“Take small scoops, and lift with your legs – not your back,” I said to myself.
I was clearing an unexpected snowfall and high winds that led to drifting. The city snow plow had dropped a very generous amount of snow at the end of my driveway. I needed to be somewhere in an hour.
I should have been retrained on the use of our snow blower before my husband’s knee surgery. We ran out of time for my tutorial, so I just hoped for no snow in January. Obviously, wishful thinking was not my friend.
For the past 16 years, I had turned over nearly all major snow removal duties to my husband after he recovered from his previous joint replacement. I had taken care of snow removal prior to the major flooding of 2009, and I retired from that task.
I may need to work out with weights before I work with our large snow blower again.
I went in the house and wrapped a large scarf around my head. Wearing layers during extreme cold and taking breaks is always a good plan. I had a glass of water before continuing. Caffeinated and alcohol-containing drinks are not the best options for hydration.
My kind neighbors took pity on me and arrived with a snow blower and shovel.
As I drove away, I felt the strain I had put on my muscles, but my knees and hip joints seemed to be working OK.
Most of us know many people who have had hip, knee, shoulder or ankle joint replacements. We are fortunate to live in a time when these medical procedures are available.
Diseases such as arthritis and overuse through work or sports can wear away joints. Genetics can sometimes play a strong role. Maintaining a healthy weight is important, because extra weight can put added strain on your joints.
As my husband and I watched the pre-surgery videos to prepare for his operation, I was happy to hear the medical experts talk about eating a healthy diet. The video did not go into detail about nutrition.
Some foods can worsen inflammation and arthritis pain, which often underlies the need for joint replacement.
Which foods promote joint health and which foods might make the pain worse? Here are some tips based on arthritis and nutrition research:
- Aim for a balanced diet with all five food groups, including two to three cups of fruit and two to three cups of vegetables. Have some vegetable soup or a casserole made with a variety of colorful vegetables as the ultimate winter comfort food.
- Use lean meats in your food preparation, instead of highly processed meats. Lean meats, poultry and seafood are high in protein that can help nourish your muscles and joints.
- Add more fish to your diet. Salmon and other fatty types of fish are rich in omega-3 fats, which may reduce inflammation.
- Avoid excess sugar in your diet. Having a candy bar or highly sweetened beverages such as pop may taste good but trigger inflammation. Read and compare nutrition facts labels, which now includes “added sugars” as a component.
- Consume more whole grains such as oatmeal and whole-grain breads in place of refined grains.
- Choose low-fat dairy options, such as fat-free milk.
- Choose fewer ultra-processed foods and fried foods that may be high in trans fats. Ultra-processed foods have very long, complicated ingredient statements on the food packages.
- Cook more often “from scratch” using one- or few-ingredient foods that you can find throughout the grocery store. For example, choose frozen or canned vegetables and fruits without added salt or sweeteners. Budget-friendly dry beans, lentils, split peas and whole-grain rice are other examples.
For more tips about eating healthfully for all body systems, visit [www.ag.ndsu.edu/nourish](http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/nourish) and check out the online and face-to-face classes being offered by NDSU Extension. For more tips on snow shoveling, read NDSU Extension’s “
Curio : A new type of content. It's not "news" and it's not "commentary," it may not even be about Minot. But whatever it is, Minot may need it or you may enjoy it!
