for hippies. #ink of them as what they are –practical, e!ective, and safe treatments for arthritis.

Speak Up: If you do attend a class, the instructor will probably ask if anyone has any painful areas or injuries. #is isn’t a time to buck up and work through your pain. Let your instructors know where you hurt and what tends to make it worse. #at way, you’ll be able to enjoy, and bene"t from, the practice much more.

Stick With It: Like any exercise program, the more you do it, the more you’ll reap the bene"ts. Yoga and tai chi happen to be powerful enough where a single session can make a di!erence, but that doesn’t mean you should stop there.

Buy a DVD: If you’re shy or prefer to not take a class, try a DVD. Believe it or not, there are dozens of yoga and tai chi DVDs made just for people with arthritis!

Chapter 10 Action Steps (Day 20)

Yoga and tai chi are two perfect forms of exercise for people with arthritis. As I discussed in this chapter, yoga and tai chi have been studied intensively in clinical research. By and large, these two forms of exercise outperformed medications.

Best of all, they’re much less likely to make your pain $are up.

1. Attend one yoga or tai chi class this week, whichever you prefer OR buy and complete an entire yoga or tai chi for DVD in your own home.

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Chapter 11: Everything Under the Rising Sun -Ancient Asian Arthritis Cures "at Work Today

On my second trip to Asia, when traveling in the mountains of %ailand, I had an arthritic !are up of epic proportions. At this point, I was fairly well versed in natural arthritis cures, but I wanted relief and I wanted it in the form of a "stful of Aspirin.

Unfortunately (or fortunately, actually), the tiny mountain village I found myself in had no pharmacy whatsoever. Stumbling back to my bungalow, I asked the owner if he had any painkillers on hand –adding that I would pay him any price he asked.

Apologizing and saying that he had none, he told me that whenever he was in pain he simply went down the street to the town’s acupuncturist. “Acupuncturist!” I said in such shock and disdain the bungalow owner looked like he lost his balance. I may be open-minded, I thought, but there’s no way I’m letting some strange guy put needles in my back.

A few hours and many moans and groans later, writhing in pain, and with a hiking trip scheduled for the next morning, I built up the strength to head to the acupuncturist’s o%ce. As I opened the wooden door, the smell of incense and burgundy wa&ed through my nostrils. I was expecting a Mr. Miyagi lookalike to walk through the door and greet me, but instead, I found a well-groomed young man no older than 35. Before I knew it, I was fawning over his countless certi"cates and degrees from respected Universities and institutions around the world.

Impressed but skeptical, I went through the curtain and lied down on his table. Feeling nothing, he inserted needle a&er needle into my back, hands, legs, and feet. A few minutes later, with the needles tenderly removed, I felt like a million Baht!

It turned out that I had acupuncture all wrong. It’s not some funky, outdated practice where people jab sharp things into your body. Acupuncture and other forms of Chinese traditional medicine are scienti"cally supported practices with thousands of years of evidence backing it up. For example, when I got back home from that trip and did a literature review on acupuncture, I was stunned to "nd that modern-day scienti"c journals had been espousing the bene"ts of Chinese alternative medicine for decades.

One review paper, titled “Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis: a General Review,” said that, “Furthermore, greatly enhanced life quality of RA patients was obtained using acupuncture and massage to relieve pain, expand joint motion and modulate emotion which

“A few minutes later, with the needles tenderly removed, I felt like a million Baht!

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mainly correlated with the possible modulation of immune system, nerve system, endocrine system, etc.”

#e brave souls who decide to give these ancient cures a shot largely "nd their arthritis pain gone a&er one or two sessions.

Acupuncture Basics

Acupuncture is one of the "rst forms of medicine. While acupuncture originated in China, it quickly spread to all points in Asia (and beyond). #e theory behind acupuncture is that the needles help realign your “chi,” or the energy that $ows through all living things. #inking that the root of all health problems was a disturbed chi, acupuncture was, and still is, considered a primary treatment for almost any ailment you can think of –especially chronic pain.

Modern medicine has found that acupuncture has a more scienti"c and physiological explanation for its e!ectiveness. #e needles, when properly placed, cajole the brain into pumping out massive amounts of endorphins –the same stu! responsible for “runner’s high”. Acupuncture has also been shown to reduce chronic in$ammation levels and to relax tight muscles that aggravate arthritic joints.

In fact, the evidence for arthritis as an e!ective arthritis treatment is so strong that both the World Health Organization and the US NIH endorse acupuncture as a reliable and safe arthritis treatment.

For example, a group of researchers at University of Exeter looked at the e!ects of acupuncture on people with chronic knee pain. In over 1300 people, the results clearly showed that acupuncture provides quick and long-term pain relief. Another high-quality randomized control trial published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that acupuncture improved pain levels, physical function, and well being in a group of 500 arthritis patients.

“#e needles, when properly placed, cajole the brain into pumping out massive amounts of endorphins.

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Massage

Arthritis and massage have a long and storied history. #e father of modern medicine, Hippocrates was one of the "rst Westerners to recommend rubbing a painful joint for pain relief. But people have been using massage as far back as 3 B.C.

Today, massage as an arthritis treatment is more popular then ever. Not only is it essentially risk-free, but massage tends to work extremely fast (o&en a&er just a few minutes). #e bene"ts are so clear that #e Arthritis Foundation wholeheartedly recommends massage for arthritis su!erers.

#e great thing about arthritis is that, unlike a pill, you can easily use it to target where you need it most. And research shows that massage that’s focused on one area of the body can instantly relieve the amount of pain that you feel in that area. For example, one study found that massage of the hands helped reduce pain, improve $exibility, stopped sti!ness, and even boosted grip strength.

One study in the Archives of Internal Medicine reached some extremely promising results. A&er a few sessions of massage on people with long-standing osteoarthritis, clinically signi"cant scores for well-being, pain, $exibility, sti!ness, and walking speed drastically improved.

Massage works in two ways. First, massage can release tight muscles (known as trigger points), which tend to form around arthritic joints. Also, a nice massage reduces stress and causes endorphin release (the cause of the “ahhh” you instinctively let out a&er you feel the "rst rub of your muscles).

Aromatherapy

#e popularity of aromatherapy for arthritis is exploding. People in all walks of life are "nding that scents from certain medicinal oils can melt away pain. Scientists, following suit, have found that aromatherapy reduces in$ammation, pain levels, and even depression in people resistant to traditional arthritis treatments.

One research study out of South Korea recruited 40 people with severe RA. A&er smelling a mixture of lavender, marjoram, eucalyptus, rosemary, and peppermint oils, the oils were found to "ght arthritis pain and reduce anxiety. #e study authors concluded that: ‘the result of this study clearly shows that

aromatherapy has major e!ects on decreasing pain and depression levels.”

Another study found that, when combined with massage, aromatherapy is even more e!ective.

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Re!exology

#is practice, a Chinese medicine staple, involves stimulating pressure points in the feet to help heal other areas of the body. Evidence shows that by promoting blood $ow around the body and reducing chronic in$ammation, re$exology can help with RA (sorry, the evidence isn’t as clear-cut for OA).

A case study from the British Medical Journal found that weekly re$exology helped reduce chronic pain stemming from RA.

Balneotherapy

Finally, we have balneotherapy. Used mostly in the Japan, balneotherapy, an arthritis treatment using hot water, is picking up steam stateside.

#e exact techniques vary, but essentially balneotherapy uses a man-made hot spring for you to relax in. Besides melting away stress, scientists now understand that the hot water and the minerals it contains melt away arthritis pain just the same.

A review of 6 studies of balneotherapy for arthritis concluded that: “One cannot ignore the positive "ndings reported in most trials.”

For those of you reading this with psoriatic arthritis or "bromyalgia, take note. Researchers recently took a group of patients to the Dead Sea (yes, really) for a session of balneotherapy. #ey found, “Statistically signi"cant substantial improvement in the number of active joints and tender points in both male and female patients with "bromyalgia and psoriatic arthritis.”

If you don’t have the Dead Sea in your backyard, don’t fret. Any place that practices balneotherapy will have a bath on hand with the same mineral-rich composition.

How To Do It Right

Alternative and complementary medicine, while generally safe, isn’t something you want to jump into uninitiated. Here’s how to make sure you get all the bene"ts and none of the risk:

Check for Credentials: Acupuncturists and massage therapists have accredited bodies to make sure that their training and experience is up to snu!. For example, to be a licensed massage therapist you not only have to go through a rigorous training and education program, but complete 300 hundred hours of supervised practice.

#ese credentials don’t come easy, so when you see them, you can relax knowing that you’re in the hands of a professional (literally).

“Hot water and the minerals it contains melt away arthritis pain just the same.

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Experience Matters: #is isn’t the time to be someone’s "rst client. You have arthritis and you want relief –you don’t have time to work with someone who hasn’t worked with dozens of arthritis clients before.

Before you sign up, be sure to ask your potential practitioner how o&en they come across people with arthritis –and what special techniques they use for relief.

Ask Around: #e best way to seek out an alternative or complementary medicine expert is via word of mouth. Ask your friends and neighbors if they know anyone who is good. Chances are that if you ask enough people, you’ll "nd that they’ll not only recommend someone that helped them –but are usually so excited about the results they experienced that they’ll personally bring you to them.

Try Before You Buy: #e only way to know whether something works for you is so try it. Ask them if they o!er a trial session, for example, a short, 10-minute aromatherapy trial. #ose that are con"dent in their stu! won’t hesitate to o!er this.

Don’t Overpay: Sure, arthritis relief isn’t something that you want to cut corners with, but that doesn’t mean that you should write a blank check for any place that has an “OPEN” sign on the front door.

#is type of thing o&en carries a he&y price tag. For example, it’s not uncommon to shell out $100 for an hour massage session!

You can save some serious cash on your appointments by a) signing up for package deals, b) asking for discounts at “o! times”, and c) seek out massage schools that can o!er upwards of 90% o! a regular price without sacri"cing in the way of quality.

Be sure to compare the cost of these treatments to your out of pocket expenses for doctor visits, co pays, medications, and over the counter meds that you’re already paying for. Nine times out of ten, the complementary arthritis therapies are much more cost e!ective than the standard, medical approach.

Chapter 12 Action Steps (Day 21)

1. #e “take away” point from this chapter is that “alternative” medicine shouldn’t be an alternative to Western medicine for treating arthritis –it should form for foundation. #e research-backed alternative treatment methods I discussed are all safe and e!ective ways to treat arthritis. Choose an alternative therapy to try this week. #e exact practice is up to you. Pick the discipline that “spoke to you” or one that you can a!ord.

2. Make an appointment and attend at least 1 session of acupuncture, massage, aromatherapy, re$exology or balneotherapy. Because these are particularly e!ective and research-backed, any of these "ve therapies are almost guaranteed to make you feel better.

3. Balneotherapy, the practice of taking warm baths in mineral water is particularly e!ective for people with "bromyalgia or psoriatic arthritis .For those with psoriatic arthritis or "bromyalgia: try balneotherapy.

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Chapter 13 –Wrapping Up

When I’m older and greyer than I already am, I know that when I look back at the moments that had the biggest impact, my meal with Jane will top the list.

Not only did I "nd arthritis relief when I was at my wit’s end, but I got a lifelong friend out of the deal (not bad, huh?). However, as amazing as that "rst cup of ginger tea was, it wouldn’t have lasted unless I decided to take further action and dig deeper.

When I dug, I found a medical system letting people down time and time again –and taking their hard earned money from their pockets. I found dirt-cheap natural arthritis therapies buried by multimillion-dollar marketing messages from Big Pharma. And I found that most people approach arthritis completely backwards.

It’s clear to me, and I’m sure it’s clear to you now, that the techniques I’ve picked up from my friends in Asia are needed over here more than ever. With arthritis rates on a meteoric rise, we need to look at treatments that are natural, but also have the backing of science. I believe that it’s the one two punch of ancient wisdom and modern science that will ultimately cure America (and the world) of its arthritis epidemic.

Ultimately, this information, while incredibly powerful, was enough to change my life and the lives of many people I cared about. You now have it in your hands. #e only question now is, “what are you going to do about it?”

#e real change in my arthritis didn’t come from simply reading the stunning results in some dusty medical journal in the corner of a library. Only when I took action, and made signi"cantly and long-lasting changes to my life did I feel my joints renew.

#at’s why, along with presenting you with the most cutting edge and e!ective natural treatments for arthritis, I also handed you a step-by-step 30-day program. I don’t want you to close this book and go back to sitting on the couch with a bag of chips and a bottle of Tylenol. I want you to commit to the 30-day plan. If you’re like most people, it won’t take 30 days for you to "nd relief. Especially if trigger foods are the root cause of your pain, you may get better in a matter of days.

Regardless, I encourage you to continue with the 30-day program to the "nish line. #at way, you’ll suppress in$ammation to the point where it won’t come back and bite you in the butt when you least expect it.

I can guarantee that at the end of the 30 days, not only will your arthritis completely vanish, but you’ll likely feel more energetic and happier than you have in years.

It’s my sincere hope that this book has not only changes your perspective on arthritis, but your entire life as well.

From my friends in Asia and I, here’s to an arthritis-free life.

Warmly,Shelly Manning

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Blue Heron Health Guide to Heal Arthritis 21-Day Plan

Day 1: Find the type of arthritis that you have. Fill out the questionnaire on page 11 to "nd out which class of arthritis that you have. If you’re like many others, you’re not sure which type of arthritis you’re struggling with –mostly because doctors don’t take the time to di!erentiate between them. It’s important to know which arthritis that you have because certain nutrients and approaches are especially bene"cial to certain types of arthritis.

Day 2: Calculate your in#ammation score on page21. No matter what type of arthritis you have, the root cause is the same: in$ammation. For some, their in$ammation is a raging inferno inside of their body –leading to dozens of potential health issues. Your in$ammation score lets you know how aggressive you should be towards reducing your in$ammation through the strategies discussed in this book.

Day 3: Record everything you eat. Even if you think that you know what you’re eating, it’s impossible to keep track of every morsel that enters your mouth. #at’s why I recommend recording everything you tend to eat. Once you’ve done this, you can identify potential trigger foods that either cause your arthritis pain or make it worse.

Day 4: Record everything you eat.

Days 5-7: Start the caveman elimination diet as described on page 27. Low level allergies are an extremely common, yet little known, root cause of arthritis. Allergic reactions can make your immune system go haywire –shooting in$ammation levels skyward. #e caveman elimination diet tosses out the top 9 trigger foods as well as many of the processed foods that contain trigger foods. Essentially, you eat like a caveman for three full days and note whether your symptoms improve. If they do, you know that allergies cause or contribute to your arthritis.

Day 8: Eat !sh 3 times per week or take #axseed supplement. Omega-3 fats are more powerful than any anti-in$ammatory created by man. #ese special fats slow down the production of cells that ramp up in$ammation and promote the production of anti-in$ammatory cells. EPA and DHA, the omega-3s in "sh are especially powerful. However, if "sh isn’t your thing, you can take "sh oil capsules or $axseeds which are nearly as good as "sh.

Day 9: Add fresh, unprocessed plant-based omega-3 sources to your diet. For an omega-3 “boost”, start eating plant sources of omega-3 fats. Plant sources of omega 3s help balance out the out of whack omega-3/omega-6 fat ratio that most Americans have. By eating more plant omega-3s, you’ll reduce painful in$ammation caused by your fat intake.

Day 10: Choose 3 antioxidant-rich fruits and veggies from the list of 20 and start eating them every day. Nearly all fresh fruits and vegetables are great sources of antioxidants –special nutrients that reduce oxidation and in$ammation. However, there are 20 in particular which stand above the rest in terms of antioxidant quantity and quality. Along with a produce-rich diet, eat 3 of these foods everyday.

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Day 11: Pick 2 superfoods to eat every day. Antioxidants are great, but they may not be enough. #at’s why I included a thorough list of superfoods that have lots of antioxidants, plus a special nutrient or compound for knocking out arthritis. A&er reading them over and considering the pros and cons, choose two of your favorites to include in your diet everyday.

Day 12: Take vitamin D according to the dosage given at end of chapter 7. Because we spend so much time indoors, we miss out on one of the most important vitamins: vitamin D. Scientists know that low levels of vitamin D dramatically increase in$ammation and arthritis risk. Fortunately, vitamin D is fairly easy to get enough of. Spend time in the sun, take supplements, and eat foods rich in vitamin D. As I touched on in page 35, replenishing vitamin D is o&en enough to completely cure arthritis.

Day 13: Find a high quality multivitamin and start taking it with breakfast daily. To "ght infections, arthritis, and keep arthritis under wraps, your body needs literally dozens of nutrients. A healthy diet (like the Blue Heron Diet For Curing Arthritis) goes a long way towards reaching your nutrient needs, but it doesn’t hurt to have a little boost in the form of a high quality multivitamin. It’s dirt cheap, has a broad spectrum of nutrients, and generally covers your bases in terms of nagging vitamin de"ciencies that’s making your arthritis worse.

Day 14: Take vitamin C and E, in supplement or food form. Vitamin C and E are a powerful antioxidant tag team. Oxidation, if le& unchecked, can make your joints $are up in unbelievable pain. #ese two vitamins are powerful oxidation-"ghters that have the unique ability to knock out free radicals. Even better, vitamin C is a crucial component of connective tissue that can help repair damaged joints. If you have RA: take a B complex vitamin. Scientists aren’t sure how it works, but B complex vitamins have been an e!ective treatment for RA for centuries. A B-complex vitamin, along with a diet full of vitamin B rich foods, is a must for people with RA.

Day 15: Record your height and weight. Use these numbers to calculate your BMI. Every extra pound on your body increases your chances of both OA and RA. #e weight itself puts extra strain and stress on your joints, and body fat boosts in$ammation levels. Studies show that losing weight improves arthritis symptoms and quality of life.

Day 16: Set 5 speci!c, actionable weight loss goals that you’ll stick to. Losing weight isn’t easy. However, setting goals is one thing that de"nitely makes it easier. Instead of vague goals that don’t stick, set actionable goals that can be tracked and measured. Research shows that these types of goals improve weight loss results while dieting.

Day 17: Set up a “tracking system” for your progress, whether it’s weighing yourself regularly, or measuring your waist. Knowing where you’re going is a must for any journey –losing weight is no exception. #erefore I strongly recommend that you keep track of your weight as you go along. #is can also be a powerful for of motivation. Imagine the feeling of stepping on your scale…only to see yourself 5 or 7 pounds lighter because of your hard work.

Day 18: Start your range of motion and strength training exercises today. People who exercise regularly rarely get arthritis. And for those already with arthritis, exercising has a laundry list of bene"ts. First, it reduces in$ammation –the underlying cause of arthritis. Also, exercising can improve your

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strength so that you can go about your day with less pain.

Day 19: Walk today for as long as you can without pain. Continue to increase your walking time everyday. Walking is an ideal form of exercise for people with arthritis. It’s easy, doesn’t require any equipment, and can "t into any schedule. Walking helps strengthen your legs and cardiovascular system –prepping you for more intense forms of exercise that can push arthritis over the edge.

Day 20: Attend a yoga or tai chi class, or do a DVD. Yoga and Tai Chi are two superstars in the world of arthritis relief. Because they’re relatively easy to do and light in your sensitive joints, these two ancient forms of exercise should be made part of your new anti-arthritis exercise routine.

Day 21: Make an appointment and attend 1 session of complementary medicine for arthritis. Also, be sure to celebrate! You’ve made it through the entire program and you should not be pain free. However, if you’re one of the few who aren’t completely cured a&er 21 days, don’t fret. I’m sure you’ve seen some progress already. For one reason or another, your arthritis just needs more time to heal. Make sure to stoically move forward with the progress you’ve made and sit tight, because as long as you continue, relief will come.

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