Arthritis

fraggles1805 wrote: »

Hi I am looking for any fellow sufferers to help me through my journey. I am newly diagnosed with a lot of weight to lose. I have psoriatic arthritis and am on a lot of meds and haven't exercised during the two years it has taken to diagnose. I am back at the gym on Monday though. Very nervously. I am also very busy as a full time mum and I am a manager in a care home 2 nights a week. So some support would be great x

This will not be a popular suggestion on these main boards here at MFP, but google "paleo auto-immune" -- this is the approach that worked for me. It doesn't necessarily work for everyone, and it can be a bit daunting to start, but it saved me from crippling pain. I was desperate enough to give it a try.

The "Mark's Daily Apple" website was also very helpful, when I was starting out. There are scads of people here who will pooh-pooh the "science" behind the AIP way of eating, but all I can say is that it has worked miracles in my life, and I know for certain it's not the placebo effect, because of the way my body reacts to certain foods, even if I don't know I've eaten them because they were mixed in with something else.

I only did it for the pain relief, but as a side benefit I lost 40 lbs the first year, without hunger or cravings or exercise (my joints were too crippled at first. Now I can manage to walk a mile or two at a time, which is *huge* compared to barely being able to stand up three years ago, and finding no relief in sitting or lying down, just continuing pain).

p.s. (ETA) I am almost completely pain free these days. I do have a little trouble going down stairs -- I did too much damage to my knees before I discovered the effect specific foods have on my joints. Sometimes I will deliberately choose to eat potato salad or hash browns or something with tomatoes in it, knowing it may well cause me three days of stiffness, perhaps pain -- but it's my choice, and I can choose to do that, or not to do that, with full knowledge. Most days I choose not to, because I prefer feeling good. (Vacations can be a little tough, though the pain is always motivating -- I have no trouble getting back in the saddle again.)

Wishing you well in your quest.