Articles

Doris’ Healing Story (Hashimoto’s & Autoimmune Progesterone Dermatitis)

Doris found herself in the position many patients do – steadily worsening health with no clear cause. Her doctors couldn’t find anything wrong, and all her labs came back “normal”. That’s when she sought the help of a naturopath and discovered her autoimmune diagnoses. The Paleo Autoimmune Protocol made a huge difference in her quality of life. It eliminated almost all of her symptoms and diminished the rest. She shares the details in this interview.

Kylie’s Healing Story (Rheumatoid Arthritis)

When rheumatoid arthritis took over Kylie Hansen’s body, it felt like being set on fire from the inside. The pain was excruciating, and she struggled to care for her young children. Many medications failed before she found ones that helped, but she wondered if there was anything she could do to reduce her symptoms. That’s when she found the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol. While it wasn’t a cure, it allowed her to reduce her medication, mitigate the side effects, and feel empowered that she could make a positive difference in her own health.

Evelyn’s Healing Story (Vitiligo & Eczema)

Evelyn Thai overcame life-long eczema that she thought was just part of her family genetics. She also stopped her progression of vitiligo. In this interview, she honestly shares her curving path to health, including stress-eating impulses she had to overcome, and the importance of the mind-body connection. She learned that healing isn’t just about physical symptoms. It’s about mental and emotional health as well.

Dan’s Healing Story (Psoriatic Arthritis, Psoriasis & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome)

While all of us would like to be overnight success stories, the autoimmune journey is rarely that simple. Healing isn’t linear. It takes trial and error to find what works for our unique bodies, which hopefully leads to growing improvement over time. Dan’s story is an inspiring one of strength, resilience, and persistence. He shares the details with us today.

10 Ways to Improve Your Sleep Right Now

Sleep has a direct connection to autoimmune health. Lack of sleep increases inflammation, increases our susceptibility to infection, and stimulates the immune cells that become overactive with autoimmune disease. It’s one of the reasons poor sleep is such a common trigger of autoimmune flares. Yet sleep isn’t always as simple as just going to bed. What if you have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep? There are things you can do! Here are my top ten tips.

Pooja’s Paleo AIP Reintroduction Experience

Are you curious (or confused) about the AIP food reintroduction process? I created this interview series so you could hear about other people’s experiences. Pooja Parikh has hidradenitis suppurativa. In this interview, she shares which foods she was able to reintroduce successfully, which reintroductions “failed”, how she discerned the difference, and what she learned along the way. The Paleo Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) has 2 phases: elimination and reintroduction. It’s this second phase where we learn how to expand and personalize the diet for our unique bodies.

Breathing Techniques for Anxiety, Insomnia, and Fatigue

Have you noticed that if you pause and take a slow, deep breath, you feel a little bit calmer? Deep breathing taps the relaxation response. For people with autoimmune disease, this is an amazing power at our fingertips, since stress is a common trigger of autoimmune flares. In this blog post, I share four of my favorite deep breathing techniques. You can use them as “medicine in the moment” to alleviate your anxiety, give you an energy boost during the day, or help you fall asleep at night. You can also make deep breathing a daily practice. Just a few minutes can make a big difference.

Emily’s Healing Story (Type 1 Diabetes & Eczema)

Because diabetes is so common and there are different types, many people don’t realize that Type 1 is an autoimmune disease. The beta cells in the pancreas are attacked, and the body can no longer make enough insulin. Emily was shocked when she got her diagnosis, but as you read this interview, you’ll see that she is the epitome of an empowered patient. Not only did she identify the symptoms and go to the doctor quickly, she also implemented diet and lifestyle changes that made blood sugar management much easier. These same diet and lifestyle changes also eliminated the eczema she had been experiencing for years.

Debra’s Healing Story (Graves’ Disease)

Two of the most prevalent autoimmune diseases in the world affect the thyroid. Hashimoto’s Disease causes hypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid). Graves’ Disease causes hyperthyroidism (an overactive thyroid). Conventional doctors will often say that diet and lifestyle have no impact on these conditions, but one-by-one, patients are discovering the powerful difference they can make in their own health. Debra’s story is inspiring for the dramatic improvements she’s gained, but also her persistent and holistic approach. There’s no area she doesn’t consider in making her health the best it can be, and her life as full and joyful as possible.

CBD Oil and Autoimmune Disease

Can CBD oil alleviate autoimmune flares and symptoms? Can it sometimes harm instead of help? What does the research say? Are some brands more trustworthy than others? What’s the right dosage? In this article, I answer these questions and more.

10 Tips for Success on the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol (AIP)

Autoimmune disease is strong inspiration for making healthy diet and lifestyle changes, but that doesn’t mean the AIP is easy to do! Here are 10 tips for getting started, staying on track, getting support, setting yourself up for success, and making the AIP work for you.

5 Mantras for a Healthy Holiday Season

When I think of a healthy holiday, I think of so many things: autoimmune health, celebration, self-compassion, stress resilience, and social connection. Yet the holidays are sometimes the opposite of these things! What is a mantra? It’s simply a statement of intention. How do you want to spend your holiday season? I’ve come up with 5 to inspire us.

Paleo AIP + GAPS Starchy Vegetable List

I came to the Paleo autoimmune community through the GAPS doorway. The GAPS Diet is designed to heal the gut and therefore heal the body. One of the tenets of the GAPS diet is that starch can feed pathogenic bacteria, so a low-starch diet can shift the gut microbiome toward health. The Paleo Autoimmune Protocol is designed to heal the gut as well, yet it allows many high-starch vegetables. So who is right? It turns out that starch tolerance is very individual. Some people thrive on a high-starch diet, while others feel best on a moderate to low-starch diet. If you’d like to conduct your own self-experiment, I’ve compiled a list of the vegetables allowed on both diets, from low-starch to high.

Andrew’s Paleo AIP Reintroduction Experience

Are you curious (or confused) about the AIP food reintroduction process? I created this interview series so you could hear about other people’s experiences. Andrew Smyth has psoriatic arthritis. In this interview, he shares which foods he was able to reintroduce successfully, which reintroductions “failed”, how he discerned the difference, and what he learned along the way. The Paleo Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) has 2 phases: elimination and reintroduction. It’s this second phase where we learn how to expand and personalize the diet for our unique bodies.

Low-Power Mode: Self-Care During Challenging Times

iPhones automatically shift into low-power mode when their batteries get low. The goal is to conserve energy. There are times in life when our body and soul ask us to do the same. It’s about letting nonessential responsibilities go, and focusing our limited energy on what’s most important. In this blog post I share my recent experience doing this, and give you tips to do the same.

5 Tips for Healthier Smoothies

Most people choose smoothies because they think they’re a healthy alternative to fast food. The problem is that liquid “meals” like these can hit our bloodstream as sugar blasts, which isn’t healthy for anyone but especially people with autoimmune disease. So, what do we do? Here are 5 tips for making your smoothies as healthy as they can be (while also being delicious). And I also share my personal favorite smoothie recipe

Donna’s Paleo AIP Reintroduction Experience

Are you curious (or confused) about the AIP food reintroduction process? I created this interview series so you could hear about other people’s experiences. Donna Allgaier-Lamberti has Hashimotos’ thyroiditis and lichen sclerosus. In this interview, she shares which foods she was able to reintroduce successfully, which reintroductions “failed”, how she discerned the difference, and what she learned along the way. The Paleo Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) has 2 phases: elimination and reintroduction. It’s this second phase where we learn how to expand and personalize the diet for our unique bodies.

3 Myths About the Mind-Body Connection

Can the mind cure autoimmune disease? If all your tests come back normal are your symptoms “just in your head”? The mind-body connection is a scientific reality, but too often it’s misrepresented and misunderstood. In this article, I separate the myths from truths.

What’s the Difference Between Collagen and Gelatin?

Gelatin and collagen are highly recommended on a healing diet, but what makes them so special? And what’s the difference between the two? Are they interchangeable in recipes? Do they support health in the same way? I share all the details in this post.

10 Ways to Boost Your Mood Right Now

Autoimmune flares can fill us with strong emotions alongside our physical symptoms, but did you also know that strong emotions can cause autoimmune flares? Mood boosts can be a wonderful daily practice. Not only do they help us through our darkest moments, but they also harness the anti-inflammatory power of the mind-body connection. Our goal isn’t to eliminate challenging emotions altogether; they’re part of the human experience. These techniques simply help us ride those waves with less suffering and greater health overall.

Life on the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol – a Story In Memes

Three of my favorite things about the internet: (1) The ability to connect with a global community. (2) Access to information we would never have otherwise. (3) Inspiration for laughter. It’s this last one I’m celebrating today. I offer you 20 images to make you laugh and say, “OMG! That’s me!”

The Complete Guide to Fats on the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol (AIP)

I don’t know about you, but I fell for the low-fat food craze, believing that dietary fat was harmful and the more I avoided it, the healthier I would be. I didn’t learn otherwise until I switched to the paleo diet in 2012 and learned that dietary fat is actually beneficial. It was mind-bending to realize! In this blog post, I share (1) Why our bodies need dietary fats, (2) Which fats are allowed on the AIP, (3) The smoke point and shelf life of each one, (4) Why saturated fat is so controversial, and (5) Which fats are especially beneficial.

Tess’ Paleo AIP Reintroduction Experience

Are you curious (or confused) about the AIP food reintroduction process? I created this interview series so you could hear about other people’s experiences. Tess Ortega has anklyosing spondylitis. In this interview, she shares which foods she was able to reintroduce successfully, which reintroductions “failed”, how she told the difference, and what she learned along the way. The Paleo Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) has 2 phases: elimination and reintroduction. It’s this second phase where we learn how to expand and personalize the diet for our unique bodies.

12 Tips for Eating Paleo AIP on a Budget

Are you afraid you can’t do the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol, because it’s too expensive? Or do you simply want to find ways to make your food dollars go farther? Either way, I’ve got you covered with these 12 tips

#NotPaleo Moments on the Paleo Diet

If you’re on Instagram, you’re familiar with hashtags, and if you follow paleo accounts, you’ll occasionally see a photo show up with a #NotPaleo tag. What does it mean? Have they left the paleo diet behind? Usually not. Instead, it’s often a conscious choice to eat “off-diet”, and there are many reasons someone might choose to do that. The same goes for the #NotAIP hashtag. In this blog post, I talk about the 80/20 rule, AIP reintroductions, the vacation effect, holiday temptations, flare vs. remission, and the difference between self-sabotage and worth-it-moments.

You Are Not a Failure

When I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, it felt like a personal failure – not just to me, but also to many people who knew me. “But you’re so health-conscious! How did this happen?” The unspoken words I heard were, “What did you do to cause this?” And that question has popped into my head at each step of this journey that I couldn’t control. In case you’ve ever felt the same, I want you to know this.

The 5 Most Popular Posts + 5 Favorites of Mine

I’ve been blogging for many years now and written over 700 posts! How’s that for a statistic? I’m really proud of the treasure trove of information I’ve created, but I also know it can be overwhelming if you’re a new reader. I thought it might be helpful (and fun) to share the posts that are the most popular, alongside 5 of my favorites I don’t want you to miss.