Hi there! My name is Monica, and I am an advocate for healthy and balanced living. I was diagnosed with lupus (SLE) in 2013. Prior to my diagnosis, I lived a very active lifestyle, socially active with friends and family (I love hosting gatherings that are centered around meals), hard-working and dedicated college administrator, engaged dog-owner, household manager, and wife. For the first year of my diagnosis, I lived in denial. About a year later, I paid for it and wound up hospitalized.

My hospitalization completely changed my perspective. Needless to say, I was a believer–a believer that lupus is serious stuff and isn’t something that should or can be ignored. In the hospital, I began to research anti-inflammatory food plans and recipes. There is little about lupus that is predictable, but I knew I could control what food went inside of me. My life and work would need re-evaluating as well. I needed to be able to get a handle on something. I began to take control.

I have experienced a continued incline towards feeling (and looking (darn prednisone!)) better ever since I started changing my diet and lifestyle. I would like to share this information with other people out there who want to feel better and take as much control as possible of their health. First and foremost, I would like to help my fellow lupies, but I also realize that we belong to a larger community of people with autoimmune diseases. So, I hope this blog can be helpful to that community and beyond. I love to eat food. Good. Real. Food. I also love life and the people to whom I am connected. So, here’s to good health, good food, and healthy living. Thanks for being here and joining me! Let’s do this!