Phoenix Helix: Autoimmune Resilience

If the placebo effect taps into our body's natural healing capability, and the nocebo effect can turn fear into physical symptoms, these are things we need to understand. In this podcast we dive into the research to try to make sense of one of the human body's great mysteries. My guest is science journalist Erik Vance, author of the book Suggestible You. Visit https://www.phoenixhelix.com for show notes.

What's the line between a healing diet and a harmful one? Orthorexia is a term that was first coined in the late 1990’s by Dr. Steven Bratman. It refers to an obsessive focus on healthy eating that becomes clinically impairing. This idea has become controversial in the paleo autoimmune community. Does a healing diet automatically set you up for orthorexia? What does it mean to eat in a way that supports your health? And what does it look like when this goal becomes unhealthy? My guest is Imei Hsu. She’s a registered nurse and clinical psychotherapist, and eating disorders are one of her specialties. She also has autoimmune disease herself as well as food allergies. Visit https://www.phoenixhelix.com for show notes.

There’s a community of 38 trillion microorganisms living in and on our bodies, and most of them reside in our gut. That's equal to the number of cells in the human body. By this definition, we are only 50% human. This is why gut health has such a huge impact on human health, and research in this area is exploding. What does the science say about the intersection between the gut microbiome and autoimmune health? Where can we apply that knowledge in our own lives? And what are some common myths and misconceptions that new research is starting to dispel? My guest today is Dr. Lucy Mailing, a research scientist specializing in how diet and lifestyle impact the gut microbiome in both health and disease states. Visit https://www.phoenixhelix.com for show notes.

Sexual intimacy can be challenging even in healthy couples. It’s an area that many of us aren’t comfortable talking about, but when you add chronic illness, the obstacles increase exponentially. Depending on your condition, you might be experiencing extreme fatigue, chronic pain, limited range of motion, muscle spasms, disability, bowel issues, skin conditions, and more. It’s natural for this to have an impact on libido, body image, and relationships. My guest, Kate Wolovsky, is a mental health counselor who specializes in the intersection of disability and sexuality. She also has multiple sclerosis herself, and her husband is disabled as well. In today's podcast, she helps us break through taboos to talk about sexuality openly, sharing both her personal experience and professional advice. Visit https://www.phoenixhelix.com for show notes.

Blood sugar is one of the building blocks of life. It gives our cells the energy they need to do their jobs. Yet when our blood sugar gets too high, drops too low, or swings wildly between these extremes, it negatively impacts our health on multiple levels, including autoimmune health. In this podcast, we'll be taking a deep dive into this topic. What factors influence blood sugar levels? How can we tell if ours is out of balance? What are the common symptoms? What tests are helpful? And what diet and lifestyle choices harm vs. help? My guest is Dr. Jeff Horacek, a functional medicine physician with over 20 years of experience. Blood sugar is one of his medical specialties. Visit https://www.phoenixhelix.com for show notes.

This episode marks the 5-year anniversary of this podcast! When I was thinking about how I wanted to celebrate, I decided to invite 2 friends onto the show who have been following a healing diet for 5 years or more. But that doesn’t mean our diet today looks the same as it did on day 1 of this journey. We’ve personalized it over the years, learning what does and doesn’t work for our unique bodies. We’ve had setbacks and recoveries, and we’ve learned to navigate our bodies’ changing needs. Visit https://www.phoenixhelix.com for show notes.

Our topic today is Resilience, that ability to bounce back from life’s hardships. With autoimmune disease, we get lots of practice. Sometimes we feel strong and capable of overcoming suffering. Other times we feel beaten down and frightened by our body’s unpredictability. The good news is that resilience isn't something you either have or you don’t. Resilience is a trait we can nurture. My guest is Dr. Cynthia Li, a functional medicine physician who has autoimmune disease herself. The intensity of her own health challenges ended up being a masterclass in resilience, and also changed the way she practiced medicine. Visit https://www.phoenixhelix.com for show notes.

Due to a recent bout of pneumonia, I'm taking some time to focus on my health. Today's episode is a favorite from my podcast archives. At its basic level, food is sustenance. It fuels us for life. But food is more than just a source of energy. Emotions surround the experience of eating as well. Food can comfort and bring joy, yet it can also inspire feelings of guilt. People also connect with each other over food, building memories, traditions, and even identities. And when you're following a healing diet, there’s gratitude for food being medicine, often combined with feelings of deprivation, rebellion and grief. It's complex! Here's the fascinating part you might not realize: Not only does food inspire emotion, but emotions impact our ability to digest our food, including how well we tolerate foods. That's the subject of our podcast today. My guest is Marc David, the founder of the Institute for the Psychology of Eating. Visit https://www.phoenixhelix.com for show notes.

Due to a recent bout of pneumonia, I need to take some time to focus on my health. I'm taking a sabbatical for the next few weeks and releasing two of my favorite episodes from the archives that you might have missed. Today's episode is one of the most popular ever, and summer seems like the perfect time to re-release it! It's the season of barbecues, picnics, weddings, festivals, and an increase in social events overall. When you're following a diet like the paleo autoimmune protocol, how do you manage it? Some people make the mistake of giving up their social life altogether. Today, I have 3 experienced AIP-ers on the podcast to share their tips for having a full and fun social life while still staying true to your healing diet. It can be done! Visit https://www.phoenixhelix.com for show notes.

I have some exciting research to share! It's the first medical study looking at the paleo autoimmune protocol as an intervention for Hashimoto's thyroiditis. The results were impressive! In this episode, Dr. Rob Abbott and Angie Alt (the research team) give us all the details.