For more youthful knee joints -- or anything that bends -- consider what's in your kitchen.

These six foods could be your best medicine: berries, ginger, avocado, flaxseeds, omega-3-rich fish, and soy. Research shows they help stifle joint-damaging inflammation, according to John La Puma, MD, author of ChefMD: The Big Book of Culinary Medicine.

On Your Menu
Try this joint-friendly daily meal plan: whole-grain cereal or oatmeal with berries for breakfast, a turkey and avocado sandwich or a soy burger for lunch, a handful of walnuts or flaxseeds for a snack, and wild salmon or tilapia for dinner. (Make this Asian Salmon with fresh ginger for extra anti-inflammatory action.)

More Picks (and Pans)
Some other diet do's -- and don'ts -- from La Puma (browse his book online):

• Make a fruit bowl . . . with orange and grapefruit chunks. Vitamin C can thwart cartilage loss and slow osteoarthritis progression. (Use this online tool to see which vegetables are top "C" picks.)
• Sip tea. It's chock-full of anti-inflammatory compounds. (Here's why green tea may be especially good.)
• Nix red meat, and skip the sugary and starchy stuff. Proinflammatory substances in these foods -- like saturated fats in red meat -- could spur joint pain or make it worse. (Here are some tips on getting off the cow.)

Living with osteoarthritis? Find out which types of exercise can help.

ChefMD's Big Book of Culinary Medicine. La Puma, J., New York: Crown Publishers, 2008.