A California woman discovers that going gluten-free and eliminating inflammatory foods gives her more energy and less pain.

By Beth W. Orenstein
Medically Reviewed by Judy Mouchawar, MD, MSPH
Last Updated:  3/28/2016

Life is full for Raja Michael, 34, of Pasadena, California. She’s a social service worker by day and a stand-up comic at night, and she has two autoimmune diseases — rheumatoid arthritis and celiac disease. Over the years, Michael's sense of humor has helped her deal with her health issues, but these days, her diet plays a crucial role, too.

Michael was diagnosed with RA in her mid-20s. For much of her life, she experienced a lot of joint pain and fatigue. "It would take me two hours to get out of bed in the morning because I was so sick," she recalls. For years, Michael, who also had been diagnosed with hypothyroidism in high school, just accepted that she “didn’t feel well.”

After a hospitalization in the fall of 2014, Michael was ready to take back her health. “I realized that I’m a comic, and I should have the energy to work on the things that I love," she says. "You have to love yourself — and the way you treat your body should reflect that."

During her time in the hospital, blood tests revealed that she also had celiac disease. People with one autoimmune disorder are at greater risk of developing another, according to the Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason University in Seattle, Washington.

Michael immediately cut gluten — the complex protein found primarily in wheat, barley, and rye — from her diet. Doing so dramatically improved her digestive issues and her fatigue. “Now I’m up at 6 a.m. without setting an alarm and can start my day with exercise — walking or jogging,” she says.

Anti-Inflammatory Diet for RA

In addition to going gluten-free, Michael also began paying more attention to the foods she ate — especially those linked to inflammation.

This is an important step for those living with RA. The condition causes inflammation throughout the body, which can lead to a host of problems including rashes, thinning bones, dry eyes and mouth, and lung scarring, according to the Arthritis Foundation, Chronic inflammation can also damage the cells that line blood vessels, increasing the risk for heart attack and stroke.

Michael began by eliminating potatoes, a nightshade vegetable, which she had been eating a lot of since they’re gluten-free. Nightshade vegetables (potatoes, eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes) have long been rumored to be harmful for people with RA, but there’s no real scientific proof. Still, many people with arthritis report feeling better when they cut these foods from their diet, says Jonathan Krant, MD, chief medical officer of CreakyJoints, a network of arthritis patients and caregivers, and a rheumatologist at Adirondack Health in Saranac Lake, New York. And if so, he adds, then he’s on board with it — and the same goes for gluten.

Michael also swapped her morning cup of java with tea with ginger and lemon. “Drinking my tea first thing in the morning helps me feel better the whole day,” she says. Ginger has phytochemicals that may offer relief from some RA symptoms, according to research published in the journal Arthritis in May 2014.

Her next goal is to incorporate more fatty fish — like salmon, anchovies, mackerel, and herring — into her RA diet. These foods are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to be anti-inflammatory and can help relieve RA symptoms, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.

Making an RA-Friendly Diet Work for You

Whatever changes you make in your diet, Michael recommends doing so slowly. “If you cut everything out at once, it’s really hard,” she says. “You have to remember it shouldn’t be a race, but something to build on.”

Taking it slow also makes it easier to see which changes have a positive effect on your body, she says. And, adds Dr. Krant: “What’s good for one patient isn’t necessarily good for another."

Give your new diet a few months to show results, agrees Cristina Montoya, RD, CDE, a nutritionist in Ontario, Canada, and author of The Arthritis Dietitian blog. “Too often, people go on an anti-inflammatory diet and feel better, so they start reintroducing foods that are not good for them,” she says. “It requires consistency. It has to be a process.” Consider working with a nutritionist who can offer guidance and make sure you're not missing out on certain nutrients when eliminating foods from your diet, she adds.

Over the years, Michael took medications for her RA pain, but thanks to her healthy diet and lifestyle, she no longer takes anti-inflammatory drugs or painkillers daily. “I don’t need prescription painkillers anymore,” she says.

Though she admits to missing some foods — like pizza and the naan bread of her Indian heritage — Michael is motivated to stick with her RA-friendly diet. “I need to be able to be funny and creative and write,” she says, “and when you’re in severe pain and fatigued, that’s not easy.”