Immune Health /
Chronic and Autoimmune Disease
A balanced immune system is key to staying healthy. It is the primary fighter of illness and disease. Terrain will identify the root cause of your issues, and partner with you to bolster your immune support system, and optimize your health.
Autoimmune Disease has grown exponentially, with women more than 3 times as likely as men to be diagnosed. We will uncover the true root cause of your symptoms, treat the underlying issues, and help you optimize your long term health.
Understanding Immune Health
- When we are in “fight or in flight” (active, stressed) we engage our sympathetic nervous system
- When we “rest and digest”, we engage our parasympathetic nervous system
- Most of us live in “fight or flight,” always on the go- this has consequences to our health
- We need to retrain our bodies to shift back into “rest and digest,” shifting into the parasympathetic nervous system so we can improve vagal tone
- The vagus nerve is the connection between the Gut and the Brain
- Stress and poor sleep inhibit the vagus nerve, increasing intestinal permeability (leaky gut) and slowing gut motility
- Low vagal tone is found in many disease states
- Improvment of vagal tone, conversely, has powerful anti-inflammatory properties, restoring the gut-brain connections
- Sleep is our most potent anti-inflammatory, and it’s free!
- Eating or exercising late at night, raises cortisol levels, which in turn raises glucose levels, disrupting insulin-glucose metabolism, and ultimately disturbing our circadian rhythms and the ability to achieve quality sleep
- Lack of sleep causes pro-inflammatory bacteria to inhabit the gut, resulting in inflammation and chronic activation of the immune system
- Exercise increases gut motility, resulting in better elimination of toxins from our body
- This avoids over activation of the immune system
- Exercise is linked to reduced stress and increased vagal tone (stronger gut-brain connections)
- Eating whole, unprocessed foods mostly plants, all the colors of the rainbow will support gut health
- Green leafy vegetables, organic nuts, healthy fats and low mercury fishes are good choices
- Focus on including key nutrients and minerals:
- Probiotics, Vitamin D, Vitamin C, Quercetin, Melatonin, Zinc, Omegas, NAC (N-Acetyl Cysteine), Curcumin, and Nigella Sativa, to name some
We will bolster your immune system to stay healthy and heal quicker
Immune System and Gut Microbiome
The immune system and microbiome in the gut are intimately related and interwoven through complex biochemical pathways
All disease begins in the gut
An imbalance of the gut microbiome may cause inflammaging - low grade chronic inflammation. As we age, this leads to chronic activation of the immune system
Lifestyle impacts your gut, and in turn your overall health
Lifestyle - diet, exercise, sleep and stress -impacts your immune resilience and your health. You can boost your immune system and protect your body from the manifestation of disease and illness
Chronic & Autoimmune Disease
Exact causes are not known, however, autoimmune diseases have been linked to intestinal permeability, toxin exposure, inflammation, hormone imbalance, and more.
● Fatigue
● Joint pain and swelling
● Skin problems
● Digestive issues or abdominal pain
● Recurring Fever
● Swollen glands
How we treat autoimmune conditions
We analyze your whole body
We do a complete health history in the context of your life - who you are, where you have been and where you are going, focusing on your medical history, epigenetics and lifestyle choices, Our goal is to understand your unique biochemical individuality. From there, we identify the underlying cause of the issues, and create a personalized healthcare plan.
Advanced diagnostic testing for deeper insights
We test multiple omics - gut microbiome and its functioning, nutritional genomics, your metabolome and/or your exposome. We order next gen bio markers and analyze your hormones. We incorporate all of this data to understand your biochemical individuality, and learn what is happening at a cellular level in order to restore and promote health, healing and longevity. Out scientific testing could also include blood, stool, and DNA so that we can precisely focus on your individual challenge.
Personalized plans and ongoing support
Your health team providers and coaches closely work with you to guide you and help you to make the lifestyle, movement and nutritional choices best for you. Autoimmune diseases are often treatable and even reversible. Catching it early is key!