Hi @chrisgh, My first round with PMR lasted 3 and half years. The second time it flared up six years later I was more determined to make changes to help with the PMR. It's great to hear that you are looking at lifestyle changes to help with your PMR symptoms. Here's some information that helped me that might provide some suggestions.

-- Can Diet Affect Symptoms of Polymyalgia Rheumatica?:
https://www.healthline.com/health/polymyalgia-rheumatica-diet

New studies by the Arthritis Foundation say that nightshade vegetables are okay to have in moderation.

My diet was good before my PMR diagnosis 7 months ago, now it is excellent! I don't eat processed foods, fried foods, red meat, sugar, white flour. sodas, etc.

I Googled everything I ate for a month until I got used to eating better. It does make a huge difference with my inflammation. Bonus points for losing 10 lbs.

Study and read all you can. There's so much great information to be had.

The difference in opinions about nightshade vegetables seems to be between those who don't notice or care about oxalates, which are anti-nutrients that combine with calcium and other nutrients to expel them rather than allowing them to be absorbed. Calcium oxalates can also cause kidney stones and other problems for some people.

It depends on how individuals react to those oxalates. People who have no reaction to tomato seeds, for example, will swear that nightshade foods are fine. I've always had problems with tomato seeds causing inflammation in hair follicles. The effect came within an hour or so of eating them. Removing the seeds meant I could eat tomatoes, but I don't bother now and avoid tomatoes and other nightshade vegies altogether.

Fun Fact: The queen of England had a strict rule that all tomato seeds were to be removed from her food, both at home and everywhere she went where food might be offered to her. Her chef said it was because a seed might stick to her teeth, but I wonder...