Autoimmune Conditions _Final

>> Welcome back. Are you ready to learn more about the immune system in the gut and what happens when it goes haywire? There are two general reactions that can occur when this happens. Autoimmune responses and autoinflammatory responses. In this lecture, we'll look at how autoimmune disorders affect the gut and the role that the gut intestinal barrier may play in autoimmune diseases. Autoimmune conditions are on the rise and this is probably a term you hear often. So what exactly is autoimmune disease? Autoimmune disease is a systemic condition when the body attacks healthy tissue or organ and can no longer distinguished between self and the other. In the gut, two main autoimmune conditions involving the immune the system are celiac disease and type 1 diabetes. Let's explore how both of these happen. We'll start by looking at how these conditions occur in the gut, what has to take place? When you're looking at any condition, it's important to look at the framework that contributes to it. In the case of autoimmune and autoinflammatory conditions, both are caused by combination of three factors. One, genetic susceptibility, two, exposure to an antigen or an environmental factor that triggers the immune system. Think of this trigger-like the push of a button that enacts genetic susceptibility. And three, the antigen must interact with the mucosal immune system. So therefore, there must be some permeability in the gut lining. Does this make sense? There must be a sensitivity and a trigger, and that trigger must interact with the body. Environmental triggers can be a variety of things, ranging from infection to too much stress. This is possible due to a process we'll go over in another lecture called Leaky Gut. This is when the cells along the intestinal lining are permeable, meaning, the space between them loosens. An increasing amount of scientific evidence now points the idea that autoimmunity and inflammation, the cause of more than 100 chronic illnesses isn't just genetic. It must be triggered by environmental factors in order to emerge. As a Health Coach, this offers a tremendous amount of hope and optimism that diet and lifestyle modifications can be valuable solutions. What we're seeing is that symptoms even when turned on may have the potential to be turned off when the offensive triggers removed. This is pretty amazing. The first condition we're going to look at look is celiac disease. Celiac disease is an immune response in the gut. People with celiac disease have a higher amount of antibodies in their blood. All symptoms for celiac can be avoided or tend to go away when gluten or gliadin, two proteins found in wheat and other grains are totally avoided. When people with celiac disease consume gluten, the body attacks itself as if it were foreign invader. This causes damage to the villi in the small intestine. You may recall that the villi are the small hair-like structures that help us absorb nutrients. So as you can see this is really not a good thing. Gluten is a protein found in many grains, such as, wheat, barley, rye, spelt, faro, and kamut. Oats are naturally gluten-free, but often processed in mills that process wheat. And therefore, are often contaminated with gluten. When the immune system of someone with celiac disease spots these guys, it responds with inflammation. The toxins in gluten trigger and attack on the mucosal layer. This attack on the small intestine is what makes celiac disease an autoimmune disease. Gluten is also found in a lot of processed foods, as many companies use it as a filler or a binder. It's included in many pre-packaged sauces. For example, those with celiac should stay away from brewer's yeast to any type of breading, dextrin, maltodextrin. Gluten is often used in mini soya and Asian products, but ironically, the incidence of celiac disease is low in Asian populations. Luckily, since gluten-free eating has become popular in recent years, there are now many great alternative products and options on the shelves and in restaurants that are gluten-free. These products carry a gluten-free label making them easy to spot. Celiac symptoms can emerge as rashes, mouth sores, or depression. Symptoms can show up in the gut or beyond. Celiac disease causes malabsorption, which leads to a number of symptoms that can seem unrelated. For example, if a person with celiac disease isn't absorbing calcium, this can lead to bone density issues, and malabsorption can also present as anaemia or vitamin deficiency. Let's discuss a common misconception. Being sensitive to gluten does not mean you have celiac disease. It's important to distinguish that many people have intolerance to gluten, only about 1 out of every 100 people have celiac disease. This condition can involve cramping, diarrhea, and constipation upon consumption of gluten. This is what we call non-celiac gluten sensitivity, and this is not an immune reaction. This is a really important distinction to be aware of as a Health Coach. Most people get their information from the internet, and you'll likely have clients who stop eating gluten for reason or another and start to feel better as the result, and then concluded that they must have celiac disease. You'll want to be able to explain to them that this may not be the case and why. It's even more important not to jump to the conclusion that a client has celiac disease because you had them doing an elimination diet, and they discover they feel better going gluten-free. For some people, wheat itself bothers them and they may have a wheat allergy. This means that a client could be having an immune reaction to any of the hundreds of proteins in wheat. Only a doctor can screen and diagnose for celiac disease. So remember, if a client show symptoms, you'll want to encourage them to go for testing. Until then, you can encourage them to try experimenting with removing wheat and grains from their diet, but it's never appropriate to tell them that you think they have celiac disease. Whether a client has celiac disease, a non-celiac gluten sensitivity, or a wheat allergy, in any of these three cases, they're likely experiencing less than optimal health. Where a Health Coach comes in handy is helping your client identify what optimal health feels like for him or her. Have they always felt fatigued? What steps can they take to realize their full potential? Often just asking the right questions and holding space for a client can provide the encouragement and solutions to get them there. Treatment for all three of these conditions is the same and pretty straightforward. Avoid gluten in wheat. Although, if you only have a wheat allergy, you can still have gluten in its non-wheat forms. It's a simple rule, but it can be hard for many clients to implement, especially those who love their starchy carbs. Fortunately, these days, there are so many delicious alternatives and resources out there. Providing your clients with recipes, ideas, and support can help them shift from mourning the loss of their beloved pancakes to empowering themselves with healthier alternatives and make them feel great. I'd like to remind you that many symptoms of gastrointestinal disease overlap. That is one reason why it's so helpful and so important to look at the person as a whole rather than try and peg all their symptoms with one condition. As we've discussed, an unhealthy gut can lead to a variety of symptoms, beyond the gut. A bonus of getting off wheat and gluten is that it can help many other conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis. The benefits are many. Just to be sure to warn your clients that if they cut out the wheat in gluten cold turkey, that they may experience an initial week of detox symptoms. This can include nausea, headache, and brain fog, almost like having the flu. Support your clients while they wean off wheat and prepare them to feel a little worse before they start to feel better. Without a warning, it's common for people to give up during the stage of withdrawal because many people unknowingly think, "Wait a minute, I thought I was supposed to feel better and now I feel worse, and I miss pizza." The old adage about the importance of heart healthy grains, which we grew up reading on our cereal boxes, might not be so healthy after all. Amylase, the enzyme in our saliva that breaks down starches and sugars is so effective at breaking down the carbs we eat that by the time they're absorbed into the body, it's as if you've consumed table sugar. We're not advocating for or against wheat, just pointing out that it does seem that the number of intolerance or reactions to wheat are on the rise. And that these reactions are affecting people's health and wellbeing. Some say, the amount of gluten in foods has increased over the years and that the ancient practice of fermentation is a step often skipped in modern bread production. This may be another area where the microbiome comes into play. It does seem that people with celiac disease have an altered microbiome, but we're still trying to understand what role the bugs in our gut may play in many diseases. In the end, it all comes down to bio-individuality, and what works or doesn't work for a certain person at a certain time in their lives. Always remember that the most important goal is to help your clients feel better regardless of what their symptoms are. It's not your role to diagnose anyway, so focus on helping them implement diet and lifestyle changes rather than trying to solve a mystery that's not even yours to solve. Bottom-line, how can you help your client feel more vibrant and have more energy to lead a life they love? What are your thoughts on wheat? Do you go against the grain or they staple in your diet? Have you ever tried a wheat-free or gluten-free diet? And how did you feel? Share your experiences in the Facebook group. We've talked a lot about celiac disease and gluten, so let's move on to discuss other autoimmune disease of the gut, type 1 diabetes. This is a condition where the body doesn't produce insulin and the body attacks its own pancreas, preventing it from producing insulin. People with type 1 diabetes have inflammation of the gut mucosa and also seemed to have an altered microbiome. With any of these conditions, it's not yet known which is the chicken and which is the egg. A physician must closely monitor this condition, so we won't get into diagnosis or treatment in this course. Their doctor will provide specific food choices for when their blood sugars high versus low. Let them determine the appropriate diet in insulin levels. What can you do as a Health Coach to guide your clients day to day in eating a low glycemic diet as well as helping them to monitor their symptoms day to day? You can help them stay on track and see what food seem to trigger changes in their blood sugar. For those at risk for disease, a sound preventative measure is to help clients build a healthy microbiome. The risk of developing type 1 diabetes is greater when there is dysbiosis. You can always refer back to the information on developing a healthy gut in the early years as this is a condition that often affects children. You can also support clients who are genetically predisposed to type 1 diabetes by helping them modify their diet. Wheat and gluten seem to also have a negative impact on those predisposed to type 1 diabetes. General recommendations for these folks include decreasing fat intake while increasing fruits and vegetables. Olive and healthy fats are good, it combine with high glycemic meals. Specific foods that are helpful include flax seeds and honey. And people predisposed to type 1 diabetes have found success with some herbs, such as, bitter melon, fenugreek, and cinnamon. A curcumin is also a great for inflammation and can be a regenerative for those with type 1 diabetes. But due to the seriousness of this disease, advise your client to run any recommendations by their primary practitioner. Another way to help is to make sure that your client is armed with proper snacks and food throughout the day based on their protocol. Help them establish a routine that avoids missteps that can wreak havoc on their blood sugar. You can really help your diabetic clients by helping them manage or reduce their stress. This can span from frustrations with their diet to coping skills, to reducing stress release in their lives. Pay close attention to what's lacking in terms of their primary food as these are deficits that are often linked with stress. As a Health Coach, you can help your clients track and record the pieces of their puzzle in a way that's empowering. When they record and witness their experiences, you're empowering them to connect the dots and take the lead in their own healing process. This can serve as the light at the end of the tunnel, especially with chronic conditions like, celiac disease and type 1 diabetes. Who has done this for you in your life? Do you have any one you can lean on for support with your diet and to manage your stress? Log in to the Facebook group and let us know. Thanks for being here with me today, showing up for yourself and others. Bye for now.