A
s a jolt of agonizing pain coursed
through her hands, feet, knees and
back, Dr. Darria Long Gillespie
pulled up a trash can to sit on just so she
could get through her patient’s examina-
tion. I can’t go on this way, the Atlanta
emergency-room doctor thought, embar-
rassed and exasperated. With each
passing day, my joints become
more swollen and achy, she real-
ized. It’s time for the doctor to
become a patient.
Darria made an appoint-
ment with a rheumatologist,
who diagnosed her with psori-
atic arthritis, a chronic inflam-
matory disease that occurs when
the immune system begins attack-
ing the joints. Darria tried multiple medi-
cations and found relief with twice-weekly
injections that suppressed her immune
system. It allowed her to walk without
pain, but knowing she’d have to be on the
immunosuppressant drugs for the rest of
her life, she couldn’t help but worry that
there may be adverse long-term effects.
“If the injections are my only hope of
living a pain-free life, I’ll take the risk,”
Darria confided to a colleague at the hos-
pital. “But I can’t help but wonder if there’sAfter suffering joint inflammation so severe that she could barely walk—
much less make it through her shift as an ER doctor—Darria Long
Gillespie, M.D., discovered a natural cure that eased her pain...for good!“Now I feel
so great, I
forget I have
arthritis!”
says DarriaAn
ge
la^ M
urr
ay^
Ph
oto
gra
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hu
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“I found the key to
staying pain-free!”
a better option—something else that can
help with the pain.”Finding relief at last
Darria began researching her condition and
was surprised to learn that a high intake of
processed foods loaded with sugar, salt and
saturated fats dramatically increases
inflammation. Could chang-
ing my diet actually help my
arthritis? Darria wondered.
It couldn’t hurt to try!
Darria started by
eliminating gluten, dairy,
saturated fat, sodium and
sugar from her diet and
increased her intake of plant-
based proteins, like leafy greens
and legumes. Then after two months, she
slowly added the foods back in one at a time
and observed which triggered inflamma-
tion. She soon discovered that gluten didn’t
impact her arthritis, but dairy caused slight
inflammation, so she switched to nut-based
milks like almond milk.
To Darria’s surprise, her biggest trigger
ended up being sugary processed foods.
She thought back to all the ER shifts she’d
eaten bags of Sk ittles to keep her energ y
up. And how every night, before bed, shehad snacked on Swedish fish. Now, know-
ing her favorite sweet treats were a big cause
of her pain, Darria replaced them with
energizing fruit and hunger-satisfying nuts.
As Darria made her dietary changes per-
manent, her pain steadily diminished. She
was able to get through her shifts without
having to sit down to rest. And after Darria
felt completely pain-free for a few months,
her rheumatologist agreed to try weaning
her off of her medication.
Today Darria’s pain is so minimal that
she often forgets she has arthritis! The
40-year-old goes jogging and is able to
easily keep up with her two young chil-
dren. She even helps others improve their
health via weekly segments on CNN and
Headline News, on social media and in
her new book, Mom Hacks. “I was afraid
that my arthritis would limit me for the
rest of my life,” says Darria. “Now I can
happily say that pain does not define me;
defeating it every day with healthy food is
what does!” —Wendy BowmanShare your own inspiring story with us, and we’ll pay you $250 if we publish it! Read or heard someone else’s story you think belongs
in Woman’s World? Send it to us! If you’re the first to share it and we publish it, we’ll pay you $100! Email the story with your name and phone
number to: [email protected]. Or mail to: Scoop, Woman’s World, 270 Sylvan Ave., Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632.“Changing
what we eat
can ease so
many health
issues!”
—Darria Long
Gillespie, M.D.To banish sore muscles: The anal-
gesic compounds in clary sage essential
oil are shown to reduce inflammation and
improve blood flow to tamp down pain in
two minutes. Simply mix 25 drops of the
oil into 2 oz. of a carrier oil (like sunflower)
and massage into sore spots twice daily.To end joint pain: Walking briskly for
two minutes several times daily can ease
chronic joint pain by 55% in two weeks.
Scientists in the journal Rheumatology
explain that movement stimulates the flow
of nutrient-rich blood to joints plus flushes
away pain-triggering inflammation.To t a m e backaches : Gentle daily
yoga stretches ease back pain by 55%
and prevent aches as effectively as
physical therapy, say Boston University
scientists. Hint: Holding “downward dog”
pose for 10 seconds instantly nixes pain-
inducing pressure in the lower spine.Simple strategies to ease your most common aches and pains!
MIRACLE HEALING^
Woma n’s World^ 8/12/19 (^19)
We (^) pay
$ (^250)!