Jaime Hartman (00:07):
Welcome to the AIP Summit Podcast, your go-to resource for taking control of your autoimmune health, presented by AIP Certified Coaches. Hi, I'm Jaime Hartman
Marie-Noelle Marquis (00:18):
And I'm Marie-Noelle Marquis. And we are here to equip you with the tools, knowledge and support you need to effectively use the autoimmune protocol.
Jaime Hartman (00:25):
As the year winds down, we want to dedicate today's episode to three themes that deeply shape the AIP journey, gratitude, grace, and growth. Healing isn't linear and it certainly isn't just about food. It's also about the mindset we bring to our day-to-day life. The compassion we show ourselves when things get messy, and the ability to recognize how far we've truly come. So today we are going to invite you to take a breath with us, slow down and reflect on your own path with gentleness and pride.
Marie-Noelle Marquis (01:03):
Let's start with gratitude. So research actually shows that practicing gratitude lowers inflammatory markers, reduces perceived stress, improves sleep quality, and increases resilience. When you live with chronic illness, gratitude actually shifts from being just like a nice idea to becoming an actual tool, a physiological intervention that you can use every single day. Specifically what science shows is that gratitude lowers cortisol levels, which in turn we know will help stabilize blood sugar, reduce inflammation, and gratitude also increases activation in the prefrontal cortex. That's the area of the brain responsible for emotional regulation. So it can have an almost instant effect on our mood and something that we all share as part of our nutrient absorption. Tips at Urban AIP is gratitude will improve your digestion by shifting your nervous system into the rest and digest, also called the parasympathetic part of this nervous system. So that's the state that we need to be in to absorb our nutrients and repair tissues. So all around really good for your health,
Jaime Hartman (02:12):
And we should clarify that gratitude isn't pretending everything is fine. Gratitude is about recognizing wins, even micro wins. Maybe just recognizing that you are now able to establish a boundary with someone you care about and then maintain that boundary. Or maybe you had a delicious AIP meal that didn't take a lot of effort to get in front of you in terms of your body. It could be some progress toward feeling better or a reduction in symptoms, but it could also just be realizing, Hey, I'm waking up with less stiffness than I used to. Or maybe when I go to run errands or go to work and I can't get the parking space I'd like close to the entrance, I actually find that I have enough energy to get to the door even if I had to park further away.
Marie-Noelle Marquis (03:04):
I love that. That's a good point. And that opportunity also to connect with ourselves is what makes it so healing, right? There's a question that I like to ask my clients in relation to gratitude, and I'd encourage our listeners to take a moment today and ask themselves as well now or later in the day, but what is one thing my body did for me today that I didn't even have to ask it to do? Maybe it digested breakfast, it filtered toxins, it kept you heart beating, or it give you enough strength to get through a hard moment. I like asking this because it brings that connection back to our body is an ally, right? Not an enemy.
Jaime Hartman (03:46):
Yeah. Now let's talk about grace. Grace means allowing yourself to be human on a path that asks a lot from you. Now, AIP can be transformative, but we know it can also be overwhelming. There are days when your body needs more than your schedule allows. Days when you feel discouraged, days when your symptoms seem to return or get worse just out of nowhere without grace, people can fall into that all or nothing mindset, which is one of the biggest obstacles in autoimmune healing.
Marie-Noelle Marquis (04:22):
And it's something I think we both shared and continue to personally, I continue to be, it's a challenge for me and it's learning to let that demand that we put on ourselves go to be perfect. And it's scary to let it go because it can feel like we're losing that controlled structure. But perfectionism, as I know, as we know, also chokes that flow of healing and the flow of life really. So grace is really about creating space so we can have the consistency rather than perfection.
Jaime Hartman (04:57):
And in your day-to-day, grace can be reminding yourself that maybe something didn't go quite right. Maybe you ate something that wasn't part of your elimination plan, or maybe you stayed up late and you didn't get the sleep you needed, or you recognize that you let a stressful situation really get out of control and you could feel that that had a physical impact on you. You could have times when you feel like you're taking two steps forward and one step backward, but that doesn't erase your progress. Also, to give ourselves grace during a setback or even during a flare of our autoimmune disease. And to remember that this is actually just part of living with an autoimmune disease and it is definitely not failure. Sometimes we can use a setback or a flare as information, something we can learn from, but sometimes they just happen for no apparent reason. But even if you can identify the reason, do that without beating yourself up, without feeling guilty, that's grace.
Marie-Noelle Marquis (06:01):
Also, giving ourselves permission to rest without feeling guilty, I think is a big one. We're such in a go, go, go, go, go culture. And it's like, oh, why am I risking? I'm not letting that guilt go. There are studies done on the effect, many studies done the effect of self-compassion or grace, and they show there's an actual reduction in inflammatory cytokines on labs, so your actual blood levels, which I think is really powerful. There's again, a reminder of how our emotional and psychological state directly impacts our physiological wellness. And the studies also show that self-compassion lowers the fight or flight activity in the nervous system. It improves gut motil digestion enhances immune modulation. So literally it will change your biochemistry,
Jaime Hartman (06:55):
And I really like that term, the term self-compassion. So I maybe would issue a challenge to our listeners during the holidays coming up this month, next month. Look for ways to practice that self, self-compassion. Give yourself permission to maybe opt out of an activity or an event that just doesn't feel supportive of your health and your needs right now. Look at setting boundaries around your energy, not just your food. We spend a lot of time trying to control what's on the plate, and we often feel guilty about controlling what enters our space, but that's actually a very big way we can show up for ourselves. And also remember that healing includes connection and joy. So maybe setting boundaries isn't just about avoiding and saying no. It can also be about saying yes to positive things that bring joy and connection, and then filling up your schedule with those so there isn't time for the things that don't suit
Marie-Noelle Marquis (07:55):
Us. I like that. It's like that reverse thing. Oh, sorry, I have to set my boundaries now I don't have time for you. And I think also taking advantage of tools that can bring ease into our journey is a great way to bring some self-compassionate into our life. Maybe it's ready meals from urban e ip. Maybe it's sticking up a friend on help they offered instead of not, I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine just saying yes to that. Or maybe it's asking for help. I like to think of a gift, doesn't have to be a physical thing. So maybe adding things to our wishlist that would help us fulfill those self-compassion goals can be a really good way to look at it.
Jaime Hartman (08:41):
And now let's talk about growth. And I just want to say the growth that we're talking about here isn't necessarily about performance, and it certainly doesn't mean expanding your to-do list. We're talking about reflecting on how far we've come
Marie-Noelle Marquis (08:58):
And growth on the autoimmune journey can often feel invisible day to day, I feel. So it's really important I think to stop and reflect and yeah, growth doesn't necessarily look like one giant moment of transformation, right? More so usually it's like these thousands of little small choices adding up over time. And maybe it's that you understand your body signal better, that you've reduced, how often flares happen that one of the 25 symptoms is gone, right? Or that you've learned and become more mindful with food. So those are little details, but they build up.
Jaime Hartman (09:38):
Maybe some people would think about growth as something that they learned to say no about talking about self-compassion, that's definitely growth. Another one is building routines that support your healing or having learned to trust your body more than you used to. Marie-Noelle, what would you say reflecting on your growth this year?
Marie-Noelle Marquis (10:02):
Actually, I would say that I'm getting much better at saying no and setting boundaries much better. That's might be too big, but I'm definitely, I'm getting there. I mean, it took me decades and it's a part of growth and it's part of self-compassion like you just mentioned, because I definitely had guilt about saying no my entire life. But I think it really came down to necessity at some point, just life and being so busy now, I feel very active of the time that I do have, and I don't want to waste that on anything that's energy draining, whether it's a task or people. So I think I, I've definitely grown and accepting that it's okay to say no. What about you, Jaime? What growth are you proud of and what is something that you're grateful for this year?
Jaime Hartman (10:58):
Well, 2025 has been a challenging year for me on the whole, I lost my father in the spring somewhat unexpectedly after a really devastating illness. And then in the fall, my husband's employment was disrupted due to circumstances that were frustratingly entirely out of our control. So navigating all of that has really required me to tap into that idea of grace that we were talking about earlier. But I would say I'm really proud of my resiliency and the times I was able to just let go of my expectations in the moment and just go with the flow, but still maintain my physical and emotional health, even when I couldn't fully adhere to my preferred routines. So I'm proud of that growth. I've realized that I'm at a point in my life where I need to really put effort into making sure I don't get to set in my ways. So I'm grateful for a lot of things, but in a really roundabout way, I'd say I'm most grateful for the challenges that I experienced this year that required me to be flexible so I could have that practice and grow in that area. How about you, Marie-Noelle? Looking back on 2025, what are you most grateful for?
Marie-Noelle Marquis (12:11):
What am I most grateful? So the start of 2025, I had just completed one year at launching Urban AIP. And I remember I started the year, my challenge was how do I make it three year? Two, how do I grow a business? How do I grow this vision with the community, right? Because without the community, my business idea is just that an idea. And I think just from my personal life, it's hard to, I dunno if it's a trust thing, but who's going to believe in my vision? Who's going to? So there's always this self doubt. And so it was scary. And I mean, every day when you run your business and you just, it's like every day is a leap of faith. Every morning you just jump off the cliff it feels like. So I would say, one, I'm grateful that I continued to show up with my parachute every morning and jump off the cliff and trust.
(13:22):
And it has, I mean, obviously there's been numerous incredibly insane amounts of challenges throughout the year, but every step of the way something someone was there to say, Hey, I believe in this vision and I'm going to be on that parachute jump with you. And whether that was friends and families, but also fellow entrepreneurs in the AIP space, other AIP, community leaders and coaches, and obviously a i peers and customers and people coming at us and the encouragement and the feedback. And it could be as simple as one morning being like, oh my gosh, UPS didn't ship. I can't do this. And then having a customer send me this amazing message and be like, okay. So it just really felt like life was showing me it's okay, you're not doing this alone. And I'm so grateful that one, I was able to see that and recognize when those moments as they happened and that I'm grateful that they happened.
(14:33):
So I'm so grateful to be in this journey and feel the support and it's priceless. And actually, I have to say through all of that, I'm very grateful that my health is holding up, that I've built that resiliency or I have reliable tools so that I didn't end up in a complete flareup in bed for half the year. So grateful for that. All right. I want to invite our listeners to do this exercise as well now. So if you're able right now, close your eyes or take a moment at some point today and do this, don't close your eyes if you're driving. Place your hand on your heart or your belly and take a deep breath and then ask yourself, what is something I'm grateful for this year? Where can I offer myself more grace or more? And what growth am I proud of this year? So really encourage you guys to take that pause and see just the joy it brings.
Jaime Hartman (15:54):
And remember, your healing journey is not defined by perfection, it's defined by perseverance, by listening, by loving your body enough to support it.
Marie-Noelle Marquis (16:08):
Thank you so much everyone for joining us for this year and reflection on gratitude, grace, and growth. We hope this episode gives you space to breathe, to honor your healing, and to step into the next chapter, feeling grounded and empowered. Remember, AIP is more than the diet. It's a protocol with multiple branches and multiple ways to approach it. Through this podcast, AIP Certified Coaches are aimed to bring you resources so that you can feel confident about doing AIP on your own with the knowledge that you are not doing it alone.
Jaime Hartman (16:41):
We'll be back with another episode in two weeks in the new year. So make sure you subscribe to the AIP Summit Podcast in your favorite podcast player if you haven't already, to make sure you don't miss an episode.
Marie-Noelle Marquis (16:54):
And if you'd like to leave us a rating and review, it will help others find this podcast where we are committed to helping you use the power of the autoimmune protocol to elevate your wellness journey to new heights.
Jaime Hartman (17:04):
The AIP Summit Podcast is a Gutsy By Nature production. Content presented is for informational purposes only, and is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
