The Autoimmune Wellness Podcast

What if the brain fog, overwhelm, forgetfulness, trouble focusing, or emotional intensity you’ve been blaming on hormones or autoimmune disease has another layer to it?

In this episode of the Autoimmune Wellness Podcast, Mickey Trescott is joined by hormone expert, nutrition scientist, and bestselling author Dr. Jolene Brighten for a conversation about ADHD through the lens of women’s hormones, brain health, and autoimmune disease.

Together, they explore why ADHD can look different in women and why so many women aren’t diagnosed until later in life. They discuss how ADHD symptoms can shift throughout the menstrual cycle and become especially challenging during perimenopause, as well as the complex relationship between hormones, inflammation, the gut, and the brain. Dr. Brighten also shares her perspective on hormone replacement therapy for women with ADHD, practical ways to support the microbiome, and simple strategies for making nutrition, movement, and daily life more ADHD-friendly.

• Why ADHD often looks different in women and can go undiagnosed for decades
• What’s happening in the ADHD brain beyond problems with attention
• How estrogen, progesterone, and the menstrual cycle can influence ADHD symptoms
• Why perimenopause may reveal ADHD that was previously masked or well-compensated
• What women with ADHD should know about hormone replacement therapy
• What we know about the relationship between ADHD, inflammation, and autoimmune disease
• How gut health and food sensitivities may interact with ADHD symptoms
• Practical strategies for nutrition, movement, and reducing overwhelm with ADHD

• Book: ADHD and Women by Dr. Jolene Brighten
• ADHD and Women resources and bonuses: drbrighten.com/adhdinwomen
• Podcast: The Dr. Brighten Show
• Follow Dr. Jolene Brighten: @drjolenebrighten

00:00 – ADHD, hormones, and autoimmune disease

01:59 – Introducing Dr. Jolene Brighten

04:10 – How ADHD presents in women

06:48 – What is going on in an ADHD brain?

11:19 – How ADHD symptoms change throughout the menstrual cycle

16:42 – How perimenopause affects ADHD

24:57 – How HRT can affect the ADHD brain

33:44 – The relationship between autoimmune disease and ADHD

37:58 – How to “microdose your microbiome”

43:12 – Food sensitivities and ADHD

45:54 – How to tackle overwhelm with ADHD

49:40 – Wrap-up and closing

Food sensitivity tests promise something incredibly appealing: send in a sample, receive a personalized list of reactive foods, and skip the uncertainty of elimination and reintroduction. But can these tests actually tell you which foods are causing your symptoms?

In this episode of the Autoimmune Wellness Podcast, Mickey Trescott takes a closer look at the science behind commercial food sensitivity testing, including IgG panels, MRT, ALCAT, and other commonly marketed approaches. She explains the important difference between a test being able to measure something in the body and that measurement actually being clinically useful.

Mickey also explores what it means for a diagnostic test to be properly validated, why major allergy organizations recommend against IgG food sensitivity testing, and why feeling better after following test results doesn’t necessarily prove that the test accurately identified your problem foods. Finally, she shares fascinating emerging research into food reactions that conventional testing may not yet capture—and explains why systematic elimination and reintroduction remain the most useful tools for building a personalized diet.

• What IgG food sensitivity tests actually measure—and why a positive result doesn’t necessarily indicate a harmful reaction
• How MRT, ALCAT, and other food sensitivity tests work and where the evidence falls short
• The difference between analytical validity, clinical validity, and clinical utility
• Why feeling better after following test results doesn’t necessarily prove the test accurately identified your problem foods
• Why elimination and systematic reintroduction remain the best way to identify individual food tolerance
• What emerging research may tell us about food reactions conventional testing doesn’t capture
• Why unnecessary food restriction can have nutritional, financial, and quality-of-life consequences
• How to think about past food sensitivity test results without dismissing your own experience

• Episode 54: A Deep Dive Into the AIP Reintroduction Process
• The Autoimmune Protocol: theautoimmuneprotocol.com
• Research on confocal laser endomicroscopy and food-related reactions in IBS (Study 1 and Study 2)

00:00 – Can food sensitivity tests really identify problem foods?

02:59 – IgG food sensitivity testing

07:16 – MRT, ALCAT, and other food sensitivity tests

12:31 – What does it mean for a test to be validated?

16:22 – But what if the test worked for me?

19:28 – Why elimination and reintroduction remain the gold standard

23:10 – Emerging research into food reactions we can’t yet test for

26:52 – Reframing food sensitivity testing

31:33 – Wrap-up and closing

For many people living with autoimmune disease, seeing a rheumatologist can bring up a lot of uncertainty—especially if you want to incorporate nutrition and lifestyle alongside conventional medical care.

In this episode of the Autoimmune Wellness Podcast, Mickey Trescott is joined by Dr. Micah Yu, a quadruple board-certified physician specializing in rheumatology, internal medicine, integrative medicine, and functional medicine. Dr. Yu also lives with autoimmune arthritis himself, giving him a unique perspective as both physician and patient.

Together, they explore what integrative rheumatology actually looks like, why conventional medicine and lifestyle don't have to be an either/or choice, and how patients can build a healthcare team that supports the full picture of autoimmune health. They also discuss how to prepare for a rheumatology appointment, when medications may be necessary, and how nutrition and lifestyle can work alongside medical treatment.

• How Dr. Yu's experience with gout and spondyloarthritis shaped his approach to medicine
• What rheumatologists actually treat and why they often serve as "detectives" for complex cases
• Common misconceptions about rheumatologists, nutrition, and lifestyle medicine
• Why time constraints within conventional healthcare can make complex autoimmune care challenging
• What integrative and functional rheumatology looks like in practice
• Why medication and lifestyle interventions don't have to be mutually exclusive
• How to prepare for a rheumatology appointment and make the most of limited time
• Why tracking symptoms, medications, supplements, and your health history can help your physician
• How patients and their prescribing providers can approach medication changes when health improves
• Why building a multidisciplinary healthcare team can be valuable for autoimmune disease

• Dr. Lifestyle: https://drlifestyle.org
• My Autoimmune MD: https://myautoimmunemd.com
• Social Media: @MyAutoimmuneMD
• Podcast: Autoimmune Alchemy

00:00 – Why rheumatology and lifestyle medicine don't have to be either/or

02:15 – Introducing Dr. Micah Yu

03:41 – Dr. Yu's personal journey with autoimmune arthritis

07:40 – Rheumatology 101: What does a rheumatologist do?

10:15 – Common misconceptions about rheumatology

16:15 – What integrative and functional rheumatology looks like

19:40 – How to get the most out of a rheumatology appointment

22:02 – Combining medication with diet and lifestyle

25:27 – Hope for people living with autoimmune disease

27:34 – Dr. Yu's advice for building a healthcare team

28:22 – Wrap-up and where to follow Dr. Yu

One of the central goals of the Autoimmune Protocol is figuring out which foods work for you and which ones don’t. But when a symptom appears after eating a food, what actually counts as a food reaction—and does every reaction mean the same thing?

In this episode of the Autoimmune Wellness Podcast, Mickey Trescott explores the science of food reactions and why they can look so different from person to person. She breaks down the major categories of reactions, including food allergies, celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity, digestive intolerances, and reactions to specific compounds in foods.

Mickey also explains why a reaction and its underlying mechanism aren’t necessarily the same thing, and why that distinction matters when personalizing your diet. She explores how dose, timing, preparation, digestive function, and other factors can influence food tolerance, plus why a reproducible reaction can still provide useful information even when science can’t yet explain exactly why it happens.

• The many ways a food reaction can show up, including changes in autoimmune symptoms
• The difference between a food reaction and its underlying biological mechanism
• How food allergies, celiac disease, food sensitivities, and digestive intolerances differ
• Why dose, timing, preparation, and digestive function can influence food tolerance
• How compounds like histamine and sulfites can trigger symptoms in some people
• Why meaningful food reactions can occur even when we don’t fully understand the mechanism
• Why food reactions can be difficult to identify when symptoms fluctuate
• How AIP elimination and reintroduction help identify the foods that work for you

• The Autoimmune Protocol: theautoimmuneprotocol.com
• The New Autoimmune Protocol by Mickey Trescott

00:00 – Understanding what constitutes a food reaction

03:24 – What can a food reaction actually look like?

07:29 – Food allergy: When the immune system reacts to food

15:22 – Gluten reactions: Celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity

21:54 – Food intolerances: When digestion and absorption are the problem

27:35 – Reactions to compounds in food: When it isn’t the food itself

35:37 – Why food reactions can be so hard to figure out

40:06 – Bringing it back to AIP: Finding the foods that work for you

42:06 – Wrap-up and closing

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