Over the last few months, I have been working hard behind the scenes to get my Autoimmune Holistic Nutrition Specialist certification and this weekend I passed my final exam and officially received my certification!

I’m not going to lie…

A lot of the stuff I already knew from years of researching autoimmunity and healing my own body, but I also learned SO much along the way too.

And I’m really excited to share it all with you!

So today, I want to share 5 fascinating facts I learned about autoimmunity from my Autoimmune Holistic Nutrition Specialist certification.

Some of these honestly surprised me.

And some of them just reinforced how important

So let’s get into it!

1.) Vitamin D deficiency and high sodium diets can BOTH contribute to leaky gut

One of the most interesting things I learned was that both vitamin D deficiency and high sodium diets can increase intestinal permeability (aka: “leaky gut”).

Leaky gut is considered one of the major triggers of autoimmunity because when the gut lining becomes too permeable, things that are supposed to stay inside the digestive tract can start leaking into the bloodstream.

That can trigger:

• gut dysbiosis

• chronic inflammation

• immune dysregulation

• food sensitivities

• skin issues

• allergies

• and worsening autoimmune symptoms

  
  

The encouraging part though is that the gut lining CAN heal. And we're going to be talking alllll about this every Friday in June inside the Autoimmune Edible Rx Course and Coaching Porgram including all the things you

Reducing sodium intake (like eating more home-cooked meals made from whole, single-ingredient foods) and getting adequate vitamin D may help strengthen those tight junctions in the gut lining.

Which means it may help:

• lessen inflammation

• decrease autoimmune symptoms

• improve digestion

• reduce rashes and food sensitivities

• and potentially slow disease progression

  
  

It’s honestly crazy how much the health of the gut impacts the immune system.

2.) White willow bark is basically nature’s aspirin

I had literally never even heard of white willow bark before this certification.

Apparently it’s been used for THOUSANDS of years as a natural pain reliever, fever reducer, and anti-inflammatory.

White willow bark comes from the Salix alba tree and has been used in traditional medicine by ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Indigenous cultures for centuries.

Its main active compound is called salicin, which the body converts into salicylic acid (very similar to the active ingredient in aspirin).

Now obviously natural doesn’t automatically mean safe for everyone, especially for people with autoimmune disease or people taking medications.

But I just thought it was fascinating that there are plants people have been using medicinally for thousands of years that most of us have never even heard of.

3.) Some herbal supplements can actually worsen autoimmune symptoms

This one surprised me A LOT.

I learned there are multiple herbal supplements that can potentially amplify autoimmune symptoms depending on the person, the condition, and the dosage.

Including some VERY commonly used ones like:

• echinacea

• ginseng

• and even lemon balm

  
  

A lot of these herbs stimulate the immune system.

Which sounds like a good thing…until you realize that with autoimmunity, the immune system is already overactive.

So in some cases, stimulating the immune system even more can potentially worsen symptoms or trigger flares.

This was such a good reminder that “natural” doesn’t always mean harmless.

And it’s also why personalized nutrition and lifestyle medicine matters so much with autoimmune disease because what helps one person may hurt another.

4.) Toxins can cause molecular mimicry

This one honestly blew my mind.

Molecular mimicry is when a foreign substance looks SO similar to your own body’s tissues that your immune system can’t tell the difference.

So your immune system goes out to attack the foreign invader…

But because the toxin or substance closely resembles your own tissues, the immune system accidentally starts attacking YOU too.

Basically it’s a case of mistaken identity.

A lot of people hear about molecular mimicry in relation to gluten and Hashimoto’s.

When someone with Hashimoto’s eats gluten, the proteins in the gluten can so closely resemble the proteins in the thyroid tissue that when the immune system goes out to attack the gluten…

It accidentally attacks the thyroid too.

Which is one of the main reasons why all of my recipes are gluten free.

But what really shocked me is that FOOD isn’t the only thing that can trigger molecular mimicry.

Certain toxins can too.

Which really made me realize how interconnected everything is:

• the gut

• the immune system

• environmental toxins

• stress

• infections

• food

• and inflammation
  

None of these things exist in isolation.

5.) Autoimmunity is one of the top causes of death amongst women ages 15-64 in the United States and the UK.

This last fact honestly put a lot into perspective for me.

Because of that, the National Institutes of Health now recognizes autoimmunity as a “major women’s health issue.”

And honestly…I think a lot more people need to be talking about this.

Autoimmune disease impacts MILLIONS of women.

In the UK, it’s estimated that about 1 in 8 women are living with autoimmune disease.

And in the United States, autoimmune diseases affect an estimated 15 million Americans, with women being nearly twice as likely as men to be diagnosed.

And yet so many women are still being dismissed, gaslit, misdiagnosed, or told their symptoms are “just stress.”

Meanwhile they’re dealing with:

• chronic fatigue

• inflammation

• digestive issues

• pain

• skin problems

• brain fog

• hormone imbalances

• and nervous system dysregulation

• and so much more
  

I think one of the biggest things this certification reinforced for me is that healing autoimmunity isn’t JUST about food.

Food matters deeply. Of course. That's why it's the foundation of everything I do.

But so do:

• stress levels

• nervous system regulation

• sleep

• toxin exposure

• gut health

• blood sugar balance

• movement

• and lifestyle as a whole
  

The fact of the matter is: you can eat the cleanest diet in the world, but if your nervous system is constantly stuck in fight-or-flight mode, your gut is a wreck, and your stress levels are through the roof, and your body is full of toxic chemicals...

You're always going to struggle with chronic debilitating symptoms of your condition.

That’s why I’ve always been so passionate about taking a more holistic approach to autoimmune wellness.

That's why I help my students inside The Autoimmune Edible Rx Course + Group Coaching Program go "beyond food" every single friday inside of our private group.

We started with nervous system regulation and now we are talking about detoxing. Next month, it's all going to be about gut health.

And now, this certification gives me the confidence to share all of this with the public as well!

Which is exactly why I recently decided to expand my offerings.

Because I know how overwhelming autoimmune disease can feel when you’re trying to figure everything out on your own.

So in addition to my current group offerings, I now have the following 1:1 virtual services available:

• custom meal plan creation

• 1:1 consultations

• private 12-week coaching sessions

• and private cooking classes

Going forward, now that I'm officially certified to teach you all the things that contribute to the onset and proliferation of autoimmunity...

We won't just be focusing on food. That part will always stay.

But I also want to share with you the lifestyle factors that can impact autoimmune healing like toxin exposure, gut issues, stress, nervous system dysregulation, and so much more!

Because healing autoimmunity is about so much more than just eliminating foods.

It’s about supporting the body as a whole.

I'm so excited for this!

If you'd like to learn more about how I can help you 1:1 on your autoimmune wellness journey, check out my new private offerings at the link in the show notes below! You can even book a free 30-minute clarity call to learn how we can work together!

Can't wait!

xo,

Laura

Alright, thank you for joining me for another episode of The Autoimmune Edible Rx Podcast! Just to recap, we talked about 5 fascinating facts I learned about autoimmunity recently: 1.) Low vitamin D and/or a high-sodium diet can cause leaky gut which is one of the top main triggers of autoimmunity because it can lead to dysbiosis, chronic inflammation, and immune dysfunction

2.) Willow bark - an ancient supplement is basically nature's pain killer/fever reducer

3.) Some herbal supplements like ginseng, lemon balm, and echinacea can make autoimmune symptoms worse. Make sure to consult your doctor before trying any of these!

4.) Food isn't the only thing that can cause molecular mimicry (that crazy thing where your immune system attacks your own tissues because it mistakes them for a foreign substance that looks identical). Toxins can cause molecular mimicry too.

5.) Autoimmunity is a leading cause of death among in the US and UK. So much so that the National Institutes of Health is now classifying it as a "major women's health issue".

Women are 4x more likely to develop autoimmunity than men.

So even if you don't have a diagnosis...if you have tested positive for autoimmune antibodies...have tested positive for high inflammation levels...and you're a woman...

Now would be a great time to start changing your diet and lifestyle to prevent a formal diagnosis.

Sadly, the global rates of autoimmunity are rising - to the tune of 12% per year. So if we don't do something about it now, those numbers are only going to go up.

If you need help getting started...

Check out the links in the show notes below.

Thank you thank you for joining me for another episode of The Autoimmune Edible Rx Podcast. I'm your host, Laura Rodriguez - chef and certified autoimmune holistic nutrition specialist.

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and leave the show a rating or a review. It really helps deliver this message to the millions of women all around the world that need it.

And as always...

If there's only one thing you can do for your health this week...

Please, please, please...eat your damn vegetables! BYE!!

To get the full transcript of this podcast episode, click here: