Perimenopause can feel especially confusing when you’re already living with autoimmune disease. Changes in sleep, mood, energy, inflammation, cognition, and even how your body responds to familiar strategies can leave you wondering: Is this an autoimmune flare, perimenopause, or both?

In this episode of the Autoimmune Wellness Podcast, Mickey Trescott is joined by functional medicine practitioner, bestselling author, and women’s hormone health expert Dr. Mariza Snyder for a Perimenopause 101 conversation designed to help women understand what’s actually happening during this transition.

Together, they explore when perimenopause can begin, the surprising symptoms that often appear before cycle changes, and why fluctuating estrogen and progesterone may be especially disruptive for women managing autoimmune disease. They also discuss the foundational role of nutrition, sleep, strength training, metabolic health, and stress resilience, plus where hormone replacement therapy may fit into a personalized approach.

• What perimenopause is and why it can begin as early as the late 30s
• Why symptoms can appear years before noticeable menstrual cycle changes
• Common early symptoms, including anxiety, irritability, brain fog, sleep disruption, and mood changes
• Why perimenopause and autoimmune flares can be difficult to distinguish
• How estrogen and progesterone interact with immune regulation and inflammation
• Why strategies that worked for years may suddenly feel less effective
• How tracking symptoms alongside your menstrual cycle can reveal important patterns
• Why blood sugar regulation, nutrition, sleep, strength, and stress resilience matter in perimenopause
• Dr. Mariza’s “landing the plane” strategy for improving your nighttime routine
• How to advocate for better perimenopause care and know when to seek additional support
• Where hormone replacement therapy may fit alongside foundational lifestyle strategies
• Why your needs may continue to change throughout the perimenopause transition

• Book: The Perimenopause Revolution
• The Perimenopause Revolution resources: drmariza.com/book
• Podcast: Energized with Dr. Mariza

00:00 – Why perimenopause can be confusing with autoimmune disease

03:16 – Introducing Dr. Mariza Snyder

04:28 – Perimenopause 101: What are we dealing with?

10:28 – Common and surprising symptoms of perimenopause

17:14 – The perimenopause-autoimmune connection

23:22 – Why old strategies can stop working in perimenopause

28:27 – A foundational approach to perimenopause

35:28 – Knowing when to dig deeper and advocate for care

40:57 – Hormone replacement therapy in perimenopause

46:09 – Hope for autoimmune women navigating perimenopause

For many people, changing the way they eat because of autoimmune disease can feel like losing more than food. It can affect family traditions, cultural connection, travel, restaurants, and the simple feeling of belonging around a shared table.

In this episode of the Autoimmune Wellness Podcast, Mickey Trescott is joined by Bernice Imei Hsu, registered nurse, licensed mental health counselor, National Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach, and AIP Certified Coach, to explore the emotional and cultural journey of living with dietary restrictions.

Five years after writing her Autoimmune Wellness article, "Bringing Culture Back to the Kitchen," Imei reflects on what she has learned about healing, reintroductions, adapting traditional foods, and becoming what she calls a "Food Nomad." Together, Mickey and Imei discuss why healing isn't simply about getting foods back. It's also about finding new ways to reconnect with culture, relationships, travel, and joy.

• What Imei means by becoming a "Food Nomad"
• Why dietary restrictions can affect identity, culture, and belonging
• Why adapting cultural recipes can take years of experimentation
• How reintroducing foods like soy helped Imei reconnect with family traditions
• What Imei learned from experimenting with gluten-free sourdough and other foods
• Why healing and food tolerance can continue evolving long after the elimination phase
• Ways to navigate family gatherings when you can't eat traditional foods
• How to give yourself permission to adapt traditions instead of perfectly recreating them
• What it means to become the "keeper of the food flame"
• Why grief around food and cultural traditions is a normal part of the autoimmune journey
• How to hold onto hope when you're still early in elimination or reintroductions

• Bringing Culture Back to the Kitchen – Imei's original 2021 article on Autoimmune Wellness
• Imei Hsu on Instagram: @everydaywithimei

00:00 – Food, identity, belonging, and autoimmune disease

02:34 – Introducing Bernice Imei Hsu

03:39 – What it means to be a "Food Nomad"

06:17 – Revisiting "Bringing Culture Back to the Kitchen"

13:21 – The long game of healing and food reintroductions

18:19 – Gluten-free sourdough baking experiments

25:58 – Bringing culture back into the kitchen

31:48 – Food, belonging, and navigating relationships

37:55 – Giving yourself permission to adapt tradition

42:09 – Becoming the "keeper of the food flame"

46:12 – Encouragement for anyone grieving foods or traditions

48:24 – Wrap-up and where to follow Imei

What happens when people put the Autoimmune Protocol into practice—not in a clinical trial, but in real life?

To celebrate the launch of The New Autoimmune Protocol, hundreds of readers joined a guided online community where they worked through the new Transition Phase, completed 30 days of either Core or Modified AIP, tracked their symptoms, and supported one another along the way.

In this episode of the Autoimmune Wellness Podcast, Mickey Trescott shares the results from this unique community experience. While this wasn't a formal research study, the symptom improvements closely mirrored many of the findings from published AIP research—and the participant stories reveal the power of preparation, accountability, and community support.

Together, these survey results offer a real-world look at what implementing AIP can look like, what people struggled with, what surprised them, and why healing is often about much more than food alone.

• Why Mickey created a guided community alongside The New Autoimmune Protocol
• What surprised her most about who joined the program
• Why the new Transition Phase helped participants feel more prepared for elimination
• How overall autoimmune symptom severity changed after 30 days
• Which symptoms improved the most, including digestion, energy, sleep, pain, and brain fog
• Three standout participant stories that illustrate the range of real-world experiences
• How these community results compare with published AIP research
• Why symptom tracking is one of the most valuable tools during AIP
• The importance of community support when implementing dietary change
• How to join the ongoing Autoimmune Protocol community

• The New Autoimmune Protocol – Mickey Trescott's updated guide featuring the Transition Phase, Core and Modified AIP, and personalized reintroductions
• The Autoimmune Protocol Community
• Episode 59: The First Published AIP Study in Inflammatory Bowel Disease
• Episode 61: AIP and Hashimoto's Thyroiditis Research
• Episode 63: AIP IBD Gene Expression Study
• Episode 65: New Hashimoto's Research from Poland
• Episode 89: The First AIP Pilot Trial in Rheumatoid Arthritis with Julianne Taylor

00:00 – Introduction and overview of the community experience

02:39 – Why Mickey created The New Autoimmune Protocol community

06:38 – Who joined the community?

09:45 – The new Transition Phase in action

14:33 – What happened after 30 days?

17:16 – Overall autoimmune symptom improvements

19:12 – Energy and sleep results

20:03 – Digestive health improvements

21:53 – Joint pain and inflammation

22:42 – Brain fog, skin, and other symptom changes

23:59 – Three standout participant stories

28:58 – Comparing community results to published research

32:06 – Mickey's biggest takeaways

36:26 – An invitation to join the ongoing community

40:11 – Wrap-up and closing

Fiber is having a moment—but for people with autoimmune disease, digestive symptoms, or a history of restrictive diets, it can also feel confusing.

In this episode of the Autoimmune Wellness Podcast, Mickey Trescott is joined by UK-based naturopathic nutritionist, certified functional medicine practitioner, and author Farzanah Nasser to explore why fiber is one of the most overlooked nutrients in modern nutrition—and why it's so important for gut, immune, and overall health.

Together, they discuss how fiber nourishes the gut microbiome, supports immune function, and helps produce beneficial anti-inflammatory compounds. They also dive into why increasing fiber sometimes causes digestive discomfort, how to introduce it gradually, and practical strategies for reaching the recommended 30 grams per day—even for those with sensitive digestion or autoimmune disease.

• Why 96% of people aren't getting enough fiber
• How fiber feeds the gut microbiome and supports immune function
• The difference between probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics
• Why short-chain fatty acids are so important for gut and immune health
• Why increasing fiber too quickly can cause bloating and digestive symptoms
• Practical strategies for gradually increasing fiber intake
• Tips for improving bean tolerance through preparation methods
• How to approach fiber if you have IBS, IBD, SIBO, or sensitive digestion
• Why mindful eating and proper digestion matter when increasing fiber
• Favorite high-fiber foods for the Autoimmune Protocol and Modified AIP
• What 30 grams of fiber actually looks like in a day
• Simple ways to build more fiber into everyday meals

• Website: https://farzanahnutrition.com
• Instagram: @farzanahnasser_nutrition
• Book: The Everyday High-Fiber Plan

Episode Timeline:

00:00 – Why fiber matters for autoimmune health

01:30 – Introducing Farzanah Nasser

03:28 – Why fiber deserves a rebrand

04:48 – What fiber is and why we need more of it

07:11 – How fiber feeds the gut microbiome

08:32 – Fiber, inflammation, and immune function

10:51 – Why fiber sometimes causes digestive symptoms

17:01 – Preparing beans for better digestion

19:28 – Fiber for IBS, IBD, SIBO, and sensitive digestion

23:16 – Optimizing digestion before increasing fiber

25:38 – Favorite high-fiber AIP foods

30:39 – What 30 grams of fiber looks like in real life

37:04 – Favorite recipes from The Everyday High-Fiber Plan

40:48 – Wrap-up and closing

Hair loss is one of the most common symptoms people experience with autoimmune disease—but it's also one of the most misunderstood. While many people assume it's simply part of having an autoimmune condition, hair loss can actually have many different causes, from immune dysfunction and nutrient deficiencies to hormone changes, chronic stress, and scalp inflammation.

In this episode of the Autoimmune Wellness Podcast, Mickey Trescott is joined by registered nutritionist, AIP Certified Coach, and founder of the Autoimmunity Nutrition Clinic, VJ Hamilton, to explore the many factors that influence hair health in people with autoimmune disease. VJ brings both professional expertise and personal experience, having lived with alopecia areata, psoriasis, and post-viral chronic fatigue syndrome herself.

Together, they discuss the different types of hair loss commonly seen in autoimmune patients, how to distinguish between them, and why identifying the underlying cause is essential for supporting healthy regrowth. They also explore nutrient deficiencies, gut health, hormones, stress, topical therapies, and why patience is such an important part of the healing process.

• The different types of hair loss associated with autoimmune disease
• How alopecia areata differs from stress-, hormone-, and nutrient-related hair loss
• Why iron deficiency and low ferritin are common contributors to hair shedding
• The role of protein, B vitamins, zinc, selenium, vitamin D, and omega-3s in healthy hair growth
• How gut health and nutrient absorption influence hair health
• Why stress-related hair shedding often occurs months after a stressful event
• The importance of investigating the root cause rather than treating hair loss as a diagnosis
• Which supplements may be helpful—and which are often overhyped
• Topical strategies that may support scalp and follicle health
• Why hair is often one of the last tissues to recover during healing
• How to set realistic expectations for hair regrowth while addressing underlying health concerns

VJ Hamilton

• Website: https://autoimmunenutritionclinic.com
• Instagram: @theautoimmunitynutritionist
• Podcast: The Autoimmune Reset

00:00 – Why hair loss is so common in autoimmune disease

01:52 – Introducing VJ Hamilton

03:13 – VJ's journey with alopecia, psoriasis, and chronic fatigue

06:40 – Different types of hair loss in autoimmune disease

13:30 – Nutrient deficiencies and hair health

23:46 – Common root causes and what to investigate first

27:26 – Why stress-related hair shedding is delayed

30:34 – Helpful supplements (and common misconceptions)

35:15 – Topical treatments and scalp care

41:23 – Setting realistic expectations for hair regrowth

47:14 – Wrap-up and where to learn more

When most people start the Autoimmune Protocol, they naturally focus on the food: what to remove, what to eat instead, and how to navigate all of the planning that comes with a major dietary change.

But one of the most important things happening during AIP is often something you can’t actually see—changes happening inside the gut itself.

Because AIP isn’t just designed to remove potential food triggers. It’s also designed to support systems commonly affected in autoimmune disease, including the gut lining, the microbiome, nutrient status, and immune regulation.

And those changes don’t always happen quickly or in a straight line.

For many people, healing happens gradually over time. Digestion may become more stable. Energy may improve. Foods that caused symptoms early on may become tolerable much later in the process.

In this episode of the AIP Deep Dive series, Mickey explains what’s actually happening in the gut during AIP and why healing often continues long after the elimination phase ends.

She explores intestinal permeability, the microbiome, nutrient density, lifestyle factors, and why healing is often more about rebuilding resilience than achieving perfection.

• Why the gut plays such an important role in autoimmune disease
• What intestinal permeability (“leaky gut”) actually means
• How stress, sleep, and lifestyle affect gut healing
• What changes may happen in the microbiome during AIP
• Why nutrient density is essential for repair and immune regulation
• How reintroductions provide information about healing capacity
• Why healing and food tolerance can evolve over time
• How to approach setbacks and reactions with more patience and clarity

• The New Autoimmune Protocol (Book) – A practical guide to implementing AIP with a focus on preparation, sustainability, and personalization
• The Nutrient Dense Kitchen – A cookbook and resource focused on nutrient density for healing
• AIP Foundation Series – Free 5-day email course with food lists, meal plans, and beginner tools
• Episode 51: The AIP in 2026

00:00 – Introduction and Mickey’s personal gut healing story

04:35 – Why the gut matters in autoimmune disease

09:10 – Intestinal permeability (“leaky gut”) explained

14:10 – How the microbiome shifts during AIP

17:55 – Why nutrient density supports repair

21:30 – The role of lifestyle, stress, and sleep

25:31 – Why healing isn’t linear

31:22 – Wrap-up and key takeaways

Autoimmune disease affects an estimated 50 million Americans, yet for decades these conditions have often received less attention, coordination, and funding than other major chronic diseases.

That landscape is beginning to change.

In this episode of the Autoimmune Wellness Podcast, Mickey Trescott is joined by Dr. Victoria Shanmugam, rheumatologist, physician-scientist, and Director of the Office of Autoimmune Disease Research (OADR) at the National Institutes of Health. Created by Congress in 2023, the OADR was established to coordinate autoimmune disease research across the NIH and help accelerate progress in understanding, treating, preventing, and ultimately curing autoimmune diseases.

Together, Mickey and Dr. Shanmugam discuss why the office was created, how autoimmune research is evolving, and the most promising areas of innovation currently underway. They explore everything from environmental triggers and large-scale data platforms to early disease detection, CAR-T therapies, and the future of personalized autoimmune medicine.

This conversation offers a hopeful and practical look at where autoimmune research is headed—and what that progress could mean for patients over the next decade.

• Why the Office of Autoimmune Disease Research was created and what its mission is
• How autoimmune diseases intersect with every organ system and NIH research institute
• What the first NIH-wide Strategic Plan for Autoimmune Disease Research includes
• Why studying multiple autoimmune diseases together may accelerate discoveries
• How environmental exposures may influence autoimmune disease risk and progression
• The role of large-scale collaborations and data-sharing platforms in research
• Why early detection and preclinical autoimmune disease are major areas of focus
• How Type 1 diabetes research is shaping new approaches to prevention
• What CAR-T therapies and other immune-targeted treatments may offer in the future
• Why patient participation and advocacy remain essential to research progress
• What researchers hope to achieve over the next five to ten years in autoimmune medicine

• Office of Autoimmune Disease Research (OADR)
• NIH-Wide Strategic Plan for Autoimmune Disease Research
• OADR Quarterly Community Updates (Must Attend Live)
• NOURISH Challenge Initiative
• EXACT Plan Network (Environmental Exposures & Autoimmune Disease)

Episode Timeline:

00:00 – Why autoimmune research is entering a new era

01:41 – Introducing Dr. Victoria Shanmugam

03:29 – What is the Office of Autoimmune Disease Research?

04:58 – Why autoimmune diseases have historically been under-researched

07:19 – Goals of the OADR and coordination across NIH

09:54 – Studying more than 140 autoimmune diseases together

12:00 – The NOURISH challenge and nutrition research initiatives

14:07 – Promising areas of autoimmune disease research

16:09 – Environmental exposures and the EXACT Plan Network

17:28 – Autoimmune Centers of Excellence and cross-disease collaboration

18:34 – New clinical trials and prevention-focused research

20:02 – Early detection and preclinical autoimmune disease

21:18 – Data platforms and large-scale collaboration efforts

25:18 – How patients should think about research progress

26:32 – What the next 5–10 years may bring

28:49 – How patients can stay informed and engaged

30:16 – Why patient voices matter in research

31:00 – Wrap-up and closing reflections

Can dietary change meaningfully improve rheumatoid arthritis symptoms?

A recently published pilot study investigating the Autoimmune Protocol diet in adults with rheumatoid arthritis found improvements in patient-reported disease activity, pain, fatigue, sleep, and quality of life measures—with several participants reaching remission-level scores by the end of the intervention.

In this episode of the Autoimmune Wellness Podcast, Mickey Trescott is joined by registered nutritionist, AIP Certified Coach, and PhD candidate Julianne Taylor to discuss the first clinical trial investigating the Autoimmune Protocol in rheumatoid arthritis.

Julianne shares her personal journey into autoimmune nutrition research, explains how the study was designed, and walks through the results of the pilot trial—including improvements in fatigue, sleep, pain, and disease activity.

Together, they also explore the nuances and limitations of dietary research, discuss why individual responses vary, and dive into Julianne’s broader scoping review of elimination and reintroduction diets in rheumatoid arthritis spanning decades of research.

• How Julianne’s personal health experience led her into autoimmune nutrition research
• What a pilot feasibility study is and why it matters
• How the AIP rheumatoid arthritis study was designed
• Why patient-reported outcomes like fatigue and sleep are important in RA research
• What improvements participants experienced during the intervention
• Why some participants experienced challenges or adverse effects
• How nutrient density and food eliminations may both influence outcomes
• What historical elimination diet research in RA reveals about common trigger foods
• Why nightshades continue to be an important area of interest in autoimmune nutrition
• What future research on AIP and rheumatoid arthritis may explore next

• Paleo Zone Nutrition (blog)
• Julianne Taylor Nutrition (website)
• Julianne Taylor on Instagram
• The First AIP Pilot Trial in Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Elimination, Reintroduction Diets, and Oral Food Challenge in Adults with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Scoping Review

00:00 – Introduction to the first AIP rheumatoid arthritis pilot study

01:56 – Introducing Julianne Taylor

03:54 – Julianne’s personal health journey and early paleo research

11:34 – What a pilot feasibility study is

13:05 – The questionnaires used in the AIP RA pilot trial

17:07 – The AIP intervention and elimination phase

19:32 – Results of the rheumatoid arthritis pilot study

24:56 – Discussing adverse effects and individual variability

30:57 – Diet quality versus food eliminations

33:54 – Reviewing decades of elimination diet research in RA

38:48 – Common trigger foods identified in the literature

42:31 – Nightshades and rheumatoid arthritis

44:31 – Upcoming AIP and RA research

51:20 – What Julianne hopes clinicians and patients take away from the research

53:23 – Where to follow Julianne’s work online

What does it take to keep creating when your body is struggling? How do you continue making meaningful work while navigating uncertainty, limitations, and chronic illness in real time?

In this special episode of the Autoimmune Wellness Podcast, Mickey Trescott celebrates the launch of The New Autoimmune Protocol with a deeply personal conversation featuring her longtime friend Alaina Moore—vocalist and songwriter of the indie band Tennis.

Instead of interviewing a guest, Mickey takes the guest seat herself as Alaina turns the tables to explore the creative process behind the new book, the realities of creating while chronically ill, and the surprising overlap between art, music, food, and healing.

Together, they discuss what it means to pursue creative work while managing chronic illness, how illness can shape identity and perspective, and why adapting to changing capacity is often part of the process. Alaina also shares her experience navigating dysphonia while recording and touring, while Mickey reflects on photographing The New Autoimmune Protocol during a severe autoimmune eye flare.

This conversation is honest, funny, emotional, and deeply relatable for anyone who has tried to keep showing up for meaningful work while living in a body that doesn’t always cooperate.

• How chronic illness can shape creativity, identity, and artistic work
• Why adapting to limitations is often part of the creative process
• The similarities between songwriting, recipe development, and visual storytelling
• How Mickey approaches recipe development, writing, and cookbook photography
• Why creative work often requires both structure and chaos
• How sensory imagination influences both music and cooking
• Alaina Moore’s experience recovering from dysphonia while touring with Tennis
• Mickey’s experience photographing a cookbook during an autoimmune eye flare
• Why accepting chronic illness can feel freeing instead of limiting
• The emotional impact of medical gaslighting and delayed diagnosis
• How creativity, music, and art can help people move through illness
• Why managing chronic illness is different from “overcoming” it

Alaina Moore & Tennis

• Website: https://tennis-music.com
• Instagram: @tennisinc
• Playlist mentioned in the episode: Available here!

Mickey Trescott

• Book: The New Autoimmune Protocol

Episode Timeline:

00:00 – Introduction and NAIP launch week reflections

01:31 – Introducing Alaina Moore of Tennis

04:37 – Artists, chronic illness, and creative resilience

07:08 – Mickey’s writing and recipe development process

13:31 – Alaina’s songwriting process and creative structure

18:11 – Music, taste, and sensory imagination

25:07 – How Mickey perfects recipes

30:17 – Why Mickey shares her work publicly

32:56 – Creative breakthroughs and photographing the new book

39:02 – Alaina’s experience with dysphonia and vocal rehabilitation

44:11 – Accepting chronic illness and redefining healing

51:14 – Wrap-up and closing reflections

What if healing isn’t about getting rid of pain—but about learning how to remain fully alive within it?

In this episode of the Autoimmune Wellness Podcast, Mickey Trescott is joined by K.J. Ramsey, trauma-informed therapist, author, and chronic illness advocate. Her new memoir, The Place Between Our Pains, explores life with chronic illness, medical trauma, and the complicated relationship many of us have with our bodies when healing doesn’t look the way we expected.

Together, Mickey and K.J. explore what it means to live well even when symptoms persist. They discuss medical gaslighting, identity shifts, self-trust, redefining healing, and why joy and grief often coexist in the chronic illness experience.

K.J. also shares how journaling and creative practices helped her process pain, reconnect with herself, and remain present through years of illness and uncertainty.

• How chronic illness can shape identity, especially in early adulthood
• Why medical gaslighting is so damaging—and how self-trust becomes essential
• The emotional impact of being sick without clear answers or validation
• How dissociation and disconnection from the body can develop during chronic illness
• Why speaking to your body with compassion changes the healing process
• What it means to redefine healing beyond symptom elimination
• How chronic illness can deepen connection, creativity, and joy
• Why grief and joy often coexist in the healing journey
• The role of journaling and creative practices in processing pain and stress
• How creativity can help transform suffering into meaning and aliveness
• Why “being fully alive” may matter more than becoming symptom-free

K.J. Ramsey

• Website: https://www.kjramsey.com
• Instagram: @kjramseywrites
• Book: The Place Between Our Pains

00:00 – Introduction and trigger warning

01:04 – Introducing K.J. Ramsey and The Place Between Our Pains

04:33 – Identity and illness in early adulthood

09:20 – Medical gaslighting and self-trust

16:01 – Dissociation, embodiment, and learning to listen to the body

24:14 – Redefining healing and living fully with pain

32:19 – How illness changes us

40:15 – Journaling, creativity, and processing pain

52:08 – Wrap-up and closing reflections