Post #533506 by Limbo Lizard on Tue, Jun 1, 2010 2:33 PM

I was starting to have some joint pain, a year or so ago, and I thought it might be gout related. I sympathize with the initial sense that everything that makes life enjoyable is now prohibited! Not a fan of pharmaceuticals (as a first resort, anyway),I did some research on diet, etc., and made some changes - more vegetables, fish, drinking cherry juice. My pain eventually went away, and probably wasn't really gout - it was in my elbows, not my toes - though maybe was early arthritis symptoms.
Anyway, you can learn which foods tend to make your body more alkaline or more acid, and adjust your diet. There are a number of other health problems associated with being too acid. Oddly, many foods that are acid (e.g., pineapple) produce an alkaline effect on your system. If you generally keep yourself slightly alkaline (about pH 7.4), occasional acidifying food or drinks aren't going to be a problem. You can see how you're doing by monitoring your pH level (by peeing on a test strip - you can buy a spool of the stuff). With a generally proper diet, you shouldn't have to give up alcohol and tiki food, but they'll be more "special occasion" than daily.
Realize that modifying your diet in this manner may stop your gout symptoms, but it will also produce side effects: fat loss, more energy, less chance of heart disease, sudden cranial hair re-growth, etc.

[ Edited by: Limbo Lizard 2010-06-01 14:41 ]