This time 8 years ago my life changed forever when I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.
In my mid 30’s, I started having pain in my fingers and wrists upon waking.
Over the next few months, the pain became severe and left me waking up at night with my hands in a locked position, fingers stiff and swollen.
It migrated to my toes and neck. It would hurt to check my blind spot when driving, I couldn’t cut hard vegetables or open jars due to the pain and limited function and I was so tired all the time.
I would come home from work and fall onto the couch exhausted. I wasn’t able to continue my usual activities due to swelling, pain, fatigue, and an overwhelming sense of malaise.
Diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis
In May 2012, I walked out of a rheumatologists office with a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis.
Rheumatoid Arthritis is an autoimmune disease that is considered incurable in conventional medicine. It starts by affecting certain joints in the body and can lead to permanent disfigurement with vast physical limitations, and if left untreated, even death.
Best prognosis – I was to be on a drug called Methotrexate for the rest of my life and hopefully my symptoms wouldn’t progress.
It felt like the ground had dropped out from beneath me. I had two small kids at home, was teaching full-time, and the best outcome presented to me was to be on a powerful immune suppressant drug for the rest of my life. ⠀
There was some hope that the medication would reduce swelling, improve function, and reduce the pain but it was never going to go completely away.⠀
It could also get worse. Much worse. ⠀
I went to an information day on rheumatoid arthritis at the hospital and was presented with various types of splints, mobility aids, and other options for medications that I could try if Methotrexate didn’t work. ⠀
I had to get my liver tested bimonthly to make sure it was functioning adequately since the drugs caused liver damage. ⠀
I remember feeling despair, helpless, and being terrified.⠀
I had been active and healthy my whole life so how did I get rheumatoid arthritis? ⠀
My doctor couldn’t answer that question, neither could my rheumatologist.
It wasn’t until I turned to alternative and functional medicine that I found out the root cause AND how to get better. ⠀
It’s been 8 years since I was diagnosed and I’m so happy to say that I’m medication free, feel my best, and am present and energized for my girls. ⠀
I’m sharing this because it hasn’t been an easy journey and it’s easy to forget how far I’ve come. ⠀
Of course, I couldn’t have gotten here without the unwavering love, support, and belief from my husband, Brad. ⠀
Looking back, getting that diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis was one of the best things in my life. It was the catalyst for a major life u-turn that has given me my life back and taken me in new directions I never dreamt were possible. ⠀
Thank you to all my family and friends for your love and support and for being my biggest cheerleaders! ⠀
My journey continues onwards and upwards. ⠀
As promised, here’s an outline of what I did to reverse my diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis.
Here’s What I Did…
Essentially, I took back my health by becoming educated, empowered, and an advocate for myself.
I followed my doctor’s recommendations for 3 weeks.
Then I stopped.
The medication was giving me terrible side effects. I was even more tired and my symptoms were still present.
I went off the medication (much to the dismay of my doctor) and followed my intuition that there were other ways to heal myself.
I changed my diet.
I started a daily meditation practice.
I eased off the gym.
I worked with a bioenergy healer.
I read, researched, and applied.
I fixed my digestion.
I did functional lab testing.
I loved my liver and worked on detoxifying.
I put myself first and changed my story.
I developed a passion for holistic health.
I started to see very good results.
Within 18 months, I was back at the gym lifting weights, feeling more like myself. I didn’t need to nap after work AND my pain, swelling, stiffness, fatigue, and limitations were 80% gone.
Not only was my health back on track but I was fuelling my new passion.
I went back to school to study Functional Diagnostic Nutrition and began working with others facing similar circumstances.
I became a certified Bioenergy and PEMF therapy Practitioner.
I dove deep into the world of quantum physics and have been practicing many nature-based strategies that have brought me to a new level, both in my health and life, that I would never have imagined possible.
I sleep well.
I digest well.
I have consistent energy.
I wake up happy each morning.
And I am pain-free.
The First Pillar of Change: Diet
Although we each have a genetic profile that plays a major role in what foods our bodies can metabolize, digest, absorb and eliminate, there are some basic guidelines that will help you as you strive for good health.
Firstly, food is information.
Each food has a different blueprint.
Everything you eat and drink influences your body. You break the food down in your digestive system which is then either absorbed or eliminated. Within hours whatever you’ve eaten is replacing cells somewhere in your body.
At the time of my diagnosis, I was eating a whole-grain vegetarian diet with a little fish and dairy added in. From the magazines, books, media channels, and people I talked to, I thought this was a very healthy diet.
As I dove into studying holistic nutrition, I was shocked to find out about the inflammatory effects of gluten and dairy and removed them from my diet.
This was a huge lifestyle change and it took me quite a while to completely remove them (they are prevalent in many sauces, salad dressings, marinades, packaged foods, etc.) I believe that these two foods should be eliminated for at least 3 months in anyone with chronic inflammation (any diagnosis ending in -itis, like rheumatoid arthritis, which is Latin for inflammation) or suffering from chronic symptoms.
Why?
Modern wheat is not what our grandparents and great-grandparents ate. What we are eating today is scientifically engineered wheat which is heavily sprayed with glyphosate, a known toxic pesticide. Gluten is also one of the most common food sensitivity.
The bread you buy at the grocery store has three times the gluten which leads to tremendous inflammation with both biological and psychological consequences.
According to Dr. Kelly Brogan, who studied System Neuroscience at M.I.T., graduated from Cornell University Medical College and completed her psychiatric training and fellowship at NYU Medical Center:
“Gluten can be a brain and body poison. Its havoc begins in the gut, where it promotes intestinal permeability by upregulating a compound called zonulin. Gluten’s ‘sticky’ attribute interferes with the breakdown and absorption of nutrients, which leads to poorly digested food that can then sound the alarm on the immune system, which results in an assault on the lining of the small intestine and more inflammation.”
Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity
Many people don’t think they have gluten sensitivity because they don’t experience what they think are the classic digestive symptoms of gluten intolerance, such as:
- bloating
- nausea
- diarrhea
- constipation
- intestinal distress
But, that’s not the case for some people, myself included. According to Dr. David Perlmutter a renowned neurologist and author of the New York Times Bestseller, Grain Brain: an estimated 99 percent of people whose immune systems react negatively to gluten don’t even know it.
Professor Marios Hadjivassiliou, one of the most well-respected researches in the area of gluten sensitivity and the brain states, “gluten sensitivity can be primarily, and at times, exclusively, a neurological disease.”
In other words, people with gluten sensitivity can have issues with brain function without having any gastrointestinal symptoms whatsoever.
Insight: I walked around for most of my life in a chronic state of brain fog. I even went to get an MRI of my brain because I knew that something was wrong. The amount of brain fog I had and the inability to get a word I was thinking to my mouth was a constant issue until I removed gluten from my diet.
Following a gluten-free diet can be very challenging and it takes time to adjust to it. But, the elimination of gluten for a prolonged period has shown significant health benefits in people with autoimmune diseases, such as:
- enhanced digestion
- increased vitality and energy
- clearer focus
- improved cognitive function
- stable moods
- improved chronic issues
- reduced inflammation
- diminished pain
Once I established those changes, I adopted the Paleo diet. This gave me a framework for removing some of the most highly allergic or sensitive foods which contributed to the healing of my gastrointestinal tract.
Paleo at a Glance
|
EAT PLENTY OF… |
AVOID… |
|
Vegetables |
Processed foods |
|
Wild fish, seafood, game |
Refined sugar |
|
Grass-fed/pastured meats |
Legumes & soy |
|
Pastured eggs |
Grains |
|
Healthy fats |
Dairy |
|
Fruits |
|
|
Nuts & seeds |
The philosophy of the Paleo diet is to eat only foods that were available to our hunter and gatherer ancestors thousands of years ago during the Paleolithic Age. Processed foods, refined grains, cereals, bread, and more are eliminated, and instead, your plate is filled with fresh whole foods such as vegetables, meats, nuts, seeds, and fruits.
As I experienced the positive effects of the Paleo diet, I decided to support my body by adopting the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol, often referred to as AIP. I did this for a few months and it definitely sky-rocketed my healing and I can still remember how amazing I felt on it.
It’s not easy but if you’re struggling with an autoimmune disease, you may want to give it a try.
Currently, I eat what Dr. Mark Hyman refers to as a “Pegan” diet. Although I can now eat dairy, and other grains (except gluten) moderately, I feel my best eating this way.
My take on ‘Pegan’ nutrition looks like:
- Avoiding refined sugar
- Filling my plate with whole, fresh plants
- Enjoying fruits when in season
- Avoiding foods that are GMO’d, sprayed with pesticides, full of antibiotics, and hormones.
- Eating a good amount of healthy fats
- Staying far away from industrial seed oils
- Avoiding or limiting dairy
- Avoiding gluten
- Eating grains sparingly
- Enjoying legumes once in a while
- Seeing meat as a side dish
- Eating pasture-raised meat
- Selecting wild fatty fish
- Eating local seafood
- Eating seasonal and local foods
The key here is to eliminate foods that are causing you inflammation and damage and replace them with nourishing, nutrient-dense whole foods.
Your body is dynamic and ever-changing so don’t be discouraged that you’ll have to eat a certain way for the rest of your life. Most people can reintroduce certain foods as their body heals.
If you’re struggling with chronic symptoms or have been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, don’t be discouraged. Nutrition can have a significant impact on your body, you just have to figure out what works best for you.
Working with a practitioner and doing some functional lab testing can help to determine which diet may be best for you. The following nutritional programs have had great results for people dealing with chronic symptoms:
- Autoimmune Paleo (AIP)
- Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD)
- Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS) Diet
- The Elemental Diet
- The Wahls Protocol
- The Plant Paradox
- The Mediterranean Diet
- The Paleo Diet
- The Ancestral Diet
- FODMAPs
If you’re not sure what’s affecting you, try a food sensitivity test like the Cyrex Food Sensitivity test or do an elimination diet for 30 days.
Take each stage as it comes. Listen to your body, tune it, and pay attention. If you’re craving sugar, cookies and muffins, need coffee throughout the day or anything other foods that you depend on the get you through the day, see those as imbalances talking.
Keeping a journal of what you’re eating, your lifestyle habits, and the symptoms that you’re experiencing is a fantastic way to begin seeing the bigger picture.
I created a Food, Symptom & Lifestyle Journal which you can get by clicking here.
Stay tuned for Part II where I discuss how I shifted my mindset and what practices I incorporated to reduce stress and calm my nervous system.
