5. Autoimmunity and Inflammation: Part 2

Auto-immune diseases can be incredibly challenging to manage, but there are numerous lifestyle interventions that can positively influence your health. By focusing on key areas such as waistline, sunlight, sleep, and heat, and using various modalities, you can take significant steps toward improving your well-being. 

In today’s episode Miles Hassell, MD explores various tools that can favorably alter the course of your auto-immune disease:

• Maintaining a healthy waistline through balanced nutrition and regular exercise is essential.
• Exposure to sunlight helps your body produce Vitamin D, a crucial nutrient for immune function. Aim to spend at least 15-20 minutes in the sun each day, especially in the morning. 
• Sleep deprivation has a direct impact on illness. Adequate sleep supports immune function, reduces inflammation, and helps your body repair itself.
• Heat therapy can be an effective tool for managing auto-immune symptoms.
• Tailor your exercise routine to match your energy levels and physical capabilities, ensuring consistency over intensity.
• Diet plays a pivotal role in managing auto-immune diseases. Focus on anti-inflammatory foods such as leafy greens, fatty fish, nuts, and seeds.

 

Lifestyle interventions require rigorous approaches with consistency. These changes are not quick fixes; they take time to show results. Be patient with yourself and understand that turning your health around is a gradual process.

By embracing these lifestyle interventions and utilizing different modalities, you can significantly reduce the burden of your auto-immune disease. 

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References for today’s episode:

Lindqvist PG, et al. Avoidance of sun exposure as a risk factor for major causes of death: a competing risk analysis of the Melanoma in Southern Sweden cohort. J Intern Med. 2016 Oct;280(4):375-87. doi: 10.1111/joim.12496. Epub 2016 Mar 16. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26992108/

-Alfredsson L, Armstrong BK, Butterfield DA, Chowdhury R, de Gruijl FR, Feelisch M, Garland CF, Hart PH, Hoel DG, Jacobsen R, Lindqvist PG, Llewellyn DJ, Tiemeier H, Weller RB, Young AR. Insufficient Sun Exposure Has Become a Real Public Health Problem. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Jul 13;17(14):5014. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17145014. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32668607/

-Patrick RP, et al. Sauna use as a lifestyle practice to extend healthspan. Exp Gerontol. 2021 Oct 15;154:111509. doi: 10.1016/j.exger.2021.111509. Epub 2021 Aug 5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34363927/

-Ostkamp P, et al. Sunlight exposure exerts immunomodulatory effects to reduce multiple sclerosis severity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021 Jan 5;118(1):e2018457118. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2018457118. Erratum in: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021 Jul 20;118(29): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33376202/

-Tsigalou C, et al. Autoantibody Production in Obesity: Is There Evidence for a Link Between Obesity and Autoimmunity? Curr Obes Rep. 2020 Sep;9(3):245-254. doi: 10.1007/s13679-020-00397-8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32632847/

-Garbarino S, Lanteri P, Bragazzi NL, Magnavita N, Scoditti E. Role of sleep deprivation in immune-related disease risk and outcomes. Commun Biol. 2021 Nov 18;4(1):1304. doi: 10.1038/s42003-021-02825-4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34795404/