Autoimmune disease? Take a functional approach!

Autoimmune diseases are complex and multilayered.

Taking a ‘peel the onion’ holistic approach to your health means you go in gentle, reduce inflammation and work WITH the body, not against it. 

For the best part of 20 years, I have worked in the corporate and research sectors within the dietary supplement industry. My expertise landed as a clinician who advised on label copy and claims. This is a crucial role within this industry. I am particularly aware of this now as I see product advertisements popping up claiming to be a magic pill formulated for autoimmune diseases. Be wise to avoid any product or clinician professing to cure anything. There is no medicine anywhere that can cure something on its own, PERIOD! And that’s especially true for autoimmune diseases which are multifaceted. So what ARE your best options? 

What we do know is that inflammatory trauma, infection from microorganisms like bacteria and viruses’ causes a cascade of responses, that in healthy people should fight off initial infection and then return to normal. But sometimes, inflammation persists, that immune switch doesn’t shut off. Autoimmune diseases (AI) are caused by a persistent and consistent engagement of the immune system, whereby it is no longer able to tell the difference between self and invader. So what does that mean in the way of treatment?

Allopathic (or general) medicine offers a range of treatment plans which effectively dampen or diminish the impact or symptoms of autoimmune disease, but rarely address the cause or underlying factors. This is because we are still trying to understand why some people develop AI disease and some don’t. Genetic and environmental factors have been identified as causative factors for AI disease, but the determining factors remain elusive. Traditional allopathic treatment plans are effective in slowing structural tissue damage, but often with side effects, and rarely pinpoint the underlying cause. 

Working with allopathic or western medicine AND complementary medicine is a more inclusive approach and can be seen in functional medicine practices. By dotting progress using laboratory tests and utilizing the highest quality nutritional supplements and herbal medicines to decrease systemic inflammation both optimizes allopathic treatment plans and addresses underlying factors. However, even if you are taking a comprehensive approach but aren’t addressing dietary habits, a big portion of environmental causes will continue and often worsen the disease. FOOD CAN HEAL OR HARM!

There is no denying that what you put into your body directly impacts your health and progression of disease. Working with a culinary medicine specialist can help you, deep-dive, into understanding how your dietary lifestyle is choreographing how you feel. This is especially true for people with autoimmune disease, as every ingested food can be an allergen and thus inflammatory. Understanding which foods are healing and which are harming might seem complex at first, but soon becomes a kaleidoscope of potential for optimal health and vitality. To learn more about how to address autoimmune disease, contact us at amanda@functionalhealthandapothecary.com. Or, book an initial consult HERE