Science, support, and stories helping you to live well with arthritis.The Live Well with Arthritis Podcast brings you expert advice, science-backed tips, and inspiring stories to help you manage your condition and feel better every day.
Hosted by Emily Johnson, coach, founder of Live Well with Arthritis, bestselling author, and creator of Arthritis Foodie, the Live Well with Arthritis podcast offers science-based advice, expert interviews, and lived experience to help you live a healthier, happier life with arthritis.
Whether you’ve just been diagnosed, have been managing arthritis for years, or are seeking answers to ongoing symptoms, each episode explores practical ways to reduce inflammation, improve daily life, and feel more in control of your condition.
With inflammation as a key focus, this podcast covers all types of arthritis, from osteoarthritis to rheumatoid, psoriatic, and more. Emily and her guests share science-backed strategies, meaningful stories, and encouragement for navigating the challenges of living with arthritis. Get small, but impactful tips, advice and implementable steps that make a real difference.
Follow:@livewellwitharthritis@arthritisfoodieJoin the Live Well with Arthritis Course waitlist:https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/waitlist
Buy my books:
Beat Arthritis Naturally
Eat Well with Arthritis
View all links: https://linktr.ee/arthritisfoodie*Not medical advice, for full disclaimer click here.
#39 Behind the Scenes: How Live Well with Arthritis Programme Actually Works
Season 1 · Episode 39
Sunday, September 6, 2026 • Duration 41:14
#39 Behind the Scenes: How Live Well with Arthritis Programme Actually Works
'Second to starting my medication, joining the cohort was the best choice I could have made', that's Julie's review of the Live Well with Arthritis Course and Coaching Programme. She was newly diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis after a year of physical and emotional decline, and became a fouding member of Emily's first Spring cohort. In this solo episode, Emily goes behind the scenes on the programme she's spent two years building, and the real stories of the people who've been through it.
You may have a lot of questions about what Live Well with Arthritis actually is, so this is the honest, behind-the-curtain version: why it had to be a course and coaching running side by side rather than either one alone, how the twelve weeks are structured, the fifteen experts who shaped every week of it, and what genuinely changed for the Spring cohort.
Living with arthritis can be one of the loneliest things in the world, because you look fine, everyone assumes you are fine, while you quietly manage inflammation, fatigue, pain, medications and appointments. This programme exists so you don't have to navigate any of that on your own.
Topics covered:
Why It Can't Just Be a Course: why coaching is such a powerful part of real change, why the two run live and side by side, and why there's no self-paced version yet
Inside the 12 Weeks: the three pillars (anti-inflammatory nutrition, lifestyle, and tools for life), the week 0 foundations, and the mid-programme consolidation break
Tools, Not Prescriptions: the Wheel of Life, finding your why, group and bi-weekly one-to-one coaching, grounding meditations, and the Trigger Tracker that helps you finally see your patterns
The People Behind It: 15 contributors, including consultant rheumatologists, a triple-certified pain specialist, nutritionists and movement experts who reviewed or co-created every method
Real Cohort Stories: what actually shifted for Julie (rheumatoid arthritis) and Helen (osteoarthritis), in their own words, and the connections that formed between members across the UK and US
How to Join the Autumn Cohort: enrolment is open now, why places are kept intentionally small, the free discovery call, and the founding-member discount
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.
#38 From Gut to Glow: Farzanah Nasser on Fibre, Autoimmunity and Reducing Inflammation
Season 1 · Episode 38
Sunday, August 30, 2026 • Duration 53:57
Episode 38: The Live Well with Arthritis Podcast
#38 From Gut to Glow: Farzanah Nasser on Fibre, Autoimmunity and Reducing Inflammation
In 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 Foundations
The Fibre Gap: Why only 4% of UK adults hit the 30g target, and how to close the 12–14g gap sustainably
Layer, Don't Overhaul: Turning a 4g bowl of porridge into a 12–14g breakfast with simple store cupboard swaps
Start Where You're At: Farzanah's aduki bean lasagna cautionary tale, and why fibre must be increased gradually
Gut, Immunity and Inflammation
Gut and Immunity: Why up to 70% of your immune system lives in your gut
Fibre and Inflammation: How short chain fatty acids (postbiotics) heal leaky gut and calm inflammation on multiple levels
Pre, Pro and Postbiotics: The difference explained, plus fermented foods and 'symbiotics' in a jar
#37 Why Reiki Helps: Emily's Honest Account in a Time of Grief
Season 1 · Episode 37
Sunday, July 26, 2026 • Duration 45:06
Episode 37: The Live Well with Arthritis Podcast
#37 Why Reiki Helps: Emily's Honest Account in a Time of Grief
This 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 through
What the Evidence Really Says how Reiki helps by shifting the nervous system from fight-or-flight into rest-and-repair
Calm, Not Cure why Reiki is a soothing complement, not a treatment for the disease
Grief, the Body and the Flare and why tending your nervous system in a hard season is protection, not distraction
Emily's Week the honest, tender account of Tuesday's session
Learning to Receive and why letting yourself be nourished is not weakness
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.
#36 Heatwaves and Joint Pain: Myth or Reality? Emily Shares the Science and What Can Help
Season 1 · Episode 36
Sunday, July 19, 2026 • Duration 51:40
Episode 36: The Live Well with Arthritis Podcast
#36 Heatwaves and Joint Pain: Myth or Reality? Emily Shares the Science and Can Help
This 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 triggers
Sleep-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.
#35 Dismissed to Determined: Advocacy, Confidence and Community with Bailey Jane
Season 1 · Episode 35
Sunday, July 12, 2026 • Duration 48:55
Episode 35: The Live Well with Arthritis Podcast
#35 Dismissed to Determined: Advocacy, Confidence and Community with Bailey Jane
Ever been told your pain is 'all in your head'? Host Emily Johnson welcomes Bailey Jane, policy advocate for the Arthritis Foundation, confidence coach, and Miss America competitor who grew up with juvenile arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis.
After 10 doctors and years of dismissal, Bailey finally got her diagnosis, despite having symptoms from when she was 5 years old. In this episode, she opens up about medical gaslighting, learning to advocate for herself, and turning pain into purpose. Whether you live with arthritis, an invisible illness, or you’re waiting on answers, this episode reminds you that your voice matters and your diagnosis does not define you.
Topics covered:
Living with an Invisible Condition
Dismissal to Diagnosis Medical gaslighting by 10 doctors
'You Don’t Look Sick' Navigating an invisible autoimmune disease
Health Autonomy Become your own advocate
Managing Body and Mind
Treatment Difficulties Why she had to turn to holistic methods
Anti-Inflammatory Living Diet, triggers, CBD, and rest as productivity
Rationing Your Energy Pitcher analogy and knowing your body
Turning Pain into Power
The Joint Impact Advocacy, policy reform, and sharing your story
Community Feeling seen with the Arthritis Foundation
Confidence Coaching The alter ego hack and more
#34 Go to the Gig: Emily's Before, During and After Plan for Concerts with Arthritis
Season 1 · Episode 34
Sunday, July 5, 2026 • Duration 51:59
Episode 34: The Live Well with Arthritis Podcast
#34 Go to the Gig: Emily's Before, During and After Plan for Concerts with Arthritis
Last weekend, Emily was at the Take That concert in a crowd of thousands, mid-heatwave, singing loudly with her mum. In the photos, with her red lipstick on, she looks fine, but what you can't see is her pain. This episode is the honest version of that night, and the plan that made it possible.
Living with arthritis doesn't mean giving upfestivals, gigs, travel, or brilliant experiences that make life worth living. It just means going with a plan, and some self-compassion for afterwards. Arthritis does not mean you stop showing up for your life, but you do show up differently.
Heat, crowds, standing for hours, and barely any sleep, is a perfect storm for a flare, so Emily walks through the whole thing: the biology of why heat and bad sleep hit our joints so hard, and what shes does about it.
Topics covered:
Biology of the Flare Why heat, dehydration, exertion and lost sleep aren't four small things, but one absoltely compounding thing
Knowing Your Triggers Naming your own triggers (for Emily - stress, travel, lost routine, and lots of walking) so you can plan around them
The Before Banking your rest, planning an air-conditioned route and seating/accessibility, and exactly what was in Emily's Take That flare-up/pain kit
The During Hydrating relentlessly, forgiving an imperfect meal, micro-resting without guilt, managing the heat actively, staying ahead of the pain, and letting joy be medicine
The After Handling the flare without guilt or panic, with rest as a non-negotiable, soothing swollen joints, and remembering a flare is a temporary cost for a permanent memory
Travel More Widely How the same before/during/after system carries over to flights, hotels and getaways, and why protecting your sleep matters is vital
#33 Hype or Helpful? Nutritionist Eli Brecher on Matcha, Fibremaxxing, Protein Water and more
Season 1 · Episode 33
Sunday, June 28, 2026 • Duration 39:22
Episode 33: The Live Well with Arthritis Podcast
#33 Hype or Helpful? Nutritionist Eli Brecher on Matcha, Fibremaxxing, Protein Water and more
Fed up of navigating all of the wellness trends in the media and online?The wellness world can be overwhelming to navigate, so what is actually helpful? Especially if you live with a chronic health condition? In this episode, host Emily Johnson welcomes back Registered Associate Nutritionist Eli Brecher to sort the hype from the helpful.
Eli is the creator of The Mind, Body, Gut Method™ and host of The Gut 360 Podcast. Living with Crohn's disease since the age of eight, she specialises in gut health, women's health, and fertility nutrition, and is a contributor to the Live Well with Arthritis programme. Eli celebrates the trends genuinely worth your time, and debunks the ones that aren't.
Topics covered:
Trends Worth the Hype
Matcha Calm Sustained energy, L-theanine, and the dairy caveat
Fibremaxxing Why fibre is a hero nutrient, and how to add it to your diet
Adding In, Not Restricting Positive shift towards plant diversity and 30+ plants a week
Debatable Trends
Protein-Washing Why seeing 'high protein' may just be marketing
Gut Health Myth of the magic powder, and where to start
Biohacking Red light, cold plunges and more
Thoughts on Other Trends
CGMs (Continuous Glucose Monitors) Whether the average person really needs one
#32 Trust Your Gut: Dr Camilla Stokholm on Microbiomes, Inflammation and Arthritis
Season 1 · Episode 32
Sunday, June 21, 2026 • Duration 55:17
Episode 32: The Live Well with Arthritis Podcast
#32 Trust Your Gut: Dr Camilla Stokholm on Microbiomes, Inflammation and Arthritis
What if half of you wasn't actually you? In this episode, host Emily Johnson welcomes Dr Camilla Stokholm, a gut microbiome specialist, lifestyle medicine doctor, and best-selling author of What Your Doctor Eats, named after her hugely popular Instagram account.
A former NHS GP, Camilla now runs Mosaic Medical, using metagenomic testing to get to the root cause of her patients' symptoms. Her approach grew out of her own health journey, such as debilitating IBS. Whether you live with arthritis, fibromyalgia, or an inflammatory condition, get practical, science-backed strategies to feed your gut, calm inflammation, and take back control of your health.
Topics covered:
The Gut Microbiome
Mini Pharmacy How gut bugs produce chemicals that act like medicine
Immunity 70% of your immune system lives one cell away from your microbiome
Leaky Gut How dysbiosis can trigger autoimmunity, inflammation and joint pain
Signs and Testing
Hidden Signs Fatigue, brain fog, bloating, and bowel changes
Beyond Bloodwork Why a normal test doesn't always mean it's fine
Personalisation Food first, plus targeted prescriptions
Feeding a Healthier Life
Microbiome Party Variety is key and 30 plants a week
Probiotics? Lessons from the Hadza tribe on cheap, diverse eating
Fasting & Arthritis What the research reveals
#31 Gratitude Over Toxic Positivity: Emily on Holding Pain and Joy at Once
Season 1 · Episode 31
Sunday, June 14, 2026 • Duration 35:38
Episode 31: The Live Well with Arthritis Podcast
#31 Gratitude Over Toxic Positivity: Emily on Holding Pain and Joy at Once
When you're mid-flare and someone tells you to 'look on the bright side', this episode is for you. Host Emily Johnson has a confession the word 'gratitude' used to grate on her too, and this episode is not about good-vibing your way out of pain.
Drawing on the science and her own lived experience, Emily unpacks what real, evidence-based gratitude actually is, dual processing, and the human capacity to hold a heavy truth in one hand and something beautiful in the other. Gratitude does not wipe away your pain, your anger, or your grief. It simply sends your nervous system a second, different signal alongside the first, which is that safety, warmth, and kindness also exist, right here, right now.
This is for anyone who is grieving the body or the life they expected to have, and who is tired of being made to choose between their hard feelings and their good ones.
Topics covered:
Biology of 'Both/And' Why your brain isn't broken, it's biased, how negativity bias and central sensitisation turn up the volume on pain, and what gratitude actually does to your nervous system
Myth of Emotional Monogamy Why you don't have to be committed to one emotion, and how the phrase 'and yet' lets grief, fear, anger, and gratitude coexist without one erasing the other
Grief, Joy, and Post-Traumatic Growth Why grief for your health is not a failure of gratitude, plus a tender personal reflection on loss
Microgratitude Toolkit Practical, flare-friendly tools you can actually reach for when everything feels heavy, the micro-hunt, the 'and yet' journal, somatic gratitude with the physiological sigh, and finding awe in small things
Suffering Olympics Why there's no threshold you have to cross before your feelings count, and your invitation to try the 'and yet' practice this week
#30 Hiking with Autoimmunity: Mija Dropulić on Travelling with Lupus and Learning to Love Yourself (Volim Sebe)
Season 1 · Episode 30
Sunday, June 7, 2026 • Duration 38:00
Episode 30: The Live Well with Arthritis Podcast
#30 Hiking with Autoimmunity: Mija Dropulić on Travelling with Lupus and Learning to Love Yourself (Volim Sebe)
Wondering if you will ever hike again?Host Emily Johnson welcomes Mija Dropulić, Croatian journalist, editor, and storyteller with 20 years' experience in media/travel/lifestyle and the founder of Under Dream Skies.
Mija lives with two autoimmune diseases, Sjögren's syndrome and lupus, and shares her journey of navigating chronic illness while figuring out how to hike, travel, and explore the outdoors. From a flare-up in Scotland, to rebuilding her strength, Mija opens up about diagnosis, daily reality, and the lifestyle shifts that have helped her. Whether you live with arthritis, lupus, or autoimmunity, this episode reminds you to love yourself again.
Topics covered:
Living with Invisible Illness
Two Diagnoses Navigating Sjögren's and lupus
'Box of Chocolates' Different flare-ups
You Don't Look Sick How tonavigate this
Rebuilding the Body and Mind
Coming Back to Self From her lowest point to a multi-day hike
Anti-Inflammatory Living Diet, sleep, movement, finding triggers
Trusting Your Body But knowing rest is not failure
Finding Connection and Joy
Community Feeling less alone via social media
Healing Outdoors Forests, fresh air, and feeling human
Volim SebePutting yourself first as an act of care
Everyday Hacks and Habits
Clever Fibre Hacks: Resistant starch from cooked-and-cooled rice and potatoes, and freezing then toasting bread
Eat the Rainbow: Why different coloured peppers, onions and plants feed a diverse microbiome
Mindful Eating: How chewing, deep breaths and calm actually improve digestion and absorption
Hype vs Helpful: Farzanah's honest take on gummies and fibre supplements
Plus a look inside The Everyday High Fibre Plan: the science, the 30-day plan and 130 simple recipes
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 is a bestselling author, certified coach, and founder of Live Well with 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.
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.
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.
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.
GLP-1s (like Ozempic) What they actually do, and who they're helpful for
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 is a bestselling author, certified coach, and founder of Live Well with Arthritis.
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.
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.
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.
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