I really believe after 2 years that your body is having trouble restarting cortisol. You are suffering more from adrenal insufficiency. It has now caused your inflammation markers to go up. Reaching 2mg is a good milestone but your having trouble going any farther. At 2mg your body is producing some cortisol. You need about 5-7 to maintain function. I think diet and exercise and less stress are all important. But it sounds like you already do pretty well. You could have the Dr test your cortisol. It can be a little more accurate at 2mg. There are those from long term steroid use that can never restart and need corticosteroids the rest of their life. On the facebook page a thread was started on those taking terzepatide. They were having better luck than the diet. It makes sense an insulin blocker and losing weight could help with inflammation. But they were all still stuck at low dose prednisone. You may need to see an endocrinologist.

If you completely eliminate dairy, how do you get enough calcium? I have osteoporosis. I would have a really hard time getting enough from non-dairy sources, and high doses of calcium supplements can contribute to plaque in the arteries.