Autoimmune disease is complex, and while diet and lifestyle are powerful factors in improving health, sometimes they aren’t enough on their own. Below are expert interviews from both conventional and functional medicine perspectives. I also have a series of articles about integrative medicine.
A lot of us in the autoimmune community take supplements. Sometimes they help, sometimes they harm, and sometimes they do nothing at all. Today, Kamal Patel from Examine.com teaches us how to make informed choices. When are supplements appropriate? What’s the best supplement for pain? How much vitamin D does a person need? Are probiotics beneficial? How rampant is supplement fraud? We answer these questions and more in this information-packed podcast.
Finding a rheumatologist who combines paleo principles with functional medicine to address root causes, and conventional medicine to control symptoms when necessary, feels very much like finding a unicorn. One of my blog readers let me know about Dr. Melissa McNamara, who practices in the Bay Area of California, but also consults with people worldwide. She took time out of her busy schedule to share her treatment philosophy with us.
The decision of whether or not to take autoimmune medication is rarely an easy one. Not only that, but our decision might change over the course of our illness. This podcast was inspired by my decision in 2016 to start medication after 4 years on the paleo autoimmune protocol. In this episode, I share the reasons behind my choice and also interview 5 other people about their medication choices. My guests have a wide range of diagnoses and experiences. Some have always taken medication, some have never taken medication, and some have gone on or off medication, based on changes in how they feel. The important thing to know is that there is no one right choice for everyone. My goal with this podcast episode isn’t to provide answers, but just to highlight the complexity of this decision, and let us all know that we’re not alone. To be clear – this show isn’t designed to be medical advice. Definitely work with your doctors when deciding what choice is best for you.
Adrenal Fatigue (aka HPA Axis Dysfunction) is very common with autoimmune disease. Are you tired during the day and wired at night? Do you find it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep? Do you often get hungry between meals, and sometimes feel hungry all the time? This podcast might apply to you. Expert Christopher Kelly talks about a new test that can diagnose and treat this condition more accurately. We also talk about how the label of Adrenal Fatigue is misleading, because the adrenals themselves are rarely the problem. The root cause lies someplace else altogether. Listen in to learn more.
Amy Kubal is a well-respected voice in the paleo community. She’s a Registered and Licensed Dietitian with both Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Human Nutrition and Dietetics. In this information packed podcast, I ask her: (1) What’s the optimal macronutrient ratio? (2) Are dietary fats healthy or harmful? (3) If we don’t eat dairy, how do we get enough calcium? (4) How do we keep our blood sugar balanced? (5) If we’re having trouble reaching a healthy weight, what can we do? (6) How can we troubleshoot digestive issues? And many more!
If you’ve been doing the paleo diet and lifestyle perfectly and aren’t seeing results, infections can sometimes be a roadblock to healing. In this podcast, Dr. Michael Ruscio talks about which infections are common, which are rare, and how he diagnoses and treats them in his clinical practice. We talk about SIBO, h. pylori, parasites, candida, Epstein-Barr and other intracellular infections. We also talk about overtreatment and how to differentiate a healing crisis from an allergic reaction to the treatment itself.
Low-Dose Naltrexone (LDN) is a nontraditional autoimmune medication that sometimes dramatically decreases symptoms at low cost and with minimal side effects. It has been mentioned in some of the healing stories shared on this podcast, so I promised to dedicate an entire episode to learning more. Our guest, Dr. Thomas Cowan, is a medical doctor in San Francisco who uses LDN as part of his autoimmune patient treatment plan. We learn what this drug is, how it works, how to find the right dose, and how to find a doctor who prescribes it.
I think every woman with autoimmune disease knows how strongly our hormones can impact autoimmune symptoms. Some women flare around their periods. Some go into remission during pregnancy and then flare after delivery (or vice versa). Others find their symptoms start to increase during the hormone fluctuations of perimenopause. And others actually develop autoimmune disease after menopause. So clearly hormone balance is a topic near and dear to us all. In this podcast, I interview Dr. Justin Marchegiani, a functional medicine practitioner who specializes in hormone balance. He’ll teach us what’s at the root of hormone problems at all stages of a woman’s life, and how to correct them. For my male listeners, today’s podcast focuses mostly on women, but at the end of the podcast, Justin talks about hormone balance for men as well.
Do you have unexplained skin rashes, headaches, digestive upset, mood issues and brain fog, even though you are following the paleo autoimmune diet and lifestyle perfectly? This might be a piece in your healing puzzle. Histamine is a natural component in both our food and our bodies, but certain things can make it overproduce, causing myriad symptoms that keep our body in a hypersensitive state. In this podcast, I talk with histamine expert, Alison Vickery, on what causes histamine intolerance and what we can do about it.
Medical Marijuana is now legal in 28 states in the US, and over a million people are using it to treat a wide variety of diagnoses, including autoimmune disease. Research shows it can help regulate the immune system, reduce inflammation, relieve pain, suppress muscle spasms, reduce anxiety, treat psoriasis, aid digestion, and much more. In this podcast, we delve into the science behind this controversial herb and talk with a number of people who are using it as part of their autoimmune disease treatment.
This episode of the Phoenix Helix podcast interviews world-renowned expert on leaky gut and autoimmunity: Dr. Alessio Fasano. We cover a wide range of topics: (1) The difference between celiac disease and gluten sensitivity; (2) Gluten cross-contamination vs. gluten cross-reaction; (3) The connection between leaky gut and autoimmune disease; (4) The causes of leaky gut and whether or not it can be cured; (5) Leaky gut testing and medication research; (6) The role of the microbiome in autoimmune disease; (7) Probiotics vs. fermented foods; (8) and much more. It’s an information-packed hour!
SIBO stands for Small Intestine Bacteria Overgrowth. Having bacteria in our bodies is a normal state of being. In fact, 90% of our body is made up of microbes. So what’s the problem with finding them in the small intestine? Well, they don’t belong there, at least not in high numbers. Whereas the large intestine is the natural home for billions of microbes, a healthy small intestine only has about 100,000. So, basically, they’ve migrated. Have you ever dealt with invasive plants in your yard? They tend to take over and cause all sorts of problems. The same thing happens in the small intestine. In this podcast, we discuss why this happens, how it relates to autoimmune disease, and the most effective tests and treatments. My guest, Dr. Melanie Keller, has battled SIBO herself and now specializes in its treatment professionally.
This episode of the Phoenix Helix podcast delves into all things Hashimoto’s with functional nutritionist and educator, Andrea Nakayama. What tests are included in a complete thyroid panel? How do you find a good doctor? How do you manage ever-changing symptoms in a way that feels empowering, rather than disheartening? Even if you don’t have thyroid issues, this show is worth a listen. A surprising number of symptoms can have undiagnosed thyroid issues at their root.
How does our microbiome affect our health? Is it possible that a “poop transplant” could reverse autoimmune disease? While that sounds a little crazy, if you listen to this podcast, it might start to make sense. Right now, FMTs are being used in the United States to cure life-threatening C. difficile infections, where medication has failed. Internationally, clinics are doing research into FMTs in the treatment of autoimmune disease. In this episode, I interview Glenn Taylor, director of the Taymount Clinic in the UK. He describes the science behind the transplants. Then, we hear from two patients who have received the procedure: one for C. difficile and one for multiple sclerosis.
This episode of the Phoenix Helix podcast delves into the connection between adrenal fatigue and autoimmunity. Our guest, Christopher Kelly, has recovered from adrenal fatigue himself and helped hundreds of others do the same. The classic symptom of adrenal fatigue is feeling tired but wired. What causes it? How is it connected to autoimmunity? And how is it healed? Chris answers these questions and also shares his personal healing story.
Is infertility more common among people with autoimmune disease? Why is this so, and what can we do about it? Our guest, Dr. Fiona McCulloch, has 14 years experience helping women have babies. She shares her wisdom and professional advice in this podcast.
