The 5 Best Ways to Heal the Gut and Reverse Autoimmunity - myhealthyangel.com (2024)

Gut health is closely linked to autoimmune disease. In fact, autoimmune illness affects roughly 23.5 million Americans. Here are 5 of the best ways to heal the gut and as a result, reverse autoimmune disease.

First, a quick review of some autoimmune illnesses:

Autoimmune Illnesses

• Rheumatoid Arthritis : Immune system antibodies attach to the linings of joints. Joints react by becoming inflamed, causing swelling, and pain.
• Type 1 Diabetes Mellitis: Immune system antibodies attack and destroyinsulin–producing cells in thepancreas.
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): TheIntestinal lining is targeted by the autoimmune response.
• Lupus : Autoimmune antibodies attach to tissues throughout the body including joints, lungs,blood cells, nerves, andkidneys.
• Vasculitis: Vasculitis causes inflammation of the blood vessels. The walls of the blood vessels thicken and as a result blood vessel passageways narrow. Restricted blood flow can cause organ and tissue damage.
• Thyroid Illnesses: The immune system attacks the thyroid gland by mistake. Your thyroid then can’t make enough thyroid hormone or makes too much. Graves’ disease, where the body makes too much thyroid hormone (hyperthyroidism), and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, where it doesn’t make enough of the hormone (hypothyroidism).
• Guillian Barre Syndrome: Nerves controlling muscles in the legs and sometimes the arms and upper body are attacked by the immune system.

So those are just a few, there are many more. Now we’ll focus on how to heal the gut to reverse autoimmune disease.

There is a direct connection between your gut microbiota and your immune system. They exist in close proximity to one another - Dr. Will Bulsiewicz Click To Tweet

Why is it important to heal the gut?

An ultra-thin lining separates the gut and immune system. Studies have shown healthy gut bacteria develop healthy immune cells. They also identify invaders and help remove them.

What is the Link between Inflammation and Autoimmune Illnesses?

An inflammatory response is associated with many autoimmune and chronic diseases. However, inflammation doesn’t always cause illness. Acute inflammation helps your body clear infections, repair, and heal after injury. It’s chronic inflammation that causes an auto-immune response.

My Autoimmune Story

I have an autoimmune illness called CNS (Central Nervous System) Vasculitis. In CNS, the immune system attacks the blood vessels specifically in the brain causing inflammation. It’s difficult to diagnose, progresses quickly, and can lead to death. Fortunately, I was diagnosed before irreversible damage was done. Check out my book, Maze of Thorns to learn more about my story!

Rich Roll and the Plant-Based Lifestyle

In 2015, I heard a podcast featuring Rich Roll and his book “Finding Ultra”. Intrigued by his switch to a plant-based diet and the overall positive impact on his health, I bought the book and read it cover to cover. By January 2016, I published my own book “Maze of Thorns” and went vegan that same month.

That was 7 years ago…I haven’t had a Vasculitis “flare” since.

So, I am a HUGE believer you can reverse autoimmune disease naturally. Here are 5 Best Ways to Heal the Gut and Reverse Autoimmune Disease.

1. Eat a Plant-Based Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Our food choices alone can be highly inflammatory. Here are a few ways that can happen.

How does a plant-based diet help the body reduce inflammation?

First, plant foods are loaded with phytonutrients. Phytonutrients have anti-inflammatory properties that can stop inflammation.

Plants vs. Animal Products and Inflammatory Fat

Plant-based diets also don’t have the inflammatory triggers found in animal products such as fat and toxins. Animal products have high amounts of fat, a common cause of inflammation. Plants are low in fat so you don’t get the big inflammatory response.

Plants vs. Animal Products and Bacterial Toxins

Plants are also lower in toxins that cause cell damage and trigger inflammation. Animal products are rich in bacteria and toxins. Bacteria produce toxins called lipopolysaccharides that get released when the bacteria die. A plant-rich diet reduces the bacteria, toxins, and other pro-inflammatory components of your diet.

2. Avoid Foods That Cause Inflammation

Here are a few other foods that cause inflammation besides animal-based products.

• Refined Vegetable Oils : Vegetable oils throw off the omega 6 to omega 3 fat ratio. The ratio should be around 2:1. Excessive Omega 6 activates proinflammatory substances called cytokines. Cytokines contribute to fatty buildup in the arteries leading to chronic inflammation (atherosclerosis).
• Sugar and High Fructose Corn Syrup: Sugar and high fructose corn syrup drive inflammation and can counteract the anti-inflammatory effects of omega-3 fatty acids.
• Refined Carbohydrates: Most of the fiber is removed from refined carbohydrates. Fiber makes you feel full, improves your blood sugar control, and feeds healthy gut bacteria. Out-of-control blood sugar equals inflammation.
• Excess Alcohol: Excess alcohol increases the inflammatory marker CRP (C-Reactive Protein) and causes gut bacteria to “leak” out of the colon and into the body. This is called a “leaky gut” and can cause inflammation.

3. Implement Regular Exercise

Excessive exercise promotes inflammation but often that inflammation is temporary. In fact, the benefits of regular exercise far outweigh the temporary inflammation from a hard workout.

Also, a Lack of physical activity can result in excess body fat and chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation causes insulin resistance which in turn can lead to type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, and a number of diseases.

4. Get Enough Sleep

Good quality sleep and enough of it reduces inflammation and can help heal the gut and reverse autoimmune disease.

Sleep is Mother Nature's best effort yet to counter death - Matthew Walker Click To Tweet

Sleep Deprivation and Inflammation

Lack of Sleep is linked to higherinflammatory markers such as cytokines, interleukin-6, and C-reactive proteins. During sleep, blood pressure drops, and blood vessels relax. Blood pressure doesn’t decline as it should when sleep is restricted. Higher blood pressure during sleep triggers inflammation and limits your body’s stress response.

Sleep and Gut Health

When you don’t get enough sleep, your hormones can become unbalanced, and the stress hormone, cortisol, can rise. “Increased stress can the gut lining to thin and the gut to leak food and toxins into the bloodstream and then throughout the body causing inflammation. This explains why getting good sleep is one way to heal the gut.

5. Manage Stress

Your nervous system’s response to danger or a stressor is called “Fight or flight”. Your body releases adrenaline and cortisol during “fight or flight”. These hormones speed up heart rate, breathing, reaction time, and muscle contractions to help you get stress under control. Your heartbeat slows, muscles relax, and adrenaline and cortisol decline as your body returns to normal.

Chronic Fight or Flight

Your nervous and endocrine systems create hormone imbalances if you don’t effectively come out of the fight or flight. Elevated cortisol levels create an insulin response which increases your appetite. The increased appetite can trigger weight gain. Weight gain (increased body fat leads to more insulin resistance. And so begins the cycle of an inflammatory storm.

How do you break the cycle, heal the gut and reverse the autoimmunity?

Exercise

Acting on any of the areas above can help heal the gut and reduce inflammation. Exercise reduces stress and enhances the effectiveness of the immune system. Exercise produces serotonin, a neurotransmitter that stabilizes mood helping you manage stress.

While exercise is important, don’t overdo it. Consistently long training days without adequate rest can cause a chronic state of inflammation. Most days, you should feel good after a workout, not consistently drained.

Meditation and Yoga

Yoga or meditation reduces stress and helps the autonomic nervous system relax. Both help reduce stress and anxiety which in turn reduce the inflammatory response.

“Check-In” Strategies for Your Daily Wellness

Take 5-10 minutes each morning to keep a journal of a few health checks. Here are some examples of what you could log:

1. Workout
2. Hours of sleep (including Deep Sleep and REM)
3. Heart Rate
4. Respiration Rate
5. Oxygen Saturation Level
6. Body Battery – Effective measure of body energy. You can log this if you have a Garmin watch
7. Overall Score for how I feel (1-10)
8. Gratitudes

Enjoy!

Kris Kelbrants

Hi, I'm Kris! I wrote a book now I write a health & wellness blog. I'm passionate about exploring natural wellness because of my own autoimmune challenges. I hope you'll join me in learning more about all things healthy living.