Live Well with Arthritis

#34 Go to the Gig: Emily's Before, During and After Plan for Concerts with Arthritis

Episode 34: The Live Well with Arthritis Podcast #34 Go to the Gig: Emily's Before, During and After Plan for Concerts with Arthritis Last weekend, Emily was at the Take That concert in a crowd of thousands, mid-heatwave, singing loudly with her mum. In the photos, with her red lipstick on, she looks fine, but what you can't see is her pain. This episode is the honest version of that night, and the plan that made it possible. Living with arthritis doesn't mean giving up festivals, gigs, travel, or brilliant experiences that make life worth living. It just means going with a plan, and some self-compassion for afterwards. Arthritis does not mean you stop showing up for your life, but you do show up differently. Heat, crowds, standing for hours, and barely any sleep, is a perfect storm for a flare, so Emily walks through the whole thing: the biology of why heat and bad sleep hit our joints so hard, and what shes does about it. Topics covered: * Biology of the Flare Why heat, dehydration, exertion and lost sleep aren't four small things, but one absoltely compounding thing * Knowing Your Triggers Naming your own triggers (for Emily - stress, travel, lost routine, and lots of walking) so you can plan around them * The Before Banking your rest, planning an air-conditioned route and seating/accessibility, and exactly what was in Emily's Take That flare-up/pain kit * The During Hydrating relentlessly, forgiving an imperfect meal, micro-resting without guilt, managing the heat actively, staying ahead of the pain, and letting joy be medicine * The After Handling the flare without guilt or panic, with rest as a non-negotiable, soothing swollen joints, and remembering a flare is a temporary cost for a permanent memory * Travel More Widely How the same before/during/after system carries over to flights, hotels and getaways, and why protecting your sleep matters is vital About the podcast: With a focus on reducing inflammation and improving daily life, this podcast features expert interviews, science-backed strategies, and real stories from people living with all types of arthritis. Emily combines her 12+ years of lived experience and insights from healthcare professionals to offer practical, encouraging steps that help you feel healthier, happier, and less alone when living with arthritis. Emily (Arthritis Foodie) is a bestselling author, certified coach, and founder of Live Well with Arthritis. Episode Links: Applications for the Live Well with Arthritis 12-week programme are open, Apply now: https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/waitlist [https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/waitlist] Emily Johnson @ArthritisFoodie: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arthritisfoodie/ [https://www.instagram.com/arthritisfoodie/] * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arthritisfoodie/ [https://www.facebook.com/arthritisfoodie/] * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@arthritisfoodie [https://www.youtube.com/@arthritisfoodie] Further Resources: https://linktr.ee/arthritisfoodie [https://linktr.ee/arthritisfoodie]

#33 Hype or Helpful? Nutritionist Eli Brecher on Matcha, Fibremaxxing, Protein Water and more

Episode 33: The Live Well with Arthritis Podcast #33 Hype or Helpful? Nutritionist Eli Brecher on Matcha, Fibremaxxing, Protein Water and more Fed up of navigating all of the wellness trends in the media and online? The wellness world can be overwhelming to navigate, so what is actually helpful? Especially if you live with a chronic health condition? In this episode, host Emily Johnson welcomes back Registered Associate Nutritionist Eli Brecher to sort the hype from the helpful. Eli is the creator of The Mind, Body, Gut Method™ and host of The Gut 360 Podcast. Living with Crohn's disease since the age of eight, she specialises in gut health, women's health, and fertility nutrition, and is a contributor to the Live Well with Arthritis programme. Eli celebrates the trends genuinely worth your time, and debunks the ones that aren't. Topics covered: Trends Worth the Hype * Matcha Calm Sustained energy, L-theanine, and the dairy caveat * Fibremaxxing Why fibre is a hero nutrient, and how to add it to your diet * Adding In, Not Restricting Positive shift towards plant diversity and 30+ plants a week Debatable Trends * Protein-Washing Why seeing 'high protein' may just be marketing * Gut Health Myth of the magic powder, and where to start * Biohacking Red light, cold plunges and more Thoughts on Other Trends * CGMs (Continuous Glucose Monitors) Whether the average person really needs one * GLP-1s (like Ozempic) What they actually do, and who they're helpful for About the podcast: With a focus on reducing inflammation and improving daily life, this podcast features expert interviews, science-backed strategies, and real stories from people living with all types of arthritis. Emily combines her 12+ years of lived experience and insights from healthcare professionals to offer practical, encouraging steps that help you feel healthier, happier, and less alone when living with arthritis. Emily is a bestselling author, certified coach, and founder of Live Well with Arthritis. Episode Links: Live Well with Arthritis Programme Waitlist: https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/waitlist [https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/waitlist] FREE Workbook: https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/signup-free-download [https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/signup-free-download] Eli Brecher @elibrechernutrition * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elibrechernutrition/ [https://www.instagram.com/elibrechernutrition/] * Website: https://www.elibrecher.co.uk [https://www.elibrecher.co.uk] Emily Johnson @ArthritisFoodie * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arthritisfoodie/ [https://www.instagram.com/arthritisfoodie/] * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@arthritisfoodie [https://www.tiktok.com/@arthritisfoodie] Further Resources: https://linktr.ee/arthritisfoodie [https://linktr.ee/arthritisfoodie]

#32 Trust Your Gut: Dr Camilla Stokholm on Microbiomes, Inflammation and Arthritis

Episode 32: The Live Well with Arthritis Podcast #32 Trust Your Gut: Dr Camilla Stokholm on Microbiomes, Inflammation and Arthritis What if half of you wasn't actually you? In this episode, host Emily Johnson welcomes Dr Camilla Stokholm, a gut microbiome specialist, lifestyle medicine doctor, and best-selling author of What Your Doctor Eats, named after her hugely popular Instagram account. A former NHS GP, Camilla now runs Mosaic Medical, using metagenomic testing to get to the root cause of her patients' symptoms. Her approach grew out of her own health journey, such as debilitating IBS. Whether you live with arthritis, fibromyalgia, or an inflammatory condition, get practical, science-backed strategies to feed your gut, calm inflammation, and take back control of your health. Topics covered: The Gut Microbiome * Mini Pharmacy How gut bugs produce chemicals that act like medicine * Immunity 70% of your immune system lives one cell away from your microbiome * Leaky Gut How dysbiosis can trigger autoimmunity, inflammation and joint pain Signs and Testing * Hidden Signs Fatigue, brain fog, bloating, and bowel changes * Beyond Bloodwork Why a normal test doesn't always mean it's fine * Personalisation Food first, plus targeted prescriptions Feeding a Healthier Life * Microbiome Party Variety is key and 30 plants a week * Probiotics? Lessons from the Hadza tribe on cheap, diverse eating * Fasting & Arthritis What the research reveals About the podcast: With a focus on reducing inflammation and improving daily life, this podcast features expert interviews, science-backed strategies, and real stories from people living with all types of arthritis. Emily combines her 12+ years of lived experience and insights from healthcare professionals to offer practical, encouraging steps that help you feel healthier, happier, and less alone when living with arthritis. Emily is a bestselling author, certified coach, and founder of Live Well with Arthritis. Episode Links: Live Well with Arthritis Programme Waitlist: https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/waitlist [https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/waitlist] FREE Workbook: https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/signup-free-download [https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/signup-free-download] Dr Camilla Stokholm @whatyourdoctoreats * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatyourdoctoreats/ [https://www.instagram.com/whatyourdoctoreats/] * Website: https://www.whatyourdoctoreats.com [https://www.whatyourdoctoreats.com] Emily Johnson @ArthritisFoodie * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arthritisfoodie/ [https://www.instagram.com/arthritisfoodie/] * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@arthritisfoodie [https://www.tiktok.com/@arthritisfoodie] Further Resources: https://linktr.ee/arthritisfoodie [https://linktr.ee/arthritisfoodie]

#31 Gratitude Over Toxic Positivity: Emily on Holding Pain and Joy at Once

Episode 31: The Live Well with Arthritis Podcast #31 Gratitude Over Toxic Positivity: Emily on Holding Pain and Joy at Once When you're mid-flare and someone tells you to 'look on the bright side', this episode is for you. Host Emily Johnson has a confession the word 'gratitude' used to grate on her too, and this episode is not about good-vibing your way out of pain. Drawing on the science and her own lived experience, Emily unpacks what real, evidence-based gratitude actually is, dual processing, and the human capacity to hold a heavy truth in one hand and something beautiful in the other. Gratitude does not wipe away your pain, your anger, or your grief. It simply sends your nervous system a second, different signal alongside the first, which is that safety, warmth, and kindness also exist, right here, right now. This is for anyone who is grieving the body or the life they expected to have, and who is tired of being made to choose between their hard feelings and their good ones. Topics covered: * Biology of 'Both/And' Why your brain isn't broken, it's biased, how negativity bias and central sensitisation turn up the volume on pain, and what gratitude actually does to your nervous system * Myth of Emotional Monogamy Why you don't have to be committed to one emotion, and how the phrase 'and yet' lets grief, fear, anger, and gratitude coexist without one erasing the other * Grief, Joy, and Post-Traumatic Growth Why grief for your health is not a failure of gratitude, plus a tender personal reflection on loss * Microgratitude Toolkit Practical, flare-friendly tools you can actually reach for when everything feels heavy, the micro-hunt, the 'and yet' journal, somatic gratitude with the physiological sigh, and finding awe in small things * Suffering Olympics Why there's no threshold you have to cross before your feelings count, and your invitation to try the 'and yet' practice this week About the podcast: With a focus on reducing inflammation and improving daily life, this podcast features expert interviews, science-backed strategies, and real stories from people living with all types of arthritis. Emily combines her 12+ years of lived experience and insights from healthcare professionals to offer practical, encouraging steps that help you feel healthier, happier, and less alone when living with arthritis. Emily (Arthritis Foodie) is a bestselling author, certified coach, and founder of Live Well with Arthritis. Episode Links: Applications for the Live Well with Arthritis 12-week programme are open, Apply now: https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/waitlist [https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/waitlist] Emily Johnson @ArthritisFoodie: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arthritisfoodie/ [https://www.instagram.com/arthritisfoodie/] * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arthritisfoodie/ [https://www.facebook.com/arthritisfoodie/] * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@arthritisfoodie [https://www.youtube.com/@arthritisfoodie] Further Resources: https://linktr.ee/arthritisfoodie [https://linktr.ee/arthritisfoodie]

#30 Hiking with Autoimmunity: Mija Dropulić on Travelling with Lupus and Learning to Love Yourself (Volim Sebe)

Episode 30: The Live Well with Arthritis Podcast #30 Hiking with Autoimmunity: Mija Dropulić on Travelling with Lupus and Learning to Love Yourself (Volim Sebe) Wondering if you will ever hike again? Host Emily Johnson welcomes Mija Dropulić, Croatian journalist, editor, and storyteller with 20 years' experience in media/travel/lifestyle and the founder of Under Dream Skies. Mija lives with two autoimmune diseases, Sjögren's syndrome and lupus, and shares her journey of navigating chronic illness while figuring out how to hike, travel, and explore the outdoors. From a flare-up in Scotland, to rebuilding her strength, Mija opens up about diagnosis, daily reality, and the lifestyle shifts that have helped her. Whether you live with arthritis, lupus, or autoimmunity, this episode reminds you to love yourself again. Topics covered: Living with Invisible Illness * Two Diagnoses Navigating Sjögren's and lupus * 'Box of Chocolates' Different flare-ups * You Don't Look Sick How to navigate this Rebuilding the Body and Mind * Coming Back to Self From her lowest point to a multi-day hike * Anti-Inflammatory Living Diet, sleep, movement, finding triggers * Trusting Your Body But knowing rest is not failure Finding Connection and Joy * Community Feeling less alone via social media * Healing Outdoors Forests, fresh air, and feeling human * Volim Sebe Putting yourself first as an act of care About the podcast: With a focus on reducing inflammation and improving daily life, this podcast features expert interviews, science-backed strategies, and real stories from people living with all types of arthritis. Emily combines her 12+ years of lived experience and insights from healthcare professionals to offer practical, encouraging steps that help you feel healthier, happier, and less alone when living with arthritis. Emily is a bestselling author, certified coach, and founder of Live Well with Arthritis. Episode Links: Live Well with Arthritis Programme Waitlist: https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/waitlist [https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/waitlist] FREE Workbook: https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/signup-free-download [https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/signup-free-download] Mija Dropulić @mijad * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mijad [https://www.instagram.com/mijad] * Website: https://www.underdreamskies.com [https://www.underdreamskies.com] Emily Johnson @ArthritisFoodie * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arthritisfoodie/ [https://www.instagram.com/arthritisfoodie/] * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@arthritisfoodie [https://www.tiktok.com/@arthritisfoodie] Further Resources: https://linktr.ee/arthritisfoodie [https://linktr.ee/arthritisfoodie]