What to eat with AS?

Hi all,

Does anyone follow a specific diet for AS? I am not great in the kitchen and easily get discouraged.. especially because there are so many different tips for a healthy diet with AS. Some say that low starch food is the best for AS.. Others just say you should eat a balanced diet. 

It would be great to hear what others are doing about diet.

Hope you're all good, 

thanks

Me I've gone gluten free, first I was a bit reluctant thinking that it is just a trend and that has nothing to do really with health, but I was wrong. It does help, at least me it has really helped. I think the fact of eating more balanced, more veggies and helping my system to process food better by not eating gluten has helped me to feel in better shape.

I don't think it is just gluten.   For instance, even certified "GF" oats will rack my pain and inflammation levels off the scale. I am almost certainly reacting to avenin which is the protein in oats that sort of equals gluten in other grains.  I also can't eat rice or any other cereal except infrequently and in small doses (enough that if I go out once in a blue moon, I don't have to be "Mrs Difficult" at a restaurant).  I avoid bread of any sort, any pasta (even GF) and I don't eat potatoes other than the odd sweet potato. The other big no-no is refined cane sugar or any non natural sweetener (saccharin or aspartame)  I seem ok on agave and stevia, but then I don't have a sweet tooth anyway.

It doesn't help that I am a non meat eater!  Try getting something to eat that doesn't contain wheat protein or soya :o Although they are starchy, I don't have trouble with pulses and eat them regularly.  I eat masses of veg, salad and fish (tinned and fresh).  I am also fine on dairy produce in moderation, but I only eat natural yoghurt and try and avoid cow milk cheese.   The one thing I am grateful for is that I have a cast iron stomach and my AS has never manifested as gut problems (my brother got this instead, he is celiac).

In short, I avoid wherever possible:

Any form of grain, including rice, whether it puports to be GF or not and particularly oats.
Sugar
Soya 
Potatoes

Some people may also find it handy to avoid tomatoes and aubergines, as they and potatoes are all members of the nightshade family and are another known inflammatory when it comes to arthritis. I think this is less common with AS and more so with RA.

Hello The only thing that i dont eat or drink is acidy foods. Lemon,orange juice. strawberrys small quantity ok. Lemon in ingredients would make me sore and stiff in an hour even a swetie with lemon flavour look out. 

hi @Ankyloo @ChicoMio @Benjam23 @farmermanie I personally try to limit processed foods and focus on vegetables and fruit but it's not that easy especially since it is rather costly. Has anyone tried food supplements? do they do any good?

thanks X

Hello April 07,  food supplements I have not tried, I found lemons oranges strawberries raspberries made me very sore in a few hours even. The acid of fruit seems to fire up the AS, rhubarb a real pain.

Thanks 

 I cant associate foods with my flare ups, they just happen.

The only thing that really does seem to effect me is the Weather, especially the cold, even though I don't feel the cold. Yeah I know that sounds flippin' stupid, but I honestly cannot feel the cold. My blood becomes too inflamed which in turn makes me feel very hot so No I don't feel the cold. 

I don’t have acidic drinks or foods as I find that they react badly with my condition, my nurse told me that the acid in tomatoes particularly don’t get on well with arthritic conditions.

what about spicy food? I just love indian and chinese food so I'd like to make sure it doesn't impact my AS.

It’s very different for every person, my dad has AS too and he finds that Chinese triggers a huge flare for him but I can eat Chinese and I have no effects from it at all. Mostly it’s just fatty foods that can affect AS but it differs for every individual.