Show Notes
Does cold weather really make autoimmune disease worse? In this episode, Jaime and Marie-Noelle start with their own experiences of the colder months, then walk through what the research shows. They share practical strategies for the season, from staying active and vitamin D to indoor humidity, paraffin wax baths for stiff hands, Raynaud's tips, and staying well during cold and flu season, flagging how strong the evidence is for each. They also share what's new at Urban AIP this fall, take on the question of whether to start AIP now or wait until after the holidays, and close with a little homework.
In This Episode
(00:04) Welcome and episode preview, with a note for Southern Hemisphere listeners and a pointer to Episode 20 on hot weather
(02:22) Jaime and Marie-Noelle share their own experiences with the cold, including Raynaud's, Hashimoto's, and why damp cold feels different from dry cold
(06:55) What the hosts notice in their clients and in Urban AIP's seasonal ordering patterns
(08:48) What the research says: cold on its own is a weaker trigger than seasonality
(09:50) Joint pain and rheumatoid arthritis: the "Cloudy with a Chance of Pain" study
(10:37) Multiple sclerosis and lupus: mixed seasonal patterns
(11:10) Inflammatory bowel disease and thyroid: a weak seasonal signal and a seasonal shift in TSH
(11:41) Raynaud's: the most direct cold connection
(12:16) Vitamin D, winter infections, and why tracking your own symptoms beats assuming
(13:10) How the tips are sorted by strength of evidence
(13:58) Staying active in the cold: why movement matters and how much to aim for
(14:52) Practical strategies: warming up, layering, hydrating, moving indoors, and pacing
(17:05) Yoga and tai chi: what the research does and doesn't show
(17:56) Exercising with Raynaud's: warming up, pre-warming gloves, and rewarming slowly
(18:29) A pointer to Episode 51 on movement, then vitamin D: what a large trial did and didn't show, and a pointer to Episode 39 on nature and sunlight
(20:14) Indoor humidity: what experts suggest, and why humidifiers need regular cleaning
(20:53) Paraffin wax baths for stiff hands: the research, who should avoid them, and why to ask an occupational or hand therapist first
(22:48) Raynaud's, stress, and why new symptoms deserve a conversation with a doctor
(23:17) Staying well in cold and flu season: everyday habits and what to discuss with your doctor
(25:21) What's new at Urban AIP this fall
(28:08) The research on whole, nutrient-dense foods
(28:42) Start AIP now or wait until after the holidays?
(31:22) Ready Set AIP
(31:52) Homework: track your own seasonal patterns, and closing thoughts
Resources Mentioned
Episode 20: Hot Weather & Autoimmune Disease
Episode 31: Having Happy & Healthy Holidays with Autoimmune Disease
Episode 39: The Healing Power of Nature: Nervous System, Sunlight & Immune Regulation
Episode 51: Movement Is Medicine - Training Smart with Autoimmune Disease featuring Lana Buettner
Urban AIP (Use discount code PODCAST, plus during October get birthday month discounts on new meals released each Friday)
Ready Set AIP (Use discount code PODCAST)
Research Referenced
Seasonality and autoimmune diseases review
Cloudy with a Chance of Pain
MS seasonal relapses, Saudi cohort
Winter lupus flares and vitamin D
IBD weather and seasons meta-analysis
Seasonal TSH study, JCEM 2013
Raynaud phenomenon, MedlinePlus
Treating Raynaud phenomenon: Beyond staying warm
Physical activity and RA review
Arthritis Foundation, 10 tips for cold weather exercise
Tips for reducing cold-weather arthritis pain, rheumatologist commentary
Activity pacing trial in multiple sclerosis
Tai chi for rheumatoid arthritis, Cochrane review 2019
Tai chi for treating rheumatoid arthritis, Cochrane review 2004
Tai chi and yoga in RA and spondyloarthropathies, narrative review
Raynaud's and sport, Scleroderma and Raynaud's UK
VITAL trial, BMJ
Indoor humidity and respiratory health
Cochr
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