Archive for arthritis

“From sedentary to marathon runner and over 200 pounds lost”

By: Liz Derry

Looking at me today, people are shocked when they hear that I have lost and maintained over 200 pounds of weight loss, eliminated multiple health problems, including diabetes, and went from sedentary to marathon runner, all through healthy eating and exercise, without pills, surgeries, shots, weighing and measuring foods, or counting calories. The affects of my change to a whole food plant based diet were not just physical, but emotional, mental, and spiritual.

At the start of 2020, at the age of 44, I weighed almost 400 pounds and was suffering from many health problems including chronic reflux, poor wound healing, type 2 diabetes, arthritis, depression, poor sleep, chronic fatigue, high blood pressure, menstrual problems, and general despondency. I had lost and gained large amounts of weight multiple times in my life, including over 100 pounds 2 other times. I had been on many different diets and none of them were working for me anymore. I was only able to lose 30-40 pounds and then would quickly gain it all back. After a recent family vacation in which I spent most of the time sitting on benches, while my family explored the sites, I had reached an all-time low. I felt so old and run down physically and wondered what type of life I had left, unable to enjoy time and activities with my children, and eventually grandchildren, and likely facing an early death.

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“An angel of the Lord appeared to us in the form of our daughter”

By: Michael and Marilyn Clark

While preparing for our summer 2019 family vacation, our married daughter Tiffany informed us she and her family were trying something new: abstinence from animal products. (You can read her story here.) Having great empathy for her multi-year health challenges, my wife Marilyn and I decided we would support our daughter by going along with this change on our shared vacation.

Up until that time, Marilyn and I thought we understood and lived the Word of Wisdom quite well. We were highly motivated to be healthy. We had seen four out of our eight grandparents die relatively young from heart attacks and cancer, and my mother died quite young at 63 from a number of chronic ailments. Marilyn had studied nutrition in college and was an excellent cook who made most everything from scratch and incorporated lots of vegetables into our diet. You could say we ate a whole food, plant-rich diet, but perhaps we were a bit deluded thinking we ate meat “sparingly” when in reality our consumption of animal products was incompatible with a face-value reading of the Word of Wisdom. Still, coupled with a relatively active lifestyle, we carried no extra weight and thought we were in pretty good shape.

Yet we were perplexed by the health challenges Tiffany had faced over the previous decade, despite her very best, remarkably-disciplined efforts to live the Word of Wisdom according to her knowledge. We wondered, how could someone so diligent—who ate better than her dietitian (according to her dietitian!)—be subject to gestational diabetes while pregnant, have two miscarriages, lose two babies to stillbirth, contract Hashimoto’s, and experience significant weight gain? Thankfully, her constant prayers and searching led her to discover the one thing that she lacked: abstinence from animal products.

While in the midst of supporting our daughter during our summer 2019 vacation, I turned to the Word of Wisdom with a greater degree of curiosity, honesty, and real intent. What followed was a journey of insight that perhaps could be best understood by comparing our experience to that of Amulek, the missionary companion to Alma the Younger, who seemingly made an instant transformation from being an inactive member of the Church to becoming an intrepid promoter and defender of the faith.

When recounting his conversion story to the people of Ammonihah, Amulek confessed, “for I was called many times and I would not hear; therefore I knew concerning these things [the power of God], yet I would not know; therefore I went on rebelling against God.” Yes, he had no doubt received a series of promptings from the Spirit, yet he willfully chose to ignore them.

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“I don’t ever want to go back to the way we were eating”

By: Amy Wells

I didn’t realize how sick I was.

Growing up, I ate mainly the Standard American Diet (SAD). I was aware that some foods were healthier than others, but I didn’t know why or how that affected my body. I would get sick a lot with what I now identify as chronic sinus infections. I have very early memories of my knees aching, often causing weakness and pain that stayed with me well into my adult years. In college, I visited a GI specialist because of some things I felt were off. He did some tests and couldn’t find anything wrong. So, he suggested, “Well, you could try going off gluten and see if that helps.”

While on my mission, I was overcome with such severe knee aches that I was not able to do much of what was required of me. I sought a priesthood blessing from the ward mission leader. In the blessing, he told me to look to the Word of Wisdom for answers. At the time I studied it, but didn’t change much about the way I was eating. Now I know that blessing was God trying to tell me how my body can be healed from the inflammation in my knees that was causing these life-long problems.

When I married my husband, we decided not to wait to have children. But, my menstrual cycle needed some regularity so I took metformin to deal with symptoms of PCOS. All these things I thought were just part of life and what my body did.

My husband has always enjoyed being fit but has had problems with muscle inflammation, regular ear infections and headaches for years. He didn’t enjoy broccoli or nuts when we married. But, when he found that they are “good for you,” he started eating them with great enjoyment. When he began to develop digestive issues, we really began to look for answers. I was willing to help him on his journey, but I didn’t feel like I needed to “get healthy.” I did think it would be good to lose a few pounds of baby weight after my second child was born.

Through his research, he learned about Whole Food Plant Based eating by reading The China Study which led him to other resources of knowledge. He was all on board right away. Me, not so much. I felt overwhelmed with the thought of cutting out meat, eggs and dairy from my cooking and figuring out how to  feed my family this way. However, I did believe what I was learning could improve our health. So, I was willing to start progressing this way. Continuous study from reliable resources has been a great motivator to keep trying.

We also studied scriptures and prayed specifically to know how to make this transition, especially when it comes to social situations and others who were not as supportive. As we learned more, we were excited to find other members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints that have transitioned to more Whole Foods and Plants from their study of the Word of Wisdom. I didn’t fully make the connection until then. God asks us to use meats “sparingly” and “it is pleasing unto [Him] that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine.” (D&C 89:12,13) Why had I not trusted in His word?

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“I’m thankful the Master of the universe cares what I have for breakfast”

By: Charles Cranney

When I was on the local youth swim team, the only indoor pool during the winter was at BYU. For the morning swim we arrived at 5:45 and swam until 7. My mom would always pick us up after visiting Winchell’s donuts. My favorite was the buttermilk one. After that I would go home and usually have French toast or pancakes for breakfast. My favorite meal was roast beef with mashed potatoes and gravy. I drank tons of milk, thinking it was healthy. Lots of juice too.

I remained fit and trim during my mission and throughout most my college career, but little did I know my diet was laying the foundation for some challenges later in life. As the children came and I got a desk job, I started gaining weight. The joke was that every time my wife had a pregnancy, I would be empathetic and gain weight with her—but not lose the weight after she did. (We had seven children.😀)  I remember that for family night, we would often go to McDonald’s, where they had Big Macs for $1 each. I would usually eat two. I also loved ice cream. When I would go to social gatherings, I would try to be discreet about how much I ate, but I always felt I ate about twice as much as everyone else, if I was honest (especially the meat and sugary things). I did play racquetball several times a week and rode my bike to work, and we had a garden and many fruit trees, which I enjoyed. Fresh peaches drench with cream and sugar was a favorite—or peaches with Wheaties. I ate meat with nearly every meal. During food discussions I was fond of saying, “I didn’t spend a million years climbing the evolutionary ladder to be a vegetarian.”

I became more and more of a stress eater because of all the challenging church callings that seemed to come my way, including a couple of stints as bishop almost back to back (BYU and then the home ward). I remember sometimes thinking my “ticker” felt a little odd, but I never had it checked out. Later in 2006 when I was serving as young men’s president I hiked Timpanogos and King’s Peak with the young men, even though I was about 250 lbs. at the time and 49 years old. My wife had me get a heart stress test before those hikes since I was so overweight. It was shortly after that that I was called to serve as a mission president in the Russia Moscow Mission. There was, of course, lots of stress associated with that. It was one of the largest land-mass missions in the world. My farthest branch was a five-hour flight to southern Kazakhstan. My ankle hurt quite a bit during that time from an earlier extreme sprain.

When I returned from Russia, I was 264 lbs. At the doctor’s soon after, I was sent for a battery of uncomfortable tests and diagnosed with prostate cancer. Before the surgery, I went on Weight Watchers and lost 50 lbs. The robot-assisted surgery was very successful, and I was able to maintain weight of about 215 lbs for a couple of years. I was eating more fruits and vegetables than in the past but still plenty of other not-so-good stuff and meat. I also started running more.

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“My divine tap on the shoulder”

By: Marjorie Rice

On March 3, 2015, at age 76, I was diagnosed with breast cancer, a 8mm mucinous carcinoma in the right breast. It was especially devastating news because almost nine years earlier my husband George had suffered a massive brain bleed that left him completely paralyzed on one side. He was in a wheelchair with the use of only one hand, and I was his full-time caregiver; he needed me 24/7.

Five days after my diagnosis I watched a 10-minute video by Chris Wark, a young man who beat stage 3 colon cancer at age 26 by switching to a primarily plant-based diet. Ten years later he was still healthy and cancer free. That same day, my husband and I watched the documentary Forks Over Knives and were convinced of the scientific evidence of several physicians in the film showing that most, if not all, of the life-threatening diseases that afflict us can be prevented, or even reversed, by rejecting animal-based and processed foods and eating a whole-food, plant-based diet. Further, every nutrient our bodies need for optimal health is found in plants—vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, seeds, and nuts. I believed what I saw and heard.

I went to Doctrine and Covenants 89 and read again the Word of Wisdom and other scriptures that counsel us concerning food. Those scriptures confirmed everything I had just heard in the documentary. George and I were both convinced that we should follow this whole-food, plant-based (WFPB) way of eating.

Since my husband’s stroke I had been religiously following the American Heart Association’s diet: low-fat dairy, very little lean red meat, skinless poultry and fish, whole grains, and fruits and vegetables. Included was some processed foods, canned soups, etc. I felt it was a fairly healthy plan, but WFPB eating was a whole new concept.

The next day I went through my pantry, cabinets, freezer, and refrigerator and got rid of everything that didn’t comply with a WFPB diet. I was excited about it, but there was so much to learn—a whole new way to plan meals, shop, and prepare food.

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“My husband’s heart attack became one of my greatest blessings”

By: Diane Mayo

All my adult life, when I read the Word of Wisdom and came to the verses about eating meat sparingly, I wondered what it meant and how to do it. I had completely bought into the idea that meat and dairy products are necessary for good health. I kept trying to cut back on the amount we were eating, thinking that that was obeying eating it “sparingly.” As I look back, I realize that I was slowly changing on my own. I would take very small portions of meat and enjoy the other dishes on the table. Meat, even in small portions, was becoming distasteful to me. I distinctly remember one morning when I was thinking about fixing eggs for breakfast. I paused and asked myself if I could eat them. The answer was, “absolutely not.” So I fixed my normal oatmeal and relished it.

Then my husband had a heart attack just before Christmas in 2017. All four of the major arteries in his heart were 90 to 100% blocked and others were over 70%! We were shocked. He had always been so healthy and strong. Our jaws dropped when the doctor told him he was overweight and needed to lose about 20 pounds. Before this, he could eat anything he wanted and hadn’t changed weight for years. We studied the information the hospital gave us and immediately cut out red meat, switching to white chicken and fish. We also had to cut out all his favorite foods: potato chips, French fries, ice cream, candy, etc. Everything he loved was on the “no” list. 

The instructions also told us to consider a non-meat meal a couple times a week. I was drawn to that and started trying to find help to know how. I had an impression that I should hold off for a while and study the Word of Wisdom. It took me four days to study it because I kept stopping at verses I had never considered before. It is not a coincidence that the day after I finished my study I was introduced to whole food, plant-based eating and the Discovering the Word of Wisdom website. My husband and I watched the video, which detailed everything I had just discovered on my own! A new world had just opened up and I was ecstatic! 

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“Knowledge is more powerful than pride”

By: Analilí Burrows (Version en español)

My search for wellness and health began long ago without much success. Conflicting information and the “false traditions” of my people darkened my understanding.

I became a mother at 28, seventeen years ago today. Birthing my first son was a grueling experience I don’t wish upon anyone. At our 20-week ultrasound, we were warned this baby’s condition was incompatible with life due to anencephaly, which means the scull is missing and the baby’s brain is floating around the amniotic fluid in a thin skin sack. He died in utero five days before my labor began.

A few months later I missed my period again. A home pregnancy test found out we were expecting, but I miscarried the very next day at 7 weeks. In 2006 with a two-year old miracle daughter, I was getting ready to pack my hospital bag at 8 months pregnant when my placenta abrupted inadvertently, and we lost our precious daughter. I almost died in the process too.

This close call with my own life and having to bury a second baby of mine gave me a new determination to find out what was wrong with me. I enrolled in medical school and was accepted, but with a 2-year old baby and a husband traveling most of the time, I had to pass this goal for a later day.

Little did I know I was learning line upon line, precept upon precept what I have come to know now.

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“No food that causes me to be ill is worth it”

By: Robyn Grow

I’d like to share what I have learned through my experience with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Several years ago I began having soreness in my inner-thigh area. At first I thought that I had somehow pulled a muscle because I had been squatting down a lot as I was working with the first-graders that I teach. I decided that I was out of shape and that I should workout more to get rid of the soreness. The pain progressed to the extent that I had sharp pain radiating down my leg, sometimes both legs. I could not stand on one leg (like when I was putting on a shoe). I went to my regular physician’s assistant and was told that nothing was wrong and that people have aches and pains.

Later I noticed that my hands and feet began to feel as if they had been slammed in a door. I went to a rheumatologist and found that I had both rheumatoid and osteoarthritis. The x-rays also concluded that I had osteitis pubis (a side effect of RA and osteo attacking my pubic joint). I began needing to use a cane to walk on most days because the pain seemed to be weight bearing. I felt like I was walking around with some kind of fracture (or sciatic nerve down both legs). I had the pain all of the time. I could no longer teach, and I began to feel like my quality of life was slipping away from me. I began visiting an endless succession of doctors and enduring the usual required MRI, X-rays and CAT scans. All the experts agreed that I had a problem, but they didn’t have any healing solutions for me. Instead, they only offered me drugs, mostly biologics (which is mild form chemo) like Methotrexate and steroid injections. Since I am in my early 50’s, these drugs were scary for me because of the long-term dangers associated with them. I chose to take a daily antibiotic (hydroxichloriquin) that kept the rheumatoid under better control and gave me more energy to focus on walking normally again.

I spoke with a physiologist, and she told me that every pound that I lose would take 6-8 pounds of pressure off of my joints. I thought to myself, “That sounds like an easy way to lift some of the immense pain that I am feeling.” So, I began a journey to feel better by losing 30 pounds. Losing 30 pounds is equivalent to 180 pounds of pressure off of my aching joints. The weight-loss did lift some of the pain, however I was still in jeopardy of losing my ability to walk as the pain was still there every time I stood, walked or tried to lift anything.

I went the full route in using homeopathic remedies. Each time I tried a new combination, I stuck to it for 2-3 months. I never really felt like there was any cure or relief in using any of them. I also used several of the miracle cures, drinks, and concoctions. Most didn’t help, and some of them even made me very ill. Through research I learned that if you have a serious condition, some homeopathics can actually block your prescribed medications, so natural remedies should be run by the prescribing doctor first. After about a year and a half of this, the only natural remedies that proved helpful to me were turmeric and ginger.

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“God answers our prayers in his time and not ours”

Alicia JackmanBy: Alicia Spence Jackman

I have always thought of myself as being a healthy person. I enjoy exercising a little each day and eating healthy foods. In 2007, after having my second child, I was having weird bowel issues and was surprised when I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. Doctors told me that it happens to some people and might not be a big deal throughout my life. I was prescribed four gigantic pills daily, which the doctor intended for me to take the rest of my life, and I came to terms that this was a disease I had. I took these pills daily and the disease didn’t seem to be bother me after that for years.

Six months after having my third child and being called as the ward organist, my fingers and hands started to swell and be hot. My fingers gradually got so swollen and stiff that it was too hard to keep playing the organ. Eventually I had to ask to be released from this calling, which really saddened me. I couldn’t open jars or button buttons. My knees and hips hurt so bad I couldn’t get on the floor to play with my kids, and I would cry in pain and frustration daily. I also started falling asleep for hours at a time. This scared me as I was home with three little children. When I was awake, I felt like an 80-year-old lady, when I was only in my early 30’s.

Alicia Jackman-Husband's Ring Doesn't Fit

Husband’s wedding ring doesn’t fit, and I can’t wear my wedding ring for over 9 months

I finally saw my family doctor, then specialists, and it took months for them to figure out what was wrong. In 2010 I was diagnosed with a type of rheumatoid arthritis that the doctors determined must be related to my ulcerative colitis. Doctors told me that I had an autoimmune disease and that my body would continue to attack itself in my joints, then could move to other organs, which would eventually kill me. My doctors prescribed medication to suppress my immune system which they said was the only way to lessen these attacks.

Alicia Jackman-Feet

Weird hives/rash on feet

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“All these amazing physical blessings began to unfold”

Erik and Wendy Jensen Before and AfterBy: Erik Jensen

Three years ago I was feeling that my health was beginning to slowly decline. I was not happy with the way I felt but accepted that it was probably part of growing older and that there was probably nothing that could be done. I was 60 lbs overweight, cholesterol was about 220, blood pressure 140/90, and I was taking drugs for high blood pressure and high cholesterol. My feet developed neuropathy, painful arthritis was spreading in my fingers, and I had restless leg syndrome for years (about every 15 seconds during sleep my leg would twitch). I also had an autoimmune disease in my eye that would flair up regularly, my knees and ankles would begin to hurt if I ran or hiked regularly, and every morning I woke up exhausted. I had a scary episode hiking in the Sierras when my body just quit.

My wife Wendy has suffered for years with fibromyalgia symptoms. She also suffered with terrible acid reflux, diverticulosis, kidney stones, and allergies. The only way she could control the acid reflux was to take a calcium blocker that would eventually weaken her bones. Her blood sugar was at pre-diabetic level, and she had difficulty with exercise and knee problems.

We were discussing the new stage of life we were entering as our children are growing up and will soon be on their own. We began to include in our prayers our desires to prepare ourselves spiritually, financially, and physically so that we could serve missions and be useful as we enter into the last third of our lives. The answer to our prayers for physical preparation began at Costco one day as we were looking at a product called a Nutribullet. A lady next to us remarked that her brother had bought one and had been able to lose a lot of weight. We bought it and for the next few weeks it sat on our kitchen floor unopened until two of our sons decided to unpack it and see how it worked. We read the smoothie recipes and started to have them for breakfast. Our energy levels increased, we lost a little weight and found that our appetites were somewhat decreased during the morning. I continued to occasionally read about nutrition on the Internet, but it was difficult to figure out what to do since there are so many opinions.

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