Autoimmune diseases are becoming more and more common. The struggle for those of us who have these diseases, is very real.
The simplistic explanation of an autoimmune disease is when your body’s tissues attack your immune system. Medically there is no cure. They just give you drugs to suppress your immune system, which has other side effects. (This list is long.)
Understanding what flares your system, no matter which autoimmune disease, is an individual thing. For me, I feel exhausted, my joints get heavy and I feel like I can’t carry myself from A to B. I just feel like I need to sit down on the couch or stay in bed. Food plays a massive role in this, but stress does too. I myself, have cleaned up my diet completely and understand what flares my system from a food perspective, but we live consistently busy lives, which rarely slow down. Even for me with aging parents and the general running of a house with teenagers, life gets very stressful and as much as I teach others about self-care, sometimes I get caught up and it comes back to haunt me too.
I was diagnosed with my autoimmune diseases 30 years ago and since I have changed my diet and expanded my exercise, I have managed to remove all medication over the last two years. Everything is going really well, but sometimes I forget because I feel so good and forge ahead. Then all of a sudden my body screams STOP! As painful as this is, you know what..... that’s ok. Our bodies are telling us to slow down and this is an important realisation. Sometimes we run so fast, that we need that jolt to bring us back to reality. Now you can have a quiet day or two, rejuvenate and then move forward.
When you deal with autoimmune issues, you have to learn to understand your body, and this is a positive step. You need to listen and take some self-care time. At first, you don't read the signs and you can come down with a crash for a couple of days but if you start becoming self-aware, you can catch yourself, take a day and move forward. Please don’t think I am at all making light of our situation, because I’ve been through more than enough over the years. But I know through understanding and awareness, we can change our situation and we can do it together.
Being self-aware can be difficult at first but having people around you who can help and support you is extremely powerful. You don't need to be alone, that is why I am here. I started Gold Coast Health Coaching to assist people in their health issues and as I have lived with autoimmune issues most of my life and am having such success through changing my eating and understanding my body more, I wanted to share it with others. So through my personal experiences, studies, and research, I can assist you to listen to your body and learn to eat to improve your health. Together we are strong.
If you need support or guidance, call on 0423 678 114 or email on lisa@goldcoasthealthcoaching.com.au. We can connect and talk about the best way to help you. I do Skype consults so you don’t even have to leave home! I am always here to listen and help.
Leave a Comment