Probiotics ? No Thanks..

[Lucky]

Hi Alysia,
I agree, being without meds might cost life, especially if you have done nothing to repair or improve your immune system.

To answer your questions, my creatinine was over 140 when I was on methotrexate and since my dietary changes and getting off the drugs its in now in the low 120s. I have also been on cyclaphosphamide and azathioprine.
I don't eat any white bread at all. If I do have bread I have a grain bread. Anything that is white and wheat derived has basically anything any good processed out of it. Hence no processed foods.

I would recommend reading books by four people.
Joel Wallach, he has a veterinary background and specializes in mineral deficiencies. Weston Price, a dentist has been called "Isaac newton of nutrition" Lynas Pauling who has won the Nobel prize in chemistry, twice, is the vitamin "C" expert, and Sarah Ballentine PhD, author of the paleo approach. This is a comprehensive guide to Reversing Autoimmune Disease. It describes in detail, foods that can encourage inflammation and how you can go about identifying the food that are a problem for you. It also has charts with vitamin, mineral and amino acid content of each fruit, vegetable and meats. This is my go to guide at all times.

I believe that although fanatical in their own field, together they give a really good overall view of the big picture.

I don't believe in diets of any sort, as everyone's requirements are most likely different. The ground and the conditions that your food is grown in will dictate the supplements that you may or may not require.

Things that I believe have been key in my improvement are, reducing sugar as much as possible which includes keeping carbohydrates to a minimum, (I was ill for five weeks while getting off the sugar) and not eating any processed foods.
I was eating too much fruit. I now usually have preserved fruit (from local orchards where possible) with breakfast with LSA (Linseed sunflower and almond (ground) and 3-5 grams of vitamin C. Only one or two pieces of fruit max per day on the days that I eat fruit. Some days I might have a couple of eggs for breakfast. We have our own chickens. No processed breakfast cereals at all.
During the course of the day I have another 3-5 grams of vitamin C
I mix the vitamin C in a Glass of water kiefer usually in the afternoon as well. To this I add plant based minerals from Joel Wallach.
The water kiefir was the key to getting my gut working correctly. I couldn't believe the difference.

No fruit juice products they are extremely high in sugars. Only the juice that is in the fruit itself, after all, the fruit is a complete package isn't it.

I still have meat but have reduced it considerably, and now eat it with some fat attached. I have increased my fat intake in general to give me the energy lost in reducing sugar. My cholesterol has reduced.
Reducing sugar was key in getting my gut working correctly. The sugar is the first thing to be absorbed and it slowly allows the lower part of your system to become ineffective to the point that it wont absorb minerals which are the last things to be used. I was deficient in minerals even though I had been taking them for years. I don't get hungry any more.

I have brawn for a fat supplement when I feel I need it as well. I have increased my intake of offal ie kidney and liver etc but only have that occasionally. I have sardines regularly (high in vitamin D and B12) as well as fresh fish three times per week. No farmed fish, only locally caught or ocean dwellers eg cod or trevally etc. No shark at all due to the mercury issue.
The only cooking oils we now use are olive oil and coconut oil. No processed oils at oil.

We grow as much of our vegetables as possible, and always go to the garden before we got to the shops. We grow all year round where we are. We grow three or four types of potatoes, jerusalem artichokes, peas, beans of various types, red beet, carrots, radishes, tomatoes, broccoli, cabbages, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, lettuces, pickling onions, red onions, leeks, asparagus, garlic, rhubarb, silver beet celery, and spinach, also a fruit orchard.
Luckily we had the garden fairy well set up before I got sick. This way I can add minerals and nutrients to the soil as required. Our soil is deficient in magnesium and trace minerals where we are.
When the wegeners took a hold on my kidneys, I drank only filtered rain water, nothing else, for five months, boy was I pleased when my kidneys started recovering.
I believe vitamin supplements should be tailored to suit you own deficiencies, although my experience tells me that the RDIs of some vitamins are too low eg vitamin C and vitamin D. I also learned that vitamin D doesn't come from the sun! The medical profession has a lot to answer for in my opinion.
I have been taking magnesium since the 1980s due to a magnesium deficiency in my family due to the soil here, but have been told by doctors over the years that this is rubbish.

Doctors here, now prescribe magnesium to people with heart issues...........

Well I think that about covers the basics. hope it helps,

Lucky