# Gout and low glycemic recipes



## Mary Ellen Paquette (Nov 13, 2008)

Hi there....I'm brand spanking new to the group....My husband has gout and we are also both on a low glycemic lifestyle...however, some of that healthy food makes him flare up....any suggestions, links, receipes.....


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## Claire (Nov 13, 2008)

The very best thing your husband can do for his gout, if he doesn't already, is drink gallons of water.  It is hard to make some men drink water in the amounts needed to flush the uric acid from their systems.  I filled a measured 2 qt pitcher with water and put it in the fridge.  He had to finish it off, every day.  In addition to any other fluids he drank (coffee, tea, soft drinks, and certainly alcohol, do NOT count).  It did ease the problem somewhat, but eventually only a daily Rx of allopurinol took care of the problem.  He still does suffer when he doesn't drink that water.  Food cures didn't really help him.  

This was often, in olden days, called "the rich man's disease"; however, as a young man I know, who wasn't drinking, wasn't a big red meat eater, said, "well, if this is a rich man's disease, then where is the G-D money!?"   

Those of us who've never experience it cannot imagine the pain, even the lightest of sheets on my husband's affected foot would wake him screaming.


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## Barbara (Nov 13, 2008)

My husband has had two very painful flare ups in the last 2 months. This is new to us. He is having his blood work done and may go on a daily Rx - our diet is pretty good and we drink pinot noir - for our health of course  Very little red meat, although we love it. I appreciate the nudge about the water, I have been trying to get him to drink more. I will copy this for him. Any other tips would be greatly appreciated.

Also, he's 62 and otherwise in excellent health. 

What causes the pealing of the toe afterwards??


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## jennyema (Nov 13, 2008)

I had gout in my toe this summer.      

It feels like this ----> 

Coincidentally I had eaten copious amounts of all the bad foods the week before.

I did not know about the water, Claire.  Thanks for the info.


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## Rob Babcock (Nov 14, 2008)

My dad swears by vinegar for his gout.  If it flares up, he either downs a bit straight or mixes it with water.  I'll have to ask if he does this for prevention or only to remedy an attack.


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## gadzooks (Nov 14, 2008)

Not only do non-water liquids not count as water, but anything with sugar, alcohol or caffeine counts as minus water. I do therapeutic bodywork, and have to remind many of my clients.


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## Claire (Nov 14, 2008)

I'm surprised that no one here had a doctor who mentioned the water issue.  That was the first "line of defense" so-to-speak that my husband's doctor came up with.  Two quarts, minimum a day.  I've heard of the vinegar thing, and I'm glad it works for your dad.  But Doc said that you need to get that uric acid out of your system, and water, water, water is the only way.  I didn't mean to brush off dietary stuff, it's just that when it is so bad, you need something more, and the water, water, water is the way to go.  As far as other dietary things go, go to arthritis sites.  Gout is related to arthritis (related?  If I remember right, it's been a couple of years since I did the research, I believe it is a form of arthritis).  Cherries is one of the touted helps.  Unfortunately right at the time diabetes reared its ugly head as well as arthritis/gout.  So flooding his system with cherry juice wasn't an option.  

My husband was in his late 50s  when it happened.  Me being a great "talk to everyone about it" kind of person discovered many people I know have it.  A great artist I know gets it in his fingers.  My father's been on allopurinol for years (love him dearly, but Daddy wouldn't drink a glass of water unless he was dying of thirst in the Mojave.  Oh, excuse me, we spent lots of time in the Mojave, and I don't remember him ever drinking a glass of water).  It is more common in men than women, and the toes are the start of it.  Hubby thought he'd stubbed or jammed his toes, a natural thought since we were travelers at the time and we were always running into things in the trailer at night.  But it got worser and worser (bad grammar on purpose!).  At its worse, the food swelled so badly I was honestly concerned that his skin would split.  That's when he gave up on any cure but the meds.  

Even with the Rx, though, he did learn that two quarts is important to his health.  Since this is the health line, I will add something that others might take into consideration.  His "old man" (i.e. he is 61) drip drip rather than healthy stream has gone back to a "young man" healthy pee, so it has to be good for the prostate as well.


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## Barbara (Nov 17, 2008)

Claire thanks for all of this information. I am passing this on to my guy. As I'm following him around with glasses of water. Did your husband's toe ever peal after an episode?


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## mcnerd (Nov 17, 2008)

I'm 64 and have a naturally high level or Uric Acid and I can almost sneeze and cause the Gout.  I originally gave up the usual blood meats, etc., and started enjoying snacks of raw cauliflower, spinach salads and such....immediately getting the gout again.  Research showed that those items too are full of purines that contribute to the Gout.  Even stress will bring it on. Can't win. 

I drink (lots of) water with AC Vinegar instead of soda and it does help keep the episodes under control.


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## Mary Ellen Paquette (Nov 17, 2008)

Thanks Gadzooks....when I read your post, I made sure I let him know....it went something like this


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## Mary Ellen Paquette (Nov 17, 2008)

No, no toe peeling....he actually has it in his knee.


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## Claire (Nov 17, 2008)

No, we caught it before that happened, but it doesn't surprise me.  His foot got so huge I was expecting it to explode, so peeling wouldn't surprise me.  The skin would definitely  have broken if he'd hit his foot just right.


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