Lupus is one of the most common chronic autoimmune diseases in America today. It is a lifelong condition that could affect different parts of the body and comes with various symptoms such as rashes, fevers, headaches, and always feeling tired. While there is no cure for lupus, there are medications to help you manage the condition. However, there are also some natural ways to help you cope with lupus naturally. While some of these could be beneficial, you must consult your doctor first before deciding to implement these treatments into your healthcare. Let’s examine these natural lifestyle changes you can make to help you manage the illness.
What Types of Lifestyle Changes You Can Make to Cope with Lupus
When coping with lupus, it’s vital to make the right lifestyle changes to help you manage the condition properly. These changes will help benefit you in the long run. If you don’t consider making the right lifestyle changes now, you’ll start to feel the negative effects this could have on your health. Some good examples of lifestyle changes are changing your diet, exercising more, sleeping better, and considering natural remedies. All of these things could be the right components you need to manage lupus the right way.
How an Anti-Inflammatory Diet Could Help?
While anti-inflammatory drugs are some of the most common ways to treat lupus, it may also benefit you to consider an anti-inflammatory diet filled with plenty of fish and olive oil. Adding these and fruits, vegetables, and nuts into your daily routine will help with flares. Whole grains, fruit, protein, and veggies could help boost your energy levels as serious fatigue is one of the symptoms.
Now that you know which foods to include, it’s important to be aware of foods to exclude. All of these foods could only make your condition worse and increase your flares. Some of them include processed food, red meat, and foods with excessive sugar. Common fast food we eat today is particularly not good for someone coping with lupus. Alfalfa is also said to not be good for people with lupus because it could cause flare-ups. The more of this type of food you consume, the harder your mitochondria have to work to remove the waste. There are plenty of anti-inflammatory recipes you can try here for proper nutrition and control of lupus flare-ups.
What About Supplements and Natural Herbal Remedies?
Besides being selective in the types of foods you eat, it may also benefit you to consider other natural ways to cope with lupus such as natural herbal remedies or supplements. Researchers have examined several supplements and herbal remedies as being potential treatments for managing lupus. Some examples have been Vitamin D, curcumin, Omega-3 fish oils, DHEA, and even green tea. Yes, green tea contains a compound called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) that could benefit the immune system. Vitamin D is beneficial for people dealing with lupus because many people with the condition are deficient in it. A 2017 review suggests that vitamin D deficiency can aggravate lupus. While all of these natural treatments could be helpful, it’s best to consult a doctor first before deciding to use any of them.
The Importance of Exercising When Coping with Lupus
Exercising is good medicine no matter what condition you’re dealing with. But it’s also important for those coping with lupus. Stress and being overworked are some of the most common triggers of lupus. To lower that stress, you have to engage in some form of fitness to release those “feel good” hormones. This can boost your mood and reduce your stress level. Joint pain is another common symptom of lupus and exercising helps to lessen that pain. If you’re not an active person, consider starting slow with low-impact exercises and building your way up.
Why Having a Support System is Important
The last important aspect of making the right lifestyle changes is having the right support system around you. Without the right people to help you make the right decisions, you’ll feel more lost and your mental health will be impacted. Some people who are having a hard time coping with lupus psychologically could also turn to cognitive behavioral therapy as a source of help. This form of therapy could help some deal with difficult emotions and what’s causing them. A therapist who specializes in CBT could help the patient with stress and relaxation techniques.
Making healthy lifestyle choices is vital when dealing with lupus. By adding these natural ways of coping with lupus naturally to your regimen, you may start to see some beneficial results. So be sure to add foods with anti-inflammatory benefits such as fish, nuts, olive oil, and vegetables. Exercise frequently. Consider using supplements and herbal remedies if your doctor recommends them for you. And always, have a good support system around you to help you cope with lupus by making natural lifestyle changes.
Are you one of many adults today coping with lupus? What natural lifestyle changes have you made to help you manage this condition? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below. As always, be sure to like or share this post with the next person you know coping with lupus.
