The Autoimmune Wellness Podcast

Episode 86: What Joy Can Survive? Chronic Illness and Healing with K.J. Ramsey
What if healing isn’t about getting rid of pain—but about learning how to remain fully alive within it?
In this episode of the Autoimmune Wellness Podcast, Mickey Trescott is joined by K.J. Ramsey, trauma-informed therapist, author, and chronic illness advocate. Her new memoir, The Place Between Our Pains, explores life with chronic illness, medical trauma, and the complicated relationship many of us have with our bodies when healing doesn’t look the way we expected.
Together, Mickey and K.J. explore what it means to live well even when symptoms persist. They discuss medical gaslighting, identity shifts, self-trust, redefining healing, and why joy and grief often coexist in the chronic illness experience.
K.J. also shares how journaling and creative practices helped her process pain, reconnect with herself, and remain present through years of illness and uncertainty.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
How chronic illness can shape identity, especially in early adulthood
Why medical gaslighting is so damaging—and how self-trust becomes essential
The emotional impact of being sick without clear answers or validation
How dissociation and disconnection from the body can develop during chronic illness
Why speaking to your body with compassion changes the healing process
What it means to redefine healing beyond symptom elimination
How chronic illness can deepen connection, creativity, and joy
Why grief and joy often coexist in the healing journey
The role of journaling and creative practices in processing pain and stress
How creativity can help transform suffering into meaning and aliveness
Why “being fully alive” may matter more than becoming symptom-free

Resources:
K.J. Ramsey
Website: https://www.kjramsey.com
Instagram: @kjramseywrites
Book: The Place Between Our Pains

Episode Timeline:
00:00 – Introduction and trigger warning
01:04 – Introducing K.J. Ramsey and The Place Between Our Pains
04:33 – Identity and illness in early adulthood
09:20 – Medical gaslighting and self-trust
16:01 – Dissociation, embodiment, and learning to listen to the body
24:14 – Redefining healing and living fully with pain
32:19 – How illness changes us
40:15 – Journaling, creativity, and processing pain
52:08 – Wrap-up and closing reflections

Episode 85: Developing Your Personal Health Vision with Jaime Hartman
When starting the Autoimmune Protocol, it’s easy to focus on the details—what to eat, what to remove, and how to do everything “right.” But there’s a deeper question that often gets overlooked: what are you actually working toward?
In this episode of the Autoimmune Wellness Podcast, Mickey Trescott is joined by Jaime Hartman, National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach, educator, and co-teacher of the AIP Certified Coach Program, to explore the concept of a personal health vision.
This conversation introduces a foundational mindset shift—moving beyond short-term goals and into a clear, personalized vision of what health means to you. Jaime explains how this approach helps guide decisions, build resilience, and create a more sustainable path through AIP and beyond.
Together, they explore how defining your vision can help you stay grounded, communicate your needs, and navigate the complexities of chronic illness with more clarity and purpose.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
The difference between a health goal and a personal health vision
Why having a clear vision makes AIP more sustainable and meaningful
How different models of health (medical, holistic, and wellness) shape your perspective
Why a personal health vision acts as a compass during challenging moments
How to use your vision to make decisions about priorities, support, and care
Real-life examples of how health vision influences daily choices and long-term strategy
How your vision can help guide reintroductions and lifestyle flexibility
Why personal values, relationships, and purpose are essential parts of healing
Journaling prompts and visualization techniques to help define your vision
How to approach this process if you feel discouraged, disconnected, or unsure what’s possible

Resources:
Jaime Hartman
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaimehartman22/
Website: https://gutsybynature.com
AIP Summit: https://aipsummit.com

AIP Certified Coach Program & Practitioner Directory: https://aipcertified.com
Episode Timeline:
00:00 – Why AIP needs a bigger “why” beyond food rules
01:57 – Introducing Jaime Hartman
03:10 – What a personal health vision is (vs. goals)
05:57 – Medical, holistic, and wellness models of health
09:45 – Why vision matters in autoimmune healing
12:09 – How to use your health vision in real life
17:11 – Journaling prompts to define your vision
22:59 – How to begin if you feel discouraged
25:00 – Final reflections and encouragement

Episode 84: Troubleshooting AIP — How to Identify What’s Going Wrong | Deep Dive
When you start the Autoimmune Protocol, it’s easy to expect a fairly straightforward path: remove certain foods, focus on nutrient density, support your lifestyle—and over time, feel better.
And for some people, that’s exactly what happens.
But for many others, the process feels more complicated. You might feel worse when you begin, struggle to stay consistent, stop seeing progress after a few months, or feel confused during reintroductions.
If you’ve ever wondered, What am I doing wrong? or Why isn’t this working for me?—you’re not alone.
In this episode of the AIP Deep Dive series, Mickey introduces troubleshooting as a normal and essential part of the process. Rather than seeing obstacles as failure, this episode reframes them as useful feedback—and gives you a clear way to identify what might be getting in the way and how to move forward.
Mickey explains when it actually makes sense to troubleshoot (and when it doesn’t), outlines the three main layers where issues tend to arise, and walks through how to make thoughtful adjustments without creating more confusion.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
What troubleshooting really means—and why it doesn’t mean you’ve failed
When to troubleshoot vs. when to give the process more time
The three layers of troubleshooting: implementation, physiology, and medical factors
Common challenges in each phase (transition, elimination, and reintroduction)
Why lack of progress after 30–90 days may require a different approach
How to avoid overcomplicating the process with too many changes at once
Why mindset and patience play a key role in long-term success

Resources:
The New Autoimmune Protocol (Book) – A practical guide to implementing AIP with a focus on preparation, sustainability, and personalization
AIP Foundation Series – Free 5-day email course with food lists, meal plans, and beginner tools
Episode 52: Tracking & Preparing for AIP

Episode Timeline:
00:00 – Why AIP doesn’t always go as expected
03:05 – What troubleshooting actually means
06:32 – When to troubleshoot—and when not to
09:51 – The three layers of troubleshooting
10:15 – Implementation challenges
11:58 – Physiological adjustments
13:41 – Underlying medical factors
14:57 – Troubleshooting across AIP phases
15:07 – Transition phase challenges
18:59 – Elimination phase troubleshooting
22:41 – Reintroduction phase challenges
25:19 – The mindset of troubleshooting
27:41 – Key takeaways and closing

Episode 83: The Menopause Gut — A Gut-Centered Approach to Perimenopause with Cynthia Thurlow, NP
What if the return of symptoms in midlife isn’t a setback—but a signal? What if shifting hormones during perimenopause and menopause are actively reshaping your gut, your immune system, and your resilience?
In this episode of the Autoimmune Wellness Podcast, I’m joined by Cynthia Thurlow, nurse practitioner, bestselling author, and expert in perimenopause and metabolic health. Her new book, The Menopause Gut, explores how hormonal changes in midlife impact the microbiome, immune regulation, and inflammation—and what women can do to adapt.
This conversation is especially relevant for the autoimmune community. Many women experience stable symptoms for years, only to find new flares, food sensitivities, sleep disruption, or anxiety emerging in their 40s. We explore why this happens, how estrogen and progesterone shifts influence gut and immune function, and how to support your body through this transition with clarity and intention.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why perimenopause can trigger new autoimmune symptoms—even after years of stability
How declining estrogen reshapes the gut microbiome and increases inflammation
The connection between hormone fluctuations, histamine, and new food sensitivities
Why perimenopause is a time of increased autoimmune risk (and what that means)
How microbiome diversity influences immune tolerance and gut permeability
The role of stress, sleep, and the nervous system in midlife immune health
How bone density is connected to gut health and inflammation
Why “gray area” foods can become more reactive during hormonal shifts
Foundational strategies for supporting gut and immune health in midlife
How hormone replacement therapy (HRT) fits into an autoimmune-aware approach

Resources:
Cynthia Thurlow, NP
Website: https://www.cynthiathurlow.com
Instagram: @cynthia_thurlow_
Facebook: The Midlife Pause
Podcast: Everyday Wellness
Book: The Menopause Gut

Episode Timeline:
00:00 – Why midlife symptoms aren’t a failure of your protocol
02:25 – Introducing Cynthia Thurlow
04:20 – What perimenopause and menopause actually are
13:02 – How the microbiome changes in midlife
17:01 – Microbiome diversity and immune tolerance
22:47 – Estrogen, histamine, and new food sensitivities
30:57 – Bone density, inflammation, and gut health
37:37 – Practical strategies for gut and immune support
44:57 – Hormone replacement therapy and autoimmunity
50:31 – Wrap-up and closing

Kitchen Confidence: The Lazy Person’s AIP Meal Template (Small Bite) | Episode 82
If you’ve ever felt like AIP requires too much thinking in the kitchen, you’re not wrong.
Between figuring out what to cook, how to combine ingredients, and whether you have what you need, relying on recipes for every meal can quickly become overwhelming.
But AIP doesn’t have to feel that complicated.
In this Small Bite episode of the Autoimmune Wellness Podcast, Mickey Trescott introduces a simpler approach: flexible meal templates that take the guesswork out of cooking.
Instead of starting from scratch every time, these templates give you a repeatable structure you can use with whatever ingredients you have on hand—making meals easier, faster, and more sustainable.
You’ll hear about:
Why relying on recipes can increase decision fatigue
How meal templates simplify everyday AIP cooking
The foundational formula: protein + vegetables + fat
How to batch cook and mix-and-match meals throughout the week
The skillet meal method for quick, one-pan cooking
How to layer ingredients for better texture and flavor
The “fridge dump” soup and stew approach for using leftovers
How to build a satisfying, balanced “big salad”
Why flexible structure supports long-term consistency

You don’t need more recipes to succeed on AIP—you need a system that works on your busiest days.
Resources
The New Autoimmune Protocol – Pre-Order

Episode Timeline
00:00 – Why AIP can feel like too much thinking
01:09 – Template 1: Protein + vegetables + fat
04:41 – Template 2: Skillet meal
08:16 – Template 3: Soup or stew
11:40 – Template 4: The big salad
14:00 – Recap & next steps