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Diet & PMR.
I’ve had PMR for 2yrs & am now down from 15 to 5mg Pred. Having researched possible causes of this painful illness I recently went on a Mediterranean diet & excluded dairy & gluten whenever possible too. I use supplements such as Turmeric, collagen & vitamin D. My symptoms are now much better. I know the PMR is still there but I can live with it at its current level. I’m an active 66yr old & can now return to exercise & gardening. Research tells me the inflammation that causes PMR (& very many other illnesses such as thyroid issues) is caused by damage to our gut lining. Modern food manufacturing is guilty of harm here & we need to stop consuming processed foods of any description. Whilst I’ve always cooked from fresh there are things that I’ve eaten that have damaged my body (bought biscuits, pizza etc). An excellent read on this subject is Silent Fire by Shula Ravella. She really does makes the topic of Inflammation & illness make sense.
I feel I’m now proof that an anti inflammatory diet can work too. In December I was told I was borderline hyperthyroid but, after just 3 months on the Med diet, my thyroid levels were “normal”. My doctor was pretty impressed & said she should really be suggesting it to other patients with similar problems - I hope she is. My aim now is to come off the Pred & the blood pressure tablets I’ve been taking for 6 yrs (the 2 drugs clash & the BP medication had to be increased!). I do believe we can help ourselves with our inflammatory illnesses. My experience is that as soon as we accept pharma meds then we’re on a journey of ever increasing dependence. During my PMR experience I’ve been prescribed tablets to counteract the affect of other tablets - 7 in all. Ridiculous!
We aren’t built to consume the rubbish that food manufacturers put in our foods to give them extra colour, false sweetness or a prolonged shelf life. The more I’ve read the more angry I’ve become with the idea of corporations gambling with our health - especially our childrens. Please research for yourselves. I really think there’s something to be gained here.
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My favorite anti-inflammatory meal is salmon over an interesting salad. I also secretly believe that pineapple and cherries have secret healing powers and they taste good. Cheers all.
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2 ReactionsOur protein comes from a variety of sources, and we have become masters of incorporating flavor into foods that most people think of as bland. Those sides include tofu, tempeh, whole grains, beans (so overlooked! And so amazing - check out the book Cool Beans by Joe Yonen). Also seeds and some veg.
There are tons of great resources on the web for delicious meatless meals on the web and in the library.
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3 Reactionsgreat, thank you!
Yes, if we all included beans (and greens) each day, we would all be so much healthier! Beans are the common food eaten in all of the Blue Zones, where many live to be over 100 years!
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2 Reactionsi am an active 80 year old man who started with pmr in march 2025 after having started to take a statin for the first time in january 2025.
prednisone:
i am on 10 milligirams daily. Rheumatologist then reduced it to 5 mg. The immobility started to return, so i was returned to 10 mg.
This sounds like me too. I have graves/diabetes2/severespinal stenosis. Arthritis all over. Also just diagnosed with dercums. Could it be pmr?
Can we speak on phone ?
Vicki
Plus a masseise🤩
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1 ReactionI have been on the Mediterranean diet forever. I am Italian makes it easy. We have never been consumers of pre prepared meals of food. Occasionally we have baked beans on toast. I am 77 in general good health. My doctor has me on declining Preds now down to 4mg. I take Curcumin and drink anti-inflammatory teas.
I have had PMR for 18mths and annoyed with the impact on my lifestyle. Currently off any alcohol for June. With my evening meal I used to drink a third of a bottle of wine mainly red. It seems like it is helping.
I exercise daily and spend some time on my garden and outdoors generally. Where we live in Perth WA we have a great climate and great tree canopy. Lots of native birds etc. So ideal and still can't shake the PMR.
Maybe it is an age and general body deteriorating. Thoughts.
Any comments on effects of alcohol on PMR. Any further ideas to help recovery would be welcome.
The "Blue Zones" have been debunked. Award winning researcher Dr Saul Newman looked into blue zones and found the secret to living over 100 is to live somewhere (the blue zones) that have poor record keeping, including birth and death certificates. People without a birth certificate have routinely claimed to be older than they are to get the pension in those places and some people have continued to collect their parents pensions after they died, so the records show they were still alive when they weren't. Those facts were not considered when the "blue zones" were made up.
Google "blue zones debunked". His research and award for it are all on the record.