Iidamaria van der Byl-Knoefel is an Instagram proponent (11.5k followers) of plant-based whole-food eating successfully and sustainably. She developed the symptoms of inflammatory arthritis – so badly she could hardly walk down stairs – while following what she had been told was a healthy diet and lifestyle. Appalled by the side effects she suffered with sulphasalazine (the main drug for rheumatoid arthritis) and determined to be drug-free for the pregnancy she was planning, she moved to the plant-based whole-foods diet that has left her completely free of inflammation. During her health journey she discovered the Paddison Program for Rheumatoid Arthritis which gave her a more systematic and research-based approach; her recipes support the Program and are used worldwide to make following it simple and enjoyable. Iida is an invited speaker at conferences on plant-based eating taking place in 2018 and 2019.
