From Bedridden to Running Marathons: Healing Rheumatoid Arthritis with a Plant-Based Diet

In October 2017 I started experiencing excruciating pain in all of my joints. By February 2018 I could barely wash my own hair or even get out of bed, and my knuckles were so inflamed that none of my rings fit over my fingers.

I finally went to a doctor and was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. I was only 37. The doctors explained the lengthy list of medications they wanted me to start taking, including injections. I told them that I wanted to do research of my own before agreeing to a course of treatment. They more or less told me that I was crazy and that, given how bad my inflammation was, I would be crippled within a year if I didn’t follow their plan.

Drafting My Own Plan
I did not want to live my life dealing with all the side effects of being on multiple medications. I went home and my mom and I sat down to research alternative options for treating rheumatoid arthritis. Then we came across Forks Over Knives and learned about the whole-food, plant-based diet.

In the months leading up to that point, my husband and I had both been following a low-carb diet, which was basically the polar opposite of WFPB. But after reading about WFPB and the reasoning behind it, I knew instantly that it was what I needed.

My meat- and cheese-loving husband was so supportive: He wanted to go WFPB with me so that we could do it as a team. Little did he know that it would also drastically change his life.

We jumped in head first and adopted a 100 percent WFPB diet. Within two months my pain was gone. My inflammation was nonexistent. My husband and I have lost weight, and we both feel better than ever!

By July I was able to complete my first half marathon, and I have run two more since then. My husband and I have completed miles and miles of hikes together and life is amazing.

Radiant Results
I recently had bloodwork done, and the doctors found no signs of inflammation anywhere. As if that weren’t enough good news, after six months of eating WFPB, I’ve finally been able to have normal menstrual cycles on my own, without any medication: Having battled polycystic ovary syndrome my whole life, that was never possible for me before.

My mom also has adopted the whole-food, plant-based way of eating and is healthier than ever. Thank you, Forks Over Knives, for changing our lives!

Ready to get started? Check out Forks Meal Planner, FOK’s easy weekly meal-planning tool to keep you on a healthy plant-based path.