Living at Peace with Autoimmune Disease - the GET IN SYNC Detox Plan

Living with autoimmune problems requires vigilance.

If I’ve learned one thing, it’s this. Having had one autoimmune malfunction after another my entire life, I’ve come to peace with it at the age of 38. I’m just going to have to be vigilant in caring for this body, or it won’t work well enough to accomplish all the things I need to do, and all the things I want to do.

I went on vacation a couple weeks ago to spend time in upper Michigan with dear friends. I do great at eating right without angst at home, but when out of my comfort space and not in control of the food surrounding me, it gets harder to eat the way I know I have to in order to feel okay. It took a few days of this to start affecting me, but by the time I got home, I was miserable.

I have done okay for the past two weeks, but not great. If I listed all the things I’d done that were “bad,” most people would probably scoff, because it wouldn’t sound that bad. But for me, the difference between my disciplined eating plan and not-so-much is the difference between energetic, motivated and feeling good, or swollen, tired and anxious. Maybe you can relate.

So, this week I’m getting back on track, and to keep myself accountable and maybe help someone else in the process, I’m sharing my GET BACK IN SYNC plan for autoimmune dysfunction.

If you aren’t sure whether you fit the profile or not, consider this: Do you have aches and complaints that have not been solved by doctor visits and prescriptions? (And have you ever felt like medical professionals suspect you are making up your symptoms?) Have you been diagnosed with autoimmune diseases, such as IBD, Rheumatoid arthritis, Psoriasis, Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, (just to name a few of the more common)? Do you have sensitivity or allergies to medicines, foods, or environmental factors? If the answer is yes, you can give this plan a try and see if you end up feeling a little better than you did after a couple weeks. 

It’s not as hard as it sounds. The end of the first week is the hardest time to stay on track. After that, it becomes much easier. I’m sure that even people who do not have autoimmune problems would benefit from a week or two of clean eating.

Basic guidelines for eating:

·         No Gluten This doesn’t necessarily apply to everyone. Many people have no issues with gluten, and I’m not saying it should be avoided because it is “bad.” I have ulcerative colitis and it has made all the difference in the world for me, because of my oversensitive digestive system. If gluten is a problem for you, you will notice within a week or two that you feel better and you will probably have lost a few pounds that you associate with feeling less "puffy".

·         No Dairy Again, this is going to apply to the most sensitive digestive systems.

·         No Sugar This one makes a HUGE difference. During the times when I avoid sugar, I have considerably fewer hormonal swings and swelling, and I enjoy more energy and motivation. Sugar takes a good week of detoxing before you stop craving it, but it is easily and safely replaced by moderate amounts of maple syrup, honey or stevia. Check packaging – sugar is in so many things. NOTE: After you stop eating sugar and after the initial detox, you will find that you do not like your food as sweet, and that sugar leaves a bad taste in your mouth. Hang in there!

·         No processed food. Unfortunately, this means no convenience food for the most part, but you won’t miss it when you realize how it made you feel. Check all ingredients. If you can’t pronounce something and you know it’s not a vitamin or mineral that’s beneficial, usually you’d do better without it.

·         Coconut oil or olive oil. These are the oils that are on your side. I use only these two oils, along with butter or avocado for other good fats. (Fats are not your enemy! Just make them the right kind of fats.)

·         Leafy Greens. Spinach is my favorite. You can’t eat enough of them. Have them with every meal.

·         Probiotic. Whether in yogurt or kefir or by taking a probiotic supplement, we all need good bacteria to conquer any number of diseases and symptoms.

·         Moderate exercise. I used to kill myself exercising and only succeed in making myself exhausted and in pain. Now I walk a couple miles most days, and it feels great.

·         Supplements. Because our medical system does not generally make use of herbs and supplements, finding the right ones can be tricky. For me, it was a trial and error process that took years before I pinpointed specific supplements that helped me with my particular set of issues. Just because something worked for me doesn’t mean it will work for you. This takes research, recording results, and patience.

NOTE: With diet, certain supplements and moderate exercise, I was able to put my ulcerative colitis into a remission that has lasted about 3 years. This was after over 20 years of suffering as I was treated with prescriptions, tests and hospitalizations. Hopefully this is not true for all colitis patients, but it saddens me that of six gastroenterologists I saw, even when I asked for lifestyle change advice and explained that prescriptions made me more ill, no one ever told me it was possible to control my colitis on my own. I assume they didn’t know. So I say with resolution that it is ABSOLUTELY possible!

I’ve written an inexpensive little book for Kindle called “You Can Feel Well” that goes into a little more detail on this subject if you want to know more. If you don’t have a Kindle, the “Kindle for PC” app works great to read on a laptop or personal computer.

What do you think? Have you had success in conquering and controlling autoimmune diseases? Leave a comment and share your knowledge to help others dealing with the same issues.