Welcome to the Phoenix Helix podcast dedicated to maximizing autoimmune health through the paleo diet and lifestyle.

While there is no cure for autoimmune disease, the choices we make every day can have a powerful impact on how we feel.

I'm Eileen Laird, your host from PhoenixHelix.com, and I reduced my rheumatoid arthritis pain by 95%, which took me from a life of

excruciating pain and disability back to a full and beautiful life. A short disclaimer, I'm

neither a doctor nor a nutritionist and the opinions expressed here are personal. Always

consult with your health care team before making medical decisions. Now let's get

on to the show. Welcome to episode 146.

Our topic today is anxiety.

People with autoimmune disease have higher rates of mental health challenges overall than the general population.

There are many reasons for this.

Inflammation doesn't just occur in the body.

It also occurs in the brain,

and we talk about this in episode 140. Gut health impacts both autoimmune health and brain health.

Most of you know this because you've experienced the power of diet to decrease autoimmune

symptoms, and often it improves mental health as well.

And we talk about the gut brain connection in episode 116.

And of course, having a chronic illness is hard, and it's natural to feel the strain,

not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well.

In this episode, we're going to focus on anxiety, which has always been

part of the human experience but seems to be on the rise worldwide right now. We're going to

share tips to address it in the moment and also tools to help us reduce and manage our anxiety

more effectively long term. My guest today is Dr. Maureen Pierce, a health psychologist who specializes

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