10 Years!

It was ten years ago today I started my path to reversing my autoimmune disease. And not one day do I take for granted. Having gone through years of pain, frustration and uncertainty, I do not want to face that again. Knowing how to treat my digestive tract, I will always remain cautious about what I eat and how I’m handling my health. I was given a second chance at my health and I want to do well with it. I hope you may find some encouragement that it can be reversed. With the right doctors, the right medication, the right supplements, the right diet and the right attitude, you can beat this too!

The Great 8!

It’s been 8 years since I went through my functional medicine treatment to reverse my autoimmune issues.

By God’s grace, I am still doing great! Over these eight years, I’ve adopted a diet which is primarily plant-based. In addition to the fiber and nutrients I get from this diet, I also make sure I supplement with vitamins, fiber, probiotics and healthy yeast fairly regularly.

Good in, good out. Bad in, bad out.

I hope you all are doing well and on your journey to reaching and maintaining good health.

Remember, autoimmune disease is not a lifetime sentence! There are multitudes of medical research articles, doctors, and people like me that can attest to this.

If you have autoimmune issues, find a functional medicine doctor and/or gastroenterologist that will test and treat your intestinal tract for any infections (ex. H. pylori, SIBO) and help guide you with a plant based nutrition plan.

THANK YOU for your continued support. I wish you great health this holiday season!

Western Diet = Bad

How the Western Diet Has Derailed Our Evolution

This part of the article is key:

“…with a poor diet, the lining of the gut becomes irritated. Microbial detritus starts leaking through. One of the more striking discoveries in recent years is that you can see this stuff, called endotoxin, increase in the bloodstream immediately after feeding people a sugary, greasy, fast-food meal. The immune system responds as if under threat, leading to the “simmering inflammation” the Sonnenburgs think drives so many Western diseases.”

As I’ve said, and as many others have said (and are continuing to learn), if the intestinal tract can be maintained in a healthy state, many health issues can be avoided.

The majority of our immune system is in our intestinal tract. It’s simple. FIBER! People need to have a lot of fiber (Citrucel is great). This is what helps clean out the system. Fiber is also a “prebiotic” – basically food for probiotics. Eating a more plant based diet will give your body the micronutrients it needs for proper functioning. Incorporating natural fermented foods such as sauerkraut, miso and even kombucha can also help keep the natural flora balanced. Adding some probiotics and healthy yeast into the system on occasion can help keep things in check. As always – everything in moderation.

It’s okay to enjoy a pizza, soda or coffee – just not processed, high fat, high sugar foods at every meal… which is in essence the Western Diet.

The Secret To A Healthy Microbiome Could Be Hidden In The Diet Of Africa’s Hadza Tribe

This article states what we’ve already known for many years. It also notes the very things I personally used to reverse my own autoimmune issues. 

The key was intestinal flora being present and balanced. This is simply done avoiding processed foods. Avoiding wheat and sugar. Limiting meat, eating fiber and foods that encourage restoring intestinal flora. 

http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2017/08/24/545631521/is-the-secret-to-a-healthier-microbiome-hidden-in-the-hadza-diet