Water

• Drinking plenty of water is essential in treating many ailments, including gout. How much should you drink? A good guideline is to take your current weight and convert it to ounces. For example, if you weigh 130 pounds pretend you weight 130 ounces. Next, divide that number in half to get 65. This number means that a 130-pound person should drink a minimum of 65 ounces, or approximately eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day. Drinking this amount gives the body several advantages. First, water flushes the system clean, removing toxins. Second, it dilutes the amount of uric acid in the body. Third, it increases body excretions. Pay close attention to the color of your urine. If it is a dark color or bright yellow, then you need to drink more water. Your urine should be pale yellow, if not clear.
  
  

Cold Baths

• In treating gout it is essential that all excretory organs in the body are working. The largest organ of the human body, excretory or otherwise, is the skin, and cold baths are an excellent way of waking it up and stimulating it into action. The water should be cool to cold but not freezing. While you are in the water, gently massage the gout-afflicted areas; the cold water will relieve some of the pain. For additional relief, pour some Epsom salts in the bath. These will help reduce the pain as your skin absorbs the extra magnesium.
  
  

Berries

• Eat plenty of strawberries, blueberries and cherries. They are known to help neutralize uric acid levels in the body. Drinking the juices of these berries will work as well, but make sure they are organic and do not contain added sugar. Grains, seeds and nuts also have a similar effect.
  
  

Exercise

• Try to exercise your joints at least two times daily. This will help strengthen the muscles in the surrounding area, making them less vulnerable to pain. Apply ice to the gout-afflicted areas if exercise is too painful.