§ Problem: When you are overweight, you stress the joints in your back, knees, hips, ankles, and feet. Since the pain can be magnified four or five times greater effect on key points of the joints, even small differences will have a huge impact on your comfort and ability to move around.

§ Ideal diet: If you are suffering from arthritis, it’s important to follow a low-fat, nutritious diet and maintain healthy weight. The World Health Organization also recommends 4 to 5 servings of vegetables and fruit per day, which provides the antioxidants and phytonutrients that minimize swelling of the joints. The Arthritis Foundation also advises that you limit snacks between meals, eat fats in moderation, limit meat, and take lots of nuts, beans, legumes and fish.

§ What to avoid: Gout, a form of arthritis, is particularly sensitive to diet changes. Taking food with a high purine content can trigger a painful attack. Avoid anchovies, crab, herring, mackerel, mussels, roe, sardines, scallops, shrimp (even in bouillon, broth and consommé forms), goose and mincemeat, gravies and sweetbreads