Episode 37: The Live Well with Arthritis Podcast

#37 Why Reiki Helps: Emily's Honest Account in a Time of Grief

This is a personal one, host Emily Johnson opens up about losing her dear friend and mentor, Heather Rosa, and the Reiki session that held her through one of the hardest weeks she's had. If you're in a raw place yourself, please look after yourself as you listen, pause it, come back to it, or skip it entirely.

Reiki is a divisive subject, so Emily handles it the way she always does: honestly. She provides the evidence, the way it's approached in her programme with the rheumatologists, then shares her own experience and lets you make up your own mind. Reiki sits alongside your medical care, never instead of it.

At the heart of the episode is the truth that grief doesn't just live in your mind, it lives in your body. Tight chest, broken sleep, and if living with arthritis it can result in a flare. Emily shares how Reiki let her nervous system finally exhale, and let her grief move through her instead of staying locked in her body, to avoid a flare-up.

Topics covered:

• What Reiki Actually Is and why 'you don't have to do anything' is the whole point for those of us used to pushing through
• What the Evidence Really Says how Reiki helps by shifting the nervous system from fight-or-flight into rest-and-repair
• Calm, Not Cure why Reiki is a soothing complement, not a treatment for the disease
• Grief, the Body and the Flare and why tending your nervous system in a hard season is protection, not distraction
• Emily's Week the honest, tender account of Tuesday's session
• Learning to Receive and why letting yourself be nourished is not weakness

About the podcast:

With a focus on reducing inflammation and improving daily life, this podcast features expert interviews, science-backed strategies, and real stories from people living with all types of arthritis.

Emily combines her 12+ years of lived experience and insights from healthcare professionals to offer practical, encouraging steps that help you feel healthier, happier, and less alone when living with arthritis.

Emily (Arthritis Foodie) is a bestselling author, certified coach, and founder of Live Well with Arthritis.

Episode Links:

Applications for the Live Well with Arthritis 12-week programme are open, Apply now: https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/waitlist

FREE Heatwave Tips Guide: https://arthritisfoodie.mykajabi.com/sign-up-for-free-download-from-arthritis-foodie-1

Emily Johnson @ArthritisFoodie:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arthritisfoodie/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arthritisfoodie/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@arthritisfoodie

Further Resources: https://linktr.ee/arthritisfoodie

Episode 36: The Live Well with Arthritis Podcast

#36 Heatwaves and Joint Pain: Myth or Reality? Emily Shares the Science and Can Help

This summer, in the thick of the UK's back-to-back record-breaking heatwaves, Emily flared for three solid days and it's why she wanted to get to the bottom of one of the most common things people say about their joints. 'It's the weather'.

But is there actually something measurable going on in there, or is it just an old wives' tale? This episode mythbusts it honestly: what the research says, why extreme heat can as brutal as cold, what happened to Emily's ankle, and exactly what she did about it, before, during and after... As well as the mechanism running the real show: sleep.

Topics covered:

• Myth or Reality What the systematic reviews actually say for OA and RA.
• Are Warmer Climes Better? Why "it's warm, so it should be better" doesn't hold up in this case, and Emily's view on this.
• This Summer's Heat Norfolk's 37.7°C in June (a new record, beating 1957) and London's 35°C in July, plus why dehydration, fluid-shift swelling and, above all, wrecked sleep are the real inflammatory triggers
• Sleep-Pain-Inflammation Loop Why a hot bedroom blocks the core-temperature drop you need for deep sleep, and how poor sleep impacts things at once.
• Emily's Ankle The honest, specific version of the three-day flare, and a firm reminder that sometimes you do everything right and still flare, and that's not your fault.
• Flare Toolkit: Before, During and After Planning around the hot nights not just hot days, with no guilt and no suffering Olympics.

About the podcast:

With a focus on reducing inflammation and improving daily life, this podcast features expert interviews, science-backed strategies, and real stories from people living with all types of arthritis.

Emily combines her 12+ years of lived experience and insights from healthcare professionals to offer practical, encouraging steps that help you feel healthier, happier, and less alone when living with arthritis.

Emily (Arthritis Foodie) is a bestselling author, certified coach, and founder of Live Well with Arthritis.

Episode Links:

Applications for the Live Well with Arthritis 12-week programme are open, Apply now: https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/waitlist

FREE Heatwave Tips Guide: https://arthritisfoodie.mykajabi.com/sign-up-for-free-download-from-arthritis-foodie-1

Emily Johnson @ArthritisFoodie:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arthritisfoodie/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arthritisfoodie/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@arthritisfoodie

Further Resources: https://linktr.ee/arthritisfoodie

Episode 35: The Live Well with Arthritis Podcast

#35 Dismissed to Determined: Advocacy, Confidence and Community with Bailey Jane

Ever been told your pain is 'all in your head'? Host Emily Johnson welcomes Bailey Jane, policy advocate for the Arthritis Foundation, confidence coach, and Miss America competitor who grew up with juvenile arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis.

After 10 doctors and years of dismissal, Bailey finally got her diagnosis, despite having symptoms from when she was 5 years old. In this episode, she opens up about medical gaslighting, learning to advocate for herself, and turning pain into purpose. Whether you live with arthritis, an invisible illness, or you’re waiting on answers, this episode reminds you that your voice matters and your diagnosis does not define you.

Topics covered:

Living with an Invisible Condition

• Dismissal to Diagnosis Medical gaslighting by 10 doctors
• 'You Don’t Look Sick' Navigating an invisible autoimmune disease
• Health Autonomy Become your own advocate

Managing Body and Mind

• Treatment Difficulties Why she had to turn to holistic methods
• Anti-Inflammatory Living Diet, triggers, CBD, and rest as productivity
• Rationing Your Energy Pitcher analogy and knowing your body

Turning Pain into Power

• The Joint Impact Advocacy, policy reform, and sharing your story
• Community Feeling seen with the Arthritis Foundation
• Confidence Coaching The alter ego hack and more

About the podcast:

With a focus on reducing inflammation and improving daily life, this podcast features expert interviews, science-backed strategies, and real stories from people living with all types of arthritis.

Emily combines her 12+ years of lived experience and insights from healthcare professionals to offer practical, encouraging steps that help you feel healthier, happier, and less alone when living with arthritis.

Emily is a bestselling author, certified coach, and founder of Live Well with Arthritis.

Episode Links:

Live Well with Arthritis Programme Waitlist: https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/waitlist

FREE Workbook: https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/signup-free-download

Bailey Jane @baileyjstaff

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baileyjstaff/
• Website: https://www.baileyjanecoaching.com/

Emily Johnson @ArthritisFoodie

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arthritisfoodie/
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@arthritisfoodie

Further Resources: https://linktr.ee/arthritisfoodie

Episode 34: The Live Well with Arthritis Podcast

#34 Go to the Gig: Emily's Before, During and After Plan for Concerts with Arthritis

Last weekend, Emily was at the Take That concert in a crowd of thousands, mid-heatwave, singing loudly with her mum. In the photos, with her red lipstick on, she looks fine, but what you can't see is her pain. This episode is the honest version of that night, and the plan that made it possible.

Living with arthritis doesn't mean giving up festivals, gigs, travel, or brilliant experiences that make life worth living. It just means going with a plan, and some self-compassion for afterwards. Arthritis does not mean you stop showing up for your life, but you do show up differently.

Heat, crowds, standing for hours, and barely any sleep, is a perfect storm for a flare, so Emily walks through the whole thing: the biology of why heat and bad sleep hit our joints so hard, and what shes does about it.

Topics covered:

• Biology of the Flare Why heat, dehydration, exertion and lost sleep aren't four small things, but one absoltely compounding thing
• Knowing Your Triggers Naming your own triggers (for Emily - stress, travel, lost routine, and lots of walking) so you can plan around them
• The Before Banking your rest, planning an air-conditioned route and seating/accessibility, and exactly what was in Emily's Take That flare-up/pain kit
• The During Hydrating relentlessly, forgiving an imperfect meal, micro-resting without guilt, managing the heat actively, staying ahead of the pain, and letting joy be medicine
• The After Handling the flare without guilt or panic, with rest as a non-negotiable, soothing swollen joints, and remembering a flare is a temporary cost for a permanent memory
• Travel More Widely How the same before/during/after system carries over to flights, hotels and getaways, and why protecting your sleep matters is vital

About the podcast:

With a focus on reducing inflammation and improving daily life, this podcast features expert interviews, science-backed strategies, and real stories from people living with all types of arthritis.

Emily combines her 12+ years of lived experience and insights from healthcare professionals to offer practical, encouraging steps that help you feel healthier, happier, and less alone when living with arthritis.

Emily (Arthritis Foodie) is a bestselling author, certified coach, and founder of Live Well with Arthritis.

Episode Links:

Applications for the Live Well with Arthritis 12-week programme are open, Apply now: https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/waitlist

Emily Johnson @ArthritisFoodie:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arthritisfoodie/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arthritisfoodie/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@arthritisfoodie

Further Resources: https://linktr.ee/arthritisfoodie

Episode 33: The Live Well with Arthritis Podcast

#33 Hype or Helpful? Nutritionist Eli Brecher on Matcha, Fibremaxxing, Protein Water and more

Fed up of navigating all of the wellness trends in the media and online? The wellness world can be overwhelming to navigate, so what is actually helpful? Especially if you live with a chronic health condition? In this episode, host Emily Johnson welcomes back Registered Associate Nutritionist Eli Brecher to sort the hype from the helpful.

Eli is the creator of The Mind, Body, Gut Method™ and host of The Gut 360 Podcast. Living with Crohn's disease since the age of eight, she specialises in gut health, women's health, and fertility nutrition, and is a contributor to the Live Well with Arthritis programme. Eli celebrates the trends genuinely worth your time, and debunks the ones that aren't.

Topics covered:

Trends Worth the Hype

• Matcha Calm Sustained energy, L-theanine, and the dairy caveat
• Fibremaxxing Why fibre is a hero nutrient, and how to add it to your diet
• Adding In, Not Restricting Positive shift towards plant diversity and 30+ plants a week

Debatable Trends

• Protein-Washing Why seeing 'high protein' may just be marketing
• Gut Health Myth of the magic powder, and where to start
• Biohacking Red light, cold plunges and more

Thoughts on Other Trends

• CGMs (Continuous Glucose Monitors) Whether the average person really needs one
• GLP-1s (like Ozempic) What they actually do, and who they're helpful for

About the podcast:

With a focus on reducing inflammation and improving daily life, this podcast features expert interviews, science-backed strategies, and real stories from people living with all types of arthritis.

Emily combines her 12+ years of lived experience and insights from healthcare professionals to offer practical, encouraging steps that help you feel healthier, happier, and less alone when living with arthritis.

Emily is a bestselling author, certified coach, and founder of Live Well with Arthritis.

Episode Links:

Live Well with Arthritis Programme Waitlist: https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/waitlist

FREE Workbook: https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/signup-free-download

Eli Brecher @elibrechernutrition

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elibrechernutrition/
• Website: https://www.elibrecher.co.uk

Emily Johnson @ArthritisFoodie

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arthritisfoodie/
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@arthritisfoodie

Further Resources: https://linktr.ee/arthritisfoodie

Episode 32: The Live Well with Arthritis Podcast

#32 Trust Your Gut: Dr Camilla Stokholm on Microbiomes, Inflammation and Arthritis

What if half of you wasn't actually you? In this episode, host Emily Johnson welcomes Dr Camilla Stokholm, a gut microbiome specialist, lifestyle medicine doctor, and best-selling author of What Your Doctor Eats, named after her hugely popular Instagram account.

A former NHS GP, Camilla now runs Mosaic Medical, using metagenomic testing to get to the root cause of her patients' symptoms. Her approach grew out of her own health journey, such as debilitating IBS. Whether you live with arthritis, fibromyalgia, or an inflammatory condition, get practical, science-backed strategies to feed your gut, calm inflammation, and take back control of your health.

Topics covered:

The Gut Microbiome

• Mini Pharmacy How gut bugs produce chemicals that act like medicine
• Immunity 70% of your immune system lives one cell away from your microbiome
• Leaky Gut How dysbiosis can trigger autoimmunity, inflammation and joint pain

Signs and Testing

• Hidden Signs Fatigue, brain fog, bloating, and bowel changes
• Beyond Bloodwork Why a normal test doesn't always mean it's fine
• Personalisation Food first, plus targeted prescriptions

Feeding a Healthier Life

• Microbiome Party Variety is key and 30 plants a week
• Probiotics? Lessons from the Hadza tribe on cheap, diverse eating
• Fasting & Arthritis What the research reveals

About the podcast:

With a focus on reducing inflammation and improving daily life, this podcast features expert interviews, science-backed strategies, and real stories from people living with all types of arthritis.

Emily combines her 12+ years of lived experience and insights from healthcare professionals to offer practical, encouraging steps that help you feel healthier, happier, and less alone when living with arthritis.

Emily is a bestselling author, certified coach, and founder of Live Well with Arthritis.

Episode Links:

Live Well with Arthritis Programme Waitlist: https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/waitlist

FREE Workbook: https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/signup-free-download

Dr Camilla Stokholm @whatyourdoctoreats

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatyourdoctoreats/
• Website: https://www.whatyourdoctoreats.com

Emily Johnson @ArthritisFoodie

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arthritisfoodie/
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@arthritisfoodie

Further Resources: https://linktr.ee/arthritisfoodie

Episode 31: The Live Well with Arthritis Podcast

#31 Gratitude Over Toxic Positivity: Emily on Holding Pain and Joy at Once

When you're mid-flare and someone tells you to 'look on the bright side', this episode is for you. Host Emily Johnson has a confession the word 'gratitude' used to grate on her too, and this episode is not about good-vibing your way out of pain.

Drawing on the science and her own lived experience, Emily unpacks what real, evidence-based gratitude actually is, dual processing, and the human capacity to hold a heavy truth in one hand and something beautiful in the other. Gratitude does not wipe away your pain, your anger, or your grief. It simply sends your nervous system a second, different signal alongside the first, which is that safety, warmth, and kindness also exist, right here, right now.

This is for anyone who is grieving the body or the life they expected to have, and who is tired of being made to choose between their hard feelings and their good ones.

Topics covered:

• Biology of 'Both/And' Why your brain isn't broken, it's biased, how negativity bias and central sensitisation turn up the volume on pain, and what gratitude actually does to your nervous system
• Myth of Emotional Monogamy Why you don't have to be committed to one emotion, and how the phrase 'and yet' lets grief, fear, anger, and gratitude coexist without one erasing the other
• Grief, Joy, and Post-Traumatic Growth Why grief for your health is not a failure of gratitude, plus a tender personal reflection on loss
• Microgratitude Toolkit Practical, flare-friendly tools you can actually reach for when everything feels heavy, the micro-hunt, the 'and yet' journal, somatic gratitude with the physiological sigh, and finding awe in small things
• Suffering Olympics Why there's no threshold you have to cross before your feelings count, and your invitation to try the 'and yet' practice this week

About the podcast:

With a focus on reducing inflammation and improving daily life, this podcast features expert interviews, science-backed strategies, and real stories from people living with all types of arthritis.

Emily combines her 12+ years of lived experience and insights from healthcare professionals to offer practical, encouraging steps that help you feel healthier, happier, and less alone when living with arthritis.

Emily (Arthritis Foodie) is a bestselling author, certified coach, and founder of Live Well with Arthritis.

Episode Links:

Applications for the Live Well with Arthritis 12-week programme are open, Apply now: https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/waitlist

Emily Johnson @ArthritisFoodie:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arthritisfoodie/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arthritisfoodie/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@arthritisfoodie

Further Resources: https://linktr.ee/arthritisfoodie

Episode 30: The Live Well with Arthritis Podcast

#30 Hiking with Autoimmunity: Mija Dropulić on Travelling with Lupus and Learning to Love Yourself (Volim Sebe)

Wondering if you will ever hike again? Host Emily Johnson welcomes Mija Dropulić, Croatian journalist, editor, and storyteller with 20 years' experience in media/travel/lifestyle and the founder of Under Dream Skies.

Mija lives with two autoimmune diseases, Sjögren's syndrome and lupus, and shares her journey of navigating chronic illness while figuring out how to hike, travel, and explore the outdoors. From a flare-up in Scotland, to rebuilding her strength, Mija opens up about diagnosis, daily reality, and the lifestyle shifts that have helped her. Whether you live with arthritis, lupus, or autoimmunity, this episode reminds you to love yourself again.

Topics covered:

Living with Invisible Illness

• Two Diagnoses Navigating Sjögren's and lupus
• 'Box of Chocolates' Different flare-ups
• You Don't Look Sick How to navigate this

Rebuilding the Body and Mind

• Coming Back to Self From her lowest point to a multi-day hike
• Anti-Inflammatory Living Diet, sleep, movement, finding triggers
• Trusting Your Body But knowing rest is not failure

Finding Connection and Joy

• Community Feeling less alone via social media
• Healing Outdoors Forests, fresh air, and feeling human
• Volim Sebe Putting yourself first as an act of care

About the podcast:

With a focus on reducing inflammation and improving daily life, this podcast features expert interviews, science-backed strategies, and real stories from people living with all types of arthritis.

Emily combines her 12+ years of lived experience and insights from healthcare professionals to offer practical, encouraging steps that help you feel healthier, happier, and less alone when living with arthritis.

Emily is a bestselling author, certified coach, and founder of Live Well with Arthritis.

Episode Links:

Live Well with Arthritis Programme Waitlist: https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/waitlist

FREE Workbook: https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/signup-free-download

Mija Dropulić @mijad

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mijad
• Website: https://www.underdreamskies.com

Emily Johnson @ArthritisFoodie

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arthritisfoodie/
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@arthritisfoodie

Further Resources: https://linktr.ee/arthritisfoodie

Episode 29: The Live Well with Arthritis Podcast

#29 Your Body Isn't Your Enemy: Lily Earle on Rewiring Chronic Pain

Ever felt like you are at war with your body? This episode is for you. Host Emily Johnson welcomes Lily Earle, a life and chronic pain coach, creator of the Regrow podcast, and Making Sense of Chronic Pain masterclass.

Lily works with those who have been uprooted by chronic pain, helping them to trust their bodies again and build a life bigger than their symptoms. Drawing on the latest pain neuroscience alongside her own lived experience of navigating a chronic migraine and six diagnoses, Lily shares the brain training and nervous system tools that drove her recovery. Whether you live with arthritis, fibromyalgia, or any persistent pain condition, this episode offers practical, science-backed strategies to break the fear-pain cycle and rebuild your relationship with your body.

Topics covered:

Rethinking Chronic Pain

• Acute vs Chronic Why they need different approaches
• Neuroplastic Pain Brain producing pain in absence of damage
• Fear-Pain Cycle How this can fuel symptoms

The Brain Training Toolkit

• The Safety Stack Lily’s signature regulation tools
• Inner Cheerleader Rewriting the way you talk to yourself
• Mindfulness in Flares Calming the nervous system

Building a Bigger Life

• Rebuilding Trust with your body
• Uprooted to Regrown Lily’s own story
• Whole-Person Healing Why it matters

About the podcast:

With a focus on reducing inflammation and improving daily life, this podcast features expert interviews, science-backed strategies, and real stories from people living with all types of arthritis.

Emily combines her 12+ years of lived experience and insights from healthcare professionals to offer practical, encouraging steps that help you feel healthier, happier, and less alone when living with arthritis.

Emily is a bestselling author, certified coach, and founder of Live Well with Arthritis.

Episode Links:

Live Well with Arthritis Programme Waitlist: https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/waitlist

FREE Workbook: https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/signup-free-download

Lily Earle @lilyearleofficial

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lilyearleofficial/
• Website: https://www.lilyearle.com

Emily Johnson @ArthritisFoodie:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arthritisfoodie/
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@arthritisfoodie

Further Resources: https://linktr.ee/arthritisfoodie

Episode 28: The Live Well with Arthritis Podcast

#28 Stress-Driven Inflammation: How Stress Can Worsen Arthritis (and What to Do About It)

Have you ever noticed that when life is most stressful, your arthritis feels worse? This week, host Emily Johnson dives into why this isn't in your head, it's in your biology.

Drawing on the latest research and her own 12 years of lived experience, Emily unpacks the powerful, two-way relationship between stress and inflammation, and why managing your nervous system may be one of the most therapeutic things you can do alongside your medication. From the HPA axis to the vagus nerve, from leaky gut to cortisol resistance, this episode breaks down the science and provides a practical toolkit to start calming your system today.

This is for anyone who has ever felt betrayed by their body, or wondered why stress hits them harder than it seems to hit everyone else.

Topics covered:

• What Stress Actually Is The difference between helpful acute stress (eustress) and the chronic kind, plus the concept of 'allostatic load'
• Stress and the Immune System Why chronic stress makes you both more vulnerable to infection AND more inflamed
• The Stress–Inflammation Loop How TNF-alpha, IL-6, and other cytokines get turned up by chronic stress, and why inflammation in the brain produces brain fog, and low mood
• Stress and the Gut The gut-brain axis, leaky gut, and the emerging "gut-joint axis" in rheumatoid arthritis, plus why Emily thinks the vagus nerve will be the next big focus in health
• The Toolkit Practical, evidence-based ways to soothe your system that can be done from the comfort of your own home

About the podcast:

With a focus on reducing inflammation and improving daily life, this podcast features expert interviews, science-backed strategies, and real stories from people living with all types of arthritis.

Emily combines her 12+ years of lived experience and insights from healthcare professionals to offer practical, encouraging steps that help you feel healthier, happier, and less alone when living with arthritis.

Emily (Arthritis Foodie) is a bestselling author, certified coach, and founder of Live Well with Arthritis.

Episode Links:

Register for FREE Masterclass: https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/mastering-inflammation-masterclass-registration

Applications for the Live Well with Arthritis 12-week programme are open, Apply now: https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/waitlist

Emily Johnson @ArthritisFoodie:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arthritisfoodie/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arthritisfoodie/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@arthritisfoodie

Further Resources: https://linktr.ee/arthritisfoodie