Phoenix Helix: Autoimmune Resilience

Latest Episodes:

Episode 195: Detoxify Your Home with Dr. Aly Cohen Mar 04, 2022

Show notes

When we think of pollution, the first images that come to mind are things like smokestacks, oil spills, smog, and greenhouse gases. But you may not realize that your home can contain pollution as well – in your water supply, in the air you breathe, and in the products you purchase. More than 80,000 new chemicals have been released into the world since the industrial revolution 150 years ago, and most of them within the past 50 years. These chemicals have never been fully tested for their effects on our bodies or the environment. And a lot of them are inside our homes. On top of that, people with autoimmune disease are often more sensitive to chemicals, and toxins can be an autoimmune trigger. I don't say this to scare anyone. This podcast is about empowerment. So, today we're going to share tips for reducing the toxins in our homes. Every step we take is a positive one. My guest is Dr. Aly Cohen, an integrative rheumatologist and an expert on non-toxic living.

Episode 194: Thyroid Tests with Dr. Datis Kharrazian Feb 18, 2022

Show notes

Two of the most common autoimmune diagnoses are Hashimoto's Disease and Graves' disease, and they both involve the thyroid. Conventional doctors often run a simple thyroid test as part of an annual physical. The problem is that it doesn't catch every thyroid problem. Functional medicine physicians run a complete thyroid panel, which gives a more expansive picture, but it's not always a clear picture. Today, we're going to go over what each test measures and how to interpret your results. My guest is Dr. Datis Kharrazian, an award-winning researcher, clinician, author, and educator. Many of you are familiar with his bestselling book, Why Do I Still Have Thyroid Symptoms When My Lab Tests Are Normal? He has a new online class called Hashimoto's: Solving the Puzzle.

Episode 193: Accessible Yoga with Jivana Heyman Feb 04, 2022

Show notes

Before autoimmune disease, did you have a yoga practice that you loved but can no longer do? Do you struggle to find a way to adapt your practice to your ever-changing autoimmune body? Do you miss yoga and want to make it part of your life again? Or maybe you have never practiced yoga, but would love to try and don't know where to begin. This podcast is for you! My guest is Jivana Heyman, founder and director of the Accessible Yoga Association and co-founder of the Accessible Yoga Training School. He has over 25 years of experience teaching yoga to people of diverse abilities. In this episode, we’re going to troubleshoot a wide variety of autoimmune symptoms and talk about how to develop a personalized yoga practice.

Episode 192: Healthy Food Swaps & Nutritious Combos with Annie Rubin, RDN Jan 21, 2022

Show notes

If you're new to the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol, a lot of your favorite foods are suddenly off the table and you may wonder what you can eat! In today's podcast, we share AIP food swaps for the foods you miss the most. We also share some powerful superfood combinations. My guest is Annie Rubin. She is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and an AIP Certified Coach. She's also a fellow autoimmune warrior living with rheumatoid arthritis herself.

Episode 191: Healing Stories 9 Jan 07, 2022

Show notes

If you’re a regular listener of my podcast, you know that I start every year with a Healing Stories episode. It features back-to-back interviews with autoimmune warriors just like you! I ask them to share their journey from rock bottom to reclaiming a vital life. In this episode, we talk about rheumatoid arthritis, alopecia, myasthenia gravis, and also autoimmunity in general. Everyone’s story is unique, but we also have so much in common. Whatever your diagnosis, I hope these stories resonate and inspire.

Episode 190: Best Of – Blood Sugar & Autoimmunity with Dr. Jeff Horacek Dec 24, 2021

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This is one of the most popular podcast episodes - for good reason! Autoimmune health depends on blood sugar balance. When our blood sugar gets too high, drops too low, or swings wildly between these extremes, it increases inflammation in our body. If this happens regularly, it leads to chronic inflammation. In today's episode, we'll be sharing diet, lifestyle, and functional medicine tips for achieving and maintaining blood sugar balance. My guest is Dr. Jeff Horacek, a functional medicine physician with over 20 years of experience. Blood sugar is one of his medical specialties.

Episode 189: Best Of – Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics with Jeff Warren Dec 10, 2021

Show notes

This is one of the most popular podcast episodes - for good reason! If you think you can't meditate, this podcast is for you. Do you picture meditators sitting quietly with completely empty minds - something you could never do? Let me tell you a secret: those people don't exist. Even the Dalai Lama has thoughts while he meditates. The mind is designed to think just like the heart is designed to beat. Meditation isn't about stopping thoughts; it's learning how to notice and detach from them. There are also many different ways to meditate, including moving meditations, or cultivating mindful moments in everyday life. My guest is Jeff Warren, who is known as the “MacGyver of Meditation”. He excels at fixing people’s meditation problems. In this episode, we talk about common meditation obstacles for people with autoimmune disease, and how to overcome them.

Episode 188: Overcoming Food Fear Nov 26, 2021

Show notes

When you first experience the connection between the food you eat and how you feel, that can be an empowering moment. But when certain foods cause you to flare, that can also inspire a fear of food. This is a natural reaction, but it also has consequences. The fear itself can cause autoimmune flares and also increase food sensitivity, creating a vicious cycle. Suddenly, all food feels dangerous, and we over-restrict our diets, which harms our health long-term. There is good news! We can overcome food fear, replacing it with a deep knowledge about our bodies and enjoy eating again. That's our goal with our conversation today. My guests are fellow autoimmune warriors, Nitika Chopra and Alison Marras. We share our own experiences with food fear and tips for overcoming it.

Episode 187: COVID-19 Vaccines and Autoimmune Disease with Dr. Aly Cohen Nov 12, 2021

Show notes

Dr. Aly Cohen is an integrative rheumatologist who blends both conventional and holistic approaches in her medical practice. She's been a great resource for accurate coronavirus information since the pandemic began. I interviewed her in Episode 154 about COVID-19 infections among people with autoimmune disease and what factors increased vs. decreased our risk. I invited her back onto the podcast today to talk about vaccines. This is a topic many of you requested when the vaccines first became available in early 2021. At that time, there was no data on people with autoimmune disease because we weren't included in the initial research studies. Now, enough people have been vaccinated that the data is available, and we'll be sharing it with you today.

Episode 186: How to Ask for Help with Kalene Khan Oct 29, 2021

Show notes

Human beings depend on each other. Sometimes we give help, and sometimes we receive it, but many of us are much more comfortable in the giving role. Autoimmune disease can turn the tables quickly. Suddenly, we’re in a position where we need help more often. If we were the caregivers before, how do we navigate this change in identity? How do we face the fears that may arise - of vulnerability, feeling weak, being seen as a burden, or people saying no? If you took pride in your independence, do you feel shame if you need help? There are gifts that come with learning to receive: a deeper intimacy in relationships, a greater sense of self-compassion, a more expansive sense of identity, and a stronger connection with humanity. But that doesn’t mean it’s an easy transformation. My guest is Kalene Khan, a licensed therapist who specializes in self-compassion. She helps people learn to be as kind to themselves as they are to others. She is our guide for this conversation today.

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