Powered by Mom talks about her Rheumatoid Arthritis
As promised I said I would write about what I do to help ease the pains and the preventative measures I take for my rheumatoid arthritis. Just a few quick things 1) this is just what I do and should not be taken as medical advice 2) consult your doctor for any questions you have about arthritis and you. Sorry I have to say that to be careful and to be clear this is just about what I do and what has worked for me.
Background on Michelle (Powered by Mom) and my arthritis
I’ll tell you why I posted a picture of Almond Fresh but first a quick background on me with Arthritis. I found out when I was 25 years old that I had rheumatoid arthritis. It wasn’t a quick diagnosis in fact it took a year to find out why I was getting these pains on the soles of my feet, it was so bad I couldn’t walk some days. Then the pain was gone from my feet and then I had pain in my arms, couldn’t straighten out my arm and all sorts of crazy stuff. Back and forth to a clinic seeing different doctors, one thought it was tennis elbow, another sent to me physio etc.. Finally about a year later one said it’s arthritis as by then the knuckles on fingers had swollen up and that was a good indication according to the last doctor I saw before I was finally referred to a rheumatologist. Long story short, I got diagnosed and from there was put through different treatments. I went a few years on different treatments, then I had my daughter where I didn’t take any medications of course during pregnancy and her first year.
Miraculously during pregnancy my arthritis barely bothered me (with the exception of the join damage that had already been done) and for that first year after Sian was born. My rheumatologist said they couldn’t quite pinpoint it but many women’s arthritis does lessen during pregnancy go figure and yes I heard several times how I should be pregnant all the time. The last few years I’ve been improving mine and my family’s eating habits and researching and looking at more natural ways to help my arthritis so that I hope one day to be completely off all medications and only using all natural remedies. I’m not there yet but I’ve cut out a lot of medications and for someone who has a compromised immune system (due to the arthritis) I get less sick than most people as do my husband and daughter now as I have them on a lot of the same things! Read on to find out what I mean and remember this does not replace medical advice this is just what works for me. However, research and you will see all of the things I do and take are recommended to help inflammation etc.. due to arthritis but there’s more :).
Salmon that we had for dinner 1 night go omega fatty acids
An important part of what I do now is more thoughtfulness in what I eat. Foods such as salmon, blueberries and more are supposed to help with arthritis, inflammation etc.. I have almost every day a smoothie that I make for myself and my family which has ingredients that are not only good for us but help boost our immune systems. Some of you may have seen my previous post about this super smoothie you can find it HERE. Below is a picture of the smoothie that I make that has raspberries, blueberries, banana, flax seed, almond milk (Almond Fresh), prebiotic powder, spinach (yep fresh spinach and you don’t even taste it!) and protein powder. It’s simply delicious!
Drinking these smoothies alone has not only helped my immune system which if you have arthritis you know it’s an auto-immune disease but it has also helped my entire family. We are all sick less often and for not as long, it has been a significant improvement for my daughter who had 20 days or more of being sick in a school year to a 1/3 of that!
I also take the following supplements especially because hey we’re all human and as much as I try I can’t get all the nutrients I need from our food as sometimes I slip the meal planning goes out the window. For me it was important to go with high quality ingredients, ones that were not synthetically made, a company that does it research and provides me the best of the best for my money. Let’s face it things are not cheap so I wanted to know that I got the best for what I paid as natural supplements are not cheap but for mine and my family’s health we sacrifice other things to make sure we get these. I chose Shaklee products for just this reason and I found that some of their items are even less expensive then the products in health stores and I also get a little back if I’ve had a month where we’ve bought a certain $ amount of products. You don’t get dollars back from any health store that’s for sure!
I use a combination of products that help to boost our immune system, those that are specifically for joint issues and others that are just good for our overall all health. Here’s a picture of a few of them, I’ll explain what they are.
Prebiotic capsules, optiflora powder & nutriferon
The first set of pictures are the supplements I take for boosting our immune systems. NutriFeron® is a powerful breakthrough in immune system science. This patented, clinically proven blend of immune-strengthening plant extracts helps naturally balance the immune system.
The second set of pictures are what I take specifically for my arthritis as you can see one is for joint health, the GLA complex has the following essential nutrients
- LA (linoleic acid), another omega-6 fatty acid
- Borage oil, which contains a highly potent natural concentration of GLA in an easily absorbed form; Shaklee’s borage oil comes from the seeds of plants grown in Saskatchewan
- Sunflower seed oil, another source of omega-6 fatty acids
- Vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant
You can read a fantastic article about the benefits of GLA for arthritis by my friend Renee Sullivan where she talks about the benefits of it and it was inspired by a friend of hers with arthritis (ahem mainly me :)) in an article called Rheumatoid Arthritis and plant seed oils. Go read it HERE.
Last but not least I also take the natural supplement Devil’s claw which also helps with the pain and inflammation of arthritis. I know it sounds like a lot of stuff to take but when you get right down to it, it’s all about what you eat and put into your body. You’re going to eat every day of course anyways so just be more thoughtful about what you’re eating and if you can’t get it all from your foods supplements are a good way to make up for that. The important thing about supplements is to choose ones that are a high quality, not synthetically made, it doesn’t have to be Shaklee of course that’s just what I’ve chosen but I chose this brand because of the high quality, they’ve done the research and they back up their products. They have a great 30 day back money guarantee.
If you’d like to know more about Shaklee products or anything I’ve talked about here feel free to leave me a comment below and I will respond, just make sure to leave me an email address too 🙂 You can also take a look at the Shaklee products HERE and keep in mind that yes that some things may look pricey but when yo calculate it over a month or two months depending on the product it’s not as expensive and in many cases Shaklee’s products are cheaper than some in the health food stores. At least with Shaklee depending on how you join (a customer, distributor etc..) you can earn some of that money back. It’s never any pressure to join or spend money with them that’s why I love them and their 30 day money back guarantee you don’t get that at the health store either!
I’d also love to hear what others do for their arthritis, share your story!
Donna Cheatle says
I was diagnosed about 10 years ago with RA and it seems like we have followed much the same path. Lots of meds,lots of vitamins, lots of joint damage, and lots of pain. Mine has been an uphill battle that I’m determined to keep right on fighting. Something my doctor and I recently discovered, and that you might be interested in looking into is the correlation of nightshade plants and the severity of arthritis and autoimmune diseases. Since seeing the research studies and information on these studies I have completely cut all nightshades out of my diet. Believe me, it’s a challenge!! Within 2 months my white cell counts have ventured into the normal zone for the first time in 13 years!! And has continued to stay there. I’ve noticed less swelling and less day to day flare ups. NOthing can undo the damages already done, but at least I can help slow down the flare ups and pain!
Michelle says
Good for you donna and thanks for sharing. I have heard about the affects of nightshade vegetables in fact my good friend Renee Sullivan wrote a great article where she mentions nightshade vegetables and to avoid them, you can find it here: http://resully.com/natural-supplements/rheumatoid-arthritis-and-plant-seed-oils/ good for you for stopping the damage and slowing down the flare ups you’re right we can’t do anything about damage already done but we can do preventative measures.
Missy Marie says
I have OA in my neck.Def wanna stay away from narcotics.
Thank you for the info~
Laura says
I have fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, osteoarthritis, ibs etc etc etc. I take a few supplements but I take a lot of rxs. It can be very hard to deal with it and I have heard rheumatoid can be even worse. Best of luck in the coming year to stay healthy
Michelle says
Thank you Laura and if you ever want to talk about supplements that could help feel free to ask 🙂
Kayleen Considine says
I was told that I had arthritis in my knees and no cartlidge but the doctor told me I needed knee replacement surgery, so I did that and after a year still have so much pain. I still can’t walk without a lot of pain. I have a weight problem and try to lose weight but it is hard, especially without being able to walk much. I also have a lot of pain in my right shoulder which I think may be arthritis but I’m not sure. I don’t want to go to the doctor because when you’re overweight they blame everything on your weight.
Renee says
Kayleen,
You found Michelle’s blog for a reason, so if you really want to better your health, don’t let your past history with the medical field stop you from doing anything about it. In the back of your mind, you know what you need to do, so the next step is deciding if you want to make the commitment to do it. If you do decide that you want to, then contact Michelle. She is a great resource and can help you out a lot.
Renee
Jamie S. says
I was just diagnosed with Psoriatic Arthritis. Lots of useful information here. Thanks for sharing.
Ditas says
I’m confused, I thought anything with nuts can make RA worst?
Michelle says
not that I’ve heard Ditas but not sure what nuts you’re referring to? in fact nuts like almonds etc.. are high in omega 3s
Kimberly B says
I always. felt horrible, until I started juicing. I now try to buy organic when I can afford it…I call it my muscle food.
70% veg and 30% fruit. is what I blend. How about Aloe Vera drink? I am trying that now..they say it helps with arthritis and lowers blood sugars!
thanks for the good read..Kim
Michelle says
I’ve heard that too Kimberly it didn’t do anything for me but it certainly can’t hurt you 🙂
Renee says
Excellent post, Michelle and great comments by everyone. For those of you that would like to try the healthier foods and Shaklee products, and are on a budget, Michelle and I are more than happy to talk to you about how you CAN afford your products and even get them for free if you want. If you are truly committed to your health, then you will find a way to make it happen and we’re here to help you.
Renee
Michelle says
thanks Renee you’re so good and letting people know about the things I forget about 🙂
Renee says
No problem Michelle. It’s my pleasure to support you and anyone else that wants it.
Charlotte Raynor says
I’ve had rheumatoid arthritis for about 20 years so I know it’s not fun. It sounds like you really believe in the fact that you are what you eat. I might try that Almond Milk. I don’t really like regular milk but I have heard a lot of people say that the almond milk is very good. Thanks for the great information! 🙂
Tammi Bivans says
Excellent Article! Great Tips! Thanks!
cori jones white says
so glad to know this….I was diagnosed with systemic thrush, that led to candida that led to gluten intolerance diagnosis….I ache in the late afternoons and evenings and if I don’t take a hot shower, I can’t sleep at all without pain meds…wondering what might be going on. Auto immune disorders rum rampant in my family….arthritis being one of them.
Marie Bauer says
Thanks for sharing. Great info!
Tracie H says
I have osteo arthritis in my left knee due to having many surgeries after tearing my acl and medial and lateral meniscus when I was 14. I am 33 now. I am interested in trying that devils claws as I am looking for non narcotic pain relief remedies and I have no health insurance. I have a job where i stand ALL day and the pain and stiffness is unreal. Have you had any relief with the devils claw?
Michelle says
Tracie, feel free to email me at [email protected] and I can answer your questions 🙂 I’ve had some with the devil’s claw but it takes at least a month of consistently taking it to notice a difference. I’ve seen more affect from taking the omega guard from Shaklee (again takes a while to notice), the joint health and avoiding foods that cause the inflammation. I got arthritis when I was 25 and it was excruciating pain when it first happened like you’re describing compared to then I”m way better now pain wise. So sorry to hear but it’s a combination of stuff not just devils call but any of the above is better than nothing. I also take ibuprofen for the swelling when needed, I never take tylenol doesn’t help me.
Jerri Davis says
That is a lot of things to take for arthritis hope it works well for you. Thank You. Jerri Davis
Michelle says
Thanks Jerri, actually it’s not just about the arthritis but overall healthier eating for overall health and boosting our immune systems which help everyone 🙂
bella says
Excellent tips I will try some if not all of theme
Michelle says
Let me know how it goes Bella, the hardest part is that they take a while 4-8 weeks to start noticing a difference. If you’d like any info on the shaklee products feel free to let me know thanks 🙂
Sharon Siqueiros says
Thanks for sharing your story. I too have arthritis and to be honest, diet is one of the major culprits when I have a flare up. I eat healthy most of the time, but do break down once in a while and sure pay for it later.
Thanks again
christine porter says
ooops!!..forgot to leave my email…[email protected]..even though it’s above the comment section
christine porter says
i want to let you know that cherry juice is suppose to help arthritis..and this may sound crazy..but, last year i lived in georgia, not colorado where i am now…i was living with an elderly woman at the time..outside i was sitting on her porch, and suddenly, i was stung by 3 wasps on my left ankle…BELIEVE IT OR NOT, AT THAT TIME..I FELT NO ARTHRITIC PAIN ANYWHERE..i know that in india and other countries and states. the use of bee venom is being experienced, and with good results…..wish i had a few bees as pets……lol……thanks for the help..i would love to be on shaklee but can’t afford ANYTHING at this time…..good luck!!!
Michelle says
Thanks Christine, yes I had heard that about cherry juice I try to incorporate that too when I can and have heard the same about the bee stuff haven’t had a chance to do anything with that though. Thanks for sharing 🙂
christine porter says
thank you for this…i also have arthritis..osteoarthritis…… and i know about pain..i have pain in my low back, my right hip, my hands, my elbows, and my jaw….it is a horrible journey to have to endure..thank you for the health tips….the sad and hard part of all this, is i don’t have the funds to purchase vitamins, healthy foods, etc..etc…on the small income that i have to live on waiting for disability….so it makes my living without pain, that much harder…if i ever won cash, it would be used for health products and whole foods….again, many thanks for your info
Michelle says
you are welcome Christine and good luck, I know it’s hard on a limited budget
jessica voils says
Very informative
Jenny Lynn says
Thank you for all your Wonderful information. I also suffer badly from RA . But, also PsA Psoriatic Arthritis.Since 2004 I have had to be in a hospital bed here at home, Also have around the clock nursing.You had to much to talk about I am going to save your page. Thank You again and God Bless ~Prayers~ To you.
Lucy Lopez says
Thank you for all this information. I have Fibromyalgia and arthritis, so I am going to give this a try.
Kelly Lloyd says
I’m gonna tell my mom about Shaklee products!
Michelle says
Thanks Kelly and she can feel free to ask me any questions about them if she likes 🙂