Why western medicine gets autoimmune diseases all wrong

[Polaris]

Interesting video featuring Dr Amy Myers on how autoimmune diseases originate in the gut:

mindbodygreen.com/0-14571/w...

[Marz]

I think it is good to keep reminding us all that the health of our gut is everything..... Will have a listen/watch another time.... After the Hashimotos Institute Summit on-line - I think my brain needs a rest

[PR4NOW]

I'm a fan of Dr. Amy Myers, I think she is a sharp doctor. She is doing an autoimmune webinar Nov. 10-17.

autoimmunesummit.com/

I registered but did not get a confirming email so I don't believe the site is operating yet. An excellent list of presenters including: Dr. Fasano, Dr. Vojdani, Chris Kresser, Dr. Kharrazian, Nora Gedgaudas and many other top notch people. PR

[suwinter in reply to PR4NOW]

Hi thanks for the link. Have just registered and received an immediate acknowledgement via email. Perhaps you need to register again?

[Polaris in reply to PR4NOW]

Thank you for this link. Have also signed up and received confirmation.

[MSC56 in reply to PR4NOW]

Thanks for posting this, I missed this one! I have learned so much from the other summits and this one is filled with actual practitioners who know what they are talking about and many who actually reversed their own diseases. Thanks!

[suwinter]

Thank you - an interesting video, am off to do a bit of online research!

This has been a gripe of mine for years - I have many auto immune diseases but no one looks at the big picture, they all treat the symptoms of the individual illnesses without finding out how they interact or how they were caused.

[Hypopotamus]

So - we cut out gluten, grains, legumes, trans fats, sugar, dairy, and soy. She said that she was a veggie, as I am, so what does that leave us to eat? You can't survive on vegetables alone. And if you are carnivore, you will be told not to eat meat due to all the antibiotics etc in it.

I know the gut is crucial in a lot of illnesses, but if all it takes is to tell patients to stop eating anything except vegetables, that makes me as expert as anybody who claims to be a healer. If I didn't have a conscience, I too could have been quite wealthy at the expense of the chronically ill.

PS I like the way she started by saying that she was brought up on brown rice and tofu, and then decided to become a vegetarian.

[Polaris]

It's not that clear but I had the impression she was speaking about an elimination diet to find the inflammatory foods, gluten, dairy, etc. and that you would then be able to reintroduce other foods. Must admit that I love vegetables but, as B12 is only found in animal foods, would never advocate giving up meat, fish etc.

The fundamental message about the importance of a healthy gut for the immune system to function well is excellent though.

[Hypopotamus]

I also watched the video about meditation. As a regular meditator who was taught to meditate properly nearly 40 years ago, I can tell you the guy giving the talk is a fake. My advice would be to take everything from that site with a large pinch of (sea) salt.

[Polaris in reply to Hypopotamus]

Maybe....but not throw out the baby with the bath water !

[Hypopotamus in reply to Polaris]

I wasn't saying that all 'alternative therapies' should be avoided. Just understand the genuine ones from the ones designed to make other people rich.

[MSC56]

I also taught meditation for 3 decades, along with many other alternative solutions to life's endless curiosities. People try their best, no one is a GURU nor should they expect to be! What works for one, may not work for you! One the Hashimotos Summit it was clear not eating meat worsens the disease. BUT it must be GRASS FED meat, not just any old meat. Many people develop thyroid issues because they are vegans and veggies. I think you must read the WHOLE story not just some of it. It is clear that burn out, gut issues, anger and grief, stress, bad diet and food allergies as well as many other factors like mercury fillings, fluoride and chemical toxic overload in the body can ALL be why we became ill! Then there are the genetics (everyone in my family has Hashis! onset usually past 40 but some much younger) and so you see, WHO can tell YOU what is right for just YOU and what works only for YOU? It will be a Functional Medical Practioner who does all the right tests to eliminate the triggers and causes while working to heal them. No NHS doctor or Endo will do this, which is why we all are sick for decades!!!!!! Its a SCAM because they get their protocol and when you see it is multi- layered and each individual is different..well that is too much for them! My endo at St. Mary's hospital in London said to me that it did not matter what I ate! Insane! Be aware and do get the info from each summit, arm yourself with knowledge then you can actually know what you are fighting with and for! My 2 cents! Good luck to all!

[Polaris in reply to MSC56]

Well put...my feelings exactly.

[Joyia]

Interestingly Dr Natasha Campbell McBride a very good specialist in gut health, see her book Gut and Psychology, does not encourage a vegetarian only diet, she stated she has rarely seen a healthy vegetarian, so who to believe?

[Polaris in reply to Joyia]

Thank you, I will get this book. We are all searching for answers in our own way. So far, all my own research keeps coming back to the digestive system - the connection with vitamin B12 and how all the enzymes work together in the gut to reduce high homocysteine ("The H Factor" by Patrick Holford & Dr James Braly).

So the fact that a vegan/vegetarian diet does not include one of the most vital ingredients for a fully functional system must surely be a factor in keeping healthy - you can supplement with methyl cobalamin but I wonder how many people actually do this. It can take years for deficiency symptoms to manifest.