Haha! Most people say no: Sardines and gout don’t mix!
However, sardines are a HUGE source of nutrient density. They are loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, they are low in ocean toxicity, and…they’re cheap! When it comes to including sardines in a gout diet, most people are completely freaked out by them because they are reportedly a high purine food. This is true. So is beef liver. But, when it comes to good fat-soluble vitamins and anti-inflammatory producing healthy fats, sardines and liver are loaded with them!
The Ultimate Sardine Recipe
So The Gout Wife, (my wife Sharon) came across a recipe that makes perfect use of sardines. It really looked fabulous to me, so I decided to try my hand at it and gave it my own spin. I have to tell you, these little sardine cakes ARE THE BOMB!
I think I may have told you that I am writing a gout cook book and eating guide. Well, this is a shameless plug for it and it will be coming out soon. It’s amazing how much time you have to devote to creating something like that. But it’s going to be good and I will have the recipe for these little sardine cakes in there.
What I’m particularly excited about is that these are completely flourless – so they are totally grain-free, gluten-free. And that is a BIG deal. The more I dig into how our digestive system works, (or doesn’t work) and the role that a healthy microbiome (good bacteria in our bellies) plays in our overall health – including preventing gout – the more I am rant and rave about avoiding grains and gluten.
So What Are They Made Of?!
Sweet potatoes! This was something I never really understood; you can make cakes out of something other than some kind of flour. But here it is, living proof.
Sweet potatoes come with a whole bunch of health benefits. The orange color is due to “carotenoids”. (notice the “carrot” in carotenoid?). Carotenoids are a complex substance, but generally speaking they are antioxidants, or they represent the presence of antioxidant power in a given food.
They are also rich in vitamins A and C, as well as vitamin B1, 2, and 3, and biotin and pantothenic acid. They are also loaded with the minerals manganese, copper, potassium, and phosphorus. They are also a great source of fiber, in the correct form.
So What About Sardines and Gout?
Well here’s the deal: All of us who battle the vicious gout beast know that proteins are generally the bigger sources of high purine content. Most of the time, all you hear about, is to lower your purine intake – that’s not a bad idea, and certainly getting educated about doing that is part of the gout killer life. But just for a minute, think back and remember the times before you started getting gout – you used to eat red meat, sardines, and drink beer, and you didn’t get attacks – what changed?
What changed, is your body’s ability to process those purines properly. What if we recovered your body’s ability to do that? That is a topic for a whole other post, but hold on to that thought. Let’s talk more about the health benefits of sardines and how to use them to help you win the game of gout.
Again, us gout killers have to be careful about managing our protein intake – we have to do it carefully. We need to take advantage of variations and amounts. Sardines are a concentrated form of protein, so a little-dab’ll-do-ya. What sardines are most famous for is, they’re a fantastic source of omega-3 fatty acids; EPA and DHA. Those of us with gout NEED that! Without a good daily dietary intake of health fats – especially omega-3s – we can’t properly “anti-inflame”. As you and I both know, that is a big deal when it comes to gout.
Fatty acids in general play a big role beyond just being anti-inflammatories. They also are critical in hormone production, quality, and communication. Also, they are very important in regulating digestion and blood sugar.
Additionally, sardines are well known for the role they play in heart health and bone health (good for gout), and are a great source of vitamin D. Other nutrient density delivered by sardines include vitamin B2, B3, B12, and choline. The minerals supplied by sardines are: Selenium, phosphorus, calcium, iodine, and copper.
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Thanks Bert. Down 15lbs since October 1st. No Gout flares since November 18th. Working on the alkaline diet. ~ Jim
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So Where’s the Recipe?!
I will update this post and publish the recipe after I get the new TGK eating guide up and out.
My whole purpose here is to get your attention about using proteins properly, and giving you an idea of how to incorporate them into your diet. In the sardine cake recipe, you will see how to cleverly disguise sardines, (some people don’t like the taste of them or get the heebie-jeebies about them – I can’t relate, I love them!) and how to get the right “dose” of them without over-doing it.
☆ Sardines and gout do mix…it’s just a matter of how you mix them.
“I know your pain. Let me help you kill your gout for good! And teach you to advocate for yourself and take ownership of your gout recovery, by showing you how to live the gout-free lifestyle.” Two decades ago, Bert Middleton found himself diagnosed with gout. Like 8.3 million other people in the United States (approximately 4% of the population), he struggled helplessly with the physical, emotional, social, and financial impact that gout left unchecked can have on your life. Prescription drugs were of limited help… And the terrible pain of regular gout attacks left him unable to enjoy even the simplest daily pleasures. His marriage was suffering. His finances were spiraling due to the impact gout had on his ability to work. And maintaining a social life was often nearly impossible. Tophi surgeries left him in terrible pain. And he found himself depressed … and angry … that gout was stealing years of his life.
Until one day, after hundreds of hours of research and self-experimentation, Bert finally had a breakthrough and created a blueprint for a way of living that would prove to be “the answer” to living gout-free for nearly a decade now. Today, Bert and his “Gout Wife” Sharon devote their evenings and weekends to educating other gout sufferers on how to live the gout-free lifestyle. Showing others his 911 Emergency Response Gout Recovery Plan for getting PAINFUL gout attacks under control in as little as 4 hours. And then, how to make daily choices that keep gout under control for GOOD! So you can finally start LIVING again!
