One of the most difficult parts of having to live with gout is learning what you can and can not eat. Gone are the days of eating steak, oysters, and sausages. No more creamed spinach or buttered cauliflower either. It simply is not enough that you have to bear up under the pain of this condition, ou have to change what you eat as well! Here is a beginner's list of gout diet do's and don't's.

Gout food do's

Feel free to eat as many fruits as you can, particularly cherries and cherry juice, as they have been observed to lower uric acid levels in the blood. Fruits, some vegetables, whole grains and complex carbohydrates make up 40 percent of gout diets. Thirty percent of the gout sufferer's diet should come from fat, with only a third of that coming from animal fat. The final 30 percent of the diet should come in the form of protein. Soy, fish, poultry, and other lean meats are most highly recommended. All in all, the person with gout should be limited to about 1,600 calories depending on body frame type, according to leading dietitians.

These diets are made up of about 25% fat, 60% carbohydrate, and 15% protein. They encourage the intake of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and essential fatty acids found in foods like olive oil and salmon.

The hard part: Gout diet don'ts

This could arguably be the most unpleasant part of having gout. Red meat is off the menu for you. A steak, a juicy burger, or bacon is just not good for you. Likewise for shellfish, so no more of those baked oysters or mussels. Sausages, which are usually made of organ meat encased in intestine, are probably not a good idea. It is the same with kidney, liver, and other internal organs. Finally, beans, cauliflower, and spinach intake should all be reduced if not eliminated altogether.

Yes, it may sound like a lot but for people who know the agony of waking up in the middle of the night with their joints swollen to the size of softballs, it should be no big deal.

Another diet that falls into the superfood category is the cabbage soup diet. This one along with some other unadorned diets have originated supposedly from hospitals.

All of the various diets out there are either low carbohydrate in order to control insulin levels, low fat in hopes of cutting cholesterol and cardiovascular ailments, or low calorie for those impatient ones wanting instant gratification that cannot be maintained. These are all too restrictive and difficult to maintain for many people.