Starting the New Year Right for Those with Autoimmune Disease

January is an excellent time to reset how you manage your autoimmune condition

This post was contributed by a community member.

Make time to evaluate and take care of your health to start the year if you suffer from autoimmune disease

Holiday indulgences aren’t always autoimmune friendly. For those living with autoimmune disease, a season marked by decadent meals and running around visiting family and friends can leave you struggling to keep up in the New Year.

As January unfolds in front of us, it’s imperative that anyone suffering from an autoimmune condition take steps to evaluate the impact of their holiday activities and take steps to ensure a healthy 2019.

The U.S. National Library of Medicine points out that there are over 80 different autoimmune diseases and the American Autoimmune Diseases Association puts the number at more than 100. Yet there is one common denominator when it comes to the symptoms of most of them: inflammation. The body can fluctuate between flare-ups, where symptoms get worse, and remission, where the symptoms get better or go away. The state of an autoimmune disease can be affected by inflammation, which can cause redness, heat, pain and swelling.

So, what is causing the inflammation that aggravates the symptoms of their autoimmune disease? You guessed it — the wrong food choices, inadequate sleep and elevated stress, to name a few. The hustle and bustle of the holiday season, with all its joys and guilty pleasures, comes with physical consequences that can be especially detrimental to anyone living with autoimmune disease.

However, in my years of treating patients with autoimmune disease around the holidays, I’ve found there are some general steps and guidelines for getting back on track in the New Year. With this in mind, the following six tips will help those with autoimmune disease to enjoy a healthier, more feel-good 2019:

1. Get adequate rest and sleep. This can be easier said than done during the hustle and bustle of the holidays but it’s important to recommit to getting your rest in January as fatigue is one of the most common side effects of autoimmune disease. If you don’t listen to your body when you’re tired you can exacerbate your condition. Losing sleep can trigger the key cellular pathway that produces tissue-damaging inflammation. Make it a point to set limits for gatherings. You don’t need to be the last one at the party and don’t overcommit yourself.
2. Keep your stress at bay. Chronic stress alters the gene activity of immune cells before they enter the bloodstream so that they’re ready to fight infection or trauma — even when there is no infection or trauma to fight. This leads to increased inflammation. So again, set limits for yourself and communicate them to your friends and family. We often set high expectations for ourselves that we can’t always realize. Your loved ones will understand. Health and happiness come before meeting up for a night out to catch up after the holidays, biting off more than you can chew at work or getting the house back in order after the holiday season. Pace yourself!
3. Consider the impact of the holiday fare. Try not to limit yourself unnecessarily because of your condition but do think about any holiday treats or meals that may have left you feeling less than one hundred percent. Try keeping a record of everything you eat so that if you do feel any symptoms this year you can try to narrow down and identify the offending item. Dairy, gluten, sugar, refined starches and grains, saturated fats and alcohol are inflammatory and should be avoided. At the very least, eat them in moderation.
4. Keep an eye on your kids. Autoimmune diseases are often hereditary so if you have an autoimmune condition your kids are likely at a higher risk for developing one as well. Keep on alert to any behavioral or physical ailments that your kids may display as they reintegrate back into their school routines after the holiday break.
5. See your doctor. Have you been formally diagnosed with an autoimmune condition or are you just guessing? Make sure you and your doctor are on the same page in terms of diagnosis/treatment options so you can properly game plan for 2019. There are great testing facilities out there like Cyrex Laboratories that offer test panels designed to evaluate your immune reactions using proprietary, advanced technology.
6. Get to know your triggers. Is there a specific food that triggers your condition? Do you know if you are consuming any cross-reactive foods? Are you better off consuming a food in raw, cooked or modified form? Again, there are tests, like those available through Cyrex Laboratories, that can help you identify these things. The Array 10 — Multiple Food Immune Reactivity Screening tests for early detection of dietary-related triggers of autoimmune reactivity.

It is important to consult with your doctor if you have or suspect you may have autoimmune related issues. Good communication, awareness and professional medical guidance are key to good health and feeling your best, especially as we prepare for a busy 2019 at work, home and everywhere in between. Making time for you and your well being is always a worthy investment. Here’s to good health in 2019!

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Originally published at patch.com on January 15, 2019.