“Auto” means self; so, “autoimmunity” basically means your immune system takes aim at itself. Autoimmune disease is the third most common category of illness in the United States. Autoimmune disease is an umbrella term for dozens of conditions. Some of the most common include Rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, Lupus, Hashimoto’s thyroid disease, MS, Crohn’s disease, Ulcerative Colitis, Celiac disease, and Asthma.
Many health experts believe autoimmune disease has three basic ingredients: a genetic predisposition, an environmental trigger, and a leaky gut. The leaky gut is what raises the most eyebrows. Most doctors are NOT trained in nutrition so they do not connect the dots when it comes to this. The leaky gut is important to bring up in the conversation about autoimmune disorders because its the thing that allows environmental factors to trigger predisposed genes.
If you or someone you know is suffering from an autoimmune disease you CAN improve your conditions. What is somewhat out of our control is our genes. What we CAN control is how many chemicals we put in our bodies. A healthy diet creates a healthy gut and this can go a LONG way in the healing process.
A huge inspiration and testimony to this is Terry Wahls MD who has Multiple Sclerosis yet restored her health without harmful medications. She revamped her diet, used alternative healing and is now out of a wheel chair and helping others do the same. Others who have cured or put there autoimmune disease in remission with diet and lifestyle changes include Danielle Walker and Jordan Rubin.
A healthy diet creates a healthy gut. It protects your body from autoimmunity. Healing the gut is also critical for those who are already suffering with autoimmune disease.
Here are 7 steps from functional medicine doctor Mark Hyman to keep your gut in check and healthy and happy.
- EAT WHOLE UNPROCESSED FOODS like vegetables, beans, nuts, and seeds.
- PINPOINT FOOD ALLERGIES. Main triggers include gluten, dairy, yeast, corn, soy, eggs, and other highly allergenic foods.
- CURB INFECTIONS AND BUG OVERGROWTH. Parasites, small bowel bacteria, and yeast can hurt gut function.
- EAT PREBIOTIC AND PROBIOTIC FOODS OFTEN to restore your inner eco system.
- BOOST YOUR DIGESTIVE ENZYMES. Digestive enzymes help beak down food into the nutrients your body needs.
- EAT GOOD FATS. Specifically omega-3’s that protect against autoimmunity by reducing inflammation and helping heal a leaky gut.
- PLUG ANY LEAKS. Gut healing nutrients, like glutamine and zinc, help repair the gut’s lining so that nothing can slip through.
Though Autoimmune disease is on the rise there is hope. The first step is understanding and controlling the causes. Simple lifestyle interventions and making it a point to EAT TO HEAL can go a long way in treating and preventing these diseases.
Be Well 🙂
Susie R.
Source: Mark Hyman, M.D., Experiencelife.com