Mazzola Donna Beydoun - Immunity Food Fix: 100 Superfoods and Nutrition Hacks to Reverse Inflammation, Prevent Illness, and Boost Your Immunity

EAT TO HEAL!

LATEST RESEARCH + CLINICAL FINDINGS!

RESTORE YOUR ENERGY!

100 Superfoods and Nutrition Hacks to Reverse Inflammation,
Prevent Illness, and Boost Your Immunity

DONNA BEYDOUN MAZZOLA

PharmD, MBA, MS, Creator of Dr. AutoimmuneGirl

I have always had a passion for natural healing and preventive care, and after I completed a doctorate in pharmacy, this passion became an obsession. I found that what I had learned in the classroom and laboratory conflicted with my core beliefs. I realized that medicine does have a place in healingbut its the balance between nutrition and medicine that impacts disease.

When I was first diagnosed with Hashimotos thyroiditis, an autoimmune disease of the thyroid gland, I never considered the effect of food on the development of disease or on the healing process. It was never something my doctor discussed with me. I was given a prescription for thyroid medication and sent on my way.

Frankly, as a pharmacist, while I recognized the importance of food to many chronic diseases, such as diabetes, high cholesterol, or heart disease, I never understood the effect foods had on the immune system. For most of us, the first thing that comes to mind when we think about the immune system is oranges because weve all learned vitamin C is important to help fight off sickness. As youll soon see, there is so much more than vitamin C that affects our immune system.

My diagnosis led me down a path to better understand the balance between nutrition and medicine. I began by completing a master of science degree in human nutrition and functional medicine to complement my pharmacy background and gain a deeper understanding of the root cause of disease. Through this journey, I created the blog and persona Dr. AutoimmuneGirl to share reputable scientific information in a simplified format. My aim was to empower others to take control of their health and discover the healing power of food.

I learned through this journey that food is medicine. It has so many implications on the treatment of disease and for preventing these immune-disordered diseases from developing in the first place. I spent the majority of my adult life following fad dietslow carb, low fat, high proteinand consuming processed foods that fit into these protocols. If I could go back to my twenty-year-old self, I would tell her it doesnt need to be that complicated and youre doing more harm than good.

I have learned about how magical plants are, and how they work together in a form of synergy to produce a positive effect on our bodies. I never had to count another calorieand I have never been healthier, even with an autoimmune disorder. I took control of my immune system without letting it take control of me! I felt better than ever! My body was no longer inflamed, and that yucky bloating that occurred after every meal was gone! I firmly believe that had I consumed a diet high in plants, meaning nine to twelve servings a day, I could have affected the development of my disease.

The majority of immune systemrelated diseases are implicated by the underlying chronic inflammation in the body and the lack of antioxidants that eventually damage our cells and DNA. Whats fascinating is that plants contain bioactive compounds that reduce chronic inflammation in the body and produce an antioxidant effect. Plants have a proven ability to support our immune system function and prevent disease development.

The immunity food fix is to consume a variety of plants of a multitude of colors to reduce chronic inflammation with which so many of us live. Its that simple! And through this book youll understand the science and the why behind the health benefits. Youll learn about the immune system and how it works, what happens when it gets thrown off balance, and how foods can prevent this imbalance from occurring.

Youll also see that prevention is key in health care, not in sick care, which is the goal of the immunity food fix. The direct effect plants have on our gut health and the immune system translates into a direct effect on disease prevention and overall positive immune health. We want to maintain our health daily to prevent disease and use food to help fight disease should it arise.

Functional foods are foods that have a potentially positive effect on health beyond basic nutrition. They promote optimal health and help reduce the risk of disease. Through each chapter you will learn the Science behind the amazing benefits of these foods and the Fix that helps you identify and prioritize foods in your diet based on your unique self. Join me as we gain a deep understanding of 100 functional foods and nutrition hacks that reverse inflammation, heal your gut, prevent disease, and boost your immunity!

1

Understanding the Immune System

T he immune system is one of the most important aspects of the human body. It can recognize self from a foreign invader and keep us healthy. What happens when this goes awry? Simply put, autoimmune disease is the body attacking itself. In this chapter, well talk about the trifecta of autoimmune disease: genetics, environment, and gut!

THE IMMUNE SYSTEM

To understand the immune system in simple terms, lets break it into three buckets:

Mucosal Immune System (Security Checkpoint)

We will start from the outside and move in! Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) functions as the immune barrier. Think of it as a security checkpoint in areas of the body that interact with the external environment or the outside world. MALT is a key component of our overall immunity because mucosal surfaces, such as the nasal passage, are a gateway for foreign invaders to enter the body. These checkpoints function in parallel with the systemic immune system to protect all the mucosal surfaces on the body, including the skin, mouth, esophagus, gut, respiratory tract, and urogenital tracts.

MALT is our true first line of defense against foreign pathogens. Here are a few examples of how these barriers work to prevent a systemic immune response.

Skin. This is a physical barrier and protects microbes from entering our body in the first place. The cells on the skin are called defensins. Defensins are proteins on your skin and in your gut that keep the good bacteria in control and balanced. If your defensins are low, you get that imbalance in the gut and skin between the good and bad bacteria. This is common in autoimmune diseases such as Crohns and eczema.