The holidays often mark the time for overindulgence, especially when your favorite meals and sweet treats are so readily available.
While eating heavier portions of delicious foods one time a year isn’t a huge problem for some, for individuals living with gout, this indulgence can trigger painful joint inflammation. In order to mitigate the risk of joint pain this year, you’ll need to make smart dietary choices; however, it doesn’t mean you have to miss out altogether.
Our expert podiatry team at Premier Foot and Ankle Center wants you to know that even when you’re living with gout, you can still enjoy your favorite holiday foods with some careful planning.
Here are some helpful tips for navigating the holidays when you’re living with gout.
At Premier Foot and Ankle Center, we recommend making a list of the foods you typically eat around the holidays and categorizing them into three colors: green, yellow, and red.
Green foods are low in purines, meaning they’re less likely to drive up your levels and contribute to a gout flare. Yellow foods are those you can have in moderation, while foods on your red list are those you must limit to the smallest quantities. By creating this plan, you give yourself clear guidelines for enjoying holiday foods without spiking your uric acid levels.
However, it’s important to understand that this doesn’t mean you should eat low quantities of every food in your red category. Choose one food from that list that you can’t live without and eat one small serving. This allows you to balance your meals without depriving yourself.
Water dilutes your blood and helps prevent gout attacks. By staying hydrated and drinking enough water, you help flush uric acid out of your system, which lowers your risk of a flare-up.
We recommend making adequate water intake a priority, since it’s easy to overlook dehydration amid all the festivities, especially if you tend to overindulge in holiday beverages.
Drinks containing hard liquor often exacerbate gout symptoms. This is because alcohol interferes with your body’s ability to flush out uric acid, causing it to build up instead. Try a nonalcoholic alternative, such as sparkling water with no-sugar-added juice, or opt for a small glass of wine since it’s less likely to spike uric acid levels.
While it’s very tempting to use the holidays as an excuse to let your workout routine slide, staying active is key to preventing gout flares. Moving your body improves circulation and helps manage uric acid levels. Even if you don’t go all out with exercise, doing light movements like walking and yoga will keep your joints healthy and strong during the holiday season.
For many of us, the holidays often spike our stress levels. But when you’re living with gout, this stress leads to physical repercussions in the form of increased joint inflammation and worsened symptoms.
This holiday season, it’s vital that you find ways to relax and take time for yourself. It could be through meditation, deep breathing exercises, or simply enjoying a quiet moment with a good book. Managing stress effectively helps keep both your mind and your joints at ease.
Don’t let gout hold you back from enjoying everything the holiday season has to offer. If you’re struggling with gout pain, our Premier Foot and Ankle Center team is here to help.
Schedule an appointment with us by calling your nearest office location today. We proudly serve the Worcester and Whitinsville, Massachusetts, areas.
