Psoriatic Arthritis Journal 2- Equation for Change

[SZankel]

Hallo Nicole,

I also suffer from psoriasis arthritis very badly and I read through your article on Dr. Mc Dougalls page. Did you write down what you eat and what you avoid somewhere?

Iam vegan, but I got heavy pain again this week and so I want to give the Mc Dougall diet a try.

Thanks,

Sebastian

[nicoles]

HI Sebastien,

I am sorry to hear you suffer badly from the disease. It is horrible, isn't it?

I eat:

Greens
Kale
Collards
Romaine Lettuce
Spinach
Swiss chard
Arugula (used to bother me, no more)
All lettuces
All spring mix ingredients
watercress (used to bother me, no more)
Cabbage - all kinds

Vegetables
Broccoli
Asparagus
Artichoke
Broccolini
Celery
Cucumber
Sugar Snap and Snow Peas
Cauliflower

Seeds
Flax
Sesame
Sunflower
Pumpkin/squash

Nuts
Cashews


Herbs& Spices
Parsley
Dill
Cilantro
Basil
Thyme
Sage
Rosemary
Black Pepper
Cinnamon (gluten free)
Ginger
Turmeric

Mushrooms
Crimini
Shiitake
Portabella
Baby Button
Oyster
Maiitake

Beans
Great Northern
Split Peas
Lima Beans
Black Beans
Pinto

Root Veggies
Rutabaga
Turnip
Beets
Sweet Potatoes, all varieties
Parsnips

Gourds
Pumpkin
Acorn Squash
Butternut Squash
Spaghetti Squash
Summer Squash
Zucchini

Berries
Blackberries
Raspberries
Blueberries

Stone Fruit
Cherries
Peaches
Nectarines
Plums
Avocado

Other Fruit
Apples
Pears
Persimmons

Teas

Tulsi Tea
Hibiscus
Licorice
Ginger

I might have forgotten a few things...hope this helps!

Best of Luck!

Nicole

[nicoles]

Hi Michelle!

Thanks for stopping by, and for being such a friend!

I am glad Benadryl is helping you sleep, it is so important to get as close to what we need as possible.

Yeah, cooking everything from scratch can be a bother! I mean, I'm not really complaining, but I kinda wish I did not always have to or suffer the consequences. Oh well, I made my choice, I guess! Slow cookers do rock, as do canned beans, pre-chopped veggies and frozen fruit and veggies. Oh yeah, and pre-wahsed salad! They are expensive, but in a pinch , better than nothing.

xoxo

Nicole

[lmggallagher]

Hey Nicole:

I laugh - your list of convenience foods like canned beans and such - I have just taken to calling them my new fast foods

Your long list of what you can eat now is really great. Usually we have very similar reactions - but your list is very different from mine. Though I wish my list was more like yours. I think its really helpful to that you noted foods you are now able to eat though initially they were problem foods. I am hoping to get there too - that is being able to add things back in

Also a big thanks for you turning me on to Egoscue - I have been i huge fibro flare with these storms - but my therapist has just given me an adapted menu so I don't have to lapse on that really helpful thing when times are bad. The Egoscue folks and the method are great and helping me so much!

[SZankel]

Hallo Nicole,

thank you so much for the list. Looks to me like the Pagano Diet without the meat.

How was you experience with the normal Mc Dougall program?

I just bought the 12 days book.

Thanks,

Sebastian

[nicoles]

Hi Sebastien,

Yes, it is kind of similar to the Pagano diet, isn't it? I found out about that much later on.

I personally needed to do a more veggie-heavy version of the Mc D program, and also stay away from grains in general. Which reminds me, I forgot to add the grains I eat!(The reason I forgot is that I rarely eat them. Maybe once a month.)

-------------------------------

Grains

Quinoa
Black Rice
Wild rice
Millet


---------------------------------



When I did a version much like the Maximum Weight Loss version, with lots of green leafy vegetables and crucuferous vegetables, I improved much more quickly.

Good Luck!

Nicole

[nicoles]

Hey Michelle!

Yes, I have really been able to expand what I eat in the last year. I think it might just take a good amount of time for the gut and microbiome to heal/adapt. That's my guess at least

I am SO SUPER GLAD that the Egoscue E-cises and people are helping you, that is awesome. Is the psoas release one of your ecises?

xoxo

Nicole

[nicoles]

Kind of bummed. First our car stalled and we had to get some repairs unexpectedly. Then SIL was trying to logic me into a corner of saying My health improvement was a not a result of diet through a see-through series of rhetorical questions, after a long day of me and DH helping my in laws move their beds downstairs and sectional couch into the living room from the family room while she watched. Then I got food poisoning from a prepared salad I ate. When we got home the gas co had shut the gas off due to some safety issue in the apt upstairs and we had to put a call in to get it back on; they finally came at 3:30 am. For some reason now our oven no longer works. Kids were smashing car windows and slashing tires last night and I was up all night barfing. Some days are just epic, huh?

Yet through it all, my joints are fine. Gotta love that!

[MSNomad]

Oh, Nicole. I'm so sorry. What a day you've had. Hope you're feeling better soon, and glad your joints are ok. Sending hugs from Spain, which, by the way looks and feels an awful lot like southern CA (at least it does in the area we've seen)!

[nicoles]

Aw, thanks MSNomad! Yes, it was quite a day but all in all, things are just fine.

I noticed your photos looking very familiar to my current environs! Still, Spain is Spain! Very exciting

[nicoles]

For those with PsA and other inflammatory and pain issues, here are two infographics about how ligament pain can "show up" in the body. PsA especially is inclined towards pain in the enthesis - where ligaments attach to bone - and this can travel all the way from the ligaments and beyond!

[jamietwo]

Oh Nicole, I'm so sorry for your rough day and food poisoning! I am very impressed, however, that you went through all that without joint pain. Wow!

Those ligament charts are interesting. I understand the joint pain that I get, but I was certainly skeptical (at first) that the non-joint pain was lupus-related. I'm a believer now. : p I'm also very thankful that I'm able to do so much these days!

[nicoles]

Hi Jamietwo!

Thanks for the kindness about the epic bummer day. All in all, it's all fine. Not sick at all anymore. I woke up in the middle of the night with some slight stiffness, but it never turned to pain, and was gone by morning

Those charts are revealing aren't they? In retrospect, I had more PsA related pain than I realized, back in the day.

Glad you are doing as well as you are!!

Xoxo

Nicole

[nicoles]

Some research by Professor Valtor Longo of USC suggesting a reason behind why repeated short fasts can be beneficial to those with autoimmune diseases. (I am extrapolating this connection, not the study.)

The researchers say fasting "flips a regenerative switch" which prompts stem cells to create brand new white blood cells, essentially regenerating the entire immune system.

[nicoles]

Has a couple weeks that were pretty non-stop stressful, and a few of my self-care things fell through the cracks. Did not walk or stretch, and worked waaay too hard. I ate on plan perfectly, but I suspect there is more to this than diet.

I believe exercise is not only good for you, it is a stress-reducer. And I let go of ALL my stress reduction, and added more to my responsibility list.

What happened? I have a small patch of psoriasis on my back. I got two migraines, and three days digestive upset. And a not-too-bad-but-definitely-real flare in one finger.

I report this to say that for some, like myself, stress is a trigger. And it is equally important to take care of all aspects of myself, not just the food. I know it says at the header of the McDougall story I did that I am cured, but I don't think that is true. I think I manage the disease through diet and lifestyle. I've been really great about diet and exercise, but fortunate this year that mostly I am not too stressed. But now that some out of control and chronic stresses are back....I think now 2015 needs to be about managing stress, even beyond what I do already. Meditation. Exploring other options. Exploring dealing with some traumas in my past I hate looking at.

I am excited about it, because I can see so clearly that stress is an OBVIOUS factor. NO MYSTERY. Which means that the mind is powerful, if you get my meaning. And if the mind can be powerful for harm, it can be powerful for good, as well. That is the exciting part.

I'm feeling less stressed just thinking about it