Live Well with Arthritis

Episode 44: The Live Well with Arthritis Podcast#44 Wheelchair to West End: Ana Villafañe on Living with RA for 30 YearsOne in four of us live with arthritis, so why do so many of us feel like we’re the only one? Host Emily Johnson welcomes her dear friend Ana Villafañe, the actor and singer who originated the role of Gloria Estefan in Broadway’s On Your Feet! and is now making her West End debut as Ava Gardner in Sinatra: The Musical.Diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis at just seven years old, Ana spent months in hospital and time in a wheelchair as a child, and was told she’d never wear heels or run. Thirty years on, and four years after a hip replacement, she opens up about the parts of RA nobody sees: years of denial, the night she told Gloria Estefan the truth, stilettos on a raked stage, and the question from her rheumatologist that changed everything: “Why don’t you think you deserve to feel good?” Raw, funny and deeply moving, this conversation is a reminder that you are not alone, and you’re going to be okay.Topics covered:Growing Up with RADiagnosed at Seven Falling ill at the 1996 Olympics and first hearing the words 'juvenile rheumatoid arthritis'Not the Only One How summer camps for kids with arthritis and disabilities changed everythingFrom Sick Girl to Showgirl Feeling like a burden, and how singing turned 'the girl who couldn’t' into the girl who couldDenial, Disclosure and the SpotlightRebranding in LA Skipping meds, hiding flares, and dating with an invisible condition'So I Can Trust You' Telling Gloria Estefan about her RA, and eight months on Broadway without calling outBehind the Curtain Stilettos on a raked stage, compression boots, and the reality of 8 shows a weekA New Hip and a New MindsetDeserving to Feel Good The question that led to a hip replacement six days after wrapping a filmVisibly Disabled Again Crutches, kindness from strangers, and walking the red carpet anywayNon-Negotiables Sleep, fuel, movement and medication, and learning to run after being told she never wouldAbout 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/waitlistFREE Workbook: https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/signup-free-downloadAna Villafañe @anavillafaneofficialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/anavillafaneofficial/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@anavillafaneofficialNew single, Suelta: https://open.spotify.com/track/0ghIrWV5H2CQPmcAtVB4rR Sinatra: The Musical, Aldwych Theatre, LondonEmily Johnson @ArthritisFoodieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/arthritisfoodie/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@arthritisfoodieFurther Resources: https://linktr.ee/arthritisfoodie

Episode 43: The Live Well with Arthritis Podcast#43 Rage into Change: Evelyn Scott on Endometriosis, Chronic Pain, and AdvocacyHave you ever been medically gaslit, told your pain was “normal,” or that it was all in your head? If so, this episode is for you. Host Emily Johnson welcomes Evelyn Scott, a Surrey-based academic turned women’s health advocate and author of A Bloody Scandal: How Medicine Fails Women in Pain.Evelyn lives with severe endometriosis, a condition it took fifteen years to diagnose, with symptoms dismissed from her early teens as “just a bad period.” After being failed again and again by the very systems meant to help her, and finally diagnosed by pure chance in A&E, she began sharing her story online, building a community of tens of thousands of women and discovering that gynaecological neglect is a global scandal. In this honest and empowering conversation, Evelyn opens up about medical misogyny, the real cost of years of dismissal, and the practical tools that help her advocate for herself. Whether that is writing notes before appointments, to learning that you can always say no to your doctor. Whether you live with arthritis, endometriosis, or any chronic condition where you’ve had to fight to be believed, this episode is a reminder that you are the expert of your own body, and you are not alone.Topics covered:Fighting to Be BelievedNormalised From the Start Bleeding through her school uniform, being bullied, and told “everyone has periods”Fifteen Years to Diagnosis Dismissed for over a decade, “normal” scans, and a diagnosis found by chanceFinally Seen The strange relief of proof that it was never “all in her head”A Bloody ScandalMedical Misogyny “Just get pregnant,” “you’re wasting our time,” and being called hystericalWhy Women Are Failed Gynaecological neglect across the UK, US and AustraliaA Better Way Empathy-led medicine, care plans, and treating endometriosis as an inflammatory diseaseAdvocating for YourselfYou Can Say No Noting dismissals on your records and asking for second and third opinionsYour Secret Weapon Writing notes, bringing someone with you, and using PALS and your MPRest and Be Kind Painkillers, hot water bottles, therapy, and learning to trust your body againAbout the podcastWith 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 LinksLive Well with Arthritis Programme Waitlist: https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/waitlistFREE Workbook: https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/signup-free-downloadEvelyn Scott @evelynscott1987Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evelynscott1987/Book: A Bloody Scandal: How Medicine Fails Women in Pain (available from Waterstones, Amazon, WHSmith and all good booksellers)Waterstones: https://www.waterstones.com/book/a-bloody-scandal/evelyn-scott/9780008761349Emily Johnson @ArthritisFoodieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/arthritisfoodie/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@arthritisfoodieFurther Resources: https://linktr.ee/arthritisfoodie

Episode 42: The Live Well with Arthritis Podcast#42 Ways to Cope: How Self-Love Can Help You to Live Well with Arthritis and Feel Better, with EmilyWhat if one of the most powerful tools for living well with arthritis is learning to love the body you're in? In this special episode, the tables turn. Croatian journalist Mija Dropulić, founder of Under Dream Skies, creator of the #volimsebe ('I love myself') project and our guest back in episode 30, interviews host Emily Johnson.Emily shares how she went from denial to acceptance. She was diagnosed in her twenties in a waiting room where nobody looked like her, told it was freshers' flu, and turned away from A&E with thumbs too swollen to bend. She talks about the rock-bottom flare that led her to change her diet, why she won't choose between medication and lifestyle, and how honesty, asking for help and community changed everything. She also opens up about her own ways to cope on the hard days, from nature and meditation to Epsom salt baths, and why she now tells her body she loves it every day. Whether you're newly diagnosed or years into your journey, this conversation is a gentle reminder that there's always something you can do, and that you're not alone.Topics covered:Self-Love and AcceptanceDenial to Acceptance: Being diagnosed young, and struggling to believe itYour Body Is Your Friend: Why Emily tells her body she loves it every dayLoving Every Part: What self-love really means, and why beating yourself up makes you feel worseWays to CopeBad-Day Toolkit: Nature, rest, herbal tea, Epsom salt baths and a nourishing mealMeditation: Emily's daily practice and the free chronic pain meditations she usesAlways Something You Can Do: Small, doable swaps for the newly diagnosedLiving Well, TogetherMeeting in the Middle: Why medication and lifestyle work best togetherHonesty and Asking for Help: Talking to family and friends, because no one can read your mindAnonymous to Author: How a food diary became Arthritis Foodie, two books and a coaching programmeAbout 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/waitlistFREE Workbook: https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/signup-free-downloadInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/livewellwitharthritis_/Mija Dropulić @mijadInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mijadWebsite: https://www.underdreamskies.comEmily Johnson @ArthritisFoodieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/arthritisfoodie/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@arthritisfoodieFurther Resources: https://linktr.ee/arthritisfoodie

Episode 41: The Live Well with Arthritis Podcast#41 Physio to Patient: How Zoe McKenzie Makes Movement Accessible and AchievableWhat if the problem was never that you can’t exercise, but that no one ever showed you the right dose for your body? In this episode, host Emily Johnson welcomes Zoe McKenzie, a physiotherapist, Pilates instructor, author, and the founder of Actively Autoimmune, where she helps people living with chronic illness, persistent pain and fluctuating energy find movement that genuinely works for them.Zoe brings both professional training and deep personal experience, living with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and lupus, she knows first-hand what it takes to move your body when it feels like you can’t. From a yoga mat, frustrated by the lack of visibility for people like her, she built Actively Autoimmune, with clients all over the world, and wrote her book Exercise Well with Autoimmunity (which Emily wrote the foreword for). Zoe also contributed to Emily’s very first book, Beat Arthritis Naturally. Whether you’re brand new to movement, starting again after a setback, or feeling stuck, this conversation offers warm, practical, science-informed guidance to help you move in a way that supports your body, not against it.Topics covered:Moving With Pain and FatigueRight Dose Why movement is a dose to adjust and not a fixed programme to forceStart Low, Go Slow Learning how to not push too hard and hit the wallGood Pain vs Bad Pain Finding your baseline and the warning signs to pull backPacing and the Activity CupThe Activity Cup How Zoe’s cup analogy helps to see activity building during a given dayBoom and Bust The pattern of too much too fast and what to do about itPower of Rest Why rest is non-negotiable and never something you have to earnStarting, Restarting and Staying ConsistentFirst Steps Gentle strength and mobility and meeting your body exactly where it isAfter a Setback Using the dimmer switch mindset and that strength does returnFinding Your Why Motivation, joy, and the five-minute-ruleAbout 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/waitlistFREE Workbook: https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/signup-free-downloadZoe McKenzie @activelyautoimmune• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/activelyautoimmune/• Website: https://www.activelyautoimmune.com• Book: Exercise Well with AutoimmunityEmily Johnson @ArthritisFoodie• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arthritisfoodie/• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@arthritisfoodieFurther Resources: https://linktr.ee/arthritisfoodie

Episode 40: The Live Well with Arthritis Podcast#40 A Rheumatologist's Verdict: Why Dr Julie Recommends the Live Well with Arthritis Programme"I went from 'I'll return to work', to 'I can't get out of bed', to now moving from surviving to designing my life". That's Shamim's reflection after the Live Well with Arthritis Course and Coaching Programme. She lives with rheumatoid arthritis, and was a founding member of Emily's first Spring cohort.In this episode the tables turn as NHS consultant rheumatologist Dr Julekha Wajed (Dr Julie, @arthritis_dr) interviews Emily to delve deeper into the programme she's spent two years building, with the medical perspective from a rheumatologist who has read every lesson and contributed to it herself.Together they explore why it had to be a course and coaching side by side, how the 12 weeks are structured, the experts who shaped every week, and what genuinely changed for the Spring cohort, plus Dr Julie's view from the clinic on why informed, supported patients have better outcomes, and how this complements (never replaces) medical care.Topics covered:From Diagnosis to Driving Seat: Emily's diagnosis at 20, the isolation and denial that followed, and what becoming the 'CEO of your life 'really meansWhy It Can't Just Be a Course: why coaching is so powerful, why the two run live and side by side, and why there's no self-paced versionInside the 12 Weeks: the three pillars (nutrition, lifestyle, tools for life), the early foundations including medications, and the mid-programme study breakTools, Not Prescriptions: the Wheel of Life, group and one-to-one coaching, grounding and Future Self meditations, and support in the 'how'The People Behind It: 15 contributors, such as rheumatologists, a chronic pain specialist, nutritionists and movement experts who shaped every methodA Rheumatologist's Perspective: why Dr Julie believes the programme fills real gaps in NHS careReal Cohort Stories: what shifted for Julie (RA) and Helen (osteoarthritis) in their own words, and the mix of ages and countries in the Spring cohortHow to Join the Autumn Cohort: enrolment is open now, the free discovery call, scholarship places, and the founding-member discountAbout 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 (Autumn cohort applications close 18 September).Apply now: https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/waitlistInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/livewellwitharthritis_Dr Julekha Wajed @arthritis_dr:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arthritis_dr/Website: https://www.nuffieldhealth.com/consultants/dr-julekha-wajedEmily Johnson @ArthritisFoodie:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arthritisfoodie/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arthritisfoodie/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@arthritisfoodieFurther Resources: https://linktr.ee/arthritisfoodie

Episode 38: The Live Well with Arthritis Podcast#38 From Gut to Glow: Farzanah Nasser on Fibre, Autoimmunity and Reducing InflammationIn this nourishing and practical episode, host Emily Johnson welcomes registered nutritional therapist and certified functional medicine practitioner Farzanah Nasser, to explore the surprising power of fibre for calming inflammation and transforming gut health.Farzanah shares how she moved from a career in banking to nutrition after being diagnosed with an autoimmune condition, chronic psoriasis and hormone imbalance in her late 20s, and how she put her own autoimmunity into remission. Drawing on her book, The Everyday High Fibre Plan, she reveals why 96% of UK adults aren't getting enough fibre, and how small, sustainable changes can close the 'fibre gap' for good. Ever felt overwhelmed by conflicting gut health advice, or put off fibre after a bloated, uncomfortable start? This episode is for you.Topics covered:Fibre FoundationsThe Fibre Gap: Why only 4% of UK adults hit the 30g target, and how to close the 12–14g gap sustainablyLayer, Don't Overhaul: Turning a 4g bowl of porridge into a 12–14g breakfast with simple store cupboard swapsStart Where You're At: Farzanah's aduki bean lasagna cautionary tale, and why fibre must be increased graduallyGut, Immunity and InflammationGut and Immunity: Why up to 70% of your immune system lives in your gutFibre and Inflammation: How short chain fatty acids (postbiotics) heal leaky gut and calm inflammation on multiple levelsPre, Pro and Postbiotics: The difference explained, plus fermented foods and 'symbiotics' in a jarEveryday Hacks and HabitsClever Fibre Hacks: Resistant starch from cooked-and-cooled rice and potatoes, and freezing then toasting breadEat the Rainbow: Why different coloured peppers, onions and plants feed a diverse microbiomeMindful Eating: How chewing, deep breaths and calm actually improve digestion and absorptionHype vs Helpful: Farzanah's honest take on gummies and fibre supplementsPlus a look inside The Everyday High Fibre Plan: the science, the 30-day plan and 130 simple recipesAbout 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/waitlistFREE Workbook: https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/signup-free-downloadFarzanah Nasser @farzanahnasser_nutritionInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/farzanahnasser_nutrition/Website: https://www.farzanahnasser.com/Book: linktr.ee/farzanahnasser_nutritionEmily Johnson @ArthritisFoodieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/arthritisfoodie/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@arthritisfoodieFurther Resources: https://linktr.ee/arthritisfoodie

Episode 37: The Live Well with Arthritis Podcast#37 Why Reiki Helps: Emily's Honest Account in a Time of GriefThis is a personal one, host Emily Johnson opens up about losing her dear friend and mentor, Heather Rosa, and the Reiki session that held her through one of the hardest weeks she's had. If you're in a raw place yourself, please look after yourself as you listen, pause it, come back to it, or skip it entirely.Reiki is a divisive subject, so Emily handles it the way she always does: honestly. She provides the evidence, the way it's approached in her programme with the rheumatologists, then shares her own experience and lets you make up your own mind. Reiki sits alongside your medical care, never instead of it.At the heart of the episode is the truth that grief doesn't just live in your mind, it lives in your body. Tight chest, broken sleep, and if living with arthritis it can result in a flare. Emily shares how Reiki let her nervous system finally exhale, and let her grief move through her instead of staying locked in her body, to avoid a flare-up.Topics covered:What Reiki Actually Is and why 'you don't have to do anything' is the whole point for those of us used to pushing throughWhat the Evidence Really Says how Reiki helps by shifting the nervous system from fight-or-flight into rest-and-repairCalm, Not Cure why Reiki is a soothing complement, not a treatment for the diseaseGrief, the Body and the Flare and why tending your nervous system in a hard season is protection, not distractionEmily's Week the honest, tender account of Tuesday's sessionLearning to Receive and why letting yourself be nourished is not weaknessAbout 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/waitlistFREE Heatwave Tips Guide: https://arthritisfoodie.mykajabi.com/sign-up-for-free-download-from-arthritis-foodie-1Emily Johnson @ArthritisFoodie:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arthritisfoodie/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arthritisfoodie/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@arthritisfoodieFurther Resources: https://linktr.ee/arthritisfoodie

Episode 36: The Live Well with Arthritis Podcast#36 Heatwaves and Joint Pain: Myth or Reality? Emily Shares the Science and Can HelpThis summer, in the thick of the UK's back-to-back record-breaking heatwaves, Emily flared for three solid days and it's why she wanted to get to the bottom of one of the most common things people say about their joints. 'It's the weather'.But is there actually something measurable going on in there, or is it just an old wives' tale? This episode mythbusts it honestly: what the research says, why extreme heat can as brutal as cold, what happened to Emily's ankle, and exactly what she did about it, before, during and after... As well as the mechanism running the real show: sleep.Topics covered:Myth or Reality What the systematic reviews actually say for OA and RA.Are Warmer Climes Better? Why "it's warm, so it should be better" doesn't hold up in this case, and Emily's view on this.This Summer's Heat Norfolk's 37.7°C in June (a new record, beating 1957) and London's 35°C in July, plus why dehydration, fluid-shift swelling and, above all, wrecked sleep are the real inflammatory triggersSleep-Pain-Inflammation Loop Why a hot bedroom blocks the core-temperature drop you need for deep sleep, and how poor sleep impacts things at once.Emily's Ankle The honest, specific version of the three-day flare, and a firm reminder that sometimes you do everything right and still flare, and that's not your fault.Flare Toolkit: Before, During and After Planning around the hot nights not just hot days, with no guilt and no suffering Olympics.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/waitlistFREE Heatwave Tips Guide: https://arthritisfoodie.mykajabi.com/sign-up-for-free-download-from-arthritis-foodie-1Emily Johnson @ArthritisFoodie:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arthritisfoodie/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arthritisfoodie/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@arthritisfoodieFurther Resources: https://linktr.ee/arthritisfoodie