Shapeinmind

Have you ever thought about the phrase “disease”? In lamens terms: it’s when the body is in a state of dis-ease… In other words, your body is out of balance and trying whatever it can to get back to equilibrium (medically known as homeostasis).  

Our bodies are capable of fighting off the worst viruses; however, most of us struggle to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Smoking, drinking, not exercising, eating unhealthy, lack of sleep, stress, the list goes on!  

And this is how and why the body starts to attack itself. We call this act of attacking itself autoimmune diseases. The immune system begins to produce antibodies that instead of fighting infections, attack the body’s tissues. Some examples of autoimmune diseases are:

• Diabetes
• Psoriases
• Lupus
• Thyroid diseases
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
• Multiple sclerosis

Diabetes is just one example of autoimmune diseases. One could understand they contracted the illness by poor management of sugar intake. NB: some autoimmune diseases are passed along via our DNA, if you are aware of this in your family history, you have all the more reason to ensure that your health stays top of mind!  

The immune system usually safeguards against germs like bacteria and viruses. When it senses these foreign invaders, it sends out an army of fighter cells to attack them. Typically, the immune system can tell the difference between foreign cells and your cells. However, in an autoimmune disease, the immune system mistakes part of your body, like your joints or skin, as foreign invaders. It releases proteins called autoantibodies that attack the healthy cells.

To sum it up: your body is this beautiful instrument, designed to fight off the worst of the worst; however, we all knowingly make unhealthy decisions which can result in poor health in later years. It is always a lot more effective (and cheaper) to follow the belief that prevention is better than cure. Why wait around for your body to start attacking itself before taking action. 

To be clear, we are not saying you must stop drinking, or stop eating fast-foods etc. Instead, be conscious of what you consume and always keep it in balance. Simple things like reading the labels of the food you’re about to eat, taking the stairs instead of the elevator can all benefit you and your family in the long run. 

Yours in health and happiness,

Liam Burke