“The pain was so intense, it felt like I was being burned by a scorching flame,” lamented Austin, during one of his hypnotherapy sessions with me.

Austin had come to me for weight loss, but today, what was on his mind was this burning pain in his foot that had kept him awake the night before.

My heart went out to him, as I know that Gout pain has been described as some of the most excruciating pain you can experience.

Though it’s not talked about much, Gout is a serious affliction that affects many people. In fact, in the United States, between two million and five million people suffer from Gout.

Gout is more prevalent in men than in women, and most people who suffer from Gout are older than 40. But women, too, are at risk, especially women who have other health concerns, such as obesity, or who are beyond menopause.

Unfortunately, being overweight does increase your risk for Gout. Gout has been linked to the consumption of processed food and other unhealthy eating habits.

What is Gout?

Gout is a type of arthritis that typically causes painful, inflamed and stiff joints. The swelling and stiffness that Gout sufferers experience in their joints are caused by crystals, which are formed by excessive uric acid levels.

The pain described by most people who suffer with Gout occurs, most often, in the big toe—though it can affect any of your joints—and it’s caused by the body’s inflammatory response to these needle-like crystals that have been formed in the joints.

Typically, it takes years for the uric acid levels in the blood to build up to the point where you suffer with a Gout attack. High uric acid levels are also associated with other diseases such as diabetes, high cholesterol, kidney disease, hypertension and heart disease.

The good news is that Gout is preventable, to some degree, since we know that a high sugar intake, in all its forms, increases inflammation, which can aggravate or cause Gout. Additionally it is most often a poor diet that leads to this unwanted build up of uric acid in the body.

It’s very important to take Gout seriously because even though it could take years for the uric acid to build up to a point where it causes a Gout attack, if you start to get attacks more frequently, they can damage your joints and the surrounding areas.

Be Aware of the Side Effects of Drug Treatments

Often we rush to pharmaceutical solutions when seeking relief. Be aware that there is no medicine available that actually cures Gout. Additionally, many of the medicines used to treat Gout have very strong, even potentially life threatening, side effects.

Also, since Gout tends to be a life-long condition once you develop it, it’s unrealistic to stay on drugs with harmful side effects long term. It becomes essential to find healthier, more organic ways to deal with the problem.

Natural Ways to Avoid Gout

Here are four ways to lower your risk of Gout attacks:

Herbs

There are some natural herbs that can be very helpful in lowering serum uric acid. Remember it’s the elevated levels of uric acid in the blood that forms those painful crystals that cause Gout attacks. Individual herbs that can be helpful are Dandelion, Turmeric and Milk Thistle.

One formula I like that combines many of these herbs in addition to other very helpful nutritional ingredients is called Nutrigout, and it can be purchased on Amazon here: Uric Acid Lowering Formula by GoutandYou – 500 mg 60 Vegetarian Capsules

Stop Eating Sugar

The greatest source of calories in the United States comes from the consumption of Fructose. The amount of sugar people consume on a daily basis is about 1/3 of a pound. In the last 30 years, the incidence of obesity has drastically increased, as has many other diseases, including Gout.

It is a known scientific fact that fructose (a form of sugar) elevates uric acid. Increased uric acid wreaks havoc on your health in many ways, one of them being an increase in chronic inflammation.

Look for hidden Fructose in your foods. It’s not just in desserts and sugary drinks, but rather fructose can be hidden in most processed foods. Increase your awareness of where these hidden sugars are in your diet and start phasing them out.

Avoid Alcohol

Alcohol is a strong risk factor for Gout. If you suffer from Gout, realize that alcohol is very likely to raise the uric acid levels in your blood, and therefore could cause an attack.

Drink More Water

Consume plenty of pure water, which will help to flush out excess uric acid from your body. Avoid drinking soda, fruit juice or other sweet beverages. Pure, clean water will flush the toxins out of your body.

Finally, if you or a loved one are one of the millions of people affected by Gout each year, I highly recommend this incredible resource to help you and your family: GoutandYou.com.

This website is a professional and reputable place where you can learn more about Gout and tangible things you can do to be free of its harmful effects.

Gout and You Website is a dynamic Gout prevention website created by Spiro Koulouris, a Gout sufferer, himself. In his authentic and honest search for a solution, he has created an incredible support network and compiled essential information to help Gout sufferers.

At his site, you can get a copy of the Gout and You Diet and Cookbook, which includes a 60-Day Blood-Test Challenge.

I hope this was helpful to you! Please let me know how I can support you in your quest for health!

Warmly,

Rena

Article written by:
Hay House Author, Rena Greenberg can be reached at http://EasyWillpower.com. Her weight loss hypnosis success has been featured in 150+ news stories including USA Today, Woman’s World, The Doctor’s Show, CNN, Good Morning America and ABC-TV Nightline. Rena’s wellness program has been sponsored in 75 hospitals and 100+ major corporations including Walt Disney World. Rena helps people all over the world via Skype with coaching hypnotherapy and resides in Florida.