My Logical Miracle happened before I learned about Suppers. But I sought out Suppers to volunteer as a summer intern because I know most people could not do in isolation what I was able to do mostly on my own: turn around my diagnosis of Lupus on nothing but food. Suppers gave me a chance to be a resource for people who have Lupus. We are led to believe by the medical system that the only way to manage it is with a long list of medications.

This is not true. At least it’s not true for everyone. And the only way to find out if you could live a vibrant, medication-free or medication-reduced life is by doing your experiments. At Suppers we acknowledge that we ourselves and the health care system we live with have forgotten our bodies and especially our non-negotiable needs, including needs for the kind of food our species evolved on. That does not describe the dominant food supply.

I used to love eating the traditional “American diet”. Pizza, ice cream and French fries were just a few of my favorites.

Five years ago I was on 11 medications. Today, three years after my food journey began, I am on only one. The only intervention I did was to get off processed food and thoroughly embrace food preparation and healthy eating. And here is how I did it…

After feeling no relief from what my doctor prescribed for lupus, I made the decision that this would not be how I would live. I researched alternatives to medication for autoimmune diseases and stumbled across dozens of food blogs and began my research. I was shocked to see that the food that I had been eating my whole life could impact me in so many ways. That night, I threw out almost all of the food in my college apartment and never looked back.

I am so lucky to have the support of my boyfriend Mike, who now loves to shop at farmers markets and whole food stores with me on the weekend.  I’m grateful for family members who no longer argue with me when I don’t eat every food item they put in front of me.

Although I went about this experiment without the guidance of a doctor, once I did inform my rheumatologist about what I had been doing, she had to admit the labs could not lie. My lupus was no longer detectable in my blood work after two years off processed foods. She encouraged me to continue my dietary changes but to proceed with caution and have my blood work checked regularly.

Today I have a clear head. I have the energy I need to do everything I want to do. My skin is clear; my hair is thick, I have been able to stabilize my weight and I have not had a lupus flare in over two years.

Suppers gave me an opportunity to provide comfort and resources for people with serious autoimmune diseases. The message I give them all is this:

You are not your diagnosis.

You can only know the vibrant person who is waiting to burst forth from your body if you do your experiments eating only fresh, whole, beautiful, real food.