Gout is a type of arthritis caused by too much uric acid in the blood. Excess uric acid can lead to a buildup of fluid surrounding the joints, which can result in uric acid crystals. The formation of these crystals causes the joints to swell, become inflamed, and cause intense pain. The good news is that you can control gout. In addition to taking medications, dietary and lifestyle changes can help prevent painful attacks. A gout-friendly diet involves a specific plan, which is designed to avoid painful gout attacks. Learn more about which foods to include — and those to avoid — to help prevent symptoms.

What Causes Gout?

Gout develops when there is too much uric acid in the blood. This over-abundance of uric acid may be the result a diet high in purines. Or, your body may produce too much uric acid. In some cases, blood uric acid levels may remain normal, yet gout is still the correct diagnosis. This is due to the body excreting excess uric acid in the urine and inflammatory factors.

 

What Are Purines Anyway?

Purines are chemical compounds that, when metabolized, are broken down into uric acid. Purines are either made by your body, or taken into your body through foods you eat.

In a normal process, purines break down into uric acid. The uric acid is then dissolved in the blood, passed through the kidneys into the urine, and eliminated from the body.

However, this isn’t usually the case in gout. Complications occur when the kidneys don’t get rid of uric acid fast enough, or if there is an increased amount of uric acid production. These high levels build up in the blood, leading to what is known as hyperuricemia. Though not classified as a disease, hyperuricemia can be dangerous if it leads to the formation of uric acid crystals. Gout can develop when these crystals build up around the joints.

 

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Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, NAFLD) is the accumulation of abnormal amounts of fat within the liver.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease can be divided into isolated fatty liver in which there is only accumulation of fat, and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in which there is fat, inflammation, and damage to liver cells.

NASH progresses to scarring and ultimately to cirrhosis, with all the complications of cirrhosis, for example, gastrointestinal bleeding, liver failure, and liver cancer.

The development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is intimately associated with and is probably caused by obesity and diabetes.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is considered a manifestation of the metabolic syndrome.

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If you are trying to lose weight, regardless of which diet plan you choose, watching your carbohydrate intake can be helpful for several reasons. Benefits of counting carbs include:

  • Overall decrease in calories. Most of us eat a diet that is primarily made up of carbs. If you decrease the intake of your most significant source of calories, you will decrease your caloric intake overall. Decreasing carbohydrate intake is one of the easiest ways to decrease the amount of food you eat.

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Benefits of Sugar Detox

There are various sugar detox diet plans that have flooded the market over the past 10 years. We have collected a few of the findings of two health care professionals for this list of sugar detox benefits. Dr. Mark Hyman is the author of The Blood Sugar Solution 10-Day Detox Diet and Traci D. Mitchell wrote the Belly Burn Plan book.

 

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There are a few common reasons why people gain back the weight they lose. They are mostly related to unrealistic expectations and feelings of deprivation.

Restrictive diets: Extreme calorie restriction may slow your metabolism and shift your appetite-regulating hormones, which are both factors that contribute to weight regain. Continue reading


Losing Weight is not very easy while you are on a tight budget.

1. Plan to Cook at Home
Instead of buying costly prepared meals, which often tend to be high in calories, cook your own at home. With a few good recipes and a shopping list, you can make your own delicious low-calorie meals. According to one study, planning out your meals for the whole day really does help you lose weight. High-fiber foods like beans and whole grains, cooked from scratch, will keep you full and are a cheaper, healthier alternative to not-so-lean proteins and more-processed grains.
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Benefits of a Low Glycemic and a Gluten-Free Diet

Not just for Celiac Disease

Creating a gluten-free eating plan with foods that have a low glycemic index, or GI, can be a balancing act. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, barley and possibly oats that causes a severe autoimmune reaction in people with celiac disease. The starchy vegetables and grains that replace foods with gluten may have a high GI value, meaning that they can raise your blood sugar quickly after you eat them. Whether you have celiac disease or are eating gluten-free foods for other dietary reasons, you can keep your blood sugar stable by emphasizing low-GI gluten substitutes and increasing your intake of foods that are naturally gluten-free.

 

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All About Low Glycemic Diet and a Gluten-Free Diet

 

Creating a gluten-free eating plan with foods that have a low glycemic index, or GI, can be a balancing act. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, barley and possibly oats that causes a severe autoimmune reaction in people with celiac disease. The starchy vegetables and grains that replace foods with gluten may have a high GI value, meaning that they can raise your blood sugar quickly after you eat them. Whether you have celiac disease or are eating gluten-free foods for other dietary reasons, you can keep your blood sugar stable by emphasizing low-GI gluten substitutes and increasing your intake of foods that are naturally gluten-free.

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5 Reasons Why Your New Diet and Exercise Routine Isn’t Working

By Best Health

It’s one of the most frustrating moments for any dieter: after a week of hard work, you step on the scale only to find the number hasn’t budged at all. Sometimes, the reason is obvious (think office birthday parties or missed workouts). But often, you can’t figure out why you haven’t lost weight. Here are five possible reasons.

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 Strategies for Achieving Your New Year’s Resolutions By Amanda Gore

You rush around for the holidays — eat and drink too much and then find the best party you can go to on New Year’s Eve, drink buckets more, and the next morning think about what resolutions you need to make for the new year. You decide to change your life or give up every bad habit you’ve ever had or may make some other simple changes.

 

The new year is a fantastic opportunity to spend time (preferably a couple of hours) working on your life rather than just being caught up, running around in circles, in your life. Time is so precious that we are flat out getting the basics done, let alone thinking about our lives and how we are functioning.

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