Ayurvedic Approaches to Managing Autoimmune Diseases
Dec 09, 2024
Ayurvedic Approaches to Managing Autoimmune Diseases
Autoimmune diseases occur when the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks its own tissues, leading to chronic inflammation and a wide range of symptoms such as fatigue, pain, and organ dysfunction. Conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis are examples of autoimmune disorders. While modern medicine primarily focuses on managing the symptoms of autoimmune diseases, Ayurveda offers a holistic approach that addresses the root causes and aims to restore balance to the body.
Understanding Autoimmune Diseases in Ayurveda
Firstly we need to bring balance to the three areas of the body responsible for creating and entraining a healthy immune system in Ayurveda in order to regulate the nervous system and tonify the ojas (our health and happiness fact) including:
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Gut microbiome: this is the first brain of the body according to ayurveda. The gut microbiome is responsible for teaching our immune system what to respond to and attack and what not to respond to and and what not to attack. When our gut microbiome is diminished, it will act unintelligently and attack things it should not such as our own gut lining and bodily tissues. Things which destroy the gut microbiome should be minimized and avoided when possible including: all chemicals (pesticides, vaccines, birth control pills, antibiotics, nutraceuticals, chemicals in home and self-care products such as laundry detergents, dishwashing detergents, shampoos, etc). The gut microbiome should be healed including the use of daily homemade yogurt-based ayurveda probiotic drinks including takra & lassis.
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Majja (Marrow/Nerve): cultivate a daily practice which regulates your nervous system back into a state of rest and digest (parasympathetic state) including things like yoga, pranayama, meditation, time in nature, time resting, daily walks, fun talks, receiving massage, giving yourself massage, reading uplifting books and journaling. Be sure to align with natures rhythms in regards to sleeping when you're tired and getting up with the sun. Be sure to get plenty of sunshine and cultivate an exercise routine that meets you where you're at and doesn't push you to the state of depletion (ie excess sweating or exhaust), but does support you in opening your bodily channels, breaking a gentle sweat, and incorporate a balance of cardiovascular, strength training, and exercisinig without a sense of pushing or competition. It should leave you feeling stronger, more supple, relaxed and ready to live your best life. .You'll also want to include in your diet lots of healthy fats because fats nourish the majja tissue which is the brain and nervous system. Include bone marrow broth and ghee and olive oil, and use of special majja detoxing foods and herbs such as moringa vegetable on a weekly basis to detoxify the deeper garvisha (chemical toxins) from the marrow which can be at the root of many of the auto-immune diseases. Drumstick vegetable can be found in Indian markets.
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Guduchi Sattva (Tinospora cordifolia): Guduchi, also known as Amrita, is an Ayurvedic herb known for its ability to boost immunity, reduce inflammation, and detoxify the body. It is often used to treat autoimmune diseases involving Pitta and Kapha imbalances. Guduchi Sattva is specially prepared from the stems of the guduchi plant not the leaves which is powerful for cooling the liver, detoxifying the bone marrow (majja) and building the Ojas (immune system) which you can incorporate into your lifestyle. It's considered a divine herb and one of Ayurveda's most powerful herbs for getting to the root causes of many of the autoimmune imbalances we see today.
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Liver: our stressful fast-paced lifestyle, use of chemicals (see above), alcohol, recreational drug use, overly acidic/spicy/sweet/fried/heavy foods (such as vinegars, pastries, french fries) overwork the liver and overheat the liver causing toxins to build up in the system including hormones, chemical and even weight gain. The liver should be addressed by minimizing the above and instead incorporating liver supporting foods and herbs into the diet such as summer squashes, zucchini, yellow crookneck, loki (a special squash found in Asian markets), dark green leafy greens (especially those with a bitter dominant taste) such as dandelion green, escarole, endive, kale, collards, bitter melon (1 small serving a week no more to start otherwise you could overburden the liver and kidneys with too much detox too fast), artichokes, drumstick (moringa) vegetable (found in Indian markets), You can also apply this special DGL Roll-on (Deglycerized Licorice) Over your liver before bed nightly to bring the soma/cooling nurtuing support back to your liver for long term liver love.
Regular Exercise:
Moderate exercise helps improve circulation, reduce inflammation, and balance the doshas. However, for autoimmune diseases, it’s important to avoid over-exertion, pushing, forcing, excess sweating or depletion..
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Vata: Gentle yoga and walking help ground Vata and reduce joint pain.
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Pitta: Swimming or yoga, walking, dancing, biking can help cool Pitta and reduce inflammation.
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Kapha: Dynamic exercises like brisk walking or cycling can help stimulate Kapha and improve metabolism.
