Why I changed my diet living with Autoimmune Disease
When did it become optional to eat nutritious meals & prepare them? It’s no surprise with the rise in our convenient & fast-paced lifestyle that these “basics” have gone overlooked. We think we can start our day with a “bar” breakfast & sweetened coffee delight, maybe a light lunch, then dinner takeout & still feel our best. Sometimes we (me included) think we “deserve” a break from eating well, after all, suffering from autoimmune diseases & these many symptoms often left me mentally & physically exhausted. I didn’t realize how significant putting in some more effort in my food choices made in how I was living with these autoimmune disease symptoms.
When I was diagnosed with my 1st autoimmune disease, Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, I did not make a single change in my diet or lifestyle. Guess what…. I continued to feel awful!! I kept searching for answers. As a Registered Dietitian & within a “normal” BMI range, I thought I was eating a balanced diet…whole grain cereal & berries for breakfast, peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat bread with fruit for lunch, & finally pasta with chicken & veggies for dinner with some ice cream for dessert. I didn’t yet realize the immune storm that was settling into my gut, but my body did & it certainly let me know in every possible way. Along this journey, I have learned some important & hard lessons about the food we eat & how nutrition affects those of us that suffer from Autoimmune Disease. By the time I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, so much damage had already been done. Here are some of the observations I have made in the 20 years of suffering from a dysfunctional immune system that can help you identify ways to improve your health:
1. What are you being so “sensitive” about? Food sensitives have become a more accepted, but 20 years ago, I had no idea that the foods I was eating could cause such havoc on my health. You see, most of our immune system resides in our gut associated lymphoid tissue. Our immune system is constantly deciding about the things we are putting into our mouths. Are they a “friend” or a “foe”? Does this belong in our bodies? Is there something in your diet that your immune system is continuing to send signals that it “doesn’t like”? This can lead to damage & overall symptoms we often feel. The gold standard for identifying food sensitivities is a proper “Elimination Diet” under provision of a Nutrition professional trained in how to implement these diets.
2. Plants = Power. I was eating fruits & vegetables, but I wasn’t eating quite enough. Eating 5 + servings a day of whole fruits & vegetables started to make a true impact on the inflammation in my body. Plants contain not just vitamin & minerals, but also, polyphenols which protect the plant from disease & damage. This benefit is translated into our cells & provides a very potent anti-inflammatory affect. The key is consumption. We absolutely need to consume these foods to receive this amazing benefit. In my practice, I help people find easy ways to incorporate these foods.
3. Variety is King. We are all creatures of habit. Sometimes we don’t even know why we eat the same thing every day other than the fact that we just do. Choosing many different foods is the best insurance policy available in terms of getting what you need from your diet.
4. Healthy fats make a Cell. We are just a bunch of cells. All those cells have an outer membrane that is made up of fatty acids. Omega 3 fats play an important role in a healthy cellular membrane & the signaling that occurs within the cell, how genes are expressed, & more. Fats also help with the absorption of certain essential vitamins that affect the immune system, like Vitamin D. If you haven’t had your Vitamin D levels checked, I highly recommend discussing this test with your physician at your next visit.
5. Exercise (in the right dose) is the secret to more energy. The last thing many of us feel like doing is exercising when we are exhausted. Some of you may be burning the candle on both ends, trying to exercise too much. It turns out that even 5 minutes of aerobic activity will increase our mitochondria. For those of you who forget that biology lesson, the mitochondria is the part of our cells that produce energy or ATP. Starting with 5 minutes is a good & achievable goal.
For more information on working with me to make lasting diet changes, contact me.