A balanced diet to help control joint pain caused by autoimmunity
A balanced diet can help relieve symptoms by maintaining overall health, controlling body weight, and improving physical functions and immune system.
You should aim to eat less fatty, oily, and salty food, and eat more vegetable, fruits, grains, breads, rice, and noodles.
Before starting a new dietary plan, please consult your physician.
Recipes that might help relieve symptoms
Roasted soy-ginger salmon and broccoli (2 servings)14
| Ingredients | |
|---|---|
| Salmon | 340g |
| Big broccoli florets or bagged broccoli | 2 cups |
| Seasonings | |
| Low-sodium soy sauce | 2 tbsp |
| Sesame oil | 1 tsp |
| Freshly grated ginger | 1 tsp |
- Pre-heat the oven to 220°C (425°F)
- Cut the salmon into two roughly equal pieces
- Place the salmon with skin-side down and broccoli closely but not touching each other in a small and heavy baking pan, pie dish can also do it
- Whisk the seasonings to blend in a bowl
- Drizzle the seasonings evenly over the salmon and broccoli
- Bake until the broccoli is tinged with brown and small white beads of fat begin to appear on the salmon surface, or bake it for 10-15 minutes
Note:
It is best to select salmon that is about 2.5-4cm thick.
You can scale up the portion easily to prepare for 4, 6 or 8!
Roasted soy-ginger salmon and broccoli (2 servings)15
| Ingredients | |
|---|---|
| Dried quinoa | ¼ cup |
| Black beans | 425 g |
| Butternut squash | 1 cup |
| Water | ½ cup + 2 tbsp |
| Feta cheese | ¼ cup |
| Cilantro | 2 tbsp |
| Seasonings | |
| Salt and pepper | To taste |
| Lime juice | To taste |
| Olive oil | To taste |
- Chop the butternut squash
- Simmer the quinoa, butternut squash and water together with lid partially opened, for 15 minutes or until the squash is cooked through and water is absorbed
- Stir feta cheese and chopped fresh cilantro in beans
- Season with salt and pepper
- Drizzle with olive oil and lime juice
It is great to have the salad for lunch!
Regular exercise will help enhance your quality of life
BENEFITS OF REGULAR EXERCISE16
- Train up your muscles to enhance joint protection and reduce joint pain
- Strengthen your bones to lower the chance of developing osteoporosis
- Improve the range of motion of your joints
- Reduce stiffness in the joints to increase flexibility
- Achieve effective weight control to enhance organs (e.g. the heart and lung) functions
- Resume physical fitness to improve the overall health
- Build up self-confidence and maintain a positive attitude
Resting the body is important, especially during a flare-up. While lots of rest is important, too much can lead to a sedentary lifestyle and more pain.
Fighting fatigue is all about a balance between rest and activity.16
Exercise recommendations for patients17
| Benefit | Type of exercise | How best to achieve |
|---|---|---|
 |
Cycling | 60-80% maximum heart rate |
| Walking | 30-60 minutes per session | |
| Swimming | 3-5 days per week | |
| Dance | Increase duration, then intensity over time | |
 |
Stretching | 10-15 minutes |
| Tai chi exercises | 2 days per week | |
| Yoga/pilates | 2 days per week | |
 |
One leg stance | |
| Stability ball | On a regular basis | |
| Strengthening core muscles |
Please consult your physician before starting any new exercise plans. You should gradually increase the intensity and duration of the exercise.
Health screening and vaccination recommendations18
As XELJANZ® could increase the risk of infections, it is recommended that you are up to date with your vaccinations to prevent infection/reactivation.
- Patients, especially older patients, are recommended to be vaccinated against herpes zoster
- Patients should be screened for HBV infection prior to starting treatment
- TB-infected patients are recommended to receive prophylactic antiviral therapy