Hey Scotty,
Glad to see you posting! I understand your skepticism. When I first learned I had AS, I bought a number of books and checked books out of the library that dealt with autoimmune issues. These were all independent of one another -- and all of them advocated a grain free diet. And I thought, "yeah . . . right."
Some of these books are:
Living Well with Autoimmune Disease by Mary J. Shoman (an excellent book with an brief overview of many diseases -- but it's valuable because it looks at all the possible ways that we can work at improving our health. It's a balanced book -- it doesn't advocate any one thing, in other words. It also has a wonderful resource list in the back which is how I found this web site.)
The Inflammation Syndrome: The Complete Nutritional Program to Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, Arthritis, Diabetes, Allergies and Asthma by Jack Challem (now, I will admit, this is a more radical read -- and it scares the heck out of you in regard to any medicines!!)
I also read Going Against the Grain and The Paleo Diet that Tim mentioned already. I know there were other books, too, but I can't recall the titles right now.
ANYWAY, I found this web site, and here it was endorsing a grain/starch free diet -- just like everything I had been reading -- and it was specifically for AS. So I decided to try it a year ago. I can't say that I haven't had my bumps with the diet -- but they ALWAYS come when I've gotten sloppy with the diet. When I have stuck to the diet carefully, I have felt great with NO arthritic symptoms. Also, the arrythmia that I often get when I'm in an inflamed state is non-existant when I stick to the diet, but when I start eating starches, I begin to have momentary lurches. When I'm in a state of high inflammation, I can have arrythmia constantly every day. Talk about worrisome!! It's almost worse than the arthritis!
I have energy to run my kids around, go to grad school (full time this semester!!), manage a household (the cooking, grocery shopping, clothes shopping for myself and the kids, house cleaning, laundry, managing everyone else's schedules and enforcing chores, etc. . . ), serve as chorister at church, and work a small job for which I coordinate weekly programming. I have to say that I've pushed myself to do all that kind of stuff when I've been in a high flare, but it is a lot more enjoyable and easier to do when I'm eating right (starch free) and feeling great.
To offset possible nutrients that I may be missing with a grain free and dairy free (in my case) diet, I make sure to supplement. This does get expensive, but I think it is less expensive than medications might be, and certainly there are fewer side effects than is probable with various medications. I make sure to get my calcium and a multi-vitamin, but also take extra magnesium and a B-complex to aid calcium absorption, extra selenium and Vit. E, extra C, omega 3 fish oil, and sometimes some aloe vera juice and/or sour cherry juice.
I also try to exercise, and I try to be fastidious about getting enough rest.
In January of 2004, I was in a major flare. I was having such severe sacroilitis that I could barely walk, was having my 2nd bout of iritis, was having constant arrythmia, fatigue . . . I was feeling pretty awful. I was put on Vioxx which made life more tolerable but not perfect, but after finding this web site about 7 or 8 months later, I ditched the Vioxx (just as well since it was pulled from the market because of increased risk for heart attacks), and, although I've had a few flares when I've indulged in starches, I've felt pretty good if not great most of the time. When I'm careful, I can even forget that I have AS.
Well, that's my testimonial. I realize that it's long, but I really believe this is a healthier way.
Blessings!! Paula
P.S. I'm not saying that I'll never take any kind of medicine -- there could come a day when I might need to combine the diet and medication. I'm trying to hold off on that as long as possible, though.
Last edited by PaulaZU; 08/19/05 02:06 AM.
