30: The Functional Medicine Solution for Autoimmune Disease | Dr. Amy Myers, MD

Autoimmune diseases are conditions where the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues rather than a foreign molecule like bacteria. Some of the most common autoimmune diseases include rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, and hypothyroidism, however, there are many more that affect the nervous system, joints and muscles, skin, and even heart. Today, I’m joined by Dr. Amy Myers, MD, a two-time bestselling author and internationally acclaimed medical and functional medicine physician, to discuss why autoimmune issues are on the rise and how we can treat them using a functional medicine approach.

What you'll learn from this episode:

• Common root causes of autoimmune disease 
• How functional medicine looks at environmental triggers, physical and emotional stress, and other lifestyle factors when it comes to addressing autoimmune disorders
• The role of leaky gut in the development of autoimmune disease & how to heal it
• How to use food as medicine, and the optimal diet for someone with autoimmune disease
• Why you should be avoiding gluten & dairy
• & So much more!

Resources:

• Amy Myers Website | Instagram | Facebook
• The Autoimmune Solution: Prevent and Reverse the Full Spectrum of Inflammatory Symptoms and Diseases 
• All Disease Begins in the Leaky Gut
• Genova Lab Testing
• Fasano's Triad & the Trajectory of Auotimmunity
• Protective effects of a gluten-free diet
• Dr. Myer's Leaky Gut Revive

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• To access notes from the show & full transcripts, head over to WellnStrong's Podcast Page

Chapters

• 2:12 Dr. Myer's personal story of how she ended up in the functional medicine space
• 8:20 What is autoimmunity?
• 9:06 The common case of multiple autoimmune disorders
• 12:30 Dr. Myer's mom's experience with conventional oncology
• 14:30 How we can influence our gene expression
• 15:29 Lifestyle factors that are contributing to the rise in autoimmune disease today
• 17:04 The link between leaky gut & autoimmunity
• 17:41 Triggers in disease development
• 20:31 Foods to avoid if you have a leaky gut
• 25:56 Should everyone be avoiding gluten?
• 30:21 Specific supplements to heal leaky gut
• 31:49 How to choose the right probiotic
• 33:04 How to properly test for SIBO
• 35:39 Addressing yeast overgrowth
• 37:47 The problem with fermented foods for people with SIBO
• 42:10 The 4 R's of healing a leaky gut
• 45:45 To take the antibiotic or not?
• 50:10 Can early usage of antibiotics contribute to the development of autoimmune disorders later on?