Ok, honesty time. So when I first decided to go vegan I didn’t know what I was doing. It was really hard for me because cheese and fish were the hardest foods for me to give up (I still kind of miss ice cream). As I started to do more research, I learned that eating a wide variety of colorful foods were all I needed in order to get the daily amount of nutrients into my body and to satisfy my cravings.
Since I have Lupus, I’ve always been concerned whether or not I was getting enough nutrients. Protein is one of the main concerns I had about switching to a vegan lifestyle. Once symptoms were eliminated, I knew then there was no need for those concerns. The difference in my skin, and overall health is very noticeable. AND I LOVED IT!!!
One thing I started doing more of was picking colorful peppers to cook with instead of just the green bell pepper. The red, orange, and yellow peppers are high in vitamins A, B6, C, and potassium. All these are very helpful factors to keeping Lupus symptoms to a minimum, and reducing medicine intake. Other colors like blue, purple, and deep red are high in antioxidants that aid in good heart health. With Lupus comes, pleurisy (inflammation of the heart and lungs) so eating plenty blueberries, red peppers, etc. will assist in eliminating those symptoms.
Following the color wheel of food has truly helped me with controlling my Lupus and keeping my weight balanced. Here are a few links that can explain more about “eating the rainbow.” Also two very helpful books By Any Greens Necessary by Tracye McQuieter http://byanygreensnecessary.com, and Food Cures (link below). There are many resources out there but these have really helped, hope you guys enjoy.
Resources:
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vegetables-full-story/
http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/healthy-eating/superfoods/add-more-color-to-your-diet/?page=6
Rosalyn Renay 