Paleo Lifestyle Benefits

Editor's note: This is a guest article describing one person's personal experience of managing autoimmune conditions through diet and lifestyle. It reflects the author's own views and experience, not clinical guidance from Rightangled. The Paleo Autoimmune Protocol is not an established medical treatment for autoimmune disease, and the evidence base for it is limited. Never stop or change prescribed medication for an autoimmune condition without speaking to the clinician who prescribes it — doing so can cause serious harm. If you are considering a restrictive elimination diet, please involve your GP, rheumatologist or a registered dietitian.

Today we are sharing the story and perspective of Caroline Lamont, a functional medicine health coach at Great In Great Out.

Caroline lives with two autoimmune conditions. Medication is usually needed for these, but here she describes how lifestyle changes and nutrition formed part of her own approach alongside conventional care.

Autoimmune disease involves the immune system attacking the body's own healthy cells. My own way of thinking about it is that the immune system is responding to conditions it finds difficult, and that identifying and addressing contributing factors is what protocols like AIP try to do.

There is currently no cure for autoimmune disease. Proponents of lifestyle approaches — including Dr Sarah Ballantyne, Dr Terry Wahls (The Wahls Protocol) and Dr Amy Myers — believe lifestyle change can support periods of reduced disease activity. I am currently in remission from rheumatoid arthritis, and my own experience shaped that belief.

Editor's note: remission in autoimmune conditions can occur for many reasons, including the natural relapsing-remitting course of the disease and the effect of medication. Individual experience cannot establish that a diet caused a remission.

What these protocols aim to do

• Support gut health
• Reduce inflammation
• Improve nutrient intake
• Support hormonal balance

The two main pillars are nutrition and self-care.

Nutrition

Elimination phase

The elimination phase temporarily removes foods that some people find aggravating, with the aim of identifying individual sensitivities and supporting the gut lining.

Some researchers have explored links between intestinal permeability, gluten sensitivity and autoimmunity, including work published by Dr Alessio Fasano. It is worth being clear that this remains an area of active research rather than settled science, and "leaky gut" is not an established clinical diagnosis in mainstream medicine.

Micronutrients

The second element is increasing intake of nutrients the immune system relies on — vitamin A, zinc, magnesium and B12 among them. Typical Western diets are often energy-rich and nutrient-poor.

Lifestyle and self-care

The areas I found most impactful were sleep, stress management, movement, and social connection.

Sleep

Adequate sleep supports immune regulation, energy and mental wellbeing. If you consistently feel you are not sleeping enough, you probably are not — and it is worth prioritising.

Stress

The fight-or-flight response is a normal reaction to short-term threat, during which the body deprioritises non-essential systems. That is useful in an emergency and less useful when it becomes chronic. Modern life rarely allows a proper return to rest-and-digest. Reducing stressors and building resilience to them is worth treating as a priority rather than an afterthought.

Movement

Movement matters as much as formal exercise, and more is not always better — too much can be as counterproductive as too little. There is good research supporting the role of physical activity in managing chronic autoimmune conditions. Find something you can enjoy and sustain; low-impact activity works well for many people.

Connection and nature

Regular social contact and time outdoors both have well-documented benefits for wellbeing.

What if my medication is working well?

My own view is that autoimmune disease is a condition of the immune system rather than only of the affected organ, and that supporting overall health alongside medication is worthwhile.

Editor's note: this should not be read as a reason to reduce or stop medication. Disease-modifying treatment prevents irreversible joint and organ damage in many autoimmune conditions. Lifestyle measures may sit alongside that treatment — they are not a substitute for it. Discuss any changes with your specialist.

About Caroline

Caroline Lamont is a functional medicine health coach. After 20 years in the corporate world, she was diagnosed with two autoimmune conditions and now focuses on supporting others with lifestyle change.

About Rightangled

Rightangled is a UK-registered online pharmacy offering prescription treatments, home blood tests and DNA tests. Our clinical team includes GPhC-registered independent prescribers, with medical oversight from our doctor, Dr Abdullah.

Guest articles reflect the views of their authors and are not clinical guidance. This article does not replace personalised medical advice.