Successfully Beat Lupus The Natural Way

At just 19 years old, I had been working at the local health food store for just a couple of months. I absolutely loved working there and was absorbing everything like a sponge. I knew even then, that this was the path I was supposed to head down for my career. This was where “true health” resided. Not at the bottom of a diet coke can or a box of low fat cookies.

I remember when we had a special guest named Pam come and speak to the staff. I sat there inquisitively, taking in everything she had to say. I was intrigued and wanted to know how she went from sick to well using only natural foods and products.

Pain lupus symptoms by flickr phoney nickle

She started by saying, “I had Lupus. My doctors gave me no hope for relief and my symptoms continued to worsen. But, then my friend from California told me about natural medicine. I connected with a Naturopath who helped me make dramatic changes in my life and health. Now I have been Lupus free for over 5 years!”

I didn’t even know what Lupus was at the time. I had never heard of it! But, once she described her symptoms and elaborated on how miserable they made her life, I knew how serious it was. Her symptoms, were typical of Lupus. She battled with:

Constipation
Painful joints
Extreme fatigue
Rashes and dry skin, especially on her face
Hair loss
Weight gain

The passion with which she spoke gave me confirmation, even as a young 19 year old, that natural remedies work! Many of the remedies she spoke of, I remember to this day and will be included in this article. If you suffer from Lupus, fear not! Wellness is just a few steps away!

Table of Contents

A Clean Start

The first thing Pam did to beat her Lupus was to cleanse and detoxify her body. Many times autoimmune disorders are birthed out of an accumulation of toxic chemicals in the body. Many toxins, like the ones in our environment, are virtually unavoidable. We eat, breath, and sleep amongst them every single day. There is:

Mold in the air breathe…
BPA in many of the plastics we drink and eat from…
And fluoride and chlorine in the water we drink…
These toxins are linked to allergies, birth defects and even cancer.

Everyone’s body is different and some of us process toxins out of our body’s much easier and more efficiently than others. However, there are some whose body’s become bombarded from the accumulation of toxins and disease results, such as Lupus.

Pretty much anyone could benefit from a fresh start, whether you have an autoimmune disorder or not! I recommend it to nearly to all my clients. Cleansing and detoxification facilitates the removal of the accumulated toxic waste in our bodies. It is a foundational principle in Naturopathic Medicine and has been practiced for centuries!

The main organs you want to focus on cleansing are the colon and the liver. These are the two primary organs that deal with the processing and removal of waste from the body. Once accumulated toxins are cleansed from the colon and liver, then your body can better focus on healing and repairing itself. As a result, you will naturally decrease inflammation in the body and prevent further tissue damage from in the joint, skin, kidneys, heart, lungs, blood vessels and brain. Your body can then take full advantage of healing itself.

When detoxing, always begin by cleansing the colon first, followed by a liver cleanse. This way, when your liver is being cleansed, the toxins have a clear and fast exit out of the body.

Cleansing the Colon

Colon cleansing is a fantastic way to move old toxic fecal matter out of your system. Endotoxins in the colon have been found to be a contributing factor in Lupus. Endotoxins are toxic chemical by-products from excess bad bacteria in the gut and their off gassing during digestion. They can damage the walls of the colon causing leaky gut syndrome. Leaky gut syndrome allows undigested food and toxins to enter the bloodstream and circulate the body, which only exasperates an autoimmune reaction like Lupus!

Colon cleansing sweeps the colon clean of debris and toxins, which can also reset your bowel movements. Having regular and average daily bowel movements is essential for whole body health.

Two of my favorite colon cleansers that I recommend are :

CleanseSmart by Renew Life
Bowel Cleanse by Renew Life

I am sure that there are other companies that have great cleansers, as well. However, I have had the best experience with the Renew Life brand. The founder of the company is a Colon Hydrotherapist, so cleansing and detoxification is her speciality.

You want to keep an eye out for and avoid psyllium when selecting a bowel cleanse. Psyllium can swell up to 10 times it’s original volume once exposed to liquid. This expansion can actually cause constipation in some people, rather than a speedier evacuation. This is why I DO NOT recommend psyllium products. Renew Life is a psyllium-free, gentle natural laxative with 100% organic flaxseed, oat bran and acacia fiber.

Colon hydrotherapy is another great option if you have it available in your area. It takes several sessions to get the full results, but is a worthy investment! If you don’t see a Colon Hydrotherapist listed, be sure and ask around to chiropractors and massage therapists in your area. Many health practitioners refer to one another. I have found word of mouth to be the best way to find the most ideal natural health professionals.

Cleansing the Liver

Once you have completed your colon cleanse, it is time to move on to your liver. Your liver processes thousands of toxins and poisons on a daily basis. When the detoxification systems inside the liver become overloaded, then toxins, dead cells and microorganisms end up circulating in our bloodstream! This alerts the immune system that something is wrong. Inflammatory chemicals begin to go to work, allergies can develop and infections can occur. This is why it is so incredibly important to keep our liver cleansed and healthy! What is so incredible about the liver, is that it’s our only organ that can rejuvenate and repair itself, even after damage!

But, in order to rejuvenate, it must be given a break from it’s excessive workload! You must adopt a diet virtuously free of chemical additives, and if possible, go off of all pharmaceutical drugs. Start incorporating liver loving foods into your diet like:

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Lemon – Squeeze half a lemon in your water and drink first thing in the morning. This helps the liver flush out accumulated waste.

Artichokes – Eat this delicious vegetable to boost bile production and helps rebuild healthy liver cells.

Dandelion – Drink this in tea form. It helps the liver’s fat metabolism. It works well if taken after a high fat meal.

Garlic and Onions – These contain a compound called allicin. Allicin is needed by the liver for detoxification.

Eggs – A liver loving breakfast food that contains both sulfur and lecithin. These assist in the liver’s production of bile salts.

I also recommend taking a liver cleansing formula such as Liver Cleanse by Enzymatic Therapy. Liver cleansing formulas are designed to rebuild healthy liver cells and facilitate the cleansing of the livers accumulated toxins.

Cleansing the liver is definitely worth considering as it has a plethora of wonderful benefits. Not only will you feel cleaner and more rejuvenated, you will also have:

A decrease in inflammation
Increased energy
Clearer thinking
Less pain
Better digestion
Possible weight loss
Clearer skin
Balanced hormones
Allergy relief

A Clean Diet

The most important thing in getting well from any disease, including beating Lupus, is a clean diet. Pam admitted that she once survived on food from the drive-thru. She believed that was one of the primary reasons her Lupus symptoms worsened so quickly. You really are what you eat! If you fill yourself with food that is essentially garbage, then you are going to feel like garbage. Real, fresh foods are going to leave you feeling fresh and alive!

I believe a complete diet overhaul can be boiled down to two essential elements:

How to properly read labels.
Cooking most everything you can from scratch (not from a box, bottle or can).

Making Sense of Labels

Most people are trained to read the labels by looking at the fat, calories, protein, etc. However, the most important thing on a food label is not the nutritional content. It is the ingredient list!

My first rule of thumb is: If you can’t pronounce it, don’t eat it!!

Even a child knows the names of food items. If you have never heard of something, or you’re having problems pronouncing the ingredient, it is most likely made in a lab.

Lab made food chemicals contribute to Lupus because they are inflammatory. And because they are not truly natural, our body doesn’t recognize them as food. Therefore, the immune system is alerted that there are foreign invaders in the body. This not only results in an increase of inflammation in the body, but possible allergic reactions.

Here are some common ingredients to avoid like the plague:

MSG (monosodium glutamate) – A toxic excitotoxin. MSG literally excites neurons in your brain to death! It is linked to autoimmune disorders and allergic reactions.
Artificial Colors – Red #40, Yellow #6, Blue #1 are chemical food colors. They are linked to increased occurrence of diseases like cancer!
Nitrates/Nitrites – Are found in many deli meats and foods like hot dogs and bacon. These meat curing additives are linked to brain tumors and DNA mutations!
Trans Fats (hydrogenated oils) – These unnatural oils have numerous studies proving they contribute to high cholesterol and heart diseases.
BHA/BHT – These two preservatives can alter the neurological system of the brain.

Cooking from Scratch

Instead of prepackaged foods that come from a can or a box, start making your food from scratch. This is the best way to control what you’re consuming. By doing so, inflammation is tamed and Lupus symptoms are reduced – or even completely resolved! You don’t have to be a gourmet cook to make healthy meals. Begin by filling your diet with:

Fresh fruits and veggies
Grass fed beef
Free range chicken and eggs
Organic or raw dairy products
Fermented foods (such as yogurt, kefir, kombucha and sauerkraut)
Sprouted grains (such as Ezekiel and Manna bread products)

Remember, fresh is best! Avoid those prepackaged and pre-made meals. A Lupus diet should be high in fresh, vitamin rich foods that are free of pesticides, hormones and chemicals. See our recipe section here to find inspiration on cooking from scratch to beat Lupus and gain natural health!

Fermented foods that are high in beneficial bacteria are also extremely important for beating Lupus, as they restore immunity and a healthy gut.

Trust me, once you’re used to giving your body only real food, you won’t even want the artificial meals to touch your lips!

Supplementing the Imbalances

Although what you eat is by far the most important step in battling Lupus, there are several important supplements that can greatly improve your Lupus symptoms. These nutrients aren’t found in significant amounts in the foods you consume, so they must be taken in supplemental form.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D deficiency is extremely common in those with Lupus. The connection is so common, the scientists are beginning to take note. Vitamin D is necessary for the function of many of our body’s immune cells. This makes it extremely important in the prevention and treatment of illnesses and disease.

I recommend having your levels checked as soon as possible. If your vitamin D levels come back below 60 ng, you will want to begin supplementing vitamin D3. Start with around 45 IU per pound of body weight and have your levels re-checked every 3 months. Increases the dose if necessary. Having your vitamin D between 70-90 ng is the ideal range to aim for. This will give you maximum vitamin D potential, allowing your immune cells to do their job well.

Fish Oil

One of the best supplements at reducing the symptoms of Lupus is fish oil. Fish oil contains naturally anti-inflammatory fatty acids. Because many of the symptoms of Lupus are rooted in inflammation, causing excruciating pain and arthritis, be sure to buy a quality fish oil that is tested free from heavy metals and PCBs. Typically, a higher dosage is needed to provide adequate relief. Start with around 6000 mg a day. Once you begin to feel a reduction of symptoms, you may try reducing the dosage.

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Probiotics

Your gut is the center of your immune system and demands proper attention, especially for those with autoimmune disorders like Lupus. Probiotics are healthy bacteria that not only boost our immune system, but facilitate proper digestion and waste elimination, plus maintain the production of feel good chemicals. We actually produce more serotonin (our feel good neurotransmitter) in the gut, than we do in our brain! Low serotonin levels have been found to accompany Lupus, and cause depression and anxiety. Choose a probiotic with at least 6 different strains of bacteria and 10 billion cfu.

Curamin by Europharma

In my opinion, Curamin is the best all-natural anti-inflammatory on the market today. It is designed for both pain and inflammation. Curamin contains a specifically extracted curcumin compound that is 10X more absorbable than typical curcumin. Curcumin is the active anti-inflammatory compound found in turmeric. This special curcumin, called BCM-95, is combined with anti-inflammatory boswella and pain relieving DL-phenylalanine. This award-winning combination that has helped thousands!

I have personally heard story after story of it’s miraculous results. The founder of the company himself, Terry Lemerond, told me that a double dosage of 6 pills per day can be used for intense pain and inflammation. That dosage can be reduced to the recommended 3 pills per day once pain relief is achieved.

Create Your Own Success Story

Like Pam, you too can create your own success story of beating Lupus! I encourage you to adhere to the natural principles of cleansing and detoxification (especially colon cleanse and liver cleanse), eat a clean nutritious diet, and supplement with the proper nutrients and natural anti-inflammatories. Just as Pam inspired me, you can be an inspiration for others who suffer from autoimmune diseases like Lupus. You will be a testimony of the power of nature and our body’s ability to heal itself!

Don’t let Lupus win. Take steps today to be one who beats the odds and wins back their health!

Probably one of the hardest things is the unpredictability of Lupus. Many people living with Lupus recognize the frustrations because effects of Lupus take place internally and often there are few external signs that someone might be struggling with pain.