Autoimmunity

We’ve been inundated with public health messages instilling fear and panic, threatening another lockdown, more mandatory wearing of masks and even night curfews, because of “soaring cases”........

Firstly, what is a case? The correct use of the term, represents someone with severe symptoms, severe enough to be admitted to hospital. However what the media and Govt are dramatically calling a case, the numbers spooling across our TV screens don’t fit this criteria at all. Find out more about cases, our immune response and my thoughts on what the population's priority should be right now...

Earlier this summer, it was announced people at risk of developing type 2 diabetes would be able to self-refer to specialist support services in a bid to curb this disease and  one of the biggest risk factors in Covid-19 deaths. The intervention of “support” is a soup-and-shake diet weight-loss plan. 

These “meal replacements” are packed full of artificial sweeteners, emulsifiers, and gums. These very ingredients that play havoc with our gut microbiota and blood sugar levels. In addition to well-established risk factors for type 2 diabetes, including predisposition, poor physical activity, high consumption of refined and processed carbohydrates, an altered configuration of the microbial community in our gut – the microbiota – is also linked to type 2 diabetes - and what causes this "altered configuration"? yup- artificial sweeteners, emulsifiers and refined foods! 

Can we just stop! And apply some connected thinking here...?

The question on everyone's lips right now is “how can I boost my immune system”? While the idea of taking a “superfood”, medication or touted “immune boosting supplement” is enticing, the truth of the matter is it is not that straight forward, simple or indeed possible. In fact we do not want to boost a system that is in any way inflamed already (more on this in a moment). The immune system is precisely that — a system, not a single entity and as such is a highly complex web of specialist organs, cells, hormones and chemicals that ebb and flow in response to its surrounding environment. What we are actually striving for is an immune system that is resilient.  

I started writing this blog 3 days ago, and it’s just got longer and longer due to the many possible contributing factors that are at play in relation to the disease COVID19.

I wanted to share measured and science based information with you, and I’ve had my head in the literature and mind-mapping the contributing factors to now share with you. I’ve written it in a way to answer the questions that have arisen in my mind, such as “why does it impact the over 60’s, or those with pre-existing health conditions more”, and used valid research to help me map this out for you. However, I must emphasise I am not a virologist, I am a health professional with a passion for science and helping you, my community in any way I can...

Do you know how your thyroid works? The thyroid hormone is vitally important: every cell in the body - be that a gut cell, brain cell, immune cell or muscle cell - has receptors for it, and thus it quite literally instructs each of those cells to do what they are designed to do and drives the speed at which all of these cells work.

Here I'm explaining the differences between Hypothyroidism and Hyperthyroidism symptoms and why some thyroid tests come back as normal - even if there are indicators that the Thyroid is not functioning normally. Most people with hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis need to take thyroid hormone medication, as having low or depressed thyroid hormone levels can lead to moderate to severe symptoms. However, we must also get to work on addressing the root causes.