Autoimmune Diet| Naperville Institute For NeuroMetabolic Solutions-

excerpts taken From Dr. K News

If there is one thing I have noticed when it comes to working with people who are struggling with a chronic health problem like IBS, Thyroid or autoimmune disease, is that they are very motivated and ready for change! Hippocrates said let food be your medicine and medicine be your food.

The science behind healthy foods is only becoming more confusing and more complex with all the new foods, “fat free”, “sugar free”, “gluten free” foods and on and on.

Years ago we could just eat foods and benefit from them, nowadays we have to navigate through the grocery isle with many foods claiming and promising to have health benefits, but not able to deliver the promise. Many so called “Health Food stores” have the persona of being healthy but continue to sell foods that are genetically modified.

To the person with Estrogen Dominance,Hashimoto’s, ,IBS or other autoimmune disease, this can be frustrating.

Autoimmune disease and leaky gut create a vicious cycle

A person suffering from autoimmune disease invariably has gut issues. The more severe the autoimmune disease the more severe the gut issues. In a self-perpetuating vicious cycle leaky gut flares up autoimmune conditions, which in turn further damages the gut lining.

The autoimmune gut repair diet

The goal of this program is remove immune system triggers from your diet that promote inflammation and yeast overgrowth in the gut, and leaky gut. By calming inflammation in the gut, you will be able to better calm inflammation throughout the body and brain, including autoimmune flare-ups.

Focus on ample vegetables, essential fatty acids (such as from olives, olive oil, and fish), and fermented foods to support healthy gut flora.

Eat frequently enough to avoid the energy crashes of low blood sugar—do not let yourself get hungry, and stay hydrated with plenty of fresh, filtered water.

If you suspect a Blood Sugar problem Here are 11 warning signs of possible Pre-diabetes, Insulin Resistance or Adrenal gland Imbalance

It’s vital to strictly avoid the foods on the “Foods to avoid” list. Even just a small snack or a bite of these foods can trigger an immune reaction, inflammation, and an autoimmune flare-up. The cravings will pass quickly, especially as you start to feel and function better.

This diet is powerful on its own, however to boost the repair and recovery effects, please work with a qualified practitioner who understands the connections between gut health and the brain, immune system, and endocrine system. He or she can provide you with proven nutritional compounds that have been shown to significantly aid the process of repair and recovery and unwind self-perpetuating inflammatory cycles in the gut.

Foods to eat

When confronted with this diet the first thing people ask is what can they eat. In fact you’ll be eating the way people ate for most of human history—there’s plenty of food that doesn’t come from a package. Of course, if you have an intolerance to any of these foods, you will need to avoid it.

• Most Organic Vegetables: including anise, artichoke, asparagus, beets, bok choy, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chives, cucumbers, garlic, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, mustard greens, onions, parsley, radishes, rhubarb, shallots, spinach, squash, sweet potatoes, water chestnuts, watercress, yams, zucchini.
• Fermented foods: including kimchi, kombucha tea, pickled ginger, sauerkraut, unsweetened coconut yogurt. You must make your own or buy one of the few brands that are genuinely fermented (not made with vinegar) and free of sugars or additives.
• Meats: including beef, chicken, fish, lamb, turkey. Fish should be ocean caught with a low mercury content. Swordfish, most tuna, and king mackerel are very high in mercury. Select hormone-free and antibiotic-free chicken, turkey, and lamb. Select beef that is grass fed, hormone free, and antibiotic free. Best choice are grass-fed and pastured meats from a local farm. Second best is organic. Avoid factory-farmed meats that contain antibiotics and hormones.
• Low Glycemic Organic Fruits: including apples, apricots, avocados, berries, cherries, grapefruit, lemons, oranges, peaches, pears, plums.
• Coconut: including coconut butter, coconut cream, coconut milk, coconut oil, unsweetened coconut flakes, unsweetened coconut yogurt.
• Noodles: brown shirataki yam noodles (sold in Asian grocery stores). Avoid the noodles that also contain tofu.
• Herbs and Spices: including basil, black pepper, cilantro, coriander, cumin, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, sea salt, thyme.
• Other: apple cider vinegar, herbal teas, olive oil, olives.

Foods to avoid

• Sugars: including agave, candy, chocolate, corn syrup, fructose, high fructose corn syrup, honey, maple syrup, molasses, sucrose.
• Iodine: Iodine can be an explosive mix for many with autoimmune diseases.
• High Glycemic Fruits: including bananas, canned fruits, dried fruits, mango, pineapple, raisins, watermelon.
• Grains: including amaranth, barley, buckwheat, bulgur, corn, couscous, kamut, millet, oats, quinoa, rice, rye, spelt, wheat, wheat germ.
• Nuts and Seeds: including almonds, peanuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds.
• Gluten-Containing Compounds: including barbecue sauce, binders, bouillon, brewer’s yeast, cold cuts, condiments, emulsifiers, fillers, chewing gum, hot dogs, hydrolyzed plant and vegetable protein, ketchup, soy sauce, lunch meats, malt and malt flavoring, malt vinegar, matzo, modified food starch, monosodium glutamate, nondairy creamer, processed salad dressings, seitan, some spice mixtures, stabilizers, teriyaki sauce, textured vegetable protein. Learn more about gluten.
• Dairy Products and Eggs: including butter, cheeses, cow milk, creams, frozen desserts, goat milk, margarine, mayonnaise, sheep milk, whey, yogurt (except coconut).
• Soy: including edamame, miso, soy milk, soy protein, soy sauce, tempeh, tofu.
• Fungi: edible fungi and mushrooms.
• Alcohol: all alcohol.
• Beans and Legumes: including black beans, lentils, peanuts, peas, pinto beans, soybeans.
• Nightshade Foods: including eggplant, paprika, peppers, potatoes, Tabasco® sauce, tomatillos, tomatoes.
• Other: canned foods, coffee, processed foods.

IBS, IBD, Autoimmune Thyroid Diet

I have created a resource on the DrHagmeyer.com site for many patients to find recipes that are autoimmune friendly. For certain individuals you may need to avoid certain recipes due to your specific food sensitivities.

We offer this kind of testing in our office, and this only helps target and refine even further potential foods that could be troublesome to your immune system. This diet can seem daunting at first, and planning is essential to success. You must have the right foods on hand at all times. It’s like the old saying, “If you fail to plan, then you plan to Fail”

It is difficult to find recipes that accommodate everyone’s individual restrictions, however take a look at our recipes selection and I think you will find it to be a tremendous resource.

See Gluten Free and Many Paleo Recipes here. Visit often because we are constantly updating.

Why are Grains So Bad For Hashimoto’s and Hypothyroid Sufferers

Some people with Hashimoto’s give up gluten and feel only marginally better. Many practitioners have found in these cases a diet free of grains, starchy vegetables, legumes, and most sweeteners may be necessary. This type of diet, called a monosaccharide (single sugar) diet, is more commonly known today as the Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS) diet, or the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD). It is based on consuming a diet free of foods that contain disaccharides or polysaccharides, more complex sugars and carbohydrates, such as those in all grains, most beans, and most sweeteners. Some individuals will do best on a FODMAPS diet. These complex sugars feed harmful bacteria in the small intestine that prevent its repair or proper function.

Some foods can cross-react with gluten

Grains and legumes present problems for other reasons. Research has shown that many gluten-intolerant people cross-react with other foods. In other words, their body erroneously recognizes other foods as gluten and reacts accordingly. Not surprisingly, most grains fall into the category of top 24 foods most often to cause cross-reactivity, including less common ones as amaranth and quinoa.

Learn more about Cross Reactive Foods Here

Corn

I tell all my gluten-free patients to avoid corn, even though this contradicts the advice on many gluten-free websites. The gluten protein in corn is similar enough to that in wheat and wheat-like grains that it can provoke an immune response. Also, corn has been bred over the years to resist pests.

Lectins in grains and legumes

Grains and legumes are also high in lectins. Lectins have been shown to degrade the intestinal barrier. Once in the bloodstream they may bind to insulin receptors and leptin receptors (leptin acts in concert with insulin to control appetite). Some researchers also believe lectins may also have the ability to desensitize these receptors, thus contributing to insulin resistance and leptin resistance.

Watch my video titled “Lectins and Thyroid disease” and how they contribute to Leaky gut and potentiate autoimmune disease

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