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Managing Gout with the Eat Burn Sleep Lifestyle
Gout is an excruciating form of inflammatory arthritis that manifests in the body through common signs of inflammation at the joints due to the accumulation of uric acid crystals within and around them.
A gout attack, known as a flare-up, is a sudden outburst of pain in one or many joints. These flare-ups can last days or weeks and are usually followed by long periods of remission—weeks, months, or years—without symptoms before another flare begins.
Symptoms that manifest during flare-ups include:
- Pain, usually intense
- Swelling
- Redness
- Heat
As highlighted in this 2020 article by the CDC, gout currently has no cure. However, it is treatable in many ways, and by following an anti-inflammatory lifestyle, the effects and development of gout can be diminished.
Understanding how this form of arthritis is triggered can help you take conscious steps to tackle it more effectively.
What Causes Gout?
Purines are organic compounds present in everyone and are essential for the structure of specific molecules such as DNA. Most purines naturally occur within us, but they can also be absorbed from food during digestion.
Now, how are purines related to gout?
The breakdown of purines leads to the formation of a waste product called uric acid, which needs to be excreted from the body. As soluble, this waste product can reside in our blood until it is excreted.
Gout occurs when uric acid is in excess, as high levels of it can lead to the formation of sharp crystals that accumulate in and around the joints. Gout usually affects one joint at a time, as the ACFS mentions, most commonly beginning in a lower body joint (like in the big toe) because uric acid tends to form crystals at cooler temperatures. These crystals can rub against the joints’ soft tissue, leading to inflammatory responses. Therefore, the major causes of gout include:
- Overproduction of uric acid: This can be due to a diet high in purines or a disorder that causes your cells to produce a lot of purines. Such disorders include psoriasis, pernicious anemia, ineffective erythropoiesis (bone marrow cell destruction, as in B-12 deficiency), excessive exercise, and obesity.
- Not excreting as much uric acid as you should be, perhaps due to renal insufficiency, starvation, dehydration, hypothyroidism, hyperparathyroidism, medications (including diuretics), and chronic alcohol abuse.
The characteristics below can cause elevated uric acid levels, making some individuals more susceptible to gout.
Who is more at risk of Gout?
- Males
- Being obese – Reaching and maintaining a healthy weight can relieve pain, improve function, and slow the progression of arthritis.
- Having Insulin resistance
- Diabetes
- Having poor kidney function
- Drinking alcohol – The risk of gout is greater as alcohol intake increases.
- Eating or drinking food and drinks high in fructose, as concluded in this study (Jamnik J et al., 2016).
Treatment
Treatment
If you relate to any of these characteristics, do not worry. It does not mean you will undoubtedly develop this condition, as your lifestyle can prevent it. Even if you do develop gout, finding a way to get your uric acid levels under control in a sustainable manner can help reduce its effects. There are several ways to do this, provided on the Eat Burn Sleep platform.
The sections below will walk you through the actionable steps you can take as of today.
Expert Advice
If you are dealing with gout, we do not doubt that you have times when your joints become swollen, accompanied by intense pain, heat, and tenderness. Gout presents itself through these symptoms.
The good news is that Eat Burn Sleep will help you take the necessary steps to deal with this condition effectively.
Nutrition
Lowering inflammation is crucial to helping prevent future flare-ups and maintain remission. By holistically keeping purine levels within a reasonable range, we can reduce the risk of uric acid crystal formation. The importance of dietary choices when it comes to gout was discussed in the summary of this review, investigating the role of diet in relation to high uric acid levels and gout (Yokose C et al. 2021).
Foods to avoid
- Red meat. Limit serving sizes of beef, lamb, and pork.
- Organ meat. Avoid meats such as liver, kidney, brain, pancreas, and sweetbreads, which have high purine levels.
- Seafood. Some types of seafood — such as anchovies, shellfish, sardines, and tuna — are higher in purines than other types. But the overall health benefits of eating fish may outweigh the risks for people with gout.
- Minimize refined carbohydrates as they increase uric acid production. As well as saturated fats, which increase uric acid retention.
- Limit alcohol intake (especially beer and distilled liquors) between attacks and avoid it entirely during attacks. Moderate consumption of wine doesn’t appear to increase the risk of gout attacks.
- Limit high-fructose beverages and naturally sweet fruit juices.
- High-purine vegetables such as asparagus and spinach.
- Nutritional yeast and soy products.
Foods to favor
- Fresh fruits and vegetables.
- Complex carbohydrates like sweet potatoes, parsnips, carrots, beetroots, and turnips.
- Herbal teas, water, and lemon water promote hydration, healthy digestion, and enteric health. In these conditions, uric acid is more soluble and less likely to form crystals.
- Focus on lean meat and poultry.
- Coffee. A 2015 article by Towitat & Li reviewing the link between various substances, including coffee, to uric acid and gout, suggests that drinking coffee in moderation (especially regular caffeinated coffee) may be associated with a reduced risk of this condition as it slows the breakdown of purines into uric acid and speeds up the excretion rate.
- Nuts.
- Cherries. Besides its known anti-inflammatory properties, research shows that it can help manage gout symptoms and reduce uric acid levels.
Lifestyle
- Lose weight following the Weight Loss Expert Advice. Losing weight reduces pressure on joints, particularly weight-bearing joints like the hips and knees.
- Stay active to protect your joints. Choose easy activities on the joints, like walking, and incorporate the low-inflammatory movement videos into your routine. Make sure to avoid twisting or putting too much stress on the joints.
- Stay well-hydrated. Fluids help flush uric acid out of the body and prevent kidney stones – often a risk in people with gout. Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses a day, particularly during gout attacks.
- During an attack, as long as the pain isn’t too extreme, a cold compression or ice pack applied gently to the area can help ease the inflammation. For the most effective treatment, ice the joint for 20 to 30 minutes several times daily and keep the affected area elevated.
- Manage stress through the various tools on this platform. Uric acid is elevated when emotional stress is experienced.
Visualize a healthy body
Visualizing a healthy body is essential in supporting your efforts in healing. Our brains are excellent tools, and what you think will profoundly affect your body.
Think of a time when you didn’t have gout, and you moved around freely. Keep tapping into positive thoughts; this will help your brain tap into neuroplasticity, and healing will be promoted.
A meditation bath with magnesium salts as part of your evening routine will aid your healing journey.
Immersing the body parts affected by gout in your salt bath will alleviate the pain, swelling, and inflammation and increase blood flow.
If you don’t have a bath, soak your feet in a footbath with warm water and a half cup of magnesium flakes. Magnesium ions will relax you and penetrate the skin, allowing healing while soothing soreness in the feet.
As your body relaxes, think positive thoughts, “My body will get better,” or “This pain is just temporary,” and picture yourself pain-free.
Start your day with morning meditations, and continue with positive thoughts throughout the day.
Supplements
This 2017 review article about treatment options for gout includes data to show how high uric acid levels affect the prevalence of gout in specific populations, as well as highlights how gout can be treated with and without the use of medication, depending on the individual’s needs and the severity of their condition.
EBS gives you the tools to improve your health, especially if you prefer to heal naturally. As you will see, the ‘Non-Pharmacological therapy’ section of the review article suggests that changes in lifestyle and diet are the primary ways to manage gout without medication (Engel B et al., 2017).
Food, movement, and mental wellness are the three pillars of the Eat Burn Sleep lifestyle and should always be the first line of action. The bioavailability of nutrients in food is always superior and allows for synergistic processes. The supplements below are optional.
- Vitamin C: Liposomal Vitamin C is easier to absorb and could aid in reducing uric acid levels.
- Omega-3 fish oils
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