When you have lupus it is very important to watch what you eat. So many things we love to eat can cause a flare up for us Lupies! I did not believe this until I started a food journal. I wrote everything I ate in a day, and documented how I felt at night. I did this for one month with out changing my diet.
The next month, I started weaning myself off of refined sugars, and caffeine. I noticed a huge difference just by cutting sugars out. It was hard. I use to smoke, and I gave that habit up 3 and a half years ago. Sugar and caffeine (I believe) are harder to give up than nicotine. Sugars aren’t thought as of dangerous. We don’t see people in the hospital hooked to ventilators do to everyday consumption of sugar.
I had to train my mind to view Sugar as straight acid. I started weaning myself off sugar very gradually. Instead of a cup of sugar in a pitcher of tea, I knocked it down to a ¼ cup. Now after several weeks I don’t add any tea to my favorite beverage at all. When I want a sweet drink I drizzle a teaspoon of honey on my ice. It was a big adjustment for me.
I still occasionally have a soda. Sometimes nothing beats a hot dog and a Pepsi.
My next goal is to wean myself off of whole grains. We eat a lot of whole grain pasta, and bread. I found out at my last appointment that my bodies needs complex grains such as pumpernickel bread. I don’t believe we should cut whole grains out of our diets, but I do believe that I should cut back on my intake. Our bodies break down whole grains, and they turn to sugar in our body, the more complex the grains are, the harder it is for our bodies to break down, so it doesn’t turn into pure sugar. So I can enjoy the things I want to eat more.
If you would like to learn more about foods and lupus I suggest this site
This is what that site had to say about food that causes lupus flare ups.
alfalfa sprouts (have been scientifically proven to actually induce a flare up)
Research has shown a diet low in bad fats (trans- and saturated fats) and low in calories in general leads to a reduction in lupus symptoms and flare-ups. Patients experienced extended periods of remission
Consume a diet that emphasizes natural, whole foods such as legumes, soy products, fresh fruit and vegetables, fish, healthy fats and oils to increase Omega-6 intake and nuts and seeds. Eat plenty of cold-water fish (halibut, herring, salmon, mackerel; canned sardines in olive oil are especially beneficial as they are high in Omega-3 EFA), which can keep inflammation down.
- Many lupus patients find that a great natural cure to reduce lupus flare ups is to exclude refined foods from the diet, most notably white sugar, salt, white flour, white pasta, and dairy.
- It is also believed that eating a diet that reduces acidity in the body is an effective home remedy to lupus flare ups.
- To reduce acid in the body, include plenty of fruits, lean protein, ginger, garlic and vegetables.
