Living Well, Not Perfectly with Autoimmune and Chronic Illness | Featuring Simla Somturk

What does it really mean to live well when your body doesn’t always cooperate?

In this episode of the Lupus in Community Podcast, Dr. Fatimah Ali speaks with holistic nutrition and health coach Simla Somturk about redefining wellness while living with autoimmune disease and chronic illness.

Together, they explore why wellness is not a fixed destination, but an evolving relationship with your body. They share personal experiences with lupus, autoimmune conditions, chronic fatigue, food sensitivities, and recovery, along with practical ways to support healing without chasing perfection.

In this conversation, you’ll hear about:

• Why “living well” looks different in every season of chronic illness
• How to recognize progress beyond symptom-free days
• The role of nutrition, elimination diets, and bio-individuality
• The difference between nourishing your body and pursuing food perfection
• Orthorexia and the pressure to “do everything right”
• Managing stress, protecting sleep, and building sustainable habits
• Why comparison can undermine healing—and how listening to your body can restore confidence

Whether you’re living with lupus, another autoimmune disease, or supporting someone who is, this episode offers encouragement grounded in lived experience and science. Healing is rarely linear, but meaningful wellness is still possible.

Guest: Simla Somturk, Holistic Health & Nutrition Coach

Subscribe to Lupus in Community for more conversations that connect research, lived experience, and practical strategies for living well with chronic illness.

After a month of redefining strength — through adaptation, boundaries, rhythm, and nourishment — we close June with a conversation about what fills the space when you finally stop overgiving. Fatimah Ali is joined by Samantha Gregory, Self-Care Alchemist, for an honest conversation about breaking up with burnout, the connection between stress and autoimmune disease, and what it means to choose yourself — not someday, but now. This episode is for every woman who has been extracted from for too long and is ready to come home to herself.

Find Lupus In Community on Substack, Instagram and YouTube & Samantha at Self Care Oasis on Substack and @MsSamanthaGregory on TikTok.

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Adaptation You Can Eat | Wellness Wednesday

Cabbage doesn't transform in the light where everyone watches. It adapts sealed, dark, cut off from oxygen — and emerges as something living and nourishing.

Fatimah Ali sits down with chef and self-taught fermenter Clare Heal (@sauerpuss, In Good Taste) to make sauerkraut from scratch and unpack what fermentation teaches us about adapting through chronic illness. Clare breaks down the science of wild fermentation, gut health basics for the lupus community, and a global tour of fermented staples — from sauerkraut and kimchi to West African dadawa and nono.

Part of June's Redefining Strength arc: adaptation as a skill we learn, not a weakness we endure.

Clare Heal — claireheal.substack.com | @sauerpuss

Lupus in Community™ — Substack, YouTube, Instagram

Join Fatimah Ali, PhD and Sara Neufeld for a compassionate Chair Yoga Live focused on gentle movement, nervous system support, and honoring your body's needs. Created with the chronic illness community in mind, this conversation reminds us that wellness isn't about perfection—it's about presence. Come exactly as you are.

In today’s guided workshop, we explore how chronic illness and stress can hijack our nervous system, keeping us in a constant state of fight or flight.

With simple movements and breathwork, we can activate our parasympathetic system, promoting relaxation and healing.

Remember, it’s about connecting the body and mind—your wellness journey starts with small, mindful practices.

Disclaimer: This episode is for education and information only not medical advise. It does not replace your medical advise so talk to your clinician before starting any new movement or exercise.

Lupus, pregnancy, and family is discussed in this episode with our guest Lakesha Moore-Calvin who graciously shared her journey—from early symptoms and diagnosis to navigating pregnancy with lupus.