So it's been about 6 weeks and I've been gluten free. It's not really an easy change and takes time to get used to.
I've also eliminated processed foods, canola oil, sunflower oil, corn and along with avoiding sugar ( except honey ) and caffeine. This is because these foods cause inflammation. As for the corn, there is so little of it not GMO that it's just better to avoid it all together.
Say what you want about fads and so on. The truth is we can eat all sorts of anti-inflammatory foods but if we eat at the same time foods that cause inflammation then we're just spinning our wheels so to speak.
In these last several weeks I have seen significant results. The red, hot spots and areas of pain and burning are gone. They were gone after a few weeks.
So I just thought I'd share. I'm not saying it will help everyone but might be worth a try. I'm certainly going to stick with it judging on these results. The fact remains unless you've tried it you just never know. I still have a few things to give up in my diet but one small victory at a time I think.
As you can imagine, processed foods covers a lot of ground including ketchup, bbq sauced, teriyaki or anything else that comes packaged and prepared.
I admit I was craving sweets after dinner yesterday but I don't have any in the house so fruit for a snack is what I had on hand. It did me just fine.
Yes...I understand gluten is in personal products etc too...one thing at a time. The majority of the gluten has been eliminated with obvious results.
You're making me hungry! So what about a homemade beef burger topped with slice of organic cheese served on a veggie spiralized bun (scroll down the page). Yummy.
Dini said:
Thanks so much! I'm very pleased but it's a long road ahead and I was craving a cheese burger yesterday lol
I've been gluten-free (diagnosed Celiac) for four years. So glad it's helping some of your symptoms! It's amazing how much work we put into helping improve our health!
I too can't believe the challenges associated with leading an anti-inflammatory lifestyle (at least all the time), but I too have seen an improvement in my system, and I went into total remission last year. No Ps/PsA. No medication. I was back to my old me. Lasted almost a year. Then of course, life happened, and my strict lifestyle became affected.
As soon as I 'fell off the wagon' for just 2-3 months, my symptoms reappeared.
Now I am back on medication, but also back to my strict lifestyle changes, and I work daily towards remission once again. It's a daily grind, a learning curve (there is always something new to learn and implement), but very worthwhile.
Hi Slala...I guess the proof is in the pudding as they say.
I was away for 2 weeks and found it really difficult to keep on my specific diet. The couple weeks after I noticed a little pain here and there. So once I got home, even tough I was back on my proper and preferred diet, the result of the 2 weeks previous had an effect on me.
Now I am off processed food again, no added sugar, no corn, no soy, no gluten and having a smoothie daily if not more of spinach, parsley, apple, berries and chia seeds. I'm back now to being pain free. My ultimate goal if possible is to reduce or eliminate medication but I think that will require me to always be on this diet. Maybe a small treat here and there but for the most part stay off of prepared/processed foods. It's definitely made a difference in my energy level too.
I'm sorry your symptoms are back. You'll get there again. Keep with it :)
Did you say smoothies, Dini? I LOVE my smoothies. Ginger is a great anti-inflammatory addition. I have a Nutri-Bullet machine and it makes them so easy to put together and the washing up afterwards is easy-peasy. The only limit is my imagination :)
Yes, my son got a Nutri Bullet and I have been using it. I haven't tried too many combinations yet. I still have to find time to venture into the book he bought also. It's great! :) and makes it soooo easy.
I wish I had the will power. I did try a gluten-free (or almost gluten-free diet) for 6 weeks a couple years ago. It really helped me have normal bms. I don't have celiac disease (my dad did) but I am irregular all the time and that diet did me a lot of good that way. But, it didn't improve my psoriasis or PsA that I could tell, so I gave up on it. I don't think I would have the will power to do such a strict diet--I mean, gluten-free, no sugar, etc., but I don't doubt it helps. It's such a matter of lifestyles and what we're so accustomed to that's hard, almost impossible to change! Hat's off to those of you who can do it!
I did try gluten free and sugar free a couple of years ago. For my bowel issues. I was diagnosed with IBS but never had the endoscopy and colonoscopy due to a fissure caused by constant diarrhea. So I always suspected it might not be just IBS and now I suspect more! Anyway, it was a very strict diet - and I had been very good with strict diets till then. But then I began seeing chocolate cakes flying around (I actually saw them at one point - gluten and sugar in one :D ), then I couldn't keep it up, and haven't been able to restrict my diet in any way since!!! I mean, now I just eat what I want and everytime I eat too much or eat something I know isn't good for me I remember all the diets I did. I think I traumatized myself at some point back there! :D I think it was the last draw for me since I had been on so many different diets given by many doctors. At one point the list of things I could eat was shorter than the list of things I couldn't so I had just memorized that :D And now I wonder if I should try eliminating gluten once again - since my mom doesn't have celiac but IS allergic to gluten. Go figure. But I just don't know if I can go through it one more time. So yeah, hat's off to all those who can do it as Grandma J said! It makes sense that diet would help. Maybe I will try again at some point. So it's nice to know how people are improving by making dietary changes.
I know it's very tough to do. My first attempt at gluten free didn't work either. I just couldn't stay on it.
I have thoughts many days of fast food or chocolate covered raisins which I really miss. That being said, when I noticed the differences / improvement, it was enough to keep me on track. I think when a person restricts their diet voluntarily, you have to have a small reward once in a while. When you don't allow some sort of award, it's more difficult to keep with the diet.
I'm not talking about a reward weekly...that's too often. Every few months maybe. I had a chunky chips ahoy cookie a few weeks back. Didn't feel well the next day. I really don't know if that's why I didn't feel when but it was bad enough to deter me from having any more lol Next time I'll make it worth my while and chose something I'd appreciate a lot more. I never was crazy about cookies....but it was there :) and I thought what the heck.
I think it also depends on the whole consequence / return thing. I have bowel problems and a rare steak (or any animal saturated fat really) will have me feeling like I have salmonella within about 6 hours ( unless I’m taking precautionary steroids) - and my joints flare for a few days. Apples give me intense stomach ache within an hour (but gone within 30 mins), and capsicum skin is almost as bad as the steak! For me, it’s not hard to eat around some capsicum or say no to an apple. I love steak, but keep it for very special occasions (a couple of times a year), and do often choose to have it when I’m taking steroids for another reason anyway.
There is also a large list of others - large quantities of milk and yoghurt are well and truly in the past… Oddly enough, it seems I can probably eat sugar to my hearts content, but I don’t really have a sweet tooth!
For me, the consequences are well and truly worth limiting my diet - though I don’t realky feel it is limited - I’m currently sitting in Southern spain eating iberico pork and local asparagus!
For others though, diet may not realky affect symptoms much, so it’s a very personal thing. To be honest, I have lots of celiacs in my family, and it am not, so I count myself lucky
Hi jen, I totally agree and understand what you mean. I strongly believe that everyone is different and whether it's food or something else, it will affect different people in different ways.
I have not noticed a big improvement with my sleep. I was taking medication to help me sleep after if being prescribed to me over a year ago for sleep and depression. The last month or so I have found that I don't need it most of the time. Last week I only took the sleeping pill one night. The rest of the nights I made due fine on my own. My dietary change is this only thing I can attribute to this improvement.
Me too... I went back to eating low carb for my weight last summer and have lost over 60 pounds to date. My PsA symptoms totally decreased and I notice the difference when I go off the diet for a meal or a day or whatever. I went to a concert and drank six beers last month. Was miserable for a week. Diet soda's do the same thing, although I think its the sodium and have pretty much eliminated them from my diet altogether. I am trying to reduce my protein intake and increase the good fats, like avocado's. The bottom line is no two people are the same and we all need to experiment to see what works best for us.
It feels great when you feel like you've made a breakthrough right ? Even if you eat something you like and discover its negative effects on you....at least it's a new discovery which you can consider in the future.
Last week I "cheated" twice, one day I had a chicken cesar salad which would be fine if the dressing were not processed and premade. Then a few days later I went to lunch with my co-workers and every thing had some sort of gravy or sauce on it. It tasted great....but I paid the price. A little too much cheating for this month.
One thing I have been pretty good with is staying away from processed sugar. The last sweets I had was the cookie and that didn't go well. I think my body is getting accustomed to not having to digest processed foods with additives. So when I do eat them, my body reacts.
