Phoenix Helix: Autoimmune Resilience: episodes

60 recent episodes from the show's feed. Back to the show

1. Phoenix Helix Writes a Novel!

   Apr 28, 2026 · 48 min

   Two years after retiring from Phoenix Helix, I return to celebrate my novel's publication!

2. The Final Episode of the Phoenix Helix Podcast

   Jan 12, 2024

   Ten years ago in 2014, I recorded the very first episode of this podcast. Today is the last episode. In this final conversation, I celebrate the past 10 years and share what's coming next.

3. Episode 230: Healing Stories 11

   Jan 5, 2024 · 1h 22m

   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 Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, Crohn’s disease, narcolepsy, rheumatoid arthriti

4. Mindset Minisode – Positive Visualization

   Dec 22, 2023 · 8 min

   Our imagination is powerful, because our brain responds to imaginary experiences very similarly to real-life experiences. If we're spinning worst case scenarios in our mind, that triggers a very real stress response in our body. Positive visualizations do the opposite. Not only do they interrupt the stress response, but research shows they can help reduce anxiety, improve performance, increase mob

5. Episode 229: Best Of – Resilience with Dr. Cynthia Li

   Dec 8, 2023 · 1h 9m

   This is one of the most popular podcast episodes - for good reason! The topic is Resilience, that ability to bounce back from life’s hardships. With autoimmune disease, we get lots of practice. Sometimes we feel strong and capable of overcoming suffering. Other times we feel beaten down and frightened by our body’s unpredictability. The good news is that resilience isn't something you either have

6. Mindset Minisode – Learning To Say No

   Nov 24, 2023 · 7 min

   Many of us love to help others and also love to please others, which can make it hard to say no. The trouble is that there are limited hours in the day, and we can't do everything. When we have autoimmune disease, learning to set limits is essential to our health. Sometimes we forget that when we say yes to everyone else, we're saying no to ourselves. Eventually, our body might say no for us in th

7. Episode 228: Digestion Troubleshooting with Dr. Sruti Lam-Fletcher

   Nov 10, 2023 · 58 min

   The connection between gut health and autoimmune disease is very strong. 70% of our immune system lives in our gut. If we have inflammation in our digestive system, that’s going to cause inflammation in our immune system. This connection also goes both ways. If there’s inflammation and autoimmune activity in your body, that impacts digestion as well. Today, we’re going to troubleshoot some of the

8. Mindset Minisode – Identity & Autoimmune Disease

   Oct 27, 2023 · 6 min

   The onset of autoimmune disease is a before and after moment for many of us. We feel like a completely different person, not just in our bodies but in our lives. Jobs and interests that were big parts of our identity might no longer be available to us. The roles we play in our families may change. It can feel like we've lost who we used to be and we don't recognize ourselves anymore. In this 6 min

9. Episode 227: Autoimmune Q&A with Terry, Sarah, and Eileen

   Oct 13, 2023 · 1h 3m

   This is a very special episode featuring two of my colleagues and friends: Dr. Terry Wahls & Dr. Sarah Ballantyne! I’ve known these wonderful women for over a decade now. They’re both powerful leaders in the autoimmune community. They are also autoimmune warriors themselves. Today, we’re doing an Autoimmune Q&A: I’ll be asking us all a series of questions about our personal experiences with autoim

10. Mindset Minisode – Being Perfectly Imperfect

    Sep 29, 2023 · 8 min

    With autoimmune disease, we sometimes strive to live "perfectly" as a way to improve our health. What if this is backfiring? In this 7 minute podcast, I share the science behind the health consequences of perfectionism and teach a technique to start shifting to healthy striving instead.

11. Episode 226: Transgender Autoimmune Health

    Sep 15, 2023 · 56 min

    My goal with the Phoenix Helix Podcast is to help people with autoimmune disease thrive. Today’s episode is dedicated to our transgender listeners and the healthcare practitioners who serve them. We’ll be talking about the medical complexities that might arise from the intersection of gender-affirming treatment and autoimmune treatment. We’ll discuss the challenges transgender patients face when s

12. Mindset Minisode – Kindness

    Sep 1, 2023 · 6 min

    If you're feeling sad, insecure, or anxious today, kindness is a powerful mood boost and stress reliever. In this 6 minute episode, I share some inspiration for including kindness in your day today. It's a way to give a gift to yourself and someone else at the same time!

13. Episode 225: Neurology Tests with Dr. Ken Sharlin

    Aug 18, 2023 · 59 min

    I believe in being an empowered patient, and that means understanding the care we receive. Sometimes tests are ordered and interpreted by our doctors, but it feels like a foreign language that we don’t speak. Today's podcast is part of my testing series. Prior episodes have covered thyroid tests, rheumatology tests, GI tests, and more. Today, we're doing a deep dive into MRI’s and neurological ant

14. Mindset Minisode – Self-Limiting Beliefs

    Aug 4, 2023 · 6 min

    When our mind convinces us something is impossible before we've even tried, that's a self-limiting belief. It's common for autoimmune disease to trigger them. Googling your diagnosis can lead to scary visions of the future. Symptoms can dramatically change our lives, taking away activities we used to love. With the flare-based, unpredictable nature of autoimmunity, life becomes more uncertain. The

15. Episode 224: Ayurvedic Medicine & Autoimmune Disease with Dr. Akil Palanisamy

    Jul 21, 2023 · 57 min

    Ayurvedic Medicine is an ancient medical tradition with roots in India, which contains wisdom that still applies to our health in modern day. Today, we’re going to learn how it may help people with autoimmune disease. My guest is Dr. Akil Palanisamy. Ayurveda changed his life both personally and professionally. As a young man he developed a mystery illness that modern medicine couldn't solve. His

16. Mindset Minisode – 5 Senses Exercise

    Jul 7, 2023 · 9 min

    One of the fastest ways to tap the relaxation response is to tune into our senses. It immerses us in the present moment, offering a break from our worries, and gives us the space to simply be. It's available to us anywhere, anytime, and it only takes a minute. You can do it for longer, but even a brief pause is beneficial. In this 9 minute episode, I share some of my favorite ways to tune into the

17. Episode 223: Epinutrients with Dr. Kara Fitzgerald

    Jun 23, 2023 · 51 min

    We are more than our genes! Epigenetics is a field of science that studies what influences our genetic expression. These are the things that turn our genes on and off. Our body is dynamic and it’s changing all the time in response to our environment and daily choices. Epinutrients are the nutritional compounds that alter genetic expression in a positive direction. My guest, Dr. Kara Fitzgerald, is

18. Mindset Minisode – Social Media Noting

    Jun 9, 2023 · 8 min

    We spend a lot of time on social media without necessarily noticing how it's impacting our mental, emotional, and physical health. Social media has both benefits and potential risks. Many people with autoimmune disease find like-minded souls on social media who may understand their experience better than nearby family and friends. However, social media is also linked to increases in anxiety, depre

19. Episode 222: Traditional Chinese Medicine & Autoimmune Disease with Dr. Tanya Lee

    May 26, 2023 · 59 min

    When it comes to chronic illness, Western Medicine can be very helpful, but it’s rarely enough on its own to restore a high quality of life. People with autoimmune disease do a lot of self-care, and we also seek help from other branches of medicine. Traditional Chinese Medicine is an ancient medical tradition that is still helping people today. Acupuncture is its most famous component, but TCM is

20. Mindset Minisode – Don’t Believe Everything You Think

    May 12, 2023 · 8 min

    Our brains have a negativity bias - paying more attention to what's wrong than what's right. It's not uncommon to have a silent soundtrack in the back of our minds, playing our worries and grievances on repeat. This is especially true when we have a chronic illness. Learning to recognize and question negative thoughts is a powerful skill to have. In today's mindset minisode, I teach how to overcom