I've been trying to find information on the web regarding an "anti-inflammatory" or "lupus" diet. There are a lot of books/thoughts/ideas out there but I wonder what's really working.
This is what I can surmise from a host of different sources:
Avoid the following- • the "nightshade" foods; potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant and peppers (though this is not substantiated by any real studies) • Refined, highly processed foods and oils • Excessive carbohydrates (sugar, grains & even fruit) • Alfalfa sprouts as their amino acid canavanine exacerbates lupus inflammations • salt (especially if you're on prednisone)
Increase your consumption of Omega-3 rich foods or add a supplement
I think the best diet is Meditteranean I eat fish like Wild Salmon @ least twice a week. Grain cereal & small amts of bread. No sugar or dairy. Minimum of meat, lean if I eat it at all. Beans & lots of fruits & organic veggies. Dr Weil has an anti-inflammatory diet on his web site & pyramid, I also drink 8-10 glasses of bottled water a day
I'm reading a book "The Lupus Recovery Diet" by Jill Harrington who got Lupus in remission & weaned off the Prednisone & all medication. i'm down to 3 mg of Prednisone/day from 1,000 mg. It took forever but I'm excited about hopefully weaning down or off ALL meds & I think diet & keeping stress under control works to put this Lupus in remission
From what I understand, prednisone (along with it's other lovely side-effects) can cause severe edema. Avoiding salt can help with the water gain and retention that can subsequently occur. Low sodium is also recommended for those who have kidney involvement for the same reason.
Mrs. Doolittle said:
So now you have me curious...why the salt, especially on prednisone?
I've seen that book and it is specifically what I was wondering about. I'm curious as to who on this forum may have tried it and whether or not it was effective. I'm wary of claims of "remission". Oftentimes I feel so desperate, that I'll throw away my money on a "cure" that doesn't help at all. I'm wondering if the simple guidelines and healthy choices are as effective as the claims made in the "Lupus Recovery Diet". If you do try it OC GAL, let me know how it works for you.
OC GAL said:
I think the best diet is Meditteranean I eat fish like Wild Salmon @ least twice a week. Grain cereal & small amts of bread. No sugar or dairy. Minimum of meat, lean if I eat it at all. Beans & lots of fruits & organic veggies. Dr Weil has an anti-inflammatory diet on his web site & pyramid, I also drink 8-10 glasses of bottled water a day
I'm reading a book "The Lupus Recovery Diet" by Jill Harrington who got Lupus in remission & weaned off the Prednisone & all medication. i'm down to 3 mg of Prednisone/day from 1,000 mg. It took forever but I'm excited about hopefully weaning down or off ALL meds & I think diet & keeping stress under control works to put this Lupus in remission
I've read about all of the books that are being referenced, but I'm wondering if they really work. I'm hoping to find people who have successfully tried them. I have Dr Hyman's book but I found the diet damn near impossible to follow. It was unrealistically restrictive. You mentioned that you tried it before. Why did you stop if it was working?
Hi there worshipgirl, You are right with alot of those foods arent good for Lupus, especially processed foods and too sugary. I was also told by my Rhuemy and family doctor to avoid any foods which have Mono Sodium Glutomate which is in a lot of processed and preserved foods like ready meals or chinese for extra colouring and flavouring. My local chinese man who cooks everything fresh knows about me not having MSG, and will cook chinese for me without it if i do have any chinese which isnt very often now. It is hard keeping to certain things though. I have also been diagnosed with Caeliacs which is a nightmare, gluton free and wheat free which is really hard to stick to sometimes, but i know if i dont i end up feeling a lot worse. I do slip up occasionally. Thankyou for letting me know about the salt with the prednisolone not that i would add salt to anything really, i have never really been bothered about salt, thank goodness. Whereas my husband will add it to most things he eats. I am a very bland eater, without the need for salts and peppers and any other condiments. Anyway thanks again, bye for now, love and hugs Astrid40xoxo
I have recently had extremely awful acid indigestion. I noticed it is worse after I eat things made from wheat flour. I never tested positive for allergies to wheat before, but figure my body is giving notice not to eat it.
Rob K said:
Try gluten free... u might be surprised.....won't make u worse. The extent of improvement is one of those "your mileage may vary"
I have given up the Nightshades, alcohol, sugar (for the most part), amongst other things, including most recently, wheat flour products. I wonder if I will have anything left I can eat by the end of my life.
LOL. I know what you mean! Do you feel better since you’ve eliminated them from your diet?
RJQ said:
I have given up the Nightshades, alcohol, sugar (for the most part), amongst other things, including most recently, wheat flour products. I wonder if I will have anything left I can eat by the end of my life.
Hi RJQ, I used to get that very badly, and was put onto antacids by my doctor, i have to take the antacids with certain medications as well, the doctor said that with some of the meds i must remember to take the antacids as they do affect the stomach badly. I have Caeliacs and havent long been diagnosed with this, so now i have to have gluton free and wheat free foods which i have found that helps so i agree with the person that said about having Gluton free in your diet, sometimes it doesnt taste great but at the same time, we have to make sacrifices for our health. I slip up sometimes and pay for it by the way i am feeling. I found a really lovely gluton free muffin the other day as the lady who owned the cafe also had Caeliac Disease, so that was a nice change to be able to find something to eat without gluton in it. It is hard to know what to do sometimes. Having acid reflux is not pleasant to say the least. Sometimes after taking my night medication i used to get it just as i was going to bed, now after being prescribed the antacid meds i feel alot better than i used to. Anyway good luck with that, take care, bye for now, love and hugs Astrid40xoxo
RJQ said:
I have recently had extremely awful acid indigestion. I noticed it is worse after I eat things made from wheat flour. I never tested positive for allergies to wheat before, but figure my body is giving notice not to eat it.
Rob K said:
Try gluten free... u might be surprised.....won't make u worse. The extent of improvement is one of those "your mileage may vary"
I take Prilosec before I take Prednisone to prevent ulcers. I take Maalox 1/2 hr before I take Cellcept 1000 mg.Had to stop Plaquenil it really upset my stomach even with antacids
I dont know...i am trying apple cider vinegar (with the mother) in 8 oz water before food....and I eat what I have after making the best (wholesome) foods I can afford. The diet that works for me, so far, is Crow and humble pie:
I pray before I eat and pray that what I eat be put to good use; I pray that everyone will have enough to eat and no one will be exploited because of a high demand for the food by people who have the money. I pray that no one will feel compelled to eat food they are not physically hungry for and no one will mistake food for comfort.
I 'm happy when I can feast on prayer and abstain from fear. and lots of water...
sorry for the weirdness...i had a very hard day: bladder infection, muscle spasm and not enough money to go buy the meds or the gas to drive to pharmacy...but i think I figured it out...just stressed...and sick.
I too think there is something to managing Lupus through change of diet and lifestyle. Recently, I began eating a bland diet, more brown rice, veggies, chicken (baked) and salads with more water based drinks (teas). Eating eggs is a big no no for me, I have known there is an allergy for me to this delicious food (drooling over the word) but every time I eat it, I go into a mini flare; headaches, numb feeling in the forehead and then long hives on my body from the inside out. So, I have just stopped eating the food.
I wish I could sort through the facts from the “opinions”. There’s so much contradictory information out there. It can be very confusing. Most doctors aren’t very helpful when it comes to diet. I feel like they just want to prescribe meds and send me on my way. sigh
I have also tried the lupus recovery diet and it made me look and feel better! It was quite hard to maintain and required a lot of discipline but it was worth the relief I got particularly from my joint pains.
OC GAL said:
I think the best diet is Meditteranean I eat fish like Wild Salmon @ least twice a week. Grain cereal & small amts of bread. No sugar or dairy. Minimum of meat, lean if I eat it at all. Beans & lots of fruits & organic veggies. Dr Weil has an anti-inflammatory diet on his web site & pyramid, I also drink 8-10 glasses of bottled water a day
I’m reading a book “The Lupus Recovery Diet” by Jill Harrington who got Lupus in remission & weaned off the Prednisone & all medication. i’m down to 3 mg of Prednisone/day from 1,000 mg. It took forever but I’m excited about hopefully weaning down or off ALL meds & I think diet & keeping stress under control works to put this Lupus in remission
It was quite hard to maintain and required a lot of discipline but it was worth the relief I got particularly from my joint pains.