If You Want To Want To Avoid Autoimmune Disease, You Should: Listen to your symptoms, advocate for yourself, and ask for more testing Calm your inflammation by focusing on gut health, nutrition, and lifestyle  Implement breathwork and meditation to live a more balanced life   The prevalence of autoimmune disorders in the past 50 years has risen so drastically that autoimmune disease is now the 3rd most common category of health issues in the United States. So what is causing so many Americans to develop these conditions? While many factors contribute to your overall health, food and gut health are the foundation for a working immune system.   Finding a Balance with Donna Mazzola Dr. Donna Mazzola is a Pharmacist with a Master’s degree in Functional Medicine and Human Nutrition. After obtaining her Doctorate in Pharmacy, Donna realized that it is only by finding a balance between medicine and nutrition that we can impact disease. After receiving her Hashimotos diagnosis in 2015, she created her blog Dr. Autoimmune Girl to help others identify the root causes of their diseases and take back control of their health.   Understanding the Why Understanding the ‘why’ behind your autoimmune condition can be a frustrating journey. The greatest challenge that people suffer from is the unexplained symptoms that can go unanswered for years before receiving a diagnosis.  Donna knows that in order to better control what is happening in your body, you have to understand it better. By asking the right questions, learning how to decipher our labs, and advocating for ourselves, we can delay the progression of symptoms and take back control of your autoimmune disease rather than letting the disease control you.   Heal Your Gut to Heal Your Condition Autoimmune conditions are proven to be the gateway to other illnesses down the line, which is why it is so important to be mindful of your symptoms and address your autoimmune condition as soon as possible. The majority of us live in a chronic inflammatory state without realizing it, and a gut protocol will always be your best friend when finding healing.  Whether you have an autoimmune disease or not, starting with your gut is key if you have unexplained symptoms. Focusing on your gut health has many side benefits when it comes to not only autoimmunity but your overall health and longevity. While you may not like to hear it, it is time to identify your drivers of inflammation in order to heal your autoimmunity and find the balance you are missing. Are you ready to get to the root cause of your autoimmune condition, alleviate your symptoms, and find real balance and healing? Share your biggest takeaway from this episode with me in the comments section of the episode page.   Quotes: “It is so important that we raise awareness of autoimmunity. We talk about the pandemic going on, but I look at autoimmune disease as the other pandemic that is going on that nobody is talking about.” (5:32) “Empowering yourself to understand these things and understand how these things are connected will allow you to ask the right questions.” (17:45) “When we start talking about how to mitigate that, it's focusing on those triggers; it's identifying what those triggers are, and removing them, mitigating it, and recognizing how your body responds when it is exposed to it. So for me, it is all about being in tune with your body.” (24:01) “Control what you can control, and provide your body with what it needs so that it can control the rest.” (28:04) “If you are able to overhaul your diet and recognize the nutrients you can get from whole foods; you are nourishing your body to function at a cellular level where it needs to be.” (44:23)   In This Episode The importance of understanding the ‘why’ when it comes to what an autoimmune disease truly is (9:10) How Covid-19 could be affecting your likelihood of triggering an autoimmune disease (19:33) The role of inflammation when dealing with your immune system symptoms (21:29)