Autoimmune Conditions – what you need to know!
Are you struggling with an Autoimmune Condition?
Autoimmunity. It is becoming more common. In fact, autoimmune disease is now the third leading cause of death in the world! These conditions are ravaging our society causing people to live with pain, inflammation, and debilitating health challenges. Diagnoses such as celiac, hashimoto’s, lupis, sjogren’s, rheumatoid, and others are becoming more common, not less.
These chronic inflammatory problems can be caused by toxins, viruses, bacteria, and stress from a leaky gut – issues we all face in our modern, hectic world. Yet with all the pain and suffering that comes from these conditions, we can trust that the body is not making a mistake. Sound hard to believe? Well its true!
Autoimmune disease is an extreme expression of a natural process. The body uses antibodies (attacks itself) in order to remove old or injured cells; the more injured our cells become the more autoimmune inflammation you will experience. By improving the health of cells with targeted nutritional support, we can address the problem of autoimmunity at its source. Despite all the nasty symptoms we experience with autoimmune reactions, they must still be understood as an intelligent response by our bodies to a toxic insult!
Targeting the cause
The good news is that autoimmune disease may be reversed. This is because while there may be many different bodily expressions of autoimmune disease, it is caused by very specific triggers.
Anything that causes an inflammatory response can trigger an autoimmune disease. In order to find healing, it is of utmost importance to discover your trigger of inflammation—the source of the issue. If the trigger can be identified, corrective measures can be taken and healing can begin.
Inflammation is part of the body’s response to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. You’re probably familiar with acute inflammation, which occurs when we cut our finger or bang our knee–noticeable by redness and swelling at the affected area. This redness and swelling is simply your immune system dispatching an army of white blood cells to protect the area and destroy the invader. Infections like the flu or pneumonia incur the same response. In these settings, inflammation is essential, and without it, simple infections could be deadly.
While acute inflammation is essential for health, chronic inflammation can lead to illness. Chronic or ongoing inflammation occurs when the body is unable to eliminate the stimuli it is fighting, or when there is repeated exposure to something that may be causing irritation.
Chronic inflammation is worrisome because not only can it have collateral damage as it fights invaders, but it can also cause the immune system to become fatigued or overburdened, or worse, malfunction and inadvertently attack the body itself.
Type 1 diabetes is an example of such an attack against the pancreas. Hashimoto’s is an example of such an attack against the thyroid gland.
To stop and then reverse this trend, it is imperative to aim to completely eliminate any and all substances to which may be a trigger for an inflammatory response.
Identifying the triggers of inflammation
It is important to work with a qualified Practitioner that can help you get to the source of your autoimmune trigger. Various triggers can include;
• Mould exposure
• Parasite infections
• Lyme & co-infections (viral loads)
• Everday chemcial exposure
• Fatty liver
• Pharmaceutical medications
• Mental and emotional stress
• Hormonal imbalance
• Expsoure to EMFs and EMRs
• Leaky gut/intestinal permeability
• Genetic expression/allergens
• Heavy metal toxicity
• A poor diet
• GMO foods
The next steps
Once your assessment has been completed, it’s time to begin to look at ways that you can both heal your body from previous exposure, and to reduce further exposure.
This largely has to do with altering your diet and lifestyle. You also want to be thinking about detoxifying and cleansing your body.
In everything you do, you need to be thinking about reducing inflammation. If you can do this, you will be on the road to recovery.
Making the right food choices
“Let thy food be thy medicine,” said Hippocrates hundreds of years ago – and the truth of that statement still rings true today.
Anti-inflammatory foods
As seen above, exceptionally potent anti-inflammatory foods include berries, allium vegetables (such as onion, garlic, scallion, shallot, leek, and chives), beans and lentils, greens (like kale, spinach and broccoli), nuts and seeds, and sprouts. Other noteworthy foods include acaí, turmeric, and ginger. All of these foods contain special chemical compounds that decrease inflammation and pain.
Our bodies thrive on foods that are naturally produced in nature. Because our bodies are predisposed to recognise these food types, we can see amazing changes when we turn to natural, whole foods instead of processed foods.
Natural foods also contain the best nutrient profiles, which enable our bodies to efficiently absorb and utilise the vitamins and minerals we need.
Thus, a great way to begin addressing chronic inflammation is to go on a plant-based diet. A plant-based diet naturally eliminates many foods that cause inflammation, and increases food groups that catalyse healing.
Buying organic
The food you eat should be fresh and preferably organic. By seeking to comprise your diet of organic foods, you can avoid dangerous pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides which can trigger many autoimmune disorders when consumed over time. Also, products labeled “organic” are required to be free of any kind of genetic modification. This way you are getting products as close to the natural state as possible.
Eating a rainbow
A diet that helps promote health will contain all the colours of the rainbow on a daily basis. That means eating foods that are naturally coloured red, orange/yellow, green, blue/purple, or white. It does not mean eating a rainbow of artificially coloured foods like soft drinks, icecreams, biscuits, and multi-colored lollies.
Restore your gut microbiome
A healthy gut microbiome is a critical factor for good health and reversing autoimmune disease. The gut is a complex place that is home to many different bacteria and flora that aid in digestion, absorbing vitamins and minerals, and immune function.
Our gut health is linked to nearly every ailment that affects us—autoimmunity, brain function, emotions, cancer, diabetes, autism, and so much more.
When our gut bacteria are out of balance, inflammation can occur. It is this inflammation that can be the root of many different diseases and chronic illnesses.
Some of the symptoms of an unhealthy gut are often blamed on a bad meal, but that is not accurate. Symptoms may include gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain and cramping, and chronic fatigue syndrome.
Some great ways to begin restoring your microbiome is with probiotics. Probiotics replenish the gut with good bacteria and create a protective lining in the intestines that can improve digestion, boost immunity, help heal and balance the gut, promote a healthy weight, and more.
Fermented foods also contribute good bacteria to the gut. It is best to eat a variety of fermented foods because each has its own mix of micro-organisms that provide different benefits. Fermented foods include, but are not limited to, sauerkraut, kimchi, tempeh, kombucha, kefir, and miso.
Prebiotics are the fuels that feed the beneficial bacteria in your gut. They are indigestible fibres found in certain foods. They move through the digestive system without being broken down. When they reach the colon, they are fermented by the gut’s microflora and work together with the beneficial bacteria found in probiotics.
Some good sources of prebiotics are raw garlic, raw asparagus, raw leeks, raw onions, cooked onions, cooked beans, raw dandelion greens, raw banana, raw Jerusalem artichoke, chicory root, cocoa, apples, and flaxseeds. Prebiotics can also boost your immune system function, so incorporate them into your day-to-day diet.
A healthy microbiome is not only integral for overcoming autoimmune disease, it is key to heart health, weight management, mental health, and more.
Exercise
Exercise can sometimes be challenging with certain autoimmune conditions, but science continues to show that exercise promotes good overall health and actually boosts the immune system. Yet, due to the fact that many autoimmune conditions can negatively affect energy levels and cause joint pain and muscle weakness, managing to incorporate regular physical activity can sometimes seem overwhelming. The best way to begin is to start slow. Just start with walking a short distance at a slow steady pace, then slowly begin to increase the distance and the pace.
Sleep
Sleep is the only time our body shuts down its other processes in order to focus on healing and repairing cells. If we deprive our body of this essential time, it makes it very difficult for it to do the repairs necessary to heal. Not only this, but we will age faster and the damaged cells will multiply faster than they can be replenished.
Supplements
By adding certain supplements to your diet you will be able to support your immune system in any areas that it may be lacking. Since our food supply has changed so much over the last century and we spend much less time outside, it is possible to be lacking certain nutrients that may need to be supplied through supplements, such as B12 and Vitamin D.