Food Can and Does Heal - Part 1

One major stepping stone in my search for wellness was my search for a way to help my mom manage her rheumatoid arthritis. I've gotten her permission to share this inspiring story. When my mother moved in with me, she didn't have the strength in her hands and arms to pick up a cushion off the couch, plus she was stiff and in pain all the time. She had been living this way for about 15 years. It was emotionally painful to watch her move about with such discomfort. I was determined to find a way to help her heal. Thanks to a previous roommate of mine who also battled a serious case of arthritis and won, I found the help my mother needed. We read and implemented a modified version of the recommended nutrition and detox plan in a book called There Is a Cure for Arthritis by Paavo Airola. The program outlined in the book is very aggressive and radical. My mom felt she could not do a 40-day fast, which is what the book called for, so instead she decided to fast once a month for three days at a time. But before she got up to this point of detoxing, she cut out all of the following from her diet: caffeine, refined sugars, refined flours, meat of all types (even fish), and dairy. All of those items are highly inflammatory and aggravate arthritis. I decided to join her in her new way of eating, which was one of the toughest changes I have ever made in my eating habits. We were left with the choice of fruits, vegetables, grains (but no bread) and nuts. We worked together to prepare the broth that she was to have during her fasting days. We held onto each other while walking through the mall craving sweets and coffee. It bonded us as mother and daughter and it made each of us stronger as individuals. At the time, I was mad. I was mad that my mother had been told that she would live with this condition for the rest of her life and there was nothing she could do about it. I was mad that she was poisoning her body with pain killers that would only result in more painful side effects. It drove me to search for answers and a real cure for her condition.