A couple years ago my father was away on a trip and got hit with gout (but he didn’t know what it was).

When he got home, he was missing help at work and he had several serious problems at work. His foot started hurting. He had no idea what it was. It took over a week to get rid of the problem.

Gout is a combination of factors, which when put together cause uric acid to form. So, the most contributing factors in order are: stress, hydration, and diet.

The way that we can effect the formation of uric acid is to control the things we CAN control. The #1 thing is diet.

The first time he got a clue he had gout, his big toe got so swollen and inflamed he couldn’t walk. My mom had been studying herbs at the time. When she got home she looked at the problem, did a little research and told him he had gout.

Remedy

The remedy was to drink a ton first, work on removing the stress. Then control the diet: removing meat, alcohol, white sugar. After all the studying he did on diet, he learned that it’s only 35% of the problem. He already did not eat meat. The other 65% of the cause is rooted in staying hydrated and limiting stress.

The book “Alkalize or Die: Superior Health Through Proper Alkaline-Acid Balance” taught my dad which foods are most acidic, contributing to the formation of uric acid. The Book “Think You’re Sick? You’re Just Dehydrated,” helped him understand the importance of hydration.

Tart cherry juice, pineapple & celery seed extract in capsule, burdock, fennel, sarsaparilla are all very helpful tools in keeping away gout. Essential oils that may be helpful are lemon essential oil in your water, 1-2 drops a couple times a day, geranium and Deep Blue (doTERRA’s soothing blend) rubbed on topically. And next in line are wintergreen and thyme diluted with carrier oil and applied topically.

When my dad feels gout coming on (it’s unmistakable-you can feel pain in the joint of the toe), the first thing he does is drink 3 glasses of pure water. He says that when you realize you have gout coming on, you can’t eat heavy meals. Eat light and drink tons for 2 days. He says a hydrated system does not allow uric acid to form in high enough proportions to cause the problems related to gout.

Most of us struggle with changing our lifestyle and breaking our addictions. Managing this condition definitely requires some discipline, but it is possible to do it comfortably with natural remedies.