The Immune Edit

Why are more physicians leaving insurance-based medicine? Is direct care really just "concierge medicine," or is something much bigger happening in healthcare?

In this episode of The Immune Edit, Dr. Doug Jones is joined by board-certified allergist and immunologist Dr. Alice Hoyt for an honest conversation about the growing challenges facing modern medicine.

Together, they discuss:

• Why more physicians are transitioning to direct-care practices
• How insurance policies are changing patient care
• The recent limitations on allergy skin testing and what they could mean for patients
• Why 15-minute appointments aren't the doctor's choice
• How telehealth improved access—and why many of those gains have disappeared
• What patients should understand about the pressures doctors face behind the scenes
• The mission behind Code Anna, a nonprofit helping schools prepare for life-threatening allergic emergencies

This conversation isn't about blaming patients or physicians, it's about understanding the systems shaping healthcare today and exploring practical solutions that put patients first.

Whether you're living with allergies, caring for a child with food allergies, or simply wondering why healthcare feels increasingly frustrating, this episode offers an inside look at what's happening behind the exam room door.

Topics Covered:
• Food allergies
• Direct care medicine
• Health insurance
• Allergy testing
• Telehealth
• Code Anna
• Epinephrine in schools
• Patient advocacy
• Healthcare reform
• Allergy & Immunology

Millions of people fly every year assuming airline meals are held to the same food safety and labeling standards as restaurants or packaged foods. They're not.

In this episode of The Immune Edit, Dr. Doug Jones welcomes back food allergy advocate Lianne Mandelbaum (The No Nut Traveler) to discuss the heartbreaking death of a teenager after being told an airline meal was safe, why current airline food labeling can create a false sense of security, and what travelers with food allergies need to know before their next flight.

Together they discuss:

• Why airline food labeling is different from food labeling on the ground

• Recent near-miss food allergy incidents on commercial flights

• Gaps in emergency medical equipment carried by airlines

• How food allergies are still misunderstood and minimized

• Practical strategies to fly safely with food allergies

• Why advocacy and regulatory changes are urgently needed

Whether you live with food allergies, travel with someone who does, or simply want to better understand airline safety, this conversation offers practical advice that could help prevent a tragedy.

If you found this episode helpful, please like, subscribe, and share it with someone who travels with food allergies. Raising awareness could save a life.

https://www.allergicliving.com/2026/07/18/teen-died-of-allergic-reaction-to-airlines-sandwich-family-sues/https://www.allergicliving.com/2026/07/10/airline-meals-and-allergens-2-troubling-reactions-to-hidden-nut/https://www.allergicliving.com/2026/07/02/faas-awaited-rule-on-epi-on-planes-why-the-fine-print-matters/

In this episode, Dr. Doug Jones sits down with physician, medical educator, and internationally recognized speaker Dr. Mobeen Syed (Dr. Bean) for an in-depth conversation about why modern patients are becoming increasingly complex and what medicine must do to keep up.

Together, they explore the growing burden of chronic inflammation, immune dysregulation, Long COVID, and other complex chronic conditions, discussing how these challenges have reshaped patient care and exposed gaps in our healthcare system. They also examine why so many patients feel unheard, how misinformation flourishes during times of uncertainty, and why thoughtful, evidence-based education is more important than ever.

Throughout the conversation, Dr. Jones and Dr. Syed emphasize the importance of understanding the underlying mechanisms of disease rather than relying on oversimplified explanations or quick fixes. They discuss the future of medicine, the role of physician education, and how both patients and clinicians can approach complex illnesses with curiosity, nuance, and critical thinking.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why chronic illness appears to be increasing

• The role of chronic inflammation and immune dysregulation

• Lessons learned from COVID and Long COVID

• Why many patients with complex conditions feel dismissed

• How misinformation takes hold in healthcare

• Why understanding disease mechanisms matters more than chasing simple answers

• What the future of medicine may look like for both patients and physicians

If you enjoy conversations that replace fear with understanding through thoughtful, evidence-based discussion, be sure to subscribe to The Immune Edit for new episodes every week.

Living with food allergies is about so much more than avoiding certain foods. For millions of people, it's navigating travel, restaurants, anxiety, emergency preparedness, and the constant need to advocate for themselves.

In this episode of The Immune Edit, Dr. Doug Jones sits down with food allergy advocate, content creator, and clinical psychology graduate student, Mia Silverman. Mia shares her incredible journey of living with more than 50 food allergies, surviving anaphylaxis, overcoming fear, and building a platform that empowers others to live confidently despite severe allergies.They also discuss the mental health impact of food allergies, practical travel strategies, food labeling challenges, medication accessibility, allergy misinformation, and why the healthcare system still has major gaps in caring for patients with food allergies.

Whether you're living with food allergies yourself, caring for someone who is, or you're a healthcare professional, this conversation is packed with practical advice and hope.

In this episode they discuss:

Mia's story of living with 50+ food allergies

How to travel safely with severe food allergies

Managing anxiety after anaphylaxis

Practical restaurant and airline safety tips

Food allergy advocacy and social media

The mental health impact of chronic food allergies

Problems with food labeling and precautionary allergen statements

Why epinephrine access and affordability matter

The future of food allergy care and educationHow preparation creates confidence—not fear

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to The Immune Edit, leave a review, and share it with someone who could benefit from this conversation.

#FoodAllergy #FoodAllergies #Anaphylaxis #AllergyAwareness #Allergist #Immunology #MentalHealth #FoodAllergyAdvocate #TravelWithFoodAllergies #TheImmuneEdit #Healthcare #ChronicIllness #OIT #OralImmunotherapy #Epinephrine #AllergyEducation

Why do health myths spread so easily and why do they often appeal to thoughtful, intelligent people?

In this episode of The Immune Edit, Dr. Doug Jones explores the psychology behind misinformation, why fear and uncertainty change the way our brains process information, and how the search for certainty can make us vulnerable to oversimplified answers.

He discusses why trust in medicine has eroded for many patients, how social media rewards confidence over nuance, and why validation and scientific accuracy are both essential for healing. Rather than offering easy answers, this episode provides a framework for thinking more clearly in a world full of health claims, influencers, and conflicting advice.

You'll learn:

• Why misinformation spreads through psychology—not just ignorance

• How fear changes decision-making

• Why certainty feels so persuasive

• The difference between validation and evidence

• How to navigate uncertainty without falling for oversimplified health narratives

If you've ever felt overwhelmed by conflicting health advice or wondered why certain ideas become so convincing, this conversation is for you.

Subscribe to The Immune Edit for evidence-based conversations that help you think more clearly about health, medicine, and the immune system.

Social media has turned food into either a miracle cure or the villain—and patients are caught in the middle.

In this episode, Dr. Doug Jones welcomes registered dietitian Raquel Durbin back to the podcast for a practical conversation about nutrition, fiber, gut health, and why there is no such thing as the "perfect" diet.

Together they discuss:

• Why fiber is one of the most overlooked tools for immune and gut health

• How nutrition influences inflammation, the microbiome, and overall wellness

• Common myths about supplements and viral nutrition trends

• Why frozen fruits and vegetables are often just as nutritious as fresh

• The emotional side of food, chronic illness, and restrictive diets

• Practical strategies for patients with food allergies, mast cell disorders, and complex chronic conditions

• How small, sustainable changes beat perfection every time

If you've ever felt overwhelmed by conflicting nutrition advice online, this episode offers a refreshing, evidence-based perspective focused on flexibility, balance, and real-life habits that last.

Food should nourish—not create fear.

After trust breaks down, what happens next?

In this episode of Immune Edit, Dr. Doug Jones explores why misinformation spreads so easily in health and chronic illness communities and why intelligence alone doesn't protect us from it.

When people feel dismissed, frightened, or stuck in uncertainty, the search for answers becomes deeply personal. That's when confidence can start looking like evidence, influencers can feel more trustworthy than experts, and simple explanations can become incredibly appealing.

Dr. Jones examines the psychology behind misinformation, the role fear plays in shaping our beliefs, and why social media rewards certainty over nuance. He also discusses the importance of context in medicine, the difference between validation and accuracy, and how patients can navigate uncertainty without becoming trapped by oversimplified answers.

This conversation isn't about mocking people who search for answers, it's about understanding why they search in the first place and how we can think more clearly when certainty feels impossible.

Topics discussed:

• Why misinformation spreads through psychology, not ignorance

• The relationship between chronic illness, uncertainty, and trust

• How fear changes the way we process information• The dangers of oversimplified health narratives

• Why context matters more than isolated symptoms

• The difference between skepticism and cynicism

• How to stay curious without becoming vulnerable to false certainty

The edit: A frightened brain often prefers a wrong answer over an uncertain one. Real understanding begins when we're willing to sit with uncertainty long enough to keep learning.

What does "freedom" actually mean when you're living with food allergies?

In this episode of Immune Edit, Dr. Doug Jones welcomes back licensed psychologist and food allergy advocate Dr. Amanda Whitehouse for a thoughtful conversation about food allergy treatment, patient empowerment, and the emotional realities families face when navigating difficult medical decisions.

Fresh off the FAST (Food Allergy Support Team) annual conference, Amanda shares her unique perspective as both a psychologist and a parent of a child with food allergies. Together, they discuss how food allergy treatment has evolved over the past decade, why shared decision-making matters, and how families can define success on their own terms rather than allowing others to define it for them.

The conversation also explores the difference between anxiety and trauma, the importance of involving children in treatment decisions, and why "freedom" may mean something different for every patient and family.

Amanda also introduces her new book, From Fear to Freedom, a practical guide designed to help families thoughtfully navigate food allergy treatment options while addressing both the medical and psychological aspects of the journey.

Whether you're a patient, parent, healthcare professional, or simply interested in the future of food allergy care, this episode offers valuable insights into finding confidence, clarity, and empowerment in the face of uncertainty.

Topics discussed:
• Food allergy treatment evolution
• Shared decision-making
• Anxiety vs. trauma
• Defining freedom and success in treatment
• Patient-centered care
• Involving children in treatment decisions
• The role of psychology in food allergy management
• Amanda Whitehouse's new book, From Fear to Freedom

Have you ever felt like you're stuck on a medical merry-go-round?

You've seen multiple specialists. You've had countless tests. You've spent hours researching symptoms online. Yet you still feel like nobody has fully explained what's happening to your body.

In this foundational episode of The Immune Edit, Dr. Doug Jones explores why so many people with chronic symptoms, immune-related conditions, and unexplained health challenges feel trapped between uncertainty, fear, and conflicting information. He unpacks the realities of fragmented healthcare, the emotional toll of unpredictable symptoms, and why the search for answers can sometimes lead people deeper into confusion rather than clarity.

Most importantly, this conversation offers a different path forward, one grounded in nuance, compassion, scientific honesty, and realistic progress rather than fear and oversimplified solutions.

If you've ever wondered, "Why do I feel this way?" or "Why can't anyone connect the dots?" this episode is for you.

When headlines announced the discontinuation of Palforzia, the first FDA-approved peanut allergy treatment, many families understandably wondered: Does this mean food allergy treatment isn't working?

In this episode of The Immune Edit, Dr. Doug Jones explains why the answer is a resounding no.

Dr. Jones shares his perspective on why Palforzia struggled commercially, the challenges of fitting highly individualized care into a rigid pharmaceutical model, and what the future of food allergy treatment actually looks like. He also pulls back the curtain on the work of FAST (Food Allergy Support Team), a global network of clinicians collaborating to advance patient-centered food allergy care through real-world experience, innovation, and outcomes.

This conversation explores:

• Why Palforzia's discontinuation is not a setback for food allergy treatment• The history and evolution of oral immunotherapy (OIT)

• Why personalized treatment matters more than one-size-fits-all solutions• Emerging approaches including OIT, sublingual immunotherapy, biologics, and combination therapies• The importance of accessibility, affordability, and reducing treatment burden

• How collaboration—not competition—will shape the future of food allergy care

Most importantly, this episode is about something bigger than peanut flour or pharmaceutical products. It's about helping families move from fear to freedom, finding treatments that fit the individual, and building a future where food allergy care is driven by patient outcomes rather than product-centered agendas.

The future of food allergy treatment isn't disappearing. In many ways, it's just getting started.