We talk a lot about nutrient density and diversity on this podcast. Every food has a unique nutrient profile, and when we get in food ruts and eat the same thing every day, our nutrition suffers. The same thing happens with movement. Modern life limits the way we move our bodies, but then chronic illness can limit it even more. This creates a vicious cycle. How do we break free and expand our ability to move, enhancing our health at the same time? My guest is Katy Bowman, a biomechanist, teacher...
Aug 21, 2020•1 hr 2 min
Back in March, I recorded our first episode on the Coronavirus. Now, it's time for an update. How are people with autoimmune disease faring? What's the single biggest factor in recovery? What supplements and lifestyle choices support immune health? How do we navigate restrictions vs. reopening? And how do we support our mental health during the challenges of a long-term pandemic? My guest is Dr. Aly Cohen, an integrative rheumatologist who will be sharing the latest research with us. She'll be a...
Aug 07, 2020•57 min
78% of autoimmune patients are women, and some diagnoses are 2-3 times more common among women of color. When it comes to healthcare, ideally we all get the same treatment, but many people have experienced some form of bias in the doctor's office. Research shows this leads to serious health consequences. How can we address a problem this big - both as patients who want to get the best care, and as a community that cares about excellent healthcare for all? My guest is Dr. Maggie Cadet, a rheumato...
Jul 24, 2020•49 min
We hear a lot about the mind-body connection, but what are its uses and what are its limits? Are there techniques we can use to minimize pain and manage it better? How does the stress response increase pain's intensity? How does guarding against pain add a second layer of tension that can make pain worse? Vidyamala Burch has lived with chronic pain for over 40 years. Learning how to survive and thrive started as a personal goal and later became her professional mission. She's an author, educator...
Jul 10, 2020•59 min
Many people think of the AIP as simply a list of foods you can and can't eat, so how can intuition play a role? And if your intuition tells you to eat junk food, that derails health goals rather than supports them, right? So, how can these things possibly go together? In this podcast episode, we bust some myths about both of these dietary philosophies and see how they might be blended for autoimmune health. Visit https://www.phoenixhelix.com for show notes.
Jun 26, 2020•53 min
There are over 100 different autoimmune diseases, and it takes an average of 4 years and 5 doctors to get an accurate diagnosis. I know many of you have been through this, or are going through this right now. Let me introduce Dr. William Mitchell, whom I call the Diagnosis Detective. He's a naturopathic doctor who works in rheumatology. One of his passions is helping people cut through the chaos surrounding autoimmune diagnosis. Visit https://www.phoenixhelix.com for show notes.
Jun 12, 2020•59 min
Because of the pandemic, this has been an intense Spring for us all. I'm taking a much-needed break this week and releasing a favorite podcast from the archives you might have missed. This episode is from 2017, but the topic is still timely, because it's hard to keep healthy habits under stress. Three health and nutrition coaches share their best tips for succeeding on the paleo autoimmune protocol, no matter the circumstance. They tackle the main obstacles that throw people off-track, and share...
May 29, 2020•1 hr 28 min
Self-soothing behaviors are the things we do to comfort ourselves in the moment, especially under stress. Sometimes those behaviors are healthy and double as self-care. Other times, they are the opposite of healthy. Most of us have impulses in both directions. What drives those impulses? How can we get in the habit of soothing ourselves in ways that both comfort us and support our health? My guest is Dr. Lili Wagner, a psychologist with over 20 years of experience treating patients. She’s also t...
May 15, 2020•1 hr 2 min
Why does food intolerance increase with autoimmune disease? And why are some people able to reintroduce foods successfully while other people struggle? In this episode, I speak with a leader in the autoimmune health community: Dr. Datis Kharrazian. He's a clinician, researcher, author, and expert on this issue. He shares the root causes behind this loss of tolerance, as well as practical tips to heal and expand food tolerance again.
May 01, 2020•46 min
Many people with autoimmune disease struggle with anxiety as well. In this episode we talk about why that's true, how anxiety can interfere with our lives, and share practical tips for addressing it in the moment, as well as strategies for reducing it long-term. My guest is Dr. Maureen Pierce, a health psychologist who specializes in working with people with chronic pain and chronic illness, as well as first responders. Visit https://www.phoenixhelix.com for show notes.
Apr 17, 2020•1 hr 2 min
Most of you are familiar with Dr. Terry Wahls. She's a physician with multiple sclerosis who reversed her symptoms dramatically, going from a wheelchair to a bicycle after implementing diet and lifestyle changes. That program is now called The Wahls Protocol and has been the subject of multiple medical studies, proving its effectiveness for others as well. In this episode, we summarize all the research, from the very first study, to the current clinical trial comparing the Wahls & Swank diet...
Apr 03, 2020•55 min
This is a frightening time in the world, especially for people with health vulnerabilities. Our goal today is to separate fact from fiction, reduce some of the anxiety you might be feeling, and share practical advice on how to support your health during this time – physically, mentally, and emotionally. My guest is Andrea Nakayama. You might be familiar with her from past podcasts. She's one of my favorite guests because she's highly knowledgeable, sees the big picture when it comes to health, a...
Mar 19, 2020•1 hr 13 min
Flares are one of the scariest parts of autoimmune disease. They're unpredictable, often very painful, sometimes disabling, and always disruptive to our plans. In this episode, three autoimmune warriors share their best tips for making it through autoimmune flares with strength and self-compassion. We talk about favorite foods, lifestyle hacks, mindset techniques, and more. Visit https://www.phoenixhelix.com for show notes.
Mar 06, 2020•1 hr 15 min
Osteoporosis is a condition where the bones become weak and brittle, and it’s usually associated with aging. But it turns out that autoimmune disease increases our risk of getting this condition at a younger age. In this episode, we talk about why this is true and what we can do to prevent and reverse it. What tests are available? What treatments are helpful? What self-care steps are most effective for maintaining our bone health? My guest is functional medicine physician, Dr. Amy Nett. She answ...
Feb 21, 2020•1 hr 10 min
While not everyone has a sweet tooth, a lot of us do, and it's often hard to break the sugar habit. Why is that so true? It turns out there are a lot of forces driving those cravings: emotional, psychological, and even biological. Its no wonder they're not easy to resist. In today's episode, we dive into the details. My guest is holistic psychologist Dr. Vickie Bhatia. We discuss everything from the gut microbiome and brain chemistry, to the emotions surrounding food, to the psychology of habit ...
Feb 07, 2020•1 hr 1 min
If you’ve ever experienced brain fog, anxiety, or mood issues alongside your autoimmune symptoms, you’re not alone. Doctors know that mental health issues often increase with an autoimmune diagnosis, and a new scientific discovery might explain why. There are cells in the brain called microglia that are actually part of the immune system. And just as our body’s immune system can go into overdrive and cause chronic inflammation with autoimmune disease, the same thing can happen in our brains. My ...
Jan 24, 2020•1 hr
If you’re a regular listener of my podcast, you know that I often start my shows with personal stories, where my guests share their health journeys from rock bottom to reclaiming a vital life. But at a least once a year, I dedicate an episode to back-to-back healing stories, and I make an effort to speak to people with different autoimmune diagnoses each time. In this episode, we talk about Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, Endometriosis, Sjogren's Syndrome, Vasculitis, Celiac Disease, Type 1 Diabetes, A...
Jan 10, 2020•1 hr 40 min
In support of my own autoimmune health, I’m taking a sabbatical for the month of December and releasing two of my favorite episodes from the archives that you might have missed. Today’s episode is one of the most popular of all time. The right exercise has the potential to improve our health, but the wrong exercise can cause an autoimmune flare. Our needs will often change from month to month, maybe even from day to day. In this podcast, I share my own experience of how my exercise needs have ch...
Dec 27, 2019•1 hr 9 min
In support of my own autoimmune health, I'm taking a sabbatical for the month of December and releasing two of my favorite episodes from the archives that you might have missed. Today's episode is one of the most popular of all time. Once you start researching alternative approaches to treating autoimmune disease, it isn’t long before you hear of a gene mutation that can be a root cause for chronic illness and also a healing stumbling block. It’s called MTHFR. This is a very complex topic, and i...
Dec 13, 2019•1 hr 12 min
When we feel lonely or isolated, it can seem like we’re the only person experiencing it, yet loneliness has become an epidemic affecting millions. Living with chronic illness can be an especially isolating experience, and it all becomes more poignant around the holidays. In addition to being emotionally painful, loneliness also carries health risks. It's been compared to smoking 15 cigarettes a day for its negative impact on health and longevity. But loneliness isn't a life sentence. In this pod...
Nov 29, 2019•1 hr 9 min
If the placebo effect taps into our body's natural healing capability, and the nocebo effect can turn fear into physical symptoms, these are things we need to understand. In this podcast we dive into the research to try to make sense of one of the human body's great mysteries. My guest is science journalist Erik Vance, author of the book Suggestible You. Visit https://www.phoenixhelix.com for show notes.
Nov 15, 2019•59 min
What's the line between a healing diet and a harmful one? Orthorexia is a term that was first coined in the late 1990’s by Dr. Steven Bratman. It refers to an obsessive focus on healthy eating that becomes clinically impairing. This idea has become controversial in the paleo autoimmune community. Does a healing diet automatically set you up for orthorexia? What does it mean to eat in a way that supports your health? And what does it look like when this goal becomes unhealthy? My guest is Imei Hs...
Nov 01, 2019•58 min
There’s a community of 38 trillion microorganisms living in and on our bodies, and most of them reside in our gut. That's equal to the number of cells in the human body. By this definition, we are only 50% human. This is why gut health has such a huge impact on human health, and research in this area is exploding. What does the science say about the intersection between the gut microbiome and autoimmune health? Where can we apply that knowledge in our own lives? And what are some common myths an...
Oct 18, 2019•1 hr 3 min
Sexual intimacy can be challenging even in healthy couples. It’s an area that many of us aren’t comfortable talking about, but when you add chronic illness, the obstacles increase exponentially. Depending on your condition, you might be experiencing extreme fatigue, chronic pain, limited range of motion, muscle spasms, disability, bowel issues, skin conditions, and more. It’s natural for this to have an impact on libido, body image, and relationships. My guest, Kate Wolovsky, is a mental health ...
Oct 04, 2019•1 hr 1 min
Blood sugar is one of the building blocks of life. It gives our cells the energy they need to do their jobs. Yet when our blood sugar gets too high, drops too low, or swings wildly between these extremes, it negatively impacts our health on multiple levels, including autoimmune health. In this podcast, we'll be taking a deep dive into this topic. What factors influence blood sugar levels? How can we tell if ours is out of balance? What are the common symptoms? What tests are helpful? And what di...
Sep 20, 2019•1 hr 6 min
This episode marks the 5-year anniversary of this podcast! When I was thinking about how I wanted to celebrate, I decided to invite 2 friends onto the show who have been following a healing diet for 5 years or more. But that doesn’t mean our diet today looks the same as it did on day 1 of this journey. We’ve personalized it over the years, learning what does and doesn’t work for our unique bodies. We’ve had setbacks and recoveries, and we’ve learned to navigate our bodies’ changing needs. Visit ...
Sep 06, 2019•1 hr 22 min
Our topic today is Resilience, that ability to bounce back from life’s hardships. With autoimmune disease, we get lots of practice. Sometimes we feel strong and capable of overcoming suffering. Other times we feel beaten down and frightened by our body’s unpredictability. The good news is that resilience isn't something you either have or you don’t. Resilience is a trait we can nurture. My guest is Dr. Cynthia Li, a functional medicine physician who has autoimmune disease herself. The intensity ...
Aug 23, 2019•1 hr 10 min
Due to a recent bout of pneumonia, I'm taking some time to focus on my health. Today's episode is a favorite from my podcast archives. At its basic level, food is sustenance. It fuels us for life. But food is more than just a source of energy. Emotions surround the experience of eating as well. Food can comfort and bring joy, yet it can also inspire feelings of guilt. People also connect with each other over food, building memories, traditions, and even identities. And when you're following a he...
Aug 09, 2019•1 hr 6 min
Due to a recent bout of pneumonia, I need to take some time to focus on my health. I'm taking a sabbatical for the next few weeks and releasing two of my favorite episodes from the archives that you might have missed. Today's episode is one of the most popular ever, and summer seems like the perfect time to re-release it! It's the season of barbecues, picnics, weddings, festivals, and an increase in social events overall. When you're following a diet like the paleo autoimmune protocol, how do yo...
Jul 26, 2019•1 hr 16 min
I have some exciting research to share! It's the first medical study looking at the paleo autoimmune protocol as an intervention for Hashimoto's thyroiditis. The results were impressive! In this episode, Dr. Rob Abbott and Angie Alt (the research team) give us all the details.
Jul 12, 2019•1 hr 5 min
