How Is Diet Related to Autoimmune Disease?

Since I was very little, I have dealt with really bad atopic dermatitis, a chronic skin condition that makes your skin red, itchy and cracked and that was often associated with allergic rhinitis. I used to go to school with bandages on my hands and elbows to cover the cuts, just to mention one of the many “inconveniences”.

My doctors suggested me to try an elimination diet (besides the typical cortisone based ointments), but as a little kid who was naturally very thin, it was too hard to handle all the food limitations, especially back then, when we didn’t have many of the resources we have today.

For the time being, my parents and I decided to stop investigating whether my skin condition was provoked by a food trigger or not.

Then, during my adolescence, I started suffering from frequent migraines, having issues with hypothyroidism and digestive problems that provoked terrible sensations of stomach bloating and cramping almost every day.

A few years later, I also found out that I have an extremely elevated antibody production, often associated with joint pain and fatigue. And, even without a very clear diagnosis, I was put on Prednisone and other steroids.

It took me a few years (+ a lot of research and trial and error) to understand that diet had a lot to do with it!

Thanks to functional medicine, I discovered that I had leaky gut, that I am dairy intolerant and I have Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity and that, by adjusting my diet and lifestyle, I could dramatically improve my situation.

After testing literally every style of diet (and elimination diet) imaginable, I landed on the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP), and when I saw the results, I was inspired to be a resource and help others along their journey.

It took me months to start seeing improvements (so don’t expect this to be a “get rich quick” solution), but once I managed to lower inflammation in my body and I learned how to keep it in that state, the success was substantial!

After 2 cycles of strict Autoimmune Protocol, I managed to reintroduce a lot of foods successfully (just like rice, which is one of my favorite things in the world). And, with the supervision of my functional medicine and of my traditional doctor, I even got off medications and my blood results have significantly improved.

My healing journey didn’t only depend on food. I addressed other issues as well, such as exposure to toxicity, stomach bugs and stress. And in the end, all of these efforts combined ended up working.

Now I am on a gluten and dairy free diet (while still avoiding most nightshades) and I do ok with some gluten free grains and legumes too.

I still experience flair ups every once in a while, and when I do, I go back to the pillars of the AIP diet for a bit. But in general, life’s good. I love the food I eat and I manage to travel without limitations, but of course, with a little bit of planning!

I am here to share my journey with you! Sit back and enjoy!!