The 80/20 rule and low-impact exercises reduced £60

my name is Irene Davidson, I am 34 years old. I live in Vancouver, British Columbia and am a full-time single mother, freelance writer and advocate for rheumatoid arthritis.

---

Before being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the pain in the wrists and hands was said to be due to carpal tunnel syndrome due to physical work as an esthetician. But when I took maternity leave at 26, my symptoms never improved. They only increased and others appeared.

It got worse after the birth of my son. I had a hard time restraining him without his joints feeling like fire. And that feeling no longer exists in the hands and wrists, but in the knees, ankles, feet, neck, and back. Also, I was so tired that I couldn’t shake, no matter how much I took a break or how much caffeine I had.

After returning to work after a year of maternity leave, I only had 12 months.

My aunt had RA, so I was familiar with the signs. She was eventually detained in a wheelchair and suffered from diabetes. I was afraid this might be my fate, so at the age of 29 I asked a family physician for an RA blood test. Surprisingly, my blood test returned to positive for seropositive rheumatoid arthritis. (Seropositivity means the presence of antibodies in the blood to indicate disease.) Finally, there was a clear answer and a diagnosis of pain.

After that, my life changed a lot. I was put in a disability and my daily activities like grocery shopping, laundry and showers were painful and exhausted. I gained weight and fell into deep depression. In the first few years, I tried more than 12 different drugs and found one that worked for treating both rheumatoid arthritis and depression.

But finding the right drug was not enough. I also knew that I needed to make a big change in my lifestyle.

So I took care of myself and educated myself on how to treat my illness. Immediately active, I learned that losing the extra weight I was carrying could advance the journey of rheumatoid arthritis.

I started with my own meal. What I eat has a great influence on the way I feel, and I wanted to identify which foods made me sloppy and inflated. After trial and error, these were found to be highly processed or sugary foods. Eat fresher fruits, vegetables and lean proteins and select healthy starches (such as brown rice and bean pasta) Sophisticated carbohydratesI feel very good. In addition, it helped to start losing weight.

I follow the 80/20 rule.

This means 80% of the time to eat healthy and 20% of the time to eat what you like. The elements of the Mediterranean diet were also incorporated into the 80/20 style meal. Study show It can help in inflammatory diseases like RA. I eat a lot of hummus, chickpeas, feta cheese, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, tomatoes, garlic, oregano, and lemon in a week.

Living with the symptoms of debilitating fatigue, I stick to simple recipes. I buy pre-cut vegetables, keep frozen vegetables at hand at all times, and do a lot of pre-preparation and batch preparation to avoid using too much energy in my daily cooking. I often have dinner at lunchtime because I tend to feel more pain and tiredness in the evening.

Here is a typical day of my meal:

• breakfast: Low sugar oatmeal with raspberries, blueberries, lemon juice, almond milk, spinach, bananas, hemp heart, chia, flax seeds, vega protein powder and a little cinnamon. We often freeze a week’s worth of smoothies to make every day easier.
• lunch: Often leftovers of eve dinner.
• snack: Hummus or dips of dark chocolate, Greek yogurt, nuts and seeds, fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Dinner: Red protein such as chicken, fish, beans, tofu (pictured above). Includes whole grains, lots of fresh vegetables and salads.
• dessert: Whatever I want. It’s about balance and potion size. Fresh fruits often satisfy my sweet tooth.

When I started adjusting my diet, I explored exercise.

I focused on low-impact fitness to increase my heart rate and sweat. Going for a walk or using an oval is my favorite cardio exercise because it minimizes pain. I started with frequent breaks and increased the time and intensity as I became stronger over the years. This became much easier after my doctor and I found the right biologics to help control my inflammation. It was a trial and error process of seeing what movements my joints could do, and I consulted with a physiotherapist to find out what worked best for me.



Irene Davidson

Currently, we focus on strength training to improve posture and strength three to four times a week. Walk 5-6 times a week and walk in an elliptical session. To prevent fatigue, we have learned that strength training before aerobic exercise is much easier and joints are easier.

Overall, I became more active.. While living with rheumatoid arthritis, I quickly learned that movement was a friend. By starting the day with movement, I can prevent pain and increase energy.

I lost about 60 pounds in total. We changed from L size / XL size to S size.



Irene Davidson

But the physical difference in the way I feel is even greater for me. There is no “target weight”. I am taking steps to have a healthier and more fulfilling life with rheumatoid arthritis. Too much weight puts a strain on your joints, so losing weight reduced pain and improved your energy levels. It eased sleep, reduced naps, and was a great help in treating depression.

I am very happy now. Today I can handle flight of stairs and grocery shopping-I even bother with 22,000 steps on some days. I still have bad days, but few days, and physical activity can alleviate the symptoms. It’s a process, but I learned to move at the speed of my arthritis.

This content is created and managed by a third party and imported into this page to help users provide their email address. You may be able to find more information about this similar content on piano.io

This comment section is created and maintained by a third party and imported into this page. You may be able to find more information on their website.