The Autoimmune Fix: How to Stop the Hidden Autoimmune Damage That Keeps You Sick, Fat, and Tired Before It Turns Into Disease
Brand: Rodale Books
Color: White
Categories: Books, Health, Fitness & Dieting, Diets & Weight Loss


Rodale Press

Dimensions: 6.35 x 1.25 x 9.3 inches
ISBN-13: 978-1623367008
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9781623367008
Publisher: Rodale Books
Print length: 352 pages
Publication date: September 20, 2016
subtitle: Hardcover – September 20, 2016
author: Visit Amazon's Tom O'Bryan Page search results Tom O'Bryan Mark Hyman MD
review: Editorial Reviews Review Praise for The Autoimmune Fix In this groundbreaking book, esteemed expert Dr. Tom O’Bryan provides an effective, easy-to-implement, meticulously researched plan to address autoimmune conditions that hold your health and weight hostage. A must-read to reclaim the energy and vitality you deserve! -- JJ. Virgin, Celebrity Nutrition and Fitness Expert and Four-Time New York Times bestselling author The Autoimmune Fix is a powerful and cogent examination of the mechanisms underlying the surge in autoimmune conditions in our modern world. And gratefully, Dr. O’Bryan’s masterful text provides a proven, actionable plan to restore immune balance and reawaken health. -- David Perlmutter, MD, FACN,#1 New York Times bestselling author of Grain Brain and Brain Maker "Dr. O'Bryan's book 'The Autoimmune Fix' is a science-based frame shifting view of the origin of autoimmune disease and the role that diet and lifestyle play in its prevention and treatment. This is a must read for anyone searching for answers to autoimmune disease". -- Jeffrey Bland, PhD, FACN, FACB , President, Personalized Lifestyle Medicine Institute, and author of Disease Delusion "I have admired and been informed by Dr. Tom O’Bryan’s perspective and approach to the topic of autoimmune disease for many years. In The Autoimmune Fix he brings his broad knowledge, with careful consideration of the scientific evidence, directly to those suffering from autoimmunity and those wishing to avoid that fate. He does not just ring the alarm bell, but provides proactive solutions to dealing with this epidemic sweeping through western industrialized society. When it comes to understanding this modern autoimmunity epidemic it doesn't get any better than this." -- David M.Brady, ND, CCN, DACBN, V.P. Health Sciences & Director, Human Nutrition Institute, University of Bridgeport, author of The Fibro Fix . “An autoimmune condition fuels more inflammation, thereby thwarting your best efforts to balance hormones, stabilize thyroid function, reduce stress, or almost any effort to get healthier. Read The Autoimmune Fix . You’ll look back years from now and be grateful that you did. Dr. Tom O’Bryan has done an outstanding job describing the autoimmune spectrum, why it matters, and how to identify if you’re on the autoimmune spectrum. You'll save yourself unnecessary suffering by learning this information years before the damage is severe enough to cause symptoms.” -- Sara Gottfried , MD, New York Times bestselling author of The Hormone Cure and The Hormone Reset Diet “No one gets an autoimmune disease overnight, whether it’s MS, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Alzheimer’s,... Scientists know that these diseases are decades-long processes of slow tissue damage with several distinct steps along the way before there’s enough damage to warrant a diagnosis. Dr. Tom O’Bryan has done a remarkable job putting together a clear picture of what autoimmune diseases are, why the immune system begins attacking itself, and most importantly what you can do about it. His protocols are highly aligned with The Wahls Protocol. This book will change your life.” -- Terry Wahls , MD, bestselling author of The Wahls Protocol “The field of autoimmunity is complex and ever expanding. Although there is much to learn, on going research continues to give us a clearer understanding of some of the vulnerabilities and triggers we face today. Dr. O'Bryan's book, The Autoimmune Fix , does a very good job of explaining some of the basic principles of how our diet and environmental exposures can activate our unique genes making us more vulnerable to developing an autoimmune disease. If this book helps you to avoid what may be triggers in your body to developing an autoimmune disease, it will have been time well-spent reading.” -- Yehuda Shoenfeld , MD, FRCP, Head, Zabludowicz Center for Autoimmune Diseases, CHAIMSHEBA MEDICAL CENTER, Tel-Aviv University "We are so thrilled to support Dr. O'Bryan's work, The Autoimmune Fix , a book whose time has come. Medicine is evolving and there is a new paradigm for preventing and reversing autoimmune disease, one that is empowering and surprisingly simple to implement. So thankful for this step-by-step manual out in the world to make it easy for anyone to take control of their health." -- James Maskell , Founder and CEO of Evolution of Medicine "Dr. O'Bryan's information is always cutting edge and he is a brilliant clinician and author. His new book, The Autoimmune Fix , should be read by anyone suffering from autoimmunity. The information contained in the book can be life changing." -- Datis Kharrazian , DHSc, DC, FACN, CNS, Associate Clinical Professor Loma Linda University School of Medicine "Dr. Tom O'Bryan is a pioneer in the field of clinical autoimmunity. His explanations of extremely sophisticated mechanisms into everyday language helps all of us to understand the path out of autoimmunity and into health. He's been holding the line for patients who have been misdiagnosed and has helped countless people over the years. If you're not feeling right, there's a chance you may be suffering from this hidden cause.This book is a must read! -- Pedram Shojai , OMD, Founder of Well.Org and New York Times bestselling author of The Urban Monk “The Autoimmune Fix is a must read. As a doctor who focuses onautoimmune thyroid disease, this is the most comprehensive evidence-basedoverview on autoimmune disease that I am aware of. The Autoimmune Fix can be areference manual for health care practitioners as well as a road map to guidepatients back to the health they deserve. Dr. O'Bryan masterfully integratesdecades of clinical experience, research, and training other physicians. Highlyrecommended!” -- Alan Christianson , NMD – New York Times bestselling author of The Adrenal Reset Diet “The hero who has contributed so much to the field of non-celiac gluten sensitivity and celiac disease now shines a light on a mysterious epidemic that is still in the shadows for many: autoimmune disease. Dr. O’Bryan very elegantly connects the dots between environmental triggers such as food and how they can affect the very immune system that’s supposed to protect us. THE AUTOIMMUNE FIX doesn’t pull any punches. It unflinchingly identifies the foods that put you at risk for future autoimmune disease, foods you might love, foods you might think nothing about eating daily, but it also gives you actual detailed recipes and protocols that will have you eating and living your way to health. Dr. O’Bryan also talks about predictive autoimmunity, one of my favorite subjects. With autoimmunity, you have two choices: wait until millions are suffering from full-blown autoimmune disorders, then put them on a lifetime of immune suppressants and biologics as well as years of suffering. Or, you can use predictive antibodies to detect autoimmunity in the early stages of the disease, and then take steps to halt or even reverse the course of the incipient autoimmune disorder. THE AUTOIMMUNE FIX wisely tells us to take the latter, more pro-active choice, and to paraphrase what Dr. O’Bryan says in his book, it’s not the doctors you see, the drugs you take, or the surgeries and therapies you undergo; what will impact your health ultimately are the choices you make in your life, and getting this book is one of those choices.” -- Aristo Vojdani , PhD, MSc, CLS, CEO, Immunosciences Lab., Inc., and author of Neuroimmunity and the Brain-Gut Connection "We are so thrilled to support Dr. O'Bryan's work, The Autoimmune Fix , a book whose time has come. Medicine is evolving and there is a new paradigm for preventing and reversing autoimmune disease, one that is empowering and surprisingly simple to implement. So thankful for this step-by-step manual out in the world to make it easy for anyone to take control of their health." -- James Maskell , Founder and CEO Evolution of Medicine “Dr. O’Bryan's understanding of the physiopathology of autoimmune disease is second to none. His ability to translate complex research findings into practical, applicable recommendations that can be individualized to suit each patient’s case is admirable. Because of his ability to make complexity accessible, translational and applicable, I recommend every nutrition practitioner to read Dr. O’Bryan’s book.” -- Miguel Toribio-Mateas , MSC, BSC, NutMed, ABAAHP, FBANT, CNCH, Reg. Chairman of the British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy “We allknow that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Well, when you readthis book and implement Tom’s advice you will be stacking the weights in yourfavour, helping yourself enjoy a healthier, longer life. Why? Because Dr. TomO’Bryan has written a different kind of book here. He described how you canprevent auto-immunity from occurring in the first place. Fortune favours theprepared mind; now you have this book in your hand, don’t let it go.” -- Antony Haynes , Nutritional Therapist,Functional Medicine Practitioner, Author, Lecturer, Head of Technical Services,Nutri-Link, Ltd. "Dr. Tom O'Bryan is one of the most important voices on autoimmunity in the wellness revolution. The information in this book can free millions who are locked in a quality of life that is less than they deserve. Brilliantly explained, backed by science, and a rock solid protocol to get your health back." -- Christa Orecchio , CN, HHC bestselling author of How to Conceive Naturally , Microbiome Expert “Dr O’Bryan, does not just ‘get’ the zeitgeist of immune dysfuntion as a primary driver of major degenerative illness, he helps to define it! A great narrative underpinned with relevant research served up with practical solutions – ingest this, then switch your eating habits to those recommended; they will both have a profound effecton your health and life.” -- Dr. Michael Ash , DO, ND, BSc, RNT, Managing Director & Head of Research and Development, Nutri-Link, Ltd. “During the past two decades, no single person has contributed more to the understanding and importance of recognizing the negative effects that Gluten has played in human health than Dr. Tom O’Bryan. The hundreds of seminars, lectures and conferences where Dr. O’Bryan has presented this breakthrough information to literally thousands of physicians is proven true by the results these physicians have experienced as they applied this knowledge to tens of thousandsof their patients. Dr. O’Bryan’s newbook “The Autoimmune Fix” will prove to become an essential tool to help assist the growing number of individuals whose health and lives are being impacted by the exposure to gluten on their immune system and quality of life. It is with gratitude and pride that I wish to offer my encouragement for everyone to get a copy of Dr. O’Bryan’s book as well as to each physician to also get a personal copy of this book and one for their waiting room as well.” -- Tom Schembari , President, NuMedicaAdvancing Nutrition "When new health information is identified, it can sometimes take a long time before doctors actually implement this information in their treatment protocols. I have had the privilege of working with Dr. Tom O'Bryan for more than a decade and admire his passion and commitment to pushing new health information to the forefront, supporting it with his own research and clinical experience, particularly to help other clinicians and patients identify possible triggers of autoimmune disease. The sooner these triggers are identified in a person, the higher the chance of arresting or reversing the disease development. A splendid job of explaining this difficult topic. You will be grateful you've read this." -- Jean Bellin , President, Cyrex Laboratories, Past President, Metagenics Nutrition “The hero who has contributed so much to the field of non-celiac gluten sensitivity and celiac disease now shines a light on a mysterious epidemic that is still in the shadows for many: autoimmune disease. Dr. O’Bryan very elegantly connects the dots between environmental triggers such as food and how they can affect the very immune system that’s supposed to protect us. “The Autoimmune Fix” doesn’t pull any punches. It unflinchingly identifies the foods that put you at risk for future autoimmune disease, foods you might love, foods you might think nothing about eating daily, but it also gives you actual detailed recipes and protocols that will have you eating and living your way to health. Dr. O’Bryan also talks about predictive autoimmunity, one of my favorite subjects. With autoimmunity, you have two choices: wait until millions are suffering from full-blown autoimmune disorders, then put them on a lifetime of immune suppressants and biologics as well as years of suffering. Or, you can use predictive antibodies to detect autoimmunity in the early stages of the disease, and then take steps to halt or even reverse the course of the incipient autoimmune disorder. “The Autoimmune Fix” wisely tells us to take the latter, more proactive choice, and to paraphrase what Dr. O’Bryan says in his book, it’s not the doctors you see, the drugs you take, or the surgeries and therapies you undergo; what will impact your health ultimately are the choices you make in your life, and getting this book is one of those choices.” -- Aristo Vojdani , PhD, MSc, CLS, CEO of Immunosciences Lab., Inc., and author of Neuroimmunity and the Brain-Gut Connection “Dr. Tom O'Bryan's new book, The Autoimmune Fix , takes his readers down his path to "health enlightenment," which is a much deeper understanding of the underlying cause of disease and poor health. Dr. O'Bryan clearly lays out why individuals with certain genetic predispositions will react to certain foods, which will trigger inflammation that will lead to intestinal permeability and the start of a process which, if not checked, will trigger poor health, autoimmune diseases, or worse. More importantly, Dr. O'Bryan lays out how to avoid all this and regain your health using his two phases of transition, which are described in this book in great detail, and also include very helpful Transition Protocol Recipes to be used during his two phases of transition. I believe that anyone interested in living a healthier and longer life should read The Autoimmune Fix , including all doctors and health care practitioners, as it will lead all to a much greater understanding of health and disease.” -- Scott Adams , Founder, www.Celiac.com “This is a fascinatingly detailed book about the outcome of autoimmunity – its causes, mechanisms, and effects on the body. It tells you what to eat, and more importantly, what not to eat if you want to remain healthy, keep doing your marathon running and not be subject to the diseases caused by our affluent Westernised life-style and junk foods, and to which most of us are still prey. Read it and be enlightened! Warmly recommended for those worried about their bodies – and brains”. -- Professor Michael N. Marsh , Wolfson College, University of Oxford “As a doctor and brain scientist, I understand that autoimmune diseases pose one of the greatest threats to our bodies and our minds. Not only do they damage our organs, but they erode self-esteem and can be difficult to identify and treat. In this book, Tom O’Bryan offers a sensitive and comprehensive account of autoimmune disease, all at once engaging us in both the reasons they occur, and what we can do about this. With the vast amount of information available, it’s important to know where to look when you or a loved one needs help. Look no further! With the combination of the highest scientific integrity and the ease of understanding, this book is a gem worth getting and guarding, for it is bound to be regarded as a classic of its time.” -- Srini Pillay , M.D. Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School, Award-winning author of Life Unlocked “Dr. Tom O’Bryan is brilliant at translating complex medical information into simple to understand ideas. In his new book, The Autoimmune Fix, he shows you a breakthrough plan to stop auto-immune triggers and restore your health. If you have an autoimmune disease, I urge you to read this book.” – Steven Masley , MD, FAHA, FACN, FAAFP, CNS bestselling author of The 30-Day Heart Tune-Up and Smart Fat “I love this book! It was truly hard to put down. A fascinating read from one of the most brilliant men I know. This book is easy to read and holds your interest the whole way through. Thanks,Tom, I'm so proud of you. You're such a gift to the world. You nailed it!” -- Donna Gates , International bestselling author of The Body Ecology Diet: Recovering Your Health and Rebuilding Your Immunity, and The Body Ecology Guide to Growing Younger “In my opinion, everyone should read this book. My colleague Dr. Tom O’Bryan has been researching the serious progressive effects of the autoimmune spectrum for decades. He has gained incredible insights into its causes, effects, and how to vanquish the symptoms. This book contains his lifetime work. The concept of the autoimmune illness is complex to get your head around. However, Dr. O’Bryan expertly explains it to us step-by-step so you can understand why your body is steadily deteriorating, and how to reverse this downward spiral. It is a progressive inflammatory state in your body that provokes your immune system to over respond and attack itself. He tells us that the three things necessary for the development of autoimmune disease are genetics, environmental triggers, and intestinal permeability: he explains this in easy-to-read detail. He tells us that it is the quantity and quality of our food that is important: he reveals that the stand-out culprits are gluten, dairy and sugar. Read this book and follow the steps to dampen down the fire of reactivity that can rage through your body.” -- Prof. Rodney Ford MD, MBBS, FRACP, author of The Gluten Syndrome and Gluten: ZERO Global "I can’t recommend this book enough! The Autoimmune Fix is a must read for anyone who’s frustrated going to doctor to doctor looking for answers to their chronic fatigue and inflammation, muscle and joint pain, digestive issues, neurological symptoms, memory and cognitive dysfunction and more. Dr. Tom O’Bryan explains a very difficult subject in a very easy to read manner on the complexity of your immune system--how it can attack your own tissues, triggering symptoms and wreaking havoc to your body and brain health. Best of all, Dr. O’Bryan provides a scientific and proven strategies on how fix it for good! Give yourself the gift of wellness and go through his "Transition Protocol." Each week you will notice your irritating symptoms just melting away one by one--improving your energy level and mental focus, minimizing your pain and inflammation, increasing your flexibility and strength, and so much more. The Autoimmune Fix is your roadmap to a lifetime of vibrant health!" — Dr. Susanne Bennett , #1 best-selling author of Mighty Mito and The 7-Day Allergy Makeover and talk show host of Wellness for Life Radio on RadioMD and iHeart Radio About the Author Tom O’Bryan, DC, CCN, DACBN, is an internationally recognized speaker and writer on chronic disease and metabolic disorders. He organized the popular Gluten Summit in November 2013. Dr. O’Bryan has more than 30 years of experience as a functional medicine practitioner and is an adjunct professor at the Institute for Functional Medicine. He lives in San Diego. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. THE SPECTRUM OF AUTOIMMUNITY In this chapter, we're going to talk about where disease comes from. Here's a question for you: Do think that you wake up one morning with a disease like diabetes or Alzheimer's or an extra 30 £ds? No. Scientists tell us these are results from decades-long processes that develop in a step-by- step sequence. But if you gain the big-picture view of the disease sequence, it becomes clear that there is a way to "nip it in the bud"--or, as scientists say, arrest the development of autoimmune disease--and stay healthy longer and with a shorter period of disability at the end of life. My work in the world of celiac disease and wheat sensitivity has made me one of the leading experts in this field. Because celiac disease is the one autoimmune disease that has clearly been mapped--what makes you vulnerable (genetics), what's the trigger (gluten in wheat, rye, and barley), and what's the "last straw" before it begins (intestinal permeability)--it is a good model to study. I'm going to refer to it throughout this chapter, as well as the rest of the book, as a classic example of the autoimmune spectrum. A spectrum is used to classify an idea or object in terms of its position on a scale between two extreme or opposite points. The spectrum of autoimmunity is a progressive state of disease that runs from vibrant health at one end to degenerative disease at the other. In between lies a broad range of varied but related stages that build on each other, usually moving in the direction of more disease. This is how we suffer from autoimmune damage long before we're diagnosed with autoimmune disease and long before the first symptoms occur. Again, on one end of the spectrum, there are no obvious symptoms: This is referred to as benign autoimmunity. On the other end is a well-defined health problem: disease or clinical illness. The in-between area of the spectrum holds the disease process (the accumulation of damage), which is referred to as pathogenic autoimmunity. The benefit of understanding this spectrum is so we can consciously shift our direction away from disease and back to vibrant health. That is the purpose of this book. This health deterioration can be measured in terms of its intensity by the level of antibodies. When there is a slight elevation of antibodies, some people may have noticeable symptoms, while others with tremendously high levels of antibodies may have no symptoms at all. Yet both types of people are on the spectrum, and they will progress along the spectrum until they are diagnosed with a chronic or deadly disease. This is why it does not matter whether you notice symptoms or not: If you have elevated antibodies, they are fueling tissue degeneration. Whenever we are exposed to any environmental trigger (such as gluten, peanuts, mold . . .), our immune system is activated to protect us. This is happening 24/7, and it's designed to work in the background so we don't notice it. This is referred to as normal immunity: You feel nothing. If the level of insult (the amount of exposure) increases, you might experience some kind of mild irritation, like a runny nose, sore muscles, or brain fog. If the level of exposure continues to increase, the immune system has to respond more aggressively, which begins the inflammatory cascade. Excess inflammation beyond the normal range will cause cellular damage. Continued cellular damage will cause tissue damage. Continued tissue damage will cause organ inflammation. Continued organ inflammation will increase the intensity of symptoms, and you develop elevated antibodies to that organ. Continued elevated antibodies to an organ leads to organ damage. Now you have symptoms that can be identified as an autoimmune disease. This mechanism is the primary pathway in the development of autoimmune disease, opposite. In 2003, Melissa Arbuckle, MD, PhD, and her colleagues published a landmark study in the New England Journal of Medicine that chronicled the autoimmune disease spectrum. Dr. Arbuckle investigated the patient history of 130 veterans in the VA hospital system who had been diagnosed with lupus, a classic autoimmune disease that affects skin, joints, and organs.1 During their years of active duty, all servicemen and women have their blood drawn many times. Luckily for Dr. Arbuckle's team, the US government has been freezing and saving blood samples since 1978. She asked for permission to examine frozen blood samples taken when the current lupus patients were healthy and serving in the Armed Forces. Her study showed that every single veteran who had a positive diagnosis of lupus had markers for seven different elevated antibodies that caused lupus in their bloodwork years before they had any symptoms. The level of antibodies increased every year until they reached a plateau, at which point the organ damage was severe enough for symptoms to appear. This stage is called early pathogenic autoimmunity. By the time the patients reached this plateau, they were sick enough to see a doctor. As time went by, more cells were attacked, inflammation increased, and symptoms became worse. Finally, when the symptoms were no longer tolerable, the servicemen and -women went to the doctor and were diagnosed with lupus. Yet each of the men and women in the study were on the autoimmune spectrum for lupus at least 5 years earlier. We can't feel when antibodies are killing off our cells in the earlier stages, so there is nothing to alert us to tissue damage until it progresses to the point where clinical illness is apparent. If this were you, when would you want to know that you were on the spectrum of autoimmunity? Would you wait until you had enough organ damage to have noticeable symptoms, or would you try to catch disease before there is so much damage that the symptoms demand medical attention? In the graph below, look at the seven different antibodies that can cause lupus. When the study participants first noticed symptoms of lupus, we see that just over 18 percent of those eventually diagnosed with lupus, technically referred to as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), had elevated anti-Sm antibodies 5 years beforehand; 28 percent had elevated anti-dsDNA antibodies; 48 percent had elevated ANA antibodies; 56 percent had elevated anti-La antibodies; 59 percent had elevated anti-Ro antibodies; and 64 percent had elevated aPL antibodies. Similarly, when patients received the diagnosis of SLE, we see in the bottom graph that all seven antibodies were elevated more than 5 years beforehand. This is a critical concept to understand: The antibodies are elevated, thus damaging targeted tissue, years before there are noticeable symptoms or a diagnosis is made. The severity of the symptoms depends on how long you have been on the autoimmune disease spectrum and how much tissue damage has accrued. The "gift" of having symptoms is that it will force you to take notice and do something to address a problem. It is the window of opportunity to do something about these often seemingly unconnected symptoms before there is so much tissue damage one gets a disease. Your recurring symptoms like fatigue, bloating, lack of energy, and memory lapses, or seemingly unrelated symptoms that come out of nowhere, might be messengers from your immune system letting you know that something's out of balance. Yet let's be clear: Symptoms are not the first manifestation of a problem; they're the last straw when your body cannot compensate further. While your body has been working very hard compensating for your tissue damage and trying to maintain balance, its abilities to "adapt" by compensating to maintain balance (a process known as allostasis) are worn out. Now the accumulating damage begins producing symptoms. Once that ball starts rolling, unless you stop it, the problem only gets bigger and bigger. Oddly, chronic health conditions are almost accepted as normal parts of life: fatigue, pain, depression, obesity, insomnia, anxiety, headaches, and many more. These symptoms may be common, but they are not normal. The difference is huge: Common means a lot of people have it; normal means "that's the way it's supposed to be." The "common" symptoms (being sick, fat, tired, and forgetful) should not be accepted as "normal," and knowing this should be empowering enough for all of us to say to our doctors, "Wait a minute, is what I'm experiencing common or normal?" The truth is, no one should have to live with symptoms, no one should accept them, and no one should ignore them. The worst thing that you can do is neglect your symptoms or habitually take pain relievers to deal with them. While there's nothing wrong with occasionlly taking aspirin, ibuprofen, or other nonsteroidal anti- inflammatories (referred to as NSAIDs), or even prescription pain relievers every once in a while, when you are taking them regularly, you've exposed yourself to a new problem. Up to 65 percent of people who take NSAIDs for 6 months or longer develop inflammation in the intestines, which can lead to arthritis in any joint in your body.2 The NSAIDs can cause a secondary autoimmune reaction that I call collateral damage, which you'll learn about later. The second problem with relying on pain relievers is that you never address the underlying issue that is causing the pain. Imagine that you are driving a car and a light appears on your dashboard. Would you pull over and reach underneath the dashboard, look for the wire that's connected to the warning light, cut the wire, and then head back on the road and continue driving? My guess is no. We know better than that--our cars won't last long and might put us in danger if we ignore the warning light. Do you think your body is any different? Yet we do something similar to our bodies when we take pain relievers without looking for the underlying trigger for the pain. Neglecting or suppressing symptoms allows the underlying imbalance to continue causing more tissue damage. While it's perfectly normal and expected to want to feel better right away, we need to address the mechanism causing the discomfort or the degeneration will continue to the point where medications will no longer address the symptoms. For example, while antibiotics can effectively treat acne, they bring only short-term relief and don't address the root cause of the problem. What's more, taking them comes with many long-term consequences, such as damage to bones, scarring, and autoimmune hepatitis.3 LOOK AT BLOODWORK CAREFULLY When your doctor reviews results of a blood test with you, and there is an H or L next to a blood marker, signifying high or low, and the doctor tells you that your results "are normal," ask the doctor this question: "Doctor, is it common or is it normal?" This one question will possibly open up a line of communication as to why this number is high or low, because it is certainly not normal. If you want vibrant health, you have to decipher what your body is trying to tell you. The truth is, the body's language never lies; we just have to learn how to understand what our body is saying. That's the whole goal of this book: to teach you how to listen to your body and ask it the right questions. Once you understand the basics of how your immune system gets activated to protect you from perceived threats, and learn its language, you can find the trigger or root cause of your symptoms and identify which offending invader put you on the autoimmune spectrum. Next, you can identify where you are on the spectrum, which opens a window of opportunity to address the underlying mechanism years before enough tissue damage has accrued, symptoms begin, and a diagnosable disease has occurred. Then you can reverse the trend and roll back the ball to optimal health through simple lifestyle changes. KNOW YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM The vast majority of us are moving toward the dangerous, far end of the autoimmune spectrum as a consequence of our immune system trying to protect us from the increased exposures of a toxic environment. The goal is to move all of us toward the other end of the spectrum, back to normal immunity. The first step is to get the big picture of how the immune system works. Your immune system acts like the armed forces--it's there to protect you and is composed of different branches that work together. There is a metaphorical army, navy, air force, marines, and coast guard (which are referred to by doctors as the antibodies IgA, IgG, IgE, IgM, and IgD, but more on that later), each of which has a distinct role that protects us and allows us to survive and thrive on the planet. There are actually four different immune systems in the body, and each can produce the five types of autoimmune responses listed above. The largest one is found in the gastrointestinal tract (the gut), where 70 to 85 percent of your immunity resides. There is another immune system in the liver called the Kupffer cells. The third comprises the white blood cells found in the bloodstream. Finally, there's one in the brain made of glia cells. Each of these systems operates separately, but all follow the same owner's manual and communicate with each other. Each immune system is constructed of at least two arms: the cellular, or innate immune system, which acts as the protective handguns firing chemical bullets, and the humoral, or adaptive immune system, which is the heavy artillery that's called in when you need backup. When faced with an invader, whether it is made of cancer cells, bacteria, viruses, parasites, offensive dietary proteins and peptides, or even chemicals such as medications, the innate/cellular arms produce cytokines, the biochemical bullets I refer to as the first responders. These cytokines recognize and then destroy whatever they consider threatening. A number of different types of cytokines are produced, and the immune system determines which one to launch depending on the threat. For example, we support the immune system through vaccinations, and we receive separate immunizations for measles and mumps; each time, we are targeting a different cytokine. If the cellular arms' defensive strategy cannot get the job done, the immune system calls up the "big guns." This is when the humoral/adaptive immune system kicks in, and its soldiers launch targeted missiles called antibodies. This complex biological system works 24/7, and its limited arsenal is all we have to protect our internal health from the outside world. The immune system has to work very hard in today's world, and it can become overtaxed easily. Sometimes, offending invaders slip through the cracks and trigger (1) infections or (2) the nagging symptoms that you may be putting up with that do not progress into a diagnosable infection. Either response can progress into major diseases. This is particularly true for children and the elderly, as the immune system takes time to fully mature and often wears down as we get older. Read more