Phoenix Helix: Autoimmune Resilience

Many traditions – both sacred and secular – center around food. In addition, religions sometimes have specific rules concerning diet. When you’re diagnosed with autoimmune disease and change your diet to support your health, how do you maintain your connection to your religion, your culture, and your community? In this podcast, I interview 3 guests from 3 different faiths about how they mindfully balance their traditions with their diet and health needs

Sleep is essential to our bodies' ability to heal. In fact, many of us have experienced autoimmune flares caused by lack of sleep. At the same time, autoimmune symptoms can make sleep difficult, creating a vicious cycle. So, what do we do? In this podcast, sleep expert Dan Pardi talks about the science of sleep: what happens when we're sleeping and how much we need at different stages in our lives. We also talk about foundational habits for a good night's sleep, and how to troubleshoot advanced sleep challenges.

A big part of a healing diet is learning about personal food intolerances and how they can drive autoimmune symptoms. It's empowering knowledge to have. However, sometimes the list of foods we remove grows and grows, and we make the mistake of thinking that food is the only trigger for autoimmune flares. It’s also common to not replace those calories with enough healthy foods that we can eat. This means we end up in a nutrition deficit. In this podcast, registered dietitian Laura Schoenfeld teaches us how to avoid this trap, how to troubleshoot ongoing symptoms, and how to leave food fear behind.

Dr. Mark Hyman is one of the most well-known names in the functional medicine movement. He is a practicing family physician, a 10-time New York Times bestselling author, and an internationally recognized leader, speaker, educator, and advocate. He has coined the term "peganism" and in this podcast, we talk about what that means, alongside other tips for autoimmune health.

If you think you can't meditate, this podcast is for you! Do you picture meditators sitting quietly and peacefully with completely empty minds, people genetically wired totally differently from you? Let me tell you a secret: those people don't exist. Even the Dalai Lama has thoughts while he meditates. The mind is designed to think just like the heart is designed to beat. Meditation isn't about stopping thoughts; it's learning how to notice and detach from them. There are also many different ways to meditate, including moving meditations, or cultivating mindful moments in daily life. My guest is Jeff Warren, a world-renowned meditation teacher who is an expert at helping people overcome their personal meditation obstacles

When you have autoimmune disease, how do you continue to take care of yourself when you are also taking care of a new baby? What are the special health needs of both you and your baby during this time? In this podcast, 3 mothers share their experiences.

Living with chronic illness is hard. Even when we are empowered to reclaim our health and live a vital and beautiful life, that’s not the same as a cure. It’s natural to grieve the life we had before, when life seemed easier, and our bodies were more predictable. What feelings are normal to experience? What do we do if we feel stuck or overwhelmed? In today's podcast, we provide a roadmap for moving through anxiety, shock, fear, denial, anger, guilt, grief and shame. We also talk about what acceptance really means, and how to cultivate the strength of resilience.

One of my goals with my blog and podcast is to make the AIP as simple to follow as possible. That's why I wrote my book! Today, I'm dedicating an entire podcast to the most frequently asked questions I've received over the past 5 years: Will the AIP work for my diagnosis? Is it helpful if you don't have autoimmune disease? Does it replace medication? How does it differ from the Wahls Protocol? Why can't I just do an allergy test? Can you do the AIP as a vegetarian? Why isn't coffee allowed? Can you have sugar on the AIP? I'm constantly hungry - what do I do? Meagen Ashley from the blog, It's All About AIP, joins me as co-host. Tune in to get answers to these questions, and many more.

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. Today, we'll be talking about Ulcerative Colitis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lichen Sclerosis, and ALS. And If you want to hear the prior Healing Stories podcasts, check out episodes 1, 14, 30 and 61. Let’s inspire each other!

This is one of the most popular podcast episodes - for good reason! Dr. Kharrazian is one of the leading functional medicine practitioners in the field of autoimmune disease. In this information-packed episode, we cover a huge range of topics: (1) The 3 Stages of Autoimmunity, (2) The Role of Blood Sugar in Autoimmune Disease, (3) The Power of Stress and Our Emotional Demons, (4) How to Support our Regulatory Immune Cells and Suppress our Inflammatory Ones, (5) The Connection Between Leaky Gut and a Leaky Blood-Brain Barrier, (6) Harnessing the Power of the Vagus Nerve, (7) Chemical Intolerance and the Dangers of Chelation, (8) How to Heal Food Sensitivities, and (9) His Top Recommended Tests and Supplements.

This is one of my favorite episodes from Season 1 of this podcast. It's a timeless topic. Sometimes, we make poor diet and lifestyle choices, even knowing that it will cause us pain. In this episode, we answer the question: "Why do we do this?" And we also offer a variety of ways to overcome this pattern. Dr. Judy Tsafrir is a psychiatrist who specializes in nutritional approaches to healing. She'll be teaching us what’s going on in our bodies and brains, when we sabotage our own health. Rory Linehan is the blogger behind The Paleo PI. He has personal experience overcoming self-sabotage and will be sharing his story.

Our homes can have a powerful effect on our lives. Not only do they reflect our interests and daily responsibilities, they also impact how we feel physically, mentally, and emotionally. Decluttering can be a cathartic experience with benefits that resonate beyond material things. We learn the practice of letting go. We reflect on what we value most. We make space for change. We let more light in. Autoimmune disease is often a wake-up call for this type of priority-setting, and decluttering can be a way to de-stress and support our health. My guest Courtney Carver has multiple sclerosis herself, which inspired her decade-long journey into simple living. Today, we share practical tips for decluttering everything from our homes, to our emails, to our hearts and minds.

There are literally thousands of anecdotal stories into the benefit of the paleo autoimmune protocol (AIP) as a treatment for autoimmune disease. But until recently, there was no scientific research to back up these claims. That changed with the publication of this study. 15 patients with active IBD (Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis) transitioned to the paleo autoimmune protocol. Result? 73% achieved remission. In this podcast, I interview Dr. Gauree Konijeti, gastroenterologist and lead researcher, and Angie Alt, the lead AIP coach for the group.

Mistakes: We’re human, and we all make them; it’s one of the ways we learn. But sometimes – if we’re lucky – we can learn from each other’s mistakes without having to make them ourselves. That’s our goal with this podcast. My guest, Chris Kresser, is one of the most respected voices in the paleo community. A functional medicine practitioner, world-class educator, and bestselling author, Chris highlights common autoimmune healing mistakes made by both patients and practitioners.

Why is anemia so common among people with autoimmune disease, and how does that impact our health and quality of life? What are the different types? How are they diagnosed? What are the common symptoms? And how are they treated? My guest, Dr. Amy Nett, will be answering these questions and more.

With autoimmune disease, we’ve been told that our body is literally attacking itself. It’s common to feel betrayed by our bodies, furious with our bodies, and at war with ourselves. That's not a healing state. However, making the shift to self-love doesn't always come easily, especially when we're suffering. The good news is that self-compassion can be learned, and it supports our health in multiple ways, not just mentally and emotionally but also physically. This podcast goes into all the details, including beginner steps and a guided self-compassion meditation. My guest is Dr. Kristin Neff. She has been teaching self-compassion and leading the research in this field for the past 15 years.

What does it mean to be a nutrient seeker? Sometimes when we're on a healing diet, we focus so much on the foods we avoid, that we forget to pay attention to the foods we're choosing to eat. While it is essential to avoid inflammatory foods, we also need to provide our bodies with the deep nutrition they need to heal. A steady diet of chicken breasts, broccoli, and paleo AIP desserts isn't going to get us there. So, which foods give us the biggest bang for our nutritional buck? What do our meals and menu look like when we are truly eating for health? That's what this podcast is all about.

Let’s be honest. The paleo autoimmune protocol is hard to do, and some people have a harder time than others. In this podcast, I invited 3 health & nutrition coaches onto the show, to share techniques that help their clients maintain a healthy lifestyle against all temptations and obstacles. All three of these ladies have personal experience following the autoimmune protocol for their own health as well. Let's help each other succeed!

Listeners have told me that while they love how information-packed my podcasts are, they would also love to know more about me personally. So, today my friend Joanna took the host chair and interviewed me! Note: this conversation isn’t about autoimmune disease at all – because we are so much more than our disease and sometimes it’s easy to forget that. Instead, we talked about everything from my childhood, to falling in love, to tattoos, to swimming with whales. Welcome to the Eileen Hour. :-)

Surgery can be a traumatic experience for the body - even more so for the autoimmune body - yet sometimes it’s necessary. So, how do we support our health: before, during, and afterward? There are no guarantees in life, but there are things we can do to stack the success odds in our favor. There are also ways to tap resilience when things don't go according to plan. Dr. Terry Wahls, Angie Alt, and myself, have all had surgery while maintaining our healing diet and lifestyle. In this podcast we share our experience and tips.

When you find a medical doctor that treats their patients holistically, it’s like a dream come true. Dr. Ken Sharlin believes in the power of a nutrient-dense paleo diet and lifestyle. He's also the first functional medicine neurologist in the USA. And he understands the pros and cons of medication – when they might be needed, and when they can safely be reduced or eliminated. In this podcast, he shares his treatment tips for neurological autoimmune disease

Are you easily overwhelmed by bright lights and strong smells? Do you get rattled when you have a lot to do in a short amount of time? Do you make a point of avoiding violent movies and TV shows? When you were a child, did your parents or teachers see you as sensitive or shy? Then you might be a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP), along with 15-20% of the general population. My hunch is that the percentage is much higher among people with autoimmune disease. In this podcast, psychotherapist Alane Freund teaches us what this term means. And if we fall into this category, how we can reap the benefits and overcome the challenges?

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 the MTHFR mutation. It stands for methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase. This is a very complex topic, and it’s easy to misunderstand and make mistakes trying to treat it. Our goal today is to explain MTHFR clearly in layman’s terms, talk about how you can tell if this mutation is indeed impacting your own health, and help you find a qualified practitioner to guide treatment. Dr. Ben Lynch is a doctor of naturopathic medicine who runs the website MTHFR.net. He’s considered the expert in this condition, writing, researching and presenting worldwide.

This is one of my most popular podcasts! Dr. Burhenne has a unique dental practice. He provides standard dental care, but he also teaches his patients about the oral microbiome and the importance of quality sleep, since both are essential to dental health. In this information-packed Q&A, we cover the oral microbiome, whether it's possible to reverse cavities, the flouride debate, dental decisions, how dentists can treat sleep apnea, and more!

Following the paleo diet and lifestyle is a time commitment for anyone, but when your life is already intensely busy, how do you fit it all in? This is a question I’ve gotten from podcast listeners, and in this episode, I have invited three people in this exact situation to share their best tips. My guests are all mothers with autoimmune disease who also work outside the home. In spite of the multiple demands on their time, they have found ways to make a healing diet and lifestyle work. Let's learn from each other!

When we think of functional medicine testing, we often think of expensive tests not covered by insurance. But there’s actually a lot we can learn from the regular bloodwork commonly ordered through our conventional doctor’s office. Andrea Nakayama is a world-renowned Functional Nutritionist, educator and speaker, whose mission is to change the way we do healthcare by empowering patients to reclaim ownership over their own health. In this podcast episode, she walks us through two blood tests that are very common: a CBC with Differential and a Complete Metabolic Panel, and tells us how she interprets these from a functional perspective.

In the modern world, the cards are stacked against us. From grocery stores filled with foods that aren’t real food, to being bombarded by environmental pollutants, to a culture that takes pride in being busier than ever and wears sleep deprivation like a gold star. When we take steps to recover and enhance our health, we are going against this tide, stepping outside the norm, and it’s not easy! We’re doing it in a world that encourages unhealthy life choices, and sometimes even our closest friends and family try to sabotage our efforts. My guest, Pilar Gerasimo, is a healthcare journalist who has been writing about healthy deviance for decades. In this episode, we talk about the many obstacles we face and strategies for being successful revolutionaries for our own health.

It would be wonderful if one diet worked for everyone, and it could be handed out like a prescription in doctor's offices worldwide. Unfortunately, human beings are more complex than that. This is one of the messages of Robb Wolf's new book, Wired to Eat. In this podcast, we talk about our own health journeys, the 7 Day Carb Test that's taking social media by storm (and how to adapt it for the AIP). We also talk about why it's hard to change, letting go of shame, and strategies for prioritizing health in our modern world.

With autoimmune disease, the quality of our healthcare practitioners makes a huge difference in the course of our illness and our quality of life. In this podcast, we’ll be talking about what makes a good doctor, what makes a good patient, and how we can create the best relationships for our health. My guest is Dr. Cynthia Li, who has the unique ability to speak to us from the point of view of both doctor and patient. A conventionally trained MD, she became chronically ill with autoimmune disease that left her housebound for 2 years. Her personal journey back to health changed the way she practiced medicine.

Did you know that digestion starts in the brain? That relaxing before a meal releases more digestive enzymes? Why do we sometimes tolerate a wider variety of foods on vacation, and tolerate fewer foods when we're under stress? When we're using food as medicine, how do we navigate feelings of fear, grief, and deprivation and find joy in eating again? The mind-body connection is real, and nowhere is that more clear than when it comes to diet and nutrition. In this podcast, we answer these questions and more.

We are in the midst of a brain health epidemic. Millions of people around the world are suffering from Alzheimers disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, autism, ADHD, mental illness, migraines, and more. It’s Dr. Perlmutter’s mission to prevent these numbers from rising and help people improve their health if already diagnosed. A board-certified neurologist with over 30 years experience, he's also the author of four bestselling books. This podcast episode is one of the most popular ones from my archives. Tune in for a detailed Q&A on brain health.

Epigenetics is the science of how our experiences and behavior interact with our genes. We aren't purely our DNA. Our genes are constantly getting turned on and off. This is one of the reasons why the paleo diet and lifestyle can have such a powerful influence on our health. It's beautifully empowering, but it's not a magical path to a cure. Once upon a time, people thought our health was 100% determined by our DNA (which we've learned isn't true). Today, some people are claiming that our DNA doesn't matter at all (also not true). In this episode, we dive into the real science of epigenetics and separate the myths from the truths and discover where we can make a difference! My guest is science writer and research expert, Bailey Kirkpatrick.

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 changed since being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. I also interview 3 other people about their exercise experiences as well. One guest has multiple sclerosis, one has Crohn’s disease, and the other has Hashimoto’s.

I have rheumatoid arthritis - a diagnosed autoimmune disease, and most of my readers have autoimmune diagnoses as well. But what if you have symptoms with no known cause? You've gone from doctor to doctor, and they simply tell you: "Your lab tests are normal." While in some ways this is good news, it can also be incredibly disheartening. You have no answers and no direction about what to do next. Dr. Tom O'Bryan is an expert on the development of autoimmune disease, and he writes about the autoimmune spectrum. The autoimmune process begins in our bodies long before enough damage has occurred to warrant a diagnosis. His goal is to help people intervene at this point (or even before they have symptoms) and prevent autoimmune disease before it takes hold. That's what today's podcast is all about.

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'll be talking about Diabetes, Alopecia, Lupus, Scleroderma, Myositis, Sjogren's, Raynaud's and Hidradenitis Suppurativa. And If you want to hear the prior Healing Stories podcasts, check out episodes 1, 14 and 30. Let’s inspire each other!

Many people come to the paleo community after years of veganism or vegetarianism. The reason is usually a health crisis, which can be shocking after eating a diet you thought was healthy for years. Some people embrace meat again without difficulty, but others struggle with ethical concerns, taste and texture issues, and even a loss of identity. In this podcast, I interview Registered Dietitian Diana Rodgers on the nutritional difference between these diets, and how to be an Ethical Omnivore. I also interview nutritionist Kinsey Jackson on her personal journey transitioning from vegetarian to paleo. It was a difficult change for her, but led to dramatic improvements in her autoimmune health.

This is one of my favorite mind-body techniques. When I feel stuck in fear, anger, or grief with no way to move forward, this technique transforms those feelings into peace. Does that sound too good to be true? That's why I love this technique - it's that powerful for me. Autoimmune disease and suffering often go hand-in-hand, physically, mentally and emotionally. The Work of Byron Katie is a process for questioning stressful thoughts and the feelings they feed. In this podcast, I offer myself up as a guinea pig with Katie as my guide. At the time of this recording, I wasn't in remission and feeling frustrated because I was "doing everything right". Can you relate? Listen to our conversation, and learn how to apply this technique in your own life.

A lot of us in the autoimmune community take supplements. Sometimes they help, sometimes they harm, and sometimes they do nothing at all. Today, Kamal Patel from Examine.com teaches us how to make informed choices. When are supplements appropriate? What's the best supplement for pain? How much vitamin D does a person need? Are probiotics beneficial? How rampant is supplement fraud? We answer these questions and more in this information-packed podcast.

Getting an autoimmune diagnosis often leaves us feeling traumatized and overwhelmed. This podcast is about finding hope again. My guests are Mickey Trescott and Angie Alt, authors of The Autoimmune Wellness Handbook. We talk about everything from getting emotional support from loved ones, to putting together a healthcare team, to defining resilience and learning how to face chronic illness from a place of power instead of feeling like a victim.

Our bodies have natural detox pathways, but they are overwhelmed by modern life. More than 80,000 new chemicals have been released into the world since the industrial revolution 150 years ago, and most of them within the past 50 years. These chemicals have never been fully tested for their effects on our bodies or the environment. We are asking our bodies to detoxify far more than they were designed to handle, and this is an important element in reclaiming our health. That said, there are a lot of scams out there related to detox cleanses, powders and programs. Many people who try these end up feeling worse. So, in this podcast we’re going to learn how to detoxify in a healthy, sustainable way. My guest is Toréa Rodriguez. She is a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner and a Transformational Life Coach. She's also a fellow autoimmune warrior.

Life on a healing diet means preparing most – if not all – of your own food. So, that’s a lotta cooking! Anything that saves us time and makes the process more efficient is a lifesaver. It’s also an important part of being able to stick with a healing diet. In this podcast episode, I have 3 wonderful guests. Together, we share our best tips for making the most food in the least amount of time, without sacrificing nutrition or flavor. This includes our beloved Instant Pot and the magic of batch cooking!

Our thyroid regulates the metabolism of every organ and cell in our body. That's why there's such a long and varied list of symptoms that can indicate a thyroid problem. Hashimoto's and Graves disease are autoimmune diseases which attack the thyroid, but thyroid issues are on the rise from other causes as well. In today's show, I speak with expert Elle Russ, author of The Paleo Thyroid Solution. We discuss why thyroid problems are becoming commonplace, how to test your thyroid function, what avenues are available for treatment, and the importance of self-advocacy.

When Lenore Eklund found that her Crohn's disease medication made her feel worse instead of better, her husband encouraged her to try the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, which is similar to Paleo. The results were so dramatic that it inspired this film. However, the documentary isn't about her personal journey. Instead, it follows the lives of three people just beginning to embark on a healing diet. One tries the paleo autoimmune protocol, one tries SCD, and another tries 80/20 paleo. We see the dramatic positive impact these dietary changes have, but also the great challenges they face as they try to eat healthily in today's food culture. I love this documentary both for its honesty, and its ability to share the power of real food with mainstream America. If you follow a healing diet yourself, you will relate to the stars of this film. This is also a great film to share with friends, family, and anyone you know struggling with their health.

While my podcast usually focuses on autoimmune disease, I frequently get questions from people new to the paleo lifestyle, who are concerned about the effect of the paleo diet on their heart health. We’ve been taught in our lifetimes to fear fat, cholesterol and red meat, all of which are part of the paleo diet. And if we’re not afraid of these foods ourselves, our families often are. So, I thought it would be great to have an expert on the show to separate fact from fiction. Dr. Jack Wolfson is a cardiologist who follows the paleo diet and lifestyle himself, and recommends it to his patients. He answers questions on everything from diet, to medication, to which tests and procedures he thinks are beneficial and which ones are overdone.

Autoimmune disease doesn't exist in a bubble. Its onset changes our own lives dramatically, but it also impacts our relationships. In this episode, I interview three spouses of people with autoimmune disease, including my own husband Tom, Terry Wahls' wife Jackie, and Matthew Sinclair's wife Petra. We talk about what it's like to be married to someone with chronic illness, how they try to support the person they love, and how they also make sure they don’t get lost in the equation.

Hypnotherapy is a therapeutic technique that uses the power of positive suggestion to bring about subconscious change to our thoughts, feelings and behavior. In this podcast, we talk about its application to life with autoimmune disease, and how it might be an effective tool to help us manage our stress and even alleviate chronic symptoms. My guest is clinical hypnotherapist, Kerry Jeffery, who also has autoimmune disease herself.

Finding a rheumatologist who combines paleo principles with functional medicine to address root causes, and conventional medicine to control symptoms when necessary, feels very much like finding a unicorn. One of my blog readers let me know about Dr. Melissa McNamara, who practices in the Bay Area of California, but also consults with people worldwide. She took time out of her busy schedule to share her treatment philosophy with us.

The decision of whether or not to take autoimmune medication is rarely an easy one. Not only that, but our decision might change over the course of our illness. This podcast was inspired by my decision in 2016 to start medication after 4 years on the paleo autoimmune protocol. In this episode, I share the reasons behind my choice and also interview 5 other people about their medication choices. My guests have a wide range of diagnoses and experiences. Some have always taken medication, some have never taken medication, and some have gone on or off medication, based on changes in how they feel. The important thing to know is that there is no one right choice for everyone. My goal with this podcast episode isn’t to provide answers, but just to highlight the complexity of this decision, and let us all know that we’re not alone. To be clear – this show isn’t designed to be medical advice. Definitely work with your doctors when deciding what choice is best for you.

Adrenal Fatigue (aka HPA Axis Dysfunction) is very common with autoimmune disease. Are you tired during the day and wired at night? Do you find it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep? Do you often get hungry between meals, and sometimes feel hungry all the time? This podcast might apply to you. Expert Christopher Kelly talks about a new test that can diagnose and treat this condition more accurately. We also talk about how the label of Adrenal Fatigue is misleading, because the adrenals themselves are rarely the problem. The root cause lies someplace else altogether. Listen in to learn more.

Amy Kubal is a well-respected voice in the paleo community. She's a Registered and Licensed Dietitian with both Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Human Nutrition and Dietetics. In this information packed podcast, I ask her: (1) What's the optimal macronutrient ratio? (2) Are dietary fats healthy or harmful? (3) If we don't eat dairy, how do we get enough calcium? (4) How do we keep our blood sugar balanced? (5) If we're having trouble reaching a healthy weight, what can we do? (6) How can we troubleshoot digestive issues? And many more!