Eradicating Lupus and Autoimmune Conditions by Healing the Mitochondria – An Interview with Niemah Nefertiti

What does it take to transform generational pain, chronic illness, and the brink of death into a life of radiant purpose and deep healing?

For Niemah Nefertiti, the answer begins in the blood—and unfolds through the body, the womb, and the will. As she faced her own health collapse, something deeper awakened. Listening closely to the signals within her body and guided by a quiet force of intuition, she began to unravel the roots of her illness and reimagine what healing could look like.

Her personal health crisis—marked by the challenges of multiple autoimmune disorders—became the doorway to a greater calling. Blending a deep reverence for ancestral wisdom with her training in nutritional science, Niemah discovered a path that not only restored her health but also ignited a mission to help others experience healing at the most fundamental level of their being.

In this conversation, she reflects on the energetic legacy we inherit, the quiet power within the womb space, and the spiritual insights that led to the creation of her transformative healing protocol. Through her story, Niemah invites us to consider what becomes possible when we choose to remember the body’s brilliance—and trust its capacity to heal. Continue reading or listen in by subscribing for free on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, or YouTube to discover how Niemah Nefertiti’s insights can inspire your own spiritual path.

Why have you chosen specifically to focus your work on helping women?

Niemah Nefertiti: That’s a loaded question. For me, it began with my own family. I witnessed the women in my lineage—my mother, grandmother, aunties, and cousins—struggle with numerous health issues, especially autoimmune disorders. That inspired me to go deeper into healing, self-love, nutrition, and overall emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being.

I was later diagnosed with lupus and two other autoimmune conditions myself, which only deepened my commitment. It became clear to me that this path wasn’t just personal, but part of a larger calling to help women reclaim their power through wellness.

Did you grow up in a family where health and wellness were a major focus, or was that something you developed later in life?

Niemah Nefertiti: It was a mix. I believe my parents gave what they could from where they were in life. My dad, originally from the Caribbean, was deeply connected to natural and native medicines. Pulling herbs and food from the earth was second nature to him.

How did your dad integrate that into daily life?

Niemah Nefertiti: He would always make medicine from herbs and natural ingredients. Unless it was truly serious, we rarely went to the doctor. We had a home garden with fresh fruits and vegetables. He encouraged us to avoid processed foods and sugar. His way of caring for us was deeply holistic.

Was that here in the United States?

Niemah Nefertiti: Yes, we lived in Miami and then in Albany, Georgia—a small town outside Atlanta. It was country living that made that lifestyle very possible.

And what about your mom? Did she share the same health-conscious mindset?

Niemah Nefertiti: Totally opposite. My mom was the baker and comfort-food creator. Pies, biscuits, candies—all made from scratch. Her love came through joyful food. That said, she still cooked from the garden. Everything she made, she made with care and from natural ingredients.

Tell me about your spiritual upbringing. Did faith play a role in your early life?

Niemah Nefertiti: Yes, my father was a pastor. He was an incredible speaker. He could read spiritual texts, including the Bible, and bring them to life. He really inspired me.

What denomination or background did you grow up in?

Niemah Nefertiti: We started in the Jehovah’s Witness community. It actually influenced many areas of my life. For instance, I became a professional violinist because I was exposed to so much classical music growing up in that environment.

How did that upbringing shape your personal spiritual journey as you grew older?

Niemah Nefertiti: I had a spiritual awakening at five years old. I began asking deep questions about God, nature, and the universe—questions even my dad couldn’t answer. I became curious about the oneness of all life and why we focus so much on differences when, really, we are all collective consciousness in physical form.

I appreciated that the Jehovah’s Witness community wasn’t racially exclusive. I was surrounded by people of every background, and that normalized cultural diversity for me. It set the foundation for how I view the world today.

What happened after that childhood awakening? How did your spirituality evolve?

Niemah Nefertiti: I went searching. One of my earliest spiritual teachers was actually my violin instructor, Mrs. Godwin. Her name alone, Godwin, felt significant. She was kind and deeply connected to nature, which influenced me profoundly.

Later, I met a Rastafarian teacher who taught me how to eat off the land, make salt from seawater, and connect directly with nature for food and medicine. These experiences furthered my awakening and shaped my path.

Tell us about your name—Niemah Nefertiti. That’s not your birth name, is it?

Niemah Nefertiti: No, I was born Chasity, which means chaste, clean, and pure—a name I still love. But in my culture, when a woman comes of age, a new name is given to represent who she is becoming.

My grandfather is Senegalese and traveled from Senegal to Haiti to the Bahamas, and in our tradition, the renaming marks the beginning of womanhood. Niemah means “the path to paradise,” and Nefertiti was given to me because I have a birthmark that is an exact replica of her profile. It was seen as a sign—a mark that she is a part of my lineage and consciousness. I was called to carry her energy forward.

So Niemah Nefertiti was born. How did it feel to have that shift in name? That would feel a bit foreign to me, so when you shifted names, was it fun, deeply meaningful, or confusing?

Niemah Nefertiti: I love that question. For me, personally—and it could be different for someone else—I truly felt the energy of the name. I felt the shift. My life as Chastity and my life as Niemah are completely different.

Taking on the name Niemah Nefertiti propelled me into accepting my ultimate purpose: to be an example of light and an embodiment of love. Every experience I’ve had since then has led me deeper into being light, being love, learning patience, practicing compassion, and embracing the essence of the goddess.

You’ve had such a fascinating career path. Can you walk us through some of the ways you’ve invested your time and how that ultimately led you to become a nutrition scientist?

Niemah Nefertiti: Absolutely. I’ve been devoted to humanitarian work for the past 25, almost 30 years. In my early twenties, I founded an organization called WIMO—Winning Interesting Minds Over. One of my mentors, the late Doug Greenwell, who led Georgia State University’s Neighborhood Collaborative and also worked for United Way, saw something in me. He told me, “You want to help, but I don’t know what method you’ve got going—so let me help you do it right.”

He brought my nonprofit into the university’s collaborative, ensured I got proper nonprofit education, and helped me build the foundation for what I love doing. Through that program, I helped usher over a thousand youth off the streets and into Georgia State University on full scholarships. Many of them were seen as delinquents, but I saw entrepreneurs who just needed someone to believe in them.

That work evolved into global outreach. I’ve partnered with presidents and prime ministers in Africa and the Caribbean, teaching eco-sustainable community building and supporting transformative education. I never made a big deal about it—I just did the work. But now, with letters of recommendation from those global leaders, I’m up for an honorary doctorate. When I saw the impact of it all in writing, it brought me to tears. I didn’t even realize how much I had done.

So what was the moment that shifted your focus so fully toward nutrition?

Niemah Nefertiti: In many ways, I’ve always been living in it. At 19, I became a raw food vegan. Around the same time, I was creating nutritional plans for cancer patients in Atlanta. I worked with a general practitioner named Richard and traveled on his lecture circuit.

Nutrition, health, and healing have never been things I stepped away from. They’ve always been a natural extension of my lifestyle. I’ve always exercised my own will to care for myself with intention and love.

But the moment it became my main mission was after I nearly lost my life.

I was literally on my deathbed. I couldn’t walk, talk, eat, or even breathe properly. I was using only about 40% of my lung capacity. I couldn’t take a single step. I lay there, looking up at the sky, unable to call anyone, unable to move. The only voice I had left to speak to was my higher self.

I asked, “What do you want from me?” And Spirit answered, “You’re going to be a beacon of healing and light. You’re going to educate people about their cells. You’re going to learn epigenetics. You’re going to study nutrition at a deep, cellular level. And everything you’re dealing with now—it’s leaving.”

That’s when I knew I had to get educated. I found a certification program through Stanford University School of Medicine and enrolled. I was still weak, but I sat on the couch and studied for 16 hours a day. I did every case study. I used myself as my own test subject.

And when I got my bloodwork back, I had eradicated three different types of lupus.

Can you take us back and explain how this started? You were just living your life, and then symptoms began to appear. How did it escalate to the point that you were bedridden?

Niemah Nefertiti: The signs were subtle at first. They began after I moved from Hawaii to California. In Hawaii, life was simple and peaceful. I wasn’t an empty nester yet. I had my children, my dog, and a slower, grounded lifestyle.

But the move brought stress—financial shifts, a very different environment. The air and food weren’t as clean. The energy was different. It all began to take a toll on my body.

And instead of listening to what my body was telling me, I began pushing through. I started drinking energy drinks and coffee—things that were never part of my normal lifestyle. My body was telling me, “You need rest. You need raw food.” I said it out loud to my partner so many times: “I should be eating raw right now.” But I wasn’t listening. I wasn’t practicing the discipline I knew I needed.

And because I didn’t listen, I had to deal with the consequences. My body broke out—my face, arms, and hands looked like I had been burned. I scratched constantly. It felt like I was on fire and nothing could relieve it.

Then came the weakness. I didn’t understand what was happening. I thought, “Why do I feel so weak?”

Then the solar eclipse happened. I remember sitting outside under it and praying again, “Spirit, what do you want from me? Whatever it is, I’ll do it.”

Two days later, I was bedridden.

I couldn’t move. I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t sit up or hold my head up. And I thought, “I don’t know what this is, but I’m going to have to heal myself. I have what it takes. I don’t know how—but I know I’m going to do it.”

What were some of the conventional paths you explored? Did you go down the route of traditional medicine, or was it holistic from the beginning?

Niemah Nefertiti: It was totally holistic—by default. I actually tried to see a doctor, but appointments were months out—eight or nine months before I could be seen. That felt like Spirit saying, “You’re going to do this. We’re not even going to make that option available to you.” So it became my responsibility.

Walk us through what you did, very practically.

Niemah Nefertiti: The very first thing I did was detox. I knew instinctively that was the starting point. Through my studies over the years, I have come to understand that most chronic illnesses stem from parasites in the body. So, number one: get the parasites out of the bloodstream. Once you do that, the white blood cells can repair themselves more efficiently.

White blood cells have different life cycles—some live for five days, some for five weeks. The larger ones clean out toxins, and the smaller ones regenerate consistently. But parasites leave behind toxins that kill white blood cells. So I focused on detoxing deeply with green juices and herbal detox teas.

For how long?

Niemah Nefertiti: I detoxed for eight months.

Eight months? Green juice only? That’s all you consumed?

Niemah Nefertiti: That’s it. Just juices—green juices and detox blends. My partner helped prepare them. No solid food.

You must have lost a significant amount of weight.

Niemah Nefertiti: Absolutely. I was unrecognizably small. I come from a family of voluptuous women—hips, curves, all of that. I went from that to skin and bones. I had no muscle mass. I lost 50 pounds of muscle, and muscle atrophy had fully set in.

So, eight months of detoxing—what came next?

Niemah Nefertiti: After detoxing, the next challenge was rebuilding muscle strength. And I’ll be honest, I always give credit where it’s due.

Once I had eradicated the lupus, I still couldn’t lift my arms. I had severe muscle atrophy. Eventually, I was able to see a rheumatologist, and I felt like they really cared. They didn’t try to push medicine on me, but I told them I needed help rebuilding strength.

They recommended a short-term, low-dose steroid—just to help me get back on my feet. I agreed. It helped me enough to start walking again and return to the gym.

Exercise is essential for mitochondrial repair. It activates mitophagy—the process by which the body clears out dead mitochondria that are no longer useful. Combined with proper nutrition, it helps your cells rebuild. Mitochondria are the powerhouses of your cells. They’re the batteries that keep everything running.

Let’s pause there. Take me back to middle school science class. What exactly are mitochondria, and what do they do?

Niemah Nefertiti: Mitochondria are organelles—tiny structures inside every cell. Think of them as the battery in your car. Without them, nothing works. Every cell in your body has them. They generate the energy your body needs to heal, move, and function. When your mitochondria are broken, your system runs out of power.

You mentioned testing for lupus. Was that through a blood test?

Niemah Nefertiti: Yes, and there were multiple rounds. When you have any autoimmune condition, doctors often send you in for lab work. It helps them see what’s still present in your blood and how active it is.

I also went to a naturopath for a live blood analysis. That kind of test shows things standard labs don’t—like mold, parasites, and the activity of white blood cells. So I used both: the medical bloodwork to confirm diagnoses and the live analysis to guide healing.

Now that you’ve healed yourself, would you say you’re fully free from lupus and autoimmune issues, or are you still managing it?

Niemah Nefertiti: I’m completely healed. My blood work shows no signs of lupus. It’s as if I never had it. That’s such a deep celebration for me, especially knowing my mother passed away from lupus. To be able to heal is an act of honoring both her and myself.

I know you talk about family history. If someone’s parents or grandparents have autoimmune issues, is there anything they can do to avoid it? So many people think it’s just in their genetics—like they’re destined for the same diagnosis.

Niemah Nefertiti: Absolutely. That’s why I speak so passionately about epigenetics. Your DNA isn’t your destiny—it’s your blueprint, and blueprints can be edited.

Through nutrition, emotional trauma healing, mental rewiring, and spiritual practices, you can actually restructure your DNA. When you feed your mitochondria the right information—nutrients, energy, thoughts—you activate a shift in your bloodline.

You can literally stop a disorder from moving down your generational line. Epigenetics proves it. This is scientifically supported. You don’t have to repeat the patterns of your parents or grandparents.

It sounds like the healing requires more than just food—it includes emotional and mental wellness, too. Can you walk me through how you work with women, especially those dealing with lupus or autoimmune conditions?

Niemah Nefertiti: I always begin with a pre-consultation. That allows me to understand their mindset, diet, habits, and spiritual orientation.

But are they honest? I mean, if you ask what they eat, do they give you the real answers?

Niemah Nefertiti: They don’t have a choice—I find the truth. I send them a 100-question intake form. Some questions are intentionally redundant so I can catch inconsistencies. If someone says “yes” to one thing and “no” to the same thing later, I know.

You should require them to open their refrigerator and send you a photo.

Niemah Nefertiti: That’s a great idea—and I actually do that with my high-accountability clients. I check their fridge, their cabinets, and even go on grocery store runs with them. The check-ins are more frequent.

Eventually, the truth always comes out. Healing demands honesty, and I meet them where they are.

Once you’ve completed the pre-consultation and gathered information on their nutrition, spirituality, and lifestyle, what’s the next step?

Niemah Nefertiti: The next step is drafting their personalized healing plan. Blood type plays a major role here. In fact, my LinkedIn banner reads, “Your blood type is magic”—because it truly is. What’s healing for one person may be harmful for another. Your blood type reveals ancestral region and lineage-specific foods and herbs that your body responds well to. So we build the plan based on what’s already encoded as healing in your bloodline and then activate it.

For example, someone who is O positive might thrive on a little meat and fruit. During detox, we might pause meat for parasite-cleansing purposes, but in the transformation phase, reintroducing it occasionally could be essential for their healing.

And the primary individuals you work with—are they focused on healing lupus or autoimmune conditions?

Niemah Nefertiti: Many are, yes, but my clientele is diverse. Some are focused on mental health, some are overcoming alcoholism, others have heart disease, RA, or childhood disorders. What I’ve discovered is: if you heal the mitochondria, you heal everything. That’s the universal link.

Is there a way to actually test mitochondrial function, or is it more of a subjective assessment?

Niemah Nefertiti: There is a way. You can measure how much energy your cells are producing and how effective your mitophagy is—that’s the process by which your body clears out dead or dysfunctional mitochondria. Stagnation, whether energetic or biological, is detrimental. Your colon, liver, blood, and lymph need to be flowing. The liver, for example, performs over 500 functions. If it becomes stagnant, it starts storing toxins in fat cells. That’s why cleansing is so critical.

Is this the basis of your Four-Week Detox Eradication Protocol? Is that how you begin with most people?

Niemah Nefertiti: Yes, that’s correct.

So, no matter what someone is working to heal, your approach starts with a cleanse?

Niemah Nefertiti: Absolutely. We have to sweep the house before bringing in fresh nourishment. Detoxing sets the foundation for transformation.

And your approach isn’t one-size-fits-all. Nutrition and healing plans are based on things like blood type and lifestyle, correct?

Niemah Nefertiti: That’s right. During the healing phase, the protocol has a similar structure for everyone, but it’s customized. People are on different medications, living under different stress levels, and have had very different dietary habits. So there are tweaks from person to person.

I know you’ve focused a lot of your work over the years on womb healing. I don’t have a womb, so I’ve always wondered—what is the importance of the womb beyond creating life? What does it offer beyond reproduction?

Niemah Nefertiti: The womb is a place of many forms of creation—not just physical birth. Even women who’ve had hysterectomies still carry that energetic portal. It’s a space for healing, creativity, and pleasure. It’s a divine portal where life, inspiration, and nurturing energy flow. I’ve used my womb space to birth children, yes, but also to cultivate my creativity, nurture others, and align with divine masculine energy in healthy balance. Honoring the womb is vital for feminine power and healing.

You have a guide available on your website called Eradicate Lupus and All Autoimmune Disorders. What can people expect from it?

Niemah Nefertiti: It contains eight essential steps for eradicating lupus and other autoimmune disorders. It covers much of what we’ve discussed—mitochondrial healing, epigenetics, detoxification—and gives people a framework to begin their healing journey.

It’s not a deep-dive guide, because I’m currently working on a book that will go much further, including meals, prep, schedules, and in-depth tools. But until that’s ready, the guide is a great foundation. It also includes my contact information for those who want to consult with me directly. My goal is to empower people to research and heal themselves. No one will give you all the answers—you have to go on the journey.

You have several Instagram accounts. Where should people follow you to stay connected?

Niemah Nefertiti: Follow my personal Instagram at @Dr.NiemahNefertiti, and also @WombPower_TheEradicator. The latter is where I share info on free classes, online gatherings, women’s events, healing tips, and inspiration for those on the path of womb healing and autoimmune recovery. And you can also find more information about me and my programs at womenofpowerempire.com.