Personalised, specialist-guided nutrition that works alongside your rheumatology and immunology treatment to help you feel and function better every day.
Living with a rheumatic or autoimmune condition affects more than your joints, it can influence your weight, your bones, your energy levels and how comfortable you feel from one day to the next. Our Dietetics & Nutrition department helps you eat in a way that supports your overall health while you continue your treatment with our rheumatology and immunology team.
Food is not a cure for autoimmune disease, and we will never tell you that changing your plate can replace your medicines. What good nutrition can do is help reduce mechanical strain on painful joints, protect your bones, keep common companions like diabetes and high cholesterol in check, and correct deficiencies that make you feel tired and unwell. Think of it as a supportive partner to your specialist care, not a substitute for it.
Every plan we make is built around you, your diagnosis, your medicines, your test results, your cultural food preferences and what is realistic for your daily life. We work in close step with your rheumatologist so that the advice you receive at the nutrition clinic fits neatly with the rest of your treatment.
We help you build everyday meals around whole grains, vegetables, fruit, pulses, healthy fats and adequate protein, patterns of eating (such as a Mediterranean-style diet) that research links with better general and joint health. This supports, but does not replace, the medicines that control your disease activity.
Extra body weight adds mechanical load to knees, hips and the spine and can worsen joint pain and fatigue. We create gradual, sustainable weight goals that ease pressure on your joints without leaving you under-nourished, which matters when your body is already dealing with inflammation.
Many rheumatic conditions, and some medicines like corticosteroids, raise the risk of thinning bones (osteoporosis). We make sure your diet supplies enough calcium, vitamin D and protein, and coordinate with your doctor on supplements, to help keep your bones as strong as possible.
People with rheumatic disease more often carry conditions like type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. We tailor your eating plan to help keep blood sugar, lipids and blood pressure in a healthier range, which also lowers strain on your heart and blood vessels.
A large part of your immune system lives around your gut. We encourage fibre-rich, varied eating that nurtures healthy gut bacteria, and help settle digestive side effects that some patients experience, as a gentle, supportive measure alongside your prescribed treatment.
Deficiencies in vitamin D, calcium, iron and vitamin B12 are common in rheumatic disease and can leave you tired, low and more prone to problems. We review your reports with your doctor and adjust your diet, and any supplements they advise, to bring these levels back on track.
Some treatments have important food and drink considerations, for example limiting alcohol and supporting folate intake with methotrexate, or watching salt and sugar while making sure you get enough calcium and vitamin D with steroids. We explain what to eat, what to be careful with and how to manage medicine-related side effects like nausea or appetite changes.
Your PRIC specialist may suggest this as part of your care if any of the following apply.
A detailed one-to-one review of your diagnosis, medicines, blood reports, weight history, eating habits and lifestyle, so your plan is built around your real situation rather than a generic diet sheet.
Practical, culturally familiar meal plans using everyday Punjabi and Indian foods, structured to support joint and general health while fitting your budget, routine and food preferences.
Realistic, step-by-step guidance to reach a healthier weight and reduce load on your joints, with regular follow-up so changes are gradual, safe and sustainable.
Focused advice on calcium, vitamin D and protein to help protect your bones, especially if you take steroids or have been told your bone density is low, coordinated with your rheumatologist's recommendations.
Tailored eating strategies for diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure so these conditions are managed hand-in-hand with your rheumatic disease rather than in isolation.
Diet adjustments to help correct deficiencies such as vitamin D, iron and B12, with clear guidance on any supplements your doctor prescribes and how to take them well.
Regular check-ins to track your progress, adapt your plan as your treatment or symptoms change, and keep your rheumatology team updated so your care stays joined up.
No, and we will always be honest with you about this. There is no diet that cures or reverses autoimmune or rheumatic disease, and nutrition is never a replacement for your prescribed medicines. What good nutrition can do is support your overall health, ease strain on your joints, protect your bones and help manage related conditions, all alongside your specialist treatment.
There are some important considerations. With methotrexate, for example, alcohol is usually limited and adequate folate matters, and with steroids it helps to watch salt, sugar and to support calcium and vitamin D. The right advice depends on your exact medicines and doses, so we tailor it to you and coordinate closely with your rheumatologist rather than giving blanket rules.
Yes. Deficiencies like low vitamin D, calcium, iron or B12 are common in rheumatic disease and can affect your energy and your bones. We review your reports with your doctor, adjust your diet to boost these nutrients, and guide you on any supplements your doctor prescribes so your levels improve safely.
No. We avoid extreme or fad diets, which can leave you under-nourished, something that is especially risky when your body is already coping with inflammation. Our approach is balanced, sustainable and built around familiar everyday foods you can realistically keep up.
Extra body weight adds mechanical load to weight-bearing joints like the knees, hips and spine, which can worsen pain and stiffness. Reaching a healthier weight, gradually and safely, reduces this pressure and often improves comfort and mobility, complementing the medicines that control your disease.
Because our nutrition service is part of the rheumatology and immunology centre, your care is joined up by design. Your dietitian works from your diagnosis, medicines and test results and shares your plan with your treating doctor, so everyone stays on the same page. If you are already a patient here, ask your specialist to guide you to the nutrition clinic.
Our dietetics & nutrition support works hand-in-hand with your rheumatology & immunology treatment. Book a consultation to get started.