How I beat my autoimmunity
I was getting married in 2 months’ time. I should have been on top of the world, but instead I woke up each morning feeling like I’d been run over by a bus. I was in constant pain, my hair was falling out, my muscles had wasted away and I had no energy. I was desperately trying to hold it together at work and look as if everything was ok. It was exhausting.
When I finally got my Lupus diagnosis it actually came as a relief. At least it wasn’t all in my head. I wasn’t just lazy. Naively, I thought that once I took the medications my rheumatologist prescribed, I would start to feel better. Unfortunately, this didn’t happen.
I’d like to be able to say that I figured out how to tame my autoimmunity quickly, but it took me more than 10 years to really get on top of things. All that wasted time! I don’t want anyone else to have to go through that.
If you haven’t been able to conquer your particular autoimmune illness, It’s not your fault. We are told that there is no cure for autoimmunity and that we just have to learn to live with it. The medications prescribed for autoimmunity just suppress symptoms. They don’t address the root cause and they generally lead to negative side effects that will require extra medication.
By addressing the following key factors, I was able to stop all my Lupus medications, with the approval of my treating doctor. I continue to have regular blood tests to monitor relevant markers. Please note that I don’t recommend stopping any medication without first discussing it with your medical practitioner.
Optimise diet and digestion
Consume a diet focused on maximising nutrient density and balanced macronutrients (proteins, fats and carbohydrates) to support optimal immune function. Avoid inflammatory foods like processed foods, sugar and refined vegetable oils.
A Paleo style eating plan will help you to avoid many common inflammatory foods. Gluten for example is a major culprit that contributes to inflammation, increased intestinal permeability (leaky gut) and even autoimmunity through molecular mimicry.
Simple things like chewing your food properly and taking the time to relax before eating can really improve digestion. If you eat when you are stressed, you won’t produce sufficient gastric juices to fully digest your food. As we say, you need to “rest to digest”.
I recommend food sensitivity testing to help create your bio-individual, anti-inflammatory eating plan and determine whether you require any nutrients to support digestive function.
Heal the gut
Our intestinal lining is our protective layer between us and the outside world. Poor diet and lifestyle choices can mean that our intestinal lining can become damaged. This means that undigested food particles and other substances can pass through the intestinal wall into the bloodstream (where they don’t belong) and are seen as a threat by the immune system.
Over time the overburdened immune system can start to miss fire and our own tissues can be targeted. This is how leaky gut makes us vulnerable to autoimmunity.
A gut healing protocol involves:
Removing reactive/inflammatory foods;
Supporting digestive function;
Eradicating infections such as bacterial, viral and yeast overgrowth;
Repopulating the gut with beneficial flora; and
Healing and sealing the intestinal lining.
Before embarking a gut healing protocol, I recommend independent laboratory testing such as a Complete Microbiome Map to see exactly what needs addressing. I strongly believe in the saying “test don’t guess!”
Reduce your toxic burden
Every day we are faced with an onslaught of toxins from pesticides, cleaning products, personal care products, mycotoxins such as mould, chemicals in our water and plastics etc. Our bodies work hard to detoxify from these on a daily basis, but if our burden is too high or our detoxification pathways are compromised then we start to experience problems.
Some ways to reduce your toxic burden include:
Transitioning towards less toxic product choices;
Staying well hydrated to support good blood and lymphatic flow;
Supporting digestion to ensure proper elimination;
Dry skin brushing;
Lymphatic massage; and
Encouraging sweating through exercise, infrared saunas etc.
Manage stress
Prioritise time for stress relieving activities. This may be exercise, yoga, meditation, EFT tapping, gardening, reading a book etc. Do whatever works for you. The critical part is that you do something on regular basis, even just 5 minutes each day is beneficial.
This is hardest element for many to master, but it’s so important. You can be eating all the right things, but if you’re chronically stressed it can lead to impaired digestion, blood sugar imbalances and inflammation.
No matter what autoimmune illness you are dealing with, the above actions will help you to address the underlying reasons why you have autoimmunity in the first place. It’s much better to support your immune system rather than suppress it.