Autoimmune Adventures

75: Myasthenia Gravis, Chronic Illness & Redefining Identity | Bolty's Story

What happens when chronic illness forces you to rethink your career, identity, and the life you thought you would have?
In this episode of Autoimmune Adventures, Bolty shares her journey living with Myasthenia Gravis (MG) — a rare autoimmune neuromuscular disease that causes muscle weakness and fatigue.
After a long path to diagnosis, Bolty faced a reality many people with chronic illness encounter: letting go of the life they expected and learning how to build something new.
In this honest and empowering conversation, we talk about:
• The relief of finally receiving a diagnosis• Living with Myasthenia Gravis• The grief that comes with chronic illness• Losing and redefining identity after leaving a career• Why we are more than our productivity or job titles• Designing a life that works with your body• Finding empowerment and purpose after diagnosis
For anyone living with autoimmune disease, rare disease, or invisible illness, this conversation offers validation, insight, and encouragement.
🎙️ Guest: Bolty🎧 Podcast: Autoimmune Adventures📅 Episode Release: March 10
Subscribe to Autoimmune Adventures for conversations about chronic illness, resilience, mindset, and support systems for people navigating autoimmune disease.
#AutoimmuneAdventures #MyastheniaGravis #ChronicIllness #AutoimmuneDisease #InvisibleIllness #RareDisease #ChronicIllnessJourney #LifeAfterDiagnosis #HealthPodcast

74: Medical Gaslighting, Self-Trust & the Chronic Illness Hotline | Cyndii Sinex

If you’ve ever felt dismissed, doubted, or told “everything looks normal” while living with chronic illness — this episode is for you.
In this powerful conversation, we sit down with Cyndii Sinex, MPH — public health practitioner and founder of the Chronic Illness Hotline — to talk about:
✔️ Navigating over a decade of misdiagnoses✔️ Medical gaslighting and rebuilding self-trust✔️ Why “worry” can actually be self-advocacy✔️ Supporting people with chronic illness, pain, injury, or neurodivergence✔️ Creating a confidential, compassionate 24/7 support space
The Chronic Illness Hotline is launching to ensure that no one has to process health fears alone — diagnosis or not.
If you would like to support the launch of this nonprofit initiative, you can donate here:https://chronicillnesshotline.org/support/
Subscribe to Autoimmune Adventures for more conversations about chronic illness, resilience, advocacy, and living boldly with autoimmune disease.
You are worthy of joy.Disease does not define your life — you do.
#ChronicIllness #MedicalGaslighting #AutoimmuneDisease #PatientAdvocacy #InvisibleIllness #ChronicPainSupport #Neurodivergence #HealthcareEquity

73: Primal Diet for Autoimmune Disease | Beverly Meyer on Insulin, Inflammation & Modern Health

If you are living with autoimmune disease, chronic inflammation, hormone imbalance, or fatigue, what you eat matters more than you may realize.
In this episode of Autoimmune Adventures, we sit down with clinical nutritionist Beverly Meyer to discuss the principles behind a primal or ancestral diet and how it supports autoimmune healing.
Beverly explains:
What a primal diet actually is
Why insulin is considered the “master hormone”
How blood sugar imbalance affects inflammation and immune function
A simple plate template for nourishing your body
Why ancestral nutrition and modern healthcare can work together
How eating in alignment with your biology supports digestion, hormones, and energy
This conversation is not about rejecting modern medicine. It’s about understanding how food, metabolism, and insulin regulation impact autoimmune disease and chronic illness — and how to use both nutrition and modern healthcare wisely.
If you’ve ever asked:
What is the best diet for autoimmune disease?
Does a primal or paleo diet reduce inflammation?
How does insulin affect autoimmune conditions?
What should I put on my plate for healing?
This episode is for you.
🎧 Listen now and subscribe to Autoimmune Adventures for weekly conversations on chronic illness, functional health, and empowered living.
You are worthy of joy.Disease does not define your life — you do.
#AutoimmuneAdventures #PrimalDiet #AutoimmuneHealing #FunctionalNutrition #InsulinResistance #InflammationRelief #RootCauseHealth #ChronicIllnessSupport #PaleoDiet #MetabolicHealth

72: Beyond the Diagnosis: The Invisible Reality of Type 1 Diabetes with Rebecca Hodges

What does it really mean to live beyond the diagnosis?
In this episode of Autoimmune Adventures, we sit down with award-winning filmmaker Rebecca Hodges, director of the powerful documentary Beyond the Diagnosis, to explore the real story of Type 1 diabetes — an autoimmune disease that is often misunderstood.
Type 1 diabetes is not a lifestyle condition. It is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the beta cells in the pancreas, leaving the body unable to produce insulin — a hormone essential for survival. Managing it requires constant monitoring, daily insulin administration, and an enormous mental and emotional load that most people never see.
In this conversation, we discuss:
• What Type 1 diabetes actually is• The stigma and misconceptions surrounding invisible illness• The constant mental weight carried by those living with chronic disease• Why listening to patient stories changes everything• How identity is bigger than any diagnosis• The power of community, resilience, and representation
Rebecca shares what inspired Beyond the Diagnosis, how her decade-long collaboration with Elizabeth Forrest and Touched by Type 1 shaped the film, and why storytelling is essential in shifting perception and increasing compassion.
Whether you live with Type 1 diabetes, love someone who does, or want to better understand autoimmune and invisible illnesses — this episode is for you.
🎬 Learn more about the documentary:  https://www.beyondthediagnosisfilm.com/ Support the Film
🎙️ Listen to Autoimmune Adventures wherever you get your podcasts.🔔 Subscribe for more conversations about chronic illness, resilience, and advocacy.
You are worthy of joy.Disease does not define your life. You do.
#Type1Diabetes #T1DCommunity #InvisibleIllness #AutoimmuneDisease #ChronicIllnessAwareness #BeyondTheDiagnosis #HealthAdvocacy #PatientStories #DocumentaryFilm #AutoimmuneAdventures

71: Navigating Relationships & Intimacy with Chronic Illness with Dr. Lisa Gray

💘 Valentine’s Day Special Episode
Valentine’s Day often focuses on romance — but when chronic illness enters a relationship, love takes on deeper, more complex layers.
In this special Valentine’s episode of Autoimmune Adventures, we sit down with Dr. Lisa Gray to explore how chronic illness reshapes relationships, intimacy, communication, and emotional connection — for both partners.
Chronic illness doesn’t just affect the person diagnosed. It introduces grief, loss, and adjustment for their partner as well. Together, couples must learn how to navigate disappointment, redefine intimacy, and repair emotional ruptures when fatigue, pain, and uncertainty become part of daily life.
In this episode, we discuss:
How shared grief shows up differently for each partner
Why planning intimacy can actually increase connection and desire
The role of repair in long-term, resilient relationships
How couples can grow closer instead of drifting apart after diagnosis
This conversation is honest, compassionate, and deeply validating — whether you’re living with chronic illness, loving someone who is, or both.
💝 Because real love isn’t about perfection — it’s about repair, care, and choosing each other again and again.

70: Regulation Over Perfection: A Sustainable Path to Autoimmune Healing with Kellie Lupsha

Healing doesn’t have to be extreme to be effective.
In this episode of Autoimmune Adventures, hosts Stacy and Becky are joined by Kellie Lupsha, who shares an encouraging, science-backed perspective on supporting the body through nervous system regulation, detoxification, and small daily habits that compound over time.
We dive into the NRF2 pathway, a powerful internal system often described as a “genetic thermostat” that helps regulate inflammation, detoxification, and cellular resilience. Kellie breaks down complex science into relatable, real-world examples—like tuning a piano that’s been sitting untouched for years—and explains why supporting this pathway can be transformative for overall health.
This conversation also tackles:
Why massive detoxes can backfire—and what to do instead
How your body is already designed to detox daily
The connection between toxins, brain fog, weight changes, and metabolic health
Simple habit-stacking strategies that don’t add stress to your life
Why mindset, hydration, and gentle movement matter more than perfection
Most importantly, this episode is a reminder that healing isn’t about fixing yourself—it’s about supporting your body in ways that feel doable, compassionate, and sustainable.
Whether you’re navigating autoimmune disease, chronic illness, or simply trying to feel better in your body, this episode offers clarity, encouragement, and hope.

69: Simon Luthi: The Rocket Shaman on Self Love as the First Step in Healing

In this powerful episode of Autoimmune Adventures, we sit down with Simon Lüthi, also known as the Rocket Shaman, to explore the science, mindset shifts, and lived experience behind mind-body healing. Simon shares how emotional states, stress chemistry, nervous system regulation, and self-connection play a critical role in chronic illness and autoimmune healing.
This conversation goes far beyond toxic positivity. Together, we unpack how learning to pause instead of react, cultivating awareness, and practicing self-compassion can create real, measurable changes in the body. Simon also reflects on dreaming beyond diagnosis, listening to the body’s early signals, and reclaiming agency in the healing journey.
If you’re navigating autoimmune disease, chronic illness, burnout, or a mystery diagnosis — or if you’re curious about integrative and whole-person approaches to healing — this episode invites you to rethink what’s possible.
🎙 Episode releases January 27
🔔 Subscribe to Autoimmune Adventures for more conversations on mind-body health, chronic illness support, and sustainable healing.
 
#RocketShaman #SimonLuthi #AutoimmuneAdventures#MindBodyMedicine #MindBodyConnection #AutoimmuneHealing #ChronicIllnessRecovery #SelfHealing #NervousSystemRegulation #IntegrativeHealth #WholePersonHealing #HealingJourney #ChronicIllnessSupport #HealthEmpowerment #Neuroplasticity #HealingIsPossible

68: Veronique Ory on Yoga, Blue Zones, and Learning to Love Yourself

Episode releases January 20th
What if autoimmune healing isn’t about fighting your body—but learning how to support it?
In this episode of Autoimmune Adventures, we’re joined by Véronique Ory, an expert in nervous system education, yoga therapy, and embodied resilience, for a powerful conversation about healing chronic illness at the root.
We explore why so many people with autoimmune disease are treated for symptoms instead of causes—and why that approach often leads to frustration, burnout, and stagnation. Véronique explains how chronic stress, nervous system dysregulation, and unresolved patterns in the body can drive autoimmune symptoms, and what it really means to “turn off the faucet” instead of endlessly mopping up the mess.
This episode also dives into:• Yoga as purposeful stress and how it builds real-life resilience• Nervous system regulation and its role in autoimmune disease• Why rest is essential for healing—not optional• Insights from Véronique’s year traveling to the world’s Blue Zones, where people live longer, stronger, and with more vitality• How longevity, purpose, connection, and daily movement fortify health over time
This is a grounded, empowering conversation about whole-person healing, nervous system health, and reclaiming vitality beyond survival.
🎧 New episode of Autoimmune Adventures — January 20th
👇 Subscribe, like, and share with someone navigating chronic or autoimmune illness.
 
#AutoimmuneHealing #ChronicIllnessSupport #NervousSystemHealth #NervousSystemRegulation #RootCauseHealing #YogaForHealing #EmbodiedHealing #TraumaInformedCare #MindBodyConnection #BlueZones #LongevityLifestyle #WholePersonHealing #AutoimmuneAwareness #ChronicIllnessPodcast #HealingBeyondSymptoms #AutoimmuneCommunity

67: Than Our Genes: Understanding Autoimmune Risk with Genetic Counselor Amber Sher

Are we defined by our genes—or are we more than what we inherit?
In this episode of Autoimmune Adventures, we sit down with Amber Sher, certified genetic counselor and host of the podcast Gods and Genes, to explore the role genetics play in autoimmune disease and comorbidities—without fear, shame, or oversimplification.
We talk about:
What genetic susceptibility really means (and why it’s not inevitability)
Why autoimmune diseases often cluster in families
How healthcare providers can compassionately address parent guilt around genetics
Why we are more than our DNA—and how understanding genetics can be empowering, not paralyzing
Amber brings clarity, compassion, and hope to conversations that are often filled with confusion or fear, reminding us that genetics may shape the hand we’re dealt—but they don’t determine how we play the game.
🎙️ Episode release date: January 13
🔗 You can find more from Gods and Genes at godsandgenes.podbean.com or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out episode 3 on her podcast where Amber interviews us! Gods and Genes is a proud member of Gene Pool Media Network.
📌 Subscribe to Autoimmune Adventures for more conversations about living boldly and well with chronic illness and autoimmunity.
#AutoimmuneAdventures #AutoimmuneDisease #Genetics #ChronicIllness #GodsAndGenes#GeneticCounseling #LupusAwareness #ChronicIllnessCommunity#HealthcareCompassion #MoreThanOurGenes

66: Phylicia Harris on Functional Medicine, Autoimmune Root Causes & Habit Stacking

We’re kicking off the new year with an inspiring and educational conversation with Phylicia Harris on Autoimmune Adventures! 🎉
In this episode, we explore:
What functional medicine really is and how it differs from conventional care
Root causes of autoimmune disease and what may be driving symptoms beneath the surface
How habit stacking can support medical treatments and long-term healing
Whether you’re living with autoimmune conditions, supporting someone who is, or just curious about holistic health, this episode is packed with insights to help you understand your body, make informed choices, and embrace hope in your healing journey. 💛
📅 Episode Release Date: January 6, 2026 — the first episode of the year!
🔗 Resources & Links:
Visit our website: www.AutoimmuneAdventures.com
Don’t forget to subscribe and hit the notification bell so you never miss an episode!
#AutoimmuneAdventures #FunctionalMedicine #AutoimmuneSupport #RootCauseHealing #ChronicIllnessEducation #HabitStacking #HealingJourney #AutoimmuneAwareness #HolisticHealth #FirstEpisodeOfTheYear #January6Release