Chuck Ehrlich - Lymphedema and Lipedema Nutrition Guide: foods, vitamins, minerals, and supplements

Lymphedema and Lipedema Nutrition Guide: foods, vitamins, minerals and supplements

015, 2016 by Lymph Notes, all rights reserved.

Lymph Notes

2929 Webster Street

San Francisco, CA 94123 USA

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All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior permission of the publisher.

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The ideas, procedures and suggestions contained in this book not a substitute for consulting with your health care provider. All matters regarding your health require medical supervision. Information in this book is provided on an as is basis without warranty. This book is sold with the understanding that the publisher and authors are not engaged in providing medical or other professional services to the individual reader. Neither the authors, nor Lymph Notes, shall have any liability to any person or entity for any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused, indirectly or directly by the instructions contained in this book.

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ISBN 978-0-9764806-9-3 e-book

Also published in paper as ISBN: 978-0-9764806-8-6

Paper book Library of Congress Control Number: 2015914637

Publishing historyfirst edition, printing 1-04 2017-09

See www.lymphnotes.com/nutrition.php for corrections and clarifications.

Cover image licensed from iStockPhoto. Some content and images adapted from Lymphedema Caregivers Guide by permission of the publisher. Figure 4-1 images from www.fda.gov .

Table of Contents

Foreword

Preface

Introduction

Acknowledgements

About the Authors

References

Foreword

Four weeks after giving birth to my second child, I gained five pounds in five days, including a fat pad on the inside of my knee. I felt bloated and fatigued, with brain fog far worse than post-partum sleep deprivation . Looking back, I can say with confidence that my lipedema symptoms flared up due to a combination of salty seaweed soup, breastfeeding supplements, and postpartum hormones.

As president of the Lipedema Foundation and past president of the Fat Disorders Research Society , Ive met hundreds of people with these conditions and heard many similar stories.

Diagnosis is a challenge if you go to your doctor and say that your legs are swollen, or heavy, or fat, or just plain weird. Fat disorders are different from obesity. Many people with lipedema are obese but there are also a lot of non-obese people. My doctor said the fat pad was simply post-partum depression. I was not depressed and pointed out that there was no way depression could cause that fat pad but, perhaps, it could work the other way around.

Some physicians say Stop eating or Clean up your diet to fix your legs. When we record everything we eat and go back to say, Heres my proof, I only eat 800 or 1,200 calories a day, some will say Well, cut back another hundred calories. That is not constructive. Women can be obese with lipedema fat and anorexic at the same time. In fact, I believe that eating too little only causes our bodies to store even more fat.

All too often, in the pursuit of better health, we venture outside the realm of the known and proven, only to get lost in the land of What if and Have you tried Wading through WebMD, research papers, advice of friends and specialists, blogs, and social media chatter is a circuitous and frustrating journey. Pick any health topic, search the Internet, and you will find multiple viewpointsmany in direct opposition to each other. In this book, a highly dedicated team summarizes the research and draws upon their experiences to help patients and caregivers change to a healthier eating pattern.

Nutrition does have a big impact on lipedema. For some people a simple change, such as giving up diet soda, makes a big difference in their pain and other lipedema symptoms. Other people find that lipedema pain diminishes, or goes away entirely, when switching to anti-inflammatory diets.

However, wading through the ever-evolving science of nutrition is difficult and confusing. Eggs, butter, dairy, gluten and grains have come in and out of favor. New oils and grains appear out of nowhere. Whats a person to do?

Thanks to this experienced team, we have our answer. Tell your spouse and housemates that you need a few weeks of their patience while you make some changes and try a better way of eating. Grab your glasses of water and organic coffee, pull out your highlighters and pencils, put your feet up, and get reading. If youre short on time, skip straight to Chapter 3.

Felicitie Daftuar
Founder and Executive Director
Lipedema Foundation
www.lipedema.org

Preface

We wrote this book for people with lymphedema and lipedema because we believe nutrition is one of the most important aspects of self-care and treatment for these conditions.

Care providers have long recognized the importance of nutrition but been frustrated by a lack of specific guidelines and the difficulty of changing eating patterns. This guide addresses both issues based on our experience and the latest research.

Our team provides a variety of backgrounds and perspectives:

• Chuck Ehrlich is a medical researcher and writer for Lymph Notes, as well as a lymphedema caregiver.
• Emily Iker, MD, specializes in treating lymphedema and lipedema at the Lymphedema Center in Santa Monica and has lower-extremity lymphedema.
• Karen Louise Herbst, PhD, MD, treats people with lymphatic issues including lymphedema and lipedema, and leads the Treatment, Research and Education of Adipose Tissue (TREAT) Program, at the University of Arizona College of Medicine.
• Linda-Anne Kahn. CMT, NCTMB, CLT-LANA, CCN, is a lymphedema therapist, nutritional consultant and integrative health coach at Beauty Kliniek Day Spa and Wellness Center in San Diego, and has lipedema.
• Dorothy D. Sears, PhD, researches diet and behavior patterns for reducing disease risk at the University of California San Diego School of M edicine .
• Mandy Kenyon, MS, RD, CSSD, is a consulting dietitian and research leader for Salk Institute and Veterans Medical Research Foundation.
• Elizabeth McMahon, PhD, is a clinical psychologist specializing in health-related behavior change and the author of several lymphedema books including Overcoming the Emotional Challenges of Lymphedema .

Emily Iker

I developed secondary lymphedema of the right leg following treatment for lymphoma, which interrupted my surgical residency. Consequently, I continued my studies in physical medicine and rehabilitation. After completing my residency at New York Medical College, I moved to Los Angeles and assisted an orthopedic surgeon for several years before opening my own practice.

Frustrated by the lack of lymphedema treatment options, I started the Lymphedema Center in Santa Monica in 1994. In 1995, I received my Certification of Lymphedema Management from Prof. Albert Leduc, the world-renowned lymphologist. My center is dedicated to diagnosing and managing lymphedema and lipedema. I am actively involved in patient education, research, and raising awareness of these conditions through organizations such as LE&RN. I lecture and teach on national and international level.