Overview

“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed that is not faced.”

– James Baldwin, essayist & playwright

Perhaps you or someone you love has been diagnosed with an autoimmune condition. Maybe you have been experiencing symptoms for some time. Or maybe you are worried because autoimmune conditions “run in your family.” Take heart: There is more than hope that freedom from disease is possible! In fact, in recent years, science has finally caught up with loads of evidence of people halting and reversing autoimmune disorders, even if your doctor is not yet aware of the exciting science.

Lifestyle Choices Matter More Than Genes

Until recently we all thought that our genes (our DNA) controlled our destiny. Research now reveals that our behavior and lifestyle are more important than whether we have “bad” genes. The science of how genes get expressed – that is, which genes get “expressed” based on our behavior and lifestyle choices — is called epigenetics. ¹The Social Life of Genes, Pacific Standard, David Dobbs, Sept 3, 2013, http://www.psmag.com/health-and-behavior/the-social-life-of-genes-64616  While those of us with autoimmune disorders will always have the genes for our conditions, the empowering science of epigenetics means we can control to a great degree how those genes get expressed.²  The role of epigenetic mechanisms and processes in autoimmune disorders; Greer, J., et al.; Biologics. 2012; 6: 307–327; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3459549

Environmental Factors You Control

The CDC reports that 90% of health outcomes are due to environmental factors: what you eat, drink, think and do, and only 10% are due to genes. ³Exposome and Exposomics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/exposome/ What are these disease-causing “environmental factors?” Research shows that the major culprit categories include food, infections, gut health, hormone imbalance, toxins, and stress, which can be abbreviated as F.I.G.H.T.S.™ ⁴Environmental Determinants of Chronic Disease and Medical Approaches: Recognition, Avoidance, Supportive Therapy, and Detoxification, Margaret E. Sears and Stephen J. Genius, J Environ Public Health. 2012; 2012: 356798.
Published online 2012 Jan 19. doi: 10.1155/2012/356798, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3270432/

The Autoimmune Onset Equation

Thanks to research conducted by Alessio Fasano, MD, renowned pediatric gastroenterologist and research scientist at Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, we now know of a necessary third element in the autoimmune disease equation: increased intestinal permeability, commonly known as a leaky gut. Our best understanding of how most autoimmune disorders occur is the following equation:

Here’s how it works:

The Autoimmune Reversal Equation

The beauty of an equation like the one above implies that by reversing the equation, you can unwind the outcome. The reversal equation is:

Here are the 3 key steps to autoimmune reversal: Detect, Remove, Repair!

Empower Yourself

Have you made the connection between food and mysterious autoimmune symptoms? If you haven’t yet figured out your food triggers, I’m excited for you to try the elimination diet. Give yourself 30 days and commit to doing it 100%. Functional Medicine autoimmune experts observe that their clients experience 60-100% recovery from autoimmune symptoms just by addressing food. To help you get started, please accept our FREE gift: Your Optimal Food Guide ebook, which can help you figure out which foods can help you reverse autoimmune conditions or just optimize your health.

If you are proactively seeking to heal from any autoimmune condition naturally and want community, support and valuable information, please join our free, private Facebook group, Transcend Autoimmune.

My hope is that you empower yourself to get the knowledge and support you need, take the right action and achieve the outcomes you desire.

Take good care!