Mark is a 51 year old man who came to see me for help with rheumatoid arthritis. He had been suffering with rheumatoid arthritis for 12 years and had been taking the steroid prednisone for the last 5 years. Mark managed to get off the steroid occasionally, but a flare up meant he had to go back on it. Mark had tried other medication but he experienced extremely unpleasant side effects that were worse than the joint pain.

The steroid had contributed to weight gain around Mark’s torso. A blood test his doctor ordered revealed he was actually a prediabetic. His mother is a type 2 diabetic, which makes it likely Mark could go down the same path. Mark has known he has a fatty liver since his early forties.

Mark’s job was exhausting. He worked long hours and found it increasingly difficult to concentrate and remember things. He snacked throughout most of the afternoon in order to try and get through the arduous tasks at work. He said “I eat a healthy lunch which is usually a chicken salad, but before I’ve even started eating it, I’m thinking about the snacks I’ll have afterwards”.

The snacks comprise of nut bars, chocolate coated nuts, dark chocolate bars and flavored yoghurt. Mark tries to choose healthier versions of his favourite treats but he is still consuming a lot of sugar each day. His diet also contains gluten and dairy products, which need to be avoided for most people with autoimmune disease in order to reduce inflammation.

Mark did not have refreshing sleep. It often took him a while to get to sleep because of reflux. There are limited comfortable positions he can sleep in because his shoulders and hips start to ache in the night.

My recommendations for my patient

Mark ate quite a lot of vegetables each day with his lunch and dinner, but he didn’t eat enough protein or fat. This left him feeling hungry for much of the afternoon and consequently snacking all afternoon. Mark ate dinner each evening despite not feeling hungry, so his nights were restless because of reflux. I asked him to increase his protein and fat portions and try not to snack during the day. He did not eat any oily fish so I gave him a fish oil supplement to provide omega 3 essential fatty acids. The fats in fish oil have a powerful anti-inflammatory effect and help to reduce pain and stiffness.

Because of the reflux, I gave Mark BactoClear capsules. Reflux is usually caused by fermentation in the gut due to dysbiosis and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. The herbs in this formula have a natural antimicrobial effect. I also gave Mark Glutamine Pure powder because it helps to heal an inflamed and irritated gut lining. It specifically helps to heal a leaky gut, which is a feature of all autoimmune disease.

Because it was autumn when I saw Mark, and he worked long hours indoors, I assumed he’d be vitamin D deficient. A blood test confirmed this. Vitamin D has powerful anti-inflammatory properties. It helps to reduce auto antibody production in a similar way to steroids like prednisone.

Unrefreshing sleep increases hunger and sugar cravings the next day. I gave Mark a magnesium supplement to help him sleep more deeply each night. I also asked him to follow a gluten and dairy free diet, as described in our book called Healing Autoimmune Disease: A plan to help your immune system and reduce inflammation.

I plan to see Mark again in 6 weeks.

The above statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.