Time for a little side-quest, boys and girls... So last week, after eating super clean for the last 6 weeks, I began to get a gout flare up in the big toe on my right foot. This really surprised the hell out of me. Generally, gout flares up when the purines in the food you eat build up uric acid crystals in one or more joints. Foods that are high in purines are: seafood, beef, and alcohol. Since I started my journey to reverse my diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, I have been avoiding alcohol and eating a whole-food vegan diet.
It seems super weird that I would get a gout flare up AFTER switching to a cleaner, healthier diet. My last gout flareup was about 2 years ago. In between, there have been lots of times when I was eating foods that should have given me a problem, but didn't.
A note to my doctor got me a 5-day course of prednisone to attack the swelling in my foot. It worked like a charm and knocked it down after only 1 day. I'm finding, though, that prednisone can really mess up your blood sugar if you're diabetic. I was eating meals that normally would keep me in the "green". These same meals were sending my blood glucose over 300. As soon as I was done with prednisone, back to normal.
I have an appointment with my doctor next week, and I hope to get some answers to why this unexpected thing happened last week. I'll keep you posted.
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