After years of navigating my own autoimmune journey (through frustration, pain, fatigue, and eventually empowerment) I can finally say that I found the key to my health and wellness. Being someone who loves to learn, I engrossed myself into as many books and research articles I could get my hands on and even started listening to alternative health podcasts to try and wrap my head around what was going on inside my body. The more and more I learned about various chronic illnesses a theme became evident. I began trying new ways of eating and living and discovered that the most meaningful progress came from doing the most logical steps.
I have narrowed down all that I have learned into 4 core areas that I like to call The 4 Pillars of Autoimmune Wellness. I want to share these techniques with anyone who feels overwhelmed, stuck, or unsure where to begin.
Let’s dive into each one.
1. Nutrition: Fueling your body from within.
What we eat plays a powerful role in inflammation, energy, and clarity, but that doesn’t mean it has to be complicated. And it shouldn’t be!
This isn’t about perfection or restriction. It’s about learning what supports your unique immune system and gradually swapping out the foods that inflame with the ones that nourish. Think of every meal as a chance to care for yourself. Start by filling your plate with real, whole foods: leafy greens, colorful vegetables, vibrant fruit, healthy fats, herbs and spices.
Notice how your body reacts to what you eat. Start taking actual notes, after I eat do I feel energized? Sluggish? Bloated? Swollen? Painful? If you pay attention to your body it will tell you exactly what is the best way to eat for you. Simple journaling is an easy way to track this and help you reconnect with what your body truly needs.
2. Movement: This should be supportive, not stressful.
With autoimmune conditions it is essential that you listen to your body and adjust your workouts according to your daily levels of energy, inflammation and fatigue. The goal isn’t to burn out, it’s to move in a way that supports your body’s mobility, detoxification, and strength. From now on your new standard is that exercise and movement should always result in feeling more energized, and not depleted.
Movement should feel like medicine, not punishment. Daily movement can be used to decrease stiffness, strengthen weak joints, and push toxins out of the body. Choose the movement that you love and make you feel good then let it become a tool for healing and strength.
This might mean: a morning walk in fresh air, gentle yoga or stretching, light strength training, or simply standing up and moving every hour. Find a way to move every day which feels restorative instead of draining.
3. Nature: Grounding your nervous system.
Autoimmunity isn’t just a physical condition it is intertwined with your nervous system and emotional state. Stress being the number one cause of autoimmune flares.
Spending time in nature is one of the most powerful ways to reduce stress, lower inflammation, and calm your immune response. Best of all you don’t need to go to great lengths to get the amazing benefits.
Scientific studies have even proven that just looking at trees helped hospital patients heal quicker, report less stress, require less pain medication, and have fewer post-surgery complications.
Even healthy people who spent just 3 to 5 minutes looking at views of nature report reduced anger, anxiety, and pain. All of these emotions being daily struggles for someone suffering from a chronic illness.
An additional benefit to being in nature is getting a daily dose of sunlight. Not only does this boost your mood, but it is the primary source of Vitamin D, a hormone that plays a powerful role in your immune health. Many people with autoimmune conditions are deficient in Vitamin D which can make symptoms worse. Even just a few minutes of natural light each morning and evening can help with your energy, immunity, and promote a natural circadian rhythm (your internal clock for sleep/wake times) Because rest is when the body repairs and restores, supporting this rhythm results in better sleep which is just one more step closer to feeling your best.
Try to step outside daily, even if only for a few minutes. Sit on your porch and breathe the fresh air, walk barefoot in the grass, watch the sun rise or set. You will be amazed at how this can shift your whole day and calm your over-stressed nervous system.
4. Reflection: Learning Your Body and What Works for You.
Your body speaks to you in subtle and not so subtle ways: through energy, pain, brain fog, motivation, joy, and even silence. The more we learn to pause, reflect, and track those messages, the more we can gently guide ourselves back into balance. Healing is not just what we do, it’s how we pay attention. Journaling, mindfulness, or even just taking 30 seconds to check in with yourself can be incredibly helpful.
How does your diet physically affect your symptoms? How does your physical activity affect your mood? What are the gut feelings you have that you are ignoring? How does your sleep affect your day? What are you grateful for? Don’t judge your thoughts, just be aware of them.
Progress in your wellness journey can seem slow, but it will be full of little daily wins. Journaling a little each day can end up turning into your personal progress chart. Teaching you what works, what doesn’t, and just how far you have come. Try ending your day by writing one sentence: What felt good today and what didn’t?
Your Foundation for Healing
These 4 pillars of Nutrition, Movement, Nature, and Reflection are how I personally rescued myself from the debilitating symptoms of Autoimmune Disease. I pray that you can also use these simple but powerful steps to take back your own health and live the joyful life you deserve.
You don’t need to turn your life upside down. You don’t need to be perfect. You just need a place to start and the belief that feeling better is possible.
To help support you in your own wellness journey I have created a fun printable to help you implement these 4 pillars of wellness into your daily life. Check out the Free B’s tab to get your Wellness Game Board— to help you create simple habits to transform your physical and emotional health.
***Announcement: I am currently using all this information to form a wellness group program for women with autoimmune symptoms who are ready to take a new approach to wellness, ready to do what it takes to feel better, and ready to take control of their health themselves. I am dedicated to creating this because I know how it feels to be stuck in survival mode and how transformative it can be when someone shows you a path out. Stay tuned for more info!***