Autoimmune Simplified

In this podcast, we will be discussing how to become your own medical advocate.  Becoming your own medical advocate is vital because it allows you to take control of your health and ensure you receive the best care possible.  By being informed, asking the right questions, and keeping accurate records, you can make the most informed decisions and advocate for yourself during medical procedures and...

Episode 97 Healing Trauma with Allen Kanerva This episode is interesting and powerful.   In today's episode, we have Alan Kanerva, from Inspired Outcomes today, he's joining us to shed light on how he works with individuals to heal trauma.   In this captivating episode, Allen shares his personal trauma story and sheds light on how it led him to assist others in overcoming their trauma. With the be...

Episode 96 Welcoming the New Year with Chana Ross This episode is the perfect episode to help reflect on 2022 and welcome in an exciting 2023. I sat down with the incredible Chana Ross and we talked about so many amazing strategies to make 2023 your best year! How to improve your time efficacy without causing exhaustion Self-compassion and interergty  How to set boundaries that make you a better m...

Episode 95 Healthy Holiday Strategies... Are you planning to have a Happy and Healthy Holiday this year? In this episode, I dive into the strategies I use with my clients to ensure they stay healthy and avoid flares.  What does this episode cover… just about everything! Strategies to avoid falling off your plan How to enjoy foods and alcohol that you normally don't while minimizing a flare  What d...

Episode 94 Mind-body Connection for Autoimmune & Setting Holiday Boundaries with Eileen Laird  In this episode, I had the absolute pleasure to interview Eileen Laird - AKA Phoenix Helix. (I was like a kid in the candy shop… I struggled to contain my excitement)  Eileen has just released her newest book Healing Mindset: A Guide to the Mind-Body Connection for People with Autoimmune Disease and we d...

Episode 94 Mind-body Connection for Autoimmune & Setting Holiday Boundaries with Eileen Laird  In this episode, I had the absolute pleasure to interview Eileen Laird - AKA Phoenix Helix.  Eileen has just released her newest book Healing Mindset: A Guide to the Mind-Body Connection for People with Autoimmune Disease and we dove into it.  For those of you that don't know Eileen, she is a pillar in t...

In this episode, we dive into the research on Melatonin and whether should we be taking it if we have underlying inflammation.  There is research showing that melatonin can be beneficial for reducing inflammation and oxidative stress in autoimmune, however a recent study done on animals has put that into question...

Episode 92,  Is counselling something you should consider? This answer might surprise you... This episode is so valuable. We talk about collaborative care and who is on your support team. My guest today is Stephanie Dinsmore EdD (c) MSW RSW, social worker and owner of Mindful Path Counselling. I've wanted to have this conversation for a long time. Mental health is a significant component of autoim...

Episode 91:  Medical Gaslighting & Autoimmune Have you ever felt like your doctor isn't listening? Or that they just don't care? Have you been told it's all in your head or maybe you're depressed?  If you answered yes, you might have encountered Medical Gaslighting, which is very common in the autoimmune world. So common that the medical community has identified it as n issue especially linked to...

Episode 90  In today's episode, we talk about a research study that I found so interesting. It's a short one but so fascinating.   We dive into a study done by ​​Garcia-Morales, et al in  2019 published in the Journal of Rheumatology –  Effect of a Dynamic Exercise Program in Combination With Mediterranean Diet on Quality of Life in Women With Rheumatoid Arthritis.  What happens when you combine D...

Episode 89 Heart Health & Autoimmune  Today's episode is heart-stopping…(LOL). Seriously, heart health is one of the top comorbidities associated with autoimmune and chronic inflammation. I have the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Alexandrea Verge, ND who is a genius when it comes to heart health.  Dr. Verge makes this complicated topic so bit size and understandable. She walks us through the risk fa...

Episode 88  Anxiety & Creating Calm  Another amazing episode! My guest Dr. Katie Thomson Aitken, ND has this incredible ability to explain anxiety leaving you feeling so empowered. Dr. Katie is a best-selling author in the mental health industry, with her book Create Calm and just released her workbook to walk you through it.  Dr. Kaite, walk us through the 3 different tranquil types of anxiety an...

Episode 87. Managing MS and other Autoimmune with Lifestyle  My guest today is Alissa Frazier, who founded LissMs. Alissa shares her incrediable journey with MS, and how it gave her the wake-up call, leading her to where she is today.  We talk all about managing autoimmune with lifestyle changes, diet, neuro-centred movement and stress management. She has a unique background in mental health as a...

Episode 86 Thyroid Health for Fertility & Pregnancy This is a good episode!! Dr. Katie Rothwell, ND, a thyroid genius joins me to talk all about how your thyroid can impact pregnancy and fertility. Even if you're not considering having a baby it was so interesting and amazing tips for general thyroid/Hashimoto. Plus… Dr. Katie gives up an update on Hashimoto/Thyroiditis diet guidelines and answers...

Episode 85 was inspired after several conversations with my 1-1 autoimmune clients, for many with autoimmune, the fatigue and physical demands of their current job may not be sustainable...but what do you do? You pivot... My guest Laura Valvasori did just that, she made the transition from her corporate job to pursue self-employment and now she is helping others make this leap without all the bump...

Episode 84 hit all the points. My guest and good friend Dr. Debbie Smrz, ND joined me today and we covered so many topics. It was a blast! Dr. Debbie shared her inspiring story of what led her down the path to truly understanding the connection between inflammation and brain health.  She has always had a passion for helping people live their best healthy lives as we age and she shares with us the...

Episode 82  - Hormones, Perimenopause & Autoimmune  Today is hormone day with my guest, Dr. Rachel Vandenberg, Naturopathic Doctor. This episode was so much fun… as you'll hear I get very excited talking hormones with Dr. Rachel.  Hormone changes can impact us on so many levels from day-to-day challenges to full-on autoimmune flares. Dr. Rachel walked us through what peri-menopause is, who it impa...

Episode 82  - Financial stress and your health Research shows that more than 80% of autoimmune flares and diagnoses are caused by stress, and what is one of the leading chronic stressors… Money, financial stress!   We know this not only impacts our health but our relationships and for many our self-worth. This is a stressor that goes deep, with so much emotion tied to it, shame, fear, and judgment...

Episode 81  - Medical Cannabis, CBC & Autoimmune for Pain, Inflammation, Sleep and Anxiety  I'm so excited to release this episode, it was an amazing conversation with Dr. Shawn Meirovici, ND. Dr. Shawn has been working with clients that have disabling neurological conditions and autoimmune for the last several years and has become the authority in the use of medical cannabis. Dr. Shawn held nothi...

Join me, Dr. Alison Danby, ND as we continue on two concepts linked to flares with our health; Lottery syndrome and mindset with flares.  Lottery syndrome is something I see often in clinical practice with not just autoimmune but any health conditions,, you'll have to listen to find out more. The other half of the podcast is where we dive into some of the things we say to ourselves when we aren't...

Episode 79  - Top 3 things I do when in an Autoimmune Flare Autoimmune Flares happen to EVERYONE!  Recently I was asked, "what do you do when you have an autoimmune flare?"  In today's episode, I dive into the top 3 things I do when I have a flare or I can feel the start of one coming on.

Episode 78  - Autoimmune & Mental Health  In today's episode, we have a special guest, Dr. Christina Bjorndal, ND, who has written four books on mental health and created 2 programs for clients and practitioners. Dr. Chris shares her mental health story and her inspiring journey.  People who have autoimmune disorders are at an increased risk of having psychiatric symptoms, such as anxiety and depr...

Today I have April Harris, the founder of Virtually April Michelle.  April is a High-Level Virtual Assistant, IBD Advocate, and Biz Coach for Autoimmune & Chronic Illness Warriors.  Every week I have clients telling me that the stress from their jobs caused a flare, that their jobs are too physically demanding or they can't work this many hours but they still want a career… Que April… April is sup...

From surviving to ultimately thriving with Autoimmune with Jamie Hartman, M.Ed., FNTP, RYT In today's episode, I'm joined by a very special guest in the autoimmune world - Jamie Hartland.  Most of us know Jamie is the founder of the AIP Summit, and the host of many amazing, inspiring AIP events that help people navigate their autoimmune conditions. However, in today's episode, Jamie shares with us...

This episode is a heavy one, but it may shed some much-needed light on how trauma impacts our immune system and plays a rolling in the development of Autoimmune.  It's hard to imagine that something that happened to you as a child could have that much impact on how your body functions as an adult, but the research is there to support it. The research shows that trauma (and you'll be surprised what...