Lupus and Nutrition - What foods make your body work the best?

Nutrition. One of my favorite subjects when it comes to living well.

Not because I discovered the perfect "lupus diet", unfortunately.  If only there was one!

And it's not because what I choose to eat syncs up perfectly with what my body needs. 90% of the time, sure. But that other 10% can cause...we'll call it "trouble".   

It's primarily because, of the five factors I've focused on over the years - nutrition, exercise, medicine, lifestyle and sleep - I've been able to experiment the most with my diet. I can see and feel the results almost immediately. So satisfying to get feedback quickly! 

It hasn't always been quite so easy. When my symptoms were active, and joint pain, joint swelling, low energy, fatigue, and digestive issues were everyday occurrences, it was hard to isolate what foods were impacting which symptoms. I wrote a previous post here talking about my past food and drink allergies.

Over the years, here's what I've tried or am currently trying: 

Cutting down on pasta. Cutting down on bread. Cutting out dairy. Incorporating dairy back in. Eliminating just milk. Cutting out meat. Incorporating meat back in. Trying a protein heavy diet. Trying a not so heavy protein diet. Cutting out nightshade vegetables. Cutting out arugula, basil, and spinach. Cutting out all fresh herbs. Incorporating herbs and lettuces back in. Cutting out alcohol. Incorporating alcohol back in. Cutting out only wine. Cutting out only red wine.  Cutting out oats. Cutting out apples.  Cutting down on sugar. Cutting out sugar. Cutting down on sugar, but cutting out dessert. Drinking primarily orange juice. Cutting out orange juice. Cutting out soda. Cutting out caffeine. Cutting out only coffee. Cutting out decaf coffee. Cutting out watermelon. Cutting down on watermelon. And I'm sure the list goes on! 

It can be exhausting trying and tracking different combinations of foods/beverages. But when an elimination attempt (partial or full) yields positive results - and a symptom disappears - all that's left is satisfaction! 

Today, I continue to pay attention to the foods that work best with my system. Not just for lupus symptom control, but to feel good overall. That's the question I continue to ask myself - what foods make you feel the best?