Phoenix Helix: Autoimmune Resilience

When we think of pollution, the first images that come to mind are things like smokestacks, oil spills, smog, and greenhouse gases. But you may not realize that your home can contain pollution as well – in your water supply, in the air you breathe, and in the products you purchase. More than 80,000 new chemicals have been released into the world since the industrial revolution 150 years ago, and m...

Two of the most common autoimmune diagnoses are Hashimoto's Disease and Graves' disease, and they both involve the thyroid. Conventional doctors often run a simple thyroid test as part of an annual physical. The problem is that it doesn't catch every thyroid problem. Functional medicine physicians run a complete thyroid panel, which gives a more expansive picture, but it's not always a clear pictu...

Before autoimmune disease, did you have a yoga practice that you loved but can no longer do? Do you struggle to find a way to adapt your practice to your ever-changing autoimmune body? Do you miss yoga and want to make it part of your life again? Or maybe you have never practiced yoga, but would love to try and don't know where to begin. This podcast is for you! My guest is Jivana Heyman, founder...

If you're new to the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol, a lot of your favorite foods are suddenly off the table and you may wonder what you can eat! In today's podcast, we share AIP food swaps for the foods you miss the most. We also share some powerful superfood combinations. My guest is Annie Rubin. She is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and an AIP Certified Coach. She's also a fellow autoimmune war...

If you’re a regular listener of my podcast, you know that I start every year with a Healing Stories episode. It features back-to-back interviews with autoimmune warriors just like you! I ask them to share their journey from rock bottom to reclaiming a vital life. In this episode, we talk about rheumatoid arthritis, alopecia, myasthenia gravis, and also autoimmunity in general. Everyone’s story is...

This is one of the most popular podcast episodes - for good reason! Autoimmune health depends on blood sugar balance. When our blood sugar gets too high, drops too low, or swings wildly between these extremes, it increases inflammation in our body. If this happens regularly, it leads to chronic inflammation. In today's episode, we'll be sharing diet, lifestyle, and functional medicine tips for ach...

This is one of the most popular podcast episodes - for good reason! If you think you can't meditate, this podcast is for you. Do you picture meditators sitting quietly with completely empty minds - something you could never do? 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 be...

When you first experience the connection between the food you eat and how you feel, that can be an empowering moment. But when certain foods cause you to flare, that can also inspire a fear of food. This is a natural reaction, but it also has consequences. The fear itself can cause autoimmune flares and also increase food sensitivity, creating a vicious cycle. Suddenly, all food feels dangerous, a...

Dr. Aly Cohen is an integrative rheumatologist who blends both conventional and holistic approaches in her medical practice. She's been a great resource for accurate coronavirus information since the pandemic began. I interviewed her in Episode 154 about COVID-19 infections among people with autoimmune disease and what factors increased vs. decreased our risk. I invited her back onto the podcast t...

Human beings depend on each other. Sometimes we give help, and sometimes we receive it, but many of us are much more comfortable in the giving role. Autoimmune disease can turn the tables quickly. Suddenly, we’re in a position where we need help more often. If we were the caregivers before, how do we navigate this change in identity? How do we face the fears that may arise - of vulnerability, feel...

I have two friends who were diagnosed with autoimmune disease through a referral from their ophthalmologist. Their first symptoms appeared in their eyes. Across diagnoses, this is common. Eye pain, dryness, swelling, inflammation, vision loss, and double vision - almost every autoimmune diagnosis can include eye symptoms. This is why an ophthalmologist is an important person to have on our healthc...

Inflammation is a root cause for most chronic disease and it’s a major player in autoimmune disease. That’s why most doctors track inflammation on blood tests, because it often corresponds to autoimmune activity. Many patients find anti-inflammatory supplements helpful. Which ones have the most science behind them? How do they each work in our bodies to reduce inflammation? And how can you tell if...

Our bodies naturally have the ability to detoxify and do it every single day. However, problems can develop, and that's not uncommon with autoimmune disease. The answer isn't an aggressive "cleanse" where we try to force our bodies to do a year's worth of detox in 30 days. Instead, we need to support our bodies year-round. There are foods that support our detox pathways, and foods that can interfe...

When it comes to a healing lifestyle, our daily choices matter. Small steps and habits add up over time, and many of my podcasts teach those skills. Today, we're going in a different direction. There are times when the big picture is overwhelming everything else. It might be a toxic job, a toxic relationship, or a toxic home. Change is rarely easy, even in difficult situations. Sometimes you need...

One thing I love about the autoimmune community in general and the Phoenix Helix community specifically is that we care deeply about each other. We lift each other up, with the goal of living our healthiest and happiest lives. Health involves both self-care and community care, and today's podcast is a blend of the two. I’ve talked about the impact of racism in two prior podcasts. Episode 153 focus...

With an autoimmune diagnosis, we are told that we have a disease for which there is no cure. It can be shocking and immediately change how we see ourselves. It's not uncommon to feel betrayed by our bodies. Symptoms can also dramatically change our abilities, impacting careers, hobbies, and roles within families. Many of us go through an identity crisis – no longer feeling like the person we were...

Vitamin D is one of the most commonly recommended supplements for people with autoimmune disease, because it's essential to immune system regulation. How do you know if you're deficient? When is sunshine the best source, and when is supplementing a better option? Can you take too much vitamin D? We'll be answering these questions and more in today's podcast. My guest is Dr. William Mitchell, a nat...

People with a history of trauma are more likely to develop autoimmune disease and to experience more severe symptoms as well. In today's podcast, we're focusing on racial trauma. One of the ways it's unique is that it's ongoing. It's not an event from the past that is now over. It's something experienced repeatedly in unpredictable ways. Over the past year, a number of listeners have reached out t...

The first genetically modified food hit the market in 1994. Now, nearly all the food included in a Standard American Diet contains GMO ingredients. The good news is that if you avoid processed foods and shop the perimeter of the store, you cut your GMO consumption dramatically. However, we can't escape it altogether. The increased herbicide use becomes part of the environment in which we live. The...

We all know that life is uncertain and many things are beyond our control, but that doesn't mean we like it. The flare-based nature of autoimmune disease embodies uncertainty. When will the next flare come? Can it be prevented? How can I love my body when it's so unpredictable? That's health uncertainty, but there are other types of uncertainty as well – economic, political, societal. During the p...

Some people survive a COVID-19 infection but don't fully recover. How common is this outcome? What types of symptoms do people experience? Do we know why this is happening? How can we treat it? My guest is Chris Kresser, a top clinician and educator in the field of functional medicine. In today's podcast, he answers these questions and more.

Have you ever been under a huge amount of stress and then stepped outside for a minute, and almost immediately felt your heart rate slow down, your breath deepen, and your mind start to calm? If you answered yes, you're not alone. There is a growing body of research into nature's impact on the human body. One of the problems of modern life is that it's possible to spend our entire day and night in...

Research shows that people with autoimmune disease have a higher risk of developing heart disease than the general population, and heart disease is already the number one killer worldwide. What's the cause of this connection? How can we minimize the risk? And if we already have cardiac problems, are they reversible? These are the questions we'll be answering in today's podcast. My guest is Dr. Mil...

Stool testing is one of the first tests run by functional medicine practitioners, because gut health and autoimmune health are intimately connected. However, not all tests are the same. What are the different types? Which are the most accurate? What can and can't they tell us? What are some stool testing myths? And how can they help us on our health journeys? We answer these questions in today's p...

Releasing a burden we've been carrying too long can lighten both body and soul. Yet this can be one of the hardest things to do, even when we want to do it. Why is letting go so hard? Are there things we can do to make it easier? In this episode, we talk about fostering a letting go mindset, goals for letting go, techniques for doing that successfully, and knowing when NOT to let go. My guest is C...