Diet & PMR.

I wanted to thank the person who posted here and shared the book title, A Silent Fire by Shilpa Ravella. I was diagnosed with PMR a few days before and was searching for some cohesive explanation and understanding of this diagnosis which proved I was not going crazy. I also purchased Inflammation the Silent Fire by Dr. Carly Stewart. I find it an interesting adventure to be diagnosed with a condition/disease that has no specific answer as to a cause. First dose of prednisone is a miracle. I will continue to follow this extremely helpful forum.

Totally agree with you.. I had/have a very mild case--I only hurt while in bed! Started with 10 mg Pred and tapered off in about a year. I am a registered dietitian and follow an organic, whole foods, primarily plant-based diet, high in anti-inflammatory foods. Ultra-processed foods are killing this country. Fiber is the forgotten nutrient that is so critical to our health. Our immunity starts in our guts, so include natural fiber in each meal/snack and your health will improve remarkably.

While chronic inflammation is not the sole cause of all diseases, it is however associated with a wide range of illness. Functional Medicine models can be beneficial in managing inflammation, and in some cases with diet, lifestyle and alternative modalities, (herbs included) one can find remission or simply better health management in living with one’s malady.
It’s a deep rabbit hole to go down. And no, doctors do not have all the answers and when they cannot provide one, this can be extremely frustration for the patient. I’m a huge proponent in advocating for autonomy of the patient. We have AI and newer techlogogies, understanding of the ethology of illness and better drugs. But it is not always the answer to how each of us finds better health, especially when the body system seemingly goes haywire. The Autonomic Nervous System is better understood in the role it plays in illness too. The other side of this is one’s diet. Most folks have very poor diets. Fast food, ultra processed and all the additives are hijacking our health. It’s easy for the pharmaceutical industry to come up with a pill or injection as a solution. Of course there are a sundry of reasons as to why folks become ill. If one took for example just living next door to a toxic waste area, then one would deduce that would factor in to contracting cancers and other illness. I believe you are the best blueprint of yourself. Keeping a diary and doing a history of one’s health in so far as one can recall is key to finding answers and even solutions.
PMR is now understood to be in the autoimmune category. The body attacking itself is perplexing at best. Prednisone for PMR is a miracle drug, but if one can wean off, this is desirable. Hopefully we all have doctors who allows us to participate in our care and make sound decisions regarding treatment that is best suited. And what works for one does not necessarily work for another.
To all I wish good health.

Lots of people would be healthier if the healthier foods were more affordable. I myself pass on buying some foods because of the price.

I eat a whole foods, organic diet and spend an average of $17/day on my groceries. Is this considered high? I rarely eat out, but spent $600 this year on restaurant food. I do eat very little animal protein (3 to 4 oz. per day), which is the most expensive grocery item. I only buy meat/poultry when it is on sale and freeze it. I'm curious what others are spending on groceries.

We spend an average of $1000/month for two people. We rarely eat out. Your comment about animal protein being most expensive is spot on. We have been vegetarians for decades and don't miss it at all. Our diet is varied, delicious, and healthy. (Except for my PMR our mid-70s are active and totally health issue free). We buy whatever expensive organic produce and grains, etc. we want and never feel conflicted because it's good for us, for the suppliers and the planet. Please excuse the virtue signaling!

Fantastic! I would love to hear more about your diet, especially your sources of protein.

I think it's interesting that you spend about the same on groceries as I do, but my diet does include some animal protein. I can live without meat/poultry, but I just prefer to include some, as long as I can afford it. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, so our food prices are pretty high, except for perhaps fresh produce.

Maybe because we like to entertain, so the hosting is costing us more than I think! We love doing it though.

The 'lots of people' I was referring to are families with two or more children with budgetary constraints, lower income families, people with some kind of debt and those people who find the more expensive foods just not being where they can spend their money.
Yes there are ways to eat healthy with limited funds. I keep going back to the price of the better grade olive oil, too expensive. Yesterday I needed celery, the organic was $4.99, regular was $2.99. I would love to eat fish two or three times a week, too expensive.
So many people are going to food banks now and funding is being cut.
I imagine a good many members here can afford what they want to buy and good for them. Hopefully they are making good choices.