Auto-Immune diseases

Hello... a good friend of mine suffers from Alopecia which is an auto-immune disease that has left her without much hair on her head, she has to wear a wig and no hair on her arms and legs. I want to tell her that raw food will help her but I don't want to build her hopes up like everyone else does. She's been suffering for over 10 years, does anyone have any experience with alopecia or auto immune diseases in general? Thank you for any help what so ever.

Comments

  • luxdivonluxdivon Raw Newbie

    sometimes its so tragic. when all we really need to help someone is a doctor. but they're wrong more than they're right. they've sold out to pharma and the green, and don't really give a sh** about actually helping a god d**m soul. we do, but we don't know all the answers. there are no doctors we can trust, and if we can trust them, we can't afford them. and even if we get a public option it does no one any good because they're still pill pushing greedy bastards.

    my dad has psoriasis auto-immune. auto-immune runs in my family. Sister - had Juvenille rheumatoid arthritis (auto-immune) almost killed her. And now i just found out my dad has been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. and they still listen to their doctors. and they still take their drugs. they won't listen to me, even though i've fought off cancer with nutrition. the world makes me SO angry. My best regards to your friend. If anything will help her, raw will. if she has the money, then a naturopath that can guide her through a heavy cleanse/detox. If she doesn't then naturally raw will do this over time. It's got to be better than whatever they're giving her now.

  • the59soundthe59sound Raw Newbie

    Present her with The China Study. A whole foods, plant based diet...even cooked, will heal her of this. Raw is the next step of course, but very much more extreme. She may handle the low-fat cooked version first. If you have not read the book yourself, there is a very large chapter dedicated to auto-immune diseases, and how a low-fat unprocessed vegan diet can heal these diseases.

  • oh thank you so much! I will tell her everything you've told me. The great thing about my friend is that Western Medicine makes her angry as well. She's tried herbs, both on her head and ingesting them but other than that I'm not 100% sure what she has tried. I will let you know what happens if anything. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Congratulations to everyone who's changed their lives with their diet, you're all my heros!

  • SuasoriaSuasoria Raw Newbie

    I wonder if there is an approach to this using orthomolecular medicine - basically massive doses of common vitamins. Try the site doctoryourself.com - by a VERY respected MD, Andrew Saul, who has extensive clinical background in treating the most common diseases with plain ol' vitamins like C, B, etc. And of course...it doesn't hurt, unlike big pharma.

  • freewitheftfreewitheft Raw Newbie

    I have MS, which is considered autoimmune and diet with supplements is a huge part of healing myself. I know that, in general, using a "low immune-reactive" diet is helpful for all kinds of autoimmune disorders, like rheumatoid arthritis, so it could very well help in this case. The general premise is that 1.) the person has a leaky gut and 2.) foods that are ingested are setting off an immune reaction when undigested proteins enter the bloodstream through the permeable intestine. So, by eliminating all offending foods, one can calm down the immune system and alleviate many symptoms. Gluten and dairy are the big ones to get rid of first. In my case, I also have eliminated beans/peas/legumes because of MS specifically - they contain proteins similar to the myelin coating on the nerves of my brain, the body sees one and attacks all. The next step is to get an ELISA test to determine which foods a specific individual is reacting to. This is, unfortunately, an all-or-nothing diet. Even a tiny bit of one offending food can set off the immune reaction. The general rule is to avoid these foods for a full year then test re-introducing them individually. If your friend decides to try it, let her know that this is not a gradual process. She may see no difference for many weeks, then BOOM! Out of nowhere, she may feel/see serious changes. For me, I didn't realize how much my fatigue was MS-related until it just disappeared overnight about 5 weeks into my diet changes. I just woke up one morning, went to work and said to a co-worker while pointing at my face, "LOOK! I'm back!". I knew right then, that even if I didn't get rid of any other symptoms (I did though!) this diet was totally worth it and I'll never go back. :)

    Oh, my long-term goal is to heal my leaky gut. I feel that fasting and drinking kombucha everyday are helping a lot with that!

  • I have psoriasis and I used to have it severe for several years. I have had it all my life until one day it flared like crazy to 90%. With alot of determination and strict diet changes it went down to about 5-10%. Being vegetarian does help alot and exercise. So does vitamin use I use multis,borage oil and tumeric. I agree with the leaky gut theory. Although they say most auto immune disease have unknown cause many people have lessening symptoms with diet or even cured. Unfortunately for me that didnt happen but at least its not as bad. I agree with the fasting too. My skin does get better when I fast or do the MC. I also take probiotics.

    -luxdivon unfortunately when people get Diabetes type 2 its mainly because they eat poorly. Cant eat the same when they were younger. Your dad's doctor would have told them that before it got worse most likely and ignored the advice so he got Diabetes. So he got a prescription. It is curable with diet and exercise if he can get the motivation. hopefully with a health conscious daughter like you he can do it. Maybe looking up medical journals or sites like mayo clinic he will change his mind.

  • luxdivonluxdivon Raw Newbie

    I can only hope so. Either they will, and they will live long and prosper. Or they will not, and they will die sick from disease. I love them, and I wish that they will indeed see the light. I am more than willing to share the truth, it is just now the question if they are willing to listen. Thanks for sharing about your psorasis. I wonder if those herbs would help my rosacea/or it might be latent psorasis? I am taking de-parasite pills right now to see if it's parasite related. so far it's still there, i'm on day 3 or 4 of the parasite pills. The only thing i've read of someone that has cured completely from psorasis was through a extended water fast. It would have to be with a naturopath, and there's no way you could work during the fast. Not too easy to accomplish for most people.

  • freewitheftfreewitheft Raw Newbie

    Big thumbs up on the borage oil and turmeric. If you think any condition might be a result of inflammation (like most autoimmune conditions!), those supplements are of great help. Also, I use a lot of fresh pineapple in my smoothies because the bromelain (also a digestive enzyme) is also anti-inflammatory. :)

  • I tried the parasite cleanse I think it was wormwood, black (something) and clove. I did it for the recommended time 2 weeks then taper down but I didnt see a change. I knew a doctor who swore by pineapple and told his patients to eat it to heal faster. Try the herbs its worth a shot also the borage is good for pre menstrual cramps if you get those.

  • luxdivonluxdivon Raw Newbie

    Thanks! I appreciate it. I'll try them out....

  • luxdivonluxdivon Raw Newbie

    Ok, so i'm looking into Borage Oil and Tumeric. Any suggestions where i should buy them from online?? Is gelatin bad to have in the ingredients? I mean I guess I could just attempt to take a glass with some tumeric, I'm not sure how that would taste thou! I want to try to get this redness of rosacea down. I tried a homeopathic remedy for riding skin mites (thought that might be the problem, had read somewhere it was a possibility) and lets just say it involved ACV and cayenne pepper. It was ok, but my face was the worst it's ever been after that bath. It seems more back to normal today, but it really freaked me out! Strangely when I got out, it seemed like my vision was clearer somehow.. who knows.. So yea.. suggestions for good vitamin sources...Thanks in advance..

    oh, and... does anybody know anything about remedies for warts? I seem to have one on my neck that is quite persistant. Thanks

  • juicefastfanjuicefastfan Raw Newbie

    The only thing that I would watch out for is that the gelatin could be made from pork, or could contain MSG...why the heck it would is beyond me, but I read about it either on mercola's site, dr ben kim's or natural news...I can't remember but those are the three general ones I check out on a regular basis. When I see gelatin in the ingredient list, I call the company and ask specifically if those two things are in any part of their product. By law, they have to be honest with you, if you ask about something specific (i.e. is it made out of pork as opposed to whats in your product) because of allergies and liability and all that stuff.

  • SimplyRawesomeSimplyRawesome Raw Jr. Leader

    Drinking green smoothies daily has helped people rid themselves of warts and moles. Read Green for Life by Victoria Boutenko.

    "Oil Pulling" - something I recently came across that sounds interesting. It is a form of detoxing and I would recommend doing some research to determine if it's right for you.

    Okay, now here's an interesting story for you about the power of natural healing ... and "auto-immune" diseases. I was hit head-on by a car while riding my motorcycle through an intersection in July of 2008. I was lauched over the handlebars (and over the hood of the car that hit me) and landed on my right butt cheek. My pelvis was twisted and my pelvic organs prolapsed and I had severe nerve, muscle and bone bruising among other injuries. The area above my right butt cheek, from my spine to my right side was numb.

    Several months after the accident, I realized I had a bottle of Flaxseed oil in the fridge that was getting close to its expiration date, so I started taking 2 TBSP of Flaxseed oil 2x a day . Within three days, the numb area started to itch and tingle like crazy. I was intrigued so I did a search on the benefits of Flaxseed oil and learned that it "nourishes the nerves." Wooohoooo!!

    When the feelings started to come back, I also started to experience recurrent cystitis. After two months, I went to a urologist-gynecologist who strongly urged me to get on some "bladder installation" program which would require me to go to her office and have a catheter installed every week, and they would fill the bladder with some drug, have me hold it in to "coat the lining of the bladder" as long as I could and then release it. PLUS she wanted to put me on "drug therapy" for six months, "preferably a year." HA!

    In addition, the doc said "since I had asthma, which is an auto-immune disease, it was only natural that I would end up with cystitis." WHAAAAT???!!! She discounted the fact that I never had cystitis issues before the accident. She also blew me off when I told her that when I ate a 100% raw food diet, my asthma did not bother me, but when I ate wheat or cheese or pretty much any cooked food, my asthma would rear it's ugly head and that tells me it's a FOOD ALLERGY and NOT an auto-immune disease!

    Well, bottom line, I decided to get a second opinion, and my appointment was 3 months later! I continued taking 1 TBSP of Flaxseed oil every night before bed and by the time I went for my second opinion appointment, I had no issues and the doc gave me a clean bill of health.

    The flaxseed oil nourished the nerves. No drugs! No catheter! I think the cystitis was a healing crisis that ocurred as the nerves - which had been damaged from my "impact to earth" - started healing again. Had I listened to the doctor, I would be on drugs right now and going to the doc and having catheterization done every week. That alone would probably have caused all kinds of bacterial issues and probably started me on a never-ending cycle of drugs and other various treatments.

    Another bonus. If it weren't for chiropractic, I would be taking pain killers and using a walker right now. Instead, I just hiked up a 1000' high mountain today and I hike a 4 mile trail about 2x a week.

    Personally, I think "auto-immune" is a term used whenever the "medical industry" doesn't know what ails their patient. In most cases, it is probably diet related.

  • luxdivonluxdivon Raw Newbie

    that's an awesome real life story. And i'm sure the doctor would say "it's unbelieveable! it's a miracle!" what liars. i'm so glad the universe had that flax oil there for you just when you needed it. I think that I would say I agree with you 100%. I know that I will eventually figure out what is causing my rosacea. I'm not 100% so maybe that's it...Who knows maybe i'll start taking flax oil just for the hell of it! :) I wish I could convince my father that his psoriasis could heal if only he could see the truth, that his skin is reacting because it is not happy about what is being put into it. So simple. yet millions die without opening their eyes.

  • zinfandelzinfandel Raw Newbie

    @luxdivon- my rosacea was caused by gluten, 3 days after i cut out all wheat and gluten it cleared up. you'll figure it out :)

  • luxdivonluxdivon Raw Newbie

    I"ve gone way more than 3 days without gluten.. I only actually consume gluten maybe once a week when I drink 1 beer. There's a possibility that it's latent psoriasis since that's what my dad has. I don't know. I've been raw 4 months. no change. so i'm still stumped, but one day i'll figure it out.

  • I agree that most auto immune is diet related. But I am some what bothered by it being a label by the "medical industry." My diet has helped me with psoriasis but being raw has not cured it. I have had it all my life and it doesnt look like its going away anytime soon.

  • freewitheftfreewitheft Raw Newbie

    luxdivon, try Redbridge gluten-free beer. I've been gluten-free for 1.5 years now and it's my favorite. I was surprised because it's an Anhauser-Busch product, which at least makes it easier to find or have ordered. I thought I would like something from a smaller brewery better, but so far it's the winner! Now that summer's winding down, I probably won't indulge much, but it was nice to sit out in the sun on a hot day with one. :)

  • camiheartsrawcamiheartsraw Raw Newbie

    I have systemic lupus (a serious autoimmune disease) and diet is of utmost importance. Allergies seem to be a huge component, and testing was absolutely critical. If I eat raw and healthy but am still getting a hold of something I'm allergic to, the health benefits of raw are outweighed by the reaction I have to the item I'm allergic to. I would highly recommend IGG and IGE allergy testing. From what I've gathered and the research I've done, IGG allergies are really common.

    Other things that have played a part in the disease outside of food include environmental allergies and chemical sensitivities - namely parabens and fragrances. Healing from autoimmune requires a total lifestyle change. I'm continuing to work on my diet - I've always had an amazing diet by American standards (no sugars, corn syrups, chemical preservatives, processed foods, etc.) - but this is my first venture into veganism. Chemical and environmental allergen exposure are two things that are very hard to control, which is unfortunate. People like perfume and I have to work in an office environment, so I'm continuously bombarded. I work hard to keep our home free of molds, dust, pollens, and chemicals - I control my environment when I can.

    I noticed a huge difference in energy levels in the short time I had been eating primarily raw until this weekend when I forgot one dose of medication (I take LDN - an immune modulator - not the traditional lupus medications). I'm still trying to bounce back, but it's been a struggle. I wonder if 100% raw for years will lead to no medication, but that really remains to be seen. I agree with gemninja. Eating raw for a short period of time compared to my life span doesn't instantly negate the disease I've had my entire life. I'm optimistic that I can turn things around by and large, but time will tell. Tell your friend to be patient and to follow her gut. Traditional medicine just leads to more health problems down the road as there are no safe medications. I take LDN because it has the lowest impact on my body of all my known options, but my goal is to have the same quality of life I have now (or better) with no medications.

Sign In or Register to comment.