Treating the Symptoms of Lupus Using Ayurvedic Principles
SLE, which stands for Systemic Lupus Erythramatoses, but we will call it Lupus here, is a debilitating auto-immune disease that affects many organs, but primarily the skin, brain, kidneys, and joints. This is a progressive disease that affects significantly more women than men, and occurs when the body’s immune system can’t decipher between healthy tissue and diseased tissue; therefore attacking both.
Needless to say, this degenerative illness is painful and life changing.
For many years, Ayurvedic practitioners have been studying the effects of food and lifestyle on Lupus and other auto-immune diseases. Now, while we can’t make any claims here, we can present some interesting information and suggest that you follow up with your health care professional regarding any questions you may have.
But first, some background information…
Symptoms of Lupus
- Painful and swollen joints
- Butterfly-shaped rash on the nose and cheeks
- Fatigue
- Shortness of breath and chest pain
- Fever
- Hair loss
- Sensitivity to sunlight
- General malaise (feeling unwell all the time)
- Mouth sores
- Swollen lymph nodes
Now, while there is currently no cure for Lupus, many people effectively reduce their symptoms and the incidence of “flares” through management of their diet, lifestyle, and medication.
According to Ayurveda, through proper, individualized nutrition, the disease can essentially be “managed,” by:
- Correcting the metabolic pathway so that nutrients are better absorbed.
- Creating a balance between the body’s “supply and demand” of nutrients so that tissue repair can occur.
- Improving immunity so that the incidence of flare-ups can be reduced.
- Stabilizing the organs so that they can regenerate and get stronger.
Recommended Lifestyle Changes
- Rise early (5:30 am) and go to bed early (10 pm)
- Do not sleep during the day
- Eat dinner by 6 pm
- Drink warm water intermittently with food throughout the day (200 ml at a time)
- Avoid drinking water for 1 hour before meals and 1 hour after
- Avoid sunlight as much as possible until medications are stabilized
- Bathe with Neem (may substitute mint) leaves
- Practice yoga
Recommended Dietary Changes
- Avoid all forms of refined sugar, fruits, and nuts.
- Stay away from aluminum and steel cooking vessels (use iron, glass, or clay instead).
- Have your iron levels checked by a medical practitioner. The ideal level is between 40-70 for women with Lupus.
- A whole-food, plant-based diet (WFPB) is recommended.
Why Plant-Based
Dairy products and meat (red meat in particular) are known inflammatory foods. With an auto-immune disease, chronic inflammation is a constant struggle. Therefore, it makes sense to avoid foods that are known causes of inflammation.
In addition, foods high in saturated fats (mostly meat and dairy) can strip the gut of protective bacteria. No protective bacteria? More inflammation.
Why Whole-Foods?
This shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone here. Whole-foods, in their natural, unadulterated state, are easier for our bodies to digest, and their nutrients are more available to be absorbed.
For example, why add avocado oil to a salad dressing, when we can eat the avocado instead?
As soon as we start adding in foods that have been processed, or have had things added to them, we start losing the benefits that were in that food to begin with.
As we mentioned earlier, we will leave the medication and supplements up to your health care practitioner, but we hope the above information gave you some food for thought (pardon the pun) with regards to managing the symptoms of Lupus through a healthy diet and some lifestyle changes.
Lastly, thank you so much for visiting! I hope you have found some valuable information, if so, I’d love to hear about it!
Please feel free to share this post with anyone who might benefit, and comments are always welcome!
I look forward to connecting with you next time!
And be sure to check out why you should order your family’s next meal courtesy of Ki’s Kitchen
From our kitchen to yours,
Love + Peace
Kiran