The Autoimmune Wellness Podcast

Episode 91: Understanding Hair Loss and Autoimmune Disease with VJ Hamilton
Hair loss is one of the most common symptoms people experience with autoimmune disease—but it's also one of the most misunderstood. While many people assume it's simply part of having an autoimmune condition, hair loss can actually have many different causes, from immune dysfunction and nutrient deficiencies to hormone changes, chronic stress, and scalp inflammation.
In this episode of the Autoimmune Wellness Podcast, Mickey Trescott is joined by registered nutritionist, AIP Certified Coach, and founder of the Autoimmunity Nutrition Clinic, VJ Hamilton, to explore the many factors that influence hair health in people with autoimmune disease. VJ brings both professional expertise and personal experience, having lived with alopecia areata, psoriasis, and post-viral chronic fatigue syndrome herself.
Together, they discuss the different types of hair loss commonly seen in autoimmune patients, how to distinguish between them, and why identifying the underlying cause is essential for supporting healthy regrowth. They also explore nutrient deficiencies, gut health, hormones, stress, topical therapies, and why patience is such an important part of the healing process.
In this episode, you'll learn:
The different types of hair loss associated with autoimmune disease
How alopecia areata differs from stress-, hormone-, and nutrient-related hair loss
Why iron deficiency and low ferritin are common contributors to hair shedding
The role of protein, B vitamins, zinc, selenium, vitamin D, and omega-3s in healthy hair growth
How gut health and nutrient absorption influence hair health
Why stress-related hair shedding often occurs months after a stressful event
The importance of investigating the root cause rather than treating hair loss as a diagnosis
Which supplements may be helpful—and which are often overhyped
Topical strategies that may support scalp and follicle health
Why hair is often one of the last tissues to recover during healing
How to set realistic expectations for hair regrowth while addressing underlying health concerns

Resources:
VJ Hamilton
Website: https://autoimmunenutritionclinic.com
Instagram: @theautoimmunitynutritionist
Podcast: The Autoimmune Reset

Episode Timeline:
00:00 – Why hair loss is so common in autoimmune disease
01:52 – Introducing VJ Hamilton
03:13 – VJ's journey with alopecia, psoriasis, and chronic fatigue
06:40 – Different types of hair loss in autoimmune disease
13:30 – Nutrient deficiencies and hair health
23:46 – Common root causes and what to investigate first
27:26 – Why stress-related hair shedding is delayed
30:34 – Helpful supplements (and common misconceptions)
35:15 – Topical treatments and scalp care
41:23 – Setting realistic expectations for hair regrowth
47:14 – Wrap-up and where to learn more

Episode 90: Gut Healing on AIP — What’s Really Happening | Deep Dive
When most people start the Autoimmune Protocol, they naturally focus on the food: what to remove, what to eat instead, and how to navigate all of the planning that comes with a major dietary change.
But one of the most important things happening during AIP is often something you can’t actually see—changes happening inside the gut itself.
Because AIP isn’t just designed to remove potential food triggers. It’s also designed to support systems commonly affected in autoimmune disease, including the gut lining, the microbiome, nutrient status, and immune regulation.
And those changes don’t always happen quickly or in a straight line.
For many people, healing happens gradually over time. Digestion may become more stable. Energy may improve. Foods that caused symptoms early on may become tolerable much later in the process.
In this episode of the AIP Deep Dive series, Mickey explains what’s actually happening in the gut during AIP and why healing often continues long after the elimination phase ends.
She explores intestinal permeability, the microbiome, nutrient density, lifestyle factors, and why healing is often more about rebuilding resilience than achieving perfection.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why the gut plays such an important role in autoimmune disease
What intestinal permeability (“leaky gut”) actually means
How stress, sleep, and lifestyle affect gut healing
What changes may happen in the microbiome during AIP
Why nutrient density is essential for repair and immune regulation
How reintroductions provide information about healing capacity
Why healing and food tolerance can evolve over time
How to approach setbacks and reactions with more patience and clarity

Resources:
The New Autoimmune Protocol (Book) – A practical guide to implementing AIP with a focus on preparation, sustainability, and personalization
The Nutrient Dense Kitchen – A cookbook and resource focused on nutrient density for healing
AIP Foundation Series – Free 5-day email course with food lists, meal plans, and beginner tools
Episode 51: The AIP in 2026

Episode Timeline:
00:00 – Introduction and Mickey’s personal gut healing story
04:35 – Why the gut matters in autoimmune disease
09:10 – Intestinal permeability (“leaky gut”) explained
14:10 – How the microbiome shifts during AIP
17:55 – Why nutrient density supports repair
21:30 – The role of lifestyle, stress, and sleep
25:31 – Why healing isn’t linear
31:22 – Wrap-up and key takeaways

Episode 89: The Future of Autoimmune Research with Victoria Shanmugam, Director of the Office of Autoimmune Disease Research
Autoimmune disease affects an estimated 50 million Americans, yet for decades these conditions have often received less attention, coordination, and funding than other major chronic diseases.
That landscape is beginning to change.
In this episode of the Autoimmune Wellness Podcast, Mickey Trescott is joined by Dr. Victoria Shanmugam, rheumatologist, physician-scientist, and Director of the Office of Autoimmune Disease Research (OADR) at the National Institutes of Health. Created by Congress in 2023, the OADR was established to coordinate autoimmune disease research across the NIH and help accelerate progress in understanding, treating, preventing, and ultimately curing autoimmune diseases.
Together, Mickey and Dr. Shanmugam discuss why the office was created, how autoimmune research is evolving, and the most promising areas of innovation currently underway. They explore everything from environmental triggers and large-scale data platforms to early disease detection, CAR-T therapies, and the future of personalized autoimmune medicine.
This conversation offers a hopeful and practical look at where autoimmune research is headed—and what that progress could mean for patients over the next decade.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Why the Office of Autoimmune Disease Research was created and what its mission is
How autoimmune diseases intersect with every organ system and NIH research institute
What the first NIH-wide Strategic Plan for Autoimmune Disease Research includes
Why studying multiple autoimmune diseases together may accelerate discoveries
How environmental exposures may influence autoimmune disease risk and progression
The role of large-scale collaborations and data-sharing platforms in research
Why early detection and preclinical autoimmune disease are major areas of focus
How Type 1 diabetes research is shaping new approaches to prevention
What CAR-T therapies and other immune-targeted treatments may offer in the future
Why patient participation and advocacy remain essential to research progress
What researchers hope to achieve over the next five to ten years in autoimmune medicine

Resources:
Office of Autoimmune Disease Research (OADR)
NIH-Wide Strategic Plan for Autoimmune Disease Research
OADR Quarterly Community Updates (Must Attend Live)
NOURISH Challenge Initiative
EXACT Plan Network (Environmental Exposures & Autoimmune Disease)

Episode Timeline:
00:00 – Why autoimmune research is entering a new era
01:41 – Introducing Dr. Victoria Shanmugam
03:29 – What is the Office of Autoimmune Disease Research?
04:58 – Why autoimmune diseases have historically been under-researched
07:19 – Goals of the OADR and coordination across NIH
09:54 – Studying more than 140 autoimmune diseases together
12:00 – The NOURISH challenge and nutrition research initiatives
14:07 – Promising areas of autoimmune disease research
16:09 – Environmental exposures and the EXACT Plan Network
17:28 – Autoimmune Centers of Excellence and cross-disease collaboration
18:34 – New clinical trials and prevention-focused research
20:02 – Early detection and preclinical autoimmune disease
21:18 – Data platforms and large-scale collaboration efforts
25:18 – How patients should think about research progress
26:32 – What the next 5–10 years may bring
28:49 – How patients can stay informed and engaged
30:16 – Why patient voices matter in research
31:00 – Wrap-up and closing reflections

Episode 88: The First AIP Pilot Trial in Rheumatoid Arthritis with Julianne Taylor
Can dietary change meaningfully improve rheumatoid arthritis symptoms?
A recently published pilot study investigating the Autoimmune Protocol diet in adults with rheumatoid arthritis found improvements in patient-reported disease activity, pain, fatigue, sleep, and quality of life measures—with several participants reaching remission-level scores by the end of the intervention.
In this episode of the Autoimmune Wellness Podcast, Mickey Trescott is joined by registered nutritionist, AIP Certified Coach, and PhD candidate Julianne Taylor to discuss the first clinical trial investigating the Autoimmune Protocol in rheumatoid arthritis.
Julianne shares her personal journey into autoimmune nutrition research, explains how the study was designed, and walks through the results of the pilot trial—including improvements in fatigue, sleep, pain, and disease activity.
Together, they also explore the nuances and limitations of dietary research, discuss why individual responses vary, and dive into Julianne’s broader scoping review of elimination and reintroduction diets in rheumatoid arthritis spanning decades of research.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
How Julianne’s personal health experience led her into autoimmune nutrition research
What a pilot feasibility study is and why it matters
How the AIP rheumatoid arthritis study was designed
Why patient-reported outcomes like fatigue and sleep are important in RA research
What improvements participants experienced during the intervention
Why some participants experienced challenges or adverse effects
How nutrient density and food eliminations may both influence outcomes
What historical elimination diet research in RA reveals about common trigger foods
Why nightshades continue to be an important area of interest in autoimmune nutrition
What future research on AIP and rheumatoid arthritis may explore next

Resources:
Paleo Zone Nutrition (blog)
Julianne Taylor Nutrition (website)
Julianne Taylor on Instagram
The First AIP Pilot Trial in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Elimination, Reintroduction Diets, and Oral Food Challenge in Adults with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Scoping Review

Episode Timeline:
00:00 – Introduction to the first AIP rheumatoid arthritis pilot study
01:56 – Introducing Julianne Taylor
03:54 – Julianne’s personal health journey and early paleo research
11:34 – What a pilot feasibility study is
13:05 – The questionnaires used in the AIP RA pilot trial
17:07 – The AIP intervention and elimination phase
19:32 – Results of the rheumatoid arthritis pilot study
24:56 – Discussing adverse effects and individual variability
30:57 – Diet quality versus food eliminations
33:54 – Reviewing decades of elimination diet research in RA
38:48 – Common trigger foods identified in the literature
42:31 – Nightshades and rheumatoid arthritis
44:31 – Upcoming AIP and RA research
51:20 – What Julianne hopes clinicians and patients take away from the research
53:23 – Where to follow Julianne’s work online

Episode 87: Celebrating NAIP Launch Week & Creating Through Chronic Illness with Alaina Moore of Tennis
What does it take to keep creating when your body is struggling? How do you continue making meaningful work while navigating uncertainty, limitations, and chronic illness in real time?
In this special episode of the Autoimmune Wellness Podcast, Mickey Trescott celebrates the launch of The New Autoimmune Protocol with a deeply personal conversation featuring her longtime friend Alaina Moore—vocalist and songwriter of the indie band Tennis.
Instead of interviewing a guest, Mickey takes the guest seat herself as Alaina turns the tables to explore the creative process behind the new book, the realities of creating while chronically ill, and the surprising overlap between art, music, food, and healing.
Together, they discuss what it means to pursue creative work while managing chronic illness, how illness can shape identity and perspective, and why adapting to changing capacity is often part of the process. Alaina also shares her experience navigating dysphonia while recording and touring, while Mickey reflects on photographing The New Autoimmune Protocol during a severe autoimmune eye flare.
This conversation is honest, funny, emotional, and deeply relatable for anyone who has tried to keep showing up for meaningful work while living in a body that doesn’t always cooperate.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
How chronic illness can shape creativity, identity, and artistic work
Why adapting to limitations is often part of the creative process
The similarities between songwriting, recipe development, and visual storytelling
How Mickey approaches recipe development, writing, and cookbook photography
Why creative work often requires both structure and chaos
How sensory imagination influences both music and cooking
Alaina Moore’s experience recovering from dysphonia while touring with Tennis
Mickey’s experience photographing a cookbook during an autoimmune eye flare
Why accepting chronic illness can feel freeing instead of limiting
The emotional impact of medical gaslighting and delayed diagnosis
How creativity, music, and art can help people move through illness
Why managing chronic illness is different from “overcoming” it

Resources:
Alaina Moore & Tennis
Website: https://tennis-music.com
Instagram: @tennisinc
Playlist mentioned in the episode: Available here!

Mickey Trescott
Book: The New Autoimmune Protocol

Episode Timeline:
00:00 – Introduction and NAIP launch week reflections
01:31 – Introducing Alaina Moore of Tennis
04:37 – Artists, chronic illness, and creative resilience
07:08 – Mickey’s writing and recipe development process
13:31 – Alaina’s songwriting process and creative structure
18:11 – Music, taste, and sensory imagination
25:07 – How Mickey perfects recipes
30:17 – Why Mickey shares her work publicly
32:56 – Creative breakthroughs and photographing the new book
39:02 – Alaina’s experience with dysphonia and vocal rehabilitation
44:11 – Accepting chronic illness and redefining healing
51:14 – Wrap-up and closing reflections