May is National Lupus Awareness Month

Systemic Lupus Erthematosus (SLE) is a debilitating autoimmune disease. The immune system of the body mistakenly attacks healthy tissue -affecting the skin, joints, kidneys, brain, and other organs.

While there is no cure for this disease, you can develop a treatment plan to prevent flare-ups, to treat them when they do occur, and to minimize complications with the right team of health care professionals.

Nutrition and Supplementation is crucial for the prevention of flare-ups and managing symptoms with this disease.

Functionally, my approach to SLE is to help manage the symptoms of my client through nutrition, lifestyle, and supplementation. It's not just about eating a healthy diet with plenty of fruits and veggies. It is so much more than that. Together, we take a look at inflamed tissues and work to decrease irritation and tenderness. There is a large amount of peer reviewed clinical trials that can attest to the importance of methysulfonylmethane (MSM) for joint repair.

What one individual experiences symptomatically with this disease is entirely different than another. Hence, my belief in biochemical individuality -what's right for one person, is just that, right for one person.

Symptoms of SLE can be an array of the following:

• Extreme fatigue (feeling tired all the time)

• Pain or swelling in the joints

• Swelling in the hands, feet, or around the eyes

• Headaches

• Low fevers

• Sensitivity to sunlight or fluorescent light

• Chest pain when breathing deeply

• A butterfly-shaped rash on the cheeks and nose

• Hair loss

• Sores in the mouth or nose

• Fingers and toes turning white or blue and feeling numb when a person is cold or stressed (Raynaud’s Disease)

I encourage you all to wear your purple ribbon this month!!