2015 - Phoenix Helix

Episode 34: Paleo Cooking and Baking Tips from the Masters

When you first switch to a paleo diet, you lose a lot of your standard recipes, are introduced to a bunch of new ingredients, and it’s not uncommon to feel a little lost. In this podcast, we have expert tour guides! Cookbook authors Mel Joulwan and Rachael Bryant share everything from how to cook without a meal plan to their favorite AIP sauces and spice blends. And Laura Vein, former pastry chef, teaches us the fine art of paleo AIP baking.

Healing Kitchen Cookbook Review & Sample Recipe: Chicken Tenders with Pineapple Dipping Sauce

Have you heard of the Healing Kitchen Cookbook? It’s co-authored by Alaena Haber (Grazed and Enthused) and Sarah Ballantyne (The Paleo Mom), and it fills a niche long missing in the paleo autoimmune community. It’s a cookbook of fast and easy recipes with global flavors that are also easy on the budget. Today, I share the details, a sample recipe for Chicken Tenders with Pineapple Dipping Sauce, and offer you a chance to win your own copy!

Episode 33: Medical Marijuana and Autoimmune Disease

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.

Episode 32: Celiac Disease, Gluten Sensitivity & Leaky Gut with Dr. Alessio Fasano

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!

To Ghee or Not to Ghee

Why is ghee excluded on the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol if it’s allergen-free? Many members of the paleo community praise it as a nutrient-dense food, and it’s allowed on other healing diets like The Wahls Protocol. So, what’s the deal? I delved into some deep research to answer this question, including some personal n=1 experiments, polls in the autoimmune community, and learning all about the science (pro and con) behind this flavorful cooking fat. Should people with autoimmune disease be eating it? Let’s find out!

Episode 31: Healthy Habits – Gretchen Rubin Book Club

Are you a Rebel? Questioner? Obliger? Or Upholder? Knowing your “Habit Personality” makes a huge difference in achieving lasting change. The stakes are high for us. We have autoimmune disease which often comes with painful and disabling symptoms. Making healthy choices regarding diet and lifestyle can make a huge difference in our quality of life. Yet even knowing this, change is hard! In her books, Better Than Before and The Four Tendencies, Gretchen Rubin writes about 4 different “habit personalities”. In this podcast, we’ll help you figure out which one your are, and share which strategies work for each personality & which don’t!

Episode 30: Healing Stories 3

If you’re a regular listener of my podcast, you know that I often start my shows with personal stories, where my guests share their health journeys from rock bottom to reclaiming a vital life. But at least once a year, I dedicate an episode to back-to-back healing stories, and I make an effort to speak to people with different autoimmune diagnoses each time. In this episode, my guests share their journeys with Scleroderma, Polymyositis, Raynaud’s, Psoriasis, Grave’s Disease, Uveitis, and Parkinson’s Disease.

Episode 29: SIBO with Dr. Melanie Keller

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.

black and white drawing of a waiter serving a couple in a restaurant

Top 5 Mistakes People Make Reintroducing Foods

The paleo autoimmune protocol (AIP) has two phases: (1) eliminating potential food triggers temporarily, and (2) reintroducing them very carefully, to see how your body responds. It’s this second phase where we learn to communicate with our bodies, receiving clear messages on the foods that nourish us vs. the foods that harm us. This is very unique to each individual, and an empowering step in personalizing your diet to optimize healing. Have you tried to do food reintroductions but found the whole process really confusing? Or are you curious about the process and don’t know where to begin? In this article, I highlight the most common mistakes people make and teach you how to do it right.

Episode 28: History of the AIP with Robb Wolf

Did you know that Robb Wolf has ulcerative colitis, and that his mother and mother-in-law both had rheumatoid arthritis? There’s a reason he’s so passionate about educating people about the AIP. Many of us have had our lives transformed through the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol (Robb and myself included). While it’s not yet a mainstream healthcare approach, it’s gaining momentum and visibility worldwide. At the same time, we’ve forgotten a lot of the pioneers who did the research we’re using in our own health journeys today. I invited Robb onto this podcast to help us remember them. This is one of my favorite interviews. Robb says the same.

Episode 27: Hashimoto’s with Andrea Nakayama

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.

a spiky desert plant covered in thready tangles

Navigating Setbacks

You’ve embraced the paleo diet and lifestyle, noticed a reduction in your autoimmune symptoms, and overall you’ve been feeling great and grateful. Suddenly, out of nowhere, your autoimmune symptoms flare and remind you of where you started. What’s happening, and how can you return to feeling better? Today, I share my best 10 tips for overcoming a healing setback.

Episode 26: Beyond Food – Healing Lifestyle

This podcast episode delves into healing lifestyle choices. We talk a lot about diet in this community, but healing is about much more than food. Sarah Ballantyne, author of The Paleo Approach and leader of the AIP movement says this: “Let me be clear: Dietary changes aren’t effective in isolation. If you don’t address lifestyle factors as well, it won’t matter how ideal your food choices are.” So, I interviewed four people about one lifestyle change that has made a big difference in their autoimmune healing journey. Sarah is one of them. If you haven’t started addressing your lifestyle choices yet, I offer you this podcast as inspiration to start today.

Continuous Brew Kombucha vs Batch Brew. Which is Better?

Kombucha is a beloved beverage in the real food community, and today I’m exploring the hot topic: What’s the best way to brew kombucha? Many people automatically say continuous brew, hands-down. I’ve been brewing kombucha for many years now, and I’ve done both the batch brew method and the continuous brew. I’m sharing the pros and cons of each. Spoiler alert: One’s not always better for everyone, but depending on your circumstances, one method might be better for you.

Episode 25: Paleo AIP Travel

When we’re on a healing diet, our kitchens become our safe places. It’s where we prepare delicious food that helps our body heal, with no worry of cross-contamination or hidden ingredients that can cause an autoimmune flare. However, we don’t want to feel trapped at home. Many of us have loved ones spread across the globe, and there are also so many beautiful places to visit. How can we travel with confidence, and stay healthy at the same time? In this podcast episode, two of my globe-trotting AIP friends share advice for plane travel, road trips, international adventures, camping, business trips, Disneyworld and more.

Do Paleo-Friendly Autoimmune Specialist MDs Exist?

Yes, but they are a rare breed! I searched long and hard, scouring websites and directories, polling my readers and fellow autoimmune bloggers, and created this list. While the vast majority of autoimmune specialist MDs believe diet makes no difference and we are fooling ourselves to think otherwise, I found over 40 doctors who are open to the paleo lifestyle. This doesn’t mean that they prescribe a paleo diet. It means they understand that diet can be powerful complementary medicine and respect those patients who take steps to maximize their autoimmune health. My hope is that they are the pioneers of a growing movement in medicine, where doctors will embrace the simple truth that what we eat, and how we live, affects how we feel.

Episode 24: The Mind-Body Connection with Donna Jackson Nakazawa

This episode of the Phoenix Helix podcast is one of the most popular of all time. Can our minds help heal (or harm) our bodies? What used to be considered “new age thinking” is now being proven through the science of psychoneuroimmunology. My guest is an award-winning science journalist who also has autoimmune disease. She conducted a year-long self-experiment into mind-body practices and their effects on her own autoimmune symptoms. She also researched the effect childhood trauma has on our developing brain and immune systems, which can set us up for autoimmune disease later in life. Thankfully, there are ways to reverse this process, and she shares those tips, too.

What’s Up With White Rice?

One of the basic tenets of the Paleo Diet is that it’s 100% grain-free. So why are all the paleo Instagram feeds filling up with #teamwhiterice photos? In this post, I delve into the pros and cons of this favored grain in the paleo community. If you decide you’d like to try reintroducing it into your own diet, I give you the best way to cook it for optimal benefit and least risk.

Episode 23: When Your Child Has Autoimmune Disease

This episode of the Phoenix Helix podcast addresses a difficult topic: When your child has autoimmune disease. We all know that it’s a terrifying moment to receive an autoimmune diagnosis yourself. To receive one for your child is simply overwhelming. It’s natural to feel helpless and unsure of what to do. We want to protect our children and usher them into a beautiful life. How do we do this in the middle of chronic illness? I invited 4 parents onto the show today, who have walked this path already. They share their experience and their advice for new parents facing this situation. Ciarra’s daughter has Hashimoto’s. Allan and Barbara’s daughter has Crohn’s. And Denise’s daughter has Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis and Uveitis.

Episode 22: Transitioning Your Family to Paleo

You’re much more likely to be successful on a healing diet if you aren’t constantly surrounded by foods you shouldn’t eat. That said, it’s not always easy to get families on board. In this podcast, we have a panel of guests sharing their experiences and advice for transitioning spouses, young children, teenagers, and even picky eaters to a paleo-style diet.

Episode 21: Autoimmune Q&A with Dr. Datis Kharrazian

This episode of the Phoenix Helix podcast interviews one of the major functional medicine leaders in the field of autoimmune disease: Dr. Datis Kharrazian. He’s a clinician, researcher, professor, and author of two bestselling books: “Why Do I Still Have Thyroid Symptoms?” and “Why Isn’t My Brain Working?” Today, we cover a wide 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. It’s an information-packed interview!

Fast Food on the AIP: An Instant Pot Recipe Roundup

If you already love your Instant Pot, I have a great recipe roundup for you! It features fast recipes for everything from vegetables to entrees to sauces and more. Here’s to healthy fast food!

Episode 20: Ketogenic Diets with Dr. Terry Wahls and Dr. Paul Jaminet

Ketogenic diets are an ongoing source of debate in the paleo community. Some people say they are the cure for all ills. Others say they are dangerous and should be avoided. In this podcast, we take a balanced look with an interview with Dr. Terry Wahls and Dr. Paul Jaminet. Are all ketogenic diets alike? What does the science really say? Who can benefit most from ketosis? What are the cautions? If you do decide to try it, what’s the best way to make the transition? This episode will help you decide if ketosis is right (or wrong) for you.

Sophie’s Healing Story (Hashimoto’s)

Hashimoto’s is an autoimmune disease that affects over 10 million people in the US alone. Damaging the thyroid gland, it creates symptoms so wide-ranging and confusing that it can be hard to diagnose. Sophie experienced a dramatic health decline that left her unable to work or care for her children. Today, she’s feeling 95% better. She shares her story with us today, including what diet and lifestyle changes made the biggest difference for her.

Episode 19: Fecal Microbiota Transplants

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.

Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash with Duck Fat Apple Juice Glaze (Paleo, AIP, GAPS, Wahls, Whole30)

Did you know that you can cook a squash WHOLE in the Instant Pot? No more struggling to get that knife through the hard shell. Once it’s cooked, it carves like butter. The Instant Pot cooks the squash in minimal time, and this simple glaze makes it taste decadently delicious! Don’t have an Instant Pot yet? No worries. I included an oven/stovetop variation for this recipe, too.