The Autoimmune Reset: Restoring Balance with 3 Key Steps

Intro

I have a ton people coming into my office with’ autoimmune stuff.’ In recent years, the incidence of autoimmune diseases has been on the rise, affecting millions of people worldwide. Conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, lupus, and celiac disease can have a profound impact on individuals' lives, and really take the fun out of life. However, by following key steps such as adopting an anti-inflammatory diet, restoring gut health, and managing stress you can take back control. Additionally, Five Element Acupuncture provides a holistic approach, focusing on qi balancing, emotional support, and stress reduction, offering additional support to relieve symptoms, notably inflammation.

There are steps you can take to regain control of your overall health as it relates to autoimmune diseases. Here are three key steps you can take to support your autoimmune health reset, along with an exploration of how Five Element Acupuncture can provide additional support on your healing journey.

1.     Embrace an Anti-Inflammatory Diet: Nourishing your body with an anti-inflammatory diet is crucial for supporting your autoimmune reset. Focus on consuming whole foods like fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats. Minimize or eliminate processed foods, refined sugars, gluten, and dairy products, as they can trigger inflammation in the body. By providing your body with the nutrients it needs, you support its natural healing processes.

2.     Restore Gut Health: The health of your gut plays a significant role in autoimmune health. Consider incorporating probiotics and prebiotics into your diet to promote the growth of beneficial gut bacteria. Fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt and kefir can also contribute to a healthy gut. Additionally, addressing any underlying gut issues, such as leaky gut syndrome or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), is essential for long-term healing. Tip: making homemade yogurt is ridiculously easy to do!

3.     Manage Stress Mindfully: Chronic stress can worsen autoimmune symptoms and trigger flares. It's important to prioritize stress management as part of your autoimmune reset. Engage in stress-reducing practices such as mindfulness meditation, tai chi, deep breathing exercises, and regular physical activity. Adequate sleep is also vital for managing stress and supporting your overall well-being.

Other helpful steps include:

4.     Reduce Toxin Exposure: Environmental toxins can contribute to autoimmune dysfunction. Minimize your exposure to harmful substances found in household cleaning products, personal care items, and certain plastics. Consider using air and water filtration systems to reduce toxins in your home environment. By reducing toxin exposure, you support your immune system's ability to function optimally. In New York City, due to wildfires in Canada, we recently had a day where the air quality index was above 300 which is very hazardous.  While it may not be immediately obvious, events such as these are extremely threatening to individuals with autoimmune conditions.

5.     Seek Personalized Guidance: Every individual's autoimmune journey is unique, and it's essential to work closely with healthcare professionals who can provide personalized guidance and support. Along with acupuncture, I recommend starting with a functional medicine doctor who can help you identify specific triggers, tailor dietary recommendations, and suggest appropriate supplements to address nutrient deficiencies.

Five Element Acupuncture & AUTOIMMUNE

In addition to these above steps, many individuals find additional support through Five Element Acupuncture. Five Element Acupuncture acknowledges that each person's journey is unique; this style takes a personalized approach, tailoring the treatment to the individual's specific needs often focusing on: qi balancing, emotional support, and stress reduction.

Qi Balancing: The foundation of Five Element Acupuncture is the concept of Qi, the vital energy that flows through meridians or energy pathways in the body.

Emotional Support: Autoimmune diseases can have a profound impact on an individual's emotional state, often leading to feelings of frustration, anxiety, and depression. Five Element Acupuncture recognizes the connection between emotions and physical health, and the treatment can help address emotional imbalances. By restoring harmony to the Five Elements, the acupuncture sessions aim to promote emotional well-being and provide a supportive space for individuals to process and release emotional burdens.

Stress Reduction: Chronic stress is a known trigger for autoimmune flares and can exacerbate symptoms. Five Element Acupuncture includes techniques to promote relaxation and stress reduction, such as gentle needling, moxibustion (the burning of dried herbs near the acupoints), and lifestyle recommendations. By addressing stress, acupuncture sessions help regulate the body's stress response, supporting immune function and overall well-being.

In conclusion, an autoimmune reset is within your reach, allowing you to restore balance and reclaim your overall confidence and vitality. By embracing an anti-inflammatory diet, restoring gut health, receiving acupuncture treatment, and managing stress you can significantly impact your body's healing processes.

David Leeds
Acupuncture in Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Five Element Acupuncture