Lupus Workbook: SLE Diet Guide, Flare & Sun Plans, 2-Week Meal Plan & Doctor Pages (PDF)

The lupus workbook we wish my mom had had in 1992: what's happening in your body, what to eat, how to live with the sun, how to get through a flare, and what to ask your rheumatologist, in plain words.

In a survey of people with lupus, only about 1 in 4 said a doctor had ever talked with them about diet, yet they all said they'd change how they eat if it helped their symptoms. This workbook fills that gap without promising too much or selling you a supplement. It works alongside your medicine, never instead of it. Every claim is rated Strong, Some evidence or Early research, with 316 numbered references, so you always know how solid the science is.

We're a mother and daughter. Annesse was told she had lupus in 1992, after a summer that started with a high school reunion and ended in bed. Her butterfly rash stayed on her face for about ten years. Her story, in her own words, opens the workbook. This is the kitchen-table version of everything we've learned since.

WHAT'S INSIDE (139 pages, 18 sections)

UNDERSTAND IT

• Quick Start: your first day and first week, a daily rhythm clock with a sun plan, your starting score and a one-page flare plan
• What lupus is (the "stuck smoke alarm"), why it starts years before diagnosis, triggers, types, the 11 major symptoms and look-alikes
• Lupus's travel companions: kidneys, heart, bones, Sjögren's, thyroid, antiphospholipid antibodies, fibromyalgia, and which tests to ask about
• Symptom Decoder: fatigue, lupus fog, joints, rashes and a rash photo log, hair and mouth sores, Raynaud's, "normal labs but I feel awful", and the signs that can't wait
• Markers and labs in plain words: ANA, anti-dsDNA, complement, urine protein, SLEDAI, low disease activity and remission goals, and the medicines that target each part of the immune system

FEED IT

• Nutrients from food: omega-3s, vitamin D (the sun paradox), calcium and vitamin K for steroid days, folate, iron, B12, potassium and sodium
• The lupus foods to watch (yes, alfalfa sprouts), myth vs. fact on the long avoid lists, a permission page and a single-food test log (test, don't ban)
• Turmeric, honestly: what the lupus kidney trial used and what a teaspoon really holds
• Blue Zones eating for lupus
• Gut and mouth: the gut-immune link, homemade kefir, our family sauerkraut, bone broth, mouth sores and dry mouth, and our family toothpowder
• Pesticides, smoke, water and clean living, with a 3-page Your Water guide: find your water report, which filters are actually certified, and the tap-water questions to ask if your medicine lowers your immune defenses or your kidneys are involved
• Loose-leaf teas, starting with Mom's Turmeric Tea

CALM IT

• The Adjustment Weeks: what to expect when you change how you eat, and the signs that mean call your doctor
• Sun-smart living: UPF clothing, sunscreen, window glass, indoor light, heat and sun-sensitizing medicines
• Natural comfort: heat vs. cold, castor oil packs, Raynaud's comfort and skin comfort
• Living with it: movement for fatigue, pacing and spoon theory, sleep and fog tools, work, an "explain lupus to my family" page, pregnancy and family planning, menopause, vaccines and food safety
• Kidney-friendly eating, heart and bone numbers, the steroid page ("you're not failing"), and the hydroxychloroquine page with an eye-exam log
• Your medicines and your food: hydroxychloroquine, steroids, mycophenolate, azathioprine, methotrexate, belimumab, anifrolumab, voclosporin and more
• A 14-day flare log
• Two weeks of organic menus, shopping lists, a flare-day no-cook menu and 30 recipes tagged for good, tired and flare days, with low-salt options
• Your doctor visit: tests to ask about, questions for your rheumatologist, a visit summary, medicines and lab comparison
• Daily tracker, weekly body map and monthly progress pages
• Sourcing guide, glossary and references

BONUS: 7-page Quick Start (first day, first week, daily rhythm clock, starting score, 10 easy swaps, one-page flare plan)

DETAILS

• 4 PDFs: the workbook and the Quick Start, each in US Letter and A4
• Clickable contents and section tabs for reading on a tablet
• Tick-or-circle pages for foggy days, and a "print only these pages" list
• Print at home or at any print shop

Instant download right after checkout. No physical item will be shipped.

FAQ

Do I need supplements? No. Everything in this workbook comes from food, herbs and teas.

Is it a strict diet? No. It shows you which foods matter most, lets you test your own triggers, and lets you start small.

Will it work with my medication? It's written to work alongside your care, and it explains why hydroxychloroquine is recommended for nearly everyone with lupus. It never asks you to stop or change a medication. Talk with your rheumatologist before any change.

I have lupus nephritis. Is it for me? Yes. There is a kidney-friendly eating page, and every salt and protein number says "as your kidney team advises".

PLEASE NOTE

For personal education and record-keeping only. Not medical advice. This workbook does not diagnose or treat any condition. Talk with your doctor before making changes to your diet, medications or care. For personal use only; please don't share or resell the files.