Can you reverse autoimmune disease? The short answer is “yes”. Autoimmunity can go into remission and antibodies can go back to optimal levels.
How do I know? I was able to do this myself and I have worked with many clients that have seen their autoimmunity such as Hashimoto’s, Graves’ and Sjogrens, go into remission (all confirmed by their doctors).
Today I want to cover the most common questions I get about autoimmunity and some of my top tips to help get you going in the right direction.
And here are a few disclaimers before we get into the topic: I don’t consider myself an expert in all aspects of autoimmunity. I’m a Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and not a medical doctor. We are all biochemically individual, so things will look different for each person. I’m simply sharing what I have seen since over the last 20 years of studying, training, schooling, personal experience and working one-on-one with clients.
Let’s dive in!
Can you reverse autoimmunity with diet alone?
No. I haven’t seen this to be possible and I don’t believe it’s possible. When it comes to autoimmunity, there are always multiple root causes and diet alone won’t correct all of the issues going on.
The three most common root causes that I see are listed below in order of importance:
1. Stress which then causes HPA-axis imbalance (aka “adrenal fatigue”)
2. Gut or digestion issues
3. Diet
Isn’t autoimmunity always rooted in some kind of infection?
I haven’t seen this to be true. I always see the three root causes listed above, and then sometimes it can also be rooted in a viral infection, bacterial infection, a dental infection, etc.
Isn’t autoimmunity genetic?
While we may have some genes that predispose us to disease, the study of epigenetics and disease has shown that about 10% of disease is genetic and about 90% is diet and lifestyle. This is good news and means there are so many things you can do to take control of your health!
Do you think all autoimmunity and especially thyroid autoimmunity is rooted in EBV?
No. This idea has been mostly promoted by someone who has no medical or nutrition credentials and claims to get all of their info from a spirit. I personally don’t see a “medium” someone to look to for health advice.
Does everyone with autoimmunity need to do a parasite cleanse?
No. If you suspect you have a parasite, get tested. If it’s positive, then talk to your practitioner about the best steps to take for your situation. Otherwise, I wouldn’t worry about it.
Does everyone with autoimmunity need to do a mold cleanse?
No. If you suspect you have mold toxicity, get tested. If it’s positive, then talk to your practitioner about the best steps to take for your situation. Otherwise, I wouldn’t worry about it.
Does everyone who has autoimmunity need to immediately start a detox protocol?
No. It’s good to remember that detox is a process not an event. So, we should be taking steps daily to support natural detoxification in the body.
It’s also important to make sure that detox pathways are open before doing any detox protocol. If we don’t do the proper prep work ahead of time and jump into an intense detox protocol, we can often make things worse.
Here are basic things you can do to start opening detox pathways and support natural detoxification without doing some kind of strict protocol that might make things worse:
Get 8-9 hours of sleep a night
Eat a nutrient dense diet
Reduce stressors (this plays a HUGE part in liver detoxification)
Spend time outdoors daily
Movement or exercise daily
Here’s more info about how to support the liver naturally.
Can Autoimmunity be avoided?
Yes! Taking steps such as: eating a nutrient dense diet and avoid processed foods, keeping stressors in check, eating slowly and in a relaxed state, movement or exercise daily, 8-9 hours of quality sleep a night, using non-toxic products in your home and on your body, drinking filtered water, time outdoors daily, spending time with loved ones, enjoying life, etc. are all excellent ways to keep the body in good health.
Why does the medical community say that autoimmune disease can’t be reversed?
The medical (aka allopathic) community, as amazing and helpful as they are, doesn’t have a treatment for autoimmunity, so therefore, they say it can’t be reversed. Conventional practitioners are trained in medicine, and medicine 100% has its place, but most allopathic doctors aren’t trained in holistic health or nutrition.
Here two things that I think are helpful to keep in mind on this topic:
Incurable doesn’t mean healing isn’t possible. It just means there isn’t a drug to reverse the condition.
When it comes to thyroid medications (for those of you who have thyroid autoimmunity) – the thyroid hormone replacement meds, will not heal your thyroid, nor will they reduce antibodies. That’s not what they are designed to do. They are designed to provide the body with thyroid hormones (which is a helpful tool!).
Why won’t my medical/allopathic doctor talk to me about holistic steps I can take or changes to make in my diet?
Again, conventional doctors are trained in medicine and do a fabulous job practicing medicine. They most likely aren’t trained in holistic health or certified in nutrition. It’s kinda like taking your refrigerator to a car mechanic. That wouldn’t make any sense. So, why ask a medical doctor about nutrition when they don’t have extensive training in nutrition? Now, some medical doctors have done further schooling and are certified or have a degree in nutrition, so it’s a good idea to ask what their background is in nutrition if you want to get nutrition advice from them.
A conventional medical doctor is great for testing, a diagnoses, surgery, and medications, and other allopathic treatments or advice. But, they usually aren’t the practitioner to go to for holistic or nutritional advice. Having this perspective can save you a lot of stress!
Did I personally see a conventional medical doctor when I was going through my healing process? And, do I still have a conventional doctor?
Yes. My conventional doctor was super helpful with testing and getting a diagnoses. I personally never took thyroid meds, so I didn’t utilize their help in that area.
Yes, I still have a conventional doctor that I use on occasion if I need some testing, labs, etc. I make sure to keep in mind that they are helpful when it comes to medical advice and nothing outside of that.
If I have thyroid autoimmunity like Graves’ or Hashimoto’s, can I get off of my medications?
We are all biochemically individual, so some are able to get off their meds with the help of their doctor and some aren’t. Sometimes, there has been too much damage done to the thyroid tissues and thyroid hormone replacement will always be necessary.
In my opinion, if you can reduce symptoms, heal the various root causes, and feel like yourself again, but still need to take some thyroid hormone replacement, that’s a huge win in my book!
Studies have shown that about “25 percent of patients with autoimmune diseases have a tendency to develop additional autoimmune disorders”. (source) So, healing the immune system and the gut, reducing stressors, and getting your body back into balance can play a massive role in your health down the road!
Also, I never recommend getting off your thyroid meds unless your doctor is guiding you through that process. Usually when someone stops taking them without guidance from their doctor, or when their body isn’t ready, this can cause an array of negative symptoms.
My doctor says nutrition has nothing to do with my disease. What do you say about that?
The foods we eat literally give our body the necessary tools it needs to make hormones, support the immune system, digestive system, endocrine system and perform everything else in the body. Also, the foods we eat give the body the tools it needs to create energy for our cells.
Here’s an example: Your body can’t make thyroid hormones without iodine, and the body cannot make iodine. So, if you don’t get enough iodine in your diet, you could end up with low thyroid hormones.
Honestly, to say that the foods you eat play zero role in your health doesn’t make any sense!
Here’s a quick video on this topic.
Do I need to get expensive and extensive testing to find my root cause?
If you’re just getting started, I don’t think it’s necessary.
First you want to work on the foundations such as reducing stressors, gut health, diet, good sleep, balancing your blood sugar, daily movement, etc. as I teach step-by-step in my thyroid course.
Nine times out of ten, these foundational imbalances are what’s driving the autoimmunity, hormone imbalances, symptoms, etc.
Working on your foundational health first will help you start to feel better, slowly heal the body and you’ll most likely see labs improve. Then, if you still have some big remaining symptoms, or labs that are out of range, that’s when it can be time to talk to your practitioner about getting some additional testing.
This will save you so much time, money and frustration!
Here’s a quick video on this topic.
What testing should I get when I’m just getting going?
If you were just diagnosed with autoimmune disease, your doctor probably determined that with labs, so you might already have current testing.
Some tests that can be helpful if you’re working with a holistic practitioner to see where deficiencies might be, foundational imbalances in the body, where effort needs to be focused, etc. You can order testing here.
CBC
CMP with phosphorus
Vitamin D
TSH
fT4
fT3
rT3
Fasting insulin
HA1C
Lipid panel
Iron panel
Do I have to avoid dairy if I have autoimmunity?
In general, unless you have a dairy allergy, then raw or cultured dairy can be a part of an immune system healing diet.
Do I have to avoid nightshades if I have autoimmunity?
In general, unless you have joint pain or arthritis, cooked nightshades can be a part of an immune system healing diet.
Do I have to avoid gluten if I have autoimmunity?
This is definitely one thing I would avoid. All autoimmunity involves some kind of gut issue, so avoiding gluten can be incredibly helpful to heal the gut, reduce inflammation and heal the immune system.
I personally think it’s best to take that a step further and avoid all grains as well. This can help move the healing process along much more quickly. Check out my cookbook, and recipes on my site for lots of grain-free goodness!
How do I find a practitioner to work one-on-one with?
If you’re in the Dallas area, you can contact Our Well House to book a consult with me!
If you’re not in the Dallas area, I recommend asking friends and family, or posting on social media and asking for a personal reference.
Every practitioner I’ve worked with in the last 10 years has come from a personal reference. If someone you know has seen massive improvements in their health, then that’s probably a great holistic practitioner to work with!
OK! So, let’s dive in to my top 3 things you can do to start moving your autoimmunity in the other direction. I realize these may seem simple, but these are steps that are often overlooked and can make a massive difference when it comes to healing the immune system! For all of the steps, make sure and check out my online thyroid course.
1. Reduce your stressors or find better ways to deal with your stressors and bring back the simple joys of life – Now, I know you might be thinking “thanks a lot, Carrie…that doesn’t really help”. I get it. It’s the hardest part, maybe a little annoying, and not something we want to think about. BUT, it truly is the key to healing your immune system.
Let’s think about it this way…
Gray’s Anatomy tells us “The nervous system controls and coordinates all organs and structures of the human body.”
So, if your body is in fight-or-flight on a consistent basis, it’s next to impossible to heal.
From my own personal experience and through working with clients, I see more and more that when we focus more on bringing back the simple joys of life and slow down, it can have a profound impact on hormone balance, gut health, immune health and so much more.
Here are some ideas for you:
Give yourself permission to sit down and ENJOY your meals
Sit in the sunshine
Find joy in your day-to-day work
Turn off your phone and be more present
Listen to music instead of a podcast (I love podcasts, but we don’t always need to be learning something 24/7)
Laugh and enjoy time with those you love
Create art
Lay down and read a good book
Walk slowly when you’re out in public or even doing things around the house
Journal
Enjoy cooking a meal instead of it being something on the to-do list (see my site for recipes!)
Be still and quiet
Be thankful in all things
Start a gratitude journal and write three things you’re thankful for each day
Take a bath
Go on walks
Pray and spend time in God’s word
Try that fun recipe you’ve had your eye on for months
Pick something that you can do to slow down each day. This will help reduce your stress and begin to slow your body down so it can start the healing process.
2. Take steps to heal your gut. All autoimmunity stems from some kind of gut issue. Here are two key things you can start with:
–> Eat slowly. I cannot stress this one enough. Especially before and during meal times. It’s best to eat food while the body is in a parasympathetic (the opposite of fight-or-flight!) state.
Slowing down and eating while in a rested state allows for digestion to unfold in the right order.
Chewing (a lot!) allows saliva to be produced. Then, the stomach produces hydrochloric acid which breaks down the food so your body can use the nutrients in your food. And the rest of digestion follows properly via the gallbladder, pancreas, intestines, etc.
If you eat when stressed or in a hurry, your saliva and stomach acid production decreases. This alone can create heartburn, indigestion, gas, bloating, constipation, nutrient deficiencies and much more. So don’t eat your meals while standing up, multitasking, or in a stressed out state. Take a few deep breaths before your meal and eat slowly.
I wrote an entire article on the importance of eating while in a slow and relaxed state.
You may have to retrain your habits, but once you do, it can improve your digestion immensely.
–> Work to increase stomach acid. Many of us have been taught that stomach acid is somehow a bad thing. It’s not! In fact, it’s absolutely necessary for strong digestion.
In my practice, I’m constantly working with my clients to increase their production of stomach acid in order to decrease post-meal bloating, gas, abdominal discomfort, etc.
Stomach acid is what breaks down fat into fatty acids, carbohydrates into glucose, and proteins into amino acids. This breakdown allows the body to properly absorb and use the nutrients in your food.
Some ways to increase stomach acid production include: eating slowly and relaxed, consuming 1 Tbs of raw apple cider vinegar before meals, taking digestive bitters before meals, or taking a hydrochloric acid supplement with meals.
I wrote an article on the importance of stomach acid and how, ironically, a lack of stomach acid can lead to heartburn. Read all about that along with natural heartburn remedies right here.
3. Eat a whole-food, nutrient-dense, gluten-free diet.
This means eating a diet that is full of a diverse array of foods such as colorful fruits and vegetables, healthy fats (especially saturated fats), organic meats, wild seafood and sea vegetables, soaked and cooked legumes and lentils, raw or cultured dairy, organic eggs, herbs and spices, and plenty of cultured and fermented foods.
Basically, shop the perimeter of the grocery store and stay away from packaged, processed and refined foods as much as possible. I’d especially encourage you to cut added sugars and highly refined vegetable and seed oils out of your diet, which are particularly inflammatory and damaging to the gut.
If you’re struggling to develop an idea for what a real-food, nutrient-dense diet looks like, you’ll definitely want to give my article a read: What Is a Nutrient-Dense Diet?
And, for gluten-free recipes, check out my cookbook and recipes on my site.
These are some great first steps you can take to help heal the immune system and begin to reverse autoimmunity!
If you’re wanting additional help and all of the information that I teach about autoimmunity (especially thyroid autoimmunity), I teach everything step-by-step in my online Thyroid Support and Health Course. This is my best info that I’ve gathered over the last 20 years rolled into one course. I hope you’ll come join us!
