S2 E3: Justin Janoska-The Autoimmune Alchemist

Stacy Griffin: Welcome back to Autoimmune Adventures. Today we're thrilled to bring you part one of our conversation with Justin Janoska. If you caught our last episode, we talked a lot about growth mindset. And today we want to look at how we deal with autoimmune disease and some of the things that Justin specializes and spends his time teaching others and helping others to learn.

So Justin, one of the things that you talk about so compellingly is the connection between trauma, personality, and autoimmune conditions. Before we get into this, can you tell us why this is important to you, why it matters to you, and unpack that?

Justin Janoska: Yeah, of course.  

Yeah. So, it's really interesting because I kind of went along this path where I started with studying autoimmunity because of my mother who has Hashimoto's, right? That was my impetus to do this. And along the way, I I guess probably through observation with clients and at some point I probably noticed it with her that there was some unresolved stuff that was still lurking, we'll say. And it did not even, you know, show up on the radar for me. Um, I think actually what happened was seeing patterns with clients over and over over the years that really got me interested in exploring this, because uh to be honest with you, my my first introduction to trauma and this sort of connection with autoimmunity and that really started with young women in their 20s who had eating disorders and binge eating, anorexia and things like that. And so that was actually what I I got exposed to first.

And um that just opened the doorway for me because I could see that that was maybe part of the reason why they weren't getting better because no one really was addressing that.  So I thought, you know, maybe I'll just approach it approach it this way. Kind of taking a deductive reasoning approach in a sense uh to see if my theory would work, meaning I could have a trauma-informed lens or at least try to address the emotional side of things.

I didn't have a lot of education at the time. And lo and behold, that's kind of what I noticed. So I I kind of just put two and two together thinking, you know, people are doing all the right things they say and protocols and whatnot, but if they're not getting better, why is that? And so maybe there's something to this subconscious stress, these, you know, emotional wounds that we're holding on to and how it's playing out still in the body today as an adult. And that's kind of how I started getting interested in that.

And then I kind of brought it to my mom who has stuff that had stuff that she had to work through. And I think that was um just a huge piece of this puzzle that no doctor she ever saw ever mentioned once.  So that's why I said this has got to be the direction I go in. And and seeing autoimmunity from a trauma-informed lens is really what it is.

Alysia Thomas:  Yeah. So, when you're talking about trauma, especially the kind that's unprocessed or unresolved, how does that generally show up in the body and what do you like what's the impact of that on like chronic illness, particularly in women?

Justin Janoska: Yeah. Yeah, it's really interesting because it can look a couple different ways and I I feel like that's something I'm always being challenged to communicate because it's not so overt and obvious. I think the first thing we could say is that uh trauma and and stress like that can manifest in the form of symptoms, right? We see that with things like fibromyalgia, which I know you ladies are familiar with, and I think that's one of the ways it can present. However, I would say also posture is another one. Not so clear. Uh especially if we're not looking at ourselves all the time, but if you work with people enough, you can see how their posture can really share... a you can tell a story, we'll say, of some sort.  

 Justin Janoska: And that could be an entry point to learning more about someone's biography. Um, but then really it comes the the most clear way of of know...knowing if you have something to work through um would be your personality and your behaviors and coping strategies. Uh some of the obvious ones would be addictions and eating disorders and you know compulsive shopping maybe or whatever that might be. Um, but I, I think the majority of women and people I see have very subtle things going on that don't feel like they are trauma responses. And I'm not saying that it is. It's more about understanding that these are coping mechanisms uh that are appropriate based on what happened to you at some point in your life, usually in childhood. And I just come at it from a perspective of well, let's be curious about that and see why that is because it doesn't mean it's bad, right? Being a uh a perfectionist or a type A or an overachiever or whatever isn't inherently bad, but if taken to the extreme it might be an issue, right?  

Alysia Thomas:  Right.

Justin Janoska:  So that's really those are the discussions I have with people because some people are not really convinced that they have trauma, and I say, "Good. Call it whatever you want. I don't think trauma is the appropriate word actually. It's more of like adversity or challenge or difficulty, and it just.. had a, you know, it took a toll on your body some in some way

Justin Janoska:  And, and we have responses to what happens to us, and one of the ways is to you know create safety and security and to um you know manage that emotional pain. Uh often unconsciously, especially when you're a child, that depending on how old you are really uh you can't always tell and that's sort of what it's about.

Alysia Thomas:  Yeah. And and our body really is just trying to do its best with what it's been given, right? All these coping mechanisms,, whether they are unhealthy or not, are it's just our body and our mind's way of saying like let's just work through let's let's do what we can do with our situation and I love that you're taking an approach where you're like let's maybe approach this from a a different way and and maybe get a healthier perspective.

 Justin Janoska:  Right? Because people don't identify with trauma in the way that I see it mostly show up because um that's really the majority of people actually are dealing with, these sort of like, I call it "invisible traumas," because a lot of it's developmental and has to do with like parental neglect and emotional withdrawal and things like that. Not the like capital "T" big things you hear about like disasters and war and all that. So I'm, that's not the majority of people. It's this sort of stuff and that's actually the more injurious type when it comes to illness and and health.

Alysia Thomas:  Interesting.

Justin Janoska:  Yeah.

Alysia Thomas:  Super interesting.

Becky Miller:  So yeah, kind of going along with that, I think we can all agree. I mean, obviously our parents weren't perfect, but I think we had a pretty good childhood with our parents. But this next one, because you mentioned perfectionism, for me that is a trait and something I have totally struggled with and I'm sure my trauma goes into there somewhere.  But um with with those personality traits like perfectionism, or always putting other people first, when they come up again and again, especially in the autoimmune community, um do you see that as a pattern as well? And how do how does that link to autoimmune challenges?

Justin Janoska: It does. I mean that I think that's why I continue to keep harping on it because the more and more feedback I get from people about how they relate to that, the more it just makes it clear to me that it's just again not the only thing but it's a feature of this condition, particularly Hashimoto's. I'm a little biased there because that's what I work with the most, but um and but it I do see it in other conditions too. Like so it is a thing that I've noticed that I think begs us to question where it comes from and seeing that it could be a part of this and usually is a part of this disease management process, because um it's just a low-grade stress in the beginning and then it becomes a chronic grade chronic stress I think over time.  

Alysia Thomas: Mhm.

Justin Janoska:  And this is why it's so hard to kind of paint this picture for people because they don't see it this way because they've been living this way their whole life. And I I agree that's hard to see, but it's again one of these things that uh wasn't a problem in the beginning. I think it's it's a slow burning fire that usually happens over time because it it takes time for stress to catch up to you and cause, you know, illnesses and cancer even. We know that, right?

Stacy Griffin:  All right, let's let's take a minute and pivot because there's so much work that you've done. I want to talk for a minute about hormones, and how in pmenopause and menopause, this is a huge transition for women. And the three of us were actually talking about this right before we came on to talk to you.

Alysia Thomas:  Drop your knowledge. We need it.

Stacy Griffin:  So, we were discussing how these hormone shifts really influence our flares, and the onset of disease. And we would love to hear what you have to say about that. 

 Justin Janoska:  Uh I think majority of of women I work with is that age group usually. Um so the reason why I think, to keep it simple and succinct, is that obviously you know that there are these drastic changes in in estrogen and progesterone. And progesterone has they both have a lot of benefits for a million reasons, right? But when it comes to autoimmunity, it's really interesting because um you know during pregnancy even there is often a immun...immune suppression going on because of of high levels of prolactin and progesterone, and that that's why progesterone has an anti-inflammatory effect and, and as do androgens, right? So maybe it's one of the reasons why men don't get it as often, right, autoimmunity?  

 Justin Janoska:  So these are the sort of things you think about. Um now so progesterone it obviously drops off during perimenopause and progesterone has this sort of anti... it counteracts cortisol right so if we're talking about stress a lot, and we're talking about stress hormones like cortisol, well, you can see why that might be an issue if you have these personality patterns or stress patterns or trauma bonds or trauma reactions and living in it right now. And you are going through this phase of life and you don't have progesterone to buffer cortisol and eventually estrogen will drop as well and plummet and estrogen does the same thing. Um it actually buffers against cortisol and it actually helps with um in, uh sensitizing insulin. So if we're trying to manage blood sugar, lose weight, all these sort of things. Yeah, it's it's a challenge in and of itself by itself, if even if you don't have an autoimmune condition.

But it gets really tricky, because when you have immune dysfunction, you you know, estrogen is ... is interesting because it impacts immunity by modulating all sorts of different um you know, we'll say T- cell. B cells and it can improve autoimmune conditions in some cases if they're like more I think T- cell driven, T- cell mediated we'll say, and it can make others worse that are more like hor... hormonal immunity B cell driven in a case.  

Uh, but generally it's good to have around, but the issue mostly has to do with the amount in the system, because if you're estrogen dominant you have maybe you're on HRT, you're on hormonal birth control, things like that, too many xenoestrogens right that will really pile you know pile up, and that is actually an issue for uh worsening the immune system

But, but generally speaking, um yeah you lose you lose the benefits of of of having a shield against cortisol and stress which is really the big issue, because if you don't have that and you're still in this state where you're you're triggered a lot or you're in that fight or flight state or what have you, it's going to be really hard to manage the condition.

Stacy Griffin: I, I think it gives us a really clear picture of why women for, for millennia have been considered crazy when they get to this age.  Because if you're losing all ability to deal with stress, as you were saying, when your hormones are working against you because they're disappearing, you're going to have some trauma.

Be, and I think there is this belief of invisibility that occurs with women. We feel at a loss and we feel like we become invisible. And I think it's because we have years of, like was mentioned, generational trauma that comes with this. So we're really happy there are people like you who are approaching this from a more holistic kind of overview of things. instead of just throwing stuff at it and hoping it hits. because I feel like a dart board sometimes.

Justin Janoska:  Right. I bet you do.

Alysia Thomas:  Um, on that on that same vein as you were talking, I mean it's crazy that you were all the stuff you were saying literally right before you came on we were talking about all of that. Exactly. And, and you shed some light on it for me at least.  

Um, so that's awesome, but it seems like also weight loss is really tricky at this time. And so even more so for women that are navigating autoimmune conditions. And why why do you think that is?

Justin Janoska:  So I think what we're finding out here is that when you have um this drop in both hormones, sex hormones. It's it's even it's not impossible. I want to make that really clear. Um it's just a little bit difficult. Uh in fact, I would say it's difficult. You need a different game plan. You need a different. um sort of rule book. That's actually the point. And that's what we have to understand. Like the way we exercised and dieted before is not going to apply to you now in your 50s or late 40s. Just that one, you know, understand little bit of understanding is going to make a huge difference if you can get on board with that.  But that's the first step is awareness of like what we're doing and how that's not going to work anymore.

And so we have to adapt and adjust to what the body's trying to tell us, because if you're not if you don't have the appropriate amount of estrogen levels like you did, you're you're more insulin resistant. That's a big problem. uh especially when you're dealing with a thyroid issue, it's already putting you more in that direction anyway. And that means you're not use utilizing blood sugar efficiently. Um and it's more likely you're, especially when you have a lot of stress and cortisol, you're more likely to store it in your abdomen because you have I think maybe 400 times more cortisol receptors there than any part of the body.

That's why people have carry a lot of weight in their midsection, right? Cortisol is usually the reason why. and it just tells you the truth about your your circumstances, or um I guess we'll say that it's it's it's really an invitation to say, "Hey, where am I stressed in my life, because it's, is it showing up in my emotions, in my behaviors, is it something else? Over exercising, under eating, all the above and more-usually it's something to the tune of that, okay?  

Alysia Thomas:  So, if you were a woman experiencing these things, I mean, obviously you're not, but if you were a woman, if... what would you tell somebody who was experiencing these symptoms uh um during perimenopause or menopause, who was also managing autoimmune conditions and they were trying to get help from their doctor, what would they... what would that conversation look like? Because I think a lot of women don't even know.

I mean, I'm one of them. I was just at my doctor yesterday and I was like, I don't know what's going on. I just feel like I'm suddenly unable to handle things and my brain is scrambled, and I don't I feel dumb, but I know I'm not dumb and I don't know what's going on. And luckily, this my doctor happens to be a woman who's been through menopause, and she had some good insights, but I didn't even know what to ask. You know what I mean? I'm having all the symptoms. I'm having all the issues, but I didn't even know how to have that conversation with my doctor.

What would I... how would I advocate for myself at a doctor's office?

Justin Janoska:  Are we speaking just about automating conditions in general or weight.

Alysia Thomas:  All of the above. And in my, in my mind, it's all kind of combined. Like, I'm struggling to lose weight. I have my autoimmune conditions, and then I'm having all these symptoms with perimenopause.

Justin Janoska: Yeah.

Alysia Thomas: And, and I feel like it does flare my autoimmune conditions, but...

Justin Janoska:  Well, I think the I mean what I'll say, uh is that I think given the limitations that they have, we have to leverage them for our own benefit, your benefit. And that's where medications come into play, particularly HRT or hormone replacement therapy, which is um very important. The earlier you're on it, the better you are actually. We know it's not a it's not as scary as we thought it was. Um, and so that whole stuff around increased risk of cancer and all that, that's not really the case what's going on with that.  So, but we know that's really generally I don't want to throw blanket statements, but generally it's it's tolerated pretty well and necessary for women. um to prevent you know sarcopenium, osteoporosis and all this stuff, but even just for a healthy metabolism, right?

So, uh you know estrogen is is important for um muscle synthesis and you need more muscle, and you want to preserve every ounce of muscle you have as you get older, because that's a again a buffer against aging, and um all those sort of things. So, I think those are the conversations that need to be had because it's about getting the hormones that you that you probably probably really need to feel good. I mean, just for the sake of even for mental health, right? Because we know that. Yeah. You know, I don't know that. But that's obviously um there's a connection there.

Alysia Thomas: Yeah.

Justin Janoska: B ut a outside of that, I don't know much else what else you could potentially uh explore because that's their skill set.  

 Alysia Thomas:  Yeah,

Justin Janoska:  You know, a lot of this is really lifestyle modification. It's just you need to have some support with pharmaceuticals, I think, to get a head start.

Alysia Thomas: I feel like doctors are a little nervous to um prescribe serious lifestyle modifications, because maybe they just don't think people will do it, because they don't. But, uh, medication's super important, but I don't, I don't, I mean, I've had conversations with doctors where they would not even acknowledge that dietary changes and and and lifestyle changes would have a huge impact on me.

And that's that's kind of a frustrating um situation to be in. No, I think that's great though. I think that's good. You can go in and advocate for yourself if you're getting into this stage of life. Um, maybe ask your doctor about hormone replacement therapy. Um, I thought I was a little young to do that, but I I'm I'm jumping on that train. I love it.

Becky Miller: Yeah, I was actually going to say um it's interesting that you brought up even for cancer survivors because I am a breast cancer survivor and that is what I have been told for years is that they don't want to put me - I was triple negative breast cancer and I have BRCA1 gene - and so nobody wanted to do any kind of hormone replacement but I that's good to know that that's something I could potentially have a conversation with them about.

So, um, kind of with this whole stopping and starting, are there any other things that you would recommend that maybe women should stop doing at this point in their life if they're going through this? And maybe some other things they should start doing besides hormone replacement therapy

Justin Janoska: Yeah, I mean really the the easiest thing to do is just to adjust your, um again coming back to the basics here, adjust your exercise and how you approach that or or do it or um and and diet because those things obviously matter. But the problem I find is that women are undereating for too long and especially when they're at the stage and you can't do that. That's that's exactly the reason why nothing happens because you're undereating and you're putting yourself deeper in a in a survival state. And when you couple that with, you know, doing hours of cardio a week or whatever that is and over exercising, on top of stress you're dealing with every day, on top of undersleeping, you know, it's a perfect storm for why you're not able to lose weight.  

 Justin Janoska: And so your body doesn't care about, you know, how you look, unfortunately. It cares about survival. So this is why working with the metabolism instead of against it is the most critical part of this. So really, what I advise people to do is the opposite of what they're doing in a sense. It's not eat less, exercise more. It's actually probably eating more for a little bit and a healthy appropriate way uh that's necessary for you. Um and exercising less. Paradoxically, that's actually how you get better and and solve this issue.

Stacy Griffin:  Okay, that's awesome. Um, with that in mind, I want to ask you about your book, The Post-Dieting Comeback.

Justin Janoska: Yeah.

Stacy Griffin:  How it challenges typical weight loss narrative. Um, how does that perspective play into healing for autoimmune disease as far as you can see?

Justin Janoska:  Yeah. So, we're talking about a little bit of it right now because that's actually the whole part. part of... There's a whole chapter in there on how to repair your metabolism.  And that's really what I'm talking about here is this kind of stuff.

Um, really it's not it's about understanding that you have to cycle through your approach. You can't just eat less, exercise more all the time. you have to cycle that with with weeks where you're doing doing more, doing less, doing more, eating more, right? Just kind of toggling between all these different phases because you can't do the same thing forever and ever, otherwise obviously you plateau, but that's part of the problem. Um, and so there's that side of it.

There's obviously the emotional side of things that we're we're talking about here that honestly usually is a big part of this and that's the hardest um thing for people to get a grip on, because they're doing everything else right, we might say. Even if you're even if you're doing what I'm saying, if you're kind of falling apart emotionally, it's going to be it might be really hard. Um, so but even coming back to like the sleep stuff and you're getting your circadian rhythm on track and supporting your mitochondria and your cells.  

 Justin Janoska: I mean that's um actually one of the highlights in the book is trying to make sure that they are um resilient and your cells are are actually not in what we call cell danger mode um danger response and you have to support them and that's the whole point. So that's going to be a necessary thing to do with anybody um who has an autoimmune condition because that's often times what's happening. And so if that's the case, well, your cells are literally protecting themselves, and slowing down metabolism and energy function and holding on to dear life, everything it has to just maintain normal physiology, right?

Stacy Griffin:  Right.

Justin Janoska:  So, losing weight as much as you want it is the furthest thing down on the to-do list. So that's why we have to just send this send the right message to the body through all these lifestyle changes, um that we're not in not in threat mode. Um so that would be you know the shortest and and simplest way of explaining it.  It's um it's definitely not the easiest thing to do. I think because of the fact like I'm saying here that um unfortunately, we're not aware of how much we are getting it our own way uh as men and women I would say, because that's the thing, you don't know. We don't know. And if you're if you're in unconscious stress patterns and living a way that's not conducive to weight loss, you know, it's going to be you're going to be running against, you're going to be running into a brick wall every time.

Stacy Griffin:  I would agree.

Alysia Thomas:  That makes a lot of sense. Um, with women particularly, it seems like there's a lot of myths and standards that society holds us to around what health looks like for a woman. So, what do you, what do you find? It sounds like you've worked with a a good number of women who have probably come across this, especially considering you're beginning in uh working with those with some eating disorders. So, what do you, what would you say are some of the most damaging beliefs that, um or messaging that women are receiving that can really worsen their symptoms and their issues?

Justin Janoska: Oh boy, where do we start with that?

Alysia Thomas:  Yeah, it's a loaded one.

Justin Janoska:  Yeah, I mean, we could even just narrow it to the conventional or the medical side of things. I mean, that's one of them, but I,I don't want to make it all about that, because there there's a lot of um misinformation we even with that and just unfortunately doctors don't know. Um they're kind of kind of outdated with outdated information in a sense, but I, I think "damaging their health?" Well, I think what comes to mind is is just the well, you know how it is, I think, where women are often under the belief that they can't do anything about this and that they're it's all their genetics and that's all, you know, and that that's got to be the first thing to to squash - that belief -because it's not the case.  

Obviously, if there was nothing we could do about it, then I don't think we would be having this conversation, right? So, um so that would be one thing. I, I think for me right now what's coming to mind is um I don't know about you ladies, but in in the communities that I hang out in and social media and whatnot and what I hear and observe is a lot of the kind of the the trends around what we think what is triggering your condition. It's it's a lot of talk these days about you know some environmental issue like a parasite or mold or what have you and and those are all real things that could be triggers. Um, but I think what I find and and in conversations with a lot of women that I have, the real issue is that's really making it hard for them to to get better is is they're kind of latching on to, oh, it's the parasite, it's the candida, it's the SIBO, it's the metals and so forth.

Justin Janoska:  And not really kind of um looking into a little bit more and seeing if there's evidence for that or just getting again curious about it instead of believing that's actually the real thing because unfortunately what happens is that people um identify with that I have mold because you know so and so has it or I did a test and it came back positive and there there are nuances with this it's not - my mom was a perfect example of this um when it came to heavy metals. And we start chasing something that isn't really the issue or isn't going to be much of an issue, right?

It just to me, unfortunately, these sort of things are more often, uh more times than not just a distraction from what really needs attention. And not, not a lot of people are going to like hearing that, but I think, you know, if we're being honest about it, if those things were the thing that got you sick and would, would um and you would be better if you addressed it, well, you, you would be better by now. But that's not what happens. Unfortunately, people just spend a lot of money and time on protocols for these things.  They feel a little bit better. I call it the honeymoon phase and then you're kind of back to square one.

And so I think again, not discounting that those aren't real issues, they can be, but we don't want to we really want to go into it with a with with with um an open mind and thinking that and not assuming that's going to be a problem because I think unfortunately, like I said, that's just getting us away from the elephant in the room, which is, you know, the toxic relationship that you're in, the unstable marriage and the, you know, the mother-in-law that you have that's gaslighting you all the time. Like that's the stuff that really needs urgent attention if you ask me.

Alysia Thomas: Yep. Love it.

Becky Miller: agree. Um, you place a big emphasis on mindset, which we love because that was actually what our episode last week was about. Um, what to you does a recovery mindset look like, especially for somebody who'd be living with autoimmune conditions?

 Justin Janoska:  Yeah, I think so. Attitude is everything with this. Um, and I've just learned over the years that people can do everything right, and if they have a pessimistic view and a poor attitude, and they think that um - I'm trying to be careful with my words, because um I know this will relate to some people, women and you know. I'm not trying to offend anybody - but I think if we're honest about it like we have to consider that um our our narrative and the way we speak about our body, and um you know hanging out in, in toxic Facebook groups and complaining all the time and blaming people and doctors suck and this that and the other. Your, your cells are hearing all that. This isn't woowoo stuff. Like we know that thoughts and emotions are all energy and it's going to affect the biofields and all the the communications within the cells. So this all matters. This is why mind and body medicine is is a real thing and why we, and and me in particular, uh address illnesses from this angle because you kind of have to, right?  

 Justin Janoska:  And so the the way you speak to yourself, to other people um and and again, I know it's hard to have a condition like this and to be frustrated when nothing's working. Um, but I just can't say it enough, like we have to start thinking about what is working well in our life and what is going well and celebrating those small wins, and um and focusing on something else besides your condition, right?

Justin Janoska:  What brings you joy and makes you feel alive in your life? These are the missing pieces of this whole autoimmune discussion like where is the spiritual health aspect of it? because that's about not just it might include religion and a higher being if that's what you align with, but it's more about meaning and purpose and how you can orient yourself to something that's going to keep you grounded and bring you that sense of fulfillment and joy that nothing else will be able to do. But that is also a buffer against stress.

So think about that when you're going through perimenopause and menopause because those sort of things bring you to a higher vibrational energetic state of love based emotions and those sort of things are I mean I can't say it enough. It's so um it's so beneficial for your longevity and health span, but it's going to actually keep you um on a better track, because what isn't going to work is having a negative bias and thinking that the world's out to get you and that nothing's working. And um I think it's it's there's a difference between acknowledging, and kind of um acknowledging what you're feeling and and and validating that. It's another to wallow and and be a victim about it. And that's not what we we can do.

Stacy Griffin:  I love that you say that because that encapsulates perfectly the entire reason why we started this podcast. It is lovely to talk to someone with the same thought process.

So, let's take a minute and talk about uh your new journal, The Autoimmune Breakthrough Journal. We would love to know how it works and how it can guide to emotional healing.

Justin Janoska:  Yeah. So, I kind of did this for the reasons why we're having this discussion, I think, because this isn't your typical journal of Okay. Well, um, and I've seen a few out there, but, you know, a lot of them kind of are revolving around tracking your supplements and when to take it and your diet and these sort of things, and that's helpful.  I'm not saying we shouldn't do that, but this is more of like an internal journal, uh internal reflection journal. Going, being introspective, and um there's there's a bit of education I would say about this and kind of my whole theory and and way of looking at autoimmunity and how it begins and the different layers that are involved because it's it's not just the one thing you think is causing it, right?

Alysia Thomas:  Never. It's never one thing.

Justin Janoska:  Right. And uh intentions, right? Because attitude, intentions, matter, curiosity, uh right, all that. Not being not judgmental, acceptance, letting go, and um and so forth. And, and really what I've done with this is I've layered in these these sort of reflective questions to get people thinking about, you know, how did you come to be this way? Because that's the first question we should be asking, if you ask me. It's not really like what protocol do I do? I think we need to, you know, yeah, we got to figure out that side of things, but we really got to spend some time and this is hard - it's why we don't really do it, I think, or we don't want to sit still and kind of reflect - but like how did I come to be this way?

Justin Janoska:  That's the story that I have, you know, because the biography becomes the biology and your whole narrative and how you got your whole lifetime um of being alive is is really the place to explore because you'll find - I have like a timeline in there, a timeline exercise and I have clients do this all the time because just giving you getting you to be self-aware about what experiences again not trauma necessarily but struggling, struggles and and challenges in life that that could be things that you went through that got you to this place. Um just so you can make sense of it, and not feel like you're crazy because you know you um got this, and feel bad that and you know start questioning why I got this condition, and you know and thinking that you know your body hates you. I really challenge the whole notion that um - and I make this clear as well -I think that your your disease is just your teacher. It's, you know, um, as I like to say, I think life is the ultimate autocorrect and is going to show you where you're out of alignment.

Justin Janoska:  And that's what this disease is. It's just we see it as an enemy or the nemesis. And that's again, the attitude issue. So, we need to flip that and see that all this is just really - I know we don't like it. I get that. But if we can, if we can learn to work with it and befriend it in a sense, try to, set the intention to, that's going to serve you much better than hating and judging it and criticizing it and um trying to get rid of it, because that's the stuff that doesn't work. So we talk about joy, cultivating joy, Chapter Nine, we talk about silence, solitude, and stillness. the three things that I think are hard for women to do, but that's where you can start to find um you know ways to recover, and, and really um you know, really getting back to the basics of what needs to happen and and really looking within yourself to see, where are the weak links in my chain?

Like what's stuff that I have to consider in this journey of mine, because it's easy to control the things out there, and try because that's what we do. Control the diet, control the protocols, whatever it is. But it's um it's a different ball game when you're going inside. And so this, this whole journal is about that. It's really about um trying to see with what's in yourself and that you haven't considered and addressed. And a lot of that's going to of course include um your childhood and and there's there's some questionnaires around that and and like kind of just seeing if there's maybe some stuck, emotional stuckness and mo and blocks that you have that you didn't realize, because you were three years old and you didn't you know didn't know that your mom leaving the room every, leaving the house every 3 days would have an impact on you, right?

And this is why it's so hard because I don't know and you don't know either necessarily. But if we can look into that, it might just give us some truth and help us explain and understand why we're here and also what we need to maybe look into. Because if for example, if we're using that as an example, maybe there's some unresolved shame and unworthiness and now you're that's manifesting as you trying to I don't know people please and um, you know, sacrifice yourself to feel validated and all that and that it's a lot of energy that you're losing to get something else. And when you already have fatigue and low energy in the first place, you're kind of spinning your wheels, right? So just as a random example, but that's kind of what I mean. It's all about learning about your behaviors and coping patterns and um and personality just so you can see that maybe there's something to that and that's not for me to decide but for you to uh learn and and see if that holds true for you.  

So in a nutshell, that's what it is.

Alysia Thomas:  I love that, and that's why it's a journal, because I love how you said "your biography becomes your biology." Like that that kind of blew my mind when I started thinking about it. I was like that's that's really actually very true. It's never just one thing. It's always your whole story. So, and I think the journal is an a fantastic idea. Um, I love that. I'm I'm going to go get it right after this. Um, but what I'm curious about is, because this is hard work. What you've got in that journal, that's not easy stuff.

Justin Janoska:  Right.

Alysia Thomas:  You know what I mean? It's not easy stuff to sit down and figure that out and put it down. So what when you're doing that reflection and journaling, um how does that like what's the therapeutic value of that? How does that help you managing your your ups and downs of the daily emotional dealing with chronic illness?  

Justin Janoska:  Yeah, that's a great question. Well, I think there are certain parts of this that will help you manage things better because you're seeing things with new eyes. And one quote I like to say a lot is, you know, "the journey of discovery consists not of seeking new landscapes, but with seeing with new eyes." So it's not like the world has changed. It's just that you're changing your identity in a sense. And you're, you're looking at things from different perspective.

Justin Janoska:  And to be honest with you, if you ask me, this whole autoimmune stuff is really about identity restructuring and changing who you are, because the person that got you sick cannot be the same person that gets you better.

Alysia Thomas:  Amen.

Justin Janoska:  And that's what, that's what has to be. And so that's what this is about, because you have to fundamentally change, you know, your thinking, your belief system, and your actions and the way the way you orient in life. Um it's just not going to work, right? Um but a lot of that is just emo... is a lot of it is mostly energy from from emotions and thoughts and behaviors. But to your to your point, um there there's a there's a a section in here about um you know, we talk about my to-do list, right? Well, I have a My To Be List.

Justin Janoska:  And this is something that can really help you if you anchor into this and see how um, so what we're talking about here is, you know, to you know, for example: What emotions do I want to feel on a daily basis, right? Not to say that you need to do it now, but what would you like to feel? Or experiences or places that um would help me feel like my best self or hobbies or activities that support my desired emotions. Um or or people who help me feel closer to my desired emotions or, you know, what relationships help bring the best out of me? 

Because we have to again move in that direction of what is going to help us and recover and make us feel more grounded and stable and not trigger us, because that's half the battle is we're stuck in these environments that are just um, and it's not your fault really. It's just because your brain is used to that. It's like velcro to that, because of I don't know, maybe you were you grew up in a in an environment at home where there was a lot of um you know uh abandonment and avoidant tendencies and now you attract this person who's doing the same thing, and you're frustrated with that, and you know all these kinds of things are very common.

I'm sure you're aware of that, and like that's what we're we're we're here to do is to say, okay, we can see that stuff through the analysis and evaluation aspect of it, right? Through some exercises, but let's also um go on the other end and see, you know, let's try to teach the body a new way of being, and show it something new.  

And that's the whole practice. That's the whole art of this. That's why it's tough because it's counter, it's counter to the what the brain's perceiving and used to doing. And so the only thing the only way you can ever really change is by of course reintroducing a new concept, a new language, to the body.

Justin Janoska:  So we at least have to set an intention to do this. That's why it's here like that. Like no one's going to master it in one day. But we have to start thinking about you know what is working well? What is going to help us feel good? Um because you can straddle that. It's no different with trauma, because if I've got clients with trauma, you know, that that experience that they went through or or that they're still holding on to, it's just one small piece of, you know, one grain of salt, uh sand in the beach,

Alysia Thomas: Yep.

Justin Janoska:  Right? But we're we're the spotlight's on that thing just like it is with our condition, but there's also all these other grains of sand, right?  There's also a bunch of other great things that have happened in your life and are going on right now. So, how can we say that it's all bad, right? It's, it's just a perception change that we need to have.

Justin Janoska:  So, I can't force that on anybody, but I'm trying to challenge people to think about it this way, because that has to be, that's like the foundation of a house, right? If you're trying to do all the right things with, you know, stacking the bricks and and building this house, but if it's built on quicksand, it's going to fall apart. But that's the issue. That's why it's really about consciousness and changing the way you look at this because nothing will change until you do that.

Alysia Thomas:  So we have what's called our Big Six and they are six principles that anybody can use that will help them feel better. And our very first one is a growth mindset or posit...and a positive attitude. You know, having a sense of humor and you've already touched on several of the other ones, you know, diet and and um exercise and sleep and stress management, all of those things that we talk about, but that is the foundation.

Alysia Thomas:  And we talk about in our very first episode how getting this diagnosis of an autoimmune disease feels kind of like being dropped at the foot of a mountain. And you have to climb that mountain. And you don't, you don't know how to climb that mountain. and you don't really know, but that's the only direction you have. You have to go. You have to go up the mountain. There's no other choice really. And so, you can either be hiking and whining and crying and miserable, or you can be like, "Okay, this is a whole new phase of life. I this is a different me. I got to take on a different mindset and I got to tackle this because I'm going to be climbing this mountain for the rest of my life." It's not like I'm going to climb for a year or two and then I'm reach the summit and I'm done having autoimmune disease. You know what I mean?

Like this is an ongoing lifelong process and if you're, I mean you get one life and you get one body and you get one mind. We say this all the time and and why would you want to use it being miserable, you know? When you're ch when you're suffering physically already and you choose to be miserable in your brain you're choosing to be miserable in one more way you know so we love that. I love everything you just shared. That was fantastic.

Becky Miller:  Yeah. And uh we I I also wanted to put in a plug here.  The journal, um Justin's journal as well as everything else that we're talking about today, we're going to provide links for all of that in our show notes. We'll also provide them in the YouTube comments as well. And obviously we'll provide Justin's site so you can go and and see everything directly.

Um, one of the other great things that we noticed that you created, Justin, was a guide specifically for busy moms and working women who are dealing with Hashimoto's. Can you talk to us a little bit about that and what makes your approach in that guide stand out from kind of the more general advice that people get about Hashimoto's?

Justin Janoska:  Uh right. So that is uh just a resource that is um again not to, you know, reiterate this but it's really speaking to towards the um the things we're talking about about the personality patterns and what I call like the five Ps like perfectionism, people pleasing, protecting, performing and peacemaking. And more times than not, um, someone has at least one of them.

Justin Janoska:  Again, just looking at it and saying, "Okay, I I can see that I have that. And how is that affecting me? How is it potentially inhibiting me from recovering and healing?" Because there's an energy behind that that you don't really notice, because it's not causing a rapid heart rate, making you sweat, right? That's why it's hard to discern. But my contention is that if we can start to realize like what is it what's, what's that about and like what do we need to do? And and here's the thing. It's not about trying to say don't do those things. That's actually not the point. The point is to to say we need to tone it down from like a 10 to maybe like a five because you can't go at that level and that extreme and also expect to see your gut heal and you know you becoming more tolerant to food again and having more energy. It's just not going to work.

So that that's what that is about. I think mostly in that guide um as well as kind of covering some of the I think the necessary foundations um that need to be you know accomplished before we start doing the advanced stuff because I think unfortunately I don't know about you but a lot of people I've noticed are going down, you know, the you got to do the expensive, you know, gadgets and the new, you know, trendy things and the supplements that are, you know, you know all about that, I think and it it's like, you know, I get it. It's like shiny object syndrome, but it's also like, hey, you need to think about movement and sleep and having, you know, solid relationships and just getting enough water and, you know, all the that stuff, covering nutrient deficiencies, like these things um can't get overlooked, but they because they matter. So, we have to really, you know, start with the basics.

Stacy Griffin: I really appreciate that you put that guide together. I've already read it. I'm a big advocate for it. Everyone should go and get a copy and read it.

All right. Before we wrap up today, we would like to let our listeners know how they can better find you and find what you have done, your work, and stay connected with you. So, what are the best ways to do that?

Justin Janoska:  Uh, honestly, Instagram would be the best way. I'm pretty active there, and I post a lot of stuff. Give away a lot of free things. A lot - a lot. Um, it's just my name, Justin Janoska, J-A-N-O-S-K-A. If you type my name on Amazon, you can find any of these sort of things we're talking about. The the journal, the breakthrough journal is there. Um, and my other two books are there, too. But yeah, I mean, if you if, you um find me on Instagram, you can find all these sort of free things that I have available, because I'm I'm really here to give value. It's really what I want to do is just get people exposed to a new way of looking at this, because I don't know, it's not getting any better really, and we have to change our perspective and way we approach autoimmune conditions.  

I'm not saying I have all the answers, but I think based on my experience like this is absolutely necessary. Um getting away from the whole protocol mindset in a in a way. um we have to do some things of course but it's more about intention and how what your expectations are more than it is anything else. So um that's my mission right now is to get people on the right path.

Alysia Thomas: Very much aligns with our mission. I love it.

Justin Janoska: Wonderful.

Alysia Thomas: So, okay, if there is anybody out there who's kind of feeling stuck, overwhelmed, maybe they're in the thick of it, or they just got their diagnosis, what's the one quick message you would want to leave them with?

Justin Janoska:  Ah boy. Um..

Alysia Thomas:  Not easy to answer.

Justin Janoska:  Right. No one's going to save you. No one's going to fix you. It's same with trauma. same kind of message I say a lot, but it's your job to heal yourself. You just can't do it alone. And I think we have to be, you know, responsible and hold ourselves accountable and not um - because it's it's true for all of us as humans regardless of what condition you have, right? Obviously, you need support, but you can't lean on them and expect them to do all the work for you. You have to be responsible and take ownership and show up and do the work, right?

Justin Janoska:  And that that's kind of what this journal is really about because it's getting people to look within themselves to um to see what areas of their life they need to be addressed that a doctor can't work on, right? Um you can get direction, but as I like to tell people, I'm just like their tour guide, their sherpa, whatever you want to call me. Walk them down the path, right? Um because you shouldn't have to work with a doctor, I don't think, or see somebody or do a program or whatever every year for the rest of your life. I think there's got to be some...so my whole thing is about getting people to a place where they can have uh certainty and confidence doing this on their own, where they know their body so well that they know what they can tolerate and not tolerate and all that stuff. And that's just a lot of wisdom and awareness, self-awareness.

And so we have to and that can only happen when you decide to participate in this healing journey. And that's the most important piece of this. And that's lacking, I think, a lot because we're just again we need doctors and people to help us, but we can't expect them to to do all of it 100%. So it's not going to work. We have to show up, and it's it's like it's just a partnership. We both have to be in the in the relationship together for it to work and for you to get better.

Stacy Griffin:  Big advocate for self ownership.

Justin Janoska:  Yeah.

Stacy Griffin: I love that. That's great.

Becky Miller:  Justin, thank you so much for this awesome conversation. We are grateful for your work and we're grateful for the tools that you've created for women like us, and other people out there that have chronic illness and autoimmune conditions, and who are trying to reclaim their health. So, for our listeners, thank you for joining us as well, and we will see you next time on Autoimmune Adventures.

Remember, you are worthy of joy. Your disease does not define your life. You do.

Contact info for JUSTIN JANOSKA:

Email: Justin@theautoimmunerevolution.com

Website: theautoimmunerevolution.com

Instagram: @justinjanoska

Autoimmune Breakthrough Journal: https://tinyurl.com/bdeupk5p

The Post Dieting Comeback: https://tinyurl.com/2sac7kuf