Incredibly, approximately 50 million Americans, or 20 percent of the population, have some sort of autoimmune condition or immune system imbalance. In fact, according to the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AADRA), there are approximately 100 conditions that are autoimmune related. These include such well known disorders as:

• Alopecia
• Ankylosing Spondylitis
• Celiac Sprue
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Crohn's Disease
• Fibromyalgia
• Graves' Disease
• Guillain-Barre Syndrome
• Hashimoto's Thyroiditis
• Lupus
• Meniere's Disease
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Myasthenia Gravis

• Pernicious Anemia
• Psoriasis
• Raynaud's Disease
• Reiter's Syndrome
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Sarcoidosis
• Scleroderma
• Sjogren's Syndrome
• Stiff-Man Syndrome
• Ulcerative Colitis
• Uveites
• Vasculitis
• Vitiligo

For most of these condtions, the best that modern medicine can do is to keep some of the symptoms at bay - the root cause of the condition is rarely, if ever, addressed. 

What is important to know is that having an imbalanced immune system is like having two separate conditions:  the actual condition, like chronic fatigue syndrome, and its specific symptoms, and an underlying condition with more generalized symptoms, that can be described as the “autoimmune process”. 

The autoimmune process is an underlying, general autoimmune dysfunction which deserves special attention.  What this means is that it is important to address not only the symptoms of your actual condition, but also the underlying symptoms and causes that are common to the process of autoimmunity.

Symptoms Checklist

The following are some of the most common symptoms of an immune system gone awry:

• muscle and joint pain
  
• general muscle weakness
  
• greater susceptibility to, and more frequent infections
  
• intolerance to cold, or sensitivity to heat
  
• rashes and skin conditions
  
• fatigue
  
• insomnia
  
• low-grade fever
  
• swollen nymph nodes/glands
  
• night sweats
  
• numbness and tingling in hands and feet
  
• low blood pressure

• tremors and seizures
  
• dry eyes
  
• weight loss
  
• hair loss
  
• dry mouth
  
• shortness of breath
  
• heart palpitations
  
• abdominal pain, cramping and tenderness
  
• dizziness and vertigo
  
• depression
  
• concentration and memory problems
  
• swollen legs, ankles, eyes and face

1. Use Targeted Supplements to Balance Your Immune System
   
   
2. Identify Your Sources of Toxins
   
   
3. Remove Toxins from Your Body
   
   
4. Rebuild Your Immune System with Proper Rest, Diet and Exercise

Scientists in South Africa and in the USA have determined that plant sterols and sterolins are effective at enhancing an underactive immune system and/or decreasing an overactive one. Sterols and sterolins have been evaluated in many safety studies involving 25,000 people and have been found to have no side effects, no drug interactions and no toxicities.

Sterols and sterolins increase DHEA levels naturally. This reduces the stress hormone cortisol and the pro-inflammatory immune factor interleuken-6 (IL-6). Reducing these inflammatory agents is the key to halting pain and other symptoms.

Several double-blind placebo-controlled studies and the testimony of thousands of people from around the world have attested to the effectiveness of sterols and sterolins - symptoms abate within several weeks, inflammation decreases and pain subsides.

Sterols and sterolins are vital for supporting immune health and as part of any immune building program.

We now offer what we believe (and what studies have shown) to be the cutting-edge product for the proper delivery of sterols and sterolins.

It is called Natur-Leaf®. Natur-Leaf® is sterol and sterolin capsules produced using a unique, proprietary method of concentrating phytosterols from plants.

Proline-rich-polypeptides (PRP's) have the unique ability to modulate the immune system, increasing its activity level in the case of a challenge, such as an infection or a wound, and decreasing its activity level when the challenge is controlled. When an infection is detected by scout immune cells, chemical signals go out to mobilize other cells to come to the defense and fight off the infection. PRPs are one of the primary signals to go out at this time. And later, when the infection has been contained, PRPs are again one of the primary signals to call down the inflammatory response to the infection.

PRPs function as signaling peptides produced by activated macrophages and activated T-cells that control the production of all cytokines.

The inflammatory response consists of a complex series of events in which the body mobilizes its defenses to the site of the infection. PRPs are involved in that mobilization effort as well as controlling the production of immune proteins by immune cells. PRPs stimulate the production of leukocytes (white blood cells) which are a principal component of the inflammatory response.

PRPs increase the permeability of the blood vessels in the skin allowing immune cells and antibodies to enter the tissue space to fight off the infection. PRPs also stimulate natural killer (NK) cells, which are a specialized type of hunter-killer lymphocytes. They are the first responders in case of an infection and will attack and destroy anything they encounter that is not identified as "self."

Immulox® Spray is a liquid fraction of whole colostrum (the first milking substance in mother's milk of cows) which is rich in PRPs. The key difference between Immulox® and other immune balancing products is the presence of a high level of proline-rich polypeptides (PRPs). This product contains over 80 known PRPs and other immune factors which promote normal immune responses.

PRPs have been shown to stimulate an underactive immune system and repress an overactive immune system, bringing the immune system to homeostatic balance. Immulox® also has growth factors to stimulate cell growth and tissue repair.

There is a new glutathione product on the market called Lipoceutical™ Glutathione.

According to Dr. Marcus Laux, it’s the first  oral glutathione supplement that your body can truly absorb.  It survives the trip through your intestines because the glutathione is contained in microscopic little pouches called liposomes.

Thus, the glutathione enters your bloodstream intact.  According to Dr. Laux, liposomes were recently tested in rigorous scientific studies, and were found to have an amazing 90% absorption rate.

Dr. Laux says:

“I’ve been using (liposomal glutathione) myself to treat a close relative.  I can personally attest the effects are miraculous." 

This is nothing like yesterdays ineffective glutathione supplement.  Lipoceutical™ Glutathione is brand new and clinical trials are ongoing but not complete.

In 1941, a unique form of calcium, Calcium 2-amino ethyl phosphoric acid (Ca-AEP or Ca-2AEP) was discovered by the biochemist Erwin Chargaff. Chargaff found that Ca-AEP was a vital component in the structure of cell membranes.

Calcium EAP (Ethanol Phosphate) / Calcium AEP (Amino Ethanol Phosphate) are nutritional therapies which contain both a mineral (calcium) and a chemical, Ethanol Phosphate (a chemical found in the protective covering around nerve cells). The idea of combining Ethanol Phosphate with calcium originated with Hans Nieper, MD of Germany in 1964, who began experimenting with mineral compounds to help heart patients.

Dr. Nieper believed that nutrients are only useful when they are readily available at the cellular level. His theory was that positive mineral ions such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium may have more difficulty becoming "bioavailable" (available for the body's use) because they have such difficulty passing through cell membranes.

We carry a Calcium AEP that is 10% calcium bound to 90% amino ethanol phosphate. This product is an essential factor for cell membrane integrity and cell sensitivity. It binds fatty acids and electrolytes to the cell membrane structure that generates the cell’s electrical charge.

Calcium AEP is also a neurotransmitter which plays an important therapeutic role in assisting people with autoimmune responses by screening against antibodies, toxins, viruses and peroxide radicals.

• Natur-Leaf®
• Calcium AEP (Amino Ethanol Phosphate)
• Immulox® Immune Support Spray
• Lipoceutical™ Glutathione

Colostrum is nature’s original prescription for health. Biologically active colostrum helps stimulate a compromised immune system or modulate an overactive immune response

An excellent colostrum is Bioactive Colostrum, manufactured by WellWisdom and distributed here in the United States.

This is the finest biologically active colostrum available. 100% non-denatured, this native protein colostrum is never subjected to any heating or processing that would damage the full range of the original proteins or active peptides.

Colostrum accelerates healing of all body tissue, helps normalize weight and increases bone and lean muscle mass.

According to the well-known naturopathic physician, Dr. Bernard Jensen, colostrum has a therapeutic role to play in heart health, blood sugar control, and immune health. Colostrum also has powerful antioxidant properties, reduces inflammation, and is a source of many vitamins, minerals, enzymes and amino acids if it is unprocessed and in its original natural state.

For those of you who have difficulty using powdered colostrum and would prefer capsules, we also carry another excellent colostrum product called New Zealand Colostrum.

New Zealand Colostrum is 100% pure colostrum that is free of any additives such as whey powder or magnesium stearate.

It is also free of antibiotics, hormones, pesticides, and other pathogens. It is processed fresh, and never exposed
to high heat.

If you are experiencing autoimmune symptoms, then check out the common toxins that you may be exposed to, both at home and at work, and take steps to reduce your exposure or eliminate them as much as possible.

• Mercury amalgam fillings
• Pharmaceutical medications
• Recreational drugs
• Cigarettes
• Alcohol
• Caffeine
• Pesticides
• Insecticides
• Food additives
  

• Processed foods
• Artificial sweeteners
• Sodas
• Perfumes and synthetic fragrances
• Household cleansers
• Tap water
• Laundry detergent
• Air fresheners

The heavy metals that most commonly cause poisoning are iron, lead, cadmium (found in cigarettes), arsenic and mercury.

Others include aluminum, antimony, chromium, cobalt, copper, manganese, nickel, selenium, tin, thallium and uranium.

Other sources of poisoning include pesticides, insecticides, fungicides, chemical warfare, radiation and common chemicals such as benzene, carbon dioxide, chloroform, dichlorobenzene, DDT, formaldehyde, hexane, toluene, trichloroethylene (TCE) and xylene.

If there is one thing I [Andrea Nichols, author of this website] believe is true, it is that people with autoimmunity have a toxic body. I came to this conclusion based both on the research I have done and on my own personal experience.

Dr. Stephen B. Edelson states in his book "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Autoimmune Disorders", that he has never treated an autoimmune patient who has not been toxic, and that most of his patients have been either completely or significantly relieved of their symptoms once toxins were removed from their body. Dr. Edelson has written a whole chapter on the role of environmental toxins in the autoimmune process, and how removing these toxins provides people with the relief for which they've been searching.

We are all toxic for different reasons and to different degrees, but Dr. Edelson believes that autoimmune patients have the epitome of a toxic body.

The more discomfort you are in, the more pain you are feeling, the sicker and more toxic you are. Inflammation and irritation are classic signs of a toxic body. Although environmental toxins are not the only cause of the autoimmune process, it may be what is the root cause of the other factors such as candida, viral or bacterial infections.

We live in a toxic world. We are presently being exposed to hundreds of thousands of toxic compounds in the form of inorganic chemicals and toxic metals. These substances are everywhere, from the air we breathe, the foods we eat, the water we drink, the water we bathe in, the pharmaceuticals we take, the vaccinations we give our children, the smoke we inhale, the cleaning products we use, the pesticides and insecticides we come in contact with – the list goes on.

Our bodies have become virtual dumping grounds for hundreds of these toxic metals and chemicals. Studies indicate that we have between 400 and 800 toxic metal and chemical residues stored in our fat cells, and our tissues and organs.

The Environmental Protection Agency has estimated that we cannot metabolize most of these chemicals and metals. So what happens to them once we have been exposed? They accumulate in our fat cells, in our organs such as the liver, kidneys and brain, in our glands such as the thyroid and adrenals, and in the central nervous system.

Together, these chemicals and metals result in a chronic toxic overload condition in our bodies. As these toxins build up, they create free radicals and disturb cell membranes and enzyme activities. They bind to cell membranes and block the receptor sites for essential minerals, so that minerals such as iron, calcium and magnesium cannot be utilized and absorbed. This causes enzyme dysfunction, nutritional deficiencies, hormonal imbalances, neurological disorders, damages brain chemistry, which then leads to auto-immune disorders, cancer, and other debilitating chronic conditions.

Depending on your genetic predisposition for eliminating toxins from the body, you may tolerate more or less exposure to toxic metals and chemicals before showing negative effects such as an autoimmune disorder. Genetics also determine which part of the body that the toxins will attack.

EBN® bentonite clay is edible (only pharmaceutical grade is safe to eat) and can therefore be used as an internal clay for cleansing. Eating our clay is an excellent way to absorb toxins from within the body and help in the overall detoxification process.

Suggested Use: For adults is 1-2 teaspoons (mixed in 6-8 oz purified water) daily for as long as needed (Children can take 1/2 teaspoon daily). Please allow the clay to sit in the water for 10 minutes, then stir before drinking. Follow the clay water with another 6-8 oz glass of water and eat plenty of fiber to ensure easy passage of the clay through your gastro-intestinal tract.

In addition to being an excellent internal detoxifying agent, our clay can be very helpful for acute upset stomach, indigestion and diarrhea. We do not recommend taking clay internally on a long term basis.

Our clay was used in Malawi by a non-profit group based out of Missouri to inhibit the incidence of diarrhea in infants and children in that country.

Rest, Rest, Rest - Consistent proper rest is much more crucial to health than most people realize. It is important not to let yourself become consistently exhausted or overtired. And once you have recovered from a major illness, you must be extremely vigilant in getting abundant rest and relaxation.

Following natural healing principles can give you such renewed vigor and energy that it's easy to become overconfident and overdo, which is not a problem for healthy people. But if you are recovering from a major illness, it is vital that you protect your new-found health and your natural immune defenses through proper rest and minimized stress.

Proper Diet - The most important thing to remember is this - eat whole, unprocessed, unadulterated foods as much as possible. This means no additives, preservatives, flavors, monosodium glutamate (MSG), artificial sweeteners, caffeine, refined flours and sugars, or anything pickled or smoked. Think of how people ate one hundred years ago, and try to eat like that as much as possible. Stick with fresh vegetables and fruits and organic foods, even organic meats.

Eat as many raw fruits and vegetables as possible. It is a proven fact that people who incorporate more raw fruits and veggies into their diet have much quicker healing results.

Here is another important note: Many people with autoimmune diseases have experienced vast improvements by adopting a gluten-free diet. Gluten is a protein that is found in certain grains, namely wheat, rye and barley.

A sensitivity to gluten is ten to thirty times more common in people with autoimmune disorders compared to the general population. Many people with conditions from Crohn's disease to Multiple Sclerosis and autoimmune thyroiditis find great relief from their symptoms after adopting a gluten-free diet.

If you choose to try this diet, be sure to stick with it for at least 3 months. A good support group can help you learn how to eat gluten-free among today's food choices, and certain grocery stores and restaurants such as Trader Joe's actually put out pamphlets on what foods in their store free of gluten and hence safe.

Proper Exercise - Go very slow with your exercise. If you overdo it, it can take days and days before you recover from the exertion. This is true for almost all autoimmune disease patients.

One of the best forms of exercise is using a mini trampoline, or rebounder. This gentle, low impact exercise flushes the lymphatic system, which cleanses the lymph system of toxins. Walking, swimming, yoga and tai chi are also very helpful for your healing.

The following supplement categories can be used in addition to the above super immune supplements as well as any immune building protocol:

1. Alkalizing Products
   
   
2. Digestive Support
   
   
3. Support for Inflammation
   
   
4. Bacterial and Viral Support
   
   
5. Antioxidant Support
   
   
6. Candida Yeast Fighters
   
   
7. Muscle and Joint Support
   
   
8. Greens Drinks

For those of you who need some encouragement, take heart - you can do this! It may not be easy, but then nothing truly valuable in life is easy. If you make the commitment, you too can begin to heal. Put yourself first, and do whatever feels right for you. It may take some hard work, but it is worth it. I know, because I've been there - and I worked hard to get to where I am today. I thank God every day for the healing, for the miracles, and for my new life. And I hold for you the highest vision of what is possible.

With great respect and admiration,

Andrea Nichols, Master of Social Work (MSW)
(Community Health - Health Promotion and Illness Prevention)
Evenbetternow, LLC

What is Autoimmune Disease?
Autoimmunity is, simply put, the process by which the immune system attacks its own healthy tissues and organs.
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Causes of Autoimmune Disease
Autoimmune diseases do not have one specific cause; rather, there seems to be a combination of factors involved.
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Symptoms of Autoimmune Disease
Although the different autoimmune diseases vary widely in terms of symptomology, the following are the most commonly experienced symptoms.
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Resources and Consultants
This page lists some autoimmune resources and consultants that may be helpful to you.
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Supportive Supplements for Autoimmune
There are eight categories of supportive supplements that we believe are important as an adjunct to our main recovery plan.
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Sterols and Sterolins
These immune supplements have been shown in clinical trials to have anecdotal usage to provide nutritional support for autoimmune diseases.
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Author's Autoimmune Disease Experience
Author shares her own personal experiences with autoimmune diseases and how she found her way back to health.
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Additional Supportive Protocols
Learn about eight areas to address as an adjunct to your autoimmune recovery plan.
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