The foot care professionals

When it comes to treating gout, gout medications are by far the most common and most effective form of gout treatment. But in order to ensure that your gout treatment is as effective as it can be, it is important to take preventative measures to prevent complicating your gout. Developing a diet for gout with your doctor and learning about what triggers gout in your body is one of the most important aspects in your gout treatment. You will learn that there are some gout foods that can actually increase your chances of having a severe gout attack.

Gout diet during an attack

If you are experiencing a gout attack there are actually some things you can do to reduce the pain as well as reducing the length of the gout attack. The American Dietetic Association has created these recommended tips for diet during a gout attack:

-Drink 8 to 16 cups of water a day.
This can dilute the uric acid levels in your body and therefore reduce the chances of crystals reforming. The excess liquid can also work to break down the uric acid crystals in a shorter amount of time.

-Avoid Alcohol.
Alcoholic beverages are known to increase complications of gout attacks. As the gout crystals are tearing away at your soft tissues it can cause small levels of internal bleeding around your joints. Alcohol has a tendency to thin your blood and prevent its healing properties from taking effect. This can cause infections and other adverse side effects.

-Eat a moderate amount of protein.
It has been proven that you should get your protein from healthy sources such as eggs, tofu and other low fat sources. High fat and unhealthy sources can only complicate your gout attack. And as with any chronic illness it is important to stay healthy through diet and gout exercises.

-Limit your intake of meat.
Meat and alcohol are one of the leading foods that make your body produce uric acid. Because gout is caused by uric acid crystals you should avoid these foods.

Preventative foods and lifestyle

-Avoid foods that produce uric acid.
Your body requires high levels of uric acid in order to digest and use foods such as meat and alcohol. Because your body has an inability to get rid of this acid you should avoid foods that are conducive to producing uric acid.

-Get plenty of exercise.
Getting a good amount of exercise is a great way to prevent your gout from getting much worse. By consistently moving and straining your joints you can break up uric acid crystals before they get too big and cause major gout attacks. Ideally you should only use low impact exercises. Some great gout exercises include elliptical machines, biking, swimming, yoga and light walks.

-Eat preventative foods.
There are some food and drinks that have been shown to reduce the severity of gout attacks. These foods include cherries, dark fruits, coffee, foods including vitamin C and certain types of tea. These foods can't prevent gout outright but can reduce the pain experienced during a gout attack.