Autoimmunity revealed ...
Autoimmune conditions are dramatically increasing these days. Conventionally, it’s described as your body “attacking” itself because your immune system is bothered by something. Though some question this definition, what’s important is, if you have an autoimmune condition, your body is unbalanced … BIG TIME. Chances are you know someone who has an autoimmune condition ... conditions such as Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, Crohn’s, Diabetes Type 1, Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis, Vitiligo, and Alopecia.
Even if you think you’re “safe” and not at risk from your family history, you may want to reconsider. Especially women. From my work with clients, there are five possible reasons for autoimmune conditions … that not even your doctor may know about!
Food
Food is the first important trigger because you have to eat to live. When the food you eat comes in contact with the lining of your digestive tract, an immune reaction can occur if it’s not the food you’re designed to eat. This results in cell damage and symptoms like bloating, belching, constipation, diarrhea and spasms. The cumulative damage can lead to bowel disease.
Yes, YOU are designed to eat a specific way, not some generic, one-size-fits-all way or arbitrary fad diet. Your body can recognize what is best for it and will let you know if you are making the right choices. Choose correctly, and your digestion and elimination run smoothly. You have energy, clear thinking and your hair, skin and nails are shiny, glowing and smooth. The wrong choices lead to those awful digestive and elimination problems and leave you tired, foggy and dull.
The easiest first step to finding the foods that serve you is to start eating for your blood type and see how you feel. Follow the advice of Eat Right For Your Type by Dr. Peter J. D’Adamo. He’s the expert on how food interacts with the four different blood types - O, A, B and AB. Try it for thirty days and keep a food diary so you can see your progress and look for patterns (here’s a link to the one I give my clients).
Chronic Infections
These are the source of much autoimmunity. Both personal and family histories of chronic viral, bacterial and fungal infections like Epstein-Barr, Cytomegalo Virus, Herpes, Human Papilloma Virus, Lyme, Strep A and B, H. pylori and Candida are important.
Too often even though you deal with it right away, some can escape and go “underground”. If you think you’re safe because you took anti-virals, antibiotics or anti-fungals, and feeling “fine”, my experience has been that some infectious residuals are left behind hiding in some organ, bone or tissue waiting to pop out again when your immune system is weakened by stress or another infection.
Dealing with these residual infections requires a foundation of the right foods and specific supplements and herbs to support your body’s immune system to completely eliminate the infection. The proper mindset, adequate sleep, and appropriate exercise are also essential; body treatments like baths, massages and infrared saunas also help.
Genetics
As more is learned about the human genome, it’s is becoming clearer that autoimmunity can result from genetic snafus that cause dysfunction and disease. Genetic mutations, called SNPs, are involved in brain chemistry, stress tolerance, immune function, inflammation, energy, detoxification of chemicals, and cardiovascular health. For instance, MTHFR and COMT enzymes are two common genetic SNPs that can lead to autoimmunity. Today tests for MTHFR and COMT enzymes are offered by companies like 23andMe and Life Extension Foundation.
Hormones
A doctor I worked for years ago told me “Hormones rule.” This is true for autoimmunity too. When all your hormones are in balance, you look and feel great, but watch out when they are imbalanced. Hormonal imbalances often stem from adrenal fatigue, liver dysfunction and hypothyroidism, which are driven by chronic germ loads or toxins and unrelenting stress on these organs. Obtaining lab data on your hormone levels and having it interpreted by a knowledgeable practitioner is essential to addressing this autoimmunity factor.
Toxins
Whenever you have chronic germ loads, look for the smoking gun of heavy metal toxicity. The most common ones being mercury, aluminum and lead, though there are many more. Heavy metals are thought to “feed” chronic germ loads. Having become so pervasive in our environment ... in our soil, water (Flint, Michigan!), our homes, work places, the food we eat, and in our mouths – dental amalgams, they are increasingly pushing people toward autoimmunity.
Autoimmune diseases are on the rise. Leave me a comment below about your experience with autoimmune disease and which of these five factors is the most important to you.