My name is Luzia Raleigh. I always believed nutrition would protect my health, and I expected to simply grow old and pass peacefully—not face a chronic illness in my prime. 

For decades, I avoided alcohol and smoking. I followed a vegetarian lifestyle, exercised regularly with a personal trainer, and stayed away from processed foods.

Every couple of years, I visited a detox SPA, hoping to give my body a fresh start.

Still, we can’t ignore reality. Much of our food is genetically modified, and we don’t fully understand the long-term effects

Even with all these efforts, something unimaginable happened—I became very ill.
 
For three years, I battled symptoms that changed my life. My cognitive function declined, and I eventually lost my job as an HR Director.

 felt exhausted all the time, constantly needing naps, no matter how well I ate or how much I exercised I kept gaining weight.
 
What came next was a long, confusing, and painful chapter in my life.

I went through countless tests and appointments, facing one conflicting diagnosis after another. Neurological scans always showed normal results, yet I knew something was seriously wrong. I felt myself fading, desperate for answers that never came. 

Shame quickly set in. People assumed I was lazy, not realizing the pain I felt every day.

My joints became so inflamed that I lost strength in my hands and knees. I relied on cortisone just to get through the day. Even my carefully prepared, home-cooked meals began to upset my stomach.

The most frustrating part? Every new doctor started by telling me to fix my diet—avoid alcohol, stop smoking, cut out fried foods. Each time I explained that I had already lived that way for years, they just stared at me, puzzled and silent.

 Finally, I discovered the truth: my immune system had become overactive and could no longer tell the difference between harmful invaders and my own healthy cells.

My body started attacking everything. Over time, doctors labeled my condition as osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, anemia, nasal bleeding, chronic fatigue, asthma, severe joint pain, skin allergies, hair loss, depression, and anxiety—the list seemed endless.

Thankfully, a highly experienced doctor who had known me for nearly a decade finally connected the dots.

Around that same period, I developed unexplained fevers and had to stay in bed for days at a time.
 
To make sense of my symptoms, I went through extensive blood tests. The first big discovery?  I had severe deficiencies in Vitamin D3 and Vitamin B12.

I felt shocked, especially when I learned that many people walk around with these same deficiencies, never realizing how much better they could feel by correcting them.

Finally, I received the full diagnosis: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), a serious autoimmune disease where the body attacks itself, along with EGPA—a rare condition that causes inflammation and damage to blood vessels in vital organs.

Although this news crushed me, it also gave me clarity. I finally had an answer and could start managing my condition, working to make my symptoms more bearable.

Now, I take daily vitamins, targeted medications for each symptom, and two powerful drugs to suppress my immune system.

These treatments bring side effects—ranging from nausea to the risk of vision loss. The journey isn’t easy.
 
I continue to see specialists for each affected system.

Still, I have full control over one important thing: what I eat.
 
Through experience, I’ve learned that inflammation makes autoimmune diseases worse.

Certain foods—especially sugar, caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, and animal products like meat, butter, milk, and eggs—can trigger flare-ups. Gluten is another possible source of inflammation, especially if you’re sensitive to it.