In recent years, there’s been a lot of speculation and attention around the autoimmune diet. This diet aims to remove foods that could be producing harmful cells in the body and replace them with foods that help to fight harmful cells. Although this diet has gained popularity in contemporary times, there’s actually nothing new about it; our ancestors have followed similar diets for tens of thousands of years.
What is the autoimmune diet?
Healthy immune systems have the ability to produce antibodies that attack harmful cells in the body. However, when your autoimmune system is compromised, instead of fighting harmful cells, the body actually produces them. The autoimmune diet is designed to remove problematic foods and replace them with foods that can bolster the immune system and alleviate symptoms.
How it works:
The autoimmune diet consists of an elimination phase and a step-by-step reintroduction phase. A range of foods are initially eliminated from your diet. Once you notice a positive improvement, you choose one food per period of time (usually 5-6 days) to reintroduce and monitor your symptoms. This aims to identify which foods are causing inflammation and pain within the body.
How an autoimmune diet can help you:
The autoimmune diet can have a range of benefits for people with autoimmune diseases.
- Reducing the severity of symptoms
The autoimmune diet aims to eliminate foods that intensify your disease, causing inflammation, pain, brain fog and a range of other symptoms. - Identifying problematic foods for your body
Everyone’s body is different. One of the biggest benefits of the autoimmune diet is that it can help to identify foods that cause these symptoms, rather than offer a temporary relief. If you can successfully identify problematic foods, then you’ll be able to permanently manage your symptoms by avoiding these foods. - Healthier eating
Following a strict autoimmune diet won’t just help to control your autoimmune disease. You may also find you start feeling better in other aspects of life, such as energy levels, weight loss, mood and physical ability. - Removes universally unhealthy foods from your diet
The autoimmune diet removes foods that are loaded with sodium, refined sugars, saturated fats, trans-fats and a range of other foods that, in excess, are bad for the body. This diet imposes a healthier eating plan than what most diet-followers are used to.
An autoimmune diet can help you in many different ways, so it’s definitely worth consulting a qualified naturopath about following the autoimmune diet. Luke Clarke is a naturopath who cares deeply for his patients and aims to use science and historic wisdom to treat a range of diseases. With his guidance and help, you’ll be on the road to relief. Get in contact with Luke Clarke today for a free 10-minute consultation.