Strategies for recovering from an autoimmune flare-up

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CONTRIBUTED CONTENT — Although autoimmune conditions such as Hashimoto’s low thyroid cannot be cured, they can be driven into remission through diet and lifestyle applications. However, flare-ups – those times when your symptoms reappear or worsen – are a part of life when you have an autoimmune disease.

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Common triggers of flare-ups include inflammatory foods and sugars, a stressful event, exposure to chemical fumes or scents, an infection, overexercise or other factors that over-stress the immune system. Below are some of our greatest strategies to help patients quickly recover from an inflammatory event. 

Strict anti-inflammatory diet until symptoms subside. The anti-inflammatory diet excludes grains, dairy, eggs, sugars, processed foods, legumes, nuts, seeds and nightshades (potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant and peppers). 

Increase vitamin D. Vitamin D increases regulatory T cells, which helps calm down autoimmunity. Vitamin D is actually a hormone. Like thyroid hormone, every cell in your body needs vitamin D as it regulates many different pathways. Expose your skin to 20-60 minutes of sun per day, include foods like salmon, mackerel, tuna and sardines in your diet, and supplement with 5,000 to 10,000 IU per day of vitamin D.

High doses of glutathione. Glutathione is the body’s master antioxidant. Taking higher doses after a flare-up will help lower inflammation in the body and minimize symptoms. Use it preventively to help avoid flare-ups. I prefer to use a liposomal form of glutathione for optimal absorption.

Resveratrol or turmeric. Curcumin, a compound found in turmeric, works to reduce inflammation in the body. If you’re intolerant to turmeric, opt for resveratrol. Resveratrol is a natural polyphenolic compound with anti-inflammatory effects. I prefer liposomal forms of these compounds.

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Infrared sauna. Infrared saunas can help you sweat out the toxins that build up in your body. They ​​stimulate circulation with oxygen-rich blood flow, producing white blood cells to reduce inflammation and calm swelling to alleviate chronic pain.

Plenty of water. Your body is about 60% water, your brain is 85% water, and your cells contain 63%-65% of the total water of the body. Good hydration after eating inflammatory foods will help your body and cells recover.

To learn more about our services and to schedule a free consultation, please visit our website. We work with your prescribing physician for optimal results. Do not discontinue medication or hormone replacement therapy without consulting your prescribing physician.

Written by JOSH REDD, chiropractic physician at RedRiver Health and Wellness Center.

• S P O N S O R E D   C O N T E N T •

About Josh Redd

Josh Redd, MS, DABFM, DAAIM, is a chiropractic physician and author of the Amazon bestselling book “The Truth About Low Thyroid.” Redd owns seven functional medicine clinics in the western United States and sees patients from across the country and around the world who are suffering from challenging autoimmune, endocrine and neurological disorders. He studied immunology, virology and epidemiology at Johns Hopkins where he is a MaPHB candidate. He also teaches thousands of health care practitioners about functional medicine and immunology, thyroid health, neurology, lab testing and more.

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