Autoimmune diseases can be debilitating and difficult to treat, but there are individuals who have managed to reverse their conditions through various approaches. In this article, we will showcase inspiring stories of people who have successfully overcome or treated autoimmune diseases, shedding light on their journeys and the methods they used to achieve remission. These stories offer hope and insight to those struggling with autoimmune conditions, and demonstrate that recovery is possible with the right strategies and support.
Landria Voigt
Landria Voigt, a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and GAPS Practitioner, has authored multiple books, most famously recipe books, geared around healthy eating and holistic health. Her expertise in gut health and autoimmune diseases has made her a popular practitioner. She believes in a holistic approach that emphasizes the interconnectedness of body, mind, and spirit, empowering clients to take charge of their health by providing them with the knowledge and tools they need to make informed decisions about their wellbeing.
After being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and lupus, life felt like an insurmountable task for Landria Voigt, making basic tasks like caring for her children impossible. Medication failed to help and her health continued to deteriorate until she took control of her own wellbeing. She eliminated inflammatory and difficult-to-digest foods from her diet, adopting a gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free and sugar-free whole foods diet. As a result, Voigt’s energy levels increased, bathroom issues subsided, and her hands were no longer stiff. She also overcame other health issues, including bronchitis and ADD, and regained her focus. Voigt shares her success story to encourage others suffering from autoimmune disease to take control of their health through integrative medicine.(1)
Amy Myers, MD
Dr. Amy Myers is a well-known functional medicine physician, best-selling author, and speaker who specializes in helping individuals with autoimmune diseases and other chronic conditions. As the founder and medical director of the Austin UltraHealth clinic in Austin, Texas, she has worked with thousands of patients to help them achieve optimal health and wellness through personalized and integrative approaches to healthcare. Dr. Myers is also the author of several books, including “The Autoimmune Solution” and “The Thyroid Connection,” and is a popular guest on various health and wellness podcasts and media outlets.
Dr. Amy Myers debunks the myth that autoimmune diseases cannot be reversed and only managed by medication. Myers shares her experience with Graves’ disease and her mother’s pancreatic cancer to illustrate how even those who lead healthy lifestyles can fall ill. She believes that autoimmunity is a sign of deeper issues and can be reversed by getting to the root cause, which includes changes to one’s diet. Amy Myers reversed her autoimmune disease by making radical changes to her diet. She eliminated gluten, dairy, grains, legumes, and soy, which are all known to be inflammatory and can cause leaky gut, a precursor to autoimmunity. She also avoided nuts and seeds, which contain enzyme inhibitors that can interfere with digestion and lead to inflammation. Instead, she focused on consuming nutrient-dense foods such as organic meats, vegetables, and healthy fats. Through these dietary changes, she was able to get to the root cause of her autoimmune condition and achieve a symptom-free life.
Dr. Hyman
Dr. Hyman is a physician and author who advocates for functional medicine, an approach that seeks to identify and address the root causes of disease instead of just treating symptoms. He emphasizes the role of inflammation in chronic diseases, including autoimmune disorders, and promotes a holistic approach that takes into account diet, environment, and lifestyle factors. He has written several books on the topic and is a frequent speaker and commentator on health and wellness issues.
Dr. Hyman believes that inflammation is the primary cause of almost every chronic disease, including autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, thyroid disease, and inflammatory bowel disease. Inflammation can be caused by various factors, including hidden allergens, infections, environmental toxins, stress, and an inflammatory diet. Dr. Hyman suggests that to treat autoimmune diseases, it is necessary to identify and eliminate the cause of inflammation instead of simply suppressing it with medication. By treating the underlying causes of inflammation, Dr. Hyman’s patient, who had a complex autoimmune disease, was cured. Autoimmune conditions are connected by one central biochemical process: a runaway immune response, also known as systemic inflammation, that results in the body attacking its tissues. Inflammation arises when the immune system misidentifies the body’s tissue as a foreign object. Dr. Hyman suggests nine steps to cool the fires of inflammation and overcome conditions, including allergies to arthritis.(3)
Dr. Brooke Goldner
Dr. Brooke Goldner is a medical doctor who specializes in treating chronic illnesses, particularly autoimmune diseases, through a whole-food, plant-based diet and lifestyle changes. She is the founder of Goodbye Lupus, a program that aims to help individuals reverse their autoimmune diseases naturally, and the author of the book “Goodbye Lupus.” Dr. Goldner herself reversed her own lupus through these methods and has since helped countless others do the same. She is also a speaker and advocate for the benefits of plant-based nutrition and has been featured in various media outlets.
Dr. Brooke Goldner was able to reverse her own autoimmune disease, lupus, by changing her diet to a plant-based one, which included lots of salads and green smoothies. She realized that genes play a part in the development of diseases, but a few lifestyle changes such as diet, sleep, and stress management can prevent bad genes from turning into diseases. Dr. Goldner also believes that autoimmune diseases are increasing globally due to a diet high in animal products, meat, dairy, and processed foods. She recommends introducing more fresh vegetables, fruits, unprocessed grains, and omega-3s to one’s diet to help repair the body. Dr. Goldner has written three best-selling books to help others reverse autoimmune diseases.(4)
Stacey Scott
Stacey Scott is the founder of Vita (vitahealthcoach.com), a health and wellness company. She is a former occupational therapist with a specialization in neurology. The company Vita is no longer around, but Stacey’s experience is a great one to share.
Stacey Scott reversed her autoimmune disease by focusing on nutrition, lifestyle changes, and seeking help from a herbalist and a functional medicine practitioner. She realized that underlying inflammation was the issue with autoimmunity and that the gut’s microbiome played a role in modulating the immune system. She changed her diet, eliminating gluten, dairy, almonds, soy, eggs, legumes, nightshade vegetables, and sugar while increasing her water intake to 2 liters per day. After being symptom-free for a year, she reintroduced some of the eliminated foods without any repercussions. Additionally, she made lifestyle changes, such as hormone rebalancing and stress management, which further helped her to regain her health. Scott’s approach focused on supporting her immune system instead of suppressing it, as she found that autoimmunity is caused by inflammation rather than being diseases of particular organs.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, autoimmune diseases can be debilitating, but it is possible to reverse or manage them through various integrative approaches. These individuals have successfully overcome or managed autoimmune diseases by addressing the root cause through dietary changes, holistic practices, and lifestyle modifications. They all emphasize the importance of identifying and eliminating inflammation, which is a common thread among autoimmune conditions. Their success stories offer hope and inspiration to others struggling with autoimmune diseases, showing that recovery is possible with the right strategies and support.
Sources:
- https://centrespringmd.com/put-autoimmune-disease-remission-integrative-medicine/
- https://www.amymyersmd.com/article/changing-diet-reverse-autoimmune-disease
- https://wellbalancedmvmt.com/prevent-heal-autoimmune-disease/
- https://www.fox26houston.com/news/doctor-reverses-autoimmune-disease-with-diet
- https://themuttonclub.com/healed-self-of-autoimmune-disease/