What nutrition or dietary changes have you made to manage AxSpA?
Share with the community nutritional or dietary changes you've made since your axial spondyloarthritis diagnosis. Have you found recipes that have helped you feel better while managing AxSpA? Consider sharing below, or in our ongoing recipe exchange!
Ha...diet, yes vast and interesting question! And I haven't found a simple answer yet.
My PhD was on nutrition and neurosciences, and I loved my studies! But let's be honest, it's hard to study that as nutrition is a field in constant evolution and regression. I say regression as things supposed to be bad for you when I was kid (like eggs?!) are now good for you, or the other way around. I find it confusing, and although I am definitively interesting in looking at diet and make some changes to feel better, I don't know what source of information to trust. Talking to people with AxSpa, it seems we all find things that work for us somehow, and that's good.
I did see a dietitian as some point because I had IBS symptoms. I did the FODMAP diet and I felt a lot more energy and better digestion on it. But this diet is too restrictive so you can't keep it up long-term. It was more to identify food that might trigger some symptoms, and the answer is not crystal clear. So I stay in my confusion about what can make a difference. What I do is I cut gluten where I can, because too much is not good for me, not much alcohol, and I don't eat much sweet things in general.
Now I am more intrigued about the studies on microbiome coming up. I am tempted to do a gut health reset diet. Maybe I believe more in that approach, a way to cleanse my guts and see what long-term effect it can have? I haven't' tried yet but I have found people who swear by it!
If anyone has tried one of these gut health diet, let me know! Thanks 😀
I started working with a nutritionist who has worked with people with arthritis before. I did a food sensitivities test to identify any foods I have an IgG antibody response to. I have a sensitivity to sesame seeds, milk, cheese, and various seafoods. I cut those out for 3 months in addition to gluten and soy. Then I followed the guidelines at meals for at least 5 cups of veggies a day, 3-4oz of meat per meal, and 1/2 cup carbs at a meal. After 3 months, reintroduced the foods I cut out to see if I had any symptoms. I don’t seem to have any “trigger foods” in terms of pain, but I have noticed a huge difference in my energy. Too much sugar, meat or carbs makes me very tired. Overall, my fatigue has drastically improved with diet. Some foods (cheese and soy) make my stomach hurt so I still don’t eat those but the rest I have in moderation.
Cutting out dairy and sugar. However, I should also cut out nightshades (as i'm reminded every time I eat tomato based anything). And probably gluten, and red meat, and water and air. In all seriousness.. everything probably affects me in some way,
My physicians wanted me to do the elimination diet but it was too hard. I have looked into AIP - the autoimmune protocol - and I do okay, but still eat too much sugar. It's in everything. I try and eat more of a Mediterranean diet as well as limit carbs. It helps somewhat. I am trying to remove things like alcohol and sweets, too.