• Home
  • About
    • About Me
    • My Story
  • Blog
  • Contact
    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

Adventures of a Sick Chick

a healthy lifestyle blog

  • Recipes
    • Paleo
    • Whole30
    • AIP
    • Vegan
    • Savory
    • Sweet
    • Roundups & Reviews
  • Health
    • Paleo Life
    • Health & Supplements
  • Beauty
    • Healthy Beauty & Personal Care
    • Fashion
  • Home
    • Healthy Home
    • Holidays & Entertaining
      • Christmas
      • Fall
      • Easter
      • Valentine’s Day
      • 4th of July
      • Oscar Party
      • Cinco de Mayo
    • DIY
    • Puppy Love
  • Travel
    • Vintage Vacations
    • Gluten-Free & Paleo Travel
  • Musings
    • Inspirational
    • Music
    • Random Musings

Get the latest healthy lifestyle info straight to your inbox!

You are here: Home / Health / The Autoimmune Solution (Book Review)

The Autoimmune Solution (Book Review)

July 31, 2015

The Autoimmune Solution (Book Review)

According to the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA), an estimated 50 million people suffer from autoimmune disease in the United States (that’s about 1 in 5 people). The National Institute of Health recognizes a much more conservative number at 23.5 million, but that number is still higher than the estimated amount of those with heart disease (22 million) or cancer (9 million). In other words, if an autoimmune disease (such as Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, endometriosis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and type 1 diabetes) or an “associated” autoimmune disease (such as fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue) is not affecting you personally, chances are, it’s affecting someone you love right at this moment. Furthermore, autoimmune disease is something that anyone could likely develop in the future.

(Note: this post contains affiliate links. To learn more about what that means, click here.)

In The Autoimmune Solution, Dr. Amy Myers provides a comprehensive look at autoimmune disease and in particular, how food and other toxic elements in our environment affect our immune system and set off inflammatory responses. This inflammation can result in all sorts of symptoms, from frequent headaches and eczema to digestive issues and joint pain, and if not treated properly, can eventually accumulate into what we recognize as autoimmune disease. Meaning, even those who don’t currently carry an autoimmune diagnosis are potentially at risk.

For me, The Autoimmune Solution really hits home. I especially love the fact that Myers provides a unique point of view: she is not only a medical doctor, but also a patient. Diagnosed with her own autoimmune condition (Graves’ disease) while still in medical school, Myers experienced the frustrating web of dismissive (and sometimes, condescending) doctors, harsh medications and (sometimes, ineffective) treatments, all while being told the myth that these were the only ways to treat her condition. I felt like I was reading my own story, having been told that food and nutrition had no significant impact on autoimmune disease, and that conventional medical treatments were my only option. For me, believing this myth led to a dark, downward spiral of debilitating side effects and an illness that grew exponentially worse. Knowing that Myers had been in this position herself makes her perspective all the more powerful. I can’t tell you how many times I wished that some of my doctors had a better understanding of what I was going through — if only they could walk in my shoes, even if for a temporary time, so that they might have at least some idea of the pain and symptoms I was experiencing. Not that I would wish my condition (or any other autoimmune condition) on anyone else, but I do believe that having this experience would make them better doctors. The fact that Myers has this personal experience plus training and experience as a medical doctor, makes her perspective incredibly special.

Although medicine has its time and place, Myers believed that despite what the conventional doctors told her, there had to be a better way. So she began to research it. She discovered the power that diet and lifestyle have on our health, and developed a method in which patients can use food and other lifestyle changes as “medicine” to either heal, reverse or prevent illness in the first place. While she provides plenty of anecdotal success stories, her entire protocol is supported by proven science (so if you’re looking for evidence-based information, Dr. Myers provides it.)

I actually had discovered a healing diet long before reading The Autoimmune Solution, but I admit that I have been getting overly comfortable lately, letting certain foods “slip through the cracks.” The result is some returning inflammation that I am having to deal with right now. So reading this book couldn’t have come at a better time. Although she never really calls it Paleo, her suggestions closely resemble the autoimmune protocol (a modified version of the Paleo diet, specifically directed towards those trying to heal from autoimmune disorders). In addition, Myers explains how other toxins in our environment — everything from our cleaning and personal care products to the indoor air we breathe and the water we drink and bathe in — also affects our immune responses. Although I was already following most of the diet protocol, her suggestions for simple lifestyle changes are a good reminder of all the other things we can be doing additionally. It’s definitely time for me to take another look at some of the products I’m using, and it’s also the push I needed to officially look into a water filtration system for my home (I have been putting this one off for some time now).

The Autoimmune Solution is about as comprehensive as it gets, and although she is not the first one to recognize the powerful effect that an anti-inflammatory diet has on treating illness, Dr. Myer’s book provides a must-read, all-in-one “how-to” guide for anyone suffering from autoimmune symptoms. Dr. Myers not only provides the science and explanations as to how the inflammation develops in the first place, but also practical suggestions for how to reverse it. She supplies us with plenty of mouth-watering recipes and meal plans, along with specific suggestions as to how and where to start making her suggested lifestyle changes. It’s one thing to be told what we should be doing, but it’s altogether another to be given specific resources and tools so we can easily take action.

Whether you are new to dealing with an autoimmune disease, curious about those mysterious symptoms that have been plaguing you, or someone who’s been on this healing path for a while but could use a good reminder (like me), I believe The Autoimmune Solution can help. If you’re skeptical, I get it — I was, too, for the longest time — but I am now living proof that (the right) food is medicine, and the right lifestyle choices can change your life.

 

 

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Pocket
  • Print

Related Posts

Health// Health & SupplementsLeave a Comment

Liked this post? Join our email list to get more!

« 5 Things I’m Digging This Week (7-15)
Easy Cucumber Salad (Paleo, Whole30, Vegan) »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Welcome

Hi, I'm Lori! Join me on my journey to healing, as I share delicious Paleo recipes, wellness tips, healthy beauty advice, and other inspirational lifestyle musings. A healthy life is a happy life! Read More…

Latest Posts

12 Easy Whole30 Recipes for the no-fuss home cook looking for simple, easy-to-make, quick Whole30 dishes. Includes Paleo, AIP, and vegan options.

12 Easy Whole30 Recipes

Healthy Holiday Gift Guide 2018, Adventures of a Sick Chick

Healthy Holiday Gift Guide (2018)

Paleo Cinnamon Apple Pancakes (made with cassava flour: gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free)

Paleo Cinnamon Apple Pancakes (with Cassava Flour)

Subscribe

Get the latest recipes and healthy lifestyle info straight to your inbox!

Must Reads

Dreams of a Sixth Grader: how I let go of self-doubt and perceived outside judgment to finally become a writer.

Dreams of a Sixth Grader

Full Circle: A Tribute to Dad

Sponsor

Kettle & Fire Bone Broth - Shop Now

Featured Posts

10 Must-Try Natural Beauty Swaps

10 Must-Try Natural Beauty Swaps

8 Natural Cold and Flu Remedies

8 Natural Cold and Flu Remedies

Where to Find Quality Pre-Made Bone Broth

Where to Find Pre-Made Bone Broth

Best Natural Deodorants for Sensitive Skin: free of aluminum, synthetic fragrance, and other toxins. Healthy antiperspirant alternatives that actually work!

Best Natural Deodorants for Sensitive Skin

Sponsor

Shop Green Beauty At The Detox Market

Favorite Recipes

Paleo Cinnamon Apple Pancakes (made with cassava flour: gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free)

Paleo Cinnamon Apple Pancakes (with Cassava Flour)

BBQ Chicken with Peach Salsa - Paleo, AIP, nightshade-free

BBQ Chicken with Peach Salsa (Paleo, AIP)

Cucumber Apple Salsa

Cucumber Apple Salsa (Paleo, AIP, Whole30, Vegan)

10 Paleo Summer Salad Recipes

10 Paleo Summer Salad Recipes

Sunbutter Cookies, Paleo, Vegan, and Allergen-Friendly - gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, dairy-free, egg-free, coconut-free, refined sugar-free

Sunbutter Cookies (Paleo + Vegan)

Watermelon Blueberry Water

Watermelon Blueberry Water

Easy Cucumber Salad, Paleo and vegan

Easy Cucumber Salad (Paleo, Whole30, Vegan)

Green Bean and Mushroom Salad, Paleo and vegan

Green Bean and Mushroom Salad (Paleo, Whole30, Vegan)

Sponsor

Popular Posts

Slow Cooker Pot Roast - Paleo, AIP, Whole30

Slow Cooker Pot Roast (Paleo, AIP, Whole30)

30 Minute AIP-friendly Paleo Pumpkin Chili: nightshade-free, legume-free, and grain-free

30 Minute Paleo Pumpkin Chili (AIP, Whole30)

Paleo Pumpkin Pancakes (with Cassava Flour)

Paleo Pumpkin Pancakes (with Cassava Flour)

Easy Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin, Paleo and AIP

Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin (Paleo, AIP, Whole30)

Perfect Paleo Pancakes (Nut-Free)

How To Make a Gift Bow

How to Make a Gift Bow

Paleo Banana Bread, Nut-Free

Paleo Banana Bread (Nut-Free)

Vintage Vacation: Paris, Arc de Triomphe

Vintage Vacation: Paris

Gluten-Free Kauai, Hawaii

Gluten-Free Kauai

Sponsor

Restored 316 Feminine Wordpress Theme Design using the Genesis Framework

Latest from my Instagram

Follow on Instagram

You might also like

12 Easy Whole30 Recipes for the no-fuss home cook looking for simple, easy-to-make, quick Whole30 dishes. Includes Paleo, AIP, and vegan options.

12 Easy Whole30 Recipes

Healthy Holiday Gift Guide 2018, Adventures of a Sick Chick

Healthy Holiday Gift Guide (2018)

Paleo Cinnamon Apple Pancakes (made with cassava flour: gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free)

Paleo Cinnamon Apple Pancakes (with Cassava Flour)

Self Forgiveness and the Art of Healing

Self Forgiveness and the Art of Healing

BBQ Chicken with Peach Salsa - Paleo, AIP, nightshade-free

BBQ Chicken with Peach Salsa (Paleo, AIP)

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • About
  • Contact
  • Disclosure
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy

All content that appears on this website is the creation and property of Adventures of a Sick Chick (unless otherwise noted). Content may not be duplicated without written permission.

However, if you’d like to share a link to one of my recipes, you may do so by sharing one photo and linking back to the original recipe, clearly crediting Adventures of a Sick Chick accordingly. Thank you!

 

Copyright © 2023 Adventures of a Sick Chick · Savory theme by Restored 316