Live Well with Arthritis

Episode 48: The Live Well with Arthritis Podcast#48 Facts, Not Fads: Nutritionist Dr Emily Prpa on Gut Health, Hormones and What Actually HelpsWith so much noise about gut health online, how do you know what actually helps? Host Emily Johnson welcomes her dear friend Dr Emily Prpa, award-winning PhD nutrition scientist, author, TEDx speaker, and visiting lecturer at King’s College London. Her research focuses on the female gut microbiome and how it shapes women’s health, and her work has helped shape UK food policy. Dr Emily translates complex nutrition into practical, trustworthy guidance and delicious recipes. She's appeared on Channel 4’s Protein: Everything You Need to Know and co-hosts the Feel Good Formula podcast with journalist Zara McDermott. Her first book, Healthy Like a Woman, launches in April 2027 (pre-order link below).After discovering how often women were left out of nutrition research, Emily made it her mission to turn the science into advice women can actually use. In this episode, she explains what the gut microbiome really is, and how your gut talks to your immune system and your brain too. She shares how hormones shape your gut through your menstrual cycle, perimenopause and menopause. Plus her 'strong back four' for gut health, easy ways to eat more fibre and plant variety, how to choose a probiotic that’s actually backed by evidence, and why it’s okay to just survive a low-energy day. Fun, science-backed and refreshingly honest, with plenty of practical, food-first swaps.Topics covered:Women and the Research GapWhy Women Were Left Out Being the first in her research group to study premenopausal women, and why hormones make trials harderScience Isn’t Done Until It’s Communicated Polyphenols, writing policy briefs for Parliament, and cutting through the wellness noiseWhy Women Get More Gut Issues Hormones, the menstrual cycle, stress and IBSYour Gut, Immune System and BrainWhat Is the Gut Microbiome? Trillions of microbes, and why what they do matters as much as who they areYour Gut Is the Teacher How your gut trains your immune system, and how inflammation startsYour Second Brain The gut-brain connection, short-chain fatty acids, and why a little bloating is normalHormones, Habits and What Actually HelpsOestrogen Is the Beyoncé of Your Body The estrobolome, perimenopause and menopause, and the future of gut-hormone researchYour Gut Health Back Four Diet, movement, stress and sleep, plus easy fibre swaps and plant variety without the countingProbiotics, Detoxes and Low-Energy Days Science-washing, the border collie rule, and why it’s okay to just survive the dayAbout 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.Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@arthritisfoodieEpisode Links:Apply to the Live Well with Arthritis Programme: https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/waitlistFREE Workbook: https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/signup-free-downloadDr Emily Prpa @dr.emily.nutritionPre-order Healthy Like a Woman: https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/emily-prpa/healthy-like-a-woman/9781037423741Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.emily.nutrition/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrEmilyPrpaWebsite: https://www.dremilyprpa.comEmily Johnson @ArthritisFoodieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/arthritisfoodie/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@arthritisfoodieFurther Resources: https://linktr.ee/arthritisfoodie

Episode 47: The Live Well with Arthritis Podcast#47 Skatepark to Yoga Mat: Jamie Boder on Movement, Strength and Living Well with Axial SpondyloarthritisHave you ever been told to stop doing the thing you love most? Host Emily Johnson welcomes Jamie Boder, personal trainer, yoga teacher and director of Yoga for AS, who was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis and Crohn's disease over a decade ago.Jamie had been skateboarding since he was nine, and at diagnosis he could hardly walk. Handed a sheet of exercises and told to stop skating, he felt unsafe in his own body, isolated from his friends and in denial. YouTube yoga became his way back, and today he helps people with inflammatory arthritis build strength, mobility and confidence through flares, remission and everyday life.In this conversation Jamie opens up about the grief of diagnosis, explains why arthritis is not an injury, shares practical ways to start moving safely, and guides us through a short breathing practice. Honest, practical and full of hope.Note: This episode includes a short guided breathing exercise. Please listen to the safety note before you join in.Topics covered:Jamie's StoryFrom Skateboarder to Diagnosis Being told to stop skateboarding, and what "you're not safe" did to his confidenceNot Just an Injury Grief, dread and denial, and why inflammatory arthritis is a whole-body conditionFeeling Alone in a Crowd Isolation, invisible symptoms like fatigue and brain fog, and a "midlife crisis at 18"Movement for LifeBeyond the Piece of Paper The gap between physio and lifelong movement, and why progress isn't linearSafe, Accessible, Joint-Specific Where to start, from isometrics to a bucket of rice for sore wrists, and the client with a fully fused spine who now stands tallerMoving Through a Flare Why it's rarely the movement, why you can't out-train inflammation, and gentler options like restorative yoga and hydrotherapyBreath, Mind and CommunityLight, Slow, Deep A guided breathing practice and the science of breathing less, inspired by Patrick McKeownYoga Nidra and Uncertainty Meditation with ADHD, restoring energy, and learning to tolerate uncertaintyYour Support Network Matters Finding community, friends who get it, and the real hero's journeyAbout 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-downloadJamie BoderInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamieboder/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JamieBoderYoga for AS @yogaforasInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/yogaforas/Website: https://yogaforas.comEmily Johnson @ArthritisFoodieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/arthritisfoodie/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@arthritisfoodieFurther Resources: https://linktr.ee/arthritisfoodieAlso mentionedThe Breathing Cure by Patrick McKeownOxygen Advantage: https://oxygenadvantage.com

Episode 46: The Live Well with Arthritis Podcast#46 Premier League to Patients: Consultant Dr Sam Botchey on Exercise, Inflammation and ArthritisWhat if the one thing that could change your health the most is something you can start today? Host Emily Johnson welcomes Dr Sam Botchey, a consultant in musculoskeletal, sport and exercise medicine based in London, who has worked with Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham, Brentford, Saracens and London Irish.Sam has seen first-hand how elite athletes look after their bodies, from sleep and personalised nutrition to recovery, and he is on a mission to bring that evidence-based approach to everyone else. In this conversation he explains why there is nothing more important than exercise, how metabolic dysfunction and ultra-processed food drive chronic inflammation, the signs you might be chronically inflamed even when your blood tests come back normal, and why muscle is your organ of longevity. He also demystifies orthobiologic treatments like PRP and hyaluronic acid, gives his honest take on supplements, and shares a patient story that shows just how powerful lifestyle medicine can be. Practical, motivating and full of hope, whatever your age or starting point.Topics covered:From Elite Sport to Everyday LifeWhat Elite Athletes Get Right Sleep, personalised nutrition and recovery, and why the rest of us are years behindNothing More Important Than Exercise How movement improves every chronic disease, and why a little goes a long way when you're starting outYou're an Athlete of Life Building a winning mindset for your healthInflammation, Metabolism and MuscleChronic vs Acute Inflammation How exercise reduces chronic inflammation, and what metabolic dysfunction and ultra-processed food have to do with itInflamed but Normal Bloods? The signs to watch for, from morning stiffness to swollen small joints and night-time painMuscle Is Your Organ of Longevity Anabolic resistance, and why strength training matters more as we get olderTreatments, Supplements and RecoveryOrthobiologics Explained PRP, hyaluronic acid, bone marrow aspirate and stem cells, and how accessible they are in the UKThrow Your Supplements in the Bin? Why untargeted supplements rarely help, and Sam's top three: vitamin D, omega-3 and creatineLifestyle as Medicine The patient whose Achilles pain went before treatment even started, plus quick-fire tips on ice vs heat, morning stiffness and oily fishAbout 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-downloadDr Sam Botchey @drbotchInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/drbotch/Website: https://www.drbotchey.com/Clinics: Lanserhof at The Shard, Spire Thames Valley Hospital, Princess Margaret Hospital WindsorEmily Johnson @ArthritisFoodieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/arthritisfoodie/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@arthritisfoodieFurther Resources: https://linktr.ee/arthritisfoodie

Episode 45: The Live Well with Arthritis Podcast#45 Not in Your Head: Psychologist Dr Sula Windgassen on Healing Through Mind and BodyHave you ever been told your symptoms are “all in your head”? Host Emily Johnson welcomes Dr Sula Windgassen, a leading health psychologist, researcher and author of It’s All In Your Body: A Practical Roadmap to Healing Through Mind-Body Connection.Sula knows this territory first-hand. After university, recurring bladder infections turned into persistent pain and symptoms that test after test couldn’t explain, leaving her depressed and without hope. A mindfulness course, explored alongside her psychiatrist dad, began to change how she related to her body and, over time, her symptoms eased, setting her on the path to a Master’s and PhD at King’s College London, research into mindfulness for multiple sclerosis and IBS, and over 30 peer-reviewed papers. In this conversation, Sula explains why it is never “all in your head”, how stress and emotions show up physically in the body, and how to rebuild trust in your body whether you’ve been dismissed, newly diagnosed or living with a chronic condition for years. Compassionate, grounded in science and full of hope.Topics covered:Sula’s Story and the ScienceFrom Patient to Psychologist Unexplained symptoms, a first mindfulness body scan, and the moment her sense of humour came backThe Biopsychosocial Model Why it doesn’t mean your illness is psychological, and how allostatic load explains the wear and tear of ongoing stressTop-Down, Bottom-Up and Bioplasticity Working with both mind and body, and the body’s remarkable capacity to changeBreaking the Symptom SpiralThe Symptom Spiral How pain, thoughts, emotions and behaviour feed each other, and where you have choicesStill Waiting for Answers? Sula’s two-track plan for advocating for yourself while looking after yourself in the meantimeRebuilding Trust in Your Body Curiosity, non-reactivity, noticing your nervous system states, and why the basics are underratedGrief, Identity and Simply BeingThe Grief of a Diagnosis Why grief isn’t linear, and why going back and forth doesn’t mean going backwardsYou Are Not Your Illness Two overlapping circles, the three phases of adjustment, and reconnecting with your valuesHuman Doings Why rest is productive, how our phones get in the way, and Sula’s daily practice of savouringAbout 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-downloadDr Sula Windgassen @the_health_psychologistInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_health_psychologist/Website: https://healthpsychologist.co.ukBook: It’s All In Your Body: A Practical Roadmap to Healing Through Mind-Body ConnectionPodcast: How We Really Feel: https://www.howwereallyfeel.com/Emily Johnson @ArthritisFoodieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/arthritisfoodie/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@arthritisfoodieFurther Resources: https://linktr.ee/arthritisfoodie

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 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