I'm not sure how much exercise, alcohol, smoking and gluten really influences AS. please guide me?:(
Posted , 7 users are following.
My partner was recently diagnosed with AS, he's 24 and i'm 23. up until the diagnosis i had no idea about the existence of it and neither did he! But ever since i've been doing alot of reading and research and trying to understand it to my level best to help him! my partner has a 9-9 desk job, so it doesnt give him much time or energy after to cook for himself or exercise. So far he's lead a pretty unhealthy lifestyle, often ordering in food, not exercising, binge drinking (around a bottle) atleast twice a month and smoking atleast 6 cigarettes everyday. This has always bothered me, but so far i haven't been so pushy about it. But after all the reading i've been doing i've been so so afraid that this lifestyle just will not cut it unless it's changed immediately!
watching videos of Dr. Alessio Fasano on gluten free diets also suggests that strict gluten free diets can make a massive change in auto immune disease progression! i also read alot about the effects of alcohol and smoking, with sparing evidence on alcohol and major effects of smoking on AS. The doctor also suggested that daily exercises, medication and monthly check ups is imperative.
i know im being very impatient about it but i really just want to help, and make a difference!
I would really like to hear from those who has been through this as both care givers as well as the patient, about how big of an ifluence these factors really are and how much needs to be changed and what has really helped in your own journeys!
much love,
V
0 likes, 8 replies
renstar V.L
Posted
As a person with aS for over 15 years I will say my experience is gluten free makes a difference as does not smoking. Daily exercise, even a 30 minute yoga video, makes a big difference with comfort. As far as drinking I can say I drink wine everyday but only a glass and that is ok for me. I don't know what a lot of alcohol would do.
V.L renstar
Posted
how difficult is it to incorporate a completely gluten free diet into your daily routine? are there specific meal plans i could refer to?
and alright! perhaps switching to wine and slowly reducing from there could help!! i shall keep this in mind!
ipaula V.L
Posted
I have been diagnosed with AS couple of months ago (38 years old) and I do exercise every day, take lots of medication, I am trying to eat healthy as much as I can ( fruits, vegetables, antioxidants), talked with a lots of doctors. A person with AS should stay far away from alchool and specially smoking, this is what I would do. Maybe a small glass of read wine very rarely is good but that's it - nothing more.We need to help our imune system not intoxicate it because we need to stay functional as much as we can and try everything to make AS not to progress rapidly. I hope it helps you!
V.L ipaula
Posted
thank you so much for the response!
yes it really is scary how fast the disease can spread without appropriate life style measures! i'm trying to empathize with his pains of over coming these habits as well as the distress he must be feeling while enduring this disease!
sadly i'm not sure what the best way to help him get over them is! and i'm worried that merely talking about it is not helping him enough
martin46345 V.L
Posted
I am a long suffer of AS i drank, smoked, little execise and had a unhealthy diet.
Have now changed my diet don't drink or smoke and exercise within my limits as not to activate my condition.
My advise is for him to change all of what you say BUT do it gradually.
Say start with the smoking get help use whatever helps him best on success give him a surprise or set a goal if achieved with some of money saved but something hrs been wanting. Then drinking but the eating healthy and exercise can be started now maybe do it together. Hope this helps you good luck.?
V.L martin46345
Posted
if you dont mind me asking, how much would you say quitting smoking and drinking and changing your diet helped you? is the progress ALOT better or just minute and negligible? and has the disease progression been alot slower?
martin46345 V.L
Posted
Personally I have found it has made a big difference however I smoked 20+ a day. I will admit it is hard to give up that is why I would do one at a time. Rewarding yourself is also very impotent. The thing that amased me most was when I got a item of clothing say a coat I hadn't worn in a while and I could smell the Stella smoke it was fowl.
I also could not believe the difference in my lung capacity because my muscles around my lungs used to cause me shortness in breath.
If your partner finds it hard he could also try what my Brov did and that was changing first to vaping this also improved his lungs but go to a proper shop if doing this method.
I also found giving up smoking changed my taste of food for the better. Good luck hope this helps and he decides to give it a go.?
CtKathleen V.L
Posted
Hi,
Regular exercise can reduce the number of flares I have and reduce my daily pain.
It is my understanding that sugar and alcohol are the top 2 things a person puts in their mouth which will cause inflammation. The body's process to break down alcohol is very similar to sugar.
I do not know about cigarettes w/ AS. However, I have had stomach problems since I was 25. (Very common problem with people having an AS diagnosis.) Cigarettes and alcohol will aggravate stomach problems more than anything else.