Our immune system is responsible for both accelerating and applying brakes on itself. This way we can have an appropriate, measured, and balanced response to a threat. Otherwise, we have chronic runaway inflammation which comes at a heavy price as it is being constantly fueled by an overreactive immune system.
Our bodies and our immune system have not evolved to be stuck in this constant “survival” mode. Being stuck in a “fight or flight” response does not leave much room for our bodies to heal. Addressing the root causes of your condition by supporting your body’s healing and recovery are critical if you want to get better.
The spectrum of autoimmunity is a progressive state of disease that runs from vibrant health at one end to degenerative disease at the other. In between, you have a broad range of varied but related stages of disease which are connected to each other. In other words, at any point, either you are moving towards disease or you are moving towards health.
The more clarity we have on how we plan to implement a new habit or reach a goal the more likely it is that we will be able to achieve it. However, if it is not very obvious when and where we need to take action it is not easy to implement it. Without setting clear health goals, it can become difficult to live the kind of life that you dream of.
Having some kind of support in the form of accountability is important when you are trying to make healthy choices. Only information and education are not enough. Making healthy choices needs to become a new habit that is a part of your daily routine.
You don’t have to wait for anything to be different in your life including getting an exact diagnosis to start supporting your body by creating a healing environment. Whether this is by making healthier food choices, choosing one thought over another, reducing toxins in your immediate environment, or incorporating deep breathing/mindfulness into your life, there are many things that are in your control. When you start living your life in this manner you find that you feel more empowered, motivated, and confident in yourself, in your body and you are able to face any health challenges in the future from a place of strength rather than fear.
You need to remember that the immune system has been designed to be very, very strong to counter any kind of threat and keep you alive. It is the ability to regulate the immune system and keep it in balance is what determines an appropriate versus over the top response.
One of the most empowering things that you can do for yourself in the face of a chronic disease diagnosis (or even if you are trying to prevent one) is to stop being at “WAR” with your body. We are often led to believe that our immune system has gone berserk and that our body has turned against us and this is particularly true in the case of autoimmune diseases. However, by treating our immune system (and our bodies) as our enemy, we are in fact shooting the messenger!
More than ever before, there are more and more of us who are eager to improve our health and are already spending time, money, and effort in doing so but we are not seeing the results. But the problem is that modern day plague of chronic diseases that we are grappling with are beyond our body’s capabilities of keeping us healthy.
We often get stuck with the notion that there is no other way out, no other solution for the health problems. Unfortunately, this approach falls short of addressing the root causes of complex chronic health issues and creating resilient health.