From Flu to Flare …. and What I’ve learnt so far
Reflections on Nourishing my Body through an Autoimmune Flare.
Hey you guys🤍,
So a little late to the party as the weekend was a little bit of a mad rush of errands, school assignments and research. But I’m really happy to be officially kicking off this little space with you.
As I mentioned on my last blog, I am currently in my final module for my Post Graduate Diploma in Clinical Nutrition, with the aim to continue on to my Masters dissertation. The original plan was to move straight into my Master’s dissertation, but autoimmunity had other ideas. I’m now looking to defer the start until September so I can prioritise healing and getting back to my baseline.
So here is my life right now.
Around 5 months ago I had a mundane flu, it was unusually potent, but I was back on my feet within 3-4 days, so I thought nothing of it. Fast forward to 3 weeks later where I started getting spots on my belly, scalp and face. After deliberation and many GP and derma visits later, it was agreed that this was likely to be a Guttate Psoriasis flare, usually clearing within 6-12 weeks. I was hopeful and extremely eager to get things back on track, but my body had other plans so here we are over 5 months past the original flu with a widespread guttate psoriasis flare across most of my body.
But what does this actually mean to my everyday life?
Well other than being an aesthetical pain, it is also unbelievably itchy, bleeds easily and sometimes turns painful. It continually disrupts my sleep and makes being anywhere in outside clothing difficult to maintain. So, my life right now, very much resolves around making my body less itchy and painful and keeping my stress levels as low as I possibly can.
But enough with the negative side of things.
What am I actively doing to help my immune system to come back to balance?
Here is what I have added to my diet to help my immune system and why:
Vitamin D:
Low vitamin D status:
Inflammation tends to be higher
Immune responses are more “pro-inflammatory”
When vitamin D status is adequate we notice:
Reduce inflammatory chemicals (cytokines)
Calm overactive immune responses
Lower oxidative stress
Omega 3s:
· Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids from marine or algal sources (EPA and DHA) can help calm inflammation in the body and may make symptoms easier to manage for some people with autoimmune conditions.
Pre- and Pro- biotics:
· This requires a whole blog post in itself to explain properly, but as a quick explanation gut dysbiosis (an imbalance in bacteria) has been linked to psoriasis symptoms
· Spore-forming Bacillus probiotics have been linked to reduced inflammation, and improved psoriasis-like symptoms.
In general, food-first is best practice in nutrition, so I’ve started with dietary changes before thinking about supplements.
Here’s what I’ve been leaning into most often at the moment:
Vitamin D
• Salmon • Sardines • Mackerel • Herring • Trout • Egg yolks • Fortified milk (dairy or plant milks) • Fortified yogurt • Fortified cereals
Omega-3 (marine – EPA/DHA)
• Salmon • Sardines • Mackerel • Anchovies • Herring • Trout • Tuna • Algae oil (plant-based EPA/DHA)
Omega-3 (plant – ALA)
• Ground flaxseeds • Chia seeds • Walnuts • Hemp seeds • Canola oil • Soybeans/tofu
Prebiotics (food for good bacteria)
• Garlic • Onions • Leeks • Slightly green bananas • Oats • Apples • Beans & lentils • Artichokes • Whole grains
Probiotics (live beneficial bacteria)
• Yogurt with live cultures • Kefir • Unpasteurized sauerkraut • Kimchi • Miso • Kombucha
For now, this is where I’m starting — gentle, food-first changes that feel supportive rather than overwhelming. Everyone’s body is different, so this is simply me sharing my own journey, not a medical blueprint.
In my next blog, I’ll be talking about the lifestyle side of healing — yoga, breath, and meditation — and how these practices are helping me navigate stress and reconnect with my body.
Thank you for being here 🤍
Nai
Feel free to check out some of the references I’ve used to help me out:
Wimalawansa SJ. Infections and Autoimmunity-The Immune System and Vitamin D: A Systematic Review. Nutrients. 2023;15(17):3842. Published 2023 Sep 2. doi:10.3390/nu15173842
Hahn J, Cook NR, Alexander EK, et al. Vitamin D and marine omega 3 fatty acid supplementation and incident autoimmune disease: VITAL randomized controlled trial. BMJ. 2022;376:e066452. Published 2022 Jan 26. doi:10.1136/bmj-2021-066452
Buhaș MC, Candrea R, Gavrilaș LI, et al. Transforming Psoriasis Care: Probiotics and Prebiotics as Novel Therapeutic Approaches. Int J Mol Sci. 2023;24(13):11225. Published 2023 Jul 7. doi:10.3390/ijms241311225
