Lupies: Don't fear the natural immune boosters!

There was back in the day support for the raw food diet. Who knew?

When your doctors tell you that your chronic autoimmune illness symptoms are due to your immune system attacking you, they are only partially right. And yes, I'm taking a bit of a break from writing strictly about Lupus love to send a message to all the chronic autoimmune illness sufferers out there. Well, honestly though, I do love Lupus and the author of “Goodbye Lupus” for teaching me this. So, I guess it's still about that Lupus Love. Anyway, here's the thing:

When you have a chronic illness/autoimmune disease, your immune system is sick. That's why it has no idea how to function. When you take immune system suppressant drugs they do work, though, right? Your inflammation decreases. Your pain decreases, etc. That's because they calm down your sick immune system to keep it from slapping you around. But what a lot of doctors, yes, even your rheumatologist, don't know is that there is a better way.

Now granted, I'm not a medical doctor. I'm not telling you to stop taking your prescribed meds in any way. I'm not trying to replace your doctor. What I am telling you is that when you take immune suppressants and avoid nutrients that boost your immunity at the same time, you are very effectively killing yourself. For real, you guys. Check this out.

This is my understanding of the issue. There are certain foods/nutrients that keep your immune system functioning properly. When those things are missing from your diet, things go very, very wrong. Your sick immune system starts attacking everything instead of just the “baddies.” And that, my friends is where autoimmune disease comes from.

Oh, the tendencies can be inherited for sure. Although, it isn't clear whether this is due to genes or family eating habits and lifestyles. And once you're already sick, it is absolutely necessary to take those immune suppressants, at least at first. However, it's extremely important (and the only way to get off the meds) that along with following your doctor's orders, you make absolutely sure that you are getting all the highly nutritional, pure immune boosters you possibly can.

So, while it may seem counterproductive to consume foods that boost immunity while taking immune suppressing drugs, doing so will actually, gradually help your immune system to heal so that it is no longer attacking your body. And when that happens, you will no longer need the drugs. And as long as you continue eating healthy, immune supportive foods, which should be for the rest of your life, you will be healed, that is, if healing is even a vague possibility for you.

I say that because for a small portion of people, there may be no turning back. However, you can still feel better and prolong your life by boosting your immunity, regardless of whether you will ever be cured completely.

Immune suppressant drugs are a deceptive band-aid, although they do work in the short term and can save your life in an extreme flare. However, nutrient dense foods (and an active lifestyle) are the real cure.

In other words, don't sit on your butt all day, downing whatever your doctor prescribes without a second thought or a minute of independent research, gorging on fast food and high fat, cholesterol loaded main dishes and high calorie snacks, feeling sorry for yourself, afraid to eat anything that might jump start your immune system.

Because it won't work. It's not a cure. It's may make you feel better for the moment, but it will make you much sicker in the long run.

How do I know this? Well, again, I am no doctor/nutritionist, however, I have spent the last 40 + years actively studying nutrition. This knowledge has also come about through my personal journey to better health, combined with advice from two physicians who have backgrounds in nutrition, one of whom cured her own extremely aggressive Lupus with diet.

Now, about that personal experience. I am in what I have dubbed “Phase 2” of bettering my health. I was already going vegan. Now I'm introducing some foods and supplements that are extremely nutrient dense, a little at a time. As time goes by and my diet and lifestyle change helps me more and more, I'm confident that I will be able to “go all the way” and heal myself.

You may wonder why I don't just do that now? Well, it's pretty simple, really. By introducing these super nutrients at a slower rate, my immune system is not crazy powerful at a time when it's still attacking my system. And yet, I'm still sending it healing help, so that this will eventually not be an issue.

And it's working. Right now, I'm taking 10,000 units of vitamin D3 daily, plus, adding chlorella, spirulina, chia seeds, flaxseed and a “Super Greens” multivitamin/mineral powder supplement to my morning fruit and veggie smoothie. I have almost completely eliminated two of my most annoying symptoms (acid reflux and extreme fatigue) by doing just this, combined with eating a healthy, balanced, vegan diet the rest of the day and moving a little more.

I also drink a chai tea with fresh pressed ginger every morning. I avoid processed foods like the plague and I drink a crap ton of filtered water. A gallon a day, at least.

My next step is going completely raw vegan and adding even more anti-oxidant, nutrient dense food to my plate. Now, I know, you guys. There are no guarantees in life. I may be saddled with Lupus forever. That's absolutely true. However, these changes are already improving my life, my health and my chance of survival. And that alone is good enough for me.

I see many of my fellow sufferers being put on medicine after medicine that bring about horrendous side effects and only partially work anyway. My docs were doing the same, albeit out of true concern. It's not their fault. It's how they were taught. They are, after all, only required to take 20-25 hours of nutritional training. I harbor no ill will toward them. I feel they are genuinely trying to help me.

But these changes I mentioned and that I am engaged in making, have completely cured many people much worse off than me of their autoimmune diseases. For instance, the doctor who wrote the book I just read (and many of her readers and patients) have now gone completely off their meds with no negative results or backslides/further flares. The doctor herself has been Lupus free now for 10 years. And her Lupus was much more progressive than mine.

Anyway.... If you are suffering from an auto-immune disease, your immune system is not functioning properly. It needs to be constantly overfed. You need more nutrients than the average person because before your body can benefit from them, your immune system needs to heal. Which may be just the opposite of what your doctor tells you. So take the vitamins and mineral supplements. Eat the nutrient dense food.

Please, do whatever is in your power to heal your broken system so that it stops attacking you!

I know that I'm glad I do this every day. Out of all my sick friends, I am the healthiest one. I know. It sounds funny/strange, right? But in all seriousness, what I am doing is working, slowly but surely. I want it to work for you too. Good nutrition is never harmful and it just might be the proactive answer to your prayers. So why not try?

You know all that crap you eat is killing you anyway, immune disease aside. So why not love yourself enough to stop eating it and start giving your body what it needs to both heal and thrive? You deserve a better, healthier life. We all do.

So, thanks Lupus, for teaching me something about healing that will help not only me, but my friends as well. Because, Lupus or not, we all can benefit from a healthy, high nutrient diet, right? Too bad it sometimes takes a huge wake up call to realize that.