Lupus… An Internal Affair

Greetings friends! By the time this publication reaches you, chances are you will have experienced 3 inevitabilities of life:

1. You now know what was inside those beautifully wrapped gifts under the Christmas tree.
2. You are already redefining your “New Year” resolutions.
3. The Mayan calendar interpretation was an epic fail!

Yes, it appears every few years the “lunatic fringe” will create more and more mindless doomsday scenarios to create hysteria and unwittingly undermine those of us who are working to establish peace in the midst of chaos.

All of us here at Barton Publishing are dedicated to bring real solutions to real health problems that have impeded the quality of life of good people around the globe. In keeping with that resolve, this month we are tackling a disease that is growing at an alarming rate… Lupus.

The Lupus Ledge

Lupus, or SLE (systemic lupus erythematosus), is an autoimmune disease and can affect any part of the body, including the:

• Skin
• Joints
• Heart
• Lungs
• Blood
• Kidneys
• And even the brain

Some common symptoms of lupus are:

• Joint pain
• Chest pain
• Kidney problems
• Butterfly rash on face
• Scaly patches on elbows
• Sensitivity to light
• Blue fingers known as Raynaud’s phenomenon
• Lesions in the mouth or nose
• Persistent fever
• Hair loss
• Fatigue

Now before you say, “OMG! I have Lupus!” – remember these symptoms are not a diagnosis! Only a qualified health practitioner can determine if someone has Lupus. These typical symptoms of Lupus mask many other illnesses and each person with Lupus manifests the traits differently. I have had to talk more than one person “off the ledge” after they had incorrectly self-diagnosed themselves by a google search or WebMD. So, please resist the temptation to condemn yourself to Lupus (or any other disease, for that matter)!

Declaring Immunity

As I mentioned earlier, Lupus is an autoimmune disease, so let me give you a working definition for the term autoimmune.

Autoimmune diseases work from the inside out, i.e. body tissues are attacked by their own immune system. The immune system is a complex network within the body that is designed to attack foreign invaders of the body, including infectious diseases. Patients with autoimmune diseases, however, frequently have mutant antibodies circulating in their blood that, unfortunately, target their own body tissues.

Here is an interesting note. The word lupus is a Latin word for “wolf,” or one who preys on the body! Have you ever been on a drive in the country and saw a dead animal carcass being picked apart by vultures? A person with Lupus experiences this internal scavenging. Their immune system goes rogue and treats healthy organs like dead tissue and begins to feed on them. At this time, doctors believe there is no cure for Lupus. So, lets talk about some alternatives to ease the Lupus symptoms.

Protecting Your House

A few years ago, I remember seeing a commercial for Under Armour, a company that sells athletic apparel. In the commercial, Kevin Plank (a menacing 6’4” football player who weights 270 pounds) shouts, “We must protect this house!” What he was referring to was our bodies.

I believe this is the mentality we must possess when facing debilitating health issues like Lupus. I will share with you my common sense approach to living an improved life by taking charge – or “protecting your house” – from the inside out.

Shark Attack!

As I write, Americans are experiencing one of the worst flu seasons in years! Multiple flu cases have been reported in all 50 states. Because of the flu threat, two thoughts prevail:

1. Precaution
2. Bolstering the immune system

What I am about to say may surprise you, but hear me out!

Bolstering the immune system of a Lupus sufferer could actually be harmful. For instance, if you were swimming in the ocean and a small cut on your hand was attracting a shark, what would you want to do?

• Make the shark bigger and faster?

OR

• Stop the bleeding?

That’s a no-brainer, right? You would want to stop the bleeding so the shark would leave you alone – of course!

You see, someone with Lupus doesn’t have a weak immune system; they have an overactive malfunctioning immune system that is attacking healthy tissue. So, does it make sense to bolster your immune system when suffering from an autoimmune disease?

What I am saying is auto immune sufferers don’t have a lack of immunity; their immune system has a lack of discernment.

• Bolstering the immune system will exacerbate Lupus.
• Suppressing the immune system will weaken the bodies defenses to extraneous opportunistic bacteria and virus.

We have to take a whole body common sense approach.

If you have read any of my previous articles in Home Cures That Work, then you have undoubtedly discovered that I never try to major on my minor. In other words, I am not a doctor. I am a minister. So, I will share the little I know about common sense natural modalities for health and the rest will come from a clearly spiritual ramification perspective. Here we go!

Controlling Inflammation

Since up to 90% of Lupus sufferers struggle with joint pain (arthralgia), let’s start here. To immediately improve quality of life, we have to get inflammation in the body under control. Here are some suggestions:

• Zyflamend – This is a highly recommended product from New Chapter. Get the soft gels; they are very effective for inflammation of joints.
• Turmeric –  300 milligrams 3x/day
• Pine bark extract (pycnogenol) – 50 mg 2x/day
• Omega-3 fish oils  – Even if you include wild salmon in your diet
• Tart Cherry concentrate –  My favorite is Michelle’s (www.michellesmiracle.com)
• Nopal Cactus – I have not tried this one, but many people are reporting substantial anti-inflammatory results. I recommend using a pure nopal cactus capsule supplement  from your local health food store and avoiding Nopalea or fruit juices with added ingredients.
• Personal PEMF machine (pulsed electro magnetic field) – Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy is a new approach to pain management that uses magnets to create pulsing, moving energy. Dr. Oz is singing its praises and several of my friends and I have had amazing results from PEMF therapy. This is something you might want to look into. I highly recommend… http://www.activationproducts.com/wellnessrings?AFFID=104078

Once the inflammation subsides, I recommend these lifestyle modifications:

• 

  • Pinterest
  Supplements –
  • Antioxidants – Especially A, C and E
  • B-12
  • Folic acid
  • D3
• Improve your dietary nutrition – 
  • Stay away from sugar, GMOs, processed foods and trans fats.
  • Eat more wild salmon, raw nuts and sweeten with stevia or xylitol.
  • Remember when the body burns white sugar as energy, it carbonizes in the joints causing inflammation and pain…no sugar equals no pain!
• Sufficient daily exercise – This is critical! Keep moving!
  • One hour of vigorous walking a day will add 4.5 years to your life.
• Relaxation and stress reduction – Learn to take time for yourself.
  • Take deep breaths
  • Soak in a bath
  • Watch a comedy (laughter is powerful medicine)
  • Read the psalms
  • Pray
  • Whatever brings you peace and rejuvenates you
• Get enough sleep
• Don’t underestimate the mind/body connection – Remember, “As a man thinketh, so he is.”

If you will follow these instructions for 30 days, I promise you will feel like a different person! Please write us here at Home Cures That Work and share your success stories with us.

Now, let’s take a moment to think out of the box as we focus on another type of “social” Lupus with wide spread cultural and spiritual ramifications.

The “Divide and Conquer” Battle That Costs Your Life

“If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” Mark 3:25

When someone has Lupus, they are being attacked by their own body. It has ALWAYS been God’s desire that mankind would be ONE as He, the Son and The Spirit are one. Yet, our world – and our bodies – have never been more divided on every level as it is today.

Our world is suffering from an acute case of “social” Lupus. It’s an “inside” job with brother against brother, color against color, gender against gender and government against the people.

This “divide and conquer” mentality has been the undoing of every great empire in history. We can never be more powerful than when we are one. One is indivisible by any number. Yet, if we are not united, the common equation throughout history is the ultimate subtraction: 1-1= 0!

The divisive motive is always the same: money, power, greed and control by manipulation. This is built on a false premise that there is NOT enough to go around, so you have to divide and conquer to take what you want.

This is what I mean by cultural implications on a global scale of “social” Lupus – a body that is divided against itself, devouring its very own.

But, I also mentioned spiritual ramifications, didn’t I?

It is no surprise that Jesus constantly referred to His followers as the “body.” Jesus likened His followers to a healthy physical body, but also the “body” of Christ, His church. However, His own followers were not impervious to greed, envy and good ole’ “divide and conquer” techniques.

“The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body- whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free – and we were all given one Spirit to drink. Now the body is not made up of one part, but of many.

“If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye I do not belong to the body,’ it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?

“But in fact God has arranged the parts of the body, every one of them, just as He wanted them to be. If they were all one part, WHERE WOULD THE BODY BE? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.” 1 Corinthians 12:12-26

Yes! Unity in diversity! I highly recommend reading the rest of 1 Corinthians 12 in your spare time. But here is the kicker – the last line is the answer to the problem:

“And now I will show you the most excellent way…” 1 Corinthians 12:31

This verse is the segway into 1 Corinthians 13, commonly known as “The love chapter!”

An Internal Affair

Love is the answer and love never fails! Jesus said, “Love one another as I have loved you.”  John 15:12

You see, the need to “divide and conquer” is generated by fear. “But perfect love casts out fear!” 1 John 4:18

The quickest way to unseat evil is good; the antidote for hatred is love.

There is division in the world and division in the church. Politics have divided the people and denominations have divided the church…but love covers a multitude of sin (1 Peter 4:8).

Do whatever it takes to love your enemies until they are at peace with you. At one time, all of us were enemies of God separated from Him by our sin. But, love broke through!

John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

I wrote a song called “Love Revolution” that you can listen to here:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzmMHc_4fZM&hl=en_US&version=3&rel=0]

As you listen to the words and view the images, remember the quickest way to stop “social” Lupus is to love one another. The quickest way to arrest the physical symptoms of Lupus is to love your self enough to follow the health tips in this month’s publication.

I came across this old Cherokee Parable called Two Wolves and since Lupus has the meaning of wolf, I thought it may be relevant.

An old Cherokee chief was teaching his son about life…

“A fight is going on inside of me,” he said to the boy. “It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil. He is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, self-doubt and ego.

“The other is good. He is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. This same fight is going on inside of you- and inside every other person, too.”

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?” The old chief simply replied, “The one you feed.”

Have you been feeding the wrong wolf? Remember, Lupus is an internal affair. It is not outside the power of love.

Be well and love one another,

Michael S. Tyrrell

 

• Have you seen the movie, “Pay It Forward?” Did it change you?

• Have you ever been loving in the midst of a hostile environment? Did love overcome hostility?

• Is unity in diversity achievable outside of Christ?