What I Eat to Manage Rheumatoid Arthritis
Key takeaways:
It took 6 years for Emily Huff to get a rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis for her severe joint pain.
After a doctor recommended a highly restrictive diet, Emily did some research and got tested for food sensitivities.
Today, Emily follows an eating plan designed to reduce inflammation. She eats clean and avoids barley, eggs, green peppers, and wheat.
Our “What I Eat” series explores what real people eat when they have a medical condition.
After 6 years of joint pain, Emily Huff met with a specialist in April 2021. The doctor took X-rays of her hands, wrists, and feet and found visible joint damage that indicated rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The autoimmune condition attacks the joints, causing arthritis and inflammation.
Her earlier complaints about severe joint pain didn’t lead to a diagnosis because her blood tests came back negative for the rheumatoid auto-antibody. It turned out Emily was seronegative. This means she doesn’t have the auto-antibody in her blood, which shows up in 60% to 80% of people diagnosed with RA.
The diagnosis came as a shock, even though a cousin and uncle also have the condition.
“I was 41 at the time and very active and very healthy,” Emily says. “I exercised and ate healthy and did all the things you are supposed to do. And now, here is this disease I can’t get rid of.”
Since her diagnosis, the crafting entrepreneur from West Peoria, Illinois, has been on a journey to find the right combination of medicines and lifestyle changes that will keep her inflammation in check.
One thing that makes a big difference is how she eats.
Finding her food triggers
Emily’s first rheumatologist told her to cut out a long list of foods, including almonds, chicken, eggs, green peppers, and tomatoes. Not good news for someone who loves to eat.
“I am not one to take things at face value. I never had a problem with those foods,” Emily says. “I did research. I wanted to know what about these foods would give me trouble.”
She tried an elimination diet for a month but felt no difference in her pain. So she decided it was worth paying for an overall blood test to understand which foods bothered her the most.
The results? Eighteen foods she was eating all the time came back as triggers. Of course, foods that bother Emily might not bother someone else with RA.
“Now I knew what I could legitimately cross off the list,” she says.
Emily also learned that the inflammatory effects of some foods compound over time, or when she eats several problem foods at once. Barley, eggs, green peppers, and wheat are now on her “do not eat” list. If she eats a meal that includes “no” foods, she will feel it the next day.
“I can’t control the weather or my stress,” Emily says. But “if I can control what I eat, I feel a lot better.”
Emily’s anti-inflammatory eating plan
Emily and her husband James start every new year by following the Whole 30 diet, an elimination diet that cuts out certain foods for 30 days. It’s a way to reset after holiday indulgences. Emily says it helps her body clear out any built-up inflammation.
But holiday parties and gatherings in general are not what they once were for Emily. Now that she knows what she can and can’t eat, these events can be difficult to attend.
“We are a food-based culture for celebrations. But it’s hard to go to someone’s house and be able to eat safely,” Emily says. “For me now, I’m used to food being a necessity and not an enjoyment.”
These days, she eats very clean — lots of vegetables and protein. Her meals don’t vary much.
Here’s Emily’s typical weekly menu:
Breakfast
Steamed sweet potato with sunflower butter
Strawberries or apple with cinnamon
Honey as a sweetener (no processed sugar)
Lunch
Salad with cauliflower chicken or gluten-free chicken
Or leftovers from dinner
Dinner
Chicken tostadas with beans, shredded chicken, salsa, and lettuce
Certain cheeses are OK
With two teen daughters in the house — Brenna, 16 and Hannah, 13 — Emily does stock snacks and gluten foods. She just doesn’t eat them.
She cooks many items herself. She’s found go-to paleo recipes that are big on meats and vegetables and other recipes designed by a cook who makes meals to try to avoid migraines.
Emily also discovered a local vegan restaurant that is her “ultimate treat.” Other options she likes are gluten-free products from Hy-Vee and Schnucks grocery stores and the Caulipower brand pizza crusts and chicken nuggets.
Strategies for living with RA
It’s been 2 years since Emily’s rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis. She says feeling better is largely tied to what she eats. For her, being healthy is not just about taking medicine every day.
“You can take a natural approach with how you eat and exercise to reduce inflammation,” Emily says.
Here are some of her tips for eating healthy with RA:
Learn your food triggers. Emily used a home blood test. You can take it at home and send it in for the results. Talk to your provider about options that make sense for you.
Navigate change. Trying to eat at someone’s house or social event is one of the hardest things for Emily to do. She can bring something of her own to eat, but often she simply declines the invitations. “I don’t want to seem rude,” she says. “Sometimes it’s easier for me to say no rather than explain that I can’t eat gluten, cheesy, or creamy foods.”
Pack a snack. Emily’s daughter Hannah is a cheerleader at her middle school. During the school basketball season, Emily keeps a snack and a seltzer in her bag. The school concession stand doesn’t provide options she can consume, other than water.
Do your research before you travel. Emily and her family love to travel, and she enjoys planning the trips. Last summer, they went out West and visited several national parks. Emily packs what she can eat. She also researches restaurant choices. She doesn’t want to cook on vacation. “The world is not prepared for people who eat differently,” Emily says. While her family can eat at most fast food places, she needs options that include salad, vegetables, and clean chicken.
Try supplements. Emily works with her doctor and pharmacist to find other ways to control her inflammation. Supplements she takes include:
‘I’ve flipped a switch’ on how to cope with a chronic condition
Emily says her first year with rheumatoid arthritis was “very trying.” Our culture’s focus on food made it tough for her to make some hard changes with her new diagnosis.
She’s learned a lot.
“I’ve flipped a switch. I’m 43 and at best I have 50 years to go,” Emily says. “I had to figure out how to live with this. It’s taught me a lot about myself.”
Her family provides support, too. Brenna, her older daughter, continues to research RA. She even completed a school science project on the condition. “She is more hopeful than anyone in this house about it,” Emily says.
Emily hopes her younger daughter Hannah’s empathy continues, especially as she encounters other people who may be facing similar struggles. And every day, Emily hopes her daughters never have to deal with RA themselves.
“My husband questions why I always say, ‘I can’t.’ He wants me to know that I can. But when I say I can’t, it is me saying, ‘I choose not to,’” Emily says. “It’s how I have to live my life now.”
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