No, we haven’t heard much about it in the media, but Dr. Susan Blum says arthritis is at epidemic levels. Children and teens are being diagnosed with this inflammatory condition almost as often as older people. In this conversation, Susan and I talk about how arthritis has quietly grown to epidemic proportions, why it’s no longer only a condition diagnosed in old people, and the profound connection between arthritis, stress, and the food we eat. Dr. Blum is a frequent expert guest on the Dr. Oz Show and is a best-selling author as well. Her most recent book, “Healing Arthritis,” covers this topic in depth.
Please don’t define “healthy” as “not getting a disease.”
In recent times the understanding of what it means to be healthy has become skewed. Instead of truly being healthy and vibrant we focus on a minimalistic approach that simply tries to avoid disease. It makes sense. Modern medicine is more focused around preventing disease than optimizing health. But we’ve got to get our minds in a different place than that. Being healthy means we have the capacity to remain strong and vibrant now and well into our older years. Dr. Blum makes a very clear case for why we need to adopt this mindset and gives some great advice on things like nutrition, exercise, and stress relief to help us move gradually into an optimal state of health. As always, this chat with Susan was lively so be sure you don’t miss it.
The balance or imbalance of your gut microbiomes dramatically impacts arthritis.
It can be a complex process of discovery to pinpoint all the contributing factors to arthritis. But Dr. Blum says one of the more obvious things coming out of the new research is that the balance or imbalance of your gut microbiome dramatically impacts the prevalence or absence of arthritis. In this conversation, she shares those findings and gives advice about the kinds of foods that will help you treat existing conditions of arthritis or prevent it in the first place. She also talks at length about leaky gut, and how it contributes to conditions of inflammation such as arthritis. I’m confident this conversation will be helpful to many – either you or someone you love – so do what you can to listen.
Trauma is trauma – and all of it impacts the possibility of conditions such as arthritis.
A significant contributor to arthritis that is not always mentioned is the amount and severity of stress we experience. In our conversation on this episode, Susan makes the point that trauma of any kind is trauma. Whether we see it as a big deal or not compared to what someone else has experienced, it’s important that we address it because it is a contributing factor to our overall health that needs to be considered and treated. Dr. Blum’s insight into the relationship between trauma and arthritis, and the ways you can address it are very helpful so be sure you listen.
Episode Highlights
- 2:10 – Why Dr. Blum decided to write a book on the topic of arthritis
- 5:27 – Susan has a bone to pick with most Doctors these days
- 13:40 – How trauma is misunderstood in modern times
- 21:30 – The connection between the inflammation of arthritis and the gut
- 34:26 – Why are people today embarrassed to talk about gut health?
- 37:02 – How do probiotics work?
Resources Mentioned
- www.BlumHealthMD.com
- Get Dr. Susan Blum’s Free 30 Day HealMyGut Guidebook
30-Day HealMyGut Guidebook
- BOOK: The Immune System Recovery Plan by Dr. Susan Blum
- BOOK: Healing Arthritis by Dr. Susan Blum
- Join Dr. Susan Blum on Facebook LIVE
- The Arthritis Summit
- BOOK: Charming Bowels by Giulia Enders
- Previous NextFem episode with Dr. Susan Blum
- The American College of Lifestyle Medicine
- BOOK: Unattended Sorrow by Stephen Levin
- OSHO Dynamic Meditation
- BOOK: Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy by Sheryl Sandberg
1. Favorite book for women?
- BOOK: The 5 Invitations by Frank Ostaseski
2. Favorite self-care hack?
- Acupuncture
3. Best piece of advice and who gave it to you?
- Her cousin Susan told her that she had to learn to meditate to know herself and create resiliency for life.
4. Female CEO or thought leader you’re into right now?
- Sheryl Sandberg
5. One piece of advice you’d give your 5 years younger self?
- “Be careful what you wish for.”
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