The Autoimmune Wellness Podcast

Episode 104: AIP for Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Pilot Study & Qualitative Research Out of New Zealand
What happens when people living with rheumatoid arthritis follow the Autoimmune Protocol for eight weeks? In the first clinical pilot study investigating AIP for rheumatoid arthritis, researchers in New Zealand documented promising improvements in patient-reported disease activity, pain, fatigue, sleep, and quality of life. But what happened when the intervention ended—and were those improvements sustainable?
In this episode of the Autoimmune Wellness Podcast, Mickey Trescott continues her medical research review series with a deep dive into two studies led by researcher Julianne Taylor and her colleagues. She examines how the original pilot study was designed, what researchers measured, and what the results tell us about using AIP alongside conventional rheumatoid arthritis treatment.
Mickey also explores newly published qualitative research that followed the same participants through interviews immediately after the intervention and one year later. These findings offer a fascinating look at the challenges of following an elimination diet, the importance of support, and how participants navigated food reintroductions and developed more personalized approaches to eating. She also discusses the limitations of this early research and what future studies could tell us about the effectiveness and sustainability of AIP.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Why researchers are investigating dietary interventions for rheumatoid arthritis
How the first AIP pilot study for rheumatoid arthritis was designed, including its four-week control period and eight-week Core AIP intervention
What researchers found about patient-reported disease activity, pain, fatigue, sleep, and quality of life
Why seven of the nine participants reported improvements, while two experienced little benefit or worsening symptoms
What the qualitative interviews revealed about motivation, meal preparation, social challenges, and the importance of support
What happened one year later when participants were no longer following the structured intervention
How participants approached food reintroductions and developed more flexible, personalized diets
Why systematic reintroduction and long-term sustainability are essential parts of the AIP process
How these findings relate to the updated Autoimmune Protocol, including Core and Modified AIP
Why AIP should complement—not replace—appropriate medical treatment for rheumatoid arthritis
What larger clinical trials and future research are needed to establish the effectiveness of AIP

Resources:
The Effect of an Autoimmune Protocol Diet in Adults with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Single-Arm Crossover Pilot Feasibility Study — Julianne Taylor and colleagues
Exploring Participant Experiences With the Autoimmune Protocol Diet and Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Longitudinal Qualitative Study — Journal of Nutritional Science (2026)
Episode 88: Interview with Julianne Taylor about the first AIP pilot study for rheumatoid arthritis
Episode 59: AIP Research on Inflammatory Bowel Disease — Pilot Study and Quality of Life
Episode 61: AIP Research on Hashimoto's Thyroiditis — Pilot Study and Case Reports
Episode 63: AIP Research on Inflammatory Bowel Disease — Gene Expression and Patient Experiences
Episode 65: AIP Research on Hashimoto's Thyroiditis — Polish Study
Free AIP Foundation Series
The New Autoimmune Protocol by Mickey Trescott

Episode Timeline:
00:00 – What happens when people with rheumatoid arthritis follow AIP?
01:54 – A review of the AIP medical research series
04:16 – Why study rheumatoid arthritis?
08:10 – Understanding rheumatoid arthritis and conventional treatment
12:57 – AIP for rheumatoid arthritis: The pilot study design
17:43 – Results of the AIP rheumatoid arthritis pilot study
21:52 – The qualitative study: What was it like to follow AIP?
27:05 – One year later: Reintroductions, personalization, and sustainability
34:07 – What this research means for people with rheumatoid arthritis
38:48 – Wrap-up and closing

Episode 103: Environmental Toxins: What Actually Matters with Lara Adler
Spend a few minutes online learning about environmental toxins, and it can quickly start to feel like everything around you is a problem. From drinking water and food packaging to cookware, cleaning products, and the air inside our homes, there seems to be an endless list of things we're supposed to avoid.
For those of us living with autoimmune disease, this can feel especially overwhelming. We're already paying attention to nutrition, sleep, stress, movement, and medical care. Do we really need to worry about every chemical exposure, too?
In this episode of the Autoimmune Wellness Podcast, Mickey Trescott is joined by Lara Adler, an environmental health educator and consultant who has spent more than 14 years helping health professionals understand the science of environmental chemical exposures.
Together, they explore what research actually tells us about environmental toxins, why dose and timing matter, and how to prioritize meaningful exposure reduction without fear, perfectionism, or expensive wellness products. They also share practical, budget-conscious strategies for improving indoor air quality, choosing water filtration, reducing plastic exposure, and selecting safer cookware.
In this episode, you'll learn:
What we know about environmental chemical exposures, immune health, and autoimmune disease
Why dose, timing, duration, and route of exposure matter when evaluating health risks
How endocrine-disrupting chemicals can affect the body even at very low levels
Why social media often oversimplifies environmental health research
How to take environmental exposures seriously without becoming fearful or overwhelmed
Simple, affordable ways to improve indoor air quality, including ventilation and filtration
Why choosing the right water filter starts with understanding your local water quality
How to think about pesticides and organic produce without sacrificing fruit and vegetable intake
Whether washing and peeling produce can meaningfully reduce pesticide residues
Where reducing plastic contact with food and water can make the biggest difference
Which cookware materials Lara recommends and why
Why individual choices matter, but broader policy changes are also essential

Resources:
Follow Lara Adler on Instagram: @environmentaltoxinsnerd
Lara's Substack: Talking Toxins
Lara Adler's website: laraadler.com

Episode Timeline:
00:00 – Environmental toxins: What actually matters?
01:52 – Introducing Lara Adler
03:35 – Environmental exposures, human health, and autoimmunity
09:15 – Understanding dose, timing, and cumulative exposure
12:26 – Why “the dose makes the poison” isn't always straightforward
18:45 – How social media oversimplifies environmental health
20:30 – Taking exposures seriously without fear
24:33 – Avoiding misleading wellness products
27:09 – Practical ways to improve indoor air quality
34:24 – Choosing the right water filtration system
42:11 – Pesticides, food packaging, and dietary exposure
48:04 – Washing and peeling produce to reduce residues
50:30 – Reducing exposure to plastics and microplastics
55:01 – Choosing safer, longer-lasting cookware
58:42 – Wrap-up and where to follow Lara Adler

My Healing Update: Autoimmunity, Perimenopause & Building Resilience (Ep 102)
What does healing look like 15 years into living with autoimmune disease? For Mickey Trescott, it looks a lot different than it did in the beginning. Instead of focusing on getting out of a health crisis, she's now thinking about maintaining stability, adapting to new challenges, and building resilience for the decades ahead.
In this personal update, Mickey shares how she's doing with celiac disease, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and psoriatic arthritis, including why stability has been one of the most meaningful developments this year. She also discusses what she's eating after 15 years of AIP reintroductions, how her food tolerances continue to evolve, and why her approach remains focused on dietary diversity rather than restriction.
Mickey also shares some bigger changes involving perimenopause, hormone therapy, and bone health. From discovering osteopenia on her first DEXA scan to making unexpected progress with longstanding tendon pain, she explains how these experiences have reshaped her movement and strength-training goals. Throughout the episode, she reflects on the value of foundational habits, appropriate medical care, and learning to enjoy a good season of health without worrying about what might come next.
In this episode, you'll learn:
What Mickey is eating 15 years after starting AIP and how her food tolerances have evolved
How she's managing psoriatic arthritis, Hashimoto's, and celiac disease
Why stability can be just as meaningful as making new changes
How progesterone therapy has affected her sleep during perimenopause
What she learned from discovering osteopenia on her first DEXA scan
Her experience with testosterone therapy and unexpected improvements in tendon pain
How physical therapy and progressive strength training are helping her build resilience
Why reduced stress has been an important part of feeling better this year
What's changed—and what hasn't—in her supplement routine
Why long-term healing is about building the capacity to live your life, not achieving perfect health

Resources:
Episode 56: My Healing Journey Update
The New Autoimmune Protocol by Mickey Trescott
The Autoimmune Protocol: https://theautoimmuneprotocol.com
Follow Mickey on Instagram: @mickeytrescott

Episode Timeline:
00:00 – What healing looks like 15 years into autoimmune disease
03:10 – What I'm eating these days
10:43 – My autoimmune update
13:22 – Hashimoto's and thyroid treatment update
15:32 – Perimenopause, hormone therapy, and sleep
19:06 – My DEXA scan and osteopenia surprise
22:13 – Testosterone, tendon pain, and getting stronger
25:18 – Stress, resilience, and enjoying a good season
28:00 – An update on supplements
29:14 – Wrap-up and closing

Episode 101: Navigating Health Information Online with Dr. Guillermo Ruiz
Health information has never been easier to access—and somehow, it’s never felt harder to know what to trust. Between new research, expert opinions, personal stories, social media, supplement claims, and the latest wellness trends, it can be difficult to separate what’s plausible, what’s promising, and what’s actually been demonstrated.
In this episode of the Autoimmune Wellness Podcast, Mickey Trescott is joined by Dr. Guillermo Ruiz, a naturopathic physician who practices naturopathic endocrinology with a focus on metabolic health. His work centers on bringing an evidence-based approach to naturopathic and integrative medicine while remaining curious about emerging ideas.
Together, they explore how to navigate the gray areas of health information without becoming either overly skeptical or too quick to embrace the latest trend. They discuss how to evaluate health claims, why individual context matters, the difference between anecdotes and evidence, and how to think about risk when experimenting with diets, supplements, medications, and emerging therapies.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Why having access to more health information doesn’t necessarily make health decisions easier
Why individual biology and context can make one-size-fits-all health advice misleading
How social media can turn useful health strategies into universal recommendations
Why layering multiple restrictive diets or wellness strategies can create more problems
How to look beyond a compelling headline to understand what a study actually found
Why emerging treatments and supplements require weighing potential benefits against potential risks
How personal stories can provide useful clues without being the same as scientific evidence
Why “natural” doesn’t automatically mean safe—and prescription medications aren’t automatically more dangerous
Red flags to watch for in online health content, including absolute claims, cure language, and lack of nuance
How to approach personal health experiments with clearer guardrails
Why food, movement, sleep, and other foundational habits should come before chasing the latest health trend

Resources:
Follow Dr. Guillermo Ruiz: @3030strong
Contact Dr. Ruiz: guillermo@3030strong.com
Dr. Ruiz Practice: Go Health

Episode Timeline:
00:00 – How do we know what health information to trust?
02:20 – Introducing Dr. Guillermo Ruiz
04:32 – Why navigating health information online is so challenging
17:56 – Evaluating health headlines, studies, and products
29:29 – How to navigate personal stories and anecdotes
34:12 – The hidden risks of supplements and herbal medicine
40:31 – Red flags in online health content
44:32 – How to approach personal experimentation with caution
50:39 – Wrap-up and where to follow Dr. Ruiz

Episode 100: AIP Community Q4 Update — Research, Advocacy & Community
Autoimmune wellness doesn’t happen in isolation. It’s shaped by the research being published, the advocacy happening on behalf of patients, and the communities that help turn information into something meaningful in everyday life.
In this Q4 Community Update—and the 100th episode of the Autoimmune Wellness Podcast—Mickey Trescott catches up on some of the developments happening across the autoimmune landscape, with a focus on research, advocacy, and community.
First, immunologist and AIP Certified Coach Sybil Cooper, PhD, joins Mickey to discuss a newly published qualitative study exploring the experiences of people with rheumatoid arthritis who participated in an AIP intervention. They look beyond symptom outcomes to explore what it was actually like to implement AIP, the challenges participants faced, what kinds of support helped, and what their diets looked like one year later.
Next, Jaime Hartman joins Mickey to recap the Autoimmune Association’s Hope Journey Walk, where Team AIP participated in Washington, DC, Michigan, and virtually around the country. They discuss the importance of showing up as a community, raising awareness, and connecting AIP with the broader autoimmune research and advocacy landscape.
Finally, Jamie-Nicole Martin, founder and CEO of the AIP BIPOC Network, shares updates on the organization’s work supporting people navigating changes to insurance, medication, and food benefits, along with community outreach, an autoimmune and menopause research project, and plans to expand access to resources in the year ahead.
Together, these conversations show how research, advocacy, and community intersect—and why all three matter for people living with autoimmune disease.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
What qualitative research can teach us about the real-world experience of following AIP
What participants in the rheumatoid arthritis AIP study found most challenging
What happened when researchers followed the RA participants one year later
How Team AIP participated in the Autoimmune Association’s Hope Journey Walk
Why connecting the AIP community with broader autoimmune advocacy and research matters
How the AIP BIPOC Network is helping people navigate changing insurance, pharmacy, and food benefits
What Jamie-Nicole’s autoimmune and menopause research project is exploring
Why community resources need to evolve as people move through different stages of life with autoimmune disease

Resources:
Exploring Participant Experiences With the Autoimmune Protocol Diet in Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Longitudinal Qualitative Study
Autoimmune Association – Hope Journey Walk, research, advocacy, and patient support
AIP BIPOC Network
AIP Certified Coach Program & Practitioner Directory

Episode Timeline:
00:00 – Introduction to the Q4 Community Update and Episode 100
01:56 – Research update with Sybil Cooper, PhD
03:00 – Understanding qualitative vs. quantitative research
05:20 – Challenges participants experienced implementing AIP
08:10 – The role of professional, household, and peer support
10:40 – What participants were eating one year later
13:15 – Reintroductions, long-term success, and lessons for the AIP community
15:50 – Jaime Hartman: Hope Journey Walk & Team AIP
17:20 – What the Hope Journey Walk was like
20:00 – Why Team AIP’s presence matters
22:40 – Community connection and the broader autoimmune movement
26:36 – Jamie-Nicole Martin: AIP BIPOC Network update
27:30 – Navigating changes to benefits and healthcare access
29:30 – Autoimmune disease and menopause research
31:00 – Community outreach and the Abilities Expo
33:00 – Connecting people with resources throughout the autoimmune journey
34:45 – What’s next for the AIP BIPOC Network
36:02 – Episode 100 reflections and wrap-up