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The Case: 

• Leila has been dealing with Hashimoto’s, Lyme and Crohn’s disease for years.  
• She was managing her symptoms through a strict regimen of supplements, diet, and various practitioners.
• Emotionally, she was feeling disconnected, discouraged, and joyless.

We so often focus on the biochemistry side of autoimmune issues that we forget the importance of taking care of our emotions and connection to life. In other words, there’s more to feeling good than just the physical. 

The Investigation

Getting to the root of health issues, especially chronic and mysterious ones, is quite multi faceted. We really have to address it from all angles. While biochemistry is important, it's just one part and there are many areas that also play a very large role. This was what was missing for Leila and felt it was going to be important for her to really connect with herself and discover her true self. 

This is not always easy so to help out, I invited a self-discovery coach to join me on this episode of Health Mysteries Solved. 

Sara Katherine is the host of the podcast, Be Your Own Badass and the author of Your Self-Discovery Journal, I’m Awesome: Here’s Why, and Be Happy. Be Calm. Be YOU. 

Her mission is to help women achieve their goals without letting people-pleasing or perfectionism get in the way. 

What is Self-Discovery?

Before we can dive into self-discovery, it’s important to be able to frame it. For Sara, self-discovery is understanding what you want and what makes you you. She says the ultimate goal of being in tune with who you are, your values, what motivates you and your passions is that the more you’re in tune with these, the more action you can take in life. And, that action will feel authentic and right. 

For someone like Leila, or anyone who is so focused on their symptoms and their health journey, it’s easy to start to feel disconnected with that authentic self. Being able to tap into what makes you you again will help you take care of your symptoms and day-to-day issues but also remind you that you’re more than what you're dealing with right now.

How to Get Started with Self Discovery

For anyone who has never looked into self discovery, it can be a bit daunting. Sara recommends starting small by tuning in to your intuition (which is just like doing a gut check). She says to hold space and check into how you’re feeling about something. Pay attention to how your body responds to that thought. Too often our minds are going a mile a minute and we don’t stop to check in with ourselves. She explains the concept of listening to our intuition as having an inner mentor (the opposite of the inner critic).  It's the part of you that understands you and wants the best for you. It has the best results for you in mind. Checking in with your inner mentor can take as little as 5 minutes. To do it, start by sitting in silence. Then, do a life audit and scan through what you’re going through on a day-to-day basis. Pay attention to what comes up from your inner mentor. This is a great first step in reconnecting with yourself again. 

How to Tell Intuition from Fear

The challenge that many people have with intuition or listening to their gut is that sometimes, when we have fear, we call it intuition. Sara says that she has also struggled with this because anxieties can creep up and get in the way of intuition. She says it’s all about understanding that deep connection to your truth which comes with practice. Practice by paying closer attention to your emotional and physical responses to things. Meditation is also a way to hone your intuition skills. She also suggests paying close attention to which feeling comes first. Usually, the fear comes first but when you sit with it for a moment you can let the intuitive response in. 

Misconceptions Around Self-Care

Ask someone for an example of self-care and chances are the response will be either get a message or take a bubble bath but are these really examples of self-care? Sara says they may be but only if that’s what personally fills you up. Self-care is personal. Each person has a different way of recharging their batteries. For some, it might be connecting with friends while others prefer time alone. 

There is no one size fits all for self-care - it is highly personal. 

If you don’t know what fills you up or recharges your batteries, you need to try new things and pay close attention to how it feels before, during and after. But, don’t wait until your cup is empty - find what fills it up before you need it filled. For example, for me, if I don't sleep, I don't feel well. One of my forms of self-care is going to bed early and getting lots of sleep. If I wait until I’m tired to get more sleep, it’s already too late.

The Difference Between Self-Care and Self-Love

The act of self-care is an act of self-love because it cultivates self-love. Sara also says to think of self-care as the action and self-love as the state you achieve. Being able to take care of yourself and understand yourself throughout the process, that helps you be kinder to yourself and appreciate different pieces about you. This all brings self-love into your life. Self-love also has to do with the inner critic versus the inner mentor. When we are in a state of self-love, we listen more to our inner mentor instead of our inner critic. 

Being kind to ourselves, and honoring the inner mentor can be a challenge especially for those who are people-pleasers or perfectionists. The inner critic is strong in these personalities, so there is a lot more work that needs to be done to combat the inner critic. For anyone dealing with autoimmune issues or who are on a health journey, it can be very hard to focus on the inner mentor because things don’t always go smoothly and the path isn’t always linear. So, practicing self-care and cultivating self-love are really important because a negative mindset can affect the healing journey. 

How Can a Lack of Self-Love Manifest Physically

While this is difficult to prove scientifically, anecdotally there are many stories of people struggling with health until they are able to cultivate self-love. Sara says that she notices it physically. For her, it’s the digestive system that responds to times when she is allowing stress to creep in, when she’s not getting enough sleep or when she listens too much to her inner critic.  

When you let the inner critic win, you end up in a negative state and that can spiral. You stop appreciating the positives, you may not do the things you need to do to feel good (like take time to go for a walk in nature or even just to take some deep breaths). It can compound if you don't combat it with some self-care practices. 

Fueling Self-Care and Confidence

Confidence and self-care go hand in hand. When your self-care and self-compassion are low, it affects your self-love. If your self-love is low then it’s hard to be confident. For anyone dealing with autoimmune disease, this confidence is critical.

However, Sara points out that nobody feels totally confident every single day. Confidence comes and goes. Sara says that confidence is more like a muscle than a state of being. Building (and maintaining) confidence requires regular practice, just like self-care. One common way to boost self confidence is through daily affirmations. Another is to remind yourself of what’s good in your life by keeping a daily gratitude jou...

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The Investigation

I know how confusing and frustrating it can be living with hypothyroidism and or Hashimoto’s because there is so much information out there about Hashimoto’s and hypothyroidism. 

At the same time, there is also not that much that really focuses on these specific conditions. This is why I get so many questions every time I check in with you through Instagram and my email list. After posting in my IG stories this week, I got a ton of questions and I am so excited to answer them for you.

Before I do, I want to remind you that Hashimoto’s and thyroid issues are very individual - there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution. That’s why I created a much more in depth training and you can access it absolutely free RIGHT HERE! 

Let’s dive into your questions. I got over 300 questions, but many of them were similar or around the same theme so I’m focusing on the most frequently asked questions in this episode of Health Mysteries Solved.

How can I lose weight with hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s? (and many other variations of this question).

Inna’s Response 

As I mentioned, dealing with your thyroid condition is not one-size-fits-all and neither are the weight management strategies. It is very individual based on your thyroid type and your genetics. 

However, one common issue is gluten intolerance. Gluten tends to be a trigger for people with autoimmunity especially if they have the DQ2 and the DQ8 Genes. These genes make it difficult for the body to process gluten and instead your body may attack it by making an antibody to gluten. This may cause cross-reactivity where your body is not only attacking the gluten but accidentally attacking other tissues like the thyroid. 

Another common food sensitivity is dairy. This can be a major trigger. For me, it showed up as skin issues (including redness and hives) as well as gas and bloating. I was able to determine dairy as the culprit because when I stopped having dairy, these symptoms went away. 

Sugar is another food that many with Hashimoto’s may want to reconsider eating. Sugar can offset our blood sugar very quickly and can cause quite a bit of inflammation. This does not help us deal with Hashimoto’s because there is often already inflammation. 

How do I choose what to try first with dietary changes? Should I do the AIP, go grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free?

Inna’s Response 

There is not a short answer to this question because it depends on so many different factors. If you are quite in-tune with your body, you may have an idea of what is causing an issue for you. In this case, test your suspicions by eliminating that item from your diet and see if you feel better. 

You could also get a food sensitivity test but make sure that you are doing a test that has multiple immunoglobulin pathways as many basic tests only look at one. I like the Zoomers tests from Vibrant Wellness because they test for different pathways including IGG, IGA and IGE as well as testing the components of the different foods. 

Another option is to do a full elimination diet following the AIP (Autoimmune Protocol) until you get the inflammation down and then introduce things one at a time to discover your triggers. 

What dietary changes should I make to help me lose weight with Hashimoto’s or Hypothyroid?

Inna’s Response 

For some, getting rid of dairy or gluten significantly reduces inflammation and that helps them retain less water and lose weight pretty quickly. 

However, I think for many of us, I would probably say most of us, it's not that easy (but it’s not impossible!)

There’s a lot that goes into weight loss. First and foremost, you want to make sure that you’re supporting your thyroid if your thyroid levels are not optimal. It is going to be very, very hard to lose weight if your thyroid is in a slow state and not activating your metabolism. So, make sure to support your thyroid for your thyroid type (be sure to check out my free training for more on this). 

Secondly, consider your metabolic type. Some of us are ‘carb type’ and some are ‘protein type’ if you are not eating according to your type, it will be very difficult for your metabolism to do its job and help you maintain or lose weight. 

And finally, if you are following a protocol or plan and not seeing results, then you may want to switch it up. 

What supplements should I take if I am a vegetarian with Hashimoto’s?

Inna’s Response 

The answer to this question depends on a couple of things. A vegetarian diet can be very healthy but you want to make sure that you’re getting enough protein, B12 and iron. This is especially true for specific thyroid types, so if you are a vegetarian you want to figure out your thyroid type. Check your iron and B12 levels and be sure to supplement if they are low. 

What is the best type of exercise for Hashimoto’s or Hypothyroid?

Inna’s Response 

If your thyroid is supported (and your levels are optimal) and you are doing everything you can to calm and balance your immune system (avoiding Hashimoto’s flare ups), then you can do any kind of exercise you like. 

I like to do high intensity interval training (HIIT) because I like to do quick spurts and I find that I can fit it into my busy day. Weight-bearing exercises are also very good because you get your metabolic rate going and it stays active with you for hours and hours after you’ve worked out. I also like to do the Lagree Method of Pilates. This is done on a transformer and it is a full body workout. 

However, if you’re still working on balancing your thyroid hormones or you find yourself in a Hashimoto’s flareup, then you will want to avoid strenuous exercise. When your thyroid is flaring and the autoimmunity is flaring, your body is in an inflammatory stress state. Exercising in this state can increase that stress. You will know if you are doing this because you will feel physical strain and fatigue right after the workout. 

Why are there so many different symptoms with Hashimoto’s?

Inna’s Response 

This is such a great question and I love talking about this (check episode 100 which is dedicated to Hashimoto’s symptoms). The reason why Hashimoto's has so many symptoms is because there are two areas affected - the thyroid and your immune system. 

When you have Hashimoto's you will typically have a less than optimal thyroid function because your thyroid is under attack. Getting your thyroid levels balanced will help with some of the symptoms. 

People with Hashimoto’s are also dealing with inflammation caused by the immune system attacking your thyroid. When these attacks happen, the inflammation can show up anywhere on the body. It could be your joints causing aches and pains. It could be the brain causing brain fog. 

We can have inflammation on our skin causing acne, rashes, eczema or other types of dermatitis. 

To avoid the symptoms, your support for Hashimoto’s has to be twofold, you have to support the immune system to stop that inflamm...

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In our last episode, we introduced you to Allison. She was dealing with: 

• Allison was dealing with brain fog, fatigue, and joint pain.
• She felt much older than her chronological years.
• Labs showed that her B vitamins, iron, and thyroid were all fine but her symptoms persisted.

We spoke with Jason Earle who is the founder and CEO of 1-800-Got-Mold and has appeared as an expert on The Dr. Oz Show, Good Morning America, and Extreme Home Makeover. In that episode, he gave us so much great information about mold and debunked a whole bunch of myths around mold, how to test for it, and how to get rid of it. If you haven’t listened to that episode, I highly recommend that you go back and give it a listen. 

In this episode, we dive into how to regain your health once you’ve cleared the mold out of your house and have reduced exposure. 

Exposure to Mold Through Diet

Many of the symptoms related to mold exposure revolve around inflammation. Despite having dealt with the environmental exposure to mycotoxins and mold in your home, you may still be exposed to them in your diet. Grains, sugar, processed foods, and peanut butter. Removing these from your diet is the next step in detoxing from mold exposure. Doing a no sugar, no grains diet will also help reduce the inflammation that mold exposure will have contributed to.

Purging Mycotoxins from Your Body

There are several ways to rid the body of mycotoxins after extended exposure. One is to purge them through sweat (exercise and saunas are great for this). Another is to take glutathione which will stimulate the release of mycotoxins in the body. Urine tests can confirm that mycotoxins are being released. Mycotoxins can be detected in blood and urine. You want to see the mycotoxins in the urine because that proves they are being released. 

Jason cautions against believing in any absolute - any singular way to treat mycotoxin exposure. He personally had a bad experience with Cholestyramine despite others having reported being successful in removing toxins (along with removing cholesterol and other fats from the body). You have to find the approach that will work for you but Jason says that lifestyle changes may be the hardest but, in his experience, they are the most effective. 

Treat Your Liver Well

One of the parts of the body impacted by exposure to microbial VOCs is the liver. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is on the rise with an estimated 30% of Americans affected by it. The American Liver Foundation reports that about 100 million Americans have Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and that NAFLD is the most common form of liver disease in children (having doubled in the past 20 years).  Jason believes this is due to increased exposure to VOC (not just microbial but also chemical VOCs caused by off gassing from plastics, petroleum-based products and other man made products).  To protect the liver’s health, decrease or eliminate alcohol and sugar. Use air purifiers. Get outside and work up a sweat. 

Don’t Ignore Musty Smells

Jason reminds us that a musty smell indicates the presence of microbial VOCs. And, as was discussed in the last episode, it’s not just mycotoxins we need to be concerned about. If there is a musty smell, then there are microbial VOCs present. Breathing these in along with chemical VOCs (which may not be detectable by odor alone) can cause health issues. It can cause inflammation, impeded breathing (especially for asthmatics), brain fog, and other health concerns. 

Top Tips for Reducing Mold and Mold Related Issues

To keep things simple, Jason recommends these lifestyle choices:

• Ventilate spaces well
• Use an air purifier
• Keep spaces clean (don’t let mold accumulate - wet areas can go moldy in 72 hours)
• Eat clean (avoid mold harboring foods like sugar, grains, peanut butter, and processed foods)
• Exercise (sweating helps eliminate toxins from the body)
• Don’t count on a pill (or magic bullet) to do the entire job
• Don’t ignore or dismiss musty smells

Check Your History

Jason became interested in the impact of mold on human health from his own experience. He grew up in a moldy farm house and was exposed to a lot of other types of toxins. As a result, he had asthma and many other health issues. It wasn’t until he learned about mold, and was able to detox his system that he discovered what it felt like to be healthy. Mold may have been a part of your history too, think back to the buildings and spaces where you spent your time. This is the exposure to other environmental toxins you may have been (or continue to be) exposed to. These could have caused chronic inflammation and could be the root cause of your health issues. 

Are you Exposed to Mold?

The first step to eliminating mold exposure is to check the environments you spend most of your time in. Jason’s company has a mold testing kit that you can find using this link. You’ll also find free resources there including an ebook that will help you feel even more informed and in control of your situation. It’s important to check your information sources because there is a lot of misinformation out there in this vast and somewhat unregulated field. 

Mystery Solved 

In Allison’s case, we first worked with a certified mold inspector to find what was really going on and then she hired a mold remediator (who was not associated with the inspector) to have things properly cleaned and remediated. She got air purifiers to improve her indoor air quality.

From a nutrition perspective, we ran some tests and found that her mitochondria were not functioning well (super common with mold exposure cases - especially those with sensitivities).

We decided on a bottom-to-top approach. We first supported her bowels to ensure she is eliminating regularly. We then supported drainage of the liver with bile acids with  Advanced TUDCA by CellCore. Along with this, we used their  Biotoxin Binder which is a water soluble binder and does not include any charcoal. 

After this we supported her liver, kidney and lymphatic system with  KL Support and  LymphActiv and worked on the mitochondria with  molecular hydrogen and  Mitochondrial NRG from Designs for Health.

Happy Ending

The results for Allison were fantastic. As we were finishing up the protocol, she reported that her joint pain was completely gone (she’d already forgotten how bad it had been only weeks before). Now that her home environment has been cleared and her body is back in balance, she’s thrilled to be feeling better again. 

Eliminating Health Mysteries

For Allison’s case we were able to find that missing piece of the health puzzle and help her regain her health. C...

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The Case: 

• Allison was dealing with brain fog, fatigue, and joint pain.
• She felt much older than her chronological years.
• Labs showed that her B vitamins, iron, and thyroid were all fine but her symptoms persisted.

The Investigation

When I met Allison, I decided to check her thyroid again but everything really was normal. We talked about a lot of other possible root causes but when she told me that things had gotten worse after she moved to her new house, I started to suspect that her issues may have something to do with her environment. It was time to see if there was mold in her house. 

Indoor Air Quality Crusader and Mold Expert

Jason Earle is the founder and CEO of 1-800-Got-Mold as well as the creator of the Got Mold Test Kit. He’s appeared as an expert on The Dr. Oz Show, Good Morning America, and Extreme Home Makeover. Jason is passionate about mold because his childhood in a moldy farmhouse resulted in several health issues for him. 

What is Mold?

Jason explains that mold is, on a very basic level, the beginning of decay. This decay, which is nature’s way of breaking things down, causes a smell that serves as a warning sign to humans. Some people are more sensitive to molds and therefore find it easier to smell mold when it’s in the air or the environment. Mold sends you a signal that the air is not healthy and you want to heed that warning because mold problems just get worse if they are not dealt with. 

Unhealthy Building or House

Moisture is the enemy of a healthy building. Mold is a natural byproduct of prolonged dampness. Plus, mold spores become airborne and are constantly looking for the right conditions to take hold, germinate, and form mold. Spores can cause allergic reactions including sinus issues, dermal reactions, and itchy eyes. These spores also carry a by-product of mold called mycotoxins. And, mold produces a musty smell known as microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCs).

The Dangers of Microbial Volatile Organic Compounds (MVOCs)

MVOCs can make people very sick. Research shows that living in a home with ‘musty odor’ increases the risk of asthma in children by 250%.  Additional research, being done by Dr. Joan Bennett at Rutgers University is looking at the link between musky odor and reduced dopamine production. Such a connection could lead to potential links to Parkinson-like symptoms, depression, and cognitive issues. 

Testing for Mold

There are different types of tests available but they aren’t all created equal.  Jason doesn’t think the ‘petri dish’ tests are very accurate because petri dishes are made to grow mold. He says that spores are everywhere so the presence of spores doesn’t mean there is mold. He does sell his own version of testing kits called Got Mold Testing Kits. 

You can also hire a mold inspector but he also warns against expensive inspectors who may capitalize on the presence of mycotoxins and then charge thousands to treat it without removing the source of the mold. 

It’s important to note that there are two kinds of mold problems - the kind you can see and the kinds you can’t (sequestered) because it’s hidden in the walls or ceilings.  When inspecting a house, it’s important to look for both kinds of mold. Jason has a free ebook called “How to Find Mold in Your Home” that you can access at https://www.gotmold.com/mysteriessolved/

Finding a Professional Mold  Inspector

Hiring a trustworthy inspector to detect mold in the house is important. Jason warns against hiring anyone who may be associated with a remediation company as there may be a conflict. The free guide his company created (downloadable) includes questions you should ask a potential inspector. 

Mold Remediation

Jason’s company does remediation. They remove the area with the mold issue and ensure there is no more moisture. They then clean the house to remove any MVOCs without adding more (using chemical cleaners). Mold remediation is about removing the mold and its by-products from the home. It’s not about killing the more or killing the mycotoxins. Remediation is a controlled interior, demolition of affected materials, safe removal and then thorough cleaning of the affected areas in the building.  One of the tools professionals use in cleaning up after the removal of mold is a vacuum with a HEPA filter used many times. 

In order for remediation to be effective, the cause of any underlying moisture problems have to be corrected to avoid mold coming back. Many people don’t realize that mold occurs within 24-48 hours of a moisture problem. If porous materials stay wet for 72 hours or longer, they are automatically considered moldy and will need to be removed. Mold can be very expensive but the faster you take action, the less it will cost in remediation. Jason explains that any mold-afflicted area larger than 10 square feet must be removed by a professional. 

Using Foggers to Deal with Mold in the House

Many people try to deal with their mold issue by using a fogger. The concept of this is that by putting fog in the air (tiny water droplets) you will collect the mold spores and they will no longer be airborne. Jason says there is a logical flaw here because the last thing you want to do in a moldy home is increase the moisture. Plus, he points out, many companies use an antimicrobial fog but this is not necessary in most remediations. If there is potentially bacterial contamination (like if the water incident came from a sewer) then an antimicrobial treatment might be beneficial. However, many people who have mold sensitivity also have chemical sensitivities and fogging the house with chemicals could cause more issues. 

Keeping the Air Clean and Healthy

Running a HEPA filter air purifier will help keep the air healthy after remediation. In addition, wipe down areas and vacuum often to keep the spore count lower. We can’t avoid spores, but we can avoid air filled with MVOCs (which come from chemicals and plastics). MVOCs can make people very sick. Also, get rid of anything that has a musty smell clinging to it (like clothing or towels) - especially if you wash it and it still smells musty. 

Jason says that his preferred brands of air purifier are Medify and IQ Air. He says the important thing is to look for a true HEPA filter that has activated carbon in it (this is what will remove the VOCs). 

And finally, ventilate the room. Open a window to let the musty odor out and let the fresh air in. 

Avoiding Mycotoxins

Jason is a mold expert but his personal healthy journey has taught him a lot about where mycotoxin exposures may happen. For example, there may be mycotoxins in foods like processed foods, sugar, grains, and peanuts (including peanut butter). Exposure through diet can cause inflammation and other health issues. So, before blaming the house, check your diet. 

Next Steps in Mitigating Mold Issues

Join us next episode for the conclusion of this health mystery solved case. We’ll continue our conversation with mold expert, Jason Earle and learn about how the body deals with mold exposure and how to support your body after mold exposure. 

Eliminating Health My...

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Health Hindsight

Anyone who has struggled through a health mystery and finally solved their issues will undoubtedly wish they’d known sooner what was really going on. Who hasn’t thought, ‘If only I knew then what I know now’.

I’ve been through so much with my health over the last 25 years. Not to mention the over 17 years in clinical practice! I can definitely say I know a lot more now than I did when this all started. 

In this podcast, I say, ‘the answers are out there’ and they are. Part of the reason I do this podcast is so that more people can skip ahead to the part where they know more and their health and healing journeys can be less stressful, frustrating, and painful.

For this episode, I’d share a few of my lessons - the things I wish I knew or did sooner because of how it helped me feel better. Maybe you can learn from my mistakes (or life lessons) so you can avoid them and heal faster. 

Here are the top 5 things that made the biggest difference and really moved the needle for me and my health:

1. Give up Gluten.

If I could do it all over again, I would have quit eating gluten sooner. This is a big one for anyone dealing with any kind of autoimmune disease. I knew that there was a connection but nobody had properly explained it to me. There is a process called molecular mimicry where if the body doesn’t like gluten, it attacks the molecules. But, those molecules might look like other molecules or organs (like those produced by the thyroid) which will cause the body to attack those thinking it’s gluten. For me, the labs showed that I had the antibodies to glutens, but because I didn’t want to get off gluten, I ignored it. I would stop for a day or so and not feel a whole lot better and convince myself that I didn’t have an issue. Now I know that you need to be off gluten 100% to really see the health benefits if you have an issue. And, the lesson is to get tested for antibodies right away (I like the test called ‘Wheat Zoomer’ by Vibrant Wellness because other tests are too generalized and may give false negatives). It’s really important to shift your diet and give up gluten if the tests show the genotypes that indicate an intolerance because ignoring it can lead to more molecular mimicry which can in turn, cause damage and create more issues. 

1. Don’t Over-Rely on Supplements. 

This may sound crazy coming from me because every episode I talk about supplements that have helped those with a health mystery. I still take a lot of supplements. I recommend supplements. I believe supplements can play an important role in optimal health. But here’s the thing, they are not everything. The lesson I learned was not to think that taking supplements alone would be enough to solve everything. Supplements are important but they are just one tool. We also have to consider our food, our mind-body, our environment and our physical activity. 

1. Stop Underestimating the Mind Body Connection.

I was such a scientist, I saw things very black and white. I wanted tangible proof of everything. It took me too long to explore the benefits of things like energy work, meditation, and mindset. Once I discovered the shifts in my health I wondered why I had been so resistant. This is particularly true because of the proven risk that stress presents to our cells and systems. We often give lip service to the importance of reducing stress but we don’t do the work. It’s so important to reframe, use mind-body tools (like box breathing, moving the body outdoors, or short meditations) and have a positive mindset in dealing with the challenges of life and the stress it presents. This will calm down the adrenals and make sure you aren’t working against all of your other health habits. 

1. Keep a Food Journal.

When we’re trying to figure out a health mystery, so often the clues are in our food. But, so many of us don’t really keep track of exactly what we’re eating and how it makes us feel or the reactions it may cause. Sometimes the reaction isn’t immediate. Keeping a food journal was the only way I found out that I had an issue with dairy because he reaction was 2 days later so it was not obvious. While it may take a bit of time and effort, it can really bring you some clarity about what’s going on. You don’t have to do it forever, even keeping track for a couple of weeks will help you see the big picture. 

1. Don’t White Knuckle It.

Sometimes in our effort to get healthy we push ourselves super hard. It’s tough because some things do require discipline and hard work but if you feel like you are constantly up against it, this is going to create stress. The stress of trying to follow every health rule strictly can cause a negative reaction. If it feels like you are pushing and pushing and it feels like it’s not working, you don’t need to white knuckle it. Trust your gut and rethink the process. It could be the protocol you’re following, it could be your practitioner, or it could be your mindset. Whatever it is, if it’s not working, rethink it. 

These are the 5 things I wish I knew sooner or did sooner. I hope these allow you to avoid some of my mistakes and help you heal faster.

Eliminating Health Mysteries

If these tips from my healing journey were helpful and you think they could help someone else, please share this episode with them. 

Links:

Resources mentioned

Wheat Zoomer Test by Vibrant Wellness

Related Podcast Episodes:

My Most Up To Date Immune Protocol

Want to Know What a Nutritionist Eats? Plus Ideas for You

Lab Work Cheat Sheet

Thanks for Listening

If you like what you heard, please rate and review this podcast. Every piece of feedback not only helps me create better shows, it helps more people find this important information.

Never miss an episode -  Subscribe NOW to Health Mysteries Solved with host, Inna Topiler on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or Google Podcasts and remember to rate and review the show!

Find out more at http://healthmysteriessolved.com

PLEASE NOTE

All information, content, and material on this podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

Some of the links provided are affiliate links. This means we may make a very small amount of money should you choose to buy after clicking on them. This will in no way affect the price of the product but it helps us a tiny bit in coverin...

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The Case: 

• Meghan O’Rourke spent years describing her symptoms to her doctor only to be told it was something inconsequential or all in her head.
• After years of feeling alone and abandoned by the system she started to see a functional medicine practitioner.
• Finally, she was getting the real answers to what was going on but it took years to undo the damage done by dismissing the issues.
• She wrote a book about her experience to help others feel less alone. 

The Investigation

Many people dealing with autoimmune diseases or rare genetic issues find themselves beyond the textbooks of traditional medicine. 

This can lead to being given false diagnosis (like, dry skin or hormonal shifts due to menses), or being sent off to specialist after specialist without any diagnosis. When you are caught in this loop, it seems like treating the issues is impossible and the journey can be emotionally draining. 

The most heartbreaking part is that women who find themselves in this situation start to question if there are any answers out there, if maybe it is all in their head, or if they will ever feel well again. 

This is often when they find me and I’m always so glad when they do and I can help to solve their health mysteries. I feel it’s my purpose to help them get out of despair and on the road to health.

The Invisible Kingdom

Meghan O’Rourke is on the same mission. In her book, The Invisible Kingdom, she shares her own journey and what it took to reclaim her health. She shares this story and everything she learned along the way so that others will know that they are not alone and that there are answers when you know where to look. 

The book is completely aligned with this podcast, so if you’re a long-time listener, you’ll understand why I had to have her on the show. 

In this episode, we break from our usual podcast format so that Meghan can share her inspirational story. 

Meghan’s Personal Health Mystery Story

For over 10 years, Meghan dealt with health issues that no doctor could explain. It started with neurological symptoms like when she started to feel electrical shock sensations run up her leg. The doctor told her it might be dry skin. Then she started to experience vertigo, fatigue, daily hives, brain fog, joint pain, and excessive night sweats. While certain symptoms were treated others were blamed on stress or she was told not to worry about them. 

Much like gaslighting, she started to question whether she was actually feeling these things. She started to buy into this message that something was wrong with her mind. She started to blame her diet and that everything she was experiencing was somehow her fault. 

Eventually, she was diagnosed with Lyme Disease. She was also diagnosed with a genetic condition as well as Hashimoto’s. This is when she realized that it wasn’t all in her head and started to understand the scope of suffering by those whose symptoms are dismissed.

Shifting Away from Conventional Medicine

Meghan’s medical struggles changed course when the sister of a friend (who is a nurse) suggested that she see a functional medicine doctor. The first thing they did was run labs that no conventional doctor had even considered. This was how the thyroid anomaly was found leading to a diagnosis of Hashimoto’s disease. 

Even though she was starting to get answers, it was difficult for her to let go of the belief that conventional doctors were the ultimate authority on health. Many people experience this because we are raised to trust traditional medicine and to be skeptical of alternatives.

But, the more she started to view her body as a whole system, the more she was able to understand the role the individual symptoms were playing in her overall health picture. She started to figure out the root causes of her symptoms.

Lyme Disease Diagnosis

Lyme disease had been the root cause of several of her symptoms. She’d had a number of strange rashes at different times but they weren't classic bullseye rash known to indicate Lyme. She had dismissed Lyme as a possibility because of the lack of this tell-tale rash. It turns out that many people go undiagnosed for this same reason. The longer you have Lyme without treating it, the more damage it can do. 

Meghan was hesitant to treat her Lyme disease with antibiotics because she found that certain lifestyle choices significantly helped reduce her symptoms. However, this state of being “almost symptom-free” didn’t always last. Her functional doctor convinced her that the medication was necessary. Many people are surprised by this but the risks of Lyme going untreated are seen as far more harmful than the negative impact on your gut flora from taking antibiotics.

It took some time for the medication to work, but once it did, she was able to focus on repairing the damage the antibiotics may have done to her gut health. 

Fecal Microbiota Transplant

Fecal Microbiota Transplant is a cutting edge approach used to restore a severely-imbalanced gut. While this is still somewhat experimental, Meghan was willing to be a guinea pig. She’s glad she did it because in the end, she found it profoundly improved her health. 

But, it wasn’t a rosy path. Firstly, it’s an expensive treatment that is only covered (in the US) by insurance for treating C Difficile. The transplant (using a donor's fecal microbiota) process took two weeks. They warned her that there might be an immune reaction and there was. She experienced flu-like symptoms and felt ill. They adjusted the treatment due to this reaction but felt confident that it was working. Two weeks later, Meghan reports that she felt a level of energy and good health that she hadn’t felt in 15 years. 

A Mindset of Resilience for Autoimmune Disease

One of the biggest lessons in Meghan’s book is the importance of mindset when you’re dealing with chronic illness and autoimmune diseases. She shares in her book coping mechanisms and a strategy for surviving it. The focus is so often on the physical challenges and we end up disregarding the mental and emotional challenges being faced. 

This can sometimes include a lack of trust in the medical system and even in what you’re feeling. 

Trust Your Intuition and Advocate for Yourself

One of the strategies Meghan talks about is trusting your intuition so you can be an advocate for your own health. She said it played an important role especially when she was feeling overwhelmed and getting mixed messages from the various experts. 

However, she points out that you want to avoid ‘search fatigue’ where you spend so much time researching, finding partial answers and getting frustrated. This can cause stress and sometimes you need to take a break. 

You also need to advocate for yourself outside of your treatment. You need care. You need access to better diagnostics. You need your job and for your bosses to support you and understand your disability. And, you need that social safety net and the promise of future treatment. And all of these needs can’t be met if you stay invisible in your struggles. So, you need to advocate for yourself. 

The Power of Tracking

One of the most important strategies for Meghan was to track everything. This gave her a clearer, objective picture than ...

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The Case: 

• Lynn has Hashimoto’s and experiences fatigue, brain fog and mood swings.
• She takes thyroid medication and various supplements but still struggles to feel well.
• She’s frustrated because she eats well and follows a good thyroid protocol without the results.

The Investigation

When I met Lynn, I saw that her TSH was fluctuating so we needed to stabilize her immune system. She was already following much of my advice with her diet and supplements. There were a few minor improvements we could make but my sense was that something else was playing a role in addition to her biochemistry.

What is a Psychoimmunologist?

If you’ve never heard the term psychoneuroimmunology (sometimes referred to simply as psychoimmunology) it is the study of how the mind can affect the immune system.  Dr. Mario Martinez, a best-selling author is a thought leader in the field of psychoneuroimmunology with his books, “The Mind-Body Code: How the Mind Wounds and Heals the Body” and “The MindBody Self: How Longevity Is Culturally Learned and the Causes of Health Are Inherited” as well as his online courses, groups, and mentorships. 

He’s been a popular guest on the show before and I knew he was perfect to join us to shed some light on this health mystery. Especially because lately, he’s been working on the role that authenticity plays in our immune health and our thyroid health. 

What is Authenticity?

Dr. Martinez says that there is a tremendous misconception around authenticity and inauthenticity. He explains that many of us were raised in a culture where being authentic simply means to be yourself and be honest. But, he says, that’s not enough. In his research, looking at the origin of the word ‘authenticity’ and how philosophers have pondered it in the past, he feels that being your honest self is only a surface version of yourself. This is because we internalize, morph, and sometimes forget who we are and what we want, in order to fit in with our tribe or cultural expectations. And then, we lose or forget our true self. 

How Inauthenticity Causes Illness

Behaving outside of our truth creates a stress response that over time, can create a real health issue. Even when we think we are being authentic, we may be fooling ourselves. The more we repeat these false beliefs about ourselves, and the more we speak about them (because language has power), the more concrete these false-perceptions feel. These feelings become our truth, even though they do not represent our true authentic self. And this can subconsciously cause an imbalance in the immune system through the mind-body connection because our language does not match our true authentic self. 

For example, if you say, “I am a good person”. Your psycho terminology may trigger your mind to look for evidence of whether you're a good person or not. And if you begin to look at when you're not being a good person and that you have a history of not being a good person, you create an incoherence which triggers a stress response. If this continues, then you may find yourself with chronically high levels of cortisol. Which, in turn, can release inflammatory molecules, increasing a propensity for particular illnesses. 

Dr. Martinez shared another hypothetical example about a little girl who learned to be submission to survive an abusive father. This submissiveness was necessary at the time. However, she may begin to believe that this is part of who she truly is. But, when she carries it forward into parts of her life where it is not necessary for survival, she may struggle to get the things she wants. Her learned truth and her real truth are out of balance. She is so used to being oppressed that she falls into a perceived helplessness. The moment that you feel helpless, like you don't have resources to deal with something overcoming you, your natural killer cells go down, your ideas go down, your inflammation goes up, and your immune system becomes helpless because you have a helpless consciousness. But, when you are an adult and the context is different (you actually do have resources, you’re not in danger of being hurt) and you have this response, there is a disconnect between your behavior and the reality of the situation. Overtime, this can lead to serious health issues. 

It’s important to note that this doesn’t mean inauthenticity causes illness but it can increase the propensity for it. 

How Do You Know If You're Being Inauthentic?

If being authentic isn’t simply being honest and has so much to do with the subconscious mind, or learned false-beliefs, how can you tell if you are being inauthentic? Dr. Martinez says the answer is in your innate response. When you are behaving in a way that is inauthentic, you can feel it. However, many of us have become desensitized to these physical responses. 

Awareness and learning to identify that feeling of being inauthentic (for example, saying yes in an effort to people-please) is the first step in moving out of living an inauthentic life. 

How To Stop Being Inauthentic

The first step is that awareness. You must realize when the feeling comes up so you can identify what you are being inauthentic about. The next is to start to honor your authentic self. For example, if you don’t like Italian food and someone asks if you’d like to go to an Italian restaurant. Your instinct may be to acquiesce but this will trigger a physical response because you know you don’t really want to go there. So, you need to speak up and say, no thank you (and then maybe suggest a place you would like to go). 

Acting more in accordance with your authentic self is important but it can be harder than it sounds. Dr. Martinez explains that it can help to remember how it felt the last time you were in alignment with your authentic self. For example, if your belief is that you are a nervous person. You need to remember what it felt like to not be nervous as you are telling yourself that you are not a nervous person. Immersing yourself in the sensation of the memory will help you feel aligned with your authentic self.  

In this episode, Dr. Martinez also shares some great questions you can ask yourself to help you stay in authenticity. 

How Quickly Will You See Health Benefits from being Truly Authentic?

Dr. Martinez says that the physical response to stepping out of inauthenticity is very quick. He explains that because you're changing the cycle terminology, the body will no longer be in that state of alarm. This should help your basal cortisol drop and your inflammation should decrease because there is no longer a need for this stress response. 

However, he warns that changing your language and thought patterns (that may be very well ingrained) may take some time. You have to continue to watch your reactions to situations, your natural tendencies that may be to act inauthentically, and the language you use about doing things you may not want to do even if you’re doing them with authenticity. He says that you should approach situations with novelty and curiosity because these two things put your brain into ‘discovery’ which reduces stress.

Mystery Solved

Lynn’s TSH was constantly fluc...

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The Case: 

• Amanda is dealing with digestive issues, brain fog, fatigue, and weight gain.
• She was diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome but doctors said there was nothing to be done besides get used to it.
• She tried changing her diet, which helped, but it left her obsessing over food.

The Investigation

When I met Amanda, I knew there were underlying issues. Her doctors told her it was in her head, and I suspected they were right but not in the way they meant. I wanted to explore the gut-brain connection and find out if it was having an impact on Amanda’s digestive issues. 

Digestive Health and Hypnotherapy

Mention hypnotherapy and most people will think of the Hollywood version of it where an audience member is hypnotized and made to cluck like a chicken. This is not the practical application of hypnotherapy, as my guest, Angela Privin explains in this episode. 

Angela had her own journey with IBS in her 20s and 30s. She was able to improve her digestive health naturally, but years later when she was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s, her old symptoms started to return. 

That’s when she started to look into the brain/gut connection, internalized stress responses, trauma, and how the unconscious mind works on all of these. In doing the mindbody work, she was able to lower her Hashimoto antibodies. 

This led Angela to explore hypnotherapy and now she uses rapid transformational therapy as part of her digestive health coaching to help her clients let go of the limiting beliefs, past traumas, and stories that may be causing the body to have an inflammatory response.  

The Role the Autonomic Nervous System Plays

The autonomic nervous system provides the connection between the brain and the gut. The main nerve providing this connection is the vagus nerve which is attached to the digestive organs and regulates breathing, motility, and blood pressure. This all happens unconsciously - we don’t have to do anything to make it work. However, when the nervous system is dysfunctional, it stops sending the proper messages to the organs and problems arise. This can even be triggered by our subconscious thoughts and our stress. 

The Conscious and Subconscious Mind

Most people know that we have conscious thoughts and subconscious thoughts but what most people don’t realize is that our conscious thoughts are not the dominant thoughts. Our conscious thoughts include logic and our ability to analyze but these intentional thoughts that we are very aware of, are only 10-20% of our mind, according to Angela. 

The subconscious mind is the emotional mind. It is also where we store our memories and experiences. And this subconscious mind is what drives our behavior. The subconscious mind is “running the show” and we aren’t even aware of it. 

For someone who has a history of illness or of dealing with an issue, this can sometimes lead to that person’s subconscious mind believing that the body is broken or that it will never be well. This subconscious thought triggers a stress response which sends signals to the nervous system and immune system, creating a negative loop that can keep someone in a state of illness. 

Where do Subconscious Thoughts and Beliefs Come From?

There are many ways that beliefs and ideas get locked into the subconscious mind. For many, it comes from a childhood experience. These experiences do not need to be extreme or dramatic for them to lock in for a long time. It could be something as simple as the belief that a certain food or diet is dangerous or unhealthy. The subconscious mind locks that in without the conscious mind realizing it. 

Unlocking Harmful Subconscious Thoughts 

Some of these thoughts around food, can have the body believing a fear so deeply that it triggers that immune or nervous system response - which perpetuates the belief. All of this is happening without the brain realizing it. So, how do you get rid of these powerful thoughts or beliefs if you don’t even know you have them? 

Angela says the first step is to slow down. She recommends meditation or spending time in a meditative state (this is essentially what hypnosis is). She also says that journaling or engaging in free-flow speaking are other ways to get in touch with the subconscious mind. 

How does Hypnosis Work for Someone with IBS or Digestive Issues?

The key is to track down the subconscious thoughts that are triggering the nervous system and rewire those thoughts. Angela does this through hypnosis by helping someone relax to the point where their brainwaves change from beta brainwaves (which we experience in the conscious mind) to alpha or theta brainwaves. You experience this shift naturally when you are, for example, in a flow state or hyper-focused but you may not be aware of it. So, hypnosis guides you into that state. Once in this state, Angela will help you find the triggering thoughts and then create affirmations that counter those thoughts. It’s kind of like a negative belief antidote. 

She says that her clients then slip into a meditative state and listen to a recording of these affirmations daily to unlock the critical subconscious thoughts. In this suggestive, susceptible state, the subconscious rewrites the negative thought into a positive. 

She also encourages people to use visualization of the positive outcome to help the brain see the optimal outcome as a reality.

Next Steps for Amanda

I knew that restricting Amanda’s diet even further was not going to be the answer. My conversation with Angela reaffirms what I believe. The nervous system controls everything so when physical solutions are not enough, we need to figure out what feelings, thoughts, and emotions might be triggering a response. 

With Amanda, we did that with various mind-body techniques utilizing the MindBody Code, EMDR principles, coaching aspects, releasing the past exercises, as well as self-hypnosis. 

Happy Ending

In just two short months it was amazing how much things shifted for Amanda. She felt lighter, more inspired, and much more in control of her body. 

As she started to feel better we then looked more into her biochemistry. We tested her stool and organic acids. We discovered that her gut had an overgrowth of bacteria (dysbiosis).

We addressed that with antimicrobials and then re-populated the gut with probiotics. Next, we supported it with short chain fatty acids. 

Her organic acids test showed that her mitochondria was not properly supported so we used a formula called Mitochondrial NRG as well as Molecular Hydrogen to provide the needed support. 

These supplements were not  a replacement for the mindbody work of course but worked in tandem as she continued with her practices. 

Once we had these areas supported, we needed to get curious and investigate her diet. I had her journal on h...

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The Case: 

• Alexandra’s everyday was determined by the state of her stomach
• She was often bloated, gassy, and struggled to keep her weight healthy
• She tried restrictive diets, tried over the counter gas remedies, digestive enzymes, and various probiotics but nothing gave her long-term relief

The Investigation

It was clear that there was something going on with her gut and it seemed likely that dysbiosis was at play. I knew her microbiome needed support but, I also suspected that with everything she’d tried, we needed to approach the solution methodically as there was likely more than one thing going on. 

Gut issues and the state of our microbiome plays a huge role in how we feel physically but it can also seriously impact our mental health, organ health, immune system, and our ability to lose or maintain a healthy weight. 

Wheat Belly Author’s Latest Book

When it comes to understanding gut health and addressing Alexandra’s problem, I knew that one of the best people to talk to would be the author of the best selling book, Wheat Belly. Dr. William Davis has a new book out called Super Gut where he addresses exactly what Alexandra is going through. The book also shares a ‘4-week place to reprogram your microbiome, restore health, and lose weight’. 

Symptoms of a Disrupted Gut Microbiome

There are many symptoms that could point to a disruption in the microbiome balance. Most people think of the symptoms that Alexandra was experiencing because they are related to the gut itself (bloating, gas, cramping, diarrhea, constipation, etc) but there are many other issues that can be traced back to microbiome disruption. Dr. Davis points to a myriad of issues including, weight gain, skin rashes and eczema, arthritis, pain, inflammation, wrinkles and healthy skin, and sleep health. He also believes that just about every human disease needs to be reconsidered in light of the microbiome.

What Causes the Microbiome to be out of Balance?

There are many reasons that the microbiome may be out of balance including use of antibiotics as well as other drugs like stomach acid blocking drugs, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen, naproxen diclofenac), synthetic sweeteners (Aspartame, sucralose and saccharin),  emulsifying agents (Sorbate 80, carboxymethyl, and cellulose), and even something as common as stress can disrupt microbiome. 

One condition that is directly related to microbiome health is the silent epidemic of SIBO. 

What is SIBO

SIBO stands for Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth. Dr. Davis says that many people have SIBO but go undiagnosed (which can lead to long-term health issues). There is now a breath test that people can do to better understand SIBO and where the bacteria overgrowth is happening, specifically, in the digestive pathway. 

Microbes belong in the colon which has a protective barrier against microbes. When there is an imbalance or overgrowth, microbes can end in the small bowel where the mucus barrier is thinner and can be easily damaged by these misplaced microbes. 

Exposure to antibiotics and emulsifying agents can further erode the lining as well as disrupt the balance of stool microbes like E coli, and citrobacter. These proliferate and offset the balance. And then, these microbes die (within a few hours) and release a lot of byproducts that break down and make it into the bloodstream. This process results in something called endotoxemia which is extremely toxic to humans. With all of this going on internally, it can be difficult to detect but may show up as depression, brain issues, joint swelling or intestinal issues. 

Dr. Davis estimates that 1 in 3 people are dealing with SIBO which can lead to Endotoxemia when untreated. 

Testing for SIBO

Conventional doctors can conduct a test for SIBO but Dr. Davis says the method they use does not identify all forms of SIBO. 

One of the early signs of SIBO is the presence of hydrogen gas (produced by the bacteria) within 90 minutes of consuming food. The quicker it shows up, the further up the GI tract the imbalance is occurring. 

Signs we often attribute to food intolerances may in fact be related to SIBO. For example, if you eat black beans and experience bloating, gas, and/or diarrhea in about 30 minutes then it is virtually 100% reliable that you have SIBO. 

Another sign of SIBO is fat malabsorption. If you look in the toilet, you see fat droplets or staining of the toilet where water meets porcelain, this is a sign that you are not absorbing fat and that SIBO may be present.

Dr. Davis says that many diseases can be seen as a symptom of SIBO. For example, he says 84% of people with irritable bowel syndrome have SIBO. People with autoimmune diseases, like Hashimoto's, Crohn’s, UlcerativeColitis, and rheumatoid arthritis, as well as those with neurodegenerative disorders, like Parkinson's disease, Lou Gehrig's disease, Alzheimer's, dementia, cognitive decline, or multiple sclerosis have a high probability of having SIBO. 

What is SIFO

It is also possible to have small intestinal fungal overgrowth (SIFO). The trick is that sometimes SIFO looks like SIBO and as a result, they are misdiagnosed. There are about 200 different fungal species that can proliferate in the small intestine. The symptoms of SIFO are tough to distinguish from SIBO but it's typically bloating, diarrhea, skin rashes, eczema, and sugar cravings. 

SIFO can take months to treat. 

The SIBO and Endotoxemia Connection to Depression

Dr. Davis says that people who are depressed may get temporary relief from antidepressants but he doesn’t believe this is the long term solution because the real cause may be SIBO endotoxemia. A German research group performed two studies in which they injected endotoxin into the bloodstreams of non-depressed people. The result was profound depression which was identifiable through MRI brain scans. 

Dr. Davis believes that, for many people, depression is a disease of the microbiome.

How to Support SIBO

If you talk to your regular doctor or a gastroenterologist, they’ll likely prescribe a course of conventional antibiotics. This is about 40 - 60% effective and can be very expensive. Plus, you run the risk of perpetuating the problem because of the damage the drug may do to the intestinal lining.

There are many herbal remedies that can work as well as the antibiotics and after that,  but Dr. Davis recommends high-potency probiotics that are best delivered through home-made yogurt or fermented foods. 

When supported properly, SIBO can be eradicated and it does not have to take many months.

Supporting SIBO with Home-made Probiotic Yogurt

In his book, Super Gut, he has recipes on how to ferment your own yogurt at home using specific bacterial strains. These recipes use the microbes like Lactobacillus Gasseri,  Lactobacillus Reuteri, and Bifidobacterium Infantis (commercially available under the name EVIVO). 

When Dr. Davis makes his own yogurt, he finds he’s getting upwards of two hundred sixty billion counts of bacteria, per half cup serving which is significantly higher than what you might buy as a supplement.

The benefit of this is that the right bacteria (in the yogu...