autoimmune disease

Got No Willpower?

July 8, 2016 By Karen Leave a Comment

When it comes to tempting treats – do you firmly believe you have zero willpower?

Are you convinced this lack of control mean you’re deficient as a human being?

Or equally bad, that there’s something terribly wrong with you?

Well, here’s the good news: there might be a perfectly logical explanation for your apparent ‘lack of willpower’!

And it all comes back to your diet and the state of your digestion.

Let me explain.

On a deep, physiological level, it’s possible that your body isn’t absorbing the nutrients it needs, and this can happen for a number of reasons.

The most common ones would be a poor diet, or a flawed digestive system – either one of which can lead to a leaky gut.

Not to mention a host of other problems – including nutrient deficiency! (You could literally be ‘starving’ – and not even know it.)

What’s On Your Bucket List?

May 27, 2016 By Karen 1 Comment

You’ve heard of a Bucket List, right?

That list of things you’ve always wanted to do, but never quite got around to?

In a nutshell, a Bucket List is a way of setting some goals for yourself, namely what you’d like to accomplish in this life, before moving on.

And it’s an awesome idea!

(Perhaps you’ve even seen the movie by that name?)

Today I’d like to share with you a different sort of Bucket List.

It’s an analogy, if you will, a way of looking at the hand you’ve been dealt – your medical history, along with your entire life trajectory and challenges along the way.

In other words, everything that’s you led to where you are today.

So, here’s the thing.

Picture a bucket of water – with the water level stopping about two inches from the top.

Have You Bought Into this Myth?

April 29, 2016 By Karen Leave a Comment

No doubt you’ve heard what the media says about getting older.

All that stuff about genetics and that it goes downhill from there – meaning you’ll be old and sick, tired and achy well before your time – and have to give up your favorite foods, and favorite activities.

Well, guess what?

None of it is true!

Chances are you’re already convinced that being old and sick is just the way it is.

It’s a normal part of getting older, and there’s not a whole lot you can do about it, right?

Wrong!

What about your genes? Isn’t sickness and poor health a foregone conclusion, based on your heredity? Aren’t you doomed form the get-go?

A lot of this confusion about getting older – what I call the ‘myth of aging’ – is based on this outdated belief that your genes are your destiny.

Yet nothing could be further from the truth.

How do I know this?

Look around you, and you’ll find plenty of research that supports what I’m saying – you just need to know where to look. [Read more…]

Filed Under: ENVIRONMENT, HEALTH & WELLNESS, HEALTHY AGING Tagged With: aging, autoimmune disease, Deepak Chopra, Design a Healthy Life, dietary triggers, environmental toxins, genes, genetics, gluten-free, Kelly Brogan MD, lifestyle medicine, myths, outdated beliefs

Why Your Aches & Pains Are A Good Thing

October 2, 2015 By Karen

Do you sometimes feel like a human guinea pig?

Perhaps you’ve even experimented with different foods, in an effort to figure out what might be a trigger for you.

Let me preface this first by saying – if you have Celiac disease, or an Autoimmune condition, this is in NO WAY a license to re-introduce gluten!

Got that?

However, your dietary triggers could also be dairy, eggs, or nuts – or any number of different foods.

Let’s take a closer look at eggs for a moment.

Are eggs a regular part of your diet?

They use to be for me, too.

I often enjoyed scrambled eggs, or an omelet for breakfast.

And I absolutely LOVED making soufflé! (As fancy as that sounds, it’s not that hard. Seriously!)

At this point, however, it’s literally been years since I last ate eggs.

In recent weeks, however, I decided to re-introduce them – as a human experiment, if you will.

Using me as the guinea pig.

Autoimmune Disease & You

June 26, 2015 By Karen Leave a Comment

Did you know that Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition?

Did you also know that autoimmune diseases are on the rise?

In fact, statistically, if you’ve already been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, your chances of having two or three more are extremely high.

Kind of sobering, isn’t it?

By its very definition, autoimmunity means that your body – specifically your immune system – is attacking YOU.

It isn’t something that’s supposed to happen.

(And doesn’t, as long as your immune system is functioning properly).

But right now, we’re actually in the midst of an autoimmune epidemic – that’s how common these autoimmune conditions have become.

Yet, here’s something else that might surprise you:

3 Things About Your Birth You Likely Never Thought About

May 1, 2015 By Karen Leave a Comment

If you’re 40 or older, you might be thinking “Isn’t it a bit late for me?”

Or, “Why should I care?”

So yes, it might seem like it’s a bit late.

But here’s a few sobering facts:

The odds of acquiring an autoimmune disease later in life, are directly linked to what you were exposed to in your mother’s womb

Cord blood from newborns is routinely shown to contain high levels of toxic chemicals

Children born today have a shorter life expectancy

So again, what does any of this have to do with you, given your current age?

Well, those toxic chemicals?

They reside in all of us – young and old.

(It’s a fact of modern life).

It’s also why I love to suggest ways you can reduce your environmental exposure – especially in the privacy of your home.

It’s one of the easiest things you can do for yourself!

Are You Shooting Yourself In The Foot?

October 4, 2013 By Karen Leave a Comment

Have you ever accompanied a friend, or family member to a doctor’s appointment?

Last week, I did just that, in the role of official note taker.

As luck would have it, the discussion eventually came around to the subject of gluten; by reviewing some of the lab work and test results, the doctor made some key observations and suddenly announced that my friend was likely highly sensitive to gluten.

When I heard the word “gluten” my ears instantly perked up.

I couldn’t help it.

I suddenly found myself glued to every word the doctor was saying, and incredibly grateful for what proved to be a unique opportunity to hear his opinion.

I particularly loved the following analogy.

The doctor was comparing the human body to a used vehicle, traveling along the Road of Life.

Along the way, he said, we encounter many potholes – especially once we’ve reached a certain point in our lives.

And having an autoimmune disease like Celiac Disease, or gluten sensitivity, is one them.

The solution is simple, though.

Just like a car, our bodies need to be properly maintained and require the occasional tune-ups for dealing with those potholes – so that’s what we’re talking about here:

The occasional tune-up!

Understandably, the doctor was quite insistent about eliminating gluten from the diet – completely.

“Otherwise,” he said, “You are shooting yourself in the foot.”

Got No Willpower?

What’s On Your Bucket List?

Have You Bought Into this Myth?

Why Your Aches & Pains Are A Good Thing

Autoimmune Disease & You

3 Things About Your Birth You Likely Never Thought About

Are You Shooting Yourself In The Foot?

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