Phoenix Helix: Autoimmune Resilience

When you find a medical doctor that treats their patients holistically, it’s like a dream come true. Dr. Ken Sharlin believes in the power of a nutrient-dense paleo diet and lifestyle. He's also the first functional medicine neurologist in the USA. And he understands the pros and cons of medication – when they might be needed, and when they can safely be reduced or eliminated. In this podcast, he shares his treatment tips for neurological autoimmune disease

Are you easily overwhelmed by bright lights and strong smells? Do you get rattled when you have a lot to do in a short amount of time? Do you make a point of avoiding violent movies and TV shows? When you were a child, did your parents or teachers see you as sensitive or shy? Then you might be a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP), along with 15-20% of the general population. My hunch is that the percentage is much higher among people with autoimmune disease. In this podcast, psychotherapist Alane Freund teaches us what this term means. And if we fall into this category, how we can reap the benefits and overcome the challenges?

Once you start researching alternative approaches to treating autoimmune disease, it isn’t long before you hear of a gene mutation that can be a root cause for chronic illness and also a healing stumbling block. It’s called the MTHFR mutation. It stands for methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase. This is a very complex topic, and it’s easy to misunderstand and make mistakes trying to treat it. Our goal today is to explain MTHFR clearly in layman’s terms, talk about how you can tell if this mutation is indeed impacting your own health, and help you find a qualified practitioner to guide treatment. Dr. Ben Lynch is a doctor of naturopathic medicine who runs the website MTHFR.net. He’s considered the expert in this condition, writing, researching and presenting worldwide.

This is one of my most popular podcasts! Dr. Burhenne has a unique dental practice. He provides standard dental care, but he also teaches his patients about the oral microbiome and the importance of quality sleep, since both are essential to dental health. In this information-packed Q&A, we cover the oral microbiome, whether it's possible to reverse cavities, the flouride debate, dental decisions, how dentists can treat sleep apnea, and more!

Following the paleo diet and lifestyle is a time commitment for anyone, but when your life is already intensely busy, how do you fit it all in? This is a question I’ve gotten from podcast listeners, and in this episode, I have invited three people in this exact situation to share their best tips. My guests are all mothers with autoimmune disease who also work outside the home. In spite of the multiple demands on their time, they have found ways to make a healing diet and lifestyle work. Let's learn from each other!

When we think of functional medicine testing, we often think of expensive tests not covered by insurance. But there’s actually a lot we can learn from the regular bloodwork commonly ordered through our conventional doctor’s office. Andrea Nakayama is a world-renowned Functional Nutritionist, educator and speaker, whose mission is to change the way we do healthcare by empowering patients to reclaim ownership over their own health. In this podcast episode, she walks us through two blood tests that are very common: a CBC with Differential and a Complete Metabolic Panel, and tells us how she interprets these from a functional perspective.

In the modern world, the cards are stacked against us. From grocery stores filled with foods that aren’t real food, to being bombarded by environmental pollutants, to a culture that takes pride in being busier than ever and wears sleep deprivation like a gold star. When we take steps to recover and enhance our health, we are going against this tide, stepping outside the norm, and it’s not easy! We’re doing it in a world that encourages unhealthy life choices, and sometimes even our closest friends and family try to sabotage our efforts. My guest, Pilar Gerasimo, is a healthcare journalist who has been writing about healthy deviance for decades. In this episode, we talk about the many obstacles we face and strategies for being successful revolutionaries for our own health.

It would be wonderful if one diet worked for everyone, and it could be handed out like a prescription in doctor's offices worldwide. Unfortunately, human beings are more complex than that. This is one of the messages of Robb Wolf's new book, Wired to Eat. In this podcast, we talk about our own health journeys, the 7 Day Carb Test that's taking social media by storm (and how to adapt it for the AIP). We also talk about why it's hard to change, letting go of shame, and strategies for prioritizing health in our modern world.

With autoimmune disease, the quality of our healthcare practitioners makes a huge difference in the course of our illness and our quality of life. In this podcast, we’ll be talking about what makes a good doctor, what makes a good patient, and how we can create the best relationships for our health. My guest is Dr. Cynthia Li, who has the unique ability to speak to us from the point of view of both doctor and patient. A conventionally trained MD, she became chronically ill with autoimmune disease that left her housebound for 2 years. Her personal journey back to health changed the way she practiced medicine.

Did you know that digestion starts in the brain? That relaxing before a meal releases more digestive enzymes? Why do we sometimes tolerate a wider variety of foods on vacation, and tolerate fewer foods when we're under stress? When we're using food as medicine, how do we navigate feelings of fear, grief, and deprivation and find joy in eating again? The mind-body connection is real, and nowhere is that more clear than when it comes to diet and nutrition. In this podcast, we answer these questions and more.