People always ask me why I turned to a keto diet. So, here is my 20 year journey from confusion to enlightenment. You see, I was diagnosed with lupus over 19 years ago, but before that I was an enigma to every doctor I saw.  And quite frankly, 20 years after diagnosis I still am, to the doctors that is, but not to me!

It was a rough road to diagnosis and treatment.  For many years I suffered with pain and constant medication changes – with tests for mono, Epstein Bar, Lyme Disease and many others.  After finally being diagnosed with lupus I learned that there were so many forms of lupus and that being diagnosed wasn’t a fast path to effective treatment.  Sometime after my original diagnosis it was also found out that I have Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome (Sticky Blood or Hughes Syndrome) and celiac disease.  Before I was diagnosed with celiac I had constant stomach issues.  My doctor recommended I become a vegetarian.  He thought my body was having a hard time breaking down animal protein.  This happened to help for a short while. When my symptoms started to act up again I knew there had to be something more.

I know it sounds crazy, and I felt like I was a bit neurotic, but I knew something else was wrong. I decided to see a GI specialist to get to the bottom of my stomach issues.  We did a lot of testing and the diagnosis was celiac.  What I didn’t know, but later learned was that when you have an autoimmune disease you usually have more than one.  So, his diagnosis shouldn’t have been a surprise.  After cutting out gluten, I was feeling great with my diet, but my joint pain and energy levels were still out of control.  I was constantly Googling and trying to figure out natural ways to help myself.

Another bit of information about me is that I do not like to take medications at all. I’ve spent the last 19 years holistically figuring out how to treat my illnesses. About a year and a half ago, after a bad bout of arthritic pain (a common side effect of lupus) my husband mentioned the ketogenic diet.  I did some quite extensive research, learning everything I possibly could about keto.  I read everything I could possibly get my hands on.  The most important thing I learned about a ketogenic diet is that you do not eat foods that cause the body to have an inflammatory response.  For me, that was a key factor.  One of the most common side effects of lupus is the bodies inflammatory response to the white blood cells and antibodies constantly attacking the body’s own tissues.

If I am being honest, I should tell you I was addicted to sugar.  I ate a king- sized box of Hot Tamales every single day.  I kept the box in my car and grazed on it throughout the day.  As a personal trainer and health advocate I knew this was unhealthy, but I really couldn’t stop.  At this point, based on everything I read, I made the hard decision to give up sugar and decided the ketogenic lifestyle was worth a shot.

Let me tell you, the first week was pretty rough.  My head was throbbing constantly from the sugar and carbohydrate withdrawal.  But, from all my research I knew I had made the right decision and needed to stick with it. After the first week my energy levels were on the rise and I had no pain.  I waited, because I knew the fall season was approaching and I needed to make it to the change of seasons.  You see, lupus patients suffer most during the change of seasons.  The constant fluctuation of weather takes a toll on our bodies.  The season changed and I did not have one flare up.  And as a bonus I had also lost 10 pounds, though I wasn’t really trying to. I know it’s hard to believe, but I was really doing keto for its health benefits and I was feeling great!  Perhaps noteworthy and worth sharing – there are a lot of misconceptions about keto.   It is not a high fat diet, it is a right fat diet. 

By December I was a completely different person.  I was down 20 pounds, working out 4-5 times a week and pain free.  Keto had truly changed my life.  All the years I had spent trying to make myself better had paid off.  I took control of my own life and health and will never look back.

During these past 18 months I have found my passion.  I have a need, want, desire, whatever you choose to call it to help others.  For people diagnosed with certain diseases to know their life isn’t over.  You do not have to succumb to the disease.  You can fight and I will fight it with you.  Together we can make a change to your body and mind.  It is important to know that your body is different than everyone else’s and reacts differently to things.  We can take the journey together to help you find the best you and the lifestyle that gets you there. 

I believe in the ketogenic lifestyle because it has changed my life and I see what it has done for so many others.  It has been proven to reverse type 2 diabetes, reduce side effects of many autoimmune diseases, help with Parkinson’s, epilepsy and Alzheimer’s symptoms, and even has had positive effects for those with cancer.  I believe in the long run this will be the way of life for everyone and I will do everything I can to help others get healthy.