Please feel free to let us know what has worked for you, what haven't worked for you, and what options you are considering at this point.  This section is a good place to seek help in deciding where to start with your healing or perhaps where to start with the next phase of your healing.

Hi Stephanie,

Welcome to my forum!

It is great that you are seeking to turn around your RA this early in the game.  

Relief is good at any stage, but it is much easier to heal while you are still as healthy as you are.  It is great that you can still run.

In answer to your questions:

1.)  I was a heavy drinker for about 5 years(about 2-3 bottles of wine and 3-5 beers per week.  Do you think this could have been the cause of it?  Drinking alcohol, especially heavy drinking, makes your gut more permeable, setting you up to developed the type of food sensitivities that are one of the major underlying causes of RA.  So yes, your drinking could be what caused you to develope RA.   Luckily this can be reversed.  Going through the steps in my book (and if you can afford it the alcat test  http://www.ConqueringArthritis.com/alcat) to heal your gut will likely be THE major thing you need to do to heal.

2.)  Is it necessary to eat only organic foods while trying the fasting diet?  It is good to use organic foods, but not strictly necessary.  If you don't react against the foods you use plus any pesticides that might be on or in the food, the juice fast will work just fine for you.  If you do react, it will be hard to tell if it was the food or the pesticides you are reacting against.  If you can afford it, I suggest getting the ALCAT test done before fasting, so that you have a list of safe foods when you break your fast.  In this way you can hold the benefits of the fast indefinately.

3.)  If I ever go into remission, do I have to stick with this diet?  Or can I have a treat once in a while?  To heal your gut, for about 6 months you need to be on an individually tailored, strict healing diet that totally elminates the foods and chemicals that are most strongly triggering your inflammation.  Mild inflammatory triggers you can eat on a limited basis with a three day break in between exposures.  After this 6 month period most of your food and chemical sensitivities likely be completely healed.  There may be a few foods you will need to avoid for longer, but mostly you will be able eat freely from among your former problem foods.  When I work with clients one on one, one of the important things we do is identify treats they can still have, even while in the strict phase of their healing diet.  

Personally, I can now eat whatever I want and there is nothing I know of that can retrigger my arthritis.  My arthritis is simply gone.

Hi Stephanie,

Sounds like you are already taking many positive steps in your healing!  Congratulations!

I have spoken at public events in the past, but currently don't have any speaking engagements planned.  However, I do have 112 video on YouTube right now.  Look under rheumatoidarthritisx.  I have provided hours of great content there.