Healing and Recovery

[Meganlee32]

I have suffered from Celiac Disease since 2008.  It took at least 10 years to be diagnosed so for 22 years I have suffered from this disease.  I began searching for ways of eating that would help me manage my symptoms.  I tried paleo for 10 years with only small amounts of relief.  I began researching a plant based diet reading Dr. McDougall, Dr. Klapper and other plant based doctors.  I have been vegan for almost a year and feeling better until I accidentally glutened myself in Feb a couple of times.  I was feeling so awful and depressed so I went back to researching.  I found Dr. BROOK GOLDNER!  She is amazing and cured her Lupus.  Please take the time to watch her you tube video!  She has really helped me and it's only been a week following her protocol.

[Scott Adams]

Since there is no cure for Lupus, I would be highly skeptical of this "doctor's" claim:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lupus/symptoms-causes/syc-20365789

What kind of doctor are they, and MD? A chiropractor? Are they really a doctor? These are questions you should ask given that they are making an obviously false claim here. 

Perhaps their version of a (hopefully) 100% gluten-free diet is helping your symptoms, then good for you. Perhaps you can share the details of why their approach is different?

[cyclinglady]

I agree with Scott.  There is no cure for lupus.  However, some people do find that diet can help prevent a flare-up or calm it down with many autoimmune diseases.  Most of these diets are rich in real foods like vegetables, fruit, meats, nuts, etc.  and most encourage you to avoid grains which would be avoiding gluten.  Dr. Terri Wahls, MD, professor and has MS, has had huge  success with this approach.  She no longer requires a wheel chair and can ride a bike.  Her MS is in remission.  Some small studies out of Scripps in San Diego indicate that an autoimmune Paleo diet could be helpful for IBD patients (e.g. Crohn’s).  They achieved a 78% remission rate which is pretty amazing, but participant size was very small, so larger studies are needed. 

Over 10 years and you are still struggling?  Consider the Fasano diet developed by Dr. Fasano’s team for those celiacs who were not healing.  They found that most were getting hidden sources of gluten into their diet.p despite their best efforts.    It is strict.  No eating out and mostly real food, not processed.  Here it is:

https://res.mdpi.com/d_attachment/nutrients/nutrients-09-01129/article_deploy/nutrients-09-01129.pdf

If this diet (or your current one does not work), you might need to see your doctor.  You could have another autoimmune disorder or another illness like cancer.   Your doctor each year should be re-running the celiac disease tests to help determine if gluten is getting into your diet.  

[Meganlee32]

I think these comments aren’t very helpful, insult my intelligence and spread negativity. There are tons of scientific research studies showing reversal/remission of autoimmune diseases.  Please keep an open mind. I am just trying to help people.  All I am suggesting is to read Dr. Brooke Goldner’s books/watch her you tube videos.    

[Scott Adams]

The intent was here wasn't to "insult your intelligence," but to provide you, and others that will read this thread in the future, with the correct scientific information. Your post implies that Dr. Brooke can cure Lupus when you said: "She is amazing and cured her Lupus." We don't want people with Lupus to believe that they can be cured, when they can't.

Lupus can go into remission and if Dr. Brooke's approach can help make that happen that's great. It would also be great if you shared more info with us about this approach, rather than referring to a book or video. 

[cyclinglady]

I am sorry that you feel that way.  

There are no evidence-based studies that have been done on a diet ever.  Sure, lots of small studies, but nothing of significance.  There is no one specific diet that is good for everyone.  We are each individuals and must find a diet that is best for each of us.  I personally would not like to be on a Vegan diet, but that is just me.  I have healed (repeat endoscopy/biopsies) on a gluten free diet that is mostly free of processed foods.  It works for me.  My villi are nice and healthy.   

I was really concerned that you are still not healing.  If you have been strictly gluten free, there is a rare chance that you could have refractory celiac disease.  But it sounds like you had a recent  gluten exposure in February, so odds are your celiac disease is the culprit of your current symptoms.  Still, I hope you are getting follow-up care for celiac disease.  

We have many vegans on the forum.  Please use the search button and you can find them. It might be nice for you to connect with them.  

I wish you well.  

[Meganlee32]

Six Week Raw Vegan Nutrition Protocol Rapidly Reverses Lupus Nephritis: A Case Series

• Brooke Goldner, MDGoodbyelupus.com

KEYWORDS: Lupus nephritis; Raw foods; Vegan nutrition

ABSTRACT

There is a strong body of evidence suggesting that plant-based diets are beneficial for reducing mortality and metabolic risk. Although less studied, plant-based diets may also have great potential for managing symptoms of autoimmune disease, such as systemic lupus erythematosus (sle). This case series details 2 patients with SLE-related nephritis: a 24-year-old female (Case 1) and a 41-year old-male (Case 2). Upon adopting a customized, raw, whole-food, plant-based (WFPB) eating regimen, high in leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, and water, Case 1’s estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)—a measure of kidney function—increased from 14 to 27 ml/min in 6 weeks, and it was determined that she no longer needed dialysis or a kidney transplant. Her energy and joint pain levels also significantly improved. Similarly, Case 2’s symptoms resolved and laboratory tests were normalized on the diet. However, this patient experienced challenges with adhering to the diet, and it was clear that whenever he deviated from it, symptoms reappeared and eGFR worsened. Potential mechanisms underpinning this improvement include reduced inflammation, fueled by omega-3 intake, and improvements in oxidative stress, fueled by intake of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables. These 2 cases experienced significant improvements due to dietary changes alone, suggesting that researchers may consider a randomized trial of raw, WFPB diets as a means of managing SLE.

[Scott Adams]

This is an interesting case study, and indicates that a vegan and raw diet can help manage Lupus, thank you for sharing it. It would be great to see a larger study done with a control group, but this is a start. 

I'm still curious about your specific diet. I understand that it is vegan, but now you're including raw foods, which is not necessarily vegan. Again, it would be great if you could share more about the actual diet that has helped you.

[Meganlee32]

She recommends your diet to be 80 percent raw veggies focusing on dark greens, no animal meats, no dairy, No Oils of any kind, high omega 3 ‘s such as flax and chia seeds and tons of water.

Breakfast is her Green smoothie:

Fill blender 75 percent dark greens, 25 percent fruit and 2 tbs of chia/ flax (100 percent gluten-free certified)

i drink about 2 of these smoothies a day

64 oz of water total for the day

big salads with bok choy, broccoli, carrots, cucumber, kale, spinach, cabbage, etc. With flax or chia sprinkled on top

my dinner is a cooked vegan dinner that I make for my family:

bean burgers, bean chilli, etc.

she recommends eating this way for 4-6 weeks before introducing other foods.
 

This should be a link to her video

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jnzaZ-nFh64

 

[Scott Adams]

Ok, so this would be sort of a cleansing diet for 4-6 weeks, and then you would eat a standard vegan and gluten-free diet? If this works for you that's great, and maybe it will work for others here who are having issues recovering.

[sanfordswife]

 I am looking for a wieght loss diet that is compatable with my celiac disease. I looked at the south beach diet and wondered if anyone has had any success and how can it be altered to remove the gluton? 

[Gemini]

On 5/1/2020 at 7:52 PM, Meganlee32 said:

She recommends your diet to be 80 percent raw veggies focusing on dark greens, no animal meats, no dairy, No Oils of any kind, high omega 3 ‘s such as flax and chia seeds and tons of water.

Breakfast is her Green smoothie:

Fill blender 75 percent dark greens, 25 percent fruit and 2 tbs of chia/ flax (100 percent gluten-free certified)

i drink about 2 of these smoothies a day

64 oz of water total for the day

big salads with bok choy, broccoli, carrots, cucumber, kale, spinach, cabbage, etc. With flax or chia sprinkled on top

my dinner is a cooked vegan dinner that I make for my family:

bean burgers, bean chilli, etc.

she recommends eating this way for 4-6 weeks before introducing other foods.
 

This should be a link to her video

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jnzaZ-nFh64

 

As someone with 4 autoimmune diseases myself, I can agree that diet management can drastically reduce symptoms and improve blood work in many people.  I do not have lupus, though.  Was tested for the various presentations but no lupus, thank God.  

I managed this with a strict gluten-free diet, including animal protein because I weight train, and a small amount of dairy.  After 3 years, my scary blood work normalized and I was symptom free.  I was in my mid -40’s when diagnosed with Celiac, with symptoms that went back to childhood. However, in times of stress, you can have a return of symptoms and elevated inflammatory markers, regardless of how stringent your diet is.  Add aging into the mix and I doubt you would get stellar results in many.  This is the nature of autoimmune disease.  It changes, and age and stress are big influencers. I would still encourage people to eat as clean a diet as possible but I was never hurt by small amounts of cheat foods, like dessert or cheese or anything else this diet you mention forbids.  I never cheat on the gluten-free diet though, to make that clear.

One thing that may not work for newly diagnosed Celiacs are the amount of raw foods.  Raw veggies are hard to digest and not recommended in the beginning.  However, everyone is different and some may tolerate this regimen.

In looking at your diet, the one question is......where is the protein?  I see some small amount at dinner but not much during the day.  Protein is essential for muscle repair and this diet doesn’t include much.  This is a problem for vegans.  Very hard to get the right amount you need from such a restricted diet.  Is there more added in down the road?  What sources are allowed?

I think there are benefits to some of what she says but there are no cures for AI disease. At least not yet.  You can absolutely eat your way into remission but cannot completely get rid of the disease. I wish that were true.  With autoimmune disease, people have different ways to get back to health.  One diet does not work for everyone.  I hope you are able to alleviate your symptoms and feel better!