Build Your Mental Health Toolkit
OCT 02, 2024Think of a mental health toolkit as a collection of strategies you can access whenever you need them. It’s about equipping yourself to handle challenges in a healthy way.
Read MoreHaving an autoimmune disease that can be managed but not cured can be challenging. But there’s much you can do to feel better on a daily basis. Try these five ways to improve your symptoms.
You’ll find a cornucopia of advice online regarding what to eat and not eat to improve autoimmune disease symptoms. It’s best to discuss diet and your specific autoimmune disease with your health care provider. Some different recommendations include:
Movement and exercise can stimulate the immune system and act as a natural anti-inflammatory. You don’t have to be a super athlete. If you can, go for a walk or take up a sport like tennis or golf. Tips for getting started:
Stress can worsen symptoms. Consider adding some form of relaxation to your daily or weekly routine. Options include yoga, deep breathing and meditation. You can even treat yourself to a massage. If it improves your symptoms in the case of an autoimmune disease, consider it good self-care.
Fatigue is common with autoimmune disorders, which makes quality sleep all the more important. Poor sleep can also hinder your metabolism. Making sleep a priority can improve your symptoms and your overall feeling of wellbeing.
Gut health has become a popular buzzword in the past few years, and much has yet to be understood about the connection between your digestive system and health conditions and disorders. A syndrome dubbed “leaky gut” has also been connected autoimmune and other diseases. This is a somewhat controversial condition in which the intestines are thought to become permeable and allow bacteria and toxins to leak through the intestinal wall. It’s not a diagnosis that is taught in medical school and remains an area of early research. If you want to know more gut health, talk to your primary care provider. Want to find your perfectly matched provider? You can at My Provider Match!
Resources:
1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11600749
2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18468955
3https://www.nature.com/news/salt-linked-to-autoimmune-diseases-1.12555
Think of a mental health toolkit as a collection of strategies you can access whenever you need them. It’s about equipping yourself to handle challenges in a healthy way.
Read MoreEating a good meal before trick or treating, planning a costume party, and keeping an eye on candy consumption are just a few tricks for a healthier Halloween.
Read MoreWe encourage all to get their flu and other vaccinations each year to avoid these and secondary issues or even hospitalization.
Read MoreWhen you need local health information from a trusted source, turn to the CHI Health Better You eNewsletter.