This week I want to take some time to revisit the 3 fundamental steps to take your power back from autoimmunity:

• Step 1: Educate yourself
• Step 2: Observe what goes into your body
• Step 3: Get rid of toxins

The reason I want to go back to the very basics is because whenever I speak with someone who is just finding out about their autoimmune diagnosis, they only find “advanced” tips and strategies.

Things like saunas, strict autoimmune diets, hyperbaric chambers, stem cell therapy, or some other form of “biohacking”. And while these all have a place in the autoimmune protocol (I follow many of them and guide my clients to implement them), they’re not the best place to start. And if you’ve been diagnosed for a while, you may want to revisit them and make sure you’re still following them!

So in today’s post I’m showing you the most basic steps you need to follow before you even think about buying a device or signing up for a protocol or treatment.

Let’s begin!

Step 1: Educate Yourself

The very first step to taking your power back from autoimmunity is to educate yourself about it.

Please, by all means, get a knowledgeable doctor. And listen to them! Just don’t leave everything in their hands.

Take ownership of YOUR diagnosis by educating yourself about it.

Here are a few things you’ll want to read about:

• Your immune system
• Inflammation and its role in supporting life
• Your specific diagnosis (RA, MS, Lupus, etc)…

What this education will give you is a richer understanding of what’s going on at the cellular level and it will equip you to have better, more productive discussions with your doctor, pharmacist and your autoimmune health coach!

Step 2: Observe What Goes Into (And Onto) Your Body

Once my clients begin educating themselves about autoimmunity, inflammation, and their specific condition, they understand the importance of observing what you expose your body to.

This includes the obvious things like your day to day diet, any allergens, and medications. But it also means being mindful about everything else we don’t give a second thought to.

Things like:

• Cooking utensils
• Cleaning supplies
• Scents and lotions
• Personal hygiene products
• Makeup and beauty products
• And even the water you use to shower!

Whenever I work with clients, and we start going down the list of things that are known to cause inflammation, they’re often shocked at how many of these they’re exposed to on a daily basis.

But the good news is most of these have safe alternatives and they’re often not more expensive than what you’re currently using. And the best part is, making these swaps is not only beneficial to my client, but to their entire family! It’s a win-win.

*By the way, I have a free kitchen-swap infographic that can help you get started with some of these swaps. Just click here to get yours.

Step 3: Get Rid Of Toxins

And finally, the third step to take your power back from autoimmunity is to get rid of toxins in your body.

This step is often misunderstood because many people sell the idea of “detox” being an event. Like spring cleaning. But in reality detox is something we need to do regularly. And no, I’m not talking about the teas, cleanses, and whatever other fads you get advertised on Instagram these days…

What I’m talking about is good ol’ fashioned exercise.

Exercise not only makes you feel better by releasing endorphins, it also:

• Increases your heart rate, making your blood circulate faster and go through your kidneys and liver more often.
• Increases your body temperature making you sweat which helps flush out toxins.
• Helps you lose fat which is where most toxins end up being stored.

Plus another long list of etceteras which I’m sure you’re already familiar with.

However, not all exercise is created equal. There are certain types of exercise which are better for some people based on your age, your diagnosis, and any physical limitations. Also, you have to find the right “dosage” of exercise for you.

This is something my clients and I spend a good amount of time figuring out. If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to work with an autoimmune health coach, let’s have a chat.

That’s it!

As always, thanks for reading.

Hit reply and let me know what you found most helpful this week—I’d love to hear from you!

See you next Thursday,

ps. And whenever you're ready, these are a few other ways in which I can help you:

1. Subscribe to The Inspired Living with Autoimmunity™ Podcast
2. Take my 5-Day Challenge: Take Your Power Back
3. Apply to work 1-on-1 with me.