If you are possibly at risk for gout, that New Year resolution could have you wondering what foods are best to avoid and best to target. When trying to grab something to eat after a long day of shopping at the Jacksonville Town Center or enjoying Historic San Marco, you want to make sure you picking the right foods for yourself.   Gout is a disease which involves swelling, redness, and pain in the joints, usually in your big toe, foot, ankle or heel. Attacks of gout flare up quickly -- within a day -- but usually last no longer than a week. Gout is most common in middle-aged and older men, although it can also be seen in women after they have gone through menopause. In each case, age and genetics are factors.   Another issue, which can increase ones predisposition to gout, is diet. For this reason Hippocrates, an ancient Greek physician, called gout "the disease of kings". In Hippocrates's day, kings were the only ones wealthy enough to eat the rich foods that cause gout.   In an old episode of King of the Hill, Bobby (a middle-school aged boy) contracts gout after eating the wrong kind of food.   If you are at risk for gout, here are some foods to limit or avoid:

• Shellfish
• Liver
• Alcohol -- especially beer
• Fructose -- sweetener in soda

To help lower your risk of gout target:

• Coffee
• Concentrated cherry

Overall, reducing calories will help reduce ones risk for gout attacks. If you think you may have gout, consult with Dr. Vimal Reddy at First Coast Foot & Ankle Clinic for more treatment and prevention tips.