Lupus
Today I talk about my lupus history and why you don’t need a cure when you can simply heal from it. Our bodies heal naturally through rest, correct diet and exercise. I believe a raw vegan diet can do just that. My hair is a mess by the way.
_________________________________________
http://www.livingnutrition.com
Back in the Sun — No More Lupus!
My Story by Debbie Seliga
Living Nutrition Magazine vol. 5
I feel like a walking miracle! Not a day goes by without my taking time to to appreciate my self-healing body. I just completed my first healthy year after living for 19 years with lupus, a chronic condition which my doctors told me was medically incurable.
When I was 33 I began having health problems that seriously affected my life: fatigue, exhaustion, migraine headaches, rashes, skin lesions, sun sensitivity, hair loss, joint pain, and more. Previous to this I led an active lifestyle with my husband and two young sons, enjoying aerobics, running, swimming and skiing.
Doctors were amazed when they learned of all my symptoms — they said I looked like the picture of health. Examinations and tests proved unsuccessful in determining the cause of the problem. Two years later I saw a dermatologist (my 5th doctor) who diagnosed skin lesions on my scalp as a mild case of psoriasis. When a clump of hair the size of a silver dollar fell from the back of my head, I insisted on a biopsy. The results came back positive for “Discoid Lupus.” The doctor prescribed Prednisone and Placqanel, and explained that there is no cure nor any know cause for this condition.
After four months I decided to discontinue the medication because of the long-term effects. Staying out of the sun helped me the most, but that was not always possible. Thus, I applied sunscreen strength 50 daily, wore long sleeves, slacks and a hat outside. I sought to learn about lupus by joining the Lupus Foundation and reading on my own. Most people with lupus whom I met shared a common hopelessness about the “disease” and agony over the drug treatments.
My search for information lead me to a chiropractor trained in nutrition and the Bioenergetic Synchronization Technique. He encouraged me to give up red meat plus the “four whites”: salt, sugar, flour and dairy. He also introduced me to juicing and the principles of proper food combining. I made these changes and immediately my energy improved, headaches disappeared and other symptoms were lessened. This gave me new determination to find the missing pieces of the puzzle.
The more my body unclogged and cleansed, the better I felt. This motivated me to eat a vegetarian diet and then a vegan diet. I found that if I wavered from eating only the good foods my existing symptoms would become worse and past symptoms would return. While I felt much better, the sun still exacerbated my symptoms and the lupus still dictated my activities.
The summer of 1995 was the worst of my life. It was hot, humid and sunny and my symptoms suddenly became more severe than ever. I saw my rheumatologist for a complete work-up. She listened and examined me carefully, but all she could offer was prescription drugs. I went home scared and discouraged. The reality of the situation forced me to evaluate everything I was doing and why I felt so miserable. I decided my system still needed more cleansing, not toxic drugs.
That week I decided to exercise more frequently. I began by
walking every morning for for a half hour or more in the woods. During these walks I gained deeper insight into my health, and it became apparent that exercise helped my body process and remove toxins.
Later in 1995 my son Todd introduced me to the book, “Mucusless Diet Healing System” by Professor Arnold Ehret. It discusses the value of eating raw fruits and vegetables for conquering any illness. During the two weeks of following Ehret’s transitional diet I gained more energy and became symptom-free except for the sun sensitivity. The less cooked food and more raw food I ate the better I felt and more energy I had to resume an active life. I no longer had any doubts that I would be able to conquer the lupus. I was much better, even though the sun sensitivity remained.
During my long ordeal I always drew strength from my loving family’s support. Todd’s keen interests in completely overcoming his own health challenge (severe tendonitis) and fine tuning his raw food eating led him to find David Klein over the internet, and in the spring of 1997 Todd visited David in California. Todd’s experience with David’s valuable health mentoring led me to speak with David and then Roe Gallo. They offered welcome words of encouragement and new insight into the lupus. They explained that lupus symptoms are nothing more than indications of the body’s level of toxemia. I realized that I needed to eat 100% raw all of the time to allow my body to heal. This understanding gave me new emotional strength. It was time to end this journey with lupus.
I stopped polluting my body with sunscreen and began exposing my bare feet to the sun for five minutes each day, with encouraging results. In mid June 1997 I was feeling well and confident enough to try wearing shorts and a t-shirt. Walking outside, the sun rays hit my legs and gave me the most electrifying sensation of my life! The energy from the sun radiated throughout my body. From that feeling I knew I had conquered the lupus!
Today I continue to eat 100% raw fruits and vegetables and work at balancing and simplifying my life. Learning of “the 100% raw food solution” not only helped give me my life back, it has also given me a natural mind-body-spirit connection that is beyond description. At age 51 I am healthier and more energetic than at any other time in my life!
I swim, bicycle, hike, kayak and rollerblade with my family — in the sun!
I now live each new day more easily and joyfully.
by Debbie Seliga
_____________________________________
By Stacey Becker – Jan 13, 2009 3:11:27 PM
Several years ago I was diagnosed with lupus. I could barely get out of bed or walk, had a hard time holding a glass of juice due to joint pain, suffered from all over body muscle aches, endured a constant low grade fever, and itched uncontrollably on my arms with skin rash. I new my life, as I new it, was over. I was petrified.
On my first (and last) visit to the rheumatologist I asked what I could do to support my health or to avoid a worsening my lupus symptoms. She casually responded “Come back when you’re worse and I’ll put you on steroids”. Straining to get some kind of supportive information I mustered up a question about diet and if there were foods I should eat or avoid. Her response was, “continue to eat whatever you want, it won’t make a difference”.
After one more attempt at getting something useful to work with to help myself, I realized I was on my own dealing with lupus. In an internal fit of rage toward her cold, aloof attitude I decided right then and there that I would heal my lupus, (with the added bonus to never endure the presence of that ‘specialist’ again). I did. I don’t have lupus anymore.
As someone who has healed Lupus, I often get asked about the importance of diet. Many people tell me that their doctor also told them diet doesn’t matter. To that I ask you to consider does what you eat matter even when you are healthy? Of course it does, and it’s far more important when you’re suffering from ill health!!
In fact, diet matters so much that there are many testimonies of others who have completely healed from a lupus diet alone. Other common serious issues diet has been responsible for reversing also include fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, M.S., migraines, allergies and asthma to name just a few.
Your diet is a powerful foundation for you to work from to support your health, reduce inflammation and pain, and provide your body with what it needs to begin to heal. (For more information on my story, and other modalities of healing such as supplements and energy medicine in addition to an essential lupus diet, please visit my site listed below).
Below are the top 7 lupus diet do’s and lupus diet don’ts you need to know to support your healing.
The 7 Top Lupus Diet Don’ts
Do not drink alcohol, pop (a.k.a. soda for those in the U.S.!), energy drinks, or other ‘acidic’ non-healthy drinks, including treated or public drinking water facilities.
Do not eat processed foods, or foods with unhealthy preservatives such as MSG (which include most foods in the center isles of big box food chains).
Do not eat red meat. A little fish such as salmon is great, and chicken. For some even these may trigger flares, so be cognisant of how it makes you feel.
Avoid fatty foods, (such as mono saturated fats, trans-fats, saturated fats, and some polyunsaturated omega 6 fats) found in commonly baked, fried and junk foods.
Avoid the 4 white foods, including salt, sugar, white flour (refined carbohydrates and starches) and dairy.
Avoid spicy foods. Spices are known to trigger flares.
Avoid artificial sweeteners. These are toxic and by many believe it to even induce disease (I agree). There is no viable reason to use this product and they do not help you lose weight.
The 7 Top Lupus Diet Do’s
Eat a diet that mostly consists of simple, natural whole foods such as fruits and vegetables in its raw form.
Eat easy to digest foods, such as soaked almonds, soups, fruit/veggie smoothies, and salads based on natural, raw ingredients.
Be sure to drink at least 8 glasses of water throughout the day. This supports the elimination of toxic build up in the body, and a faulty digestive process common with lupus sufferers.
Support your body by supplementing with digestive enzymes and probiotics. Most lupus patients are not absorbing their food and nutrients properly and need extra enzymes to support the healing process.
You must consume enough essential fatty acid (EFA’s), or supplement with it. This will support you in reducing inflammation and therefore reducing pain and avoiding flares.
Avoid foods that cause food sensitivities or allergies. You must be tested for this in order to be sure of your bodies specific needs. Some tests do not indicate food sensitivities (such as to sugar, salt, etc.), so keep a journal of your body’s reactions to foods.Eat a varied diet, rich with alkaline, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory foods. Always clean your food well, (including organic foods).
The above lists are the foundational principles your diet for lupus must follow. There are many, many other specifics of a lupus diet and nutrition that can and will support your body’s homeostasis and the healing process.
As you’ve possibly experienced, your doctor is not going to provide you with a healing regime so you must find your way to learning how to work with your body in a healing crisis. There are many, many answers that will support you in reducing your lupus symptoms, even reversing them altogether. Your diet for lupus should be the first line of defense.
Some of the benefits you will soon experience from a lupus diet include:
Reduced inflammation, pain and swelling
Decreased muscle pain, tissue damage and strain on organs
Significantly increased energy and stamina
Increased mobility
Reduced body fat
Relief of constipation, bloating and irregularities
Improved memory and cognitive functioning
… To name just a few!
There is no question what we eat affects how we feel physically, emotionally and spiritually, and how well our immune system functions in order to help us heal. Support yourself with highly nourishing foods that work with your body and immune system, not against it. A car can run on dirty oil only so long before it burns out. Don’t let that happen to your body.
The body is better able to heal itself when you eat foods that support the immune system and the healing process, and avoid food that interferes with it.
Remember, healing lupus is possible.
Reference: Stacey Becker is the author of “I Don’t Have Lupus Anymore”, at http://www.Healing-Lupus.com It is a true story about how she (and others) healed Lupus. The book is a practical guide with a holistic approach to healing that addresses: The best diet for Lupus with Lupus diet do’s and don’ts, nutrition, supplements, stress, common (and uncommon) Lupus questions and answers, self-healing strategies including meditation and visualization, the power of intention, faith, plus many other important factors helpful in reversing disease through natural means.
Stacey’s message is one of hope, since Lupus sufferers who ask their doctors “how to cure lupus” are offered no hope for a cure. Visit her site for a free e-Course on how to empower your health if you or a loved one has Lupus.
For a consultation on how you can improve your lupus symptoms or support a loved on with lupus, please feel free to email after visiting my site listed above.
