Jodi O's lost 20 pounds; she is finally managing  the painful skin rashes and joint pain she had for over 20 years which started when she was a  teenager; she also breezed through menopause

I started experiencing skin rashes and joint pain as a teenager more than forty years ago. Back then, in the sixties, I don’t think doctors knew much about autoimmune conditions (perhaps not even now). I was put on various drugs, including steroids and antihistamines, which swelled my body up like a beached whale. I was on medication for almost twenty years and saw different medical specialists including allergists, dermatologists, hematologists, rheumatologists, and endocrinologists.

In my mid thirties, (totally unrelated to my chronic symptoms), I decided to improve my eating habits. I eliminated all junk food and artificial ingredients from my diet. Eventually, I became a vegetarian. To my surprise, I was able to eliminate all of the drugs I took. I remained symptom free for over a decade. Unfortunately, I slowly lapsed back into my old sad habits, living a frantic, restaurant hopping, stressed out life in Manhattan. By the time I turned fifty in 1999 (now living in NC), I was covered from head to toe with psoriasis and tested positive for other autoimmune diseases: rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Hashimoto’s and Sjogren’s.

In my quest for improved health, I read Dr. Fuhrman's book, Fasting and Eating for Health. The book has a chapter devoted to autoimmune conditions. I have followed his eating plan since 2001 with much success. (See story in his September 2002 Healthy Times newsletter) I experience skin flareups only when I stray from Dr. Fuhrman's eating program. I may never be cured, but I can manage my disease(s) provided I follow Dr. Fuhrman's advice. I have also had success following the autoimmune protocol as described in the November 2004 Healthy Times newsletter. The body has incredible healing powers if given the proper nutrients and care. I have also lost twenty pounds and breezed through menopause. I consider myself fifty eight years young.