Healing Lupus Diet

One of the basic principles of natural medicine states, “All disease must be treated at the root.”  I have yet to find a disease or ailment this did not apply to.  However, so much of what allopathic medicine promotes is pharmacies full of drugs that “control symptoms” and doesn’t actually address the root cause of the problem. Although these pharmaceutical drugs can temporarily make life more comfortable, they don’t cure the disease with this band-aid style treatment.

Lupus is one of those conditions in which allopathic medicine strives to control it’s symptoms.  Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disorder that currently affects over 1.5 million Americans, most of which are women.  When someone battles with Lupus, their immune system begins to attack their own tissues, not just foreign invaders as it was designed to do.

The Devastation of Inflammation

Many of Lupus’ symptoms are caused by the extreme amount of inflammation. Inflammation is used to bring healing quickly to an injured area. But, when the inflammation becomes chronic, as with Lupus, it begins to destroy tissue and damages the body. This inflammation is a response brought about by the extreme autoimmune reaction in the body.

Lupus has no known exact cause.  Diagnoses is typically based a combination of both symptoms and blood work.  The most common lupus symptoms include:

• Rashes (particularly, a butterfly rash on the face)
• Poor kidney function
• Arthritis
• Heart and lung inflammation
• Positive blood tests like the ANA (antinuclear antibody)
• Low blood cell count, low white blood cells or low platelets
• Anemia

Steroids are usually involved for treating Lupus because they lower the body’s immune system response. Since Lupus is an autoimmune disorder, this can help stop the body from attacking itself.  Unfortunately, this is a temporary solution and, again, doesn’t treat the root cause.  The use of steroids also comes with a plethora of side-effects, some of which include:

• Weight gain
• Acne
• Insomnia
• Irritability
• Increase in cholesterol and blood pressure
• Susceptibility to diseases and ailments due to lowered immunity
• Osteoporosis

Millions of people suffering with Lupus are left believing that steroids are their only option.  They put up with the side-effects because they believe this is their only option.  I am here to tell you that chronic inflammation can be stopped in a safer, more natural way!  And it starts with what you put in your mouth!

The Leaky Gut Connection

Around 12 years ago, I began to hear the term “leaky gut” being used in correlation with health conditions like ADD and Autism.  Then as the years passed, testimonies of “leaky gut” causing  more than psychological issues began to circulate in natural medicine health circles.  It has now been suggested that this severe digestive disturbance is a major factor in autoimmune disorder like Lupus.  Other conditions associated with Leaky Gut Syndrome include:

• IBS
• Crohn’s Disease
• Celiac Disease
• Arthritis
• Fibromyalgia

I personally believe that the majority of people suffering with Lupus have Leaky Gut Syndrome.  And if they didn’t begin with it, they will likely develop it due to years of inflammation and pharmaceutical drug use.

When you understand what a leaky gut does to the body, it makes a lot sense that it is a large contributing factor.  Our intestines are meant to be a barrier that protects microbes, undigested food and toxic chemicals from entering into our bloodstream and circulating through the body. But when the intestines become inflamed, Leaky Gut Syndrome begins and sets off an immune system response.

This inflammation of the gut can be caused by:

• Parasites
• Ingesting toxic chemicals
• Improper bacteria in the gut
• Antibiotic use
• NSAID drugs
• Food allergies
• High sugar intake
• Intestinal infections
• Chronic candida overgrowth

Once the intestines are inflamed, the mucosal wall is damaged and becomes permeable.  This allows the microbes, food particles and toxic chemicals to pass through the wall and out into the bloodstream.  Hence the name, Leaky Gut Syndrome.

The body sees these particles as foreign invaders and the immune system goes to work. Inflammation is the autoimmune response and causes even more stress on your system.  The little battles are starting to be ignored, like filtering out the blood, calming inflamed areas of the body, fighting bacteria, regulating the gut, etc.  This process flow can lead to your body fighting itself and an array of autoimmune disorder such as Lupus. Inflammation, allergic reactions and psychological issues can result from this internal poisoning.  The good news?

Leaky Gut can be healed and it’s symptoms along with it! Treating Leaky Gut is a multi-faceted approach that requires many different pieces of the puzzle to fall into place.  If each one is utilized, the holes in the sinking ship will plug up and allow the body to return to a more normal state.

Because so much of Lupus is rooted in inflammation, healing the gut can result in giant steps towards a resolution of it’s symptoms! Here are a few of the most agreed upon avenues for healing Leaky Gut and reversing Lupus!

Healing Leaky Gut

Books that address healing Leaky Gut such as, Gut and Psychology Syndrome by Dr. Natasha  Campbell-McBride, have taken the nation by storm.  This GAPS (Gut And Psychology Syndrome) diet has become the saving grace for thousands suffering with Leaky Gut and many of it’s accompanying conditions.

I have seen the GAPS diet change the lives of people suffering from things as simple as eczema and allergies to more intense ailments like inflammatory bowel disease, fibromyalgia and Lupus.  The results can truly be amazing! However, the principles must be adhered to rigorously over a period of 6 months to 2 years, depending on the severity of the condition.

There are other diets targeted towards healing the gut.  Many of them contain the same principles as the GAPS diet and are designed to soothe an inflamed intestinal tract.  I don’t advocate that GAPS is the only path towards healing.  But my mantra is that I only recommend what I have personally seen work.  I have seen the GAPS diet give people the 180 degree turn they needed in their health!

4 Steps to Healing Leaky Gut

The GAPS Diet can be broken down into 4 main principles:

1. Ridding the diet of inflammatory foods like sugar and processed carbohydrates.
2. Increasing the consumption of foods containing beneficial bacteria, like fermented foods and beverages.
3. Increasing the amount of anti-inflammatory foods like healthy fats and nutrient dense broths.
4. Detoxifying the body by the consumption of fresh juices, beneficial bacteria and avoiding foods that inhibit the detoxification process.

Although this diet is not a quick fix, it can dramatically improve the integrity of the intestinal wall, allowing it to slowly return to it’s normal permeability, stopping the flow of foreign objects into the blood, which will stop food intolerance symptoms and eventually help stop the vicious cycle of inflammation in the body.

The best way to eat your way to freedom from Lupus is to adhere to a strict anti-inflammatory diet like GAPS. These 4 steps can become the bridge between sickness and health!

The Back “Bone” of GAPS: Bone Broth

The back “bone” of the GAPS diet is it’s highly prized bone broth.  Yes, the pun is intended.  It is not only the core to this healing regime, but also the first food introduced.  Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride recommends that you follow an introductory stage of just eating bone broth, before stepping right into eating full-blown GAPS style.  This introduction is meant to speed the healing and detoxification process.  It is not completely necessary, but is highly recommended.

The GAPS diet plan has 6 stages.  I recommend purchasing the book and giving it a good read before attempting to jump right into the diet.  However, the first step of drinking homemade bone broth can be added to your current diet for it’s healing benefits.  I personally try to incorporate bone broth into my weekly meal plans. It has such a high nutrient content and it’s soothing effects on the gut is beneficial to everyone!

You definitely do not have to be following all the GAPS principles to begin drinking this nutrient dense broth.  However, you will have little results in quelling the extreme inflammation that accompanies Lupus, without incorporating the entire diet.

Homemade Gut Healing Bone Broth

Make bone broth is extremely simple.  It just takes your favorite type of meat and a large pan or crock pot!  Some bone-in meats to choose from include:

• Beef
• Lamb
• Chicken
• Fish

The essential component in these broths is not the meat itself, but the bones!  Cheap cuts with ligaments and joints work very well.  Use whole chickens and fish that still contain the fins and head. You can ask your butcher for tubular cuts of beef that contain a lot of marrow.  Marrow is extremely high in nutrients needed to heal the intestinal lining.

• Pinterest

Step-by-Step Bone Broth Recipe

• Add your bones, joints and meat to a pot or crock pot and cover with water.
• Add ¼ cup of Raw Apple Cider Vinegar (this draws out the minerals out of the bones).
• Add 1 chopped onion, 3-4 chopped carrots, and a few stalks of chopped celery (optional).
• Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat, cover and simmer for 2 ½ to 3 hours.
• Skim off the foam from the top as it rises.
• After the 2 ½ to 3 hours, pull all the meat and fat from the bones. Save the meat for later use.
• Return the bones to the pot and simmer for 12-72 hours, adding water as needed.
• Strain the liquid from the bones and refrigerate in a glass container.
• Warm on the stovetop, as needed.

Homemade bone broth can quickly repair your gut and restore your healthy mucosal lining, quelling and healing inflammation in the gut. Bone broth also contains glutamine, an important fuel for intestinal cells that may help repair a leaky gut. Drink 8-12 oz every day, especially if you are trying to manage heavy stress or running low on sleep!  However, the introduction phase of the GAPS Diet suggests your primary intake for the day be bone broth.

Bone broth also makes a delicious base to soups and can also be used when cooking different meats and vegetables as a flavor enhancer and base.

GAPS Friendly Baked Goods

One of the hardest things for people to adjust to when following the GAPS diet is the lack of grains. However, with the popularity of grain-free flours like almond and coconut flour, you can still have that baked goodness without the forbidden grains!

Here are a few reasons why grains are hard on your body (by the way, grains break down into sugar in your body!):

• The sugars in the grains feed yeast/candida in the body, making it grow out of control.
• Grains can cause your blood sugar to spike and drop, even whole grains and  can also cause weight gain, mood swings, depression, tax your adrenals and pancreas and a whole lot more.
• Grains are simply hard to digest.

By eliminating grains the gut can actually heal, leading to weight loss, stabilized blood sugar and mood, balanced hormones, and reversal/improvement on autism and other autoimmune disorders like Lupus in which gut damage is heavily involved.

In order to approach a grain-free diet without losing your mind, here is delicious and practical recipe!

GAPS Banana Muffins Recipe

One of the simplest recipes I have come across in my quest for grain-free baked goods is Banana Muffins.  These make a great addition for breakfast or just a wonderful snack.  You feel like you are cheating, but these muffins are made with almond flour so they are 100% GAPS diet approved!! And, they have absolutely NO ADDED SUGAR!!

Ingredients

• 3 ripe bananas, mashed
• 3 free range eggs
• 3 ½ cups almond flour
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ⅓ cup of melted coconut oil
• dash of salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Blend together your wet ingredients: bananas, eggs and coconut oil.
3. Slowly stir in the dry ingredients: almond flour, baking soda and salt.
4. Line your muffin tin with paper liners and fill each one ¾ full.
5. Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.  The muffins should spring back when touched.
6. Let cool before eating.

GAPS Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Recipe

Many people get a bit overwhelmed by all the restrictions when I suggest the GAPS diet.  But then when I mention that they can have ice cream, their faces always light up.  Ice cream is a food that seems to bring a lot of joy into our lives. However, it still has to be free of ingredients forbidden on the diet, like pasteurized dairy and white sugar.  Luckily, GAPS ice cream is legal, easy to make and incredibly delicious!

Ingredients

• 3 cups of full fat coconut milk or coconut cream
• ½ cup of all natural no-sugar peanut butter
• ½ cup of cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp honey
• 25 drops of liquid stevie (I prefer NuNaturals brand)

Directions

1. Mix the ingredients in a blender or by hand.
2. Add the mixture to your ice cream maker and follow it’s instructions.

Healing Lupus at the Root

Quelling Lupus’ inflammation can be as simple as eating the right foods.  Don’t succumb to merely “controlling the symptoms” any longer!  Take steps to eliminate Lupus at the root cause by establishing normal gut flora and repair any leaks in the gut walls!   I encourage you to adopt a diet that soothes and heals the gut and puts out the fire of inflammation.

Eliminate the pain of Lupus from the inside out with delicious, nutrient dense, anti-inflammatory foods!

Isn’t something as simple and natural as a diet worth trying? I’ve been asked if the diet is “hard” to do. Living with Lupus is hard. Eating healthy foods is a breeze compared to living with Lupus. Help a loved one with Lupus adjust to a new diet by sharing this article with them!