A few years ago, if you'd asked me how to lower my risk of autoimmune disease, I would've rattled off a list of supplements, lab tests, anti-inflammatory foods, and probably some obscure nutrient deficiency that I'd just fallen into a research rabbit hole about.
Ok, I still love that stuff. You know I do.
But if I've learned anything after years of reading the literature, coaching hundreds of women, reversing my own PCOS, insulin resistance, prediabetes, and hypothyroidism, it's that our cells are paying attention to far more than what's on our plate.
I feel like switching things up today. I've been doing FUN more, so in honor of that (but still wanting to get this important info. to you,), we're going to play a little game today.
How I'd live if I wanted to increase my chances of developing an autoimmune disease.
Obviously this is tongue-in-cheek. There are people who do everything "right" and still develop autoimmune conditions because genetics, infections, environmental exposures, hormones, and plain old bad luck exist. None of this is about blame, and none of it is a guarantee.
Sometimes it's easier to understand what matters when we flip the question around.
If I wanted to increase the odds that my immune system eventually lost its ability to distinguish between friend and foe, I'd spend years creating the perfect internal environment for confusion. I'd stack hundreds of tiny inputs, day after day, that gradually nudge my biology in the wrong direction.
Here's exactly how I'd do it...
I'd stay chronically stressed while convincing myself I was handling it just fine.
I'd keep my nervous system on high alert, rushing through every day, treating urgency like it was part of me and productivity like a competitive sport. Every notification would deserve immediate attention. Every inconvenience would become a five-alarm fire. I'd never let my body experience the feeling of enough.
See, if my goal was autoimmunity, I'd want my immune system swimming in mixed signals. Immune cells are covered in receptors for stress hormones. Chronic elevations in cortisol + adrenaline influence inflammatory signaling, alter immune cell communication, affect the gut barrier, change the microbiome, and eventually make it much harder for the immune system to accurately distinguish between real threats and the tissues it's supposed to leave alone.
And before anyone tells me they're already doing breathwork...
I know. And great!
But this goes so much deeper than meditation apps, bubble baths, vanilla-lavender candles, and taking a deep breath before yelling at your husband because he loaded the dishwasher like you don't have a full family that requires full loads.
Those things can absolutely help, but they're just scratching the surface.
Next week's newsletter is going to dive into a piece of nervous system regulation that I never hear anyone talking about, and I have a feeling it's going to click in a way the usual advice never has. So stay tuned ffor that where we're gonna double click on this piece of it.
Ok, so if I wanted autoimmunity, I'd then swallow every emotion that ever showed up. I'd smile when I was hurt. Say yes when I meant no. Tell everyone I was "fine" because it was easier than disappointing someone. I'd become exceptionally skilled at abandoning myself while earning compliments for being easygoing.
Our bodies keep score in ways we don't always appreciate. Ugh.
Emotional suppression isn't just about emotions -- it changes physiology. The brain is constantly communicating with the immune system through hormones, neurotransmitters, and the autonomic nervous system. Chronic emotional inhibition has been associated with altered inflammatory responses, changes in immune regulation, and higher allostatic load, which is essentially the wear and tear that accumulates when our stress response never fully powers down.
"Tara, WHAT?"
Your body doesn't magically forget what your mind is trying very hard to ignore.
Next, I'd make boundaries optional. I'd answer every text immediately. Volunteer for everythinggggg. Rescue everyone. Stay available twenty-four hours a day because heaven forbid someone experiences the mild discomfort of waiting until tomorrow.
I'd slowly convince myself that being needed and reliable is the same thing as being loved.
The problem is that every time we override our own needs, our nervous system files away another piece of evidence that safety belongs to everyone else first and instead. Over time, that constant self-abandonment reinforces a stress response that was never designed to stay switched on indefinitely.
Then I'd surround myself with as many toxins as humanly possible. Plastic containers. Fragranced products. Air fresheners. Conventional pesticides. Unfiltered water. Nonstick cookware that's seen better decades. Personal care products with no regard for our biology.
If I were trying to make my immune system's job harder, I'd keep adding more environmental junk for it to sort through. Many chemicals can increase oxidative stress, disrupt hormone signaling, impair mitochondrial function, alter the gut microbiome, or activate inflammatory pathways. This isn't a "freak out about occasional exposure" thing. We accumulate exposures over years, which is why reducing the overall burden matters more than obsessing over every single thing.
Then I'd leave every unresolved trauma exactly where it was -- tucked neatly into a mental storage bin labeled, "I'm over it."
Here's the funny thing about humans ... we can become incredibly good at functioning. But functioning isn't the same thing as healing. Our bodies don't care how high-achieving we became after the divorce, the difficult childhood, the miscarriage, the betrayal, the attack, the accident, the years of people pleasing, the years of living in denial or opposition to our wiring, or the constant criticism. Adaptive strategies can build beautiful careers and achievements while simultaneously exhausting the nervous system underneath them.
Healing is allowing your body to realize that yes, that happened and no, it isn't still happening.
Then I'd spend every day terrified of uncertainty. I'd need every answer before taking the first step. I'd catastrophize every symptom. Google everything at 2 in the morning. Convince myself that if I worried hard enough, somehow I'd prevent bad things from happening.
I wish anxiety worked that way! It would certainly make all that worrying feel productive. One of the healthiest skills I've ever practiced (and will be practicing forever) is learning how to dance with uncertainty instead of trying to wrestle it into submission.
Whenever I catch myself spiraling about the future, I ask a question. "What is actually true today / right now?"
Usually today's list is boring in the best way! I'm safe. I'm breathing. I have food. My family is okay.
I don't actually know what's going to happen next week, next month, or next year. Neither does anyone else.
Then I ask myself, "If the hard thing eventually happens, who do I want to be when it does?"
Strong. Curious. Resilient. Resourceful. Yeah, that works.
That answer changes how I spend today. Worrying is rehearsal. And confidence is rehearsal too. We get better at whichever one we practice.
Next, I'd eliminate food after food after food until my grocery cart looked like a cry for help and go on a very restrictive diet to lose weight by any means necessary.
The more restricted our diet becomes without necessity, the fewer nutrients we consume, the less diversity we often provide our gut microbiome, and the more stressful every meal becomes. Chronic stress around eating and our bodies becomes another physiological input that our body has to process.
Then I'd tie my worth to my productivity. The busier I was, the better person I'd assume I was. The leaner I looked, the more valuable I'd feel. Every unchecked box on my to-do list would become evidence that I wasn't enough yet.
If I wanted to stay stuck in survival mode, I'd make sure my nervous system believed my worth depended on my output. Our biology was never designed for a life where we're constantly performing for invisible scoreboards.
Achievement is wonderful. So are goals, muscle, building a business, etc. But when our nervous system starts believing that rest must be earned and our value fluctuates with our output, it becomes a problem.
Cells receive information, not promotions. And the information we're constantly giving them is important.
If I were serious about creating the perfect environment for chronic inflammation and immune confusion, I'd ignore nature and evolution. I'd stay up too late because revenge bedtime procrastination sounds way more fun than circadian biology. I'd eat mostly food that came with mascots instead of ingredients. I'd spend all day indoors under fluorescent lights. I'd avoid sunshine at all costs, movement, laughter, deep conversations, community, occasional slow mornings, time outside, strength training, nose breathing, getting my feet on the ground, getting cold sometimes, getting hot sometimes, and giving myself enough downtime to actually absorb the growth I keep chasing.
Every one of those things sends tiny signals. Mitochondria respond. Hormones. Immune cells. Genes.
No single walk changes your life. Or single night of great sleep. Neither does one great workout. The magic has always been in the accumulation.
And while we're talking about tiny signals, if you're raising kids — especially daughters who are approaching those preteen and teenage+ years, or already living them — this matters even more. Boys absolutely benefit from everything I'm about to say too, but autoimmune diseases affect girls and women far more often than boys / men. We can't control genetics, but we absolutely influence the emotional environment they grow up in. The way we help them experience stress, relationships, safety, boundaries, and self-worth becomes part of the biology they're building for decades to come.
The way we speak to them matters. A LOT.
I'm not talking about becoming permissive or letting chaos reign without boundaries and direction. Kids need boundaries. But they also need nervous systems that feel safe inside those boundaries.
We can redirect without shaming. Correct without humiliating. Hold firm without making our love feel conditional.
Eventually our literal voice becomes their inner voice. Geez! That's an incredible responsibility, isn't it? They will carry this long after they stop asking us to cut their sandwiches into weird shapes.
When children grow up feeling emotionally safe, physically active, deeply connected, well-rested, nourished, and loved while learning how to tolerate discomfort without believing all discomfort is danger, we're giving them far more than good memories... we're helping build resilient humans.
Resilient humans tend to have more resilient physiology. Not invincible, unfortunately. That isn't a thing. None of this prevents autoimmune disease. None of it guarantees perfect health.
Bodies are beautifully complex, wonderfully resilient, and occasionally frustrating enough to make you want to throw your lab reports out the window.
Life happens. Genes have some pull. Viruses show up uninvited. Hormones matter. Sometimes terrible luck happens. But what this does is reduce unnecessary friction. It shifts the terrain your cells have to navigate every single day and gives your immune system fewer fires to put out and more opportunities to do what it was designed to do.
I'm not aiming for perfection and I hope you aren't either. And some of this will be beyond our control and dependent on things like location, budget, time, and other social determinants of health.
I think all we can do here is aim for awareness.
When I understand what helps my cells thrive, I don't have to obsess over every decision. I just keep my eyes on the direction I'm headed, notice when I've wandered off course, laugh at myself a little because I'm still very much human, and gently steer back.
Health has never been about perfectly controlling every. single. variable. It's about becoming the kind of person who knows how to move through uncertainty with steadiness, who builds a life that supports their biology as much as they currently can instead of constantly fighting against it, and who remembers that every ordinary day is another opportunity to send the body some beneficial messages.
You're safe. I've got you. Let's keep going!
Our virtual women's health community, The Metabolic Edge, will be opening for just 36 hours next week for anyone who wants to join before August. Normally I'd open it a bit later in the month, but I'll be away, and since I'm NOT trying to ramp up my inflammation, I'm very much in a season of making things easier on myself.
Can you believe I actually considered keeping the timing the same and dealing with a launch while on a family vacation? Yeah... I know. I'm glad I came to my senses.
Anyway, if you've been thinking about joining us, you can learn more and hop on the waitlist here. We're a group of women doing workouts, sharing meals and recipes, learning about hormones, longevity, metabolism, fat loss, and all the little habits that add up to a healthier life. Basically, we're just crushing our goals and improving our health in a way that feels both gentle and incredibly effective. And we'd love to welcome you with open arms! Next opportunity to join won't be until September.
Stay wild + well,
Tara
P.S. In case you missed it
I'm not playing small anymore
Summer menu pulling double duty -- taste buds AND body recomp goals
P.P.S. Things I'm loving lately
This new pan! I haven't owned a non-stick pan in forever, because .. teflon. But this thing is ceramic / non-toxic and I had WAY too much fun making eggs with no butter or oil and watching it just slide right out last night. LOL It's the little things, ya know? Anyway, they asked to partner with me and gave me a discount code to share with you. Use code Allen10 for 10% off.
Linen! Linen dresses, pants, shorts, shirts. I don't think I own any linen skirts or I'd include those too. Love that it's a natural material, comfortable, and lightweight enough to wear during our recent ONE HUNDRED ELEVEN HEAT INDEX heat wave.
Chili crunch. Why is it SO good? Why do I want it on everything from a savory yogurt bowl to veggies to eggs to pasta dishes lately?? Burn my taste buds to oblivion, baby! This condiment has earned a permanent spot in our fridge.
