Just curious...how do you get your protein on this diet?

I'm assuming that protein comes from eggs, nuts, beans, etc? Are you allowed fish or seafood?

My stepdaughter did an elimination diet to determine food allergies, but the requirements changed so fast I couldn't keep track of what the heck she was doing, she added and subtracted items so quickly.

I know that compumom (Ellen) did an elimination type diet, as did Lpinkmountain (Laurie). I'll bet they could help...

Annie

I ran a search and found a reliable review of various arthritis diets & curing foods.

Arthritis Diet Claims: Fact or Fiction

http://www.webmd.com/arthritis/features/arthritis-diet-claims-fact-fiction

I don't have arthritis but a friend of mind benefited a lot from Paula Garbourg's Ring Muscle exercise method. Here's a link to the relevant site:

http://paula.org.il/zope/home/en/1/1133032180_en/

I'm not sure about psoriatic arthritis, but after contending with rheumatoid arthritis since I was 14-years old (I'm 62 now), I eliminated gluten from my diet (as of January 1, 2013) and have had tremendous results. Over the years I have followed the McDougall Diet, Dong Diet, Macrobiotic Diet, Mediterranean Diet, Anti-Inflammation Diet, I avoid nightshades, and I don't know how many other things seeking relief, as well as being treated by my physician with medication since I was 24-years old.

The only other thing (non-prescription) that ever gave me real relief was taking GH3 (a.k.a. Gerovital GH3 Procaine Hcl Formula - the original formula by Dr. Anna Aslan) in the late 70's, and then it was no longer available in the U.S. and my arthritis was back. That's also when I tried all the different diets, herbs, chiropractors, exercise programs, water walking, you name it!!! I became the proverbial "health nut". And along with that came decades of milling my own flour from whole grains and making all our breads and baked goods at home.

Someone on this message board started a discussion about the book, "Wheat Belly" by Dr. William Davis in late 2012 and gluten-free recipes. I checked the book out from the library out of curiosity and never looked back, as well as reading a string of other books on the subject. My mother had celiac disease, so I was already familiar with a gluten-free diet. I was using almond flour and coconut flour in baking to avoid high-glycemic carbohydrates, and developed gluten-free recipes for a local sorghum mill - all before going gluten-free, so the transition wasn't a difficult one. My sister also went gluten-free after seeing my success and it addressed many of her "gut" issues, and her daughter (mid-30's) also went gluten-free for her severe arthritis and had the same great results as I did.

BTW, I also had tendonitis (elbow, shoulder) and carpal tunnel, from years of knitting and crocheting (professionally), and Plantar Fasciitis to the point I haven't been able to do more than hobble a few feet if I was barefoot. All of those complaints have also been all but eliminated and they all have one thing in common - inflammation. Inflammation is a symptom. In my case, the cause was gluten.

Good luck on your search. Been there, done that...... Following the McDougall Diet nearly killed me. I was constantly hungry, weak, my hair fell out due to the low amount of fat, and my body was still riddled with inflammation after 6-months. The good thing I took from the diet was sticking to whole foods and mostly a plant-based diet, but I need meat and good fats as well as plants. However, I have a friend who has thrived on the McDougall Diet for many years, although she added back some meat and dairy eventually, but her health issues weren't the same as mine.

Grainlady, reading all about what has happened to you and your health issues is like reading my life story, but I also have other autoimmune issues and at this stage of my life, my solution has been exercise. I have not gone into the milling my own flour,, etc (just doing without mostly.) Cannot take any medicines to help because of other problems. The whole thing is not fun, but we deal with what we have to and make the best of it. Sorry for your issues, everybody, but it is helpful to find out that there are others that share some of my difficulties. It does make you feel better mentally, though it is harder when you are having troubles with your feet. Barb

Hi jlsch
I have PsA too and use this route for control of it. I'm sure it is a very individual thing but if you keep at it and always document, you will figure out your offending foods. Not sure how bad it is for you but it took me close to six months before I could make a fist again and over two years for my knuckles to go down to get my rings off. This was after being on a strict elimination diet - the stricter the better and after looking up inflammatory foods and making it even more strict.
I haven't been on medication (which never did work and I started out young and was pretty nervous to continue further) for over 3 yrs now. I keep out tomatoes, paprika, potatoes (but can have some potato starch), gluten (and I eat grains such as quinoa, brown rice, wild rice sparingly but have no problem with basmati), legumes including soy, dairy (occasional goat cheese though), citrus, balsamic vinegar and sparingly have alcohol, sugar and caffeine (really trying with this one). It's a lot but the results are something I can't ever give up so it is so worth it. LOL, I got started with this by posting about eliminating foods on this forum too.
Grainlady, I forgot about how it was being barefoot except I had mortons neuroma so it felt like I had marbles in my feet as I walked and had to always have shoes. Anyways, all my bloodtests are now clear of any markers of disease or inflammation. Unfortunately, this is a permanent thing for me because all the times I try to reintroduce the said foods I get psoriasis, joint pain, and histamine reactions so this is it. No doctor has told me this would heal me.

So wonderful to hear from so many of you. Thanks for taking the time to share. I am not 'officially' diagnosed, but have had entheses at the small joints of the hands/feet and one knee over the past 5 months. Pain/discomfort has been on the mild end. This together with a few small patches of dry skin and a few nail pits, makes the rheum. suspicious that that is what is unfolding. I'm 60. He started me on prescription Nsaids, but after 3 weeks, I wondered why when I had no observable swelling and minimal pain, and they are not good for your gut....so I started taking Curamed and changing my diet. Initially I just cut out gluten, and then after more reading decided to try the McDougall diet. It just is confusing as each diet has a different philosophy and allows different foods, so I thought I'll just have to tackle it a food at a time and look for reactions. Currently I'm eating romaine, mixed greens, broccoli, carrots, prunes, grapes, raisins, garlic, green beans, cherries, pears, acorn squash, peaches, mango, artichoke, asparagus, red vinegar, and today introduced mushrooms. I miss my coffee....and pesto!

Since making this change I have no morning stiffness, and only very mild twinges of discomfort, so I can consider myself lucky for the time being. If I use my hands for a lot of resistive activities I also still get very mild pain, but not what it had been. I do have Plantar Fasciitis as well grainlady....and that is probably the most bothersome, although certainly not causing functional limitations. I have been eating chickpeas for added protein, and don't notice this as a problem. At some point I'd really like to try free range chicken/turkey and Alaskan salmon. I'm already using very minimal olive oil to stir fry vegetables, so again a deviation from the protocol. I give a lot of credit to grainlady and cookie as it sounds like you both were able to figure things out and have some positive influence over autoimmune issues that can be so challenging. Kudos to both of you! I hope I can figure out a path as well in managing this with no or limited meds.