One of the first steps to safely control arthritis pain is converting to a healthy diet, so here is a six-week transitional diet for you to consider:

Six-Week Transitional Diet
This easy-to-follow plan will allow you to make important changes in your current diet. These simple modifications will have a profound impact on your health. You’ve heard me say it over and over again, “health and diet are often directly related!”

NOTE: This is a time-sensitive approach to controlling and reducing arthritis. Start with week one. As you progress to week two, continue the habits created the previous week. At the end of six weeks, you have created a healthy diet. The object is not to eliminate all the things you love to eat. But by adding healthier foods and drinks, you will have little room for less healthy choices.

Week One

• Drink 2 to 3 quarts of water daily (eight to 12, 8-oz. glasses).
• Buy bottled water that lists the amount of ounces.
• Put an 8 oz. glass of water by your bed and drink it upon arising.
• Drink 8 oz. of water with each meal.
• Consume a 16 oz. container of water watching TV or doing a daily chore.
• Create a water chart which displays your progress.

Week Two

• Eat more fruits and vegetables.
• Drink one glass of fresh juice at breakfast.
• Top your cereal with berries or peaches.
• Make a fruit smoothie.
• Clean, chop and store raw vegetables in a plastic bag or container. Eat with a dip or use in stir fry and soups.
• Add 1⁄2 cup of chopped vegetables to canned soup.
• Substitute 1⁄2 cup of chopped spinach for iceberg lettuce on sandwiches.
• Stuff pocket bread with 1⁄2 cup of chopped vegetables tossed with salad dressing.
• Top steamed leafy green vegetables with olive oil and lemon juice.
• Blend frozen yogurt with fresh or frozen berries.

Week Three

• Switch to healthy fats.
• Substitute low-fat or non-fat milk and dairy products for regular milk and dairy products.
• Use only expeller-pressed, cold-pressed or extra virgin oils (no oils from supermarket).
• Eliminate foods with hydrogenated oils―even chips and snack foods can be found without them.
• Substitute small amounts of butter mixed with olive oil for margarine and solid cooking oils.

Week Four

• Choose whole grain foods.
• Purchase only breads and cereals that list a whole grain as the main ingredient.
• Buy cereals with whole grains listed as the main ingredient.
• Purchase whole grain flours for baking. Start with whole grain pastry flours and gradually shift to heavier whole grains.
• Substitute portions of spelt, soy and rice flours for whole wheat in recipes.

Week Five

• Use only organic meats and make half of your meals meatless.
• Occasionally use vegetable burgers for your main course.
• Include only enough meat on a sandwich to taste, but add tomatoes, onions and other vegetables.
• Stir fry using large portions of vegetables and a small amount of meat.
• Reduce meat in casseroles by substituting kidney beans.
• Use drained tofu instead of cottage or ricotta cheese in lasagna.

Week Six

• Include healthier sweets as part of your diet.
• Sweeten cereal and beverages with stevia (purchase in health food stores).
• Find conversion charts which help you replace sugar with raw honey and maple syrup in recipes.
• Purchase cookies and snacks sweetened with natural sweeteners such as fruit juices, maple syrup and honey (from a health food store).
• Watch for hidden sugar―ketchup, frozen and canned foods, and toothpaste.
• Eat more fruit desserts and less refined sugar desserts.
• Add a little soy and whole grain flour in desserts to increase protein and fiber.
• Eat nothing sweetened with high fructose corn syrups.

Follow this transitional diet for six weeks and you will see the difference a healthy diet can make in managing your arthritis pain. Also, check out next week’s article on “clean” foods to eat to avoid arthritis flare-ups…