Whole foods for less pain

Last month, the flu hit our house and even though I've had my flu vaccine, I was sick for a solid two weeks. My cough lingered even longer. I have psoriatic arthritis. The biologic medication I take to treat it is an immunosuppressant drug. I had to stop my medication, so my body needed a fighting chance against the flu.

While I rested, I picked up a book my friend recommended a few months back. It's called "How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease" by Michael Greger, M.D. It seemed like the perfect thing to read when I did in fact feel like I was dying.

The diseases the book focuses on are the top causes of death in America and it highlights the research showing that a whole-food, plant-based diet addresses the nutrition our body needs for optimal function, disease prevention and treatment.

I've changed my eating habits many times in hopes that it would help me feel better. I've tried Weight Watchers and Noom. I've been a vegetarian and I've done keto. I've also remained gluten free through it all. But none of these diets checked all the boxes.

If I take extra weight off my frame, then my joints will have an easier time moving me around and maybe not hurt as much. I can follow that line of thinking. But shrinking my waistline isn't the main goal.

What I consider a bigger success is being able to walk barefoot without holding on to the walls for support because walking without supportive shoes hurts too much. My measure of success is finally healing the stubborn patch of psoriasis that itches and burns because it's cracked and bleeding.

My problem with the calories-in-calories-out game is that it misses the nutrient goals that help a human body thrive. It also misses the reduction-in-inflammation goal that I'm after.

I know how to lose weight, but what I really want to do is lose pain. My conversations with doctors have focused on medications and medical interventions. I am grateful for the science. But why have we never talked about nutrition? Mediterranean diets come up in conversation as a possible way to decrease inflammation, but the bottom line is this: nutritional studies just aren't out there.

Pharmaceutical companies make money from medication and studies center around what can be funded and marketed for profit. The money seemingly isn't there to back studies on whole-food nutrition. Still, I went looking and I did find a few. All included some measures of success along with this tagline: "Further research is needed to test the effectiveness of plant-based diets on joint pain, inflammation ..."

I also found a few case studies linked to my specific diagnosis, and caring doctors who offered information on individual patients successfully managing their psoriatic arthritis with a whole-food, plant-based diet.

It's the one thing I haven't tried.

I've been vegetarian before, but I've never removed dairy or processed foods. I mean, I can technically be a vegetarian and still eat cheese puffs and ice cream ... right?

I took this information to my doctor who agreed that a whole-food, plant-based diet was worth trying. She also cautioned that it will not cure me. I get that. I'm not expecting a cure. I'm expecting a dietary approach that helps me with symptom management alongside my medications. I really don't care if I'm a size 12 for the rest of my life. I do care if my quality of life deteriorates to the point that I cannot enjoy time with the people I love. With my doctor's support, I reduced my medication and adjusted my dietary restrictions.

What's most incredible is that after only one week, that stubborn patch of psoriasis to which I'd been applying a daily dab of steroid cream cleared up. After 12 years of injections, one week of a dietary change showed me I was on to something.

It's not going to be easy (I mean, my hips still hurt) but chronic illness is never easy. I'm not saying I'll never eat another piece of cheesecake because I know I will, and I'll aim to show myself some grace when that happens.

What I know for sure is that I have a lot of life left in me. I want to do whatever I can to be here for my children, for as long as possible.