Autoimmune Alchemy

Bloated After Every Meal? The Hidden Gut Condition Your Doctor Is Missing with Dr. Rajsree Nambudripad

Autoimmune Alchemy

Show Notes

In this episode, I sit down with the incredible Dr. Rajsree Nambudripad — integrative internal medicine physician, gut health specialist, SIBO expert, and founder of OC Integrative Medicine in Fullerton, California. Dr. Rajshree's personal journey from debilitating bloating, food intolerances, and daily nausea to healing her own SIBO naturally is nothing short of transformational. We go deep into why so many IBS diagnoses miss the real root cause, the difference between hydrogen and methane SIBO, her powerful 4-phase herbal protocol, and how healing your gut can reverse everything from skin rashes to anxiety to autoimmune flares. If you've been told to just "live with" your gut symptoms — this one is for YOU.

Chapters and Time-Stamps 00:53 Welcome and Guest Intro 02:27 Why SIBO Gets Missed 03:39 What SIBO Does in Gut 05:42 IBS vs SIBO Types 07:48 Herbal Protocol Origin Story 12:25 Four Phase SIBO Plan 14:33 Testing to Rule Out Causes 20:33 Microbiome Diet and Cravings 22:16 Stress Food and Antibiotics 25:34 Histamine and Probiotic Pitfalls 28:35 Best Supplements Digestive Enzymes 30:16 Digestive Enzyme Stack 30:53 Magnesium for Constipation 31:58 Motility Activator Basics 32:27 Phase-Based SIBO Strategy 34:10 Meal Spacing and MMC 35:23 Low-Bloat Food Swaps 36:57 Mindful Eating and Portions 39:19 Reintroducing Foods Safely 41:48 Nausea Relief Tools 43:57 Acid vs Non-Acid Reflux 50:34 Gut-Immune Connection Wrap 53:30 Where to Find Dr Rajshree

Key Takeaways 🦠 IBS Is a Label, Not a Diagnosis 🧪 Know Your SIBO Type 🌿 Fix the Foundation Before Killing Bacteria 💊 Three Supplements That Change Everything 🍽️ Meal Spacing Is Medicine 🔬 Your Gut Drives Your Immune System 🥛 Go Slow With Reintroduction

Guest Details & Links Guest: Dr. Rasjree Nambudripad, MD Specialty: Integrative Internal Medicine | Gut Health | SIBO Expert Practice Location: Fullerton, California Training: Internal Medicine Residency at Northwestern University; Gastroenterology Fellowship at UC Irvine Links: Website: oc-integrative-medicine.com 📺 YouTube: @drrajsree 📸 Instagram: @dr_rajsree_nambudripad

About Your Hosts Micah Yu, MD, MHA, MS, ABOIM, DipABLM, IFMCP Dr. Micah Yu is a triple board-certified integrative rheumatologist who blends conventional medicine with holistic, nutrition-based healing to treat autoimmune and chronic inflammatory conditions. A patient himself, Dr. Yu brings a deeply personal perspective to his work, having reversed his own autoimmune arthritis through lifestyle and integrative medicine. He is certified in internal medicine, rheumatology, integrative medicine, lifestyle medicine, and functional medicine. As the founder of MyAutoimmuneMD and co-founder of Dr. Lifestyle Clinic, Dr. Yu empowers patients to address the root causes of illness and reclaim their health from the inside out.

Melissa Mondala, MD, MHA, MS, DipABLM Dr. Melissa Mondala is a dual board-certified physician in Family and Lifestyle Medicine, with advanced training in Integrative Psychiatry and Integrative Medicine. As President of Dr. Lifestyle Clinic in Newport Beach—recognized by UC Irvine as a Public Health Site of Excellence—she pioneers a holistic, patient-centered approach to chronic disease. Dr. Mondala is a nationally recognized Lifestyle Medicine Intensivist, core faculty at Loma Linda University's Preventive Medicine Department, and a passionate advocate for plant-based nutrition, mental health, and women's wellness. A sought-after speaker and educator, she combines cutting-edge science with deep compassion to empower lasting healing, especially for those silently suffering from autoimmune, mental health, and long COVID conditions. She shares practical inspiration for healthy living and cooking at @drmelissaskitchen.

About AutoImmune Alchemy Podcast Mission: Blending science with soul to transform autoimmune struggles into healing alchemy AutoImmune Alchemy is a podcast dedicated to the autoimmune community, offering hope, validation, and evidence-based solu

More from Autoimmune Alchemy

Oct 19, 2026

Today's guest is Dr. Elizabeth Volkmann — Associate Professor of Rheumatology at UCLA and Director of the UCLA Scleroderma Program. Elizabeth blends leading-edge research with holistic care — treating the whole person, not just the antibodies. In this episode, we cover the early, often-missed signs of scleroderma, the newest treatment frontier (CAR T therapy and stem cell transplant), and her groundbreaking research linking childhood trauma and gut microbiome health to disease risk. If you or someone you love lives with scleroderma, this conversation offers real hope grounded in real science. Chapter and Time Stamps 00:34 Meet Dr. Volkmann 01:47 Early Signs and Diagnosis 03:54 Key Antibodies and Labs 06:30 Understanding Skin Thickening 08:00 Treating Fibrosis Today 09:53 Stem Cells and CAR T 13:10 CAR T Results and Trials 14:14 Interstitial Lung Disease Focus 15:31 Trauma and Autoimmunity 19:45 Gut Microbiome Discoveries 21:45 Probiotics and Bacteria Patterns 24:29 Reversal Through Lifestyle 27:48 Integrative Medicine Balance 29:00 Where to Find Dr Volkmann 29:45 Closing Thanks and Goodbye

Oct 12, 2026

What if the biggest predictor of your health isn't your genes, but your daily habits? In this episode of Autoimmune Alchemy, I sit down with Dr. Monisha Bhanote, a quintuple board-certified physician and integrative pathologist, to talk about #cellcare — the science of listening to your cells before disease takes hold. We cover travel gut health, toxin protection, and the wild story of how a freak accident led her to develop autoimmune disease and rebuild her brain through lifestyle alone. Chapter and Time Stamps: 00:50 Meet Dr. Monisha Bhanote 02:25 From Med School to Pathology 04:53 Integrative Medicine Shift 07:27 Cell Care Explained 10:24 Cells and Food Fuel 11:26 Autoimmune Travel Flare Story 13:51 Five Travel Pathways 18:04 Digestion Dos and Donts 21:42 Smart Travel Foods 23:30 Hydration Skin and Immunity 26:29 Find Quiet Spaces 27:09 Stress-Free Travel Mindset 27:58 Hotel Sleep Sanctuary 29:25 Immune Herbs Basics 30:49 Stillness and Recovery Days 33:03 Golf Ball TBI Story 37:29 Rebuilding with Lifestyle 38:12 Ayurvedic Brain Support 39:45 Mitochondria and Plant Diversity 44:16 True North Longevity 46:42 Retreats and Travela Supplement 50:46 Where to Find Dr Bhanote 51:16 Final Thanks and Wrap Key Takeaways 🧬 90% of Cancer Isn't Genetics — It's Lifestyle 🔬 Your Cells Are "Angry" Long Before You Feel Sick 🌱 #CellCare Isn't Self-Care — It's Deeper Than That ✈️ Travel Changes Your Microbiome in Just 20 Hours 🫚 Ginger & Turmeric Water Beats Soda on the Road 🏌️ One Freak Accident Triggered Full-Blown Autoimmune Disease 🧠 She Rebuilt Her Brain With Lifestyle, Not Meds 💊 Travela Was Born From an Apothecary in Her Suitcase Guest Details & Links Dr. Monisha Bhanote, MD, FCAP, ABOIM — one of the few quintuple board-certified physicians in the U.S., known as the Wellbeing Doctor. She combines her expertise as an integrative pathologist, cytopathologist, and culinary medicine specialist to help people understand disease at the cellular level. Founder of the WELLKULÅ Institute and creator of Travela, a travel wellness and longevity supplement. Website: drbhanote.com Social: Instagram, Facebook, YouTube & Pinterest @DrBhanote

Oct 5, 2026

Dr. Nate Handley — an integrative oncologist and Director of the Cancer Recovery Program at Jefferson University's Marcus Institute for Integrative Health, who treats both cancer patients and complex chronic illness through precision medicine, blending genetics, bloodwork, and whole-person care.

Sep 28, 2026

What if the panic attacks, the insomnia, the depression you've been handed a prescription for are actually your body asking you to look deeper? In this episode of Autoimmune Alchemy, I sit down with Kirkland Newman, journalist, founder of MindHealth360, and Executive Director of IMMH. To unpack her own postpartum depression journey and why functional psychiatry looks at root causes instead of just silencing symptoms. We go deep into trauma, hormones, nervous system regulation, and the daily practices that build real resilience. Chapter and Time Stamps: 00:56 Meet Kiki Newman 02:23 First Postpartum Panic 03:58 Medication Fallout 05:28 Testing Changed Everything 07:10 Mind Health 360 Mission 09:21 Trauma Meets Biochemistry 12:42 Why Postpartum Gets Missed 18:41 Self Care and Rest Lessons 21:40 Experts and Common Threads 27:12 Start With the Basics 32:13 Bioenergetics and Inner Healer 35:19 Conference Invite and Wrap Up

Sep 21, 2026

What if treating your autoimmune disease didn't mean a lifetime of infusions, but one? In this episode of Autoimmune Alchemy, I talk with Dr. Vaneet Sandhu, VP of Clinical Development at Fate Therapeutics, about CAR T-cell therapy: how it reprograms immune cells to eliminate the "bad actor" B-cells driving disease, why it started in oncology and is now being tested in lupus, scleroderma, vasculitis and more, and what the recent safety headlines actually mean for patients considering a trial.

See all episodes →