Ten Tips For Those Grimacing in Gout

Share This Post: helping all our gout-struck friends out there with ten useful tips, with Renzie Baluyut.

Having gout is no laughing matter.  I have gout myself, which means an occasional flare-up every several months, if I’m careless.

For those of you who have no idea what gout is, it’s actually a form of arthritis, and it happens when you have particularly high levels of uric acid in your bloodstream.

Let’s put on our geek hat for now:  when this happens, crystals (made of either monosodium urate or uric acid) are deposited on or around the joint structure- specifically on the articular cartilage of the joints, but it also accumulates on tendons and surrounding tissue.

"The Gout" by James Gillray. Image courtesy of Wikipedia.

When you have gout, you get these sharp, sudden and excruciatingly painful attacks of acute arthritis.  There’s also going to be swelling, redness, warmth and stiffness- typical inflammation symptoms, but a bitch nevertheless. Usually, this will happen on your big toe, but in some cases, it can happen on the ankle, the heel, instep, even the knee, wrist, elbows, fingers or spine.   Yikes!

So what do you do when you have gout?  You will want to accomplish three things, essentially:

• get some pain relief
• prevent the attacks from happening in the first place
• and reduce your uric acid levels.

For those of you who are suffering from the occasional bout of gout, just like me, here are ten tips to help you deal with your gout, so you can live your life a lot easier.

Ten Tips For Those Grimacing in Gout.

Gouty arthritis, while excruciatingly painful, is actually fairly easy to manage.  Your uric acid levels re pretty much the main thing to consider– and therefore monitor- when you have gout.  The main goal is to keep the uric acid levels manageable by eating the right foods, and by excreting it.

1.  You’ll never know when gout will strike, even with your best efforts to prevent it from ever happening.  Always keep a ready stock of pain-killers.  Personally, I have a stash of Advil (Ibuprofen) as well as Alleve or Flanax (Naproxen)– both being effective pain-killers for those with gout.  It’s best you consult with a physician, however.  So go get your painkillers after you’ve checked in with your doctor.

2.  A 2009 study has established that Vitamin C prevented outbreaks of gout. A daily Vitamin C intake of 1,500 milligrams or higher significantly reduces the risk of gout. So load up on citrus fruits and your supplements.

3.  A 2004 study also established that dairy products such as milk and cheese significantly reduced the chances of gout.  Me, I got lactose intolerance after not having had milk for so long, but you can build up your tolerance back up slowly, and I totally intend to do just that.

If you're lactose intolerant, it's a good idea to start off with yogurt until you can handle milk and other dairy products.

4.  Generally you have to reduce your intake of purine-rich foods, and these can be found in red meat and seafood. You’ll want to limit food high in protein such as meat, fish, poultry, or tofu to 8 ounces (226 grams) a day.   Avoid, or eat at your own risk:  sweetbreads, kidneys, liver, brains, or other offal meats, as well as sardines and anchovies, and certain seafood like shellfish and crustaceans.

5.  A study on soft drinks and fructose consumption shows that men who consume two or more sugary soft drinks a day have an 85% higher risk of gout compared with those who drink less than one a month.  The key ingredient to avoid here: high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS).  Remember you can also find HFCS in fruit preserves, jams, jelly, syrups and candy- so take it easy on these, and watch the labels.

6.  Consumption of beer is associated with a 49% increase in relative risk per daily 12 oz (354 ml) serving.  However, the consumption of spirits was associated with only a 15% increase in relative risk, and no association at all was found with consumption of wine.  So- go ahead with the wine, take it easy on the spirits, and avoid beer altogether.

When on night-outs with friends, watch what you drink. In my case, I gotta take it easy on the beer, but wine is alright.

7.  Tart cherry juice or tart cherry capsules are believed to help dissolve the needle-like crystals that deposit themselves between the joints and connective tissue.  Me, I like keeping a bottle of cherry juice in the fridge just in case I feel an attack coming up.

8.  More food to avoid:  asparagus, cauliflower, mushrooms, spinach, as well as dry beans like lentils and peas.

9.  Never underestimate the power of your 8 glasses of water a day.  You’ll want to drink lots of water to help dilute and assist the excretion of urates.

10.  Take it easy on the use of diuretics, including aspirin, tea and alcohol.  The goal is to keep yourself hydrated, so replenish your fluids with water as soon as you can.

So there you have it.  I hope this guide helps you out, as it is helping me.   If you have a tip that you think helps you when you have gout, I’d sure love to hear it, and others out there with gout will want to hear it too.

Some of the information on this post was from Wikipedia, as is the picture of “The Gout” by James Gillray.

Cheers, everyone!

Living Solo: 10 Essential Food Items For the Bachelor Lifestyle

Living Solo Tips with Renzie Baluyut.

Cooking is great, and so is eating out and taking out.  But when you live on your own, sometimes you just don’t feel like going through all the trouble to just feed yourself.  Particularly so coming home after a busy day, or just staying in on a lazy weekend.

Cooking entails so much prep work, and so much to wash for just an audience of one: yourself.  Eating out means having to get dressed, finding a place to eat, and usually spending more than you should.  And take out makes sense pretty much when you’re ordering a lot- but sometimes a large box of pizza is just too much, even for yourself.

Which is why, as someone living solo, you should always have some convenient food items handy in your apartment:

1.  Bread.
2.  An assortment of sandwich meat.
3.  An assortment of spreads and condiments.
4.  Cereal.
5.  Fruit.
6.  Tuna and sardines.
7.  Veggies.
8.  Instant noodles.
9.  Cookies and crackers.
10.  Rice.

Essential food for those living solo, in detail:

Cooking With Renzie: Chicken and Pork Adobo

from the personal cookbook of Renzie Baluyut.

Adobo is a staple Filipino dish, which is very simple and easy to prepare: you have chicken or pork (or both) stewed in vinegar, garlic and spices.  It is usually eaten with steamed rice, and can be prepared in a number of ways.

Adobo is an easy-to-prepare Philippine dish known for its long shelf-life and delicious flavor.

For the bachelor living solo, adobo makes for great food: not only is it easy to cook, it also doesn’t spoil easily.  Which means you can cook up a large batch and refrigerate the rest for weeks- though good adobo won’t have to sit in the fridge for that  long, since it gets eaten up fairly quickly.

To cook your own batch of adobo, you will need the following ingredients:

- 1/2 kilo pork, chopped into cubes
- 1 chicken, chopped in serving-sized pieces
- 1 cup cane vinegar
- 1 cup water
- soy sauce, 3 tbsps
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 2 pieces bay leaf
- peppercorn, or freshly ground pepper
- canola oil

Toss the chicken, pork, garlic, bay leaves and pepper into a pot.  Pour in the water, soy sauce and vinegar into the pot as well, but don’t stir it.

Bring everything to a boil.  Lower heat and let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until chicken and pork is cooked.

Separate the chicken and pork from the rest of the sauce.  Drain.

In another pan, heat up the oil.  Once hot, fry the pork and chicken in it for 5 minutes, or until nice and toasty.

Take the chicken and pork out, then pour in some sauce into the oil, according to how much sauce you want on your adobo.  Bring to a boil, reduce to your desired thickness, then pour onto your chicken and pork.

Enjoy!

Alternately…

1.  You can go with adobo that’s all chicken, or all pork.
2.  If you want to make adobong puti, skip the soy sauce, and throw in some salt in its place- just a dash or two.
3.  You can make adobo sa gata as well.  Instead of using water, pour in your thin coconut milk.  Once your adobo is boiling, pour in the thick coconut milk.
4.  You can skip the frying part, if you feel like it, particularly if you’re trying to do away with less oils in your diet.  The adobo can be perfectly fine without it.

To store the rest of your adobo- separate the meat from the sauce.  Do the frying/reheating bit only on the portion you’re about to eat, and keep the rest in the fridge.

Cheers, everyone.

Press This

You Might Already Have Diabetes…

from the Health & Wellness Notes of Renzie Baluyut.

There is eveidence that a healthy diet coupled with regular exercise can help prevent or at least delay the onset of diabetes. ©iStockphoto.com/Lise Gagne

Today, November 14, is World Diabetes Day. Two years ago, the United Nations thought it would be a good idea to set aside this day each year to increase the general public’s awareness of the effects of diabetes and its complications.

The end goal, of course, is that all this increased awareness will lead to more resources to fight the causes of diabetes and help fund research into improved treatment options.

So today, you have all kinds of media channels- TV, publications, blogs, etc.- participating in the campaign to distribute information to encourage at-risk individuals to be screened for diabetes.

Now the topic of diabetes is of particular significance and relevance to me.  You see, I’m a high risk case myself.  Check it out:

• Mom has been diagnosed with diabetes, and dad (who passed away with cancer) also was diagnosed with hypertension.
• I’m an obese dude- my current weight is far more than my ideal weight of 175 to 180 pounds.
• I haven’t been exercising lately- and I admit to leading a fairly sedentary lifestyle.

Of course, working in my favor are the following:

• I don’t smoke.
• I don’t have a habit of drinking ridiculous amounts of coffee.  I enjoy a frap or a cappuccino every now and then, but not everyday.  Not even every week, I imagine.
• I am cutting back on the snacks and the soda- sugar-free or otherwise.
• I get my 8 hours of sleep a day, which reduces my likelihood to need any pick-me-up drinks like coffee or energy drinks.
• I try to eat healthier.  Whole wheat bread, extra virgin olive oil, more salads, less sugary stuff, all that.

Seriously, more salads.

Now here’s the thing: there’s a good chance that you might have diabetes already.

In this other blog post of mine on World Diabetes Day on Renzie Baluyut Online, a recent study already mentioned that as many as three out of five adults may already be on the verge of becoming a diabetic unless they change their lifestyle.  Oh, and at least 20% of Filipino adults have diabetes already.

Yes, it’s that common.

Now check this out:

One of the challenges according to Dr. B. Eric E. Desquitado of the Asian Hospital in Alabang, is that many people might already have diabetes without their knowing it. “Diabetes is largely asymptomatic,” he says, “at least until the patient comes complaining about, say numbness of the feet or something else.”

Another challenge is that, since most of the early manifestations of diabetes aren’t painful, the urgency to seek medical attention is NOT there. Which is what the annual full body examination is for.

So word of advice, ladies and gentlemen: take that annual physical exam of yours really seriously.  It gives you and your doctor to talk about what kind of danger signs you already have on a multitude of diseases and disorders- including diabetes.

About Diabetes

Diabetes is a condition that is centered around a hormone: insulin.  Insulin works by allowing glucose from the food we eat to enter cells and make energy.

In one type of diabetes the body does not produce enough insulin at all, so not all the glucose is used, and the cells don’t get to convert all that sugar into energy. In another type the body is producing lots of insulin, but the cells just don’t respond to it– this is called insulin resistance.

In either case, the end result is that you now have too much glucose in the blood, which is called hyperglycemia, or high blood sugar. The excess sugar in the blood can lead to wide range of short and long-term complications, including foot and eye problems and vascular diseases.

Reading Up on Diabetes

There are a lot of great resources online on diabetes- whether you’re avoiding it, or you’re living with it, or living with a loved one who has diabetes.

Personally, I recommend this one particular site: The Glam Publisher Network’s section on diabetic nutrition on LoveToKnow.com.  It’s got great articles and ideas on managing meal plans and food for diabetics- a kind of diet that I think is actually good for people like myself who’s trying to prevent the onset of diabetes.

Also great reads on the topic:  TimeAndDate.com‘s section on World Diabetes Day, and the diabetes entry on Wikipedia.

—————-

Dr. B. Eric E. Desquitado, M.D., F.P.C.P., is an internist and diagnostitician at the Asian Hospital in Alabang.

Cheers, everyone.

10 Ways to Relax on a Rainy Day

by Renzie Baluyut

It’s the rainy season at around this time of year in the Philippines, so you can expect the usual downpour in the afternoons and early evenings.  There’d be times when it would be raining all day, and if you’re really lucky, you’ll find yourself in the path of the occasional tropical storm.

It’s that time of the year when it’s most prudent to bring an umbrella with you everywhere you go.  You take your chances if you’re planning an open-air event, and you always have to plan for contingencies when making out-of-town trips.

When I used to deal with events for the old radio station I was working for, this was the time of the year when we would plan a lot of indoor activities.  I would have a preference for events and promos involving spas, restaurants, hotels, movies and lots of shopping.  Of course, you do your best to come up with more creative executions of all kinds of below-the-line activities.

So if you’re looking for a few ways to just kick back and take it easy on a rainy day- something that doesn’t involve a PC or your workstation in any way possible- here are a few tips that might just hit the spot.

I think people should unplug every so often and read more books for a change. I know I should.