My podcast interview with Dr. Axe

If you’ve ever been told your labs are “normal” while you still feel exhausted, inflamed, and stuck, you’ll likely relate to my podcast interview with Dr. Josh Axe.

Here are some of the key themes we covered:

Treating symptoms without treating mechanisms keeps people stuck

If your smoke alarm is going off because your house is on fire, do you turn off the alarm—or put out the fire?

With autoimmune Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism, many people eventually need thyroid hormone replacement to compensate for what the thyroid can no longer produce. But if the autoimmune process itself isn’t addressed, patients often continue to feel terrible and face a higher risk of “stacking” additional autoimmune conditions over time.

An imbalanced, overzealous immune system rarely remains confined to a single tissue.

The “big three” physiological drivers we consistently see

In our clinics, we repeatedly see three major triggers that flare autoimmunity and inflammation:

• Blood sugar dysregulation (insulin instability)
• Chronic stress physiology (cortisol imbalance)
• Estrogen imbalance (whether too high or too low)

The most common dietary drivers of autoimmune flares we see are:

• Gluten (by far the #1 trigger)
• Conventional dairy
• Sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, and anything that spikes insulin
• Alcohol
• Soy in the U.S. (distinct from traditional soy preparations elsewhere)

A simple first step: stabilize glucose

We like to use continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) and aim for a steady blood glucose range of roughly 80–130. This intervention alone can produce substantial improvements over time.

Fasting: powerful for some, harmful for others

Fasting can be extremely beneficial for the right person, but it can backfire for those who already under-eat, have unstable blood sugar, live in a chronic stress response, or are struggling with hormone imbalances.

Observations since COVID

We also address that we’ve observed a rise in autoimmune and inflammatory lab markers in some patients after both the COVID virus and vaccine. In certain post-vaccine cases, we’ve seen cardiac peptide antibodies alongside cardiac symptoms, with presentations resembling POTS.

While we do not take an anti-vaccine position, Dr. Axe and I discuss how difficult it was to openly share these clinical observations without backlash.

Those are the core highlights from the conversation. We also discuss the supplements we see working most consistently, helpful peptide protocols, and regenerative strategies—including hyperbaric oxygen, ozone, and stem cell therapies—that may support remission.

If you want the full context and nuance, I recommend listening to the episode. If not, I hope these takeaways save you time and clarify the big ideas.