Timestamps:

00:39 – How Hashimoto's Led to a Gut Health Discovery
01:56 – Dr. Izabella Wentz's Autoimmune Health Journey
08:35 – Why IBS Precedes Autoimmune Disease by 5–15 Years
10:49 – Leaky Gut and the 3 Requirements for Autoimmunity
14:36 – Best Functional Medicine Labs for Gut Testing
15:51 – Why Conventional IBS Treatment Fails Most Patients
18:50 – Food Sensitivity Testing and Stool Analysis Explained
23:40 – Order of Operations for Treating Gut Conditions
29:52 – SIBO: Why Probiotics and Fiber Make You Worse
32:54 – Low FODMAP Diet Mistakes That Damage Gut Diversity
36:08 – IBS vs IBD: How to Know the Difference
41:35 – Sugar Alcohols and Food Additives That Wreck Your Gut
46:22 – How Glyphosate and Mold Toxins Destroy the Microbiome
49:14 – How Low Thyroid Hormone Shuts Down Digestion
52:31 – Elimination Diets vs Food Sensitivity Testing
57:25 – Histamine Intolerance, Mast Cells, and the Vagus Nerve
1:00:46 – Dr. Wentz's New IBS Book and Where to Find It

Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro
00:39 – Best Labs for Childhood Eczema and Skin Conditions
03:09 – Stool Tests, Food Sensitivity, and Organic Acids Explained
08:19 – Is the Autoimmune Paleo Diet Forever?
13:09 – Sleep, Alcohol, and Diet: The Autoimmune Flare Bucket
17:34 – High Ferritin, Iron Overload, and Oxidative Stress
22:39 – Anemia of Chronic Inflammation Explained
25:46 – Why Retesting Lab Work Is Critical for Healing
27:56 – Low Iron, B12 Deficiency, and Pernicious Anemia
33:49 – MTHFR Gene, Methylation, and High Homocysteine
42:40 – Should You Take a Daily Multivitamin?
44:48 – Vitamin D, Omega-3s, and Long-Term Supplements
49:29 – Omega-3 Dosing: Why You're Probably Taking Too Little
54:39 – Fish Oil Quality, Rancidity, and the Bite Test
58:34 – Seed Oils, Omega-6 to Omega-3 Ratio Explained
64:34 – Vitamin D From Sun vs. Supplements
70:24 – Magnesium Supplementation and Cell Danger Response
79:39 – How to Choose Supplements Based on Your Mechanisms

#AutoimmuneDisease #FunctionalMedicine #GutHealth

Travel is great - you can see the world, see old friends, see new places, have an adventure.....I'm a big fan of all those things. I love traveling, but sometimes it comes at a cost. 

I hear stories ALL THE TIME of people flaring during or after traveling, and in this episode I share plenty of those stories. Sometimes that's an autoimmune flare when someone has a known autoimmune disease like Hashimoto's, Rheumatoid Arthritis, MS, Lupus, or any other diagnosis. Sometimes it's just a symptom flare - you feel more anxious, more inflamed, more foggy, more histamine-y, more bloated, your gut and digestion are thrown off, whatever it may be - you flare. 

In this podcast, I talk about flares while traveling in detail. I break it down into 3 sections to make it more digestible and actionable:

1. STORIES - stories of flares that you might relate to - I've heard hundreds! Hearing stories lets you know that it's not just you, and the hope is that you can relate to some of these stories because they are all unique and different. 

2. MECHANISMS/REASONS - why would someone flare while traveling? When you know the mechanisms, you can try to get ahead of them. I give my Top 4 Reasons  for flares while traveling.

3. SOLUTIONS - what can you do about it? How can you protect yourself? I throw out a handful of ideas, options, and potential solutions to consider to AVOID the next flare and help you ENJOY your travels - whether it's diet and avoidance, traveling with certain supplements, or keeping your air quality clean while away - the options AWAY from home are not always the same as the options at HOME - so it's important to know how you can protect yourself. 

Have you even flared while traveling? What do you think caused it? What did you do about it? Send this to someone you know who might value from this episode!

Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), Histamine Intolerance (HIT), and other mast-cell-mediated pathologies are becoming more and more well-recognized - -partially thanks to COVID and the changes we have seen in the world since 2020, partially thanks to new science and research, partially based on social media and educational platforms like mine - - but there is still a lot of misunderstanding, incorrect information and people suffering, even in the alternative wellness world, so today I wanted to TALK ABOUT IT. (The conventional world is about 10 years behind on this, so best of luck if you are looking for histamine answers there!) 

 Histamine and mast cell stuff is quite interesting once you learn to recognize and understand it, and in a functional wellness practice that helps complex or multi-system conditions it is RAMPANT - - I actually recorded this podcast earlier today then I started seeing people (I'm now writing these notes after work), and literally SINCE I RECORDED THE AUDIO, I've heard 3-4 more stories that could have easily made it into this episode!! 

Mast cells and their expression, activation and release of histamine (and other inflammatory mediators) are associated with autoimmune diseases like Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn's, Ulcerative Colitis), but perhaps more importantly associated with everyday symptoms like congestion, runny nose, vertigo, bloating, abdominal pain, headaches/migraines, insomnia, heart palpitations, lightheadedness, nausea, diarrhea, reflux, brain fog, skin itching, anxiety, depression, fatigue, and more - the things people show up with in a functional practice, and the things that often look "fine" to the specialists, and this can make people feel like they are going crazy. 

In this episode, I "talk about" everything I know about histamine. That's A LOT, too much to type it all out in the show notes, that's why I turn the mic on and talk into it, because I'm better at talking than typing, so please listen :)

BUT, in this episode I cover a lot of stuff - my favorite mentors and books that I have learned from, the concept of the "histamine bucket", the basic understanding of mast cells and what they are, where they are (gut, sinus, skin, etc), what histamine is, how histamine is degraded or broken down, the common symptoms, the diagnostic criteria for these diseases, I'm sure I share some personal opinions besides just all the science and facts, and I talk about how I put this into a framework for people who are looking to get well, and WHAT and HOW I USE some of my favorite tools to help people, and some stories that I hear everyday about how these things are working, which is often really well. Check it out, and please leave a rating, a review, and send this episode to a friend!

Anxiety, Mast Cell Activation, and LPS (Youtube video)

Mast Cells in Pain, Neuroinflammation, and Alzheimer's (study review on Youtube)

This podcast is a perfect transition from my last podcast where I interviewed an ENT surgeon, because the people I'm speaking to and referring to in this episode - people with head "fullness", ear "pressure", or "head drainage issues" - have almost ALWAYS been to an ENT, but they are still left with very few answers, and that's the frustrating thing - they are often getting NO ANSWERS or HELP - and that's why they come to me. 

I will admit that I'm recording this podcast just to "talk about" these mechanisms and symptoms that often run together, because I see these things really often and many times I'm able to help quite a bit, but no two people have the same story - and there are a lot of moving pieces when we look deeper into the mechanisms involved, root causes, and differential diagnoses - but there are a lot of things that overlap with these cases, and targets that we can look into or begin aiming at.

Very often people present in my office complaining of some combination of:

• Head "fullness" - the head feels "full" or "heavy" or like it "doesn't drain"
• Dizziness, lightheadedness, vertigo, tinnitus, or other vestibular issues with motion, crowds, flashing lights, etc 
• Ear "pressure" - there is some unresolving ear pressure, often one-sided, or the feeling that the ears won't "equalize"
• Pressure "changes" - with incoming storm fronts, airplanes, altitude changes, or with no rhyme or reason
• Lymph stagnation or swollen/tender lymph nodes - around the ear, neck, base of skull
• Neck pain - stiff neck, headaches, tight postural muscles, "coat-hanger" pain
• Histamine responses - allergies, sensitivities, or other mast-cell mediated pathologies or symptoms
• Drainage or mucus production - nasal or post-nasal drip, or feel congested
• Anxiety/Panic/Stress Response - this often leads to more "danger signals", fight-or-flight, anxiety, panic, overthinking, etc

Is this mold? Is this biofilms? Is it viral? Is this from gut dysbiosis? Is this toxin accumulation? Is this the glymphatic system in the brain not draining? Is it TMJ or subluxation of the C1 atlas bone? Is this vagus nerve? Or - is this some combination??

In this podcast, I just "talk about" the people I see with these symptoms, the mechanisms that are often involved, the mysteries that are often involved, the tools available and the success that many can have. I talk about the different targets, like lymphatic drainage of the brain and Th2 inflammation, I talk about different strategies, like air quality control, nasal applications, supplements, chiropractic care, lymphatic drainage techniques, and much more. I just like to TALK ABOUT these things, but also give potential action steps, with the hope that it helps somebody out there who might have a similar problem - and I think this episode and the information given will end up helping SOMEONE - so send it to someone that you think needs to hear it!

I'm really excited about this episode! I spent a lot of my early life in ENT offices, so I've personally always been really intrigued by the science of sinus inflammation and sinusitis for understanding my own health problems, but I've also been very discouraged by the conventional treatments and (lack of) solutions offered by conventional Ear Nose and Throat doctors.

Dr. Don Dennis MD FACS is different. As an ENT surgeon who was seeing chronic sinusitis every day, he started asking the question "WHY?" which led him to investigate the problems associated with air quality and specifically MOLD TOXICITY. 

If you have listened to this podcast, you know I am passionate about air quality - whether it be molds, mycotoxins, allergens, particulates, VOCs, endotoxins, or whatever is in the air - we need to breathe clean air. I have interviewed clients,  pediatricians, MDs, DOs, PTs, Indoor Environmental Professionals about this topic.

We KNOW that mold makes people sick - that info has been around since the Old Testament - but Dr. Dennis lets us know a little bit more about HOW and WHY this works. 

Some of things I found the most interesting in our conversation:

• Molds like dark, warm, moist places and can colonize sinuses and noses. Cleaning out the sinuses with antifungals can be a GAME-CHANGER for some people! Dr. Dennis tells some amazing stories, and even plays audio from a patient herself.
• The immune system responds to molds in the environment with Eosinophils (white blood cells), and these eosinophils come into nasal mucosa and can form "pits", where mucus accumulates. The cilia can't effectively clear the mucus, so it becomes infected and inflamed, and the "microbial burden" grows, including Staph, Pseudomonas (normal residents of the nose) and MOLD, and these bugs can sometimes form biofilms which make them antibiotic resistant. Mayo clinic showed that over 90% of chronic sinus infections had a fungal component involved, and he discusses those studies. 
• Molds release toxins called MYCOTOXINS. Mycotoxins ACCUMULATE in sinus tissue. When Dr. Dennis has biopsied and tested sinus mucosa, there are abundant mycotoxins stored in the mucosal tissue. 
• The sinuses are RIGHT NEAR THE BRAIN. These tiny little airborne toxins can go right up the olfactory nerve into the brain and accumulate in the brain - they are fat-soluble neurotoxins - in areas like the pituitary that regulates our thyroid, adrenals, stress response, growth hormone (healing) and more.
• Someone might show 3 toxins on a toxin test (Dr. Dennis prefers urine mycotoxin testing), but when you biopsy their tissue, like the pituitary tissue in the brain for example, there might be MORE. It's hard to measure what all has accumulated in the tissue. In his words, it's a toxic soup up there. 
• Because of his experience over the last nearly 40 years as an ENT, Dr. Dennis has a LOT of expertise on air quality and we discuss certain tools like ozone, ionizers, purifiers, mold testing plates, mold dogs, and more. 
• Dr. Dennis has developed tools to help people - - both professionally as a sinus surgeon, but he also formulated all of the MicroBalance Health Products and EC3 products - they make mold neutralizing candles, cleaning wipes, fogging spray, laundry additives, and more. 

If you have an autoimmune disease, mold toxicity, or sinus issues, you will love this conversation! Please leave a rating, a review, or better yet - send this to someone you love or care about - or anyone with a nose and brain :)

Youtube video - Scientific Study Review - OCD and Autoimmunity

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder has been around for a long time. PANS - Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome, and PANDAS - Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Strep - are a little bit newer and trendier terms, but, it's because we are seeing more and more kids presenting with sudden behavioral shifts, motor tics, and OCD tendencies, and very often it's after Strep infections.

Did you know that these are AUTOIMMUNE CONDITIONS?? 

Here is a brief explanation of how that works, using Strep infection as an example. Check out the podcast for much more detail, or better yet, check out our online educational program Making Sense of PANS/PANDAS where we go deeper and I show slides, pictures, I review studies, I explain lab testing options, supplements, support strategies, additional resources, but you ALSO learn about the mental health side of things from my good friend and counselor Alicia Howe LCPC, who specializes in treating OCD. 

SO - a kid (or adult) gets Strep throat (or many other infections). The immune system produces ANTIBODIES to "flag" Strep and produces INFLAMMATION to go "kill" Strep. We want this to happen. The problem is, that the body can "mistakenly" flag (antibodies) and attack (inflammation) its self - - THAT'S WHAT AUTOIMMUNITY IS - - and in this case, antibodies and autoimmune inflammation can impact dopamine signaling in areas like the basal ganglia - - that's why another name for this is autoimmune encephalitis or basal ganglia encephalitis. This can drive different responses like FEARS, ANXIETY, EMOTIONAL OUTBURSTS, EATING DISORDERS, EMOTIONAL LABILITY, MOTOR TICS, OBSESSIONS, COMPULSIONS, and more. 

As with ANY health condition or symptom, the key isn't some "miracle drug" to treat this condition, the key is to UNDERSTAND WHAT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING - - because understanding the mechanisms helps you understand the solutions, and helps you get actual results. The hope of this podcast, and our online educational program especially, is that we can help parents or others suffering to understand a bit more about what's going on and what they can do about it - - so share this with somebody who you think it could help!

In the medical or scientific world, you would have to live in a cave to not know the word "dysbiosis" - - it's ALL OVER the scientific literature, it's a popular buzzword on the internet, and along with "leaky gut" it's REALLY, REALLY important for autoimmunity - - but what exactly does that MEAN?!?! It just means imbalance of living things in the body, but it is a MAJOR DRIVER of inflammation, permeability, immune imbalances, histamine, autoimmune progression, and SYMPTOMS. 

Did you know you can have dysbiosis of the ear canal and that drives inner ear inflammation?

Did you know you can have dysbiosis of the mouth and it drives gingivitis and cavities? 

Did you know you can have dysbiosis of the sinus, lung, vaginal tract, or skin?

Dysbiosis is bad, it drives inflammation, and the solutions are generally to "pull weeds and plant seeds" - - but still - - HOW DO YOU KNOW, HOW CAN YOU MEASURE IT, and WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT IT?!?!

That's what this podcast breaks down - - (some of) the tools I use in an effort to suspect dysbiosis (symptoms), detect dysbiosis (labs), or address dysbiosis (action steps)  - - some of my favorite probiotics, antimicrobials, and more.

 Honestly, I see great results with bloating and feel confident that I can help improve this complaint, but over the years I have realized that there are different "types" of bloating - - there can be gas production, food reactivities, intestinal inflammation, uterine/ovarian inflammation, maldigestion, water retention, or all-of-the-above could be happening at the same time - and all these can lead to the feeling of abdominal distention and make someone say "I just feel BLOATED!"

I used to think that almost all bloating was fermentation of foods from imbalanced gut bacteria (dysbiosis - my next podcast episode!!!), but as I've helped hundreds of cases of bloating throughout the years, I now realize that not all "bloating" is the same thing - there is fermentation and gas production yes, which can come from Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO), and this is STILL the single-most common driver, but what if it's NOT SIBO? What if it's SIFO (fungal overgrowth)? What if it's LOW bacteria in the gut? What if they have H. pylori or a parasite? What if it's not from gut dysbiosis? What are the MECHANISMS THAT MAY BE INVOLVED? How can we test for these things, and WHAT CAN WE DO?!?!

In this podcast I discuss how I approach these cases, what the mechanisms might be, and how I differentiate bloating from foods vs. bloating from inflammation vs. bloating from histamine vs. bloating from water retention vs. bloating from hormone cycles - and how I might  address each of these differently so that someone comes back in and says "MY BLOATING IS GONE!", which is a great thing to hear :)

Due to several reasons, including my background training as a chiropractor, scope of licensure (can't prescribe....), my practice style (cash-based consultations services - no insurance), and some other reasons that I discuss in the podcast, I personally don't dive as deep into infections as many other practitioners do - Lyme, Bartonella, EBV, CMV, HHV, HSV, Strep, Pseudomonas, Mycoplasma, etc - but that doesn't mean I don't think they matter in autoimmunity, they matter A LOT. 

Everyone knows that infections drive inflammation.  Everyone knows when they have the flu they don't want to get out of bed. Everyone knows when they have strep throat they can't hardly swallow. Everyone remembers 2020. My kids even know this stuff. Fevers, coughs, lethargy, earaches, belly aches, headaches - that's an immune response, and it's a GOOD THING most of the time. BUT, then it can get confusing when you go deeper than surface-level! 

There are a lot of different "types" of infection - acute, chronic, something you picked up from your kids vs. something that's been living inside of your body that has become imbalanced (yeast, SIBO, etc) vs. something that "reactivates" like a virus....then there are RNA viruses and DNA viruses, there are tick-borne infections that can lay dormant or be passed in utero to babies, there are biofilm colonies of bugs (which Dr. Van Zant describes as a "party" that we don't know who all is at at the party, but we know it's going on inside of us.....I love that!), and there are GOOD BUGS TOO - and it can be confusing. 

SO, in this episode, Dr. Van Zant and I discuss all of these things and more, including testing, treatment, some clinical tools we use, some reasons for why we do what we do when we do it, while both having the same goal - trying to help people get better. 

If you are local, you should call Ben. MOST of my podcast audience is not from Central Illinois, but I still think this episode will be helpful and educational to hear what a GOOD INSPECTOR LOOKS FOR. I just had someone in my practice who had Ben out to her house, he found some really, really important puzzle pieces that needed to be addressed - but her house had been previously inspected and remediated more than once, but she was still experiencing weird health symptoms. She was MAD at the previous inspectors, but she was so grateful for Ben!! Unfortunately, we hear that quite often.

Ben Kunze has a great purpose-driven story. He was intrigued by mold and indoor air testing after a family member was experiencing health concerns that led them to discover mold, and he took on an apprenticeship under Martine Davis, a well-known mold/environmental inspector out of Wisconsin, then began his own testing business, which grew into a full-time job. Since then, Ben has tested over 1000 homes. 

When you've inspected 1000 homes, you start to notice trends, patterns, common themes, mistakes, etc - and that is what this episode is all about - what Ben has seen and what YOU should be looking out for in your home. Ben's job is literally to snoop around your whole house - the roof, gutters, windows, plumbing, basement, attic, bathroom, etc. I am embarrassed to admit that Ben has been into places in my house that I have never even been! He spends several hours at each job visually inspecting, taking pictures, measuring humidity levels, and taking lab samples when indicated, and then he provides the results of course, but also gives an EXTENSIVE and DETAILED written report covering everything from lab values that were found to remediation considerations and priorities.

I tell people that Ben has two questions he asks when he's looking at a home/building:

1. If I were water, where would I go?

2. If I were mold, where could I grow? 

His knowledge and experience are amazing, his service is amazing, and I've personally seen him impact hundreds of people's lives and their health journeys, and that's the point of this episode - it's a great conversation that covers a lot of important topics, and my hope is that it can be really helpful for someone who is trying to navigate the sometimes-overwhelming world of mold, mold testing, mold remediation, air quality in general, and environmentally-acquired illnesses. 

As always leave a rating, a (good) review, or send this to someone you care about!

The Dust Test - one of the best available DIY lab tests for people who are suspicious of mold or want to test their home.....I actually reviewed Dust Test results with an out-of-state client this morning!

Home Cleanse - a nationwide mold and indoor air quality remediation service that can help make this seem less overwhelming, guide the process, connect you with local contractors, but also help make sure that things get done right....which is the most important part!

Change the Air Foundation - Michael is the chair of this foundation, along with a few key partners that we chat about in the podcast, and their mission is to make larger-scale impact on this problem of "air quality" and mold specifically by focusing on research, education and pushing for change from the top down (government) and from the bottom up (resources for YOU to clean YOUR ENVIRONMENT). They have a ton of free educational resources and downloads, and they even have helped push new legislation through improving "mold remediation" standards in my home state of Illinois!

In this podcast we talk in more detail about some of these companies and the things moving and shaking in the mold world, from policy changes to action steps you can take TODAY at home, so listen to the episode and click the links to learn more. 

The companies that Michael is involved with tell you a lot about his heart for helping people and his personal mission and purpose - to educate people about the problem(s) we are facing that are associated with our air quality and the various components like mold, mycotoxins, and other indoor environmental allergens, irritants, toxins....and offer people solutions. This aligns so well with my purpose and mission - to educate about the underlying causes, mechanisms, and potential solutions for autoimmunity, in an effort to help relieve suffering - and air quality is one of the most important and most overlooked topics. I hope you enjoy this conversation, I know I did!

As always, please leave a rating, give a (good) review, or send this to someone you care about!

1. Stimulate Your Vagus Nerve to decrease sympathetic dominance
   1. TENS Device
   2. Gargling/Gagging/Humming
   3. Coffee Enema
2. Challenge Your AUTONOMIC INPUTS
   1. Breath work
   2. Temperature - cold plunges, contrast showers
   3. HR - HeartMath or other HRV training
3. Challenge Your Visual and Sensory Inputs
   1. Vestibular exercises like VizStim (next podcast episode!)
   2. Chiropractic
4. Challenge Your Psychological Inputs
   1. Limbic System Retraining Programs
   2. Neurolinguistic programming - Gratitude/Affirmations

All that, and more, are discussed in detail in the episode. Give it a listen, give a 5-star review, and subscribe for more content, including my next podcast interview with Dr. Ashley Contreras talking about dizziness and rewiring the vestibular system.

Here are some of things worth linking to.....
VizStim
Gupta Program
How to Stimulate Your Vagus Nerve with a TENS Device
How to Use Binaural Beats to Shift Gears in your Brain
Why You Become Hypersensitive - Cell Danger Response and Limbic System Dysfunction

• Neurotransmitter Activity - serotonin, dopamine, acetylcholine, epinephrine/norepinephrine, GABA
• Adequate Oxygen - good blood flow, no anemia
• Steady Fuel - no hypoglycemia, and no insulin resistance
• Proper Lipid Morphology - omega 3s, DHA, phosphatidylcholine
• Healthy Stimulation - learning, fun, skills, memory, coordination, visual complexity, connecting with other humans
• Hormone Balance - estrogen, testosterone, progesterone, cortisol (steroid hormones), thyroid 
• Gut-Brain Connection - good micro biome, bacterial diversity and abundance, no infections/overgrowths, good vagus nerve activity
• Healthy Circadian Rhythms - good light exposure, good sleep....

I also briefly talk through a patient's case history and some of her symptoms, lab findings, and how we have kept her brain healthy and kept her symptoms under control over the past several years. The next several episodes will be more of this, teaching you how to solve your own puzzle!

1. Diarrhea - I talk about IBS, IBD, low microbiome and good bacteria/probiotics, glutamine, mast cells, and hydrogen SIBO....
2. Constipation - I talk dysbiosis/methane, and a LOT about vagal motor outflow and vagus nerve activity that controls motility as well as HCL, bile, enzymes....
3. Bloating - When I hear bloating I think small intestine and fermentation. Dysbiosis is often at the root, which includes proper digestion (HCL and bile), and I touch on SIBO/SIFO, avoiding FODMAPs foods....
4. Digestion - This is critical!! Chewing your food, being in parasympathetic mode, then proper stomach acid - it can be too high (mast cells) or too low (more common), pancreatic digestive enzymes, bile from the gallbladder (steatocrit), and of course VAGUS BABY!
5. Dysbiosis - The 10 lbs of bacteria in your gut can become imbalanced. Low good bacteria, general microbiome imbalances…..and LPS!!!!!
6. Leaky Gut - Everyone can have some intestinal permeability, is yours pathological, and if so what kind is it - paracellular or transcellular? 
7. Food Sensitivities - IgG testing, and how food sensitivities can drive autoimmune reactivity, general inflammatory tone, and initiate T cell mediated tissue damage
8. SIBO - Bloating! Fermentation of fibers, starches, sugars, FODMAPs ...why you need HCL, bile, vagus outflow……Why I think SIBO testing is dumb….
9. Candida - OMG….the single biggest thing I see. Antibiotics, sugar, stress, birth control, mold exposure, can drive a Th17 inflammatory response (autoimmune), can also drive Th2 (and both will decrease Th1)......and why I love urinary organic acids testing for fungal issues.
10. Parasites - this I am going to do a whole episode on because it’s crazy, it’s quite frankly pretty controversial in the autoimmune world, is it better to have or to not have them??? The answer is IT DEPENDS. But I do talk about someone who was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis and it actually seemed to be a parasitic infection, pretty interesting story :)

Share this with someone, subscribe, leave a rating and review, and follow me elsewhere!

• Bowel Function
• Kidney Function
• Liver and Bile Flow
• Lymph Drainage
• BINDERS!
• Glutathione
• Methylation
• Mitochondria
• Cell Membrane Support

and lots, lots more. ENJOY! Please leave a rating and review, follow me on Instagram and Youtube, and share with a friend!!

1. Bucket Theory explains everything - keep this in mind if things are NOT getting better. SOMETHING is still filling the bucket from somewhere if you are actively trying to detoxify and leading a non-toxic life and you aren't improving. You have to empty the bucket faster than you are filling - you either aren't emptying it well, or you are still exposed somewhere.
2. Breathing - There are only a few "exits" for things to get out of the body, breath is one of them. Think about a roadside alcohol test - you breathe out toxins to get rid of them.
3. Peeing - this one is more obvious that you are "getting rid of waste", but the kidneys filter toxins and toxic metabolites, and you pee them out, so that system has to be working well too. 
4. Pooping - This one is the most obvious - - waste is bad so you want to get it out of you!! Your poop is how you get rid of MANY MANY toxins, and if your gut is not moving well, everything else backs up. 
5. Sweating - You are slightly limited on how much you can speed up your breathing, peeing, and pooping, but you can always open the other exit - sweat. Many toxins have been found excreted in the sweat - mycotoxins, BPA, parabens, metals, etc, so sweating is crucial for detoxification.
6. Liver/Bile Flow - The liver filters toxins (through many processes - phase I and II, cytochrome P450 enzymes, glutathione, conjugation, glucuronidation, methylation, etc). These toxins are then put into bile, which is stored and released by the gallbladder. You have to have good liver function to filter the toxins, and then you have to have good gallbladder function and bile flow for the toxins to get into the gut, then you have to be pooping for them to get out.
7. Lymph Drainage - The lymphatic system is one way that toxins and waste products are transported around the body to be excreted, and your lymphatic system has to be moving, it can't be stagnant. 
8. Cell Membranes - Toxins damage your cell membranes (including mitochondrial membrane), causing lipid peroxidation, stiffening, and poor membrane fluidity. Then toxins can also STORE in the cell membranes, so you need good healthy cell membrane support - this can be really important for detoxification.
9. Mitochondria - THEY DO IT ALL!!!! Toxins store in the mitochondria, they damage the mitochondria, they affect fatty acid beta oxidation, Kreb's Cycle, Oxidative Phosphorylation, all the things - and mitochondria power detoxification in the liver, organs, cells, etc. It's all mitochondrial!
10. Relevant Genes - There are a lot of relevant genes in detoxification, and it's super important. Many of them relate to "methylation", like MTHFR, COMT, PEMT, HNMT, but there are many others that regulate processes like glutathione recycling, cytochrome P450 activity, and many many more. 

• Fatigue
• Brain Fog
• Anxiety/Depression
• Insomnia
• Headaches
• Hair Loss
• Heart Palpitations
• Menstrual Changes
• and more!

People are suffering with these new symptoms and don't know where to turn, there is a lot of opinion on the internet but WHAT IS REALLY GOING ON???

That's the point of this podcast (and the Long Haulers Youtube webinar linked above!) - explain (some of) the mechanisms, explain why you may have gotten here, how you can know what YOU need to target, go over the labs that can help explain your personal symptoms, talk about the supplements that work, and the natural lifestyle strategies that make sense, and review the science and research behind all of it. 

Please share this!! A lot of people are experiencing these symptoms and don't know where to look for answers!!

• Exercise - nothing is better for your mitochondria!
• Targeted Supplements (including my Top 10 List!)
• Fasting - Intermittent and Extended
• Ketogenic Diet - a "Mitochondrial Therapy"
• Red/Infrared Photobiomodulation (Low-Level Light Therapy, LLLT)
• Cold Thermogenesis
• Grounding/Earthing
• ...and why you need to avoid things like EMF radiation, excessive blue light, toxins like pesticides, mycotoxins, heavy metals, and a high sugar diet. 

Many of these wellness strategies are well-known (like exercise or avoiding sugar) while others have become  downright trendy in recent years (like fasting, keto diets, cold plunges, and red light therapy), but it's because people are experiencing great results by doing these things, there is excellent science coming out about the mechanisms, and because IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MITOCHONDRIA.

• The highest level of testing is having a good inspector!
• ERMI and HERTSMI testing
• EMMA testing
• Mold Plates
• Bad Inspectors

#2 - Remediation - REMOVE moldy drywall, carpet, mold on wood, clean, sand, vacuum, etc

• How do they know?? Pre- and post- testing!!
• Plastic Wrap, etc - protect your environment!
• "Negative Pressure"
• Air Scrubbers
• HEPA Vacuum 

#3 - Do-It-Yourself Options

• REMOVAL - protect yourself and your environment! Not recommended for DIY....
• Fogging
• HEPA Vacuum
• Air Scrubber
• Ozone
• CLEAN UP AFTER!!!!

#4 - Air Quality Control / Mold & Mycotoxin Maintenance

• Air Purifier - I like Austin Air the best!
• Detergent Additive - clean your clothes from airborne toxins
• Sprays - for furniture, carpet, hard surfaces, cleaning
• Candles - could neutralize spores and mycotoxins
• Dehumidifier - keep humidity below 50%
• Duct cleaning
• DUSTING! I forgot to discuss this on the episode, but it's important to keep your house clean in general. Dust is mold food, and dust has all sorts of particles, proteins, and fungal and bacterial fragments that can be inflammatory. 

#5 - Equipment You Need to Have

• AN AIR PURIFIER IS A MUST-HAVE!
• Good HEPA Vacuum 
• Fogger (large fogger or a personal airspace fogger)
• Ozone (large machine or a personal space machine)
• EC3 Candles
• EC3 Spray
• EC3 Detergent

Youtube Video: Mold Toxicity and Mycotoxin Illness

Youtube Video: Research Review - Mycotoxins Induce Neurotoxicity

• Our Food - heavy metals, glyphosate, pesticides, nanoparticles, chemicals, additives, preservatives, dyes.....
• Our Air - industrial pollution, heavy metals, exhaust, smoke, farming pollution, indoor air quality.....
• Our Water - fluoride, drug residues, hormones, heavy metals.....
• Our Homes - "off-gassing" from electronics, furniture, formaldehyde, molds, VOCs, radon

IT'S PRETTY HARD TO AVOID THOSE 4 THINGS IF YOU ASK ME!

The body is pretty good at clearing toxins out, but what if these toxins accumulate faster than they are cleared? 

• Toxins can suppress the immune system, which allows for "expansion" of pathogen burden
• Toxins deplete glutathione, which opens up the "barriers" that are supposed to keep bad things out, leading to leaky gut, leaky lung, leaky sinus, leaky brain - allowing more pathogens, toxins, undigested food particles to enter the body and sets the stage for autoimmune disease
• Toxins disrupt cellular functions like cell membrane integrity and mitochondrial ATP production, which supplies the battery power to your entire organism
• Toxins disrupt hormones and endocrine control, and are heavily linked to reproductive problems including infertility
• Toxins damage the BRAIN! Many toxins are neurotoxic. 

I honestly believe that the increase in toxicity is the single-best explanation for the rise in autoimmunity, infertility, and chronic inflammatory diseases in the past 50 years. Even in the context of other "causes" or "contributors" of autoimmune disease, toxins could still be to blame. Gluten might not be a problem without toxins inflaming the gut and poking holes in the lining. Gut health might not be as big of a problem if our digestive tract wasn't exposed to so many toxins in the food supply. Epstein-Barr Virus might not be a problem if you didn't live in a toxic soup that has affected your mitochondria and cellular energy production. Stress might not be your flare trigger if your HPA axis hadn't been messed up by toxic stress affecting pituitary function and hormone balance.

IT IS ALL TOXICITY'S FAULT!!!!!

I think that, especially in the era of post-2020, pathogens are famous right now (especially one), but we've always had pathogens around. We co-evolved together. They generally aren't new.

Toxins are new. The actual toxins are new, the increase in exposure is new, and the total body burden is new to humanity. The toxins today literally did not exist a couple generations ago. Our bodies do not know what to do with them. For my kids and their future health, it's not about keeping them away from pathogens, in fact, it's quite the opposite for me, I encourage exposure to pathogens. But toxins are a different story.

I'm not scared of viruses as much as I'm scared of toxins. And you should be too. 

• Do you have a chronic "infectious burden"? 
• Do you have imbalanced white blood cells?
• What are you trying to fight? Virus? Bacteria? Fungus?
• Where are you trying to fight it?

Then, do you need to:

• Boost NK and innate immune function?
• Boost Th1 and adaptive immune function?
• Stop viral replication?
• Resolve inflammation?
• Decrease fibrosis?
• Promote Tolerance?

Then, you may choose to use natural substances such as:

• Echinacea
• Astragalus
• Zinc
• Vitamin C
• Glutathione
• Baicalan
• Berberine
• Black Walnut
• Pau D'Arco
• Coriolus 
• Reishi

The key is that there are many many options, and many important questions to answer, so it's important to work through all the mechanisms and get as complete a picture as possible before you go trying to shift your immune system. Just because your symptoms may match up with an internet article about Epstein-Barr Virus, doesn't mean that the other 490 trillion viruses don't matter. And don't put all of your eggs into the "pathogens" basket - - everything matters!

• SIBO Breath Test
• Food Sensitivities (IgG vs. IgA)
• Mucosal Immune Triggers (IgA)
• Leaky Gut Testing (occludin, zonulin, actomyosin, cytoskeleton antibodies)
• Organic Acids Testing
• and Stool Testing, which I spend the most time discussing because it gives the most information about the gut, including.....

• Details of your "Microbiome" - too much bacteria, too little, which species?
• Infections or Pathogens - H. pylori, E. coli, parasites, Candida, etc
• Digestion - digestive enzymes, HCL, Secretory IgA, calprotectin, SCFA, etc

Some panels offer more in-depth analysis than others, but again the important thing is to choose the right test for the right situation, and then choose the right value for your particular situation. In this episode I cover all of these factors - and hopefully it helps you navigate your own health journey better!

• Gliadin IgA (gluten sensitivity inflaming the inside of the gut lining)
• Tissue Transglutaminase 2 (TTG2) antibodies (autoimmunity is destroying the gut lining)
• Tissue biopsy showing "total villous atrophy"

What if you have 2 of those 3? You don't have Celiac, but you may have "almost Celiac". 

What if you have a gluten sensitivity and TTG2 antibodies but have not had a biopsy? You don't have Celiac, but you have "almost Celiac". 

In this episode I give several examples, review a couple lab examples, and talk about this problem because it's a pretty big problem in the autoimmune world. Just because you "don't have Celiac" doesn't mean that you don't "almost" have it!

• Th1 (fights intracellular infections)
• Th2 (produces mucus and expels allergens and parasites)
• Th17 (causes tissue-damaging inflammation)
• Regulatory T cells (Tregs), which are the peacemakers that dampen inflammation

Autoimmunity ALWAYS has an imbalance of too much Th17 activity and not enough Treg activity, but what about Th1/Th2? 

Eventually MOST autoimmune patients will present with decreased Th1 and increased Th2, and in this episode I go through some of the details of how this happens, how the patient presents and how this needs to be handled clinically to get it under control!

• Fatigue
• Brain Fog
• Weight Gain or Inability to Lose Weight
• Constipation
• Anxiety/Depression
• Hair Loss
• Weak Nails
• Dry Skin

Obviously this is a thyroid disease, but so much matters beyond the thyroid! Thyroid hormone affects every function in the body, and many systems in the body affect the thyroid and are associated with Hashimoto's, and need to be adequately addressed, such as:

• Gut Health - Celiac, leaky gut, food sensitivities, infections, SIBO, etc
• Brain Function - Cerebellar and Demyelinating autoimmunity are not uncommon!
• Immune System - Th1/Th2 balance, chronic infections, immune tolerance
• Toxins and Detoxification - mold, mercury, BPA, liver/gallbladder function
• Hormone Balance - estrogen, cortisol, insulin, etc

In this episode I discuss these topics and more, and it gets pretty clinical but the goal is to help a Hashimoto's patient navigate their own journey, or let people know how really complicated it can be. It's a puzzle!

I review Dr. Kharrazian's Hashimoto's Clinical Checklist and go through some of the clinical questions that need to be answered to appropriately handle a Hashimoto's case. None of these questions include the conventional medical question "What is their TSH?"!! (Listen to last episode for more info on TSH, T3, T4, etc)

• Some of the basics of food sensitivities and what that means with regards to "leaky gut"
• Some of the popular researchers and authors that are great resources on food sensitivities
• Elimination/Provocation Diets like Autoimmune Paleo Protocol, Whole30, IFM's Elimination Diet
• Food Sensitivity testing and why many labs aren't the most reliable, and my preferred lab(s)

Youtube Video reviewing the Food Sensitivities Journal that I reference in this episode:
https://youtu.be/4MeEH1Rx5VA

Share with someone you know has a food sensitivity!

My Youtube Channel

There are a ton that I didn't mention, so it's not all-inclusive, these are just some of my favorites. Some that I think I left out include:
- Magnesium (duh)
- Zinc
- Potassium
- I also didn't mention much about flavonoids, which I love, including quercetin and luteolin

Hope it's helpful! Leave a rating and review please and send it to a friend! SUBSCRIBE!

Infections and autoimmunity - friends or foes? Trends Immunology 2009 Aug 30(8) 409-14 Kivity et al. 

Each autoimmune puzzle is different, but all 5 of these drivers need to be addressed for success!