Ep. 264 Peri/Menopause are a Natural Function of Aging: See you later, Ovulator!

I am honored to connect with Esther Blum today! She is the bestselling author of “Cavewomen Don’t Get Fat,” “Eat, Drink, and Be Gorgeous,” and most recently, “See Ya Later, Ovulator!”. Esther currently maintains a busy virtual practice where she helps women balance hormones, lose stubborn body fat, and treat the root cause of health struggles.

Today we speak about medical gaslighting, how weight gain does not have to be a part of aging, andropause and menopause, and the Women’s Health Initiative. We dive into physical changes and significant symptoms during perimenopause and menopause, the role of the pelvic floor, deciphering what the dreaded “menopot” is, what does not work, and advocacy in terms of testing and hormones. We also address constipation, weight loss resistance, and how our tolerance for alcohol changes as we age, especially when using bioidenticals or hormone replacement therapy.

Ep. 263 AMA with Ben Azadi: How to Unlock Optimal Health

Today I am honored to connect with my good friend and multiple-time past guest, Ben Azadi!
Ben was most recently with me on Podcasts #149 and #101. He is a prolific social media star and a fasting and ketogenic dieting expert. He is known as “The Health Detective” because he investigates dysfunction and educates, not medicates, to return the body to normal function. Ben is the founder of Keto Kamp and the popular Keto Kamp podcast.
Today, Ben and I use an Ask Me Anything format and dive into listener questions. We talk about the nuances of macronutrients, fasting, and supplements. We discuss gut health and how changing your diet and intermittent fasting can help the body realign and be better balanced. We get into troubleshooting with fasting, including insomnia-related issues, and we also discuss the DUTCH test and how it can be beneficial in conjunction with other lab tests.
I love doing AMAs, and I hope you will enjoy listening to my conversation with Ben Azadi.

Ep. 262 Ozempic: Exploring the Benefits and Uses – A Comprehensive Review with Dr. Tracy Gapin

I am honored to reconnect with Dr. Tracy Gapin today. He is a board-certified urologist and men’s health expert.

The current state of metabolic health in the United States and most westernized countries has sparked a great interest in a GLP1 agonist, AKA Semaglutide Ozempic. So I wanted to talk to a clinician actively utilizing this medication.

Dr. Gapin and I discuss what this drug class represents. (These are synthetic peptides.) We speak about Semaglutide, Ozempic, Wegovy, and oral Rybelsus. We get into current research, side effects, who should not take these medications, and the mechanisms of action specific to the pancreas and beta cells, reductions, gastric emptying, and the upregulation of satiety. We discuss changes in the brain regarding leptin and how these drugs work. We also talk about weight loss resistance, and I answer questions from listeners.

From my perspective, it all comes back to basics. I believe that if we are to prescribe these medications, we must help our patients understand how lifestyle impacts weight-loss resistance and metabolic health. I loved that Dr. Tracy spent some time talking about the specific ways he works with his patients, even before prescribing medications. He also explains how important he has felt this drug has been for his patients.

I approached today’s conversation with an open mind, and I hope you will do the same.

Ep. 261 Myo-Inositol: Why Supplementation is so Beneficial for Our Health

I have the honor of reconnecting with Scott Emmens today! Scott is the COO of MD Logic and a fellow health entrepreneur.
Scott and I dive into Myo-inositol, one of my latest and favorite supplements! We explain what it is, its mechanism of action, and how it impacts the blood-brain barrier.

We discuss its clinical considerations, relevant research regarding metabolic health, sleep, sleep architecture, and how we supplement ourselves. We also get into how we create Myo-inositol in our bodies, factors that could deplete endogenous Myo-inositol, and why supplementation can be beneficial.

Ep. 260 Eat To Beat Your Diet: Achieve a Balanced and Healthy Lifestyle

I am happy to connect with Dr. William Li today! He is a world-renowned physician, scientist, speaker, and author. He is known for leading the Angiogenesis Foundation, and his groundbreaking work has impacted more than 70 diseases.

He is also a Ted-X speaker and the author of Eat to Beat Your Diet, one of my favorite books thus far this year.

Dr. Li’s latest book is about what happens in the body, how it should operate, and the steps we can take to restore the body to its hard-wired level. We dive into how body fat impacts our health, the role of metabolism throughout our lifetime, the differences between the three fat-impacting hormones, including leptin, adiponectin, and resistin, and gender differences. We speak about new drugs like Ozempic and Semaglutide, the role of brown fat, the impact of the microbiome and specific bacteria, and we also discuss nutrition and lifestyle.

Ep. 259 Breaking Down Perimenopause, Menopause and Women’s Health with Marcelle Pick

Today I am honored to connect with a friend and fellow nurse practitioner, Marcelle Pick! Marcelle is passionate about transforming how women experience healthcare through an integrative approach. She has successfully treated thousands of women through her unique approach to wellness.
Marcelle is currently a faculty member of The Institute of Functional Medicine and has served as a Medical Advisor to Healthy Living Magazine. She has written countless articles and multiple books, including Is It Me or My Hormones?
I always think of Marcelle as a pioneer in the women’s health/nurse practitioner space. In this episode, we dive into her background and the impact of the Women’s Health Initiative. We discuss the limitations of the traditional allopathic model regarding hormones, common misconceptions about adrenal health, perimenopause, and menopause, adverse childhood events and adrenal health, how lifestyle affects our sex hormones, fibroids, endometriosis, PMS, PMDD, and contraception for perimenopause. We speak about endocrine disruptors, mold, and micro toxins. We also get into ways to think about hormone replacement therapy and ways to address intimacy and low libido.
I love connecting with other nurses and nurse practitioners! I hope you will love today’s conversation with Marcelle as much as I did!

Ep. 258 Smarter Not Harder: More Results, Less Effort with Dave Asprey

I am honored to reconnect with Dave Asprey today! He is the renowned father of biohacking and a New York Times bestselling author.
Dave would like a world where we all have enough free time and peace to be at full power! In this episode, he and I have a no-nonsense conversation about his newest book, Smarter Not Harder, which is my favorite of all his books! We dive into the impact of the pandemic, the art and science of environment, the laziness principle, homeostasis, and the concept behind “slope with the curve” thinking. We discuss anti-nutrients, the biohacking pathway, REHIIT training, and various other cellular hacks, including hypoxification and specialized breathing, and how trauma pertains to becoming a more efficient human. I also ask Dave about his favorite supplements.

Ep. 257 Biohack Your Mind: Thrive Mentally and Physically in Middle Age

I am happy to connect with Kristin Rowell today! Kristin is an attorney, Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, and the CEO and Founder of Energetically Efficient. After spending 16 years building a successful business trial practice, she left to create Energetically Efficient so that she could speak to and coach other high-performers on navigating food, exercise, and other lifestyle practices efficiently.

Kristin fell and broke her leg in ten places in 2013. She started meditating and received several nudges from the universe that prompted her to leave her job to pivot and transition into nutritional therapy and coaching.

In this episode, she shares her pain-to-purpose story, and we dive into the role of the ego in soul work, common limiting beliefs, energy work, and why weight gain is not a normal function of aging. We also discuss how chronic stress impacts our hormones, lifestyle choices, nutritional detoxification, why muscle is the organ of longevity, and Kristin’s favorite foods to take with her when she travels.

Ep. 256 How Eye Health and Metabolic Health Are Related with Dr. Bryce Appelbaum

Today I am delighted to connect with Dr. Bryce Appelbaum! He is a pioneer in neuro-optometry and is passionate about unlocking life’s potential through vision. He is an owner and managing doctor at Appelbaum Vision and practices in the Bethesda and Annapolis, Maryland areas.
Our brain uses 48-50% of its physiology just for us to be able to see, and there is a very complex interrelationship between the eyes and the brain.
In this episode, Dr. Appelbaum and I dive into his background in neuro-optometry and discuss how his family influenced his career trajectory. We get into eye physiology and the differences between vision and sight and explain how eye problems are also brain problems specific to rewiring our brain and processing. We discuss the impact of nutrition on eye health, foods to support vision and eye health, and how electronics impact myopia. We also talk about ways to address screen limits and visual hygiene, traumatic brain injuries, and more.

Ep. 254 Understanding and Optimizing Heart Health with Dr. Stephen Hussey

I am honored to have Dr. Stephen Hussey joining me today. He is a chiropractic doctor with an interest in and a methodology related to cardiovascular disease.
Dr. Hussey suffered from a large STEMI, a type of myocardial infarction or heart attack, and he has been diabetic since childhood. In this episode, we dive into his background and the open-minded curiosity with which he views the world. We talk about statistics related to cardiovascular disease, mitochondrial dysfunction, the impact of Ancel Keys and his research, how cholesterol and statins work in the body, and the causes of heart attacks. We also discuss ways to navigate cardiovascular health proactively and the impact of fasting.