Healing Protocols Podcast: Episode 3 – Joanna Frankham

Episode 3 of my collaborative project with Rory Linehan of The Paleo PI and Petra Chambers-Sinclair of BiohackU – two of my favourite peeps in this corner of the health caper world – is up and running!

The three of us all hail from different corners of the globe, and have very different life experiences, but we share both a friendship and passion for seeking health through an holistic approach. The intention behind our podcast is to seek out and interview others who share the same goal – and hopefully impart what we learn and have a little fun along the way. We hope you’ll join us!

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In this episode of Healing Protocols: the Global Edition, I address how I suffered from chronic health issues that I kept secret for 20 years before starting my healing protocol lifestyle. Discover how I learned to manage Hidradenitis Suppurativa through nutritional therapy and lifestyle practices. Bonus! I spill the beans on how I cleaned up my colon, addressed my periodontal disease and learned to like myself in the process!

Episode 3: Joanna Frankham

Listen on: iTunes | Stitcher

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Show Notes

0.00 Introduction to the Healing Protocols: the global edition

1.20 Welcome to Episode 3: Interview with Joanna Frankham

1.32 Rory: Tell us about you & your history. How & why you started your healing journey.

• 45: At age 40, several events occurred:
  • 1.) Learned about my family’s health history, which includes a lot of colorectal cancer;
  • 2.) Had a full medical and blood panel: I was very low in vitamin D:
  • 3.) Oral health issues: facing the prospect of losing teeth.
• 46: Learned that the skin issue I had been suffering from for two decades had a name: Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS). HS is a chronic skin condition that features deep-seated and incredibly painful lumps that typically develop in the armpits, groin, between the buttocks and under the breasts. I found an article on Mark’s Daily Apple by Tara Chester Grant about HS that changed my life.

5.40 Rory: Were you health conscious before age 40?

• 56: I wasn’t very proactive: ad-hoc approach. The Autoimmune Protocol gave me a template.

6.26 Petra: Why do you think the HS and your other health issues occurred? Were they a function of genetics, environment, or diet and lifestyle choices?

• 30: A combination. A predisposition to certain health issues. Epigenetics tells us that the life choices we make matter. I took the responsibility of being an oldest child seriously. Had a few health issues in childhood and adolescence which were treated with antibiotics and impacted my gut health. Bad acne as a teenager: prescribed Accutane which we now know can have serious consequences. Learned to cook for myself after age 30. A smoker. Travelled and enjoyed my life as a young adult: didn’t always make the best choices. And, I was a stress-head.
• 20: HS started in early 20s. Common for sufferers to hide the symptoms because they are so shameful.

10.00 Rory: What specific things do you do now that make a difference to your health, particularly for stress management?

• 28: Follow an amended Autoimmune Protocol. Vegetables at every meal, including breakfast. First name basis with my local farmers. Ferment my own vegetables. Morning ritual: rising early, 40-minute walk directly into the rising sun (to keep my circadian rhythms on track). Yoga poses, breath work, and I set an intention for the day. Sleep is my friend. Wonderful support network, including online. Mindset. Continue to be my own guinea pig: ‘yin’ yoga– not just the poses, also the breath work, meditation and chanting.

15.40 Petra: Could you tell us about the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) and what health issues have you resolved?

• 13: Undertook a process to eradicate a parasite infection before I started the AIP. Started AIP in January 2014, stayed in the elimination phase for 9 months.
• 10: My HS improved materially. Didn’t go away. One HS site that I had had for 5 years disappeared. It also improved my mood and my energy levels.
• 50: My colon was declared ‘clean as a whistle’. Gums are now healthy. ‘Jumpy leg syndrome’ is completely gone. Less anxious, more positive, mind is clearer and sleep is improved and I’m now kinder to myself.

20.05 Rory: Do you have any advice for people who are starting out on the Autoimmune Protocol?

• 40: Rather than focusing on what you are removing, instead look at what you can add. Made a game out of trying new vegetables. I reduced my sugar intake because I am sensitive, which is common in the HS community. 

22.03 Rory: A healing protocol takes work. What is your best advice to someone who is just starting out?

• 17: Three pieces of advice:

1.) Get support: professional and personal.

2.) Be gentle with yourself. Start by implementing small changes and build.

3.) Keep a food and mood journal. Track food, medication, sleep, stress, mood, movement, bathroom habits and symptoms.

23.22 Petra: Is there a template that you use for your protocol diary?

• 31: People need to find what works for them. I use a pen and paper journal.

24.11 Petra: Who has been the most influential person for you as you have pursued your healing protocol lifestyle?

• 24: If I had to pick just two, they would be Tara Chester Grant and her book, ‘The Hidden Plague’, and Sarah Ballantyne and her book ‘The Paleo Approach’.

25.29 Closing

Joanna (Jo) Frankham is a Certified Health Coach and also holds a Bachelors degree in Psychology from Auckland University. She specialises in supporting others to change their diet and lifestyle choices. Drawing on her twenty-plus years of experience in the field of strategic human resources, she works with people to effect positive behavioural change using the principles of the Autoimmune Protocol. She has a pragmatic and friendly approach – coaching is all about finding sustainable changes that work for you.