INFLAMMATION & AUTOIMMUNE

Any condition with an -itis is an inflammatory issue, such as arthritis and gastritis, as well as most conditions involving pain, swelling, and lack of function. When the body is inflamed it goes into defense mode which shuts down or throws off many regulatory functions of the body including metabolism. As if pain, puffiness, and chronic fatigue from inflammation weren’t enough, living in a chronic state of inflammation can drive other disease risks including heart disease, diabetes, and cancer as inflammation accelerates their processes. Get to the root of inflammation by cleaning up your diet and focusing on whole, real foods first. Then you may consider layering in therapeutic elements of nutritional ketosis to truly manage the condition.

START WITH THESE PROGRAMS

The Stress-Immune Connection!

When your body is in survival mode from a stress response the immune system and inflammatory processes are thrown off!

The Anti-Anxiety Diet program will support mind-body balance that not only promotes relaxation and bliss but also positively influences the biochemical and physiological functions of your body. This program starts with eliminating the top inflammatory foods to support optimal brain health and mood stability. Once inflammation is reduced you will start to reduce carbohydrate intake while increasing fat to benefit from the production of ketones to further enhance neurotransmitter expression and hormonal balance. Beyond removal of inflammatory foods and excessive carbohydrates, you will learn about the role of the microbiome and how you can work with it to increase production of serotonin and GABA to support balance and relaxation. Each foundational chapter closes with supplements that address the concern and food-as-medicine recipes featured.

Virtual Ketosis Program

Ketones reduce oxidative stress and inflammatory processes in the brain and beyond.

Elevated blood sugar levels accelerate the inflammatory process in the body which then only drives more insulin resistance and higher blood sugar levels. One way to bring blood sugar down is to reduce carbohydrate intake and shift from being a sugar burner to a fat burning machine. When carbohydrates are restricted, insulin levels reduce and the body starts to produce ketones from body fat and fat in the diet. Fat as a fuel source puts less oxidative stress on the body so it runs as a high octane clean fuel, thus reducing inflammatory reactions. My program and ebooks provide guidance on using whole real foods (no fake sweeteners or processed products here!) to turn your body into a fat burning machine and gain the benefits of ketones supporting cognitive function and preserving energy stores while soothing the body’s pain processes.

START WITH THESE SUPPLEMENTS TO REDUCE INFLAMMATION AND SUPPORT IMMUNE SYSTEM

ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL LABS

If you test positive for leaky gut with a low secretory IgA, your inflammatory distress is related to unknown food sensitivity reaction, or you are also dealing with digestive or autoimmune activity, the Mediator Release Test (MRT) food sensitivity panel is the best entry point. This blood test is the only food sensitivity panel on the market that looks at results based on the inflammatory response in your body. Many food panels look simply at immunological tagging (IgG) that can often yield a false positive, the MRT test looks at 170 foods and chemicals and takes both IgG type 3 and 4 along with the presence of inflammatory chemicals (interleukins, cytokines, prostaglandins, etc.) to assess reactivity response. This panel is used as a GPS of your body where you will remove moderate reactions for 3 months and significant reactions for 6 months while limiting diet to known non-reactive foods, then progressing with an elimination diet reentry approach. As you heal the gut lining with specific supplement regimen and food-as-medicine you will become more resilient and less reactive to foods creating both food freedom and symptom resolution.

Beyond inflammatory response to foods and chemicals, if your body isn’t equipped with the nutrients it needs to stave off free radicals and reduce inflammatory processes you won’t get resolution! If you are dealing with fatigue, hair loss, nerve tingling, or random symptom shifts and you have varied demands on your body from lifecycle or lifestyle changes, or you aren’t ready for a restrictive diet, you may consider starting with the Micronutrient Test which assesses 35 different vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants as a comprehensive report card to your nutritional status.

Note: I strongly recommend taking my Multidefense for at least 1 month leading up to the panel to cover nutritional support as a baseline, then the micronutrient test will be additional needs over a high quality multivitamin.

Although focused on cardiovascular disease, I’d also recommend looking into the Cardiometabolic panel which looks at C-Reactive Protein (CRP) as a marker of inflammation as well as fasting insulin and HgbA1C% to assess blood sugar metabolism. This test also looks at an OmegaCheck score which assesses your omega-3 anti-inflammatory to omega-6 proinflammatory ratio providing guidance on omega-3 supplementation need and diet strategy to reduce proinflammatory food sources.

ADDITIONAL LEARNING BLOGS AND PODCASTS

Naturally Nourished Episode 93
Getting Autoimmune Disease Into Remission

Are you or someone you know struggling with an autoimmune disease? Want to know how to best prevent or manage an active flare? Curious to hear what Ali keeps in her toolbelt to manage her autoimmune condition? Tune in to hear Ali and Becki break down autoimmune disease from its root causes to diagnostic criteria…

Naturally Nourished Episode 74
Are You Still Eating Gluten?

Are you still eating gluten and wondering if you should try giving it up for good? Wondering if there is a downside to going gluten free? Want to know our take on a gluten free diet for optimal health? Tune in to hear Ali and Becki discuss the difference between celiac disease, gluten sensitivity and…

Naturally Nourished Episode 56
Rebounding Your Body from Trauma

Have you or a loved one experienced a traumatic event? Wondering how it might impact your body, even years later? Tune in to hear Ali and Becki discuss the impact of trauma on the body and ways to mitigate the effects, from immune support to breathing techniques and the importance of returning to structure. In this…

Lemon Shortbread CBD Ballz

LEMON SHORTBREAD CBD BALLZ FOOD AS MEDICINE With the growing popularity of marijuana use in US adults and increased access with legalization in many states, more people are shifting their attitude towards its use and perceived dangers.  As we learn more about the medicinal benefits of cannabis, the stigma surrounding it is slowly starting to fade. One…

The Stress Thyroid Connection

THE STRESS THYROID CONNECTION When working with clients, my job as the “detective of their body” is to determine where imbalance started and how we can get to the root cause. When dealing with stubborn metabolism, hormonal imbalance, and inflammation, often stress is the driving force of dysfunction. The thyroid has a significant connection to…

Detox-Supporting Turmeric Lemonade

DETOX-SUPPORTING TURMERIC LEMONADE FOOD AS MEDICINE:  Turmeric is the main ingredient in curry dishes and is one of the most potent anti-inflammatory spices. Curcumin is the active component in turmeric and has been shown to reduce formation of fat tissue as well as improve insulin resistance. Curcumin is also beneficial for reducing symptoms and preventing…