Friends frequently ask me, “What foods can I eat with gout?”
Please do not think that I have a huge circle of gouty acquaintances.
I see all gout sufferers as friends, especially the ones who comment here, post in the gout forum, or tell me about their gout by email.
When I started developing my gout diet plan, I deliberately shied away from creating a fixed menu, for two reasons:
- It takes up more time than I have available.
- I do not agree with telling other people what to eat.
- I feel it is irresponsible to plan a diet for somebody if you know nothing about them
Despite being unable to count, I try to explain how food might affect your gout. Most published dietary guidelines for gout are based on disjointed scientific facts (occasionally fiction) by people who have never experienced the agony of gout.
For most gout sufferers, weight is a major factor, and for many of these, getting down to normal weight will cure their gout.
Many gout sufferers have a genetic tendency to gout, or other problem with uric acid metabolism. If getting down to normal weight, and maintaining a gout-friendly diet, doesn’t cure their gout, then uric acid lowering medications are the answer. With these, they should be able to eat anything, though I still recommend a well balanced healthy diet to avoid other health problems.
If anyone wants to pay me to prepare a personal diet, then I am happy to work for them. I really don’t expect anyone wants to do this, so I have not begun to think about what charges should be.
I have thought about a private club where I would give individual dietary advice for members to share with other similar members. I guess the cost of this would be around $17 (?10) per month. I have not taken this idea very far because, again, I doubt that enough people would be interested to make it worthwhile.
I believe that most people do not adapt well to sudden changes in diet, therefore I recommend that gout sufferers assess their own situation and gradually exchange poor habits for good ones. I have tried to put enough information on the websites to allow all gout sufferers to make healthier choices.
I have a few recipes on the GoutPal site that highlight key points about healthy eating for gout. These go a long way to answer “What foods can I eat for gout?” But, we always need more. Do you have a gout recipe to share? Or perhaps you have a favorite food that you need a recipe for to prepare in a gout friendly way. Whatever you need, please see current discussions in Recipes for Gout Friendly Foods, or start a new gout recipe discussion.
If you are still stuck with ideas for how to improve your diet, I can help you with a personal gout diet plan. Start by telling me about yourself, and what you currently eat. I need to know age, weight, height, gender, how much exercise you get each day, and details of your daily diet. The more information the better. I will suggest what foods you should think about changing to help your gout. Get your Personal Gout Management Plan, today.