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Common Household Veggies May Be Cause of Crippling Pain

It has been 24 hours since I decided to eliminate nightshade plants from my diet.  This past weekend, I had the good fortune to meet Pat Claudio, a volunteer for the Arthritis Nightshade Research Foundation.  She gave me her personal testimony of living free from arthritis pain for 28 years, by eliminating nightshade plants from her diet.  She is the co-author of the Arthritis-Free Cooking book.

Addicted to the Enemy?

Nightshades, or the Solanaceae family of plants are the drug plants.  They are the plants that many pharmacueticals are derived from.  An article in the April-May 2003 issue of New Life Journal, says, “Some nightshade plants are ingredients in potent narcotic medicine and sleeping pills [my comment-an overdose will kill you]. It is reported that nightshades contain high levels of [editors note: poisonous] alkaloids which cause the bones to excrete calcium, other minerals, and trace elements from the body.”

I was surprised to learn that these plants were quite prolific in my “healthy diet”.  In reading the Arthritis Nightshades Newsletter, I discovered why.  Each of these plants has an addictive substance. Could this be why some prescription meds are addictive?

My Achilles Knees

A number of years ago, I was diagnosed with chondro malacia patella (runners knee), a painful condition caused by degeneration of the knee cartilage. Through weight loss, exercise and dietary changes I have achieved a great deal of relief from knee pain.

Dietary Changes Produce Amazing Results

Through the South Beach Diet, which uses a low glycemic/good fats approach, I lost 20 lbs, which lightened the load my knees were carrying.  Adding raw dairy to my diet has helped, because of its anti-inflammatory properties, and because it is fat, nutrient and calcium-rich.  Bone broth stocks have helped to re-mineralize my joints because they are full of  marrow, cartilage and bone building minerals.  Shunning refined sugars has helped, because my body no longer pulls minerals from my joints to help digest the white stuff.  And, I believe lacto-fermented beverages have helped. I learned from Dr. Tom Cowan, author of The Fourfold Path to Healing that they are very hydrating, better than plain water.

Some days, my knees feel like new, strong and no pain whatsoever. But, at times, I have still experienced a burning sensation in my knees, low level pain, tenderness, weakness.  It comes and goes.   A far cry from the sharp, stabbing, debilitating pain I used to have.  But still a nuisance.

Meet the Deadly Nightshades

Giving up the nightshades won’t be easy.  But I am determined to sacrifice anything to regain my health and conquer this malady. When I first heard about this diet, probably a year ago or so, I ruled it out, offhand.  I was well aware of the allure these particular plants had over me.  They were culinary delights, and staples in my diet, always on hand in my kitchen.

Tomatoes, Peppers, Hot peppers, eggplant, white potatoes are the nightshades I am talking about.  Just think, salsa, spaghetti sauce, hot pepper sauce, jalapeno cheese.  Also, the following seasonings are made with nightshade plants: red pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika, chili pepper, and some curry powders contain cayenne.  All these are my absolute favorite foods, I am addicted to them!

But, my personal poison is causing me pain.  I have hit bottom with this.  I am going to twelve step my way out of this! I am making an amends list, and confessing this to everyone who will listen.  I am powerless over this but I am not going to take it anymore!

A Cow Brought Me to My Knees

Anyone who knows me knows that I love cows.  My blog is devoted to them.  They are angelic creatures, and I want them to live on pasture, in sunshine, eating their proper food, lush green grass.  The newsletter Pat gave me had a picture of a cow, grazing on its knees.  The photo caption explained that when livestock feed on nightshade weeds in pastures, they are crippled with tender flexor tendons and suspensory ligaments. I saw myself in that dear cow-I have that same condition!  Apparently, farmers go to great effort to cull nightshades out of their fields to keep the cows from eating the deadlies.  Another reason I love farmers!

Twenty Four Hour Relief

The Arthritis Nightshade Newsletter is packed with testimonies from former arthritis sufferers who now live pain free.  It recommends a 6 week total abstinence from nightshade foods to test the program for yourself.  The stories are so compelling, I purposed to do this six week fast from the deadlies.

I absolutely do notice an absence of pain after just a 24 hour fast.  I gave up sausage at breakfast, because it had hot peppers in it.  I shunned a pork stew at lunch, because it had tomatoes in it.  And, at dinner I refrained from putting salsa in my short rib recipe, which I normally would have done as a matter of course.  I  just used beef bone stock, instead.

Will keep you posted, but I am excited to be embarking upon this uncharted wellness territory!  For further information, and to order the Arthritis Diet Book or the Arthristis-Free Cooking Book, visit www.noarthritis.com. Or, order the books by phone 1-888-501-8822.

Pat Claudio is also offering a free copy of the Arthritis Nightshade Research Foundations Newsletter, please call her at 703-978-8961.

Kimberly Hartke

Kimberly Hartke is a health concious consumer, who has overcome debilitating knee pain by changes in diet and exercise. She and her husband, Keith, have been on this journey together. The couple has lost 50 lbs between them, and kept it off for over 5 years. Change is possible. Kimberly believes you can do it, too, which is why she blogs. Follow her forays into natural health at her blog, http://hartkeisonline.com.