There might be something wrong with your inner tube, and it could be making you sick and fat.

You may not even realize you have a problem ... but if you have health concerns of any kind or you are overweight, your inner tube could be the root cause.

Of course, I’m not talking about a beach toy. I mean the inner tube of life -- your digestive system!

It is likely that you suffer from (or have suffered from) some type of digestive disorder -- irritable bowel syndrome, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, heartburn, reflux, gas, and other things too gross to mention in print.

And you are not alone. More than 100 million Americans have digestive problems.

Two of the top five selling drugs in America are for digestive problems, and they cost us billions and billions of dollars.

There are more than 200 over-the-counter (OTC) remedies for digestive disorders, many of which can create additional digestive problems.

Visits for intestinal disorders are among the most common reasons for trips to primary care physicians.

And that’s not even the worst news.

Most of us (including most doctors) do not recognize or know that digestive problems wreak havoc in the entire body, leading to allergies, arthritis, autoimmune disease, rashes, acne, chronic fatigue, mood disorders, autism, dementia, cancer, and more.

So having a healthy gut means more than simply being free of annoyances like bloating or heartburn! It is absolutely central to your health. It is connected to EVERYTHING that happens in your body.

That’s why I almost always start helping people treat chronic health problems by fixing their gut, which is what I want to help you do today.

Today , you will learn how you can find out if you have a problem with your gut (though many of you won’t need me to tell you -- your gut will speak for itself!), and I will give you 7 simple steps you can take today to heal your inner tube of life.

Fixing your digestion is the 4th key of the 7 Keys to UltraWellness or functional medicine, and it is absolutely essential that you heal this critical system in your body if you want to achieve optimum health.

Why your gut is so important? Let me explain ...

The incidence of autoimmune disease has tripled in the last few decades. 24 million Americans are now affected. In fact, it affects more women than heart disease and breast cancer combined.

But autoimmune disease isn’t just one condition ...

You’re probably familiar with the most common autoimmune diseases, like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, type-1 diabetes, hypothyroidism, and psoriasis. But there are many more autoimmune diseases that affect the nervous system, joints and muscles, skin, endocrine gland, and heart.

Simply put, autoimmune diseases are conditions where the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues rather than a foreign molecule like bacteria. This happens when something confuses the immune system. Increasingly, that “something” appears to be the enormous load of environmental toxins to which we are all exposed.

The groundbreaking book, The Autoimmune Epidemic, by Donna Jackson Nakazawa is a breath-taking piece of investigative journalism that seeks the real causes for this epidemic. Her desire to find answers was fueled by her own struggle with autoimmune disease.

Donna lays out very clearly a radical, but unfortunately very true, picture of what’s happening. But she also provides clear solutions for changes in diet, supplements, and our environment that can help people deal with and even reverse autoimmune diseases.

Donna calls the environmental toxins that are, in part, driving the autoimmune epidemic “autogens” -- foreign compounds that create an “auto” reaction, a reaction against the self.
The fact is, these toxins may be the most important cause of autoimmune diseases.

In today’s blog I will review how these toxins influence your health and lead to autoimmune diseases, share some of what Donna explains in her book, and provide 9 tips to help you address autoimmune disease.

Ever wonder how some doctors can miss what's right in front of them?

This week, I'd like to tell you why conventional medicine doesn't always get it right when it comes to disease -- autoimmune diseases, especially.

If you suffer from things such as acne, allergies, asthma, arthritis or other related conditions, then you'll want to read on.

Recently, I flew to Rochester, New York, to participate in a national PBS show called SECOND OPINION. 

This is a fantastic opportunity for viewers to see a living room discussion about a medical topic between specialists, general practitioners, patients, patient advocates, and odd characters like me who don't quite fit in.

We shot three shows: one on migraines, one on osteoarthritis, and the last on inflammation.

There were renowned, smart and very qualified specialists and doctors there, from whom I could learn much.

But as we sat there during the inflammation show talking about a woman who had an autoimmune disease, I felt sad and distraught.

And try as I might, I couldn't break through the basic foundational idea of conventional medicine.