Stop Attacking Yourself: 15 Slow Cooker Recipes that are Nutrient-Dense, Immune-Boosting To Counter Autoimmune Disease

slow cooker recipes to counter autoimmune disease

Immune system disorders occur when there is either abnormally low activity or over-activity of the immune system.When the immune system overreacts, it causes the body to attack and damage its own tissues. If the immune system is deficient, it is weak to unfriendly invading pathogens which increases susceptibility to infections.

The blood cells in our body's immune system help in protecting against harmful substances such as bacteria, viruses, toxins, cancer cells, and blood and tissue from outside the body that contains antigens. The immune system destroys these harmful substances by producing antibodies.

The mechanism of immune system disorder is its response to unknown triggers and production of antibodies that are supposed to fight infections that instead attack the body's own tissues. This means, the immune system confuses healthy cells as foreign and tells the body to set off a reaction that mistakenly targets and attacks the body's own normal, healthy tissues.

Examples of autoimmune diseases include:

Addison disease
Celiac disease - sprue (gluten-sensitive enteropathy)
Dermatomyositis
Graves disease
Hashimoto thyroiditis
Multiple sclerosis
Myasthenia gravis
Pernicious anemia
Reactive arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis
Sjögren syndrome
Systemic lupus erythematosus
Type I diabetes

In treating autoimmune disease, reducing immune system activity is largely what’s being focused on. Another way to counter the symptoms is by strengthening the immune system that protects the body from many types of diseases. This includes proper medication, healthy practices, and a balanced diet.

THESE FOODS ARE THOUGHT TO TRIGGER AUTOIMMUNE REACTIONS IN SOME PEOPLE.

Eggs
Dairy
Grains
Beans
Legumes (including peanuts, soy, hummus)
Coffee
Chocolate
Nuts and Seeds (including seed-based spices like cumin and fennel)
Nightshades (tomatoes, white potatoes, peppers, and eggplant)
Spices from capsicums (including cayenne, chili powder, paprika, chili pepper flakes)
Vegetable and canola oils
Processed foods
Refined sugars (and alternative sweeteners)
Food additives and chemicals
Alcohol

When you have an autoimmune disease, you're likely eliminating some nutrient source foods that fall under restriction. So it's important to pick cautiously nutrient-dense foods such as a variety of fresh vegetables, wild-caught fish, fermented foods, organ meats, and bone broth. The bottom line is that the the diet consists of mainly meat and vegetables, which makes it somewhat alike to the paleo diet, only more strict in its restrictions. For instance, people on the paleo diet can eat tomatoes and nuts. Conversely, these are foods restricted to autoimmune disease.

Food autoimmune patients CAN eat.

Grass-fed meats (including nutrient-dense organ meats)
Wild-caught fish and seafood
Herbs
Leafy green vegetables (spinach, endive, herbs, etc.)
Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, kale, etc.)
Root vegetables (carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, etc.)
Fermented vegetables
Sea vegetables
Avocados
Fruit: berries, citrus fruit, apples, cherries, etc.
Olive oil and coconut oil
Vinegars that have no sugar added (balsamic, red wine, cider vinegar)

With the list of Do’s and Don’ts in food selection, finding the right autoimmune diet could be cumbersome. It has to be balanced, healthy and energizing. But sticking to this option doesn’t mean it should not be delicious. Here are some healthy and tasty meat, vegetable, dessert and beverage recipes that are Autoimmune-friendly.

slow cooker potatoes