The Autoimmune RESET

VJ Hamilton

VJ Hamilton is a nutritionist, scientist, and autoimmune disease expert who founded The Autoimmunity Nutritionist Clinic, a Nutritional Therapy and Functional Medicine clinic specialising in autoimmune disease. VJ combines her lived experience overcoming autoimmune disease symptoms with her knowledge of nutrition, health, biochemistry, and immunology to provide you with the most up-to-date research on autoimmune disease. The Autoimmune RESET aims to provide you with the education and resources to empower you to take steps to transform your health and feel better than ever. In each episode, VJ will share simple ways to uplevel your diet and lifestyle, key learnings from her own journey reversing autoimmune disease, and inspirational stories from those who have reset their autoimmune symptoms and are now thriving in life. Health practitioners, mind and body experts, and scientists will be joining VJ as guests on the show, as well as those who have inspirational stories to share and are now thriving in everyday life! And don't miss the short episodes every Friday, The Friday 5, in which VJ shares five healthy must-haves for you to explore over the weekend. 

  1. 5D AGO

    The New Autoimmune Protocol: What’s Changed and Why It Matters with Mickey Trescott

    Send us Fan Mail In this week’s episode of The Autoimmune RESET, I’m joined by Mickey Trescott, one of the leading voices behind the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP), to discuss the evolution of AIP, the science behind it, and why the new version is far more flexible, sustainable, and nuanced than many people realise. We explore Mickey’s own personal journey with autoimmune disease, how she used nutrition and lifestyle changes to support her recovery, and the research that has emerged around AIP over the last decade. We also discuss why so many people with autoimmune conditions react differently to foods, how reintroductions should actually work, and the importance of avoiding fear-based or perfectionist approaches to healing. One of the things I particularly appreciated in this conversation is the focus on nutrient density rather than restriction alone. Mickey explains why many “healthy” diets can still leave people depleted nutritionally, and how the updated AIP framework aims to support people in a much more realistic and individualised way. We also talk about:  The difference between core AIP and modified AIP  Why food reactions are not always immediate  The role of gut health and immune regulation  Practical first steps for implementing AIP without overwhelm  Why some people struggle with overly restrictive wellness messaging  The importance of reintroductions and long-term sustainability  Common mistakes people make when trying elimination diets  How to approach autoimmune healing without perfectionism Whether you are completely new to AIP or have tried it before, this episode offers a much more balanced and evidence-aware perspective on how food can support autoimmune health. Resources & Links The New Autoimmune Protocol: The Complete Guide to Managing Autoimmune Disease Follow Mickey Trescott for more on AIP and autoimmune health: https://www.instagram.com/mickeytrescott/📥 New to the podcast or need a starting point? → Download my free The Autoimmunity Recovery Plan — a simple guide that outlines the steps I recommend You can also connect with me here: Instagram: @theautoimmunitynutritionist Website: www.autoimmunenutritionclinic If you enjoyed this episode, I would be so grateful if you shared it with someone who may benefit from hearing it, or left a review on your podcast platform of choice. The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider. Thanks for listening! You can join The Autoimmune Forum on Facebook or find me on Instagram @theautoimmunitynutritionist.

    37 min
  2. MAY 16

    Friday 5 - Simple Ways to Lower Histamine Load Naturally

    Send us Fan Mail For this week’s Friday Five episode, we are talking about histamine overload and five simple ways to naturally reduce histamine burden without becoming fearful of food or excessively restrictive. Histamine intolerance is often far more nuanced than simply reacting to high-histamine foods. In this episode, I explore the deeper connections between histamine, the nervous system, gut health, inflammation, stress, nutrient deficiencies, and immune regulation. We discuss why symptoms like headaches, flushing, hives, sinus congestion, anxiety, palpitations, bloating, poor sleep, and feeling “wired” can sometimes be signs that the body’s overall inflammatory load has become too high — and how supporting the body more holistically can help improve resilience over time. Inside this episode, we cover: Why histamine is not inherently “bad”The histamine bucket analogy and why symptoms can suddenly appearThe connection between stress, mast cells, and nervous system dysregulationHow gut health and the microbiome influence histamine levelsWhy blood sugar balance and sleep matter more than many people realiseThe role of leftovers and food freshness in histamine symptomsNutrients involved in histamine breakdown including vitamin C, magnesium, B6, zinc, and copperGentle, practical ways to support the body naturallyResources mentioned in this episode: Nurosym vagus nerve stimulation device. Use code VJ10 for a discount: Nurosym Functional Gut Testing & Advanced Testing Options: Gut Testing Information 5 Day Burnout RESET: download here 📥 Ready for a more structured, personalised approach? → Apply to work with me — we’ll create a clear, step-by-step plan tailored to your body, your symptoms, and your goals. 🧘‍♀️ Need nervous system support? → I personally use and recommend SONA, a vagus nerve stimulation device clinically shown to support immune balance, inflammation, and stress recovery. Use the code VJ10 for 10% discount at checkout.  📥 New to the podcast or need a starting point? → Download my free The Autoimmunity Recovery Plan — a simple guide that outlines the steps I recommend You can also connect with me here: Instagram: @theautoimmunitynutritionist Website: www.autoimmunenutritionclinic If you enjoyed this episode, I would be so grateful if you shared it with someone who may benefit from hearing it, or left a review on your podcast platform of choice. The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider. Thanks for listening! You can join The Autoimmune Forum on Facebook or find me on Instagram @theautoimmunitynutritionist.

    14 min
  3. MAY 10

    Friday 5 - "Your Blood Tests Are Normal” — But Are They Really?

    Send us Fan Mail In this week’s Friday Five, I’m breaking down some of the standard blood markers I commonly look at in clinic when somebody is dealing with autoimmune disease, inflammation, fatigue, or hair loss — including alopecia. One of the biggest misconceptions I see is that “normal” blood tests automatically mean everything is functioning optimally. But in reality, many people continue to struggle with symptoms despite being told their results are fine. In this episode, I explain why interpretation matters just as much as the numbers themselves, and why looking at patterns across the body can often reveal far more than one isolated marker. I discuss: • Ferritin, transferrin and the wider iron picture • Why ferritin alone may not tell the full story in inflammatory conditions • Thyroid markers beyond TSH, including Free T3, Free T4 and thyroid antibodies • The role of thyroid hormone conversion in energy, metabolism and hair health • Vitamin D and immune regulation • Zinc and its role in immune resilience, skin and hair health • White blood cells, neutrophils and lymphocyte patterns in autoimmune disease • What triglycerides can tell us about metabolism, blood sugar regulation and inflammation • Why markers like serum B12 or HbA1c may not always reflect the full picture • The importance of interpreting symptoms alongside laboratory testing This episode is not about becoming fearful of blood tests or obsessing over numbers. It’s about understanding the body more deeply and recognising that subtle shifts in markers can sometimes provide important clues long before symptoms become more significant. If you’ve ever been told “everything looks normal” but still feel that something is off, this episode is for you. 📥 Ready for a more structured, personalised approach? → Apply to work with me — we’ll create a clear, step-by-step plan tailored to your body, your symptoms, and your goals. 🧘‍♀️ Need nervous system support? → I personally use and recommend SONA, a vagus nerve stimulation device clinically shown to support immune balance, inflammation, and stress recovery. Use the code VJ10 for 10% discount at checkout.  📥 New to the podcast or need a starting point? → Download my free The Autoimmunity Recovery Plan — a simple guide that outlines the steps I recommend The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider. Thanks for listening! You can join The Autoimmune Forum on Facebook or find me on Instagram @theautoimmunitynutritionist.

    16 min
  4. MAY 1

    Why Fat Digestion Matters for Hair Growth (And What Most People Miss)

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I explore a frequently overlooked but fundamentally important driver of hair health — fat digestion. While much of the conversation around hair loss focuses on nutrients, hormones, and stress, what is often missed is whether your body is actually able to digest, absorb, and utilise those nutrients effectively. We look at how bile production, liver function, and gallbladder activity influence the breakdown and absorption of fats — and why this matters so much for fat-soluble vitamins essential for hair growth. I also explore the role of gut health, including how certain bacteria and endotoxins such as LPS can disrupt digestion and contribute to inflammation, alongside the impact of toxins and mould exposure on bile flow and detoxification pathways. This episode will help you understand why you might feel like you are doing everything right, yet still not seeing progress — and how supporting digestion at a foundational level can shift that.  Key Topics  Why fat digestion is essential for hair growth and follicle resilience  The role of bile, the liver, and the gallbladder in nutrient absorption  How hormonal shifts, including perimenopause and menopause, influence bile flow  The impact of gut bacteria, dysbiosis, and LPS on inflammation and hair health  How toxins — including mould — are processed and excreted through bile  Why sluggish bile flow can lead to toxin recirculation  Signs that fat digestion may not be working optimally  Practical ways to support digestion, absorption, and detoxification📥 Ready for a more structured, personalised approach? → Apply to work with me — we’ll create a clear, step-by-step plan tailored to your body, your symptoms, and your goals. 🧪 Want to understand what’s happening beneath the surface? → I use functional testing in clinic to assess gut health, nutrient status, and digestion — including markers related to bile flow, microbial balance, and inflammation. You can explore the tests I use here: https://theautoimmunitynutritionist.com/functional-testing/ 📥 New to the podcast or need a starting point? → Download my free The Autoimmunity Recovery Plan — a simple guide that outlines the steps I recommend The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider. Thanks for listening! You can join The Autoimmune Forum on Facebook or find me on Instagram @theautoimmunitynutritionist.

    25 min
  5. APR 26

    Friday 5 - Signs You Need a More Structured Approach to Your Health

    Send us Fan Mail If you feel like you’re doing everything “right” — eating well, taking supplements, trying to manage stress — but your symptoms aren’t fully shifting, this episode will give you a different lens to look through. Because often, it’s not about effort. It’s about structure. In this episode, I explore five key signs that your current approach may be missing that structure — and why this can keep you stuck in cycles of inflammation, histamine reactivity, fatigue, and inconsistent symptoms. From a functional medicine perspective, we look beyond isolated symptoms and into the underlying systems driving them — including gut health, immune signalling, nervous system regulation, and detoxification capacity. You’ll also understand why “healthy” foods can sometimes exacerbate symptoms, why you may feel better only temporarily, and how a lack of consistency can subtly perpetuate dysregulation in the body. This episode is designed to help you move away from guesswork and towards a more intentional, physiology-led approach — one that supports stability, resilience, and long-term change. What You’ll Learn  Why doing “all the right things” doesn’t always translate into results  How histamine can present beyond allergies — and why it often sits at the centre of fluctuating symptoms  The difference between supporting your body and correcting underlying imbalances  Why symptoms can “move around” the body — and what this reveals about systemic health  How conflicting health advice becomes clearer when viewed through your individual physiology  The role of consistency and structure in regulating inflammation, energy, and immune function 📥 Ready for a more structured, personalised approach? → Apply to work with me — we’ll create a clear, step-by-step plan tailored to your body, your symptoms, and your goals. 🧘‍♀️ Need nervous system support? → I personally use and recommend Nurosym, a vagus nerve stimulation device clinically shown to support immune balance, inflammation, and stress recovery. Use this link: https://link.nurosym.com/VJ10 for 10% discount at checkout.  📥 New to the podcast or need a starting point? → Download my free The Autoimmunity Recovery Plan — a simple guide that outlines the steps I recommend The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider. Thanks for listening! You can join The Autoimmune Forum on Facebook or find me on Instagram @theautoimmunitynutritionist.

    13 min
  6. APR 19

    Can You Actually Speed Up Hair Growth? What’s Really Going On with Alopecia and Regrowth

    Send us Fan Mail Can you actually speed up hair growth — or is that the wrong question? In this episode, I’m unpacking one of the most common questions I hear in clinic, particularly from those navigating hair loss and conditions like Alopecia Areata. We explore what is really happening beneath the surface when hair isn’t growing as expected, why regrowth can stall at fine, vellus hair, and what may be blocking the transition to stronger, terminal hair. Rather than focusing on quick fixes or isolated solutions, this episode takes a systems-based view — looking at how immune activity, inflammation, energy, hormones, and the nervous system all influence hair growth. I also share insights from emerging research, including how hair is not simply “pushed” from the follicle but involves coordinated cellular activity, and where tools like red light therapy may fit in. This is about shifting your perspective — from trying to force hair growth… to understanding what your body needs in order to support it. 🔑 Key Topics Covered  Why “speeding up hair growth” isn’t always the right focus  What’s really happening in alopecia and autoimmune-related hair loss  Vellus vs terminal hair — and why regrowth can stall  The role of immune activity and unresolved inflammation  How cellular energy and mitochondrial function impact hair growth  The connection between stress, the nervous system, and hair  Nutrient sufficiency vs nutrient utilisation  Where treatments like Minoxidil and Finasteride fit  The science behind red light therapy and why wavelength matters  Why hair growth is a systems issue — not a single pathway problemReady to go deeper and understand your own “why”? → Learn about the functional testing and 1:1 analysis I offer in clinic — the same root-cause tests I used to rebuild my own health, with personalised guidance so you know exactly what to do next. You can learn more about the tests offered at the Autoimmune Nutrition Clinic here. 🧘‍♀️ Need nervous system support? → I personally use and recommend Nurosym, a vagus nerve stimulation device clinically shown to support immune balance, inflammation, and stress recovery. Use this link: https://link.nurosym.com/VJ10 for 10% discount at checkout.  📥 New to the podcast or need a starting point? → Download my free The Autoimmunity Recovery Plan — a simple guide that outlines the steps I recommend to all clients as they begin calming the immune response and rebuilding resilience. Thanks for listening! You can join The Autoimmune Forum on Facebook or find me on Instagram @theautoimmunitynutritionist.

    26 min
  7. APR 12

    Friday 5 - Why Progress Plateaus In Autoimmune Disease Recovery

    Send us Fan Mail At some point in any health journey, there is often a phase where progress appears to slow — or stop altogether. You may be doing many of the “right” things, yet symptoms persist, energy remains low, or improvements are not as consistent as expected. This can feel frustrating, and it is often the point where people begin searching for something new or more intensive. In this episode, we explore a different perspective. Rather than adding more, this is often a moment to refine. To look at whether the body is able to fully utilise what is already in place, and whether the current approach aligns with what it needs right now. This Friday Five walks through five key areas that commonly underpin plateaus, alongside practical ways to support your body in moving forward — in a way that feels both sustainable and effective. In This Episode, We Cover  Why plateaus are a common and often necessary phase of the healing process  The difference between doing more and doing what is appropriate for your body at a given time  How subtle imbalances in foundational habits can quietly limit progress  The role of digestion as a potential bottleneck, even when diet appears supportive  Why reducing overall load can sometimes be more impactful than adding new interventions  How the nervous system influences repair, inflammation, and energy  The importance of allowing time for integration, rather than constantly changing direction🧘‍♀️ Need nervous system support? → I personally use and recommend SONA, a vagus nerve stimulation device clinically shown to support immune balance, inflammation, and stress recovery. Use code VJ10 for 10% discount at checkout.  📥 New to the podcast or need a starting point? → Download my free The Autoimmunity Recovery Plan — a simple guide that outlines the steps I recommend to all clients as they begin calming the immune response and rebuilding resilience. The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider. Thanks for listening! You can join The Autoimmune Forum on Facebook or find me on Instagram @theautoimmunitynutritionist.

    18 min
  8. APR 5

    What to Do After an Autoimmune Diagnosis: A Practical Guide to Your First Steps

    Send us Fan Mail Being diagnosed with an autoimmune condition can feel like a turning point — but also an incredibly uncertain one. In this episode, I’m walking you through what to do next. Not in a complicated or overwhelming way, but in a way that helps you feel more grounded, informed, and supported from the very beginning. Because what I see time and time again in clinic is this: people leave with a diagnosis, but very little clarity on how to actually support their body. So instead of reacting with restriction, over-researching, or trying to fix everything overnight, this episode will guide you through a more strategic and sustainable approach. We explore what autoimmunity actually is, why it develops, and — most importantly — the practical first steps you can take to start supporting your body without burnout. 🔍 WHAT YOU’LL LEARN  What autoimmunity really means (and why it’s not random)  Why the first step is not to overhaul everything overnight  The most common mistakes people make after diagnosis  How stress, gut health, hormones, and environment all play a role  Why stabilising your foundations is more important than complex protocols  When functional testing can be helpful — and when it’s not  How to approach your healing in a way that feels manageable and sustainable 🧘‍♀️ Need nervous system support? → I personally use and recommend Nurosym, a vagus nerve stimulation device clinically shown to support immune balance, inflammation, and stress recovery. Use this link: https://link.nurosym.com/VJ10 for 10% discount at checkout.  📥 New to the podcast or need a starting point? → Download my free The Autoimmunity Recovery Plan — a simple guide that outlines the steps I recommend to all clients as they begin calming the immune response and rebuilding resilience. The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider. Thanks for listening! You can join The Autoimmune Forum on Facebook or find me on Instagram @theautoimmunitynutritionist.

    27 min
5
out of 5
18 Ratings

About

VJ Hamilton is a nutritionist, scientist, and autoimmune disease expert who founded The Autoimmunity Nutritionist Clinic, a Nutritional Therapy and Functional Medicine clinic specialising in autoimmune disease. VJ combines her lived experience overcoming autoimmune disease symptoms with her knowledge of nutrition, health, biochemistry, and immunology to provide you with the most up-to-date research on autoimmune disease. The Autoimmune RESET aims to provide you with the education and resources to empower you to take steps to transform your health and feel better than ever. In each episode, VJ will share simple ways to uplevel your diet and lifestyle, key learnings from her own journey reversing autoimmune disease, and inspirational stories from those who have reset their autoimmune symptoms and are now thriving in life. Health practitioners, mind and body experts, and scientists will be joining VJ as guests on the show, as well as those who have inspirational stories to share and are now thriving in everyday life! And don't miss the short episodes every Friday, The Friday 5, in which VJ shares five healthy must-haves for you to explore over the weekend. 

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