I’ve spent the last 12 years practicing and 20 years researching natural and integrative medicine. I’ve spent a small fortune on my education and mentorship. I’ve seen thousands of cases, and hundreds of our patients have stuck with us for over a year, which means that we have been able to get multiple rounds of lab testing with them. Our patients report significant improvements in their energy, sleep, mood, digestion, and cognitive function, as I share in my book, The End of Autoimmunity.
So when I tell you that I’ve spent an enormous amount of time and energy sorting out what really works, you know I didn’t come up with this on the back of a napkin after Sunday brunch or after a few hours of prompting with ChatGPT.
This post is about the most important things I share with patients in our practice. They’re so important that I try to cover them in the first thirty days. I’ve now put them together in our 30-Day Immune Wellness Road Map.
I’m sharing it with you because I like you, and I just want you to have it.
Everything you’ll need to execute on this road map, from specific product recommendations to exact protocol instructions, is in my book.
For a limited time, you’ll get a complementary copy of my book when you book an evaluation with a member of my team. Book an evaluation here. Purchase your copy here.
Below, I include the exact steps, a brief rationale, and where to learn more in my book or at stillmanmd.com/autoimmunity. Look for the “companion resources.”
Day 1: Morning Sunlight
Get into the brightest sunlight possible, as fast as possible, after you wake up.
Morning light is the primary signal that sets your circadian rhythm. Your circadian rhythms govern hormone release, immune activity, and cellular repair. Getting bright light first thing in the morning is one of the best ways to optimize your circadian rhythms, and with it your overall health. If it’s dark when you wake, a bright light lamp will do. If it’s cold, five minutes on the porch or in a sunny corner of the house still count.
For more on why light comes before nearly everything else in this framework, see Chapter 3, “Essentials,” and the companion resource “Healing with Light: Light Therapy for Energy, Sleep, and Immune Repair” at stillmanmd.com/autoimmunity.
Day 2: Morning Encouragement
During that same window of morning light, take the time to encourage, compliment, or thank three people.
Positive emotions are vital to good health. They have meaningful impacts on inflammation and immune function. I think it’s important that we make them a part of our daily routine.
See Chapter 3, “Essentials,” for more on why this belongs alongside sunlight rather than after it.
Day 3: Three Walks
Take three ten-minute walks each day, one in the morning, one at midday, and one in the evening.
These walks will help to time your circadian rhythms, get you much-needed sunlight, and provide gentle exercise that supports good health.
Chapter 3 covers this in more detail. The companion resource “Exercise Without Exhaustion” is available at stillmanmd.com/autoimmunity.
Day 4: Spring Water
Drink 64 ounces of spring water daily, from the time you wake until early evening.
We need adequate water to remove toxins from our bodies. Chronic dehydration is one of the major problems we find in our patients. Many of them are just “too busy” or they “lose track.” Set alarms. Take the time. Give your body the water it needs to eliminate the toxins you’re accumulated.
See Chapter 3, “Essentials,” and the companion resource “Healing Waters: Hydration to Nourish, Detoxify, and Repair” for the full explanation, including which filters we recommend, at stillmanmd.com/autoimmunity.
Day 5: Protein at Every Meal
Eat a palm-sized portion of protein at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Protein is vital for proper appetite regulation, maintaining our muscle mass, and for having daily energy, deep sleep, and cellular repair. Without protein, nothing happens. One of the number one problems we find in patients is that they do not eat enough protein for their underlying needs. That’s why we start with a palm-sized portion at all three meals.
Chapter 3, “Essentials,” covers nutrition in more depth, including how we think about protein for patients rebuilding from repair deficit.
Day 6: Root Vegetables
Eat root vegetables at lunch and dinner.
We rely on root vegetables for a few key reasons. First, they’re rich in potassium and other minerals many people are deficient in. Second, they are lower in carbohydrates than many grains, and the carbohydrates are released more slowly. People generally sleep and function better with “slower” carbohydrates. Third, they have fiber that helps us to eliminate toxins from the gut. Most patients feel much better on more root vegetables than grains.
See Chapter 3, “Essentials.”
Day 7: Greens
Eat greens at lunch and dinner.
Leafy greens are dense in the vitamins and minerals our patients are most deficient in, and that drive repair, sleep, and detoxification. They are also rich in fiber, which helps us eliminate toxins from the gut and feeds a healthy microbiome.
See Chapter 3, “Essentials.”
Day 8: Nuts and Seeds
Eat a handful of nuts and seeds as your afternoon snack.
Nuts and seeds are packed with vitamins and minerals we need, and that patients are often deficient in. They also have fatty acids we need for optimal performance, and specifically omega-3’s in flax, chia, and walnuts play a critical role in regulating immune function.
See Chapter 3, “Essentials.”
Day 9: Darken Your Environment
Starting at sunset, dim the lights in your home.
Our bodies need time to wind-down before sleep. Cutting the lights out and going to bed might “work” for you, but it’s not best for your body. The less light you see after sundown, in the 3-4 hours before bed, the stronger and deeper your sleep will be.
Chapter 3 covers the essentials of light and sleep. Chapter 4, “Hazards,” and the companion resource “Healthy Homes for Healthy Families” cover what to remove from your environment to protect your health.
Day 10: Bedtime
Be in bed, lights off, by 10 PM.
Your body needs high-quality sleep to repair. When we go to bed late, we lose the best hours of the night for repair. Skimping on sleep is one of the top things we see driving disease in our practice.
See Chapter 3, “Essentials.”
Days 1-10 have been published previously as my, “14-Day Reset.” They were the logical starting habits for this 30-day program.
Day 11: X39 Patch
Apply an X39 patch each morning.
This is a light therapy patch we use in our practice that turns on the body’s repair processes in a powerful way. It’s my favorite therapeutic to start with and I often find myself coming back to it.
You can purchase these patches here.
This falls under Chapter 6, “Therapeutics.” The companion resource “Healing with Light” covers light therapy patches in more detail, including the podcasts I recorded on this topic.
Day 12: Low-Blue Light
Switch to low-blue light bulbs in the evening, and put on blue blockers after sunset.
Blue light after dark suppresses melatonin and disrupts the sleep your body needs to repair itself. We use blue blockers from Vivarays (use affiliate code “StillmanMD” for a discount).
See Chapter 4, “Hazards.”
Day 13: Detox Powder Smoothie
Add the Dr. Stillman’s Detox Powder Smoothie each morning.
This is a recipe we share with patients. The ingredients nourish the body and help it to detoxify. It’s one of our most important daily habits, and one that patients are often impressed by.
This is covered under Chapter 6, “Therapeutics.” See the companion resource “Dr. Stillman’s Detox Powder” for the full ingredient breakdown and why we start almost every patient on it.
Day 14: Vitamin D
Take your vitamin D with breakfast or your largest meal of the day. We recommend 5,000 IU if you’re generally well, and 10,000 IU if you’re working to reclaim your health.
Vitamin D is one of the most important tools we have for regulating immune function. Most patients are deficient, largely because modern life keeps people indoors. Patients with allergies and autoimmunity often benefit from higher doses, but we determine that case-by-case.
Chapter 6, “Therapeutics,” covers how we start vitamin D, including when and why we go beyond the standard dose. I discuss high-dose vitamin D in a companion resource.
Day 15: Daily Foundational Supplements
We have a starting list of supplements. Patients in our practice get a personalized supplement protocol, while patients who have not had recent testing are recommended to take a protocol outlined in one of our companion resources, “Supplements and Products I Use Every Day.”
We’ve found that patients need supplements to maintain optimal levels of nutrients due to depletion of modern soils, toxic exposures, and stress.
See the companion resource “Supplements and Products I Use Every Day,” along with “Our Magnesium Protocol For Calm, Sleep, And Steady Energy,” both referenced in Chapter 6, “Therapeutics.”
Day 16: Medication Review
Review your medication list for any that have been linked to inflammatory or autoimmune disorders. This is now easy to do with AI.
Many common medications can cause drug-induced autoimmunity. Obviously, don’t stop your medications without consulting your practitioner, but do bring it up if you think it’s part of your problem. We catch medication side effects that have been missed on a regular basis in the practice.
See Chapter 4, “Hazards,” for a fuller discussion of drug-induced autoimmunity.
Days 17-21 are what I call our, “14-Day Detox.” Technically, it is a “forever” detox, but at least focus on avoiding these hazards completely for 14 days and see what happens.
Day 17: Eliminate Aluminum
Remove aluminum from your daily routine, including personal care products, food, and medications.
Deodorant, hair-care products, aluminum-canned beverages, baking powder, and many medications can all have high levels of aluminum.
Vaccines are also a major source of aluminum, which is why most of our patients refuse vaccines.
This is the first swap in the 14-Day Detox outlined in Chapter 4, “Hazards.” I discuss this topic in greater depth in Chapter 4.
Day 18: Swap Your Sunscreen
Swap to zinc oxide sunscreen before your next sun exposure.
Chemical sunscreens carry ingredients linked to hormone disruption. Your skin absorbs what you put on it.
This is the second swap in the 14-Day Detox from Chapter 4, “Hazards.”
Day 19: Bedroom Blackout
Minimize light and electronics in your bedroom every night before you go to sleep.
Cumulative light and EMF exposure disrupts the sleep your body needs to repair itself. Blackout curtains, an unplugged router, and a phone in another room all help. If you sleep near a smart meter, put as much distance between it and your bed as you can. We consider twenty feet a bare minimum in our practice.
This is the third swap in the 14-Day Detox from Chapter 4, “Hazards.” See also the companion resource “Healthy Homes for Healthy Families.”
Day 20: Mercury-Rich Fish
Eliminate mercury-rich fish, starting with this week’s grocery list.
Mercury is a major driver of chronic disease, particularly autoimmunity and inflammatory diseases. Tuna, swordfish, shark, and king mackerel carry a mercury burden that outweighs the benefit. Wild salmon, sardines, anchovies, and herring are rich in omega-3’s, without the burden of mercury.
This is the fourth swap in the 14-Day Detox from Chapter 4, “Hazards.” For the full guide, see the companion resource “Fish, Fish Oil, Omega-3’s, and Autoimmunity.”
Day 21: Smoking and Vaping
Stop smoking or vaping, starting today.
Inhalation is the fastest route into your bloodstream available to us. That is precisely why it is one of the fastest paths to chronic illness. If you use it medicinally, look for an alternative delivery method. If you’re addicted, work toward weaning off rather than quitting cold and seek appropriate medical treatment for addiction.
See Chapter 4, “Hazards.”
Day 22: Breathwork
Practice “The Starting Breathwork Protocol” each morning and evening.
Dysfunctional breathing mechanics quietly undermine everything else you are doing for your health. This is one of the first things we check in every patient, and correcting it is often the fastest visible improvement we see. Five minutes of our breathwork protocol, twice daily, is where we start.
Breathing is covered as an essential in Chapter 3, and again as a therapeutic in Chapter 6. See the companion resource “Breathing for a Calmer Mind and Stronger Body” for the complete protocol.
Day 23: Dental Care
Make sure your teeth aren’t the root cause of your issues (pun intended).
We see root canals, mercury fillings, and more creating all kinds of chronic diseases in patients. We refer exclusively to dentists trained by the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology.
See Chapter 4, “Hazards,” and the companion resource “Good Dentistry: Healthy Teeth for Life” for why we take dental health this seriously.
Day 24: Avoid Your “Smart” Electrical Meter
Check your electrical meter. If it’s a digital meter, it’s a “smart” meter and emits electromagnetic pollution that confuses the immune system. We recommend sleeping at least 20 feet from these, and avoiding them during the day as much as possible (move your office or work station if necessary).
Most power companies have upgraded their electrical meters to “smart” meters. I think smart meters are dumb, because they create all kinds of damage in the body. They are supposed to save us money, but I would call it “penny-wise and pound-foolish.”
These smart meters emit dangerous levels of electromagnetic radiation. We find this disrupting sleep and some of our most severe cases have realized they were working or sleeping near a smart meter once they presented to our practice.
See Chapter 4, “Hazards,” and the companion resource “Healthy Homes for Healthy Families.”
Day 25: Repair Deficit Panel
Consider the Repair Deficit Panel.
This is the blood panel I created specifically to measure repair deficit in the body. You can run this panel with any practitioner.
This is covered in full in Chapter 5, “Diagnostics,” including the fourteen markers we test and what each one tells us.
Day 26: HTMA Testing
Consider hair tissue mineral analysis (HTMA) or other micronutrient (vitamin or mineral) testing.
HTMA is one of our simplest, most accurate, and yet misunderstood tests. We use it in every case and use it to create personalized supplement protocols for our patients.
See Chapter 5, “Diagnostics,” and our “Metals, Minerals, and Autoimmunity” companion guide for how we interpret HTMA in practice.
Day 27: Allergy Testing
Consider allergy testing once you’ve established the foundational habits.
We run allergy testing to determine if foods are triggering a patient’s symptoms. The results are often life-changing. If foods are driving your symptoms, sorting out exactly which foods becomes invaluable.
See Chapter 5, “Diagnostics,” for our full approach to testing, and Mary’s case in Chapter 3 of my book as one example of what this can uncover.
Day 28: The Vitamin C Protocol
Follow the Vitamin C Protocol once you’ve established the foundational habits.
Vitamin C is one of the most powerful supplements we use in practice. It is vital for collagen production and repair, immune function, and detoxification.
Chapter 6, “Therapeutics,” includes more information on vitamin C, and our “High-Dose Vitamin C Protocol” can be found in our companion resources.
Day 29: Healing the Gut
Consider the Healing the Gut Protocol once your foundational habits are in place.
Much of the immune system lives in the gut, and much of autoimmunity traces back to it. We include this protocol specifically when gut issues are a major concern.
See Chapter 6, “Therapeutics,” and the companion resource “Gut Repair Essentials: Our 5-Step Process” for our first steps to resolving gut issues.
Day 30: Healing the Wounded Heart
Make healing your heart a daily practice.
Autoimmunity has a mind-body dimension that conventional medicine still largely overlooks. Old wounds, chronic stress, and unresolved grief can manifest as fatigue, brain fog, inflammation, and full-blown autoimmune disorders. Prayer, forgiveness, and repentance can be more important than supplements, labs, or medical treatments. This is often a missing piece for some of our toughest cases.
This has its own companion resource, “Healing the Wounded Heart,” which goes far deeper into this topic than I can here.
If you found this helpful, book an evaluation with a member of my team.
For a limited time, you’ll get a complementary copy of my book with your evaluation. Book an evaluation here.
You can also purchase a copy here.
I hope you find this road map helpful.
Until next time, be well,
Dr. Stillman