HEALTH This book should be read by both those who are ill and the practitioners they choose to work with. . . . The information and explanations presented are the pearls from thousands of dollars worth of consultations with many different types of practitioners. --John Ruhland, N.D., Bastyr University Lupus is a book I most strongly recommend not only to those with lupus, but to anyone with a disease that is difficult to categorize or treat. --Eric Steese, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist Particularly helpful is a twelve-month plan for incorporating . . . varied therapies into a lifestyle that optimally supports recovery and personal growth. --Pamela Houghton, N.D., L.Ac. More than four million Americans--90 percent of them women--have been diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus, a chronic, debilitating disease of the autoimmune system that manifests as extreme fatigue, arthritic pain, rashes, and a host of other symptoms. Add to this the fact that lupus is notoriously difficult to diagnose, with symptoms that can mimic those of many other illnesses, and the number of potential sufferers grows. Sharon Moore lived with lupus for five years before doctors finally diagnosed her illness. The only therapies offered to her were pharmaceuticals--toxic drugs that could control or suppress some of her symptoms, but couldn't cure her disease. Dissatisfied with this approach, she set about researching alternative treatments for her condition. Nine years later, after using many of the therapies she discovered, she is ninety percent free of the lupus that plagued her for so long. In Lupus: Alternative Therapies That Work, she shares these effective natural healing techniques with other lupus sufferers. Chock full of specific and well-documented scientific evidence on effective alternative treatments, this book is a godsend for anyone suffering from this disease. Moore provides a comprehensive diagnostic checklist and helps readers identify the possible causes of their illness, from environmental toxins and dental amalgam fillings to compromised liver function and poor nutrition. She offers ways to nurture the mind and spirit when living with chronic disease and provides readers with a plan for how to begin to rebuild their lives. Most important, she writes with the understanding of someone who has been there and the assurance of someone who has come through to a better, healthier life. SHARON MOORE has been a Peace Corps volunteer, an English teacher, and a health writer. She lives near Olympia, Washington. Acknowledgments ix Introduction 1(2) My Story 3(12) What Is Lupus? 15(10) Your Liver 25(19) Your Diet 44(20) Helpful Nutritional Supplements 64(18) Healing Herbs 82(16) Beneficial Fats and Oils 98(16) Environmental Toxins in Food 114(29) The Dangers of Toxic Dentistry 143(16) Traditional Chinese Medicine 159(20) Mind--Body Therapies 179(15) Caring for Your Spirit 194(16) How to Begin 210(6) Epilogue 216(6) Suggested Reading 222(2) Resources 224(4) Notes 228(14) Index 242