Phoenix Helix: Maximizing autoimmune health through the paleo diet and lifestyle

Every day, our liver works hard on our behalf, and when it’s struggling, it can impact our health bodywide. Detoxing is all the rage, but the truth is, sometimes detox protocols can make you feel worse instead of better. Why is that? How can we support our liver naturally, without overwhelming it? And why is it essential to everything from hormone balance to autoimmune health? In this podcast, we'll be answering these questions and more. My guests are Dr. Alex Golden and functional nutritionist Megan Blacksmith. They’re the women behind the website Zesty Ginger, and liver health is one of their specialties. Visit http://www.phoenixhelix.com for show notes.

Today, we’re talking about the intersection of religious traditions and the paleo autoimmune protocol. Many traditions – both sacred and secular – center around food. In addition, religions sometimes have specific rules concerning diet. When you’re diagnosed with autoimmune disease and change your diet to support your health, how do you maintain your connection to your religion, your culture, and your community? To answer that question, I’ll be interviewing 3 guests from 3 different faiths about how they mindfully balance their traditions with their diet and health needs. Visit http://www.phoenixhelix.com for show notes.

Sleep is essential to our bodies' ability to heal. Yet we live in a culture that doesn't value sleep, so it's common to put it at the bottom of our priority list. When life gets busy, most people will sacrifice sleep to finish their "to do" list for the day. Does that sound familiar? Here's the problem: People with autoimmune disease require even more sleep since our body is trying to overcome a serious health challenge. In fact, many of us have experienced autoimmune flares caused by lack of sleep. At the same time, autoimmune symptoms can make sleep difficult, creating a vicious cycle. So, what do we do? In this podcast, sleep expert Dan Pardi talks about the science of sleep: what happens when we're sleeping and how much we need at different stages in our lives. We also talk about foundational habits for a good night's sleep, how to personalize them for you, and how to troubleshoot advanced sleep challenges. Visit http://www.phoenixhelix.com for show notes.

When we first discover the connection between food and inflammation, it’s an empowering moment. The food we choose to eat can have a direct impact on our autoimmune symptoms, and that’s how food becomes medicine. However, sometimes the list of foods we remove grows and grows, and we make the mistake of thinking that food is the only cause of inflammation. It’s also common to not replace those calories with enough healthy foods that we can eat. This means we end up in a nutrition deficit. Today, I’m welcoming Laura Schoenfeld onto the podcast. She is a registered dietitian and well respected in the paleo community. One of her passions is to help people realize the healing power of food (not just its inflammatory power), and how to leave food fear behind. Visit http://www.phoenixhelix.com for show notes.

Dr. Mark Hyman is one of the most well-known names in the functional medicine movement. He is a practicing family physician, a 10-time New York Times bestselling author, and an internationally recognized leader, speaker, educator, and advocate. He has coined the term "peganism" and in this podcast, we talk about what that means, alongside other tips for autoimmune health. Visit http://www.phoenixhelix.com for show notes - to the media excerpt.

If you think you can't meditate, this podcast is for you! Do you picture meditators sitting quietly and peacefully with completely empty minds, people genetically wired totally differently from you? 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, so meditating isn't about stopping thoughts; it's learning how to notice and detach from them. And while some people might find sitting still easier than others, there are actually many ways to meditate, including moving meditations or simply learning how to be mindful in daily life. My guest is Jeff Warren, a world-renowned meditation teacher who is an expert at helping people overcome their personal meditation obstacles. Visit http://www.phoenixhelix.com for show notes.

When you have autoimmune disease, how do you continue to take care of yourself when you are also taking care of a new baby? What are the special health needs of both you and your baby during this time? In this podcast, 3 mothers share their experiences. Visit http://www.phoenixhelix.com for show notes.

Living with chronic illness is hard. Even when we are empowered to reclaim our health and live a vital and beautiful life, that’s not the same as a cure. It’s natural to grieve the life we had before, when life seemed easier, and our bodies were more predictable. What feelings are normal to experience? What do we do if we feel stuck or overwhelmed? In today's podcast, we provide a roadmap for moving through anxiety, shock, fear, denial, anger, guilt, grief and shame. We also talk about what acceptance really means, and how to cultivate the strength of resilience. Visit http://www.phoenixhelix.com for show notes.

One of my goals with my blog and podcast is to make the AIP as simple to follow as possible. That's why I wrote my book! Today, I'm dedicating an entire podcast to the most frequently asked questions I've received over the past 5 years: Will the AIP work for my diagnosis? Is it helpful if your don't have autoimmune disease? Does it replace medication? How does it differ from the Wahls Protocol? Why can't I just do an allergy test? Can you do the AIP as a vegetarian? Why isn't coffee allowed? Can you have sugar on the AIP? I'm constantly hungry - what do I do? Meagan Ashley from the blog, It's All About AIP, joins me as co-host. Tune in to get answers to these questions, and many more.  Visit http://www.phoenixhelix.com/ for show notes.

If you’re a regular listener of my podcast, you know that I always start my shows with personal stories, where my guests share their health journeys from rock bottom to reclaiming a vital life. But at a least once a year, I dedicate an episode to back-to-back healing stories. Today, I have 4 guests who are sharing their experience of living well with ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, lichen sclerosis, and ALS. Visit http://www.phoenixhelix.com/ for show notes.

In support of my own autoimmune health, I'm taking a sabbatical for the month of December and releasing favorite episodes from Season 1 that you might have missed. Dr. Datis Kharrazian is one of the leading functional medicine practitioners in the field of autoimmune disease. In this information-packed podast, we cover a huge range of topics: (1) The 3 Stages of Autoimmunity, (2) The Role of Blood Sugar in Autoimmune Disease, (3) The Power of Stress and Our Emotional Demons, (4) How to Support our Regulatory Immune Cells and Suppress our Inflammatory Ones, (5) The Connection Between Leaky Gut and a Leaky Blood-Brain Barrier, (6) Harnessing the Power of the Vagus Nerve, (7) Chemical Intolerance and the Dangers of Chelation,  (8) How to Heal Food Sensitivities, and (9) His Top Recommended Tests and Supplements. Visit http://www.phoenixhelix.com for show notes.

In support of my own autoimmune health, I'm taking a sabbatical for the month of December and releasing two of my favorite episodes from Season 1 that you might have missed. Today's episode originally aired 3 years ago, but it's a timeless topic. Sometimes, we make poor diet and lifestyle choices, even knowing that it will cause us pain. In today's episode we answer the question: "Why do we do this?" And we also offer a variety of ways to overcome this pattern. Dr. Judy Tsafrir is a psychiatrist who specializes in nutritional approaches to healing. She'll be teaching us what’s going on in our bodies and brains, when we sabotage our own health. Rory Linehan is the blogger behind The Paleo PI. He has personal experience overcoming self-sabotage and will be sharing his story with us today as well. Visit

Our homes can have a powerful effect on our lives. Not only do they reflect our interests and daily responsibilities, they also impact how we feel physically, mentally, and emotionally. Decluttering can be a cathartic experience with benefits that resonate beyond material things. We learn the practice of letting go. We reflect on what we value most. We make space for change. We let more light in. Autoimmune disease is often a wake-up call for this type of priority-setting, and decluttering can be a way to de-stress and support our health. My guest Courtney Carver has multiple sclerosis herself, which inspired her decade-long journey into simple living. Today, we share practical tips for decluttering everything from our homes, to our emails, to our hearts and minds.

There are literally thousands of anecdotal stories into the benefit of the paleo autoimmune protocol (AIP) as a treatment for autoimmune disease. But until recently, there was no scientific research to back up these claims. That changed with the publication of this study. 15 patients with active IBD (Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis) transitioned to the paleo autoimmune protocol. Result? 73% achieved remission. In this podcast, I interview Dr. Gauree Konijeti, gastroenterologist and lead researcher, and Angie Alt, the lead AIP coach for the group. Visit http://www.phoenixhelix.com for show notes.

Mistakes: We’re human, and we all make them; it’s one of the ways we learn. But sometimes – if we’re lucky – we can learn from each other’s mistakes without having to make them ourselves. That’s our goal with this podcast. My guest, Chris Kresser, is one of the most respected voices in the paleo community. A functional medicine practitioner, world-class educator, and bestselling author, Chris will be highlighting common healing mistakes made by both patients and practitioners. Visit http://www.phoenixhelix.com for show notes.