
Autoimmune diseases affect more than 24 million people and include Crohn's, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, thyroid disorder, cancer...just to name a few.
Autoimmunity
Autoimmunity is a process by which the immune system reacts against the body's own tissues. Chronic and/or excessive autoimmune responses can result in autoimmune diseases. Nature.com
Somewhere along the way a person's immune system becomes imbalanced and begins attacking its own tissues. It could be the thyroid under attack, the intestines, the skin, the brain, the pancreas, etc.
The Causes of Autoimmunity Disorders
Hidden allergens, infections, environmental toxins, an inflammatory diet, and stress are the real causes of inflammatory conditions. drhyman.com
We have learned that if you have an autoimmune disease it is because your gut has become leaky allowing undigested food particles, microbes, toxins, etc. to escape your gut and enter your bloodstream. See research done by Alessio Fassano
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Scientific breakthrough studies indicate that genetics only play 25% of a role in autoimmunity and 75% is the environment. A person’s diet can aggravate or eliminate inflammation. In order to treat, prevent, and reverse autoimmune disease you’ll need to get your immune system back under control. www.amymyersmd.com Focus on supporting and strengthening the immune system. You will need to find out why the immune system started attacking itself in the first place.
Here are some recommendations that can help eleviate inflammation:
GLUTEN: Eliminate gluten from your diet. Our bodies are not made to properly metabolize gluten. Gluten contributes immune disease because it is one of the main causes of leaky gut. Gluten triggers the release a chemical that tells your gut lining to “open up” allowing undigested food particles, microbes, toxins, etc. to escape your gut and enter your bloodstream. Gluten is highly inflammatory which stresses your immune system; and the gluten protein has a similar chemical structure to some of your body’s tissues (specifically your thyroid), which can lead to molecular mimicry, where your body mistakes your tissues for gluten and attacks them. www.amymyersmd.com
WATER: Drink ½ your body weight in ounces of water a day. Work towards your goal in steps. Example: If you currently only drink 3 cups, but your goal is 9 cups, then drink 4 cups a day until you can successfully do this for a week. Then increase your intake to 5 cups until you can consistently do this for a week. Keep increasing your intake until you have achieved your goal.
SUGAR: Avoid processed and/or man-made sugars.
DAIRY: Eliminate dairy-from your diet. Dairy foods are tremendous mucous producers that burden the respiratory, digestive and immune systems.
GMO: Eliminate GMO’s (genetically modified organisms) from your diet.
CLEAN FOOD: Choose to eat foods that are organic/free-range
SLEEP: The body heals and detoxifies when we sleep. Be sure to get 7-9 hours of sleep every night.
STRESS: Learn to manage stress. Levels of stress-related illnesses are on the rise,

and stress, both of the emotional and the physical variety, has been shown to trigger and intensify autoimmune disorders. Stress disrupts immune function through several distinct pathways. Stress is the body’s response to a threat–a wound, injury, or infection. Chronic stress (the kind we face in this day and age) leads to long term inflammation that never really shuts off, creating autoimmune disease. Once the autoimmune response is in place, immediate stress only exacerbates it.
Try breathing exercises, exercising, thinking positive, listening to music, etc. Set aside at least 10 minutes every day either before bedtime or upon waking to have a quiet time. Take this time to focus on your breathing, think positive thoughts, and count your blessings/things that you are grateful for. Too often we focus on the negative things in life which leads to an acidic environment. We tend to attract into our lives that which we focus on the most.
80/20 RULE: Eat a diet that is 80% Alkaline and 20% Acidic. See Nutrexcellence's Alkaline Acid 80/20 Food Theory blog.
OMIT red meat from your diet.
VEGETABLES: Eat 7 servings of vegetables a day (corn is a grain and potatoes are starches, not vegetables). Vegetables provide an abundance of nutrients for our bodies. Choose an abundance of colors. Again, if you are currently only eating 3 vegetable servings a day, then increase your intake to 4 servings a day until you can consistently eat 4 servings for a week; then increase your intake to 5 servings until you can consistently eat 5 servings a week. Do this process until you’ve reached your goal of eating 7 servings of vegetables a day. Remember you can eat vegetables with your breakfast. They are also great snack choices.
Find a way to become connected with your Community. Studies show that people who feel connected to the community they live in are happier and healthier.
Read the ingredients (even for your hair and skin) of everything that you put into your body. If you don’t know what it is, then don’t eat it until you have researched it.
Omit hydrogenated/partially hydrogenated oils from your diet.
Omit high fructose corn syrup from your diet.
Eat 60g-90g of protein a day. At least 20g-30g of protein for breakfast
Broth is very good for the gut with its amino acids. It will help it to heal.
Omit caffeine from your diet.
If you are still having issues, then the added bonus of excluding things that are really hard on the gut, too, like all grains, beans, legumes, and then nuts and seeds.
In the evening an drink 8oz. cup of warm water with a tablespoon of raw apple cider vinegar (with the mother in it) and 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice.
All the above recommendations will be difficult to achieve “overnight” so don’t expect yourself to do so. You didn't get sick overnight. It was a result of life choices that you have made.
Life is a journey. Enjoy your life journey on purpose. Learn from your mistakes and remember that the only failure is not trying.
The contents of this educational handout are for informational purposes only and are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician before making any medical or lifestyle changes, or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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