In my mind, my autoimmune disease, lupus, has so much to do with inflammation. My joints were inflamed and my bones and body hurt. Some nights, I couldn’t grab the covers to pull over me because my fingers were so swollen. My hands just didn’t work. There were times when I couldn’t walk because my knees were so inflamed—swollen and painful. The worst inflammation was during a flare that hospitalized me. I was very sick (vomiting, diarrhea, pain at a 10), and my abdomen swelled to bursting point. Thankfully, I recovered, but I knew something beyond the medication (with its awful side effects) had to be done. I started talking to people, and I started researching online. Because if I couldn’t control the fact that I already had this disease, I could control how much inflammation I was contributing to my body’s system via food choice. Once I learned how different foods affect the body and how some foods are more inflammatory than others, I was able to make better choices for myself.

Every person can take an active role in lessening the inflammation in his/her body. One major way to do this is Continue reading →