Life Style Tips

 

Lifestyle Tip #1 Eat a well-balanced diet:

A healthy-eating or diet plan will help lupus in these many ways:

•Will help reduce the risk of heart disease

•Reduces inflammation

•Helps to keep a healthy weight

•Keeps bones and muscles strong

•Reduces medication side effects

Focus on eating a balanced diet that includes a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fats such as those found in salmon.

 

Lifestyle Tip #2 Stop smoking:

Lupus symptoms can be exacerbated if you smoke. Smoking increases the risk of heart disease, and for those who have lupus that affects the heart or blood vessels, smoking can be especially detrimental.Smoking has been linked to increased inflammation.

 

Lifestyle Tip #3 Rest often and sleep well:

Don’t try to make these healthy lifestyle changes all at once. Instead, take small steps to help you maintain your overall quality of life and to help prevent lupus flares. Get plenty of rest to ease fatigue, a common lupus symptom.

 

Lifestyle Tip #4 Keep active:

Exercise most days to help sleep, mood, stress levels, joint health and heart health. Staying active with a low-impact exercise routine helps you maintain flexibility in your joints and boosts your overall feeling of well-being.  Examples of low-impact exercises you can do are walking and swimming.

 

Lifestyle Tip #5 Protect yourself from the sun:

Avoid being in the sun for a long period of time because sunlight can cause a lupus rash to flare and may even trigger a lupus flare. If you’re going to be outside, use a sunscreen with an SPF of 50 or higher, and wear long-sleeved shirts and pants. Don’t forget your sunglasses and hat, too!

 

Because you need to keep out of the sun, you’ll most likely need to take a vitamin D supplement. Your skin makes vitamin D when it’s exposed to the sun, so when you’re trying to avoid the sun, it’s important to take a vitamin D supplement to make sure you’re getting enough of it.

 

Lifestyle Tip #6 Slash your stress:

We all deal with stress, and it’s important to manage it. But when you have lupus, it’s especially essential to deal with your stress because stress can exacerbate your symptoms. Each day, take some time to relax. Taking time for yourself and finding activities that help you to relax and relieve stress are others.

 

Lifestyle Tip #7 Get A Support System:

A support group, whether online or in-person, can be a valuable source of advice and comfort. She strongly recommends the Lupus Foundation of America for help finding one in your area.

 

Lifestyle Tip #8 Get Serious About Your Lupus:

The more you know about your lupus, the better you'll be at managing lupus symptoms and flares. Catching a flare early makes treatment more effective. The more you know about your lupus, the better you'll be at managing lupus symptoms and flares. People with lupus who take an active role in their disease management may eventually learn their triggers and early symptoms well enough to predict or prevent a lupus flare.