Autoimmune Alchemy

In this episode, I sit down with the incredible Dr. Rajsree Nambudripad — integrative internal medicine physician, gut health specialist, SIBO expert, and founder of OC Integrative Medicine in Fullerton, California. Dr. Rajshree's personal journey from debilitating bloating, food intolerances, and daily nausea to healing her own SIBO naturally is nothing short of transformational. We go deep into...

What does it actually look like when a patient goes from swollen joints, X-ray erosions, and almost starting a biologic — to zero inflammation, no medications, and running on a treadmill again? In this episode, I sit down with my patient Jenny Heiss, who has lived with rheumatoid arthritis for 10 years. Her road to remission is one of the most remarkable I've seen in my clinic, and I wanted her to...

If you've been bouncing between specialists with no answers, this episode might be the missing piece. Dr. Melissa Mondala and I break down everything you need to know about Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) — one of the most underdiagnosed conditions we see at our clinic. From head-to-toe symptoms and tricky lab work to root causes like long COVID, mold, Lyme disease, and trauma, we cover it al...

Today's guest is the incredible Dr. Vincent Pedre — integrative physician, Medical Director of Pedre Integrative Health in NYC, founder of Happy Gut Health , and bestselling author of Happy Gut and The Gut Smart Protocol . Dr. Vincent's personal journey from 20+ rounds of childhood antibiotics to healing his own IBS, eczema, and leaky gut is nothing short of transformational. In this episode, we g...

SHOW NOTES On this episode of AutoImmune Alchemy, I sit down with Dr. Scott Antoine — triple board-certified integrative and functional medicine physician, Amazon bestselling author, and one of the leading experts in PANS and PANDAS. His journey into this field began when his own daughter Emma was suddenly struck with severe OCD, defiance, and behavioral changes at age 12 — only to recover dramati...

In this powerful episode of Autoimmune Alchemy, I sit down with Dr. Jila Senemar — OB/GYN, longevity physician, and founder of the Miami Menopause Collective. With 20 years of experience, Dr. Jila is rewriting the narrative around menopause — from fear to freedom. We cover everything from early perimenopause signs and comprehensive lab testing to bioidentical hormones, PCOS, microplastics, and why...

In this episode of Autoimmune Alchemy, I sit down with my fellow Andrew Weil Center cohort member and dear friend, Dr. Micah Howard — integrative physician, hypnotherapist, and Alabama's trailblazer in root-cause medicine. We dive DEEP into the testosterone conversation most doctors are getting wrong. Is TRT always necessary? What's really driving the hormonal crash in men? And what can herbs, lif...

Today I have Dr. Becca Chilczenkowski, board-certified practitioner and hormone specialist who was a top 100 CrossFitter yet gained 15 pounds in one month and lost her cycle for three years from overtraining. Genetic testing revealed her inflammatory system turns on easily and struggles to turn off, making extreme exercise backfire. Becca reveals why detoxification—liver, gallbladder, bile support...

Today I have Mickey Trescott, nutrition professional and AIP pioneer who trained 1,000+ providers worldwide. Mickey shares her journey from bedridden with Hashimoto's/Celiac to creating the AIP movement, and reveals groundbreaking research: 73% IBD patients achieved clinical remission in 6 weeks, Hashimoto's patients lost 8 pounds eating the same 2,000 calories through reduced inflammation, and 29...

Today I'm honored to have Dr. Salome Masghati, OB-GYN and pelvic surgeon who transitioned from operating rooms to preventative medicine. Dr. Salome reveals why autoimmune diseases like Hashimoto's, lupus, and RA spike during perimenopause—estrogen is anti-inflammatory, and when it declines, cortisol dysregulates, inflammation rises, and autoimmune flares. She explains why calorie restriction backf...

Today I sit down with Lara Adler, environmental health educator with 14+ years experience helping health professionals understand how environmental chemicals impact chronic health conditions. Lara explains how environmental toxins—from air pollution to endocrine disruptors like BPA and phthalates—contribute to autoimmune disease, metabolic dysfunction, and chronic illness over decades of exposure....

Show Notes In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Tara Scott, a trailblazer in integrative hormone medicine with 23 years of experience, to reveal why birth control pills are NOT hormone replacement therapy and how bioidentical hormones transform women's health from teens to post-menopause. Dr. Scott explains when to test hormones (even on birth control or IUDs), why progesterone drops first in late...

Dr. Jill Crista, mold illness expert, reveals her "Peel the Orange" 5-step recovery method: avoidance, fundamentals, protecting organs, repair, microbiome reset. She explains how mycotoxins stored in mitochondria cause chronic fatigue, why 50% recover just by leaving moldy environments, and her detox protocol using bioflavonoids (quercetin, astaxanthin), DHA (3-10g/day), and food-based binders (al...

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Roseann Capanna-Hodge, pioneering mental health expert and author of "It's Gonna Be OK," to reveal how chronic compounded stress drives nervous system dysregulation and fuels the rise of autoimmune disease. Dr. Roseann explains why "shopping cart diagnoses"—collecting labels without treating the root cause—keep patients stuck, and how regulating the nervous sys...

Show Notes Dr. Magda Havas, environmental toxicologist and Professor Emerita at Trent University, reveals how EMFs from 5G, WiFi, smart meters, and dirty electricity trigger chronic illness. Her groundbreaking research shows MS patients dramatically improved after installing dirty electricity filters, diabetics experienced blood sugar spikes from EMF exposure within 20 minutes, and voltage-gated c...

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Nam Lee, licensed acupuncturist, herbalist, and author, to explore how Traditional Chinese Medicine can regulate the immune system, reduce chronic inflammation, and restore energy for autoimmune patients. Dr. Lee shares accessible acupressure techniques anyone can do at home—including Large Intestine 11 for autoimmune skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema,...

Show Notes Amy Suto, former Hollywood TV writer and bestselling author, shares her incredible RA remission journey—going from debilitating joint pain and hair loss on methotrexate to being completely medication-free for 2 years. She reveals how she refused injectable biologics, discovered American food triggered flares while Italian pizza didn't, and combined Rinvoq with glutathione patches, vitam...

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Amir Esparza, double board-certified colorectal surgeon at City of Hope, to discuss the alarming rise of colorectal cancer in patients under 45—becoming the #1 cause of cancer death in young adults. Dr. Esparza reveals warning signs often dismissed as hemorrhoids, explains why 30% of rectal cancer patients can avoid surgery through chemo/radiation alone, and sh...

I sat down with Dr. John Neustadt, naturopathic doctor and #1 Amazon bestselling author, reveals why bone density tests only predict 44% of fractures and how MK-4 vitamin K2 reduces fractures 70%—better than Fosamax. We discuss shocking statistics: 1 in 19 women on SSRIs break bones, acid blockers strip minerals causing hip fractures, and strontium causes blood clots. Dr. Neustadt explains the Med...

In this episode, I sit down with James and Dahlia Marin, integrative dietitians specializing in SIBO and IBS, to explore how food relationships shape healing and why all autoimmunity begins in the gut. Dahlia shares her Hashimoto's journey—bringing antibodies from over 3,500 (off the charts) to nearly normal using food as medicine. We discuss how gut inflammation progresses to autoimmune diseases,...

Dr. Ni-Cheng Liang, a board-certified integrative pulmonologist, shares her journey of being diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer at age 31 during pulmonary critical care fellowship. She combined clinical trials with acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine, yoga, and Reiki to survive and thrive through five months of chemotherapy and three surgeries. We explore how mindfulness (6,000+ publish...

In this episode, I sit down with Maria Lloyd, a licensed marriage and family therapist specializing in trauma-informed therapy and ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, to explore how unresolved trauma lives in the body and manifests as autoimmune disease, particularly in highly sensitive people (HSPs) who make up 20% of the population. Maria shares her personal journey with her son's gut issues and mo...

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Trisha Pasricha, a Harvard-trained gastroenterologist who directs the Gut-Brain Research Lab at Beth Israel, to reveal why IBS isn't "all in your head" and how specialized antibody testing can uncover autoimmune attacks on gut neurons. We explore the IBS-fibromyalgia overlap, why one in three people develop IBS after infections, and her groundbreaking research...

In this episode, Dr. Melissa Mondala sits down with Dr. Felice Gersh, an integrative OB-GYN, to explore why 80% of all autoimmune patients are women and how our two X chromosomes create a more robust immune system that can become overactive when hormones become imbalanced. Dr. Gersh explains the fascinating connection between leaky gut, hormonal dysfunction (PCOS, amenorrhea, menopause), and autoi...

In this episode, I sat down with John Banta, a retired certified industrial hygienist with over 35 years of experience, who discovered mold was destroying his wife's health after she recovered completely during a camping trip, leading him to dedicate his career to becoming a "mold doctor" for buildings. John reveals how 1 in 5 brand new homes has mold before occupation, why killing mold actually m...