Episode 9 of The Living Life Well Show: Autoimmunity: What is it? How'd I get it? How do I get rid of it?
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[00:00:00] Welcome to the Living Life Well Show, the intersection of God's Word, today's science, and healthy living with common sense application, all based on the truth of the Word of God. I'm your host, Dr. Jon Skelton. Now let's get straight to the truth. All right, welcome back to the Living Life Well show. So we're going to be talking all things autoimmune, . Autoimmunity is a hot button topic in our world right now. We're seeing a huge, huge increase, especially over the last 20 to 30 years of autoimmune reactions and definitely over the last 50 years.
So what is it? How did you get it? How do we diagnose it? And can I get rid of it? [00:01:00] Or how do I get rid of it? So I want to cover all that today in this episode. And so let's get straight to it. So autoimmunity it's really at epidemic levels within the U S we. We have found that there are over a hundred different autoimmune diseases and millions and millions of Americans are suffering from them.
Many of them have already been diagnosed and many of them have gone undiagnosed. So when we think of autoimmune diseases think of all the commercials you're seeing right now on, on TV commercials for psoriasis for things like vitiligo. for even things like alopecia. And so autoimmunity is at rampant levels throughout all of society from Children through adults.
And so we really want to take a strong look at autoimmunity and how it even comes about. How do we diagnose it? And what do we do about it? [00:02:00] So things that you may not necessarily think of with regards to autoimmune disease are, are things like diabetes and, and thyroid dysfunction can be an autoimmune disease.
But of course we have those things that , we know a lot about type 1 diabetes definitely is an autoimmune disease. Thyroid disease can be an autoimmune disease, think Hashimoto's
and then, of course things like lupus and scleroderma those things we think of for sure when we think of autoimmune disease. As well as a lot of bowel conditions thinking of Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. So, long story short, there's a host of autoimmune diseases and even autoimmune diseases that we've yet to define.
And so why do we say that? So let's, let's back up a little bit and even define what autoimmune disease is. And so John Hopkins University and their department of pathology kind of defines it this way. They said autoimmunity is the presence of [00:03:00] antibodies, which are made by B lymphocytes and T lymphocytes directed against normal components of a person.
Autoantigens. These components are called autoantigens or self antigens, and typically consist of proteins or proteins, complexed to nucleic acids. The antibodies and T lymphocytes that recognize autoantigens are called autoantibodies and autoreactive T cells. So that's a quote from John Hopkins.
Basically boiling it down is that there is. A way in which your immune system, the B lymphocytes and the T lymphocytes are recognizing your body as foreign because something foreign has come into it and caused this issue. So, we can see this with things like, like leaky gut we can see this with different infections and we can see this.
Even occasionally kind of occur with medications . And so [00:04:00] there's a genetic component for sure to this. So some conditions that may be linked to autoimmunity but aren't quite there yet are things like asthma and eczema. So our children typically are seeing both of these and we, quote, seem to grow out of some of that as we age.
When you're younger, a lot of times asthma can be significant, and as you progress through , puberty and adolescence and into adulthood we see a lot of these issues go away, but sometimes they can persist. And so, if someone has underlying asthma or eczema doesn't mean that they have an autoimmune condition, but it does mean that their immune system is overreacting.
And their immune system is causing inflammation in a specific area of the body. Obviously, with asthma, it's causing it in the lungs, with eczema, it's causing it on the skin. And [00:05:00] so, autoimmune disease and an overactive immune system can result in symptoms in really any organ of the body. And so autoimmunity , is really a. huge, huge issue. And so how, how do we even seem to go about diagnosing it? So one of the most common tests and probably the most common tests that we use is something called the ANA.
And so ANA stands for antinuclear antibodies. And so this is getting down to, a cellular level and even even smaller than that with regards to where we're seeing dysfunction. And so there's different patterns when we do an A.
N. A. That be associated with different diseases. There's homogeneous, speckled lots of, lots of different patterns, patterns that can indicate an autoimmune condition. If you have a negative ANA, does that mean that you don't [00:06:00] have an autoimmune disease? No. One of the most common things that I see with autoimmune disease is thyroid conditions.
Like Hashimoto's. thyroiditis. Well, we know that less than 50 percent of those people with Hashimoto's have a positive ANA. And so there is a great immune reaction that's occurring that is causing dysfunction of the thyroid or your body's response to thyroid hormone that is going on.
And we don't have. a positive ANA So, if you have some basic lab tests with a TSH and a T4 and an ANA and it's all negative, and you're suffering from fatigue and those things, that doesn't necessarily rule out your thyroid and doesn't rule out an underlying autoimmune disease. issue that's going on. Well, what if you have a positive A.
N. A. Does that mean that you have some sort of autoimmune condition? No, it doesn't. Frequently people will have a positive A. N. A. With [00:07:00] different types of infections. We'll see it with different types of other underlying inflammatory conditions and or even medications. One of the things that we've really seen post COVID There are tons of positive ANAs, tons of people that are coming back and having these ANAs, but we can't find anything else.
Long COVID and those things. Another condition that can really set off autoimmune disease that doesn't necessarily present with a positive ANA may be mono. So reactivated mono can be very prolific in causing downstream effects. body and including autoimmune type reactions and those specifically with regards to the thyroid.
And so there are some antibodies that can be associated that is allowing your body not to receive the thyroid hormone the way it should. And so it's not used. And so you [00:08:00] get all the symptoms of hypothyroidism or low thyroid
okay, so that's what autoimmunity is. That is kind of, how we test for it and, and diagnose it. But how did you get it? So, a lot of it can be due to genetics. We talked about medications and we've talked about infections. But, but really, Even pollutants, pollutants in our daily life and things that, that we take in and are exposed to may cause us as well.
But another big issue is stress. So, when you have a genetic predisposition, or you're on a medication, or are under the effect of pollutants, or a, a current infection, that stress level, can increase inflammation in your body. And so if you do have a genetic predisposition can allow that to turn on. One of the really good examples of this is with lupus. So lupus is a great example [00:09:00] of an autoimmune condition that has genetic components to it. We know that there are over 80 different genes that are associated with lupus.
And so one of the things that's really interesting though is that identical twins Who have the same exact genetic makeup, right? And so, identical twins, one may have lupus. One may not. And so it's really interesting to take a look at disease in patients with identical DNA.
And so, that is where we know that if one person had an infection or experiences stress differently , or what they're doing in their everyday is causing exposure to different pollutants , that could turn on those genes. And so really, when we're looking at autoimmunity, I think that the best information is whether you were born with it, so to speak, or whether it's environmental, [00:10:00] really tells us that it's quite honestly for vast majority of cases, again, not all cases, but for vast majority of the cases.
It really is environmental. It's those things that we're exposed to, how we're experiencing life on an everyday basis that really turns these genes on so that they are functioning improperly. So medications can definitely turn on genes. And we do know of some medications that will do that. Things like chemotherapy, drugs and even hydralazine, which is a drug that we use a lot of times for blood pressure. Procainamide, isoniazid, methyl dopa, minocycline, which is one that has commonly been used in the past as an antibiotic for acne.
And so there are a host of medications out there that can cause some expression of those genes. But then of [00:11:00] course, like I talked about, infections are going to be really big. Again, post COVID, we're seeing a lot of these people with positive ANAs. Interestingly, we're also seeing a lot of.
association with long COVID and mono. So mono, again, is another infection that we see some rise in autoimmunity. Specifically, we have a really good association of that with the thyroid. But any kind of underlying infection can either set off autoimmunity or it can cause that positive ANA as well. And again, as we said, A positive ANA doesn't necessarily mean that you have an autoimmune condition.
So, with autoimmunity, we also know that stress is going to tend to drive up our immune system and just inflammation in general and cause [00:12:00] reaction. And so taking steps to minimize stress are going to be important. So, why is that? What, what is the mechanism that's occurring that, that increases this inflammation and all that we see when we experience stress?
Well, number one, we need to recognize stress may be physical emotional, psychological, or it could be toxin related. And so things that are causing you stress are going to cause your adrenal glands to react the same way as if you were being chased by a lion. So your body does not distinguish between the types of stress that you're having.
And so people don't necessarily associate , everything that they're doing in life with stress. I think a lot of us recognize stress on a daily basis, being it work stress, relational stress financial stress those things. Obviously if you're in a lot of pain chronic pain, that's gonna create a stress response as well.
But, [00:13:00] you know, then there's those things , that we're taking into our body that we don't really realize are causing issues. And so helping to see that and eliminate those things are going to help us because what happens when you have a stress response is your body increases those fight or flight hormones throughout your system.
It revs up your cortisol. It disrupts your sleep patterns when there is a chronic state of stress. Again, it doesn't matter the source of the stress when there is chronic state of stress, you're going to lead to inflammation. We all are going to have a stress and stress response. So don't hear me wrong. I am not suggesting that you can eliminate all stress or that stress isn't good.
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If this appeals to you, scan the QR code so you can get started living life well. Sometimes stress is good. We use stress when we are working out. We push our bodies and our physical bodies to grow through that stress of the workout through lifting that weight or performing that task going [00:15:00] on that run whatever the case may be. And so periodic short term stress is good and helps our bodies to grow.
But what I'm really talking about is those things that we're under chronic stress from. And so eliminating those chronic stress, identifying the source of your stress is going to be very important. And so one of the ways I really recommend doing this is going through and performing a log. And so for toxins, really look at you know, your cleaning substances look at your cooking substances and then look at the foods that you're eating.
And so when it comes to, to foods and cooking, I really even recommend looking at the ingredients that you season your food with what different spices you, are
using because it may not be the food itself. It may be the way that, that you were choosing to spice it and prepare it. And so [00:16:00] really getting down to that and doing that through a log system, I think really helps. In addition really recognizing this person is always causing me stress. I come out of this situation and my stress is.
increased every single time, so taking ownership of a, your thoughts about going into that situation if it's not a situation that you can get, get out of or be minimizing your exposure to that situation is going to be important. And so I think logging is a big way to, to help you realize what stresses may be there that, that are contributing
to your physical manifestation of, underlying autoimmune disorder or really with any other condition, I think it's going to be helpful. So that's a little bit about how to recognize it and kind of [00:17:00] on the road to getting rid of it. So how can we get rid of it? If it's tied to a gene, can we really get rid of it?
Are you going to be able to get rid of the gene? No. Can you turn off the gene? Yes, potentially you can. And so really the Bible gives us a great roadmap to do that. The Bible is full of things that are now thankfully being backed by science.
So, when we look to the Bible, we see things like in Proverbs 17 and 15, where it talks about cheerful heart being good medicine and being like a feast to us. And so, the more we can increase gratitude and hope into our life and thankfulness, that is going to help heal our bodies and keep us well.
That is going to help renew us so that we can then potentially turn off those genes. So, as we talked about, [00:18:00] really eliminating stress is going to be key. And so, some of the toxins that we know for sure, will lead to autoimmunity are those things like alcohol, drugs tobacco, all those are going to be associated with turning on those autoimmune.
Diseases. But then also, like I said, the emotional and psychological stressors are really going to be big and looking at that. So look at the relationships, look at the job, look at the finances. Are these really causing you stress? Is there a way that you can mitigate that to minimize the impact of the stress that you're having?
Is there a different way that you can think about the situation if it's not a situation that you can get out of? And so, taking those steps to, to really look at those things are going to be important.
So another way to eliminate toxins from your life is by starting with the gut. What are you eating? [00:19:00] What is it that you're taking in?
How are you preparing , the food and looking at the ingredients that you're using and those things are going to be very important. And so one of the things that we can do is we can start with the non GMO foods. You know, removing those genetically modified organisms. And so the genetically modified organisms, what that typically is referring to, is basically a seed's ability to
sprout, despite having Roundup sprayed all over it. And so that's the primary way in which seeds have been modified to really withstand Roundup. So that means that there's Roundup there, it's getting all over your food so if it is non GMO, that means that it has not been able to withstand, withstand Roundup and means that it's more likely than not has had little effect of Roundup.
Now, [00:20:00] does it eliminate it? No. So, you know, buying organic from somebody local is really what I recommend. Or, growing your own from an heirloom seed source if you can. Now listen, that's just not practical for a lot of people becoming a farmer. And so, eliminating the GMO foods would be the first step.
The next step would be to eliminate any kind of seed oils from your, from your diet. So, uh, canola or, definitely Crisco, anything like that. I would recommend using more things like, clarified butter or ghee would be good. Using maybe some coconut oil. Would be okay as well.
Olive oil, I don't necessarily recommend for cooking. Now after the fact putting it on your food , or at very low heats is good at high heats, it denatures and becomes not as good for us. And so olive oil, I think is a great substance to use for. [00:21:00] Helping to flavor and just increase the palatability of many of the foods.
And then, you know, eliminating plastics as much as possible from your food and the non stick cookware and so using cast iron and or using glass is going to be more beneficial to you.
And then finally, really there's, you know, an autoimmune protocol diet and you can just google this and find it generally speaking. And so if you've already been diagnosed with an autoimmune condition, following that diet may be of some help to you. There are a few things that we know are really going to cause inflammation as we've talked about.
Inflammation can be a driver of turning on those genes that we have that are predisposing us to autoimmune conditions. And so, the three different things, number one is eliminate processed food. So what are processed foods? Funyun is a processed food. If it's in a bag or a can, it is processed[00:22:00] to some degree.
Okay? And so, what we want to do is we want to buy things around the edges of the grocery store. You want to go to the produce section, you want to go to the meat , Chicken and fish section and then a little bit to the dairy section. And so, if you're buying produce, fresh is always best.
Next is going to be frozen. And then we just want to avoid canned as much as possible. The canning process and the preservatives that are placed in there really don't help us a whole lot. When you're talking about meats in the butcher section you really want to avoid pork.
Pork is going to be the most processed that you find. When you're talking about chicken a whole chicken is going to be much less processed and have the potential for contaminants as say doing something that's like a a breast or, or something like that. And then of course organic grass fed grass finished beef , is [00:23:00] going to be important.
Free range or really pasture raised would be more important with chicken and eggs so that's going to be number one you want to do non GMO, you want to eliminate the processed foods.
But number two is you want to eliminate all sugars. So sugar is a huge inflammatory component. And so when I'm saying sugars don't misunderstand me. There are sugars in fruits and I am not suggesting that you eliminate all fruits. I think fruits , are going to be very good in healing.
Berries have a lot of antioxidant properties and properties that help to decrease inflammation. And there for sure is. Sugar in those, but it's natural. And so what I'm talking about is any kind of added sugar or any kind of artificial sugar that could be added to. And so really you want to read those food labels and really understand what sugar is or what added sugar is to be able to eliminate that and really eliminating [00:24:00] grains.
And so this may be a little bit controversial because, you know, bread is mentioned about. You know, close to almost 300 times throughout the Bible, and we hear it referred to as bread of life. But as Satan corrupts everything in our world, he is going to attack those things that God talks about a lot, right?
So. Bread is one of the things he has tremendously attacked, and I'm not suggesting you eliminate all bread, but I am suggesting you educate yourself on what's on the back of that label with that bread. How is it being prepared? And so if you are doing. bread. I recommend you know, really getting it from a source that use uses heirloom grains that goes through more of a sourdough type process as opposed to buying some in Texas Mrs.
Baird's bread. And, you know, really educating yourself just cause it says whole wheat or whole grain[00:25:00] does not mean that it is good. And so really looking into what is in your food, what the back of that label says, and really eliminating those is going to be good for you. Looking at eliminating grains, eliminating sugars eliminating the GMO fruits and vegetables is gonna be important.
And then of course, again, all, all processed foods. If you can do those few things, you are on the way to significantly lowering your inflammation, improving your health, and helping to eliminate your risk of turning on those genes, and or helping to turn off those genes, or if they stay turned on eliminating those effects from those genes. So, as with everything, of course, exercise is always going to be very important as well. To that end not all exercise is great for somebody that's severely inflamed with [00:26:00] autoimmune disease. So, I love HIIT workouts, I love hot yoga and I think those are great. But for somebody that has autoimmune disease, and especially if it's in a big flare.
Those two can be devastating as well as doing significant amounts of cardio. And so you really want to assess your exercise and really kind of lean into, okay, how do I feel after this? Do I feel Good. Am I, tired, but am I feeling better? Do I have more energy throughout the day? Or am I having a lot worse pain?
Does it sit around on me for two, three days? And sometimes it may not be necessarily the exercise that you're doing, but the intensity with which you're pursuing it. And so, Less is more. This isn't the 80s where, you know, it's no pain, no gain. It's really just [00:27:00] making progress. Whether that progress is a millimeter or a mile doesn't really matter.
It's the fact that you're taking steps forward and moving forward. And so, be patient with yourself as you go into the exercise.
So, next thing that you could do, Get outside, get some vitamin D. Do this first thing in the morning. The first 45 minutes of light is going to be best. Again, that's not practical for a lot of people, but getting the right vitamin D. And taking that on a daily basis is going to be important.
So educating yourself on what correct vitamin D is for you. What how much you need to take to really get at a healthy level is going to be important. And then, how can you decrease stress?
And really, there's a couple of ways that we see with biblical examples. Meditating on God's word. praying on a daily basis, all of these things are shown to help heal our [00:28:00] bodies through studies that we've seen throughout time. People with a religious component to them seem to heal better and faster and recover more than those who don't.
And so having that aspect is going to be important. And then being in community We were designed to be in community. And so getting involved with friends and family or your church group or, or serving in some way is going to help decrease your stress, increase those healing hormones that God has placed within us.
And really it's going to help to reignite your health. And so if you can follow those principles, you will have some improvement. and or help yourself to eliminate the risk of developing an autoimmune disease. But at, at the end of the day, those things can help, but sometimes we do need the testing to really kind of determine [00:29:00] exactly what's going on.
And so I, I do recommend if you do have an autoimmune disease or suspect that you might. That for your specific situation you get with a, a qualified professional and, and really explore that. So I hope this has been informative. I hope this has been helpful. If it has, I would ask that. You rate us and review us and continue to follow us.
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That's it for this episode of the Living Life Well Show. If you like what you've heard and want to learn more, or want to know how to put this into practice for yourself, go to livelifewellclinic.com. Until next time, this is Dr. Jon Skelton saying, go out and live the truth so you can live life well. The preceding is for entertainment and educational [00:30:00] purposes only. It is not meant to be used to prevent, diagnose, treat, or cure any condition. The information contained in this show does not substitute the need for a qualified medical professional, nor is it meant to provide medical advice or services.
If you feel information presented in this show may apply to you, we recommend you seek out the help of a qualified medical professional who can evaluate and treat your specific concerns.
