Functional medicine is an alternative medical approach that’s been gaining more popularity in the past decade. It focuses on identifying and treating the root cause of a disease. By using a holistic approach, you can reverse symptoms and enable your body to heal itself.
So you’re thinking,” If this were true why hasn’t my doctor talked to me about this? “ Which is a great question with a simple answer. Conventional medicine is the most used system of medicine in America. Conventional medicine and functional medicine take two completely different approaches when it comes to treating autoimmune diseases.
What is the difference between conventional and functional medicine related to autoimmune diseases?
Conventional medicine focuses on treating symptoms. For autoimmune diseases, this involves immunosuppressive drugs. While these do help patients by giving relief from symptoms of inflammation and pain, but that only puts a band-aid over the underlying disease which is still untreated.
Functional medicine concentrates on finding the root cause of disease and offers a holistic approach to patients. The body was made to fight off infection. You just have to give it the chance by giving it a healthy terrain, to begin with.
*DISCLAIMER:All information on this website should not be used a medical advice in place of a medical professional. We are only sharing our experiences.
So how did I use functional medicine to reverse my autoimmune diseases?
After hours and hours of research I was ready to started looking into the root cause of what was causing my Autoimmune diseases. Once I found the culprit – inflammation. I was able to take the next steps to healing my body.
How does inflammation present in our bodies?
Inflammation shows up in different ways such as:
- pain
- skin rashes
- difficulty focusing
- brain fog
- low-grade fever
- fatigue
- numbness
- tingling
- etc.
What could the root cause of the inflammation be?
Hidden triggers such as food sensitivities, leaky gut, nutrient deficiencies, allergies, heavy metal build-up, toxicity, genetic predisposition, and chronic viral infections.
So how did I heal my Autoimmune Disease?
Reducing inflammation is the main goal. Starting with your lifestyle via the food you eat, activity level, and stress management. All of these factors contribute to your overall health and inflammation levels.
If you are trying to heal your Autoimmune diseases I recommend you finding a functional medicine doctor near you. That can work closely with you and make a personalized plan to discover and eliminate the root cause. Below list everything I have done on my journey of healing my Autoimmune diseases. Which I am only sharing not condoning you do without working with a doctor!
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7 steps I took to Reverse my Autoimmune Diseases:
1. Cut out all inflammatory foods. I started with the Autoimmune protocol diet(AIP). Once I finished I switched to an anti-inflammatory based diet focusing on eating Whole Foods.
2. Test for hidden food sensitivity. Talk to your primary. A quick blood test can tell you a lot.
3. Manage stress by meditating, breathwork, yoga, time management, and taking care of yourself/your needs. Stress disrupts the immune system.
4. Take care of your body. Exercising is a natural anti-inflammatory. It keeps your mind and body healthy.
5. Get on a regular sleep schedule. During sleep, your body replenishes its energy and repairs its cells and tissues. Sleep is an important part of your overall health. I also focused on resetting my circadian rhythm by watching the sunrise and set.
6. Get tested for heavy metal poisoning. Heavy metals building up are more common than you think. It’s worth it to get tested. I did a heavy metal detox. One of my favorite books that has a full heavy metal detox with recipes is called “Cleanse to heal” you can click the name and you will be redirected to amazon.
7. Heal your gut. A leaky gut is thought to be a possible culprit of autoimmune diseases. 70-80% of your immune system is located in your gut. To heal your autoimmune disease you must heal your gut. Focus on eating an anti-inflammatory diet. While incorporating fermented foods, Whole Foods, probiotics, vitamin D, Vitamin C, curcumin, antioxidants, omega 3 fatty acids, and increasing fiber intake. Check out our post on “How to heal a leaky gut”.
We also have multiple gut healing recipes posted. Check out our “Gut healing green smoothie recipe”.
The body was made to heal itself. All you have to do is give it the chance by giving it a healthy environment. Click here to check out our free resource library. There you can find free printables to help you keep track of your lifestyle.
Resources
Knowledge is power. The road to healing autoimmune diseases is long, but more than worth it. Always do your own research. Below I have linked some of my favorite books that kick started my dive down the rabbit hole of holistic healing, and a overall a holistic lifestyle.
- “The Autoimmune fix”
- “The Anti-inflammatory Diet for Beginners”
- “Prescriptions for Natural Cures”
- “Prescriptions for nutritional healing”
- “The Paleo Cure”
Learn more about functional medicine
Here are some Blog post that cover everything about Functional medicine!
