Part I: The autoimmunity mind-body connection

(Click here to read Part II of the Autoimmunity Mind-Body Connection.) When managing a chronic health condition — pain, inflammation, hypothyroidism, an autoimmune disease — it’s easy to get caught up in the nuts and bolts of care. Strategies such as an anti-inflammatory diet, supplements, medications, sleep hygiene, exercise, and other functional medicine protocols can…

Part II: The autoimmunity mind-body connection

(To read Part 1 of the Autoimmunity Mind-Body Connection click here.) So how exactly do happiness, positivity, and socialization improve health? They profoundly influence stress levels, inflammation, and the release of feel-good chemicals, all of which play roles in autoimmune management. Social isolation, pessimistic thinking, toxic relationships, unhappy marriages, dead-end jobs, living a life without…

Alzheimer’s can have its roots in infection-triggered autoimmunity

A recent study we conducted showed infections — bacterial, viral, parasitic, mold and yeast — may trigger the development of Alzheimer’s disease in a mechanism similar to the development of autoimmunity. The study, published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease (JAD), examined how infections may play a role in the development of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). We performed…

Glutathione for managing autoimmune disease

Every day our bodies work hard to cope with the effects of environmental toxins, food intolerances, inflammatory diets high in sugar but low in nutrients, sleep deprivation, and chronic stress. To minimize the damage, it’s important to support levels of glutathione, a powerful antioxidant produced by the body. This can be done by taking glutathione…

New food sensitivity issues on AIP? The oral tolerance protocol

Oral Tolerance Part I: Sensitive to multiple foods and not getting better? Here’s why If you’re managing your autoimmune disease, chronic health disorder, or brain health, then you’re probably familiar with the autoimmune paleo (AIP) diet, also known as the leaky gut diet or autoimmune paleo protocol. Prior to its rebranding online, functional medicine practitioners…

Gut problems not getting better? Consider gut autoimmunity

The immune system is responsible for protecting us from bacteria, viruses, parasites, and other pathogens. However, many factors of modern life have created exploding rates of immune-related disorders, including autoimmunity — a condition in which the immune system attacks and destroys body tissue. Although autoimmune disease can affect any part of the body, many people…

Stabilizing low blood sugar is key to many autoimmune, inflammatory, and brain-based disorders

One of the most common health issues I see in new patients is unstable blood sugar. Unstable blood sugar underlies many of the symptoms that autoimmune patients cope with, including exhaustion, insomnia, anxiety, depression, and brain fog. This is a relatively simple issue to remedy, and many patients don’t realize how deeply it impacts their…

Beyond erectile dysfunction: Male hormones and autoimmunity, inflammation, and brain health

While male hormone imbalance is not a topic that gets as much press as female hormone imbalance, it is nevertheless vital to men’s health and well-being. It is important for practitioners and patients to understand the factors that underlie male hormone imbalances so the root caused can be addressed, instead of routing patients automatically to…

SCFA – Gut bacteria’s ally in taming autoimmunity and inflammation

Healthy gut bacteria is key to managing autoimmunity and other chronic disorders in part because they produce short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), compounds that help modulate the immune system and dampen inflammation. The primary SCFA we look at in relation to immune health is called butyrate. Butyrate is so important to intestinal cells they will…