So how does Autoimmunity effect YOU?
We’re in an ‘autoimmune storm’ at the moment and although medical professionals are still not clear what exactly causes it, we can still look at the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ from a wholistic angle, to help prevent your immune system from going down this path!
If your immune system becomes autoimmune, it’s very difficult to heal and some say is irreversible.
It can be put into a form of remission, however the response may return as soon as our health goes out of balance again.
The good news is that we can do heaps to prevent and/or manage it – if we know how!
The right information is key to doing this, but often it’s a very frustrating search to get the right information.
The autoimmune ‘response’ is very complex, so simply put, it’s where our immune system can become ‘confused’ for some reason and attack our own body. This attack can be on our organs, skin, thyroid, brain or any other compromised part.
So ‘becoming our own worst enemy’ has never been true-er in this case.
Just think… every time we fight off a disease (even a flu) by getting sick, there would have been hundreds of other times our bodies have fought off a sickness, without us even knowing about it… giving us no noticeable symptoms.
Amazing hey!
But when there is an imbalance in our system, our immune system can’t silently defend and heal, so a dis-ease can manifest and this can be an autoimmune type disease.
And the thing is, autoimmune symptoms aren’t always overly noticeable.
Someone can slowly develop leaky gut without even noticing any ‘big’ symptoms. that’s why it’s crucial to know what to look out for.
For many people, trying to find a diagnosis for what seems like vague and very seperate symptoms can be a really long road, often taking years and several doctors.
So here’s some common symptoms to watch out for… I’m warning you it’s a long list!
And I know most have experienced many of these before, which doesn’t necessarily mean it’s an autoimmune response, BUT if they’re frequent or ongoing, then there’s your ‘red flag.’
Headaches
Anxiety
Brain fog
Body rashes, red flaking skin
Acne
Rosacea
Eczema
Psoriaisis
Dermatitis
Allergies
Asthma
Frequent cold or never getting a cold
Thyroid issues
Fatigue or hyperactivity
General feeling of malaise
Muscle or joint pain and weakness
Stiffness and pain
Feeling ‘wired’ and ‘tired’
Exhaustion
Digestive tract upsets (cramping, gas, bloat, diarrhoea, constipation)
Good studies are now showing that leaky gut causes rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, allergies, autism, depression, eczema, psoriasis and metabolic syndrome… just to name some conditions that are now for the first time considered ‘autoimmune.’
And more professionals are now agreeing that leaky gut and the quality of our microbiome (good gut bacteria) may be the common factor for most autoimmune conditions.
This is because a healthy microbiome keeps over-reactive antibodies in check – which is the autoimmune response.
While autoimmunity is becoming more common due to western lifestyle and therefore more autoimmune genes being past down, the good news is that it doesn’t happen to everybody!
It’s more of a case of are we at risk? We just don’t know.
There are however some common factors at play to create the ‘autoimmune perfect storm.’ Let’s take a look:
Genetics – do autoimmune conditions run in your family? They don’t have to be a particular disease, just that it comes under the autoimmune ‘umbrella.’ Note: These genes can also come from ancestors who you don’t know about, and the gene may skip a few generations.
Leaky Gut Syndrome and imbalanced gut bacteria
Contact with chemicals and toxins
Chronic long withstanding stress (conscious or subconscious)
Unhealthy diet and lifestyle
Now you may not be able to do anything about your genes, although many studies are now showing that we can alter our genes through meditation and healing foods.
You can however give yourself the best chance not to develop autoimmunity by:
Healing any leaky gut issues with diet, probiotics/prebiotics (not forgetting that stress actually depletes the good bacteria and prevent gut healing)
Remove foods that hurt the gut e.g. gluten and dairy (for some people)
Stay away from household and personal care products that have chemicals which also effect our hormonal system.
Take up meditation!
Meanwhile, if you have any questions on our own personal situation, head over to the Nutrition For Life Community and ask me a question in the forum OR you can private message me.
P.S. Oh and don’t forget to subscribe to this blog for more help with your health 🙂
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