Monday – December 2, 2019
First off, what is an autoimmune disease exactly? It’s a chronic disease where the body’s tissues are attacked by its own immune system. Our immune system is designed to fight off invaders including infectious agents. Think of it like your immune system on overdrive. The immune system in this case does not know how to differentiate between those foreign invaders and the body’s own tissues and organs. I guess you can say the immune system gets confused – thinking it’s targeting foreign invaders when in fact, it’s attacking the body. This also affects an individual’s ability to fight infections – even the common cold or flu. The immune system is distracted attacking the body’s tissues and organs and unable to handle infections like a cold.
While most autoimmune conditions do not have a cure, thankfully there are many available treatments. This allows most disease states to be managed effectively for many individuals allowing them to live a normal life. There are so many autoimmune diseases out there and unfortunately the list continues to grow. From Multiple Sclerosis (I was diagnosed 18 years ago) to Lupus, Graves Disease, Type 1 Diabetes, Thyroid Disease, Rheumatoid Arthritis and the list goes on and on.
My mission has been to take the above statement to the next level. Why not thrive and live your best life even if you have an autoimmune condition? It’s been a huge learning process over the last 18 years – many obstacles, frustrations, refusal to make lifestyle changes, etc. But I now know what works for my own bio-individuality. I know what’s most effective – based on what I am eating, how much sleep I am getting, what supplements I am taking, how much exercise I require and when I need to just chill out and relax. That last one doesn’t seem to happen enough.
Based on these categories, I have discovered what works for me. And what works for me, will not necessarily work for the next person. I have basic parameters for what I eat and avoid. My diet consists of mostly organic whole foods, lean proteins – free of gluten, dairy and added sugars. I also am mindful of other dietary factors such as lectins – found in plant and animal products. Lectin is a protein that can bind to sugar – known as the anti-nutrient. We are unable to digest lectin as this poses a problem since it’s suggested they travel to the gut unchanged. They are known to play into immune function and cell growth.
Lectin containing foods include (sorry – I know this is not the good part of this blog) – tomatoes, peppers, peanut butter, eggplant, wheat, soy, red kidney beans and potatoes. And to the good news – most of these lectin containing foods – when cooked at a high temperature – will eliminate the negative effects of lectin. Preparation methods include cooking, sprouting and fermenting. The nightshade vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, eggplant) could possibly still be an issue so only you will know how your body reacts to them and when to limit or eliminate them entirely.
I do try and limit these foods but have not completely eliminated them all together. The 2 big ones for me are gluten and dairy. Most of my recipes are gluten and dairy free. Do keep in mind, if you have no issue with these foods, by all means, modify the recipe. I know how I feel when I have eaten these foods vs. when I don’t eat them. Not eating them wins for me personally! I have an abundance of energy – to the point of annoying my family. But I would rather be annoying with lots of energy than be pushed around in a wheelchair. I have found a way to make eating like this very tasty and enjoyable! And I love a recipe challenge. There is always a way to modify a recipe so it’s gluten and dairy free.
There are so many wonderful whole foods out there today and it’s been so fun exploring them – I still am! My recipes at www.ChristiHealthCoach.com are what I like to call – Autoimmune Friendly. I will be putting out a small digital cookbook featuring some of these recipes. It will be part of my new book coming out soon – “Your Time Is Now” – featured as a free gift with book purchase. My goal is to expand and make this a larger cookbook to be published. Hello 2020 goals!
So, what is autoimmune friendly? – it’s really based off your own body response – through trial and error and determining your high energy foods, those foods that make you thrive. And then determining those foods that cause inflammation, fatigue, GI response, aches, etc. that should be eliminated from your diet. My suggestion in doing this is a food elimination cleanse to determine your trigger foods. Stay tuned for more information on this at the end of this month.
IT’S NOT TOO LATE to Stay Ahead of the Holiday Weight Gain!
Need help surviving the holiday eating frenzy? Join my Sleigh the Weight Gain Group starting December 1st to help stay on track and not put on the holiday pounds. I am including a personal daily tracker, meal ideas, portion tips, party tips, movement accountability and so much more. This will be a fun, interactive group – all supporting each other during the holidays and keeping each other accountable. Suggested random acts of kindness will be featured as well. Message me for details.
Join my WellNourish Center today as an Advantage Member and be the first to know about new recipe releases! You will also have access to all of my recipes at ChristiHealthCoach.com and receive the newest blog posts, wellness and habit change tips and more! Best part – it’s FREE! Join Today!
I am now scheduling new client consultations. I am extending a special offer on my 90 Day Program – 25% off through the end of 2019. Let’s get those good habits started now before the holiday foods arrive into your kitchen and life. If you are feeling frustrated with no energy or drive to make the necessary changes and optimize your health, I can help you get on track – find amazing energy and get you craving healthy foods. I do this by slowly integrating habit changes that will stay with you for the long-term without feeling deprived or overwhelmed.
Contact me today for a Free Discovery Transformation Consultation to see if we are a good fit together!
Cheers To Your Health,
Coach Christi
