Cold/Winter and Lupus/Raynauds

BRRRRR!

I know I know this is a REALLY weird day to talk about winter...it's supposed to be 95 degrees here in NY today...but something has been on my mind and I need to figure out if I want to spend another cold winter here in NY...if I want to move I need to plan NOW!

I decided to write this post because I really have seemed to dislike the winters in NY the past few years. Actually the dislike has turned to dread/uneasiness and even fear/hatred. It is a strange gut feeling that winter is just not "good" for me. Does this have anything to do with Lupus? Hashimoto's? I'm not sure....
Does it have to do with Seasonal  Affective Disorder or lack of Vitamin D from the sun? Getting out of the house less? Too much snow and cabin fever/feeling trapped in the house?
http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/natural-medicine/home-remedies/home-remedies-for-seasonal-affective-disorder.htm Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

At one point in my life I did try living in an extremely warm and humid climate (the Houston TX area), but it seemed to bother me as well...maybe the humidity???

I had seen something in Traditional Chinese Medicine treatment for Lupus a long while ago, that said although Lupus patients are usually fraught with rashes/inflammation and sores many think it is a "hot" disease when in fact in Chinese Medicine it is considered a "cold" disease. It is also a damp disease. So the herbs to treat Lupus would be the cold and damp herbs, this should balance the body to not run so cold and damp and run on an even in between keel. What if a person lived in a hot, dry climate like Arizona, would that also help the disease heal/ the body to balance? In other words would more cold and dampness in the way of weather bother the Lupus patient's body/symptoms even more? Just curiosity....

I also heard Jamie Oliver recently say that in the winter 3x more people die! I was thinking is that true? What's up with that? See the link below on Can Winter Be Bad for Your Health?

Also can the climate you live in affect your disease? Just something I was pondering...I know I really think summer is better for raw cooling foods and winter is better for warming cooked foods this is kind of common sense. Can you eat raw foods in the winter? Sure, but use your blender and make slightly warm soups ( 105-110 degress). Use your dehydrator and make enchiladas, pizzas and such.

For Raynaud's I would think common sense would tell us thin the blood, clean the blood, and make sure all organs have support that produce and clean and tonify the blood and then relax the blood vessels why are they spasming?...see the link below on Chinese Medicine Advice for Raynaud's Relief. Please ask your doctor before you try anything new on your own.... but also remember if your doctor doesn't want you to try something that feels right to you, find a doctor that really listens and really has a proven track record with alternative treatments.

PS- If I had listened to my Rheumatolgist I would have never changed my diet and by changing my diet felt incredibly better! My Rheumy said to my face "Changing your diet won't help your Lupus, you can eat whatever you like" I am sure glad I didn't listen to her and listened to my Holistic Chiropractor/Nutritionist instead!!!!!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8442413.stm  Can Winter be Bad for Your Health?

http://www.itmonline.org/journal/arts/raynauds.htm Chinese Medicine Advice for Raynaud's Relief

Raynaud's and the Rheumy

I went for my 6 month visit to my regular rheumy about a week and a half ago. It was the usual...I just go there get my prescription for blood work, she says everything looks fine, do I want to change my mind and go on plaquenil? I say NO, and she says we need to continuously monitor your kidney function make sure you keep your appts with me every 6 months. And I leave happy that the disease hasn't progressed to horrible proportions....(of couse I use my healthy diet and lifestyle to combat the disease I am NOT just idly waiting for the disease to strike)

This time I decided to tell her that I have been having symptoms of Raynaud's (fingers gettting numb/losing color/turning white in the NY winter). She gave the answer that yes Raynaud's is a part of Lupus to be expected . I asked is there anything I can do about it? She said no and only worry about it if your fingers ulcer and start falling apart.

WELL WHEN did THAT become an answer of a knowledgeable physician? There HAS to be a reason for Raynauds..poor circulation, sticky blood, blood vessel issues(contracting) there has to be SOMETHING that I could try to help this? Well as usual I went on line and found information and things to try for Raynaud's help.

If you have poor circulation... get exercise ,eat less salt/saturated fats? If you have sticky blood(A blood type) ....eat natural blood thinning foods? If you have blood vessel issues(contracting)... take chamomile/magnesium or other relaxing natural foods? These are just my educated guesses..but WHY can't a doctor think like this???? Food matters...it matters what you put in your mouth and certain foods are better for certain health issues. Please read up  at the library or on the internet, look up your problem,  and when the doctor says there is nothing you can do.... either get ideas from somewhere else or switch doctors....
( I just get blood tests from this rheumy and I have my new Holistic MD and other doctors that I ask my REAL questions of ...my holistic chiropractor and my naturopath...you have helped me more than you know!)

I think that it is AWFUL that the doctors can tell patients there is nothing that you can do, and diet doesn't help.. eat what you like. In my opinion a doctor that gives answers like this is either dumb or lazy...if they had the issue you KNOW they would try to find a better answer than... there's nothing that can be done...BULL-- ONEY!