Greenberg Acupuncture Chiropractic

Arthritis

In Chinese Medicine, Arthritis is categorized as follows:

Cold arthritis: characterized by sharp, stabbing pain in a fixed location and cold sensation in joints. Relieved by heat. Recommended foods: garlic scallions, black beans, sesame seeds, chicken, lamb, mustard greens, ginger, small amount of rice wine if blood pressure not an issue.  10-20 min sunshine fresh air daily, warm liniments on area, cinnamon/ginger tea and avoid cold raw foods and cold weather.

Heat arthritis:  red swollen joints, painful and hot, usually sudden onset, Recommended foods- fresh fruits, veges, cabbage, mung beans, soybean sprouts. Avoid-spicy foods, alcohol, smoking, green onions.

Damp arthritis: heavy feeling in extremities, stiffness, swelling, dull aching pain that lingers and sluggishness.  Recommended foods: barley, mung beans, mustard greens, red beans, millet, sweet rice wine with meals, cornsilk tea- natural diuretic   Cook barley, mung beans and red beans together.

Kidney deficient arthritis: coldness, low energy, low back pain, knee pain, weakness, poor hearing, urine retention problems.  Recommended foods: warming foods- chicken, lamb, scallions, sesame seeds, fish, baked tofu, soybeans, walnuts, lentils, black beans, a little wine, ginger, cinnamon. Avoid: caold raw foods and fruits.

Kidney deficiency arthritis with heat: irritability, insomnia, nite sweats, damp palms, dry mouth, low back pain, blurry vision. Recommended foods: cooling foods, apples, peaches, pears, fresh veges, beans, tofu, chrysanthemum tea.  Avoid-spicy foods, smoking, alcohol and stress.

Caffeine contents of foods and beverages

Coffee: 5 oz cup / 60-150 mg               Decaf coffee: 5 oz / 2-5 mg      Tea  5oz/ 40-80 mg         Iced tea  8 oz/25 mg            Snapple iced tea (all kinds)   8oz/21 mg         Arizona iced green tea 8 oz/ 7.5 mg          Hot cocoa:  5 oz/1-8 mg       Chocolate milk   8oz/2-7 mg          Coca cola / and diet  12 oz/46 mg         Pepsi 12 oz/38 mg          Red Bull  8 oz/ 80 mg               regular 7- up  8 oz/O mg                Diet 7-up  8 oz/23 mg    Jolt cola 12 oz/71 mg

In foods:  coffee ice cream 1 cup/  40-60 mg      dark chocolate 1 oz/ 20 mg          milk chocolate 1 oz/ 6 mg

Medications:  anacin 2 tab/26 mg            dexatrim 1 tab/200 mg      dristan 1 tab/30 mg  midol  1 tab/32 mg        excedrin max 2 tab/130 mg         cafergot  1 tab/100 mg

Nature of Food

In Chinese Medicine the temperature and natures of foods are used as potent healers when used with attention to season and the constitution of each individual.  For example, in summer cooler foods,  in winter- warmer foods,  when a person has an illness involving heat or a constitution with a tendency to be warm- using cooling foods. 

 Cold foods include: banana, watermelon, tomato, asparagus, tofu.  Cool foods: pear, kiwi, cucumber, mushroom, eggplant, millet, barley, yogurt.  Neutral foods: lemon, fig, apple, cabbage,carrot, potato,rice, black beans.  Warm foods: pumpkin, walnut, chestnut, scallion, celery, pomegranate,ginger.  Hot foods: garlic and pepper.

An example of when to use these would be: Cold foods- for a heat type of insomnia,  cool foods- for a heat related headache, neutral foods-if you have a weak type of low back pain these foods will tonify and strengthen, warm foods- for a cold type of hay fever,  hot foods- for a cold type of flu.  To clarify which are best foods to use in times of illness, or to determine your constitution,  it’s best to call Dr G with your questions.

Thought of the Day

If what others thought of you wasn’t important-if the only thing that mattered was how your heart felt about your life-what would you be doing differently?                           -Melody Beattie