Your Immune System On "Auto"

The occurrence of auto-immune diseases is on the rise.  But why does the immune system attack healthy tissues?  

Auto-immune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome, psoriasis, hashimoto’s thyroiditis, multiple sclerosis and lupus all occur in an environment of inflammation.  

Inflammation has become a chronic condition due to the Standard American Diet (SAD), of processed foods, and our unhealthy lifestyle of high stress, lack of exercise and sleep deprivation. 

This toxic combination leads to a damaged gut, setting the stage for 1) inflammation, 2) an over active immune system and 3) auto-immune disorders.  

With a damaged, or “leaky gut”, (already causing local inflammation), undigested food particles leak into the blood stream and are marked as foreign invaders by your immune system.  

The immune response that follows, (undigested food particles) leaking into the blood stream goes on day after day, keeping your immune system in a constant state of alert.  

Through a process known as molecular mimicry, the immune system becomes confused by the similarities of certain compounds in the target antigen (undigested food particle) with compounds in healthy tissues, and attacks them both.

Those on the fence about gluten should know that it has been linked to leaky gut, and therefore associated with auto-immune conditions.

Genetic tendencies are also involved, as well as adrenal stress, blood sugar stability, insulin and cortisol balance, infections, bacteria and heavy metals. 

However, the bottom line is inflammation, which is the end result of all these variables. 

Steps you can take to lower your risk of developing an auto-immune disorder or improve your condition if suffering from one now, is to reduce your inflammation and heal your gut.

Step 1:  Get yourself on an anti-inflammatory diet.  This would consist of organic whole foods, (nothing processed) including organic fruits and vegetables, (berries are high in anti-oxidants), organic grass fed meats and eggs, wild caught fish, organic nuts and seeds, organic beans and legumes, and lots of clean filtered water while eliminating vegetable oils, sugar, caffeine, and common allergens like gluten, corn, dairy and soy, which are all pro-inflammatory.

Step 2: Increasing the number and diversity of your gut bacteria known as the microbiome, can help keep your gut bacteria in a healthy balance, enhance your immune system and reduce inflammation.  FYI, the popular brands of yogurt are little more than a sugar slush since the pasteurization process killed anything beneficial or living.  It is best to get probiotics in their pure form or from lacto-fermented foods like kefir and kimchi   

Step 3:  Omega-3 fatty acids are anti-inflammatory as well, and close to a magic pill If  there ever was one.  This is just a first line of defense, your nutritionist can put you on a comprehensive nutritional plan. 

Step 4:  Get eight hours of sleep a night. 

Step 5:  Manage your stress. 

Step 6:  Enjoy regular moderate exercise.

I can help you incorporate these preventative measures into your lifestyle to reduce inflammation and climb out of the dark hole of auto-immune disorders, step by step.

Contact me for a free 15 minute consultation at nina.lynn@me.com.