Many of you know about the ongoing struggle I have been having after being diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer. Even before the cancer, I struggled with living a clean eating and healthy lifestyle to cope with the aspects of Systemic Lupus. Now sandwiched right before the cancer diagnosis was also a a diagnosis of Systemic Scleroderma which now labels me with a “mixed connective tissue disease“. Oh and by the way none of them have cures. This makes want to find a way to live even more healthy so I’ll be around for the cures!
Without going into a long story, many years ago after the Systemic Lupus diagnosis when I was in college and after 6 months of taking Progesterone and various other drugs, I went to my Rheumatologist (a fortunate recent referral and a truly great doctor and caring woman after several other doctors who really had no clue) and said I can’t live like this! The Progesterone had put almost 60 pounds on me, I could no longer play racquetball (something I did 3-4 times a week) or jog (something I did 5-7 times a week after being a cross country runner in high school).
This great and caring doctor sighed with relief and asked me to sit down so we could talk! Really, she just wanted to chat and chat we did for an hour and a half. I truly believe that she changed my life forever!
The first thing she did was refuse me a support group – I know that sounds strange, but she truly felt I was better off with my positive attitude working through the steps with guidance. Step 1 was to change my eating habits. Remember I was in college, always eating on the run from whatever vending machine was close and diet everything to keep from putting on any more weight. So, she had me write down my diet for a week and guess what? When you see it in writing you realize how much all those “a little here” and “a little there” things add up! After that realization was Step 2 – eliminate the “non food” items from my diet. She qualified these “non food” items as anything that didn’t have a direct receptor in the body. This included saccharin, aspartame, splenda, anything processed with ingredients the average person can’t pronounce and preserved in a box or a can. Below is the new food pyramid in an easy to read and follow format.
And here is an easy to follow breakdown!
It is a personal choice, but she also asked me to stay away from pork and shellfish – you know the bottom feeders of the world that will eat anything! As she put it, garbage in, garbage out via your kidneys and liver!
Step 3 was to get regular exercise, proper rest and meditation to care for my whole being. Oh and to avoid stress – yeah right in this world. Sound advice for anyone, healthy or not!
So, the bottom line is that you were given only one body and despite popular belief, it cannot be easily replaced and does require the proper fuel and rest to work properly. The easiest way is to start with a good diet.
I think your Dr. is right about the support groups, whether in person or online….I have disconnected myself from mine because I found they have brought me down ….little by little each day….
Thanks, it has worked for me. When I was originally diagnosed with the systemic lupus it was bad and they gave me 5-10 years life expectancy. Meeting that rheumatologist saved my life – really, I’m not being over dramatic. I could barely walk when I first went to her. With in weeks of changing the diet, I was doing 100% better. And that was 25 years ago. To look at me now no one knows I have anything wrong with me and I like it that way. I truly attribute it to the changing lifestyle and eating habits. LOL I’ll get off my soapbox now!
This was a fabulous post. I imagine we as a society would be 100% healthier is we could only give up the junk and eat the stuff our bodies really need.
You know I agree 100%!
I do eat pork and shellfish but meats make up less than 10% of my overall intake. Eliminating most processed foods is the most important of all.