When Selena Gomez went into stage 4 of Lupus Disease, Lupus Nephritis, she was in dire need of a kidney transplant. Luckily, her best friendwas a match and she is now in remission. Her career and the stress of living in the spotlight at such a young age, likely contributed to the severity of her condition.
Lupus is a complex and potentially terminal autoimmune disease that effects up to 200000 people annually. Although Lupus is not considered a deadly disease, left untreated it progress to Lupus nephritis and can cause kidney failure, convulsions and heart disease. The most common form of lupus is SLE and symptoms may cause fatigue, pain or swelling in joints, skin rashes, and fevers, with varying severity.
Researchers are discovering more about Lupus and believe it has a genetic and familial predisposition. Women of African American and Hispanic decent are mostly susceptible and it is believed that environmental factors, as well as viruses and infections play a more significant role. The resent
incredible discovery of the microbiome (gut microbia) and the diversity of bacteria that is necessary to populate a healthy human body is crucial to ward of disease. When you don’t eat enough organic nutrients, your microbes are out of balance and your become immunodeficient. What triggers one person to get Lupus and not another is not yet known, but what we do know is that a high fiber diet with a variety of root vegetables and low to moderate fats, helps to create the most diverse microbia to fight off infections.
Regular exercise, which is crucial to maintaining your immune system, is also a natural defense against viral and bacterial infections. Although LUPUS can cause exhaustion, exercise can be modified during a flare up. Strength training of your major muscle groups every other day as well as 30 minutes a day of sustained cardio training is the minimum needed to prevent most lifestyle disease.
Stress also plays a big role. Even without direct evidence of how stress can trigger Lupus, we know that the women who suffered stress before being diagnosed likely were not eating well and exercising regularly. To keep your stress at bay, practice mindfulness. Stay in your body at all times and remain calm with deep breathing and stretches throughout the day. Find out more about MINDFULNESS.