I am What I Eat?

The more reading I do, the more I come to realize food plays an important role in how I'm feeling.  The truth is that I'd pretty much figured this out before the diagnosis and had been struggling to make sense of what worked.

Here's where the conflict comes.  The farther you stray from reputable web sources (i.e. the LFA, NIH or similar sites), the wilder the claims.  'You can be CURED!' by becoming a strict vegan.  Give up all things white in your diet and the Lupus will go away.  Hop on one foot during the new moon while patting your tummy and the Lupus will be a memory.

You get the picture.  The last LFA web teleconference I was on, Dr. Philip L. Cohen, M.D., Rheumatology Section Chief, Temple University School of Medicine, said something that stuck with me.  While the person who suffers from Lupus has basic similarities, the symptoms and treatments can vary wildly because there are 30 to 40 genes that contribute to this disease.  Not all the genes have to be triggered to bring on the symptoms, but it certainly makes the diagnosis and treatment difficult.


Back to my dilemma with food.  I am convinced that my diet affects how I feel.  I'm seeking out everything that I can find that will give me a direction.  People I know that have walked this road before me have chosen a vegan life-style, which seems to be working for them. 


I enjoy food, I enjoy cooking. (which would explain my voluptuous figure.)


I'm finding the less processed food, more fresh I eat, the less tired I feel.  I also have less soreness.  Of course, it doesn't help that I tend to be a stress eater.  Which I've been working on.  


Fortunately, I have a palate that enjoys all kinds of food.  More importantly, I need to figure out how to make sure that I'm meeting my nutritional needs while managing this disease.  


Stay tuned as I figure out what works for me.