The good news is that you do not need to be at “war” with your body.
Having an autoimmune condition doesn’t mean your body has given up on you! Living with a chronic illness means that your body is trying its best to adapt to the environment you are asking it to live in.
Dealing with any such conditions requires us to make changes in terms of our lifestyle, our diet and our mindset. As a result, the steps that my clients have to take can become really overwhelming. To avoid this, I take my clients through a step-by-step process that consists of 6 stages. By going through this process, they become much more aware of their own bodies, feel more energetic and confident as they finally start addressing the root causes of their disease.
The most important aspect of immune function is about tolerance. A healthy and balanced immune system should be constantly surveillance and choosing not to respond a majority of the time.
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.
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.
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!
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.
We forget that our healing is our responsibility and goes much beyond the medication and treatment options available. When you are able to go beyond your disease diagnosis and reconnect with yourself as a “whole” person, it becomes much easier to start trusting your body. And as you become more tuned in to what your body needs, you are able to support and nourish it much more effectively.