Evolution of Medicine Podcast: Recent Episodes
Functional Forum
What if the best way to live a long life isn't a longevity hack — but preventing chronic illness in the first place?
In this live episode from the Institute for Functional Medicine Annual Conference, James Maskell sits down with Dr. Kara Fitzgerald, a naturopathic physician and longtime functional medicine researcher, to talk about her groundbreaking work on reversing biological age.
Dr. Fitzgerald shares the story behind her 2018 clinical study, which found that a diet and lifestyle intervention reversed biological age by over three years — a result that stunned the field, since even epigenetic clock pioneer Steve Horvath didn't believe bioage reversal was possible in humans. She explains how follow-up research traced most of that effect to polyphenol-dense "methylation adaptogens," and why she's now pursuing an NIH grant to understand whether polyphenols can move the needle on both exposomic aging (environmentally driven) and deeper, programmed aging (the kind tied to Yamanaka factor biology).
The conversation also covers the longevity summit she hosted last year to unite the functional and longevity medicine communities, her advice for practitioners building a career in this space — community, clarity of purpose, and in-person connection — and her take on where direct-to-consumer lab testing and wearables fit into the future of patient care.
Whether you're a clinician, researcher, or simply curious about the science of aging, this episode offers a grounded look at what it actually takes to move the needle on healthspan and lifespan.
About the Guest:
Dr. Kara Fitzgerald is actively engaged in clinical research on epigenetics and longevity using a diet and lifestyle intervention developed in her research and practice. She has published two clinical studies on the potential bioage-reversing effects of an 8-week DNA methylation-supportive diet and lifestyle in middle-aged men and women in the journal Aging.
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Genova Diagnostics: https://goevomed.com/genova
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What does it really mean to practice "whole health" — and how do we keep it from becoming just another buzzword? In this live episode from the Institute for Functional Medicine Annual Conference, James Maskell sits down with Dr. Tracy Gaudet to unpack the evolution of whole health, the growing risk of paradigm "veneers" masking real transformation, and why the patient-practitioner relationship remains central to any lasting healing. Tracy explains how true system change begins with a different kind of conversation — one that starts with a person's purpose and meaning rather than their diagnosis — and why that shift produced measurable clinical improvements in her work with the VA. She and James also discuss the rising infighting among healthcare "tribes" (functional, integrative, lifestyle medicine) and the opportunity to synergize instead of stake out territory from a place of fear and scarcity. The conversation turns to promising green shoots of change: land-grant universities like Virginia Tech stepping into community health leadership, and the first-of-its-kind Doctorate in Whole Health Leadership at Southern California University of Health Sciences (SCU), which Tracy helped design and James is now personally joining. Whether you're a clinician, health system leader, or an aspiring agent of change, this episode offers a grounded, honest look at what it will really take to humanize modern medicine.
About the Guest:
Dr. Tracy Gaudet is a physician and national leader in whole health transformation, best known for spearheading the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' Whole Health System — one of the largest whole-person healthcare transformation efforts in the country. She helped design and now teaches in the first Doctorate in Whole Health Leadership program at Southern California University of Health Sciences (SCU), training clinicians, administrators, and educators to lead system-wide transformation toward humanized, whole-person care. Tracy's work centers on shifting healthcare conversations from disease and diagnosis to purpose and meaning as the true foundation of lasting behavior change.
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Fullscript Journeys: https://fullscript.com/lp/journeys-james-maskell
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Freedom Practice Training: https://goevomed.com/fpc
Genova Diagnostics: https://goevomed.com/genova
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How is functional medicine evolving from a niche practice into a global movement that is transforming healthcare?
In this live episode from the Institute for Functional Medicine Annual Conference, James Maskell sits down with Amy R. Mack, MSES, MPA, CEO of the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM), to discuss the organization's mission, the rapid growth of functional medicine, and its future in healthcare.
Amy shares how her background in nonprofit leadership—and the influence of her father, a gastroenterologist who practiced whole-person care long before it became mainstream—shaped her passion for expanding access to functional medicine.
The conversation explores IFM's evolution toward making functional medicine available to more patients by educating practitioners across more than 20 healthcare professions and supporting its integration into hospitals, universities, and large healthcare systems. Amy explains why standardized certification, practitioner competencies, and collaboration across organizations are essential for maintaining quality as the field grows.
James and Amy also discuss the importance of building stronger scientific evidence through functional medicine research, including emerging work on chronic disease and cognitive decline. They examine how artificial intelligence is improving public awareness of functional medicine and helping provide more accurate information than outdated online sources.
Finally, they explore the growing international adoption of functional medicine, emphasizing the importance of adapting its principles to different cultures while fostering global collaboration and innovation.
Whether you're a healthcare professional, health leader, or someone interested in personalized, root-cause medicine, this episode offers valuable insights into the future of functional medicine and the movement to make whole-person healthcare more accessible worldwide.
About the Guest:
Amy R. Mack, MSES, MPA, is the Chief Executive Officer of the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM). With a background in nonprofit leadership, public service, and organizational development, she has led IFM's mission to expand access to functional medicine through practitioner education, research, certification, and healthcare collaboration. Under her leadership, IFM has trained more than 100,000 healthcare professionals worldwide while advancing the integration of functional medicine into hospitals, academic institutions, and healthcare systems. Amy is passionate about making root-cause, patient-centered healthcare more accessible while maintaining rigorous education and clinical standards.
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Genova Diagnostics: https://goevomed.com/genova
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How can functional medicine create healthier communities while transforming the future of healthcare?
In this live episode from the Institute for Functional Medicine Annual Conference, James Maskell sits down with Gail C. Christopher, DN, IFM Board Chair of The Institute for Functional Medicine, and Executive Director of the National Collaborative for Health Equity, to discuss the evolution of functional medicine and its growing influence on mainstream healthcare.
Drawing on decades of experience in clinical practice, public policy, philanthropy, and health equity, Dr. Christopher explains how functional medicine is expanding beyond private practice into hospitals, universities, and community health initiatives. She shares why improving access to nutritious food, maternal health, breastfeeding, and other social determinants of health is essential for creating lasting change.
The conversation explores how group medical visits, patient communities, and collaborative practitioner networks can make personalized healthcare more scalable while strengthening human connection. They also discuss the importance of intergenerational relationships, volunteerism, and rebuilding social connection as powerful contributors to health and well-being.
James and Dr. Christopher examine the opportunities and risks presented by artificial intelligence and digital health technologies, emphasizing that these tools should enhance—not replace—the human-centered philosophy that defines functional medicine.
Finally, Dr. Christopher explains why healthcare should focus less on disease management and more on supporting the body's innate capacity to heal through proper nutrition, movement, stress reduction, mind-body practices, and healthy lifestyle habits. Together, they explore how functional medicine can help prevent chronic disease, promote healthy longevity, and create a more equitable healthcare system for everyone.
Whether you're a clinician, healthcare leader, policymaker, or someone interested in improving your own health, this episode offers valuable insights into the future of personalized, community-centered, root-cause medicine.
About the Guest:
Gail C. Christopher, DN, IFM Board Chair of The Institute for Functional Medicine, and Executive Director of the National Collaborative for Health Equity, is a nationally recognized leader in health equity, public policy, and community well-being. Throughout her career, she has worked across clinical practice, philanthropy, and government to advance equitable access to healthcare and improve the social conditions that shape health. As a former Senior Advisor and Vice President at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, she directed major initiatives focused on maternal and child health, nutrition, and community wellness. Her work continues to champion functional medicine as a pathway toward whole-person care, prevention, and healthier communities.
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Evolution of Medicine™ Mission Partners:
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Fullscript Journeys: https://fullscript.com/lp/journeys-james-maskell
Big Boost Marketing: https://goevomed.com/bigboost
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Genova Diagnostics: https://goevomed.com/genova
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How can functional medicine improve the health, resilience, and performance of military personnel?
In this live episode from the Institute for Functional Medicine Annual Conference, James Maskell sits down with Dr. Bryan Stepanenko and former Green Beret Geoff Dardia to discuss how functional medicine is transforming healthcare for warfighters and veterans.
They explain the unique physical and psychological demands of military service, including blast exposure, traumatic brain injuries, chronic sleep deprivation, toxin exposure, and repetitive physical stress. Rather than simply treating symptoms, they demonstrate how functional medicine identifies and addresses the root causes of dysfunction to improve recovery, optimize performance, and extend long-term health.
The conversation explores innovative concepts such as Personal Protective Nutrition (PPN) and Personal Protective Lifestyle (PPL), as well as the growing role of wearable technology, shared medical appointments, and performance biomarkers in motivating military personnel to take ownership of their health.
Dr. Stepanenko and Jeff also introduce the Institute for Military Functional Medicine, an initiative dedicated to training healthcare providers and establishing standardized care pathways for military populations. They also discuss Allo Performance, a virtual practice focused on comprehensive assessments, accelerated recovery, and personalized functional medicine care.
Whether you're a clinician, first responder, athlete, veteran, or simply interested in improving your health, this episode offers valuable insights into how performance-focused, root-cause medicine can benefit everyone.
About the Guest:
Dr. Bryan Stepanenko is a leader in military functional medicine and has spent years educating military healthcare providers on applying functional medicine principles to improve the health, resilience, and performance of active-duty service members and veterans. His work focuses on understanding how military operational environments affect physiology and developing practical, evidence-informed strategies that optimize readiness and long-term health.
Geoff Dardia is a former Green Beret and educator who transformed his own health journey through functional medicine after experiencing the cumulative effects of military service. He now works to educate military communities and healthcare professionals on performance optimization, resilience, and root-cause healthcare, helping service members better understand and improve their health through practical, actionable strategies.
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Fullscript Journeys: https://fullscript.com/lp/journeys-james-maskell
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Genova Diagnostics: https://goevomed.com/genova
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In this live episode of The Evolution of Medicine Podcast, James Maskell speaks with Dr. Ryan Arnold at the Institute for Functional Medicine Annual Conference about how continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), metabolic health, and functional medicine are transforming preventive healthcare.
Dr. Arnold explains how his practice uses the Dexcom Stelo Continuous Glucose Monitor to help patients understand their individual glucose responses, allowing them to make personalized nutrition and lifestyle changes before chronic disease develops. He discusses how real-time glucose data provides far more actionable insights than traditional laboratory testing and has helped patients reverse insulin resistance and prediabetes.
The conversation also explores the growing connection between metabolic dysfunction and cognitive decline. Dr. Arnold shares why he considers brain health the ultimate goal of longevity medicine and discusses emerging research suggesting that personalized, root-cause interventions may help slow or even reverse certain forms of cognitive decline.
Beyond brain health, the discussion highlights the importance of maintaining muscle mass, reducing visceral fat, and using collaborative care models that combine technology, coaching, fitness, and functional medicine to improve long-term health outcomes.
About the Guest:
Dr. Ryan Arnold is a functional medicine physician and founder of CLAVA Health in Santa Barbara, California. His clinical practice focuses on longevity medicine, metabolic health, and the prevention and reversal of cognitive decline through personalized, root-cause care.
Dr. Arnold integrates continuous glucose monitoring, advanced laboratory testing, nutrition, hormone optimization, exercise, and lifestyle medicine to help patients prevent chronic disease before it develops. He is an early adopter of continuous glucose monitoring for non-diabetic patients and has developed innovative care models that combine functional medicine with technology and patient education.
He is also an active member of the TrueNeuro Mastermind, collaborating with clinicians across the country to advance personalized approaches to brain health and cognitive decline.
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Evolution of Medicine™ Mission Partners:
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Fullscript Journeys: https://fullscript.com/lp/journeys-james-maskell
Big Boost Marketing: https://goevomed.com/bigboost
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Genova Diagnostics: https://goevomed.com/genova
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What happens when artificial intelligence meets consciousness in medicine?
In this live episode from the Institute for Functional Medicine Annual Conference, James Maskell speaks with psychiatrist Dr. Robert Hedaya about the transformative—and potentially dangerous—role of AI in modern healthcare.
Dr. Hedaya shares how analyzing a Parkinson's patient's brain imaging using multiple AI systems led him to a breakthrough insight: AI models can correct each other when used in dialogue, reducing hallucinations and improving clinical reasoning. But he warns that AI is not truth-seeking—it is probabilistic, persuasive, and often overconfident.
The conversation explores the psychological risks of AI, including over-trust, loss of agency, and the emotional "seduction" of algorithmic validation. Dr. Hedaya introduces the idea of "awe" as a double-edged psychological state that can either expand awareness or lead to submission.
He also raises serious concerns about AI in mental health, particularly its ability to reinforce harmful thought patterns without ethical grounding or clinical safeguards.
Beyond AI, Dr. Hedaya critiques mainstream psychiatry for its overreliance on medication and lack of focus on root causes such as inflammation, hormones, and brain physiology. He outlines a future of precision psychiatry powered by integrative medicine, neuroimaging, and AI-enhanced data interpretation.
This episode challenges clinicians to rethink not just technology—but consciousness itself in the practice of medicine.
About the Guest:
Dr. Robert Hedaya is a psychiatrist and pioneer in integrative and functional approaches to mental health. He is known for his work in whole-body psychiatry, emphasizing the role of physiology, inflammation, hormones, and brain systems in mental health disorders.
Over his career, Dr. Hedaya has advocated for a shift away from purely medication-based psychiatric models toward root-cause, systems-based care. His work integrates neuroscience, clinical psychiatry, and functional medicine principles, with a focus on treating underlying biological drivers of mental illness.
More recently, he has explored the intersection of artificial intelligence and medicine, particularly how AI can assist in clinical reasoning while also introducing new ethical and cognitive risks. His work emphasizes the importance of clinician consciousness, critical thinking, and maintaining human judgment in an increasingly AI-driven healthcare system.
Dr. Hedaya is a leading voice in precision psychiatry, integrative mental health, and the future role of AI in clinical decision-making.
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What if the future of medicine is not just about data—but about ecology?
In this live episode of The Evolution of Medicine Podcast recorded at the Institute for Functional Medicine Annual Conference, James Maskell speaks with Patricia Devers, Chief Clinical Officer at Genova Diagnostics, about the evolution of functional medicine into a systems-based, ecological model of care.
Patricia Devers shares her journey from conventional internal medicine to functional medicine leadership, explaining why she left hospital practice after 20 years due to a lack of meaningful patient improvement. She describes how Genova Diagnostics has evolved over four decades from basic laboratory testing into advanced microbiome sequencing and functional ecosystem analysis.
About the Guest:
Patricia Devers is the Chief Clinical Officer at Genova Diagnostics, one of the leading specialty laboratories supporting functional and integrative medicine worldwide.
She trained as a conventionally trained internal medicine physician and spent 20 years practicing in hospital and clinical settings before transitioning into functional medicine. Frustrated by the lack of long-term patient improvement in conventional care, she moved into systems-based medicine, where she has spent the past decade helping advance clinical laboratory science and practitioner education.
At Genova Diagnostics, Patricia Devers focuses on expanding the clinical utility of advanced diagnostic testing, including microbiome analysis, gastrointestinal function testing, and systems-based biomarker interpretation. Her work emphasizes an ecological model of health, where disease is understood as a disruption of interconnected biological systems.
She is a leading advocate for integrating functional medicine into mainstream healthcare through better diagnostics, education, and clinical decision support, with a particular focus on gut health, chronic disease, and personalized medicine.
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Genova Diagnostics: https://goevomed.com/genova
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What if the future of cardiology requires looking far beyond cholesterol numbers?
In this live Evolution of Medicine Podcast episode from the Institute for Functional Medicine Annual Conference, James Maskell speaks with Dr. James Carter about the changing landscape of cardiovascular care and the growing role of functional medicine within major healthcare institutions.
Drawing on his experience as an interventional cardiologist and leader of Cleveland Clinic's Center for Functional Medicine, Dr. Carter explains why inflammation may be a more important driver of heart disease than many traditional risk factors. He discusses the limitations of relying solely on LDL cholesterol and risk calculators and highlights the importance of assessing inflammation, lifestyle factors, environmental exposures, gut health, and social determinants of health.
The conversation explores the power of listening to patients' stories and how personal experiences, stress, trauma, and social context shape biology and influence long-term health outcomes.
James and Dr. Carter also discuss innovative care models including shared medical appointments, community-based health programs, church partnerships, and teaching kitchens designed to improve access to preventive care and lifestyle medicine.
Additional topics include brain health, dementia prevention, interdisciplinary collaboration, healthcare transformation, and the future of functional medicine within large healthcare systems.
The episode concludes with Dr. Carter's vision for creating a healthcare model that combines scientific rigor, compassionate care, and whole-person medicine to improve health outcomes at scale.
About the Guest:
Dr. James Carter is an interventional cardiologist and serves as Director of the Center for Functional Medicine and Vice Chair of Clinical Services within the Department of Wellness and Preventive Medicine at Cleveland Clinic.
After spending much of his career in community-based cardiology practice, Dr. Carter returned to academic medicine before being recruited to lead Cleveland Clinic's functional medicine program. His work focuses on integrating functional medicine principles into large-scale healthcare delivery systems while improving access to preventive and whole-person care.
Dr. Carter's clinical and educational interests include cardiovascular disease prevention, inflammation and cardiometabolic health, lifestyle medicine, shared medical appointments, community-based health initiatives, and the integration of functional medicine within conventional healthcare settings.
He is a leading advocate for addressing the biological, environmental, and social factors that contribute to chronic disease and believes that understanding the patient's story is essential to delivering effective healthcare.
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Genova Diagnostics: https://goevomed.com/genova
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What if one of the most powerful healing tools isn't a supplement or medication—but a simple movement practice rooted in breath, awareness, and human connection?
In this live Evolution of Medicine Podcast episode from the Institute for Functional Medicine Annual Conference, James Maskell speaks with Dr. Carol Penn about the role of Qigong in functional medicine and why it may be one of the most important foundational practices for modern health.
Drawing on her background as a professional dancer, osteopathic physician, and educator, Dr. Penn explains how movement can transform physical, emotional, and psychological well-being. She shares how her experiences working with people with disabilities first revealed the healing potential of creativity and embodied movement.
The conversation explores how Qigong maps onto the Functional Medicine Matrix, supporting structural integrity, nervous system regulation, breath function, and overall systems health.
James and Dr. Penn also discuss the growing crisis of social disconnection and why group movement practices may help rebuild community, improve resilience, and support both mental and physical health.
Additional topics include dementia prevention, healthy aging, intergenerational healing programs, osteopathic medicine, and the future of community-based wellness initiatives.
The episode closes with a vision for bringing Qigong and movement-based healing into parks, healthcare systems, medical education, and everyday life as a practical tool for restoring both individual and collective health.
About the Guest:
Dr. Carol Penn is an osteopathic physician, educator, former professional dancer, and choreographer with more than two decades of experience in movement-based arts and healing.
Before entering medicine, Dr. Penn spent 22 years as a professional dancer and worked extensively with individuals with disabilities, where she witnessed the transformative impact of movement, creativity, and self-expression on physical and emotional well-being.
Today, she integrates osteopathic principles, functional medicine concepts, and Qigong into her teaching, research, and clinical work. Dr. Penn serves on the faculty of the Montana College of Osteopathic Medicine, where she teaches courses in integrative medicine and Qigong-informed osteopathic practice.
Her work focuses on the relationship between movement, structure, breath, nervous system function, community connection, and whole-person health.
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Genova Diagnostics: https://goevomed.com/genova
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What if chronic disease isn't a single problem—but a breakdown across multiple biological networks?
In this live Evolution of Medicine Podcast episode from the IFM conference, James Maskell speaks with Dr. Kristine Burke about the rapid transformation of functional medicine and its growing integration into mainstream healthcare systems.
They explore why inflammatory markers like CRP took decades to enter standard practice, and how this reflects a broader challenge in translating research into real-world medicine.
Dr. Burke shares her journey from conventional family medicine into functional medicine after seeing patients experience major cardiovascular events despite guideline-based care. This led her to focus on residual risk, root causes, and systems biology.
The conversation also covers emerging biomarkers such as SII, SIRI, and suPAR, which may help detect systemic chronic inflammation and disease risk earlier than traditional approaches.
A major theme is the shift toward network-based care—where clinicians collaborate through shared systems, multidisciplinary teams, and structured data to improve outcomes in complex chronic disease.
The episode closes with reflections on global growth in functional medicine, the urgency of early intervention in cognitive decline ("time is brain"), and the expanding role of clinical collaboration in shaping the future of healthcare.
About the Guest:
Dr. Kristine Burke is a physician trained in conventional family medicine who transitioned into functional medicine after recognizing the limitations of guideline-based approaches in managing chronic disease.
She specializes in cardiovascular health, complex chronic illness, and cognitive decline, with a strong focus on systems biology and root-cause medicine.
Dr. Burke has contributed to the development and clinical application of functional medicine frameworks, including lifestyle-based interventions, metabolic and inflammatory risk assessment, and multi-system clinical reasoning.
She is also involved in TrueNeuro, a collaborative initiative focused on reversing and preventing cognitive decline through early intervention and systems-based care models.
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What if chronic disease, cognitive decline, and even trauma were not fixed conditions—but modifiable biological states?
In this Functional Forum episode, James Maskell and Matt Wiggins bring together leading clinicians and researchers to explore the frontiers of precision and functional medicine.
They discuss SUPAR, a powerful biomarker for systemic inflammation that could reshape early disease detection. The conversation then turns to a groundbreaking cognitive decline trial showing major improvements in patients treated with functional medicine protocols compared to standard care.
The episode also explores the biology of loneliness and the "cell danger response," the reversibility of trauma through epigenetic mechanisms and psychedelic-assisted therapy, and emerging ideas about measuring masculinity as a clinical health indicator.
Together, these insights point toward a future where chronic disease may be detected earlier, treated systemically, and in some cases reversed.
About the Guests:
This episode features multiple leading voices from the Functional Forum community, including clinicians and researchers in functional and precision medicine:
Matt Wiggins – Health innovator focused on bringing advanced biomarker testing, including SUPAR, into clinical practice
Dr. Kat Toups – Clinician involved in cognitive decline research using precision functional medicine approaches
Dr. Molly Maloof – Physician and educator specializing in metabolic health, loneliness biology, and cellular stress responses
Dr. David Rabin – Psychiatrist and neuroscientist studying trauma, epigenetics, and psychedelic-assisted therapy
Dr. Brad Jacobs – Clinician exploring novel frameworks for men's health and masculinity as a clinical metric
Dr. Ryan Adler – Advocate for integrating cognitive health protocols into mainstream clinical practice
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What if the fastest way to grow your medical practice isn't advertising—but conversation?
In this episode of The Evolution of Medicine, James Maskell speaks with Bret Gregory, founder of DrTalks, about how podcasting is transforming the way doctors build authority, attract patients, and share medical knowledge.
They explore how DrTalks is creating a creator economy for physicians, making it easy to become a podcast guest or host while removing technical and logistical barriers. Bret breaks down a "crawl, walk, run" strategy where doctors start as guests before launching their own shows.
The conversation highlights practical tools like "signature talks," which use AI to generate compelling podcast pitches, and explains how consistency—not production scale—is what drives long-term success.
A major focus is the power of local podcasting, where doctors interview referral partners and community members to build trust, visibility, and direct patient flow.
Ultimately, this episode reframes podcasting as a foundational tool for modern medicine—one that builds authority, strengthens community ties, and helps doctors thrive in a founder-led media world.
About the Guest:
Bret Gregory is the founder of DrTalks, a platform designed to connect doctors and patients through trusted medical content and podcasting. He is focused on building a global network that helps physicians share their expertise while also creating sustainable income streams through media and content creation. Through DrTalks, Bret has helped thousands of doctors launch podcasts, appear as guests, and build meaningful digital presence with minimal technical barriers.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bretgdrtalks/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bretg/
Website: https://drtalks.com/
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Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesmaskell
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/FunctionalForum
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What if health is shaped less by individual optimization—and more by our relationships?
In this episode of The Evolution of Medicine, James Maskell speaks with Michael Trainer, author of Resonance, about how relationships influence biology, behavior, and long-term health.
They explore "resonance" as a state of nervous system alignment between people, and how loneliness and weak social networks contribute to chronic disease, dementia, and mental health issues. Trainer shares personal experiences from caring for his father, overcoming OCD, and finding healing through cultural immersion in Sri Lanka.
The conversation also examines "network sufficiency," community as medicine, and why AI cannot replace human relational intelligence in healthcare.
Ultimately, this episode reframes health as something co-created through connection, trust, and community.
About the Guest:
Michael Trainer is an author, speaker, and founder focused on relational intelligence, social health, and the role of human connection in wellbeing. He is the author of Resonance, where he explores how relationships and nervous system co-regulation shape health as much as biology or behavior.
His work is informed by both personal experience—caring for his father through dementia and overcoming OCD following adolescent trauma—and global exploration, including immersive time in collectivist cultures such as Sri Lanka. Through his writing and teaching, he focuses on how individuals and communities can build deeper connections, restore emotional coherence, and strengthen the social foundations of health.
Discover Resonance — a thought‑provoking book that explores purpose, performance, and the art of thriving. Learn more today at resonance.biz.
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What does it take to bring functional medicine into mainstream insurance systems?
In this episode of The Evolution of Medicine, James Maskell speaks with Dr. Robin Berzin about Parsley Health's landmark achievement: becoming the first functional medicine clinic in-network with insurance coverage for 150 million lives.
They explore how a decade of building standardized protocols, training systems, and outcomes data led to proof of both clinical results and cost savings in chronic disease care.
The conversation also unpacks what this shift means for independent functional medicine practitioners, and how AI, wearables, and direct-to-consumer testing are reshaping patient expectations and expanding the market for personalized medicine.
About the Guest:
Dr. Robin Berzin is a physician and the founder and CEO of Parsley Health, a functional medicine and longevity clinic focused on treating chronic disease through a systems-based, root-cause approach. She has built Parsley Health into a nationally scaled clinical model that integrates evidence-based protocols, digital health tools, and outcomes tracking to deliver personalized, preventive care.
Website: https://www.parsleyhealth.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parsleyhealth/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parsleyhealth/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/parsley-health/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@parsleyhealth
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Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesmaskell
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/FunctionalForum
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What if the future of maternal healthcare began before conception?
In this episode of The Evolution of Medicine , James Maskell and Emily Rydbom explore how nutrition, systems biology, and integrated care models are transforming pregnancy outcomes.
You'll learn how a "standard of care plus" approach—combining trimester-specific nutrition, biomarker testing, and virtual care models—has improved outcomes across multiple cohorts, including Medicaid populations.
This conversation explores how early nutritional intervention may reduce preterm birth, gestational diabetes, and other complications, while also reshaping how we think about prevention in medicine.
About the Guest:
Emily Rydbom is a board-certified holistic nutritionist and clinical researcher working within the Grow Baby initiative, a 13–15 year program focused on improving maternal and infant health through nutrition-first, systems-based care models. She has worked extensively on integrating nutrition into obstetric care across clinical, virtual, and hybrid healthcare systems.
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Fullscript: https://goevomed.com/fullscript
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What does the future of psychiatry look like when psychedelics, functional medicine, and trauma therapy converge?
In this episode of The Evolution of Medicine, James Maskell and Will Van Derveer, MD explore how psychedelic-assisted therapy is reshaping mental health care.
You'll learn how MDMA, psilocybin, ketamine, and emerging compounds may be used for different clinical needs, why integration is essential for lasting change, and how functional medicine can support deeper healing of both body and mind.
This conversation goes beyond treatment—it explores meaning, trauma, and the future of human transformation in medicine.
About the Guest:
Will Van Derveer, MD is a psychiatrist and co-founder of the Integrative Psychiatry Institute. He is a leading educator in integrative and psychedelic-assisted therapy, training thousands of clinicians worldwide in functional medicine and psychedelic treatment approaches.
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Fullscript: https://goevomed.com/fullscript
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What if cannabis could support brain health and cognitive function?
In this episode of The Evolution of Medicine, James Maskell and Dr. Bonni Goldstein explore how medical cannabis interacts with the endocannabinoid system to reduce neuroinflammation and support neurological health.
You'll learn how compounds like THC, CBD, and CBG may protect the brain, the benefits of full-spectrum cannabis, and how proper dosing and medical guidance can improve outcomes safely.
This conversation offers a new perspective on cannabis as part of a holistic approach to aging, brain health, and dementia care.
About the Guest:
Dr. Bonni Goldstein is a physician specializing in medical cannabis and its therapeutic applications. Based in California, she has treated thousands of patients using cannabinoid-based therapies and is a leading advocate for integrating cannabis into modern medical practice through education, research, and clinical care.
Register for the Reversing Alzheimer's 2.0 Summit, running from April 11, 2026 – April 15, 2026.
Join us at https://drtalks.com/summits/alzheimers
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What if cognitive decline and Alzheimer's could be reversed?
In this episode of The Evolution of Medicine , James Maskell and Dr. Kristine Burke discuss the 2026 summit's advances in precision medicine and team-based approaches to brain health.
You'll learn about a first-of-its-kind randomized trial showing measurable cognitive improvement, the importance of addressing multiple root causes, and strategies for making these interventions accessible to clinicians and patients alike.
This is a conversation about science, hope, and creating a new standard of care for cognitive decline.
About the Guest:
Dr. Kristine Burke is a physician specializing in functional and precision medicine, focused on reversing chronic diseases including Alzheimer's and cognitive decline. She applies a systems-based approach to address root causes, helping patients achieve measurable recovery through coordinated, personalized care.
Register for the Reversing Alzheimer's 2.0 Summit, running from April 11, 2026 – April 15, 2026.
Join us at https://drtalks.com/summits/alzheimers
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PODCAST Thank you for listening. Please subscribe and share. This podcast is produced by DrTalks.com https://drtalks.com/podcast-service/
In this solo episode, I'm diving into a concept that's been coming up again and again—in my work, in the data, and in conversations with practitioners around the world: network insufficiency.
Put simply, when connections break down—whether in the body, in our communities, or in our healthcare systems—things stop working.
I share highlights from my recent talk at the Bevan Commission, where I explored why chronic disease is rising, why healthcare systems are under pressure, and what we can actually do about it. This is also the foundation of my upcoming book, The Great Reconnection.
About the Host:
James Maskell is the founder of the Evolution of Medicine and has spent the last decade helping practitioners build scalable, root-cause healthcare practices. His work focuses on community-based care, functional medicine, and creating systems that actually reverse chronic disease.strategies.
Register for the Reversing Alzheimer's 2.0 Summit, running from April 11, 2026 – April 15, 2026.
Join us at https://drtalks.com/summits/alzheimers
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Host James Maskell interviews Dr. Izabella Wentz, a leader in thyroid health and functional medicine, about her new work on IBS (irritable bowel syndrome).
The conversation explores how IBS is often misunderstood as a standalone diagnosis when it is actually an umbrella term with multiple root causes. Dr. Wentz shares her personal journey from IBS to Hashimoto's, explains the connection between gut health and autoimmunity, and outlines the many drivers of IBS—from medications and food sensitivities to infections and stress.
The episode highlights how functional medicine practitioners can achieve high success rates by identifying and addressing root causes, using targeted diagnostics, personalized interventions, and lifestyle strategies to restore gut health and prevent chronic disease progression.
About the Guest:
Dr. Izabella Wentz is a pharmacist, functional medicine expert, and bestselling author known for her work on thyroid health and Hashimoto's disease. After overcoming her own autoimmune condition, she has dedicated her career to helping patients identify and address the root causes of chronic illness, with a strong focus on gut health, autoimmunity, and personalized healing strategies.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/izabellawentzpharmd/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThyroidLifestyle/?ref=NONE_xav_ig_profile_page_web#
Website: https://thyroidpharmacist.com/
Thyroid Pharmacist Podcast: https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/podcast/
James Maskell
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In this episode of The Evolution of Medicine, host James Maskell interviews Seth Conger, COO of Freedom Practice Coaching and long-time functional medicine practitioner and mentor.
The conversation explores the structural burnout many practitioners experience when running their own clinics, wearing multiple hats as clinician, CEO, marketer, and manager. Seth shares practical strategies for avoiding burnout, including proactive business management, deliberate reconnection with patient outcomes, effective hiring and delegation, and schedule design.
The episode also dives into how coaching, mentorship, and technology—including AI—can help functional medicine practices scale while maintaining practitioner freedom, team efficiency, and patient impact.
Seth Conger is the Chief Operating Officer of Freedom Practice Coaching, where he mentors functional medicine practitioners on building scalable, sustainable practices. He has built, scaled, and sold a functional medicine clinic and now shares his expertise in operations, hiring, delegation, and schedule design to help other practitioners avoid burnout and achieve long-term success.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sethconger/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/conger.seth/
James Maskell
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In this episode of The Evolution of Medicine, host James Maskell interviews Dr. Ryan Arnold, founder of Clava Health and a former emergency and critical care physician who transitioned into functional medicine.
The conversation explores Dr. Arnold's journey from hospital-based medicine to building a scalable functional medicine clinic focused on root-cause care, longevity, and brain health. He shares how frustration with traditional disease-focused medicine pushed him to pursue functional medicine training and eventually launch a cash-based practice.
Dr. Arnold explains why brain health is emerging as the central pillar of longevity medicine and how cognitive decline can often be reversed through comprehensive functional medicine protocols that address metabolism, sleep, inflammation, and lifestyle factors.
The episode also dives into the importance of program-based care models, multidisciplinary teams, practitioner collaboration, and how new technologies like relational AI can help clinics scale patient education and engagement.
About the Guest: Dr. Ryan Arnold, MD is the founder of Clava Health, a functional medicine clinic focused on longevity, metabolic health, and cognitive optimization. Originally trained in emergency and critical care medicine, Dr. Arnold transitioned to functional medicine after recognizing the limitations of traditional disease management.
He now leads a program-based practice that integrates personalized medicine, lifestyle interventions, multidisciplinary care teams, and emerging technologies to help patients prevent and reverse chronic disease—particularly cognitive decline.
Website: https://clavahealth.com/about-us
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/ryanarnoldmd
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ryan.arnold.925/
James Maskell
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In this episode of The Evolution of Medicine, host James Maskell interviews Debbie Silber, PhD, founder of the Post Betrayal Transformation Institute and author of Unstuck.
The conversation explores why betrayal is a distinct and often overlooked root cause of chronic physical and mental health conditions. Dr. Silber shares her groundbreaking research on Post-Betrayal Syndrome (PBS), the predictable 5 stages of healing, and why so many patients remain "stuck" despite functional or conventional care.
This episode reframes betrayal not as an emotional inconvenience—but as a physiological event that reshapes the brain, nervous system, immune function, and digestive health.
About the Guest:
Debbie Silber, PhD is the founder of the Post Betrayal Transformation Institute and creator of the PBT® (Post-Betrayal Transformation) Certification Program. After experiencing multiple betrayals herself, she completed a PhD study on how betrayal impacts health, work, and relationships. Her research identified Post-Betrayal Syndrome and the 5 stages of healing. She is the author of Unstuck and works with both individuals and healthcare practitioners worldwide.
Website: https://thepbtinstitute.com/about-debi-6/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/debisilber/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InspireEmpowerTransform/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debisilber/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DebiSilber
James Maskell
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In this episode of The Evolution of Medicine, host James Maskell interviews registered dietitian Ashley Koff about her new book Your Best Shot. The conversation explores the seismic impact of GLP-1 agonists like Ozempic and Wegovy—and how functional medicine can pivot from a "weight loss" mindset to a "weight health" approach.
Koff reframes these medications not as magic bullets, but as biosimilar hormone replacement tools that "switch on" receptor sites—without repairing the underlying ecosystem. She outlines a five-part Weight Health Hormone assessment and introduces a Physician–Dietitian–Health Coach triad to ensure sustainable outcomes.
The episode challenges practitioners to stay "agnostic about the agonist" and instead focus on metabolic repair, patient education, and structured team-based care.
About the Guest:
Ashley Koff, RD is a registered dietitian and functional nutrition expert focused on metabolic health, personalized nutrition, and hormone signaling. She is the author of Your Best Shot and advocates for a "Weight Health" approach that integrates assessment, repair, and team-based implementation.
Ashley Koff, RD
Website: https://thebetternutritionprogram.com/your-best-shot/#Order?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGn0Q9_BL_AVS4TE9ropSLtTkwP2y5sIOqKsbxZaaKPv3nNMm0Tq8QuWidcGUk_aem_U9Z5knW9eqsiMjw19fzflA
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashleykoffapproved/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashleykoffapproved/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-koff/
James Maskell
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In this episode of The Evolution of Medicine, host James Maskell outlines a pivotal shift for functional medicine practitioners. He argues that the era of the "artisan" solo practitioner is ending—and that survival in 2026 and beyond requires building scalable clinical infrastructure.
Maskell explains how AI-powered platforms, venture-backed telehealth companies, and direct-to-consumer lab brands are redefining patient expectations around speed, convenience, and affordability. To compete, functional medicine clinics must evolve into "full stack" models—combining objective data, team-based care, defined outcomes, and recurring membership structures.
This episode also launches a new initiative designed to help clinics operationalize that shift.
James Maskell is a healthcare entrepreneur and founder of The Evolution of Medicine. For over 20 years, he has worked to scale functional medicine through community-driven models, group visits, and practitioner infrastructure. His work focuses on moving medicine upstream—toward prevention, lifestyle intervention, and systems-based care.
Website: https://www.jamesmaskell.com/
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In this episode of The Evolution of Medicine podcast, host James Maskell speaks with health educator and researcher Ari Whitten about why modern medicine has failed to meaningfully prevent or reverse Alzheimer's disease—and how an evolutionary and lifestyle-based framework offers a far more effective path forward.
The conversation reframes Alzheimer's not as an inevitable consequence of aging, but as a disease of evolutionary mismatch—the result of modern lifestyles that conflict with our ancient biological design. Drawing on anthropological data, long-term population studies, and emerging research on physiological resilience, Whitten explains why building "reserve capacity" may be the most powerful strategy for long-term brain health.
Ari Whitten is a health educator, researcher, and expert in energy metabolism and human performance. His work focuses on evolutionary health, mitochondrial function, and physiological resilience as foundations for preventing chronic disease. Ari is widely known for translating complex research into actionable lifestyle strategies that help people build robust health in the modern world.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theenergyblueprint/?hl=en
Shop Supplements: https://theenergyblueprint.com/bf-sale-2025/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/38flatRKyeocmKUmEkVqrR
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-energy-blueprint-podcast/id1226660198
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In this episode of The Evolution of Medicine podcast, host James Maskell speaks with Dr. Matthew Bernstein about the emerging field of metabolic psychiatry. They explore how addressing metabolic health—particularly through ketogenic diets—can treat and, in some cases, reverse serious mental health conditions that conventional psychiatric medications often fail to resolve.
Through personal stories, clinical insights, and a forward-looking discussion on research and policy, the episode challenges the long-standing "chemical imbalance" narrative and reframes mental illness as a systemic, energy-based disorder rooted in metabolic dysfunction.
James Maskell interviews Dr. Matthew Bernstein on metabolic psychiatry, ketogenic diets, and the future of mental health care, exploring how metabolic health can reverse depression, bipolar disorder, and psychosis on The Evolution of Medicine Podcast.
Dr. Matthew Bernstein is a psychiatrist and pioneer in metabolic psychiatry. After a family health crisis involving his sons' diagnosis of PANS (Pediatric Acute Neuropsychiatric Syndrome), he shifted away from medication-centric psychiatry toward addressing root causes such as metabolic dysfunction, inflammation, and immune dysregulation. He is the founder of Accord, an immersive metabolic health program near Boston.
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In this solo episode of The Evolution of Medicine, host James Maskell explores emerging conversations in healthcare, focusing on low-level toxicity, electromagnetic fields (EMFs), and practical ways clinicians can support patients in reversing chronic illness.
The episode highlights personal experiences, clinical observations, and actionable strategies for reducing "electrosmog" or electromagnetic fog exposure in everyday life, alongside broader insights into optimizing environmental health for longevity and functional medicine.
James Maskell explores EMFs, low-level toxicity, and "electrosmog" in functional medicine, sharing practical strategies to reduce exposure, optimize patient health, and support longevity on The Evolution of Medicine Podcast.
James Maskell is the founder and host of The Evolution of Medicine Podcast, focused on functional, integrative, and longevity medicine. He explores innovations in healthcare, chronic illness reversal, and strategies for building thriving practices and healthy communities.
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In this episode of The Evolution of Medicine, host James Maskell sits down with researcher and author Dawson Church to explore the powerful intersection of mindset, spiritual intelligence, and brain health.
The conversation challenges the idea that Alzheimer's is an inevitable genetic destiny, highlighting how lifestyle, thought patterns, and emotional practices can influence disease progression.
You'll learn about the latest research showing how positive thinking, meditation, and relational spirituality can suppress Alzheimer's gene expression, stimulate neuroplasticity, and improve memory and learning centers. Church also shares practical strategies for caregivers, emphasizing compassion, shared meditation, and building supportive connections to reduce stress and protect longevity.
Dawson Church and James Maskell explore mindset, spiritual intelligence, meditation, and lifestyle strategies to prevent Alzheimer's, boost brain health, and support caregivers on The Evolution of Medicine Podcast.
Dawson Church is a researcher and author specializing in the interplay of mindset, spirituality, and brain health. He is known for exploring how meditation, relational spirituality, and positive emotional practices influence gene expression, neuroplasticity, and Alzheimer's prevention.
Website: https://dawsonchurch.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dawsonchurch/
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This week on the podcast, we welcome Patti Lemer who last year gave me the opportunity to do something I've never done before, write the foreword to her new book. Patti is an OG in the autism space and a true pioneer in understanding the environmental drivers impacting children's health. The book is Total Load Theory. Many people know Patti from her earlier work, Outsmarting Autism, which drew from decades of hands-on experience working with kids on the spectrum. Long before environmental illness entered mainstream conversation, Patti was already mapping the terrain, looking at toxic burden, immune stress, and the cumulative impact of modern life on developing nervous systems. As the cultural conversation shifted and the term "Outsmarting Autism" began to feel limiting, Patti revisited the work with fresh eyes. The result is Total Load Theory – a reframing grounded in functional medicine's understanding of total allostatic load: the combined environmental, biochemical, infectious, emotional, and physiological burdens our children are carrying.
To start the year, I would love it if you could find 10 minutes today to read what I believe is the most important blog I've written. It contextualizes the importance of both my first book, The Evolution of Medicine and my second, The Community Cure, to now what I believe is the most important moment and mission of our time… I also reviewed the incredible recent Lyme Disease Roundtable that probably should have been 30 years ago, but it is exciting to see something come into light that has been hidden to health seekers and clinicians alike. It sets up our community for leadership on this topic for the next decade.
This week on the Evolution of Medicine podcast, we're exploring what may be the most natural, and most underutilized, home for precision brain health: senior living. Earlier this year, I was introduced to Doug Motter, President of Homestead Village in Pennsylvania. For the past 27 years, Doug has been guiding a 600-resident senior living community with a clear north star: health, dignity, and longevity. He joins me on the podcast alongside Hal Cranmer, CEO of A Paradise for Parents, a five-location senior living organization in Arizona. While their communities are different, Doug and Hal share one powerful thing in common: They are innovating at the intersection of senior living and precision brain health. In this conversation, we explore how both leaders were influenced by the work of Dr. Dale Bredesen, and how they've each taken meaningful steps to bring proactive, root-cause brain health approaches into senior living environments—places traditionally designed for management of decline, not reversal. This topic is close to my heart. It's personal, not just as someone building in this space, but as someone thinking about where our parents, and eventually we ourselves, might want to live in our later years. What makes this conversation so exciting is that it clearly shows why senior living may be the ideal setting for precision brain health:
- You have people who need this level of care
- You have built-in community and connection
- And you have the opportunity to deliver group-based, proactive brain health at scale
On the podcast, we also announce an exciting new partnership between Homestead Village and TruNeura, where we'll be deploying a group-focused precision brain health program, in collaboration with Turnpaugh Health & Wellness, a six-location, 20-provider functional medicine clinic serving Central Pennsylvania. This episode is a glimpse into what's possible when senior living shifts from custodial care to cognitive optimization, community, and purpose. Listen in if you're:
- In senior living and curious about the future of brain health
- A functional or integrative clinic interested in partnering with senior communities
- Or simply thinking about what "aging well" could really look like
If you're interested in exploring a partnership with a senior living center or bringing precision brain health into this setting get in touch with us and book a concierge call to learn more. This is the future. And it's already beginning.
This week on the podcast we feature Dr. Kirstie Lawton, Founder of Food for the Brain Foundation and a virtual brain health clinic in the UK focused on ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) which in the UK is called "Motor Neurone Disease" (MND) This is a hot topic in the UK as there has been a flurry of cases and concern about MND in the professional rugby players community. In this podcast you will learn:
- Is there hope for MND / ALS and what role for nutrition?
- Lessons from delivering a completely virtual brain clinic
- How science and survival of MND / ALS is evolving
Listen wherever you listen to your podcast or watch the full interview on our YouTube channel.
This week on Season 2, Episode 7 of the Evolution of Medicine, we take a deeper and more personal dive into immune resilience and the COVID vaccines, a topic that, five years later, continues to shape our work, our patients, and our health system. In the News: A UK Decision That Should Concern Everyone
A recent report from the UK announced that public health authorities will not be releasing records that could clarify whether the COVID vaccines were associated with the rise in excess deaths. Their stated reason: It might create privacy issues and emotional distress for grieving families. As someone who lost my mother three months after her COVID vaccination in the UK in June 2021, I want to be extremely clear: There is nothing more important to bereaved families than the truth. Understanding what happened is not traumatic, it is healing, clarifying, and necessary for public trust. I share a brief personal reflection in the episode, not to stoke controversy, but to highlight the human cost of opacity and why functional medicine practitioners must continue to be leaders in evidence-based immune resilience. Clinical Deep Dive: The Most Important COVID Talk You've Never Seen In the clinical corner, we pivot to what I believe was a critical education session made early in the pandemic: Dr. Ari Vodjii's April 16, 2020 lecture on immune resilience. It outlined, early and brilliantly, the patterns of immune dysregulation that would go on to shape the entire COVID era. And yet… we didn't listen. In the episode, we break down one pivotal slide that every practitioner needs to know cold—a framework that explains:
- how host resilience determines patient outcomes
- how metabolic fragility and chronic inflammation amplify viral severity
This alone is worth the listen.
This week on the Evolution of Medicine podcast, we dive into a topic that weaves together many of the threads we've been exploring over the last few weeks. We've talked about AI and its rapid rise. We've talked about cognitive decline and the extraordinary possibility of reversing it. And we've talked about what it will take to get there on an individual practice level.
But this week's episode brings those themes together in a way I didn't expect.
A friend recently sent me what looked like a legitimate video commercial, featuring credible, household-name figures like Dr. Sanjay Gupta and Anderson Cooper. At first glance, it looked polished, believable, even authoritative. But as you'll see in the episode, not everything is as it appears. In fact, almost nothing is.
And that's the point.
We are moving into a world where AI blurs the boundaries between truth, reality, and persuasion. Where advertising looks like journalism. Where journalism looks like entertainment. And where the only thing we can count on is that we need better tools, better communities, and better critical thinking to navigate what comes next.
This episode unpacks what that means for medicine, for cognitive decline, for health creation – and for the evolution of our entire ecosystem.
I think you'll find it interesting… hopefully funny… and definitely insightful.
This week on the Evolution of Medicine podcast, we dive into one of the most exciting developments in healthcare – the Primary Care Renaissance.
Starting January 1st, new legislation makes it easier than ever for both patients and employers to participate in Direct Primary Care (DPC). This shift could finally deliver on many of the promises we've been talking about for years – cutting out the middleman, reducing costs, lowering friction, and restoring the sacred doctor-patient relationship.
We explore what this means for the future of medicine, and share insights from a powerful article written by a physician on the pride of ownership – and how reclaiming that sense of purpose and autonomy could be the spark that transforms primary care for good.
In our Worst Pharma Ad of the Week segment, we break down another unforgettable SkyRizi commercial – and what it reveals about the state of modern healthcare marketing.
Finally, we revisit a timeless conversation from our archives – a segment of James's 2017 interview with Prof. Raphael Mechoulam, the "Godfather of Medical Cannabis," whose pioneering work laid the foundation for today's cannabinoid revolution.
It's a jam-packed episode that connects the dots between economics, empowerment, and evolution in medicine. Tune in, share it with your DPC colleagues, and let's continue building the future together.
Last week, I shared the differences in entries between Wikipedia and Grokipedia and why that shift represents a turning point for functional medicine.
This week on The Evolution of Medicine Podcast, we take a deeper dive into Grokipedia: what it is, how it's changing the landscape for practitioners, and why it might finally put to rest the old "pseudoscience" critiques.
We also lighten things up with my favorite pharmaceutical commercial of all time – a hilarious rip-off that prescribes nature instead of pills.
And in the Clinical Corner, we explore a fascinating new tool I found online: the Functional Medicine Capability Maturity Matrix. It's a quick self-assessment that helps you see exactly where your practice is on the journey from early adoption to full system mastery.
This week on the Evolution of Medicine Podcast, we dive into primary prevention – and why it's the future of health.
Dr. Eric Topol recently published an article lamenting medicine's lack of progress in the big three killers: cardiovascular disease, cancer, and neurodegeneration. He's right about the problem, but I'd argue he's been going to the wrong conferences.
If he had joined us at the Personalized Lifestyle Medicine Institute (PLMI) conference, he would have seen what real prevention looks like: clinicians reversing chronic disease through root-cause, systems-based care. And if he comes next year, he'll see why I'm calling 2026 "The Year of the Brain."
In this episode, we explore:
- What Topol gets right (and what he's missing)
- How practitioners like you are proving primary prevention works
- Why improving everyone's neurobiology, as Dr. Austin Perlmutter says, is our highest work
The Evolution of Medicine podcast returns with a deep dive into the seismic shifts reshaping healthcare – from the explosion of direct-to-consumer lab testing to the most disingenuous pharmaceutical commercial ever made. Host James Maskell unpacks how companies like Function Health, Superpower, Whoop, and Aura are democratizing health data, while practitioners must evolve or risk becoming obsolete in an increasingly consumer-driven landscape.
This episode exposes the uncomfortable truth: patients can now access comprehensive lab panels for under $200 annually, complete with longitudinal tracking and AI interpretation. Meanwhile, wearable giants are integrating lab testing to create powerful health ecosystems that compete directly with traditional practice models. The message is clear – practitioners who rely on static PDFs and sporadic appointments are heading toward irrelevance.
The episode also features the most-watched video in Functional Forum history: Dr. Izabella Wentz's groundbreaking presentation on how thyroid dysfunction masquerades as mental illness, affecting up to 27% of the population. Her personal journey from misdiagnosis to recovery illustrates the power of root-cause medicine and why functional practitioners remain essential in an automated world.
🎙️ Tune in to learn:
- The direct-to-consumer lab revolution: How Function Health's 200,000+ customers and Superpower's $17/month pricing are reshaping patient expectations—and what this means for your practice model.
- Why wearable companies are your new competition: Whoop and Aura's integration of lab testing with biometric data creates comprehensive health platforms that threaten traditional practitioner relationships.
- The data integration imperative: Why practices relying on static lab reports and infrequent check-ins will become uncompetitive against real-time, longitudinal health monitoring systems.
If you're ready to future-proof your practice against the consumerization of healthcare while maintaining the irreplaceable human element of functional medicine, this episode provides both the wake-up call and the roadmap you need.
👉 Listen now or wherever you get your podcasts.
The Evolution of Medicine podcast is back – weekly, longer-form, and laser-focused on giving practitioners the news, tools, and frameworks to reverse chronic disease at scale. In this premiere of "season two," host James Maskell introduces the big idea shaping the next chapter: solving "network insufficiency" at three levels – inside the body, across communities, and through a nationwide network of high-functioning practices.
Borrowing from Dr. Dale Bredesen's framing of Alzheimer's as a "network insufficiency," James maps the concept onto the functional medicine matrix (clinical networks), the social fabric that shapes health (community networks), and the operational capacity of clinics themselves (practice networks). It's a unifying lens—and a rallying cry for the next five years to build the capacity required to bend the chronic disease curve.
Along the way, you'll meet this season's mission partners – Fullscript, TruNeura, Freedom Practice Coaching, and Big Boost Marketing – each spotlighted for the role they play in turning "network insufficiency" into "network sufficiency," from streamlined labs and cognitive-care platforms to scalable operations and patient pre-education.
🎙️ Tune in to learn:
- What "network insufficiency" means clinically (via the functional medicine matrix), socially (community and group visits), and operationally (clinic capacity)—and why solving it is the master key to reversing chronic disease.
- Why this really is "the moment": the podcast shifts to a weekly, studio-based format to track pivotal ideas, tools, and policy conversations shaping the movement.
- A practical playbook for capacity building:
- Fullscript's evolution toward turnkey lab logistics so any clinic can offer "Function-Health-style" testing.
- TruNeura's clinical implementation platform and why precision medicine for cognitive decline is poised to scale.
- Freedom Practice Coaching's Scalability Assessment and how to use it to grow from one provider to ten.
- Big Boost Marketing's education-first marketing to generate qualified discovery calls at the lowest possible cost.
- How broader public-health debates – and a widely discussed HHS-hosted conversation—signal a cultural inflection point for our field.
If you're committed to systems-level change in integrative and functional medicine, this kickoff episode sets the agenda for the year – and equips you to start building true network sufficiency in your clinic and community.
When experienced integrative physician Dr. Robin Rose discovered she had a kidney tumor and early signs of kidney disease, she was shocked—but determined. What followed was a deep dive into an often-overlooked aspect of chronic disease care: kidney health.
In this powerful episode, Dr. Rose shares how her personal health journey ignited a mission to bring kidney care into the spotlight within functional and integrative medicine. She highlights how kidney dysfunction is frequently underdiagnosed or misunderstood, even in root-cause-focused care models.
Through her own research and collaboration with a naturopathic kidney specialist, Dr. Rose developed a holistic framework for supporting kidney health—incorporating nutrition, lifestyle, toxin reduction, and innovative therapies like bio-regulator peptides. Her new book, Ology Peptides: Kidney Success with Bio-Regulator Peptides, explores this approach in detail.
Tune in to learn:
- Why kidney function is the “silent factor” in many chronic disease cases
- The key lifestyle and environmental factors impacting kidney health
- How peptides—especially bio-regulator peptides—are being used to support kidney repair and resilience
- Why a proactive, systems-based approach is critical to reversing kidney decline
- How practitioners can better support patients before dialysis becomes the only option
If you're interested in whole-body health and emerging tools in functional medicine, this episode will shift the way you think about kidney care.
What if health plans could cover in-home chef services to improve patient outcomes? In this episode, James Maskell sits down with Renata Jenik, founder of Foodom.com, to explore how her company is pioneering a powerful new model of food as medicine—one that’s already being covered by insurance.
Renata shares her personal journey from overwhelmed working mom struggling with PCOS and insulin resistance to entrepreneur with a mission to redefine healthcare through culinary empowerment. What started as a personal solution—hiring a chef to prepare healthy meals for her family—evolved into a scalable program now contracted by health plans like Anthem to serve Medicaid patients in Sacramento County.
Unlike traditional meal delivery, Foodom sends trained chefs into patients’ homes every two weeks to cook nourishing meals and teach basic culinary skills. It’s a powerful model rooted in sustainability and empowerment.
Tune in to learn about:
- How a personal health crisis sparked a revolutionary business idea
- Why health plans like Anthem are paying for in-home chef services
- The key differences between meal delivery and chef-led culinary education
- The challenges and solutions of scaling food-as-medicine at the community level
- Why El Dorado County is emerging as a hub for healthspan innovation
- And so much more!
If you're interested in the intersection of culinary care, health equity, and scalable functional medicine delivery, this is a must-listen.
In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Javier Galvis, the first Latin American physician certified by the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM), to explore the remarkable rise of functional medicine across Latin America. Dr. Galvis shares his journey from discovering the IFM Annual International Conference (AIC) in 2010 to completing his certification in 2013—and how the AIC has continued to inspire his practice.
As the founder of the Functional Medicine Academy in Colombia, Dr. Galvis is at the forefront of a growing movement, with thousands of physicians across Latin America now embracing a functional approach to care. He also gives us an exciting preview of the 2025 AIC and its cutting-edge focus on the future of medicine.
Tune in to learn more about:
- Why the AIC has been a game-changer for clinicians around the world
- How functional medicine is expanding rapidly across Latin America
- The role of the Functional Medicine Academy in training new practitioners
- Hot topics at the upcoming AIC, from psychedelic and peptide therapies to longevity and energy medicine
- How the conference bridges traditional wisdom with modern science
- Why this global movement is transforming the future of healthcare
Don’t miss this inspiring conversation! Be sure to listen, share, and help spread the word about the transformation happening in medicine today.
What does it take to build a thriving, scalable functional medicine practice in today’s healthcare landscape?
In this episode of the Evolution of Medicine podcast, we’re joined by Seth Conger, a seasoned entrepreneur and innovator in the functional medicine space who’s helped practices grow from startup to seven-figure exits. Seth shares his own journey, from event marketing into transforming his father-in-law’s clinic with cutting-edge technology and a shift to a membership-based model.
The episode explores three distinct stages of practice growth—startup, growth and scale—and the critical mindset and business shifts required at each level.
Tune in to learn:
- Why the startup phase is all about finding product-market fit and acquiring patients
- How the growth phase requires systems, hiring and stepping back from direct care
- What the scale phase looks like when your vision leads and your practice grows independently
- Why choosing the right business model (and ditching fee-for-service) is non-negotiable for long-term success
- Common mistakes that keep practitioners stuck and the high opportunity cost of not evolving
Whether you’re just getting started or looking to scale beyond yourself, this episode offers a roadmap for sustainable growth in functional medicine. Download today to learn how to build a profitable practice that doesn’t burn you out.
In this powerful episode of the Evolution of Medicine podcast, James Maskell sits down with Tasha Blank—DJ, movement catalyst, and founder of Powerhouse DJ School—to explore how dance, music, and embodiment can be powerful tools for healing and nervous system regulation.
For over a decade, Tasha has pioneered sober-conscious dance events that remove movement from the club scene and place it back into the realm of sacred, intentional expression. Her story is one of personal transformation, community leadership, and deep inquiry into how we heal—physically, emotionally and culturally.
Tune in to learn about:
- How dance and embodiment shifted Tasha’s relationship with her body and launched a decade-long journey of transformation.
- The health crisis in her late teens that forced her to look beyond conventional medicine and into nutrition, movement and energy work.
- A pandemic-fueled identity deconstruction that led to unexpected healing through metabolic, animal-based nutrition—and opened questions around gender, body image and healing.
- The launch of Powerhouse DJ School and teaching others to use music and dance as vehicles for transformation.
- The philosophy behind sober dance spaces and how reclaiming movement as medicine can heal individuals and communities.
This episode is a must-listen for anyone exploring somatic healing, community-based transformation, and new paradigms for health that go far beyond prescriptions and protocols.
In this episode, Dr. Nasha Winters shares her powerful journey with cancer and the urgent need for a paradigm shift in oncology. She explores the limitations of the current cancer care model, the critical role of mitochondria in chronic illness, and why asking different questions is essential for improving patient outcomes. Dr. Winters also introduces MTOMICS, a cutting-edge data platform designed to revolutionize cancer treatment by integrating personalized, data-driven insights.
Listen to the full episode to learn more:
- The standard cancer care model has seen little progress in outcomes since 1971.
- Cancer is affecting younger populations, signaling the need for new approaches.
- Mitochondrial health is a cornerstone of cancer and chronic disease management.
- Integrative medicine offers evidence-based strategies to enhance patient care.
- Community and collaboration are essential for driving meaningful change.
- Data-driven, decentralized healthcare models can empower both patients and practitioners.
- And much more!
Tune in to discover how integrative oncology, cutting-edge research, and patient empowerment are reshaping the future of cancer care.
Summary
In this episode, James welcomes back Dr. Bryce Appelbaum to the Evolution of Medicine podcast to continue their previous discussion about functional optometry.
James and Dr. Appelbaum recently reconnected at an event tied to the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) initiative. Dr. Appelbaum approaches vision health from a functional medicine perspective and considers how functional vision issues can be implicated in seemingly unrelated cognitive issues, such as learning disabilities and ADHD.
Tune into this full conversation that explores:
- How practitioners are working to communicate the full scope of what is possible in terms of improving vision, cognition, and overall health for the benefit of public awareness
- Dr. Appelbaum has worked with Dave Asprey to demonstrate and document how targeted interventions can significantly improve vision
- Why early-life screen time damages children’s health, harming learning and focus
- How undiagnosed vision problems can have major impacts on health and wellbeing
- Which patients benefit most from ScreenFit
Use code EVOMED for $200 off on ScreenFit, the vision training program designed to minimize the negative effects of screens on vision and promote healthy visual habits.
Dr. Bryce Appelbaum (12:59)- 13:35
This Business of Functional Medicine episode is the second part of podcast episode #349, hosted by Kristen Brokaw with guest and business coach, Ari Meisel.
In this episode, Ari explains that practice owners can use AI to enhance productivity. He also discusses concepts that he teaches in business coaching, including “The 3 Levers of Success in Business” and “The 6 Levels of Delegation.” He also revisits the importance of asynchronous communication, and shares techniques for capturing ideas effectively and for finding the right support to optimize personal and professional life.
Tune into this episode to hear more about:
- Creating custom GPTs to streamline information processing and ideation
- Using tools like Trello to delegate or prioritize tasks
- Why work-life integration is more relevant than work-life balance
- And much more!
Listen to Part I of this podcast, Business of Functional Medicine: Four Entrepreneurial Mindsets for Practice Owners, episode #349.
This week’s podcast guest is Katie Baric, Executive Director at Hands on Peru—a nonprofit organization in Peru and the US, created as a response to the deep inequities in access to medical care among the rural poor of Peru. Hands on Peru is a medical center that provides a range of basic medical services, from dentistry to ultrasounds.
The organization also has a mission to serve as an educational platform for students and medical practitioners from around the world. Katie invites listeners to reach out to her at katie@handsonperu.org to learn about opportunities for visiting and working with the organization to learn about pioneering public health theory into practice.
During the episode, Katie also highlights the launch of Chimuk, a social enterprise empowering local women through knitting, and the impact of these initiatives on the community's health and wellbeing.
Download and listen to the episode to hear about:
· How Katie came to co-found Hands on Peru.
· Katie’s and James’ introduction at the Lifestyle Medicine Conference in Mexico City, and why they were inspired by the unique conference format that modeled the principles of lifestyle medicine.
· Peru’s practices during the COVID-19 pandemic.
· And much more!
Please tune in to learn about opportunities to travel to Peru to participate in this community development and healthcare initiative.
In this episode, James Maskell is joined by Dr. Jeffrey Morrison, the newly elected president of the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM). Since its founding in the 1960s, AAEM has been at the forefront of understanding and addressing environmental causes of illness.
Dr. Morrison shares how AAEM is experiencing a resurgence, fueled by a new generation of passionate practitioners dedicated to tackling chronic illnesses like chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia and metabolic dysfunction through the lens of environmental health.
Key topics include:
- The impact of mold exposure, heavy metal toxicity, EMFs, and other environmental toxins on chronic disease.
- How AAEM is training practitioners to integrate environmental factors into their care strategies.
- Building a community of practitioners to advocate for policy changes that improve public health.
- Highlights from the upcoming AAEM conference in San Antonio, featuring renowned speakers like Del Bigtree and Erin Brockovich.
James also reflects on how Dr. Morrison’s innovative clinic shaped his early thinking about lifestyle medicine and patient engagement.
Tune in to explore how AAEM is leading the charge for a healthier future through environmental medicine.
In this episode, James Maskell speaks with Dr. Staci Whitman, a holistic pediatric dentist who shares her transformative journey from advocating for fluoride use to opposing its inclusion in public water systems.
Dr. Whitman integrates dental health with whole-body wellness. She is an IFM Certified Provider (IFMCP), Board Certified in Naturopathic Medical Dentistry and Integrative Biological Dental Medicine (NMD), and an active member of several professional dentistry organizations.
The conversation explores recent studies and court rulings that highlight concerns about fluoride’s neurotoxic effects, particularly its association with reduced IQ in children—even at the so-called “optimal” levels used in most water supplies. Dr. Whitman emphasizes the cumulative nature of fluoride exposure, from water and toothpaste to processed foods, complicating efforts to measure total intake—especially for vulnerable groups like infants and children.
Key Topics Discussed: * The alarming lack of safety data on fluoride and its potential neurotoxic effects. * The need for a paradigm shift in dentistry toward a more holistic and preventive approach. * Why Dr. Whitman supports topical fluoride application over systemic water fluoridation. * How hygiene, nutrition, and education offer better alternatives to public water fluoridation. * Counterarguments from proponents of public water fluoridation.
Don’t miss this insightful episode on one of 2024’s most debated topics!
In this podcast episode, Dr. Alaina Gair delves into her approach to cancer care through group support, inspired by the transformative principles of The Community Cure and events by Dr. Meghan Walker.
In this compelling conversation, Dr. Gair reveals how integrating community-based practices into her naturopathic care has redefined patient experiences by prioritizing emotional support, empowerment, and connection. We explore how the unpredictable journey of cancer can be positively transformed through shared experiences, group healing, and collaboration with oncologists.
Discover why creating a space for empathy, education and solidarity is essential in navigating chronic illnesses like cancer.
Download and listen to the full episode to learn more about:
- How community-based approaches can improve cancer care outcomes
- Groups can work well even when patients have different diagnosis
- Integrating naturopathic and conventional oncology for more comprehensive support.
- The value of shared experiences, grief support, and holistic collaboration.
- Dr. Gair’s approach to dealing with loss and grief within the group when a member passes away
- And much more
Dr. Joel Warsh is an integrative pediatrician who has built a successful practice in Los Angeles. He discusses his journey into integrative medicine, initially being frustrated by the overuse of medications in traditional pediatric care and seeking out alternative approaches. He talks about the challenge of getting the necessary education in integrative pediatrics, as there was limited formal training available at the time.
Dr. Warsh describes the experience of interacting with his more traditional pediatric colleagues, noting that he had to develop a thick skin but has seen the tide starting to shift as more doctors become interested in integrative approaches. He emphasizes the importance of open-minded communication and not being overtly contrarian.
A key theme of the conversation is the concept of "doing nothing" as the best approach in many pediatric cases, allowing the body's natural healing processes to work. Dr. Warsh shares his dramatic reduction in antibiotic prescriptions by taking a more watchful, supportive approach.
Tune into this conversation to learn more about
- How our healthcare system is evolving, and demand for integrative practices is growing
- Unity among practitioners can amplify the message of integrative health
- Dr. Warsh’s new book, Parenting at Your Child's Pace, which offers health-focused perspectives on common parenting questions and challenges in the early years.
- How Dr. Warsh’s book fills a gap left by therapy-focused parenting books
- And much more!
https://parentingatyourchildspace.com/
Joel Warsh, MD:
In this episode, Dr. Achina Stein and Silvia Covelli share their experience leading the Healing Depression Project, a holistic approach to treating depression that integrates functional medicine, lifestyle changes, and community support. Drawing from their personal experiences with conventional psychiatry, they discuss the frustrations with traditional treatments and the need to address both physical and mental health simultaneously.
The project challenges the conventional narrative around mental health treatment, offering a comprehensive recovery program built on evidence-based practices and a supportive community. Tune into this episode to learn:
- Why we need alternative approaches to traditional psychiatry
- How the project integrates functional medicine with metabolic psychiatry to enhance mental health outcomes.
- How a holistic approach may be especially helpful for those who don’t benefit from medication.
- How community support is leveraged to support the recovery process.
- Future goals include expanding the program and making it accessible to a broader audience.
- And much more!
This episode offers insight into how functional medicine and community-based support can reshape mental health care and foster long-term recovery. Please download and share with someone who would like to hear about this opportunity.
Business of Functional Medicine: Four Entrepreneurial Mindsets for Practice Owners [OM1]
Guest: Ari Meisel
Host: Kristen Brokaw
Episode # 349
October 2, 2024
In this Business of Functional Medicine podcast episode hosted by Kristen Brokaw, Ari Meisel, a business coach, discusses the importance of productivity and scalability for healthcare providers. He emphasizes the need for providers to shift their mindset from being indispensable to creating systems that allow for growth and delegation. The discussion covers the impact of technology on business practices, the four entrepreneurial mindsets, and strategies for improving patient experiences and communication within practices.
Ari also shares insights on effective delegation and the importance of overcoming overwhelm to find hope and success in practice management.
Tune into this episode to learn about:
- How Ari’s "Less Doing" system can help providers become more replaceable in their businesses
- How technology amplifies existing habits, good or bad
- Planning for an “exit strategy” to have an eventual option of selling one’s business or stepping into less hands-on, time-intensive role
- Using delegation to empower team members, not just offload work
- Improving communication to improve your business and clinical practice
In this week’s episode of the Evolution of Medicine Podcast, we dive deep into the groundbreaking work of Beth Lambert, executive director at Documenting Hope, and Dr. Heather Tallman Ruhm, medical director at Documenting Hope. This powerful conversation centers on reversing autism, addressing chronic pediatric illnesses, and how integrative medicine is playing a critical role in improving children's health.
Lambert and Dr. Tallman Ruhm share their personal journeys and the transformative impact of their research on families dealing with autism. They discuss the importance of understanding autism as a spectrum and the various factors—from environmental toxins to total body load—that contribute to chronic illness in children. You’ll also hear about their ongoing research studies and the vital role of community support in helping families navigate these complex challenges.
Lambert and Dr. Tallman Ruhm emphasize the power of integrative medicine, and the growing network of practitioners dedicated to addressing autism and chronic illness in children through a holistic lens. Their work is pushing the boundaries of pediatric health and providing new hope for families. Tune in now to learn more about the future of pediatric health and the essential role of community support.
When you listen to this episode, you’ll learn:
- That in some cases, autism can be reversed
- Early intervention leads to better outcomes
- Each child’s health journey is unique and care must be individualized
- Environmental factors play a key role in the development of autism
- Genetics are important but not the sole cause—understanding the total load on a child’s system is crucial
- Community support is essential for families facing autism
- Documenting cases is critical for scientific validation and future treatment models
- And much more
https://documentinghope.com/
In this inspiring episode, Erin and Gene share their powerful journey from the world of conventional medicine to founding their thriving functional medicine practice, Rising Tide Wellness, in Charleston, SC. Through personal health challenges and professional growth, they discovered the potential of functional medicine to provide the answers they were searching for—not just for themselves, but for their community.
This conversation delves into how their partnership fueled their transition, the importance of accountability, and how the support of their local community has been integral to their success. From navigating the challenges of building a practice to embracing personal transformation, Erin and Gene offer a roadmap for practitioners looking to balance heart, structure, and innovation in the evolving world of healthcare.
Tune in to learn about:
- Solutions that functional medicine offers where conventional approaches may fall short
- How to build a supportive partnership to drive personal and professional growth
- How a successful practice demands both community integration and personal development
- How workshops, group coaching, and virtual care can provide flexibility and deeper patient engagement
- How personal and professional transformations are continuous and impactful
Tune in to hear how Erin and Gene are forging new paths in medicine and empowering their community to take charge of their wellness.
Rising Tide Wellness
The Business of Functional Medicine: Proactive Business Solutions for a Healthy Practice with Seth Conger
In this episode of the Evolution of Medicine podcast, James Maskell speaks with Emily Kaplan of the Broken Science Initiative. They dive deep into the flaws of modern science, particularly in the context of medicine, and discuss how these issues contribute to the chronic disease epidemic. Emily Kaplan and Greg Glassman of CrossFit co-founded the Broken Science Initiative to address these deep-rooted problems and promote true scientific inquiry.
During this episode, you will hear an argument that the modern scientific method, especially in medicine, has become corrupted by political and financial interests, leading to a replication crisis and widespread statistical manipulation. Emily Kaplan also differentiates medicine and public health, criticizing the latter as being more about political consensus than clinical significance, leading to flawed public health policies.
Tune in for a conversation that explores:
- Why there has been a decline in moral obligation to patients in hospital settings
- The loss of physician authority and how that impacts patients
- Flawed research and corruption in science
- Critiques of public health
- How CrossFit can help reverse the chronic disease epidemic.
- And much more!
This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in understanding the deep issues within the scientific community and how they impact public health and medicine.
Episode resources:
The Broken Science Initiative and The Journal Club.
Rob Kress, the founder of CrossFit with a background in pharmacy and herbology, joins James for a compelling discussion on the critical need for men’s health-focused medical practices. This episode is meant to inspire practitioners to create successful, holistic men’s health practices that can effectively address the current men’s health crisis.
The conversation stems from the recognition that many existing practices are primarily geared toward women, leaving a gap in addressing men’s specific health needs. Rob Kress shares with listeners his program, Man Unmedicated, which is a 30+ hour training program designed to equip practitioners with both clinical knowledge and coaching skills. Man Unmedicated offers a dual approach to men's health:
- Functional Medicine Training: Focuses on labs, hormones, medications, and other clinical aspects related to men’s health.
- Holistic Wellness Training: Covers the "seven peaks of wellness," including physical health, movement, exercise, and emotional/mental well-being, providing a more comprehensive approach to men's health.
Listen to the episode to hear more about:
- Opportunities that come with building men’s health-focused practices
- The importance of creating relatability and trust with male patients by sharing personal health journeys
- Strategies for building referral-based, community-centered practices around men's health groups and coaching
- Ongoing mentorship and support to help practitioners implement this model in their communities
- And much more
The State of Men’s Health Functional Forum, August 2024
Man Unmedicated
Julia Hotz is a journalist and author, who wrote a book called The Connection Cure: The Prescriptive Power of Movement, Nature, Art, Service and Belonging. James and Julia connected because her new book is strikingly synergistic in topic and title to James’ second book, The Community Cure: Transforming Health Outcomes Together, which calls for readers to adopt group care principles to make lifestyle medicine more widely accessible and sustainable.
This is an enlivening conversation, where you’ll hear about the data backing social prescribing as an antidote to the most prevalent chronic health issues of this generation: illnesses exacerbated by the loneliness epidemic, such as attention and mood issues and a slew of chronic illnesses.
Tune in to learn about:
- Financial benefits of social prescribing
- Business solutions for supporting community-based solutions to chronic health issues
- How science backs social prescribing as an effective solution to ailments like chronic pain, trauma, dementia, diabetes and loneliness
- Potential for insurance companies to incentivize social prescriptions
- The benefits of art and nature on health
- And much more
VagusFest launched in spring 2024, and Dr. Kelly Livingston took the concept and ran with it, creating a sucessful event that engaged her local community members. Dr. Livingston joins this podcast episode to share her experience applying James Maskell’s VagusFest model in Darien, Connecticut.
The VagusFest model enables local practitioners to host local community events that demonstrate to local attendees the power of vagal toning, and indirectly, the benefits of lifestyle, functional, or integrative medicine. Functioning as a promotional event for local clinics, VagusFest addresses a public relations issue for functional medicine, which is that the general perception that patients must invest significant time into their health journey before seeing results. VagusFest hosts can showcase how their approach to medicine offers immediate benefits through direct experience at the event.
Download and listen to the episode to hear more about:
- Reasons for practitioners to prioritize nervous system regulation in their practices.
- Dr. Livingston’s favorite resources on vagal toning, including books by Deb Dana and Stanley Rosenberg.
- Challenges and successes of previous VagusFest events.
- The value of group medicine and community engagement.
This podcast episode is brought to you by Pulsetto. Pulsetto is a leader in the vagus nerve revolution. Their vagus nerve stimulator is extremely easy to use, great for addressing pain and sleep issues. Order your first one at goevomed.com/Pulsetto. If you like it and want to order for your patients, you can also order wholesale much like you would do with supplements. This is potentially a powerful tool to use in your practice.
Expanding upon the July 2024 Functional Forum about reversing cognitive decline, this podcast episode offers the full conversation between Dr. Heather Sandison and James Maskell. Dr. Sandison is the author of Reversing Alzheimer’s: The New Toolkit to Improve Cognition and Protect Brain Health.
In this episode, the guest delves deeper into the potential for functional medicine to reverse dementia, and Dr. Sandison shares her success in using a comprehensive approach to improving cognitive function for patients. She also discusses challenges and controversies surrounding this approach, including the role of mold and toxins in brain health
This is a hopeful discussion that offers listeners:
- An overview of the factors that clinicans want to consider addressing with dementia patients
- Findings from clinical trials that use lifestyle and personalized medicine
- An understanding of cost saving benefits of a functional medicine approach
- The potential for AI to assist in supporting decision-making protocols
- And much more!
Kirkland Newman is the founder of MindHealth360, host of the London Functional Forum Community, and is organizing the Integrative Medicine for Mental Health Conference, occurring October 10-13, 2024 just outside of Washington, DC.
The conference aims to bring together various practitioners and professionals in the mental health field to discuss concrete solutions and advancements in mental health care. The conference will address topics such as brain health, technology addiction, gut-brain connection, trauma therapy, genomics, and more.
The goal is to bridge the gap between research and clinical practice and provide practitioners with a wider toolbox to address mental health issues. The conference is open to medical and mental health professionals, as well as passionate individuals interested in mental health transformation.
This episode offers a preview of cutting-edge perspectives on mental health, including cognitive decline. When you listen, you’ll learn about:
- Kirkland’s vision to integrate functional medicine into mainstream mental health practices.
- The epidemic of mental health issues, especially among young people, is a concern, and conventional medical practices seem ill-equipped to address the problem.
- An introduction to some IMMH speakers, including Dr. Daniel Amen, who focuses on brain health rather than mental health; Dr. Robert Lustig, who discusses technology addiction and the impact of the amygdala on mental health; Dr. Georgia Ede, Dr. Dale Bredesen, and more.
- The gut-brain connection, trauma's impact on biochemistry and the gut, and the importance of safe connection and social engagement in healing are also highlighted in the conversation.
- And much more!
In this Business of Functional Medicine episode, Kristen Brokaw hosts a conversation with Dr. Jarrod Spencer, a sports psychologist who also works with corporations and high net-worth professionals. In this episode, Dr. Spencer discusses the importance for clinicans to manage emotional energy and mental fatigue. Given that healthcare is usually a high-stress role, individuals must prioritize their emotional health and well-being.
Getting enough sleep, counseling and developing a mental toolbox to effectively manage emotional energy are examples of strategies healthcare providers should be employing. He also highlights the significance of creating a positive and supportive culture in the workplace, including practices like fist bumping and high fiving to foster camaraderie among staff members.
This episode validates physician burnout and offers helpful tools for managing emotional energy and mental fatigue.
If you listen to the full episode, you’ll hear about:
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Dr. Spencer’s scoring system, for measuring emotional energy, or one’s psychological capacity to effectively deal with immediate stressors in their life.
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Mental fatigue significantly impacts a person's perception of effort. When mentally fatigued, individuals are more likely to perceive tasks as requiring more effort, which can decrease their endurance and motivation.
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Emotional and mental fatigue can lead to negative thinking, decreased performance, and burnout.
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Compassion fatigue and neglecting one's own emotional well-being can have negative consequences on both personal and professional life.
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And more!
On this episode, our guest is Mastin Kipp, a best-selling author and creator of Functional Life CoachingTM. Mastin joined the podcast to talk about his recent book titled, Reclaim Your Nervous System, which discusses the importance of prioritizing the nervous system in healing and overall well-being.
Mastin asserts that befriending and addressing resistant parts of ourselves can promote healing and improve our relationship with our nervous system. Mastin highlights the power of group care and co-regulation in creating a safe space for emotional expression and healing.
This podcast release coincides with Evolution of Medicine’s launch of VagusFest, which is a participatory nervous system healing event that practitioners can organize to promote healing in their communities. If you’re interested in hosting your own event, please contact support@goevomed.com.
Check out the full podcast episode to hear about:
- Mastin Kipp’s journey into coaching and the study of the nervous system.
- The power of group settings for facilitating behavior change and creating a sense of safety.
- Co-regulating groups can drive the adoption of functional medicine as a standard of care, with clinicians providing support and addressing root causes when necessary.
- Challenges of expressing emotions and the societal conditioning that often discourages emotional expression.
- And more!
Robert Lustig, MD joins James for this information-packed episode that unifies mental and metabolic healthcare. Dr. Lustig is a pediatric endocrinologist and food educator, who focuses on spreading awareness about the topic of this podcast.
During this episode he walks through the connection between nutrition, brain health, and mental health. They touch on topics such as the impact of ultra-processed food on metabolic health, the role of the amygdala in fear conditioning and chronic toxic stress, and the importance of the vagus nerve in regulating the nervous system.
Dr. Lustig also highlights the need for public education and policy change to address the systemic health crisis and mental health crisis. Dr. Lustig will be speaking at the Integrative Medicine for Mental Health Conference in October 2024.
Check out this informative, empowering episode to hear about:
- Dr. Lusting’s new book on the amygdala and its connection to food.
- The importance of understanding the difference between food science, nutrition and metabolic health.
- The role of mitochondrial dysfunction in systemic and mental health disorders.
- The potential for a cultural shift toward prioritizing metabolic health and the challenges facing it.
In this episode, Darrell Moon, founder of Aspirational Healthcare, discusses the Nuka System of Care in Anchorage, Alaska, which has been called “the best healthcare system in the world.” The system is built around the needs and aspirations of the customers, focusing on building relationships and providing support to help individuals achieve their goals in life.
Moon encourages healthcare providers to consider offering direct primary care memberships and aligning with employers who are willing to fund this type of healthcare. He also advises business leaders to take control of their healthcare purchasing power and align with benefit consultants who work in their best interest. Nuka System of Care has achieved high levels of patient satisfaction, improved health outcomes and reduced costs.
Moon invites individuals to attend the Nuka System of Care June conference and a conference for business leaders in September to learn more about the system and how to implement an aspirational model of healthcare.
Tune in to the full episode to hear more about:
· How hospital admissions can be reduced by focusing on preventive care and early intervention
· How CEOs can influence healthcare systems, through their purchasing power and by practicing problem solving abilities they regularly use to lead their businesses
· How employers can align objectives with healthcare brokers, so that the benefits consultant gets incentivized to be paid for meeting the employers’ objectives (reduced healthcare expenses through direct primary care that emphasizes prevention and customer-centric care)
· Nuka System of Care provides healthcare at half the cost of other systems in the US, due to their focus on providing care that is aligned with the goals and needs of the customer, rather than focusing on profit
· Growing demand for direct primary care (DPC) membership
Check out these upcoming conferences held by Nuka System of Care:
· June 24-28, 2024: Nuka System of Care Conference
· September 10-12, 2024: CEO Summit in Anchorage, AK with Aspirational Healthcare
In this episode James Maskell is joined by returning guest, Dr. Shilpa Saxena, MD to continue exploring the use of GLP-1 agonists, specifically Semaglutide, for weight loss and cardiometabolic diseases.
The conversation reinforces the importance of using GLP-1s responsibly and in conjunction with lifestyle medicine coaching to address underlying behavioral issues and promote sustainable weight loss. Dr. Saxena emphasizes the need to address metabolic dysfunction comprehensively, considering factors such as fatty liver disease and insulin resistance, and using a combination of interventions, including herbs, botanicals, and lifestyle modifications.
They also discuss the potential side effects of GLP-1 agonists and strategies for minimizing them. Additionally, they touch on the role of group visits and community support in facilitating behavior change and long-term success in weight management.
Check out the full episode to hear their thoughts on:
- Normalizing discussions around weight without enabling poor health.
- The role of supportive communities to support behavior change
- Stigma around Semaglutide use
- Patient personas who functional medicine providers are best able to help, and those personas that are not a good fit for the functional medicine approach to weight loss.
Learn about Group Visit Toolkits
In James Maskell’s first-ever solo podcast, he introduces Evolution of Medicine’s upcoming event, VagusFest. On May 29, 2024, listeners can join the Evolution of Medicine’s debut VagusFest, a participatory education experience focused on toning the vagus nerve, that will provide hands-on healing experiences for participants.
In this podcast episode, James previews themes that will be explored during VagusFest and expresses how the event will help advance health-promoting medicine.
VagusFest will serve as a model for clinicans to recreate similar events in their local communities as a strategy for carrying out public relations campaigns that promote functional medicine at the local level. VagusFest is a complete set of tools to run a VagusFest event in a community, including step-by-step guides, marketing materials, and PR assets.
Check out the full conversation to learn about:
- James’ thoughts on what has been limiting the growth of functional medicine.
- How to win over new patients who have been deterred by long treatment timelines and expectations to make lifestyle changes.
- How VagusFest will give participants the tools to regulate their own nervous systems and create a sense of unity and healing in their communities.
- Upcoming opportunities for practitioners to participate in VagusFest events and learn how to implement them in their own communities.
Dr. James Carter, the director of the Center for Functional Medicine at Cleveland Clinic, discusses his journey to functional medicine and his role at Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Carter is also a vascular medicine specialist and is interested in vascular health from a functional medicine perspective.
He talks about the vision and growth of functional medicine at Cleveland Clinic, including the development of specialized programs for women's health, oncology, pediatrics, and cardiovascular health. Dr. Carter also discusses the importance of group visits and shared medical appointments in functional medicine practice. He shares his excitement for the upcoming Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM) Annual International Conference (AIC) and highlights topics he is looking forward to, such as bone health, mental health and pediatric nutrition.
Finally, Dr. Carter reflects on his decision to join Cleveland Clinic and expresses his enthusiasm for the future of functional medicine at the institution.
Check out this full conversation to learn more about:
· A systems perspective that integrates biological systems with social context in patient care.
· Educating medical students and integrating functional medicine into cardiology practice
· Understanding and overcoming resistance to change with patients.
· A preview of Dr. Carter’s upcoming IFM presentation, and what he’s looking forward to learning from other presenters.
· And much, much more!
Register here for IFM’s AIC event, occurring May 29-June 1, 2024. You can also register for VagusFest here, which is occurring on the evening of May 29.
Check out Lifestyle Matrix Resource Center’s new website to learn about their Group Visit Toolkits, tools to enhance patient compliance and more at lifestylematrix.com/membership.
In this episode, we learn about anthroposophic medicine from James Maskell’s guest, Adam Blanning, MD. Anthroposophic medicine takes a holistic approach to humans, nature, illness, and healing by addressing the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of health. The principles and practices of this medicinal form incorporate elements of herbal medicine, homeopathy, movement therapies and more. Anthroposophic medicine was established in the early 1920s by Rudolf Steiner and Ita Wegman.
Anthroposophic medicine can be especially beneficial for children working through chronic illnesses, such as asthma, allergies or behavioral issues. Dr. Blanning also highlights the importance of understanding developmental rhythms and providing support for children during key stages of growth.
Dr. Blanning, in addition to founding the Denver Center for Anthroposophic Therapies, is also involved in consulting for Waldorf schools, which are rooted in Rudolf Steiner’s work.
Check out this full conversation to learn more about:
- James Maskell’s personal experiences with anthroposophic medicine.
- Application of anthroposophic medicine in various settings, including hospitals and private practices.
- The importance of creating healing environments that consider the patient's comfort and well-being, such as reducing noise and promoting rest in hospital settings.
An upcoming training week through the Physicians’ Association for Anthroposophic Medicine on April 27 - May 4, 2024 in Loveland, Colorado.
James Maskell’s guest on this episode is Dr. Elisa Song, a holistic pediatrician whose mission is to educate clinicians and parents alike about environmental toxicity in children and how to help children thrive by improving their health. She has written books, organized conferences and is passionate about addressing environmental toxicity.
In this episode, she discusses several sources of toxins in children and the importance of toning the vagus nerve as a strategy to improve children's well-being. Dr. Song’s upcoming book, Healthy Kids, Happy Kids: An Integrated Pediatrician's Guide to Whole Child Resilience, provides practical guidance to help promote health and resilience in children, including advice about how to read food labels and avoid harmful additives.
Check out this empowering conversation to learn more about:
- Food additives that contribute to leaky gut and chronic illnesses.
- The importance of parasympathetic exercises for children with chronic symptoms or illnesses.
- How environmental toxins are contributing to chronic illness.
- Dr. Song’s book, Healthy Kids, Happy Kids: An Integrated Pediatrician's Guide to Whole Child Resilience, available on May 14, 2024.
Guest: Zak Holdsworth, CEO of Hint Health
In this Business of Functional Medicine episode, we hear from Zak Holdsworth, a leader in the health technology industry and the CEO and cofounder of Hint Health.
Hint Health supports the direct primary care (DPC) movement and aims to provide affordable, high-quality health care by offering a successful alternative to the traditional fee-for-service model.
Zak Holdsworth’s company offers technology solutions for DPC clinics, including membership management systems and employer infrastructure. They have also developed an EMR system specifically designed for DPC clinics. Additionally, Hint Health has created Hint Connect, a network product that connects DPC clinics with employers and other health care practitioners.
Their goal is to create a unified network of DPC clinics that can work together to provide better care and reduce costs. The company's vision is to redesign the healthcare system to enable easy access to high-quality, affordable care.
Download and listen to the full episode to learn about:
- The concept of unity and the value of working together in the DPC market.
- Constraints of the fee-for-service model and how removing those constraints can lead to better patient care and alignment with functional medicine practices.
- How Hint Connect allows for rapid patient onboarding and revenue generation for doctors.
- A positive shift in the perception of DPC by insurance brokers, who now see the value in investing in high-value primary care.
- And much, much more!
Plus, check out the visualization of the interconnected relationships across the Hint Health DPC ecosystem.
In this episode, Dr. Tom Guilliams rejoins the podcast to explore the complexities and misconceptions surrounding botanical medicine and how clinicians can maximize the therapeutic effects of herbs.
We learn from Dr. Guilliams that clinicians using herbs should consider the role of the microbiome in terms of absorption and activation of botanical compounds. He explains that because absorption varies from person to person, a personalized approach is needed for optimal outcomes.
Dr. Guilliams also discusses the limitations of traditional clinical trials in evaluating botanical medicine, and he proposes a new framework that considers individual characteristics, such as genetics and microbiome composition. While Dr. Guilliams encourages listeners to embrace the use of botanicals, he also advises questioning the source and efficacy of herbal products and considering the traditional uses of herbs in addition to the isolated compounds.
Please check out the full conversation to learn more about:
- The limitations of curcumin and the need to consider the whole components of herbs.
- Why herbology is complex and requires specialized knowledge.
- The historical and traditional uses of botanical medicine for healing.
- Issues with applying the pharmaceutical model to botanical extracts.
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Why we need to rethink research processes and clinical trial methodologies for botanical medicine.
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And much more!
In this podcast episode, James Maskell interviews Dr. Navaz Habib about the importance of the vagus nerve in healing and overall health.
Dr. Habib explains that the vagus nerve plays a critical role in shifting the body from a sympathetic (fight or flight) state to a parasympathetic (rest and digest) state, which is necessary for healing. He emphasizes the importance of creating a safe and supportive environment for patients to feel connected and reduce stress. Dr. Habib also discusses the role of physical trauma, such as head injuries or spinal misalignments, in affecting vagus nerve function.
He recommends various strategies to improve vagus nerve tone, including diaphragmatic breathing, gargling, humming and physical exercise. Dr. Habib's new book, Upgrade Your Vagus Nerve, provides further information on these strategies and their impact on overall health.
Listen to the full conversation to learn how:
- The vagus nerve is the organ of unity, connecting all organs and systems in the body.
- Chronic diseases are diseases of disconnection, both internally and externally.
- Breathing exercises, such as slow, nasal and diaphragmatic breathing, can help regulate the breath and shift the body into a parasympathetic state.
- Gargling, humming and vocalization can stimulate the vagus nerve and activate the parasympathetic system.
- The vagus nerve is a unifying topic for health professionals and can be beneficial for patients of all ages and conditions.
James Maskell’s guest on this episode is Jeffrey Morrison, MD, whose clinical approach is to use nutrition to prevent or reverse degenerative and chronic disease. In both his clinical practice and as a member of the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Environmental Medicine, he considers detoxification as a critical foundation to health.
During this conversation, Dr. Morrison emphasizes that toxins in the environment are a major cause of disease and that our bodies are not equipped to handle the vast array of chemicals present in our modern environment.
He explains that detoxification is a natural process where cells push toxins into the connective tissue, which then moves them through the lymphatic system, liver, gallbladder, and digestive tract for elimination (or through sweat or breath). However, if the body is overwhelmed with toxins or if the detoxification process is hindered, symptoms and illness can occur. Most often, this looks like visible inflammation, aches and pains, fatigue, skin issues and brain fog.
Dr. Morrison recommends supporting detoxification through practices such as regular exercise, anti-inflammatory eating, drinking plenty of water, and maintaining regular bowel movements. He also discusses the importance of the lymphatic system in detoxification and the role of the nervous system in regulating detoxification.
Please listen to this full episode to learn more about:
- Group detox programs to save costs and time, for clinicans and patients alike.
- The role of saunas in detoxification
- The American Academy of Environmental Medicine’s focus on educating practitioners and advocacy for environmental health
- And much more!
Evolution of Medicine’s partner, Lifestyle Matrix Resources Center can point you to patient education materials, as well as protocols related to detoxification as well. You can contact them at contactus@lifestylematrix.com.
In this episode, James interviews Dr. Bryce Appelbaum, a neuro-optometrist. For the first time ever on the podcast, we learn about the field of functional optometry, including how it differs from traditional optometry.
Dr. Appelbaum discusses the importance of vision for overall health and how vision problems can impact learning, behavior and daily life. His framework is shaped by his childhood experience with overcoming visual problems through vision therapy. He is passionate about his mission to raise awareness about functional vision care, even though he faces resistance from conventional optometry.
He also introduces his online vision training program, ScreenFit, which is designed to minimize the negative effects of screens on vision and promote healthy visual habits. Podcast listeners can use the code EVOMED to receive a discount on the ScreenFit program.
Tune into the full conversation to learn more about:
- How one in 10 children have vision problems that impact their ability to learn
- The importance of vision for neurological function, especially in childhood
- Waldorf education and developmentally appropriate educational philosophies
- How inflammation and cardiometabolic health relate to eye function
- And much, much more!
James’ guest on this episode is Dr. Andrew Weil, the founder and leader of a fellowship program for integrative medicine through the University of Arizona. In this role and others, he has significant influence on future generations of integrative medicine practitioners.
In this conversation, Dr. Weil discusses the current state of integrative medicine and his vision for the future. Integrative medicine is becoming more mainstream in the United States, with many medical schools teaching some form of it. However, there is still a long way to go in changing the paradigm of conventional medicine and fully integrating health-promoting practices.
Dr. Weil believes that history is on the side of integrative medicine and that it will eventually become the standard of care. Listen to the full show to discover what is needed going forward to evolve medicine from our guest’s perspective.
This dynamic conversation also touched upon the following topics:
- The role of psychedelics in integrative medicine
- A vision of the future where allopathic medicine is a subspecialty focused on critical care, trauma and terminal care
- The lack of financial incentives for health-promoting and preventative medicine
- The need for studies that compare conventional and integrative medicine in terms of patient outcomes
- And much more!
This interview was also featured in the January 2024 Functional Forum, which kickstarted the Evolution of Medicine’s year of unity.
In this episode, Dr. Joan Rosenberg discusses her book, 90 Seconds to A Life You Love, and the concept of living life by design. Many believe their circumstances dictate their lives; our guest asserts that one can design their life by having a vision or big goals and working towards them despite the circumstances.
Dr. Rosenberg shares the importance of paying attention to how thoughts and feelings are expressed and managing emotional states effectively. She introduces the concept of the "Rosenberg reset," which involves choosing awareness by experiencing unpleasant feelings for 90 seconds and using insights gained from those feelings to make decisions or act.
Dr. Rosenberg also discusses how clinicians can apply these principles in their practice, including addressing difficult topics with patients and handling their own emotions. She suggests using a soft contract with patients to discuss sensitive issues and delivering information with well-intentioned kindness. Dr. Rosenberg believes confidence and resiliency can be developed when clinicians are able to confront difficult topics and handle the responses they receive.
Download and listen to this conversation to learn more about:
- How to develop confidence as a clinician
- Why emotional mastery is an important component of successfully collaborating with patients
- The eight emotions we need to accept to feel more capable in our lives
- Using “soft contracts” and offering observations tentatively to deliver difficult messages to patients
- And much, much more
Joan I. Rosenberg, PhD, creator of Emotional Mastery™ and Emotional Mastery Training™, is a highly regarded expert psychologist, master clinician, trainer and consultant. She is a cutting-edge psychologist who is known as an innovative thinker, trainer and speaker.
In this episode, Dr. Mollie James shares her experiences during and after the pandemic. She transitioned from being a critical care physician in an ICU to providing functional and integrative medicine primary care services.
Dr. James previously had a career in surgical and critical care, which ended because she spoke publicly about providing early COVID treatments and did not receive a vaccine because she has natural immunity. She was put under investigation by a medical board for 18 months, even though the board made no accusation of wrongdoing. This led to her dropping her fellowship credentials. She was also censured by The American College of Surgeons and is now unable to work in another ICU.
You’ll hear her discuss post-vaccine syndrome and how she helps patients clear and recover from excessive spike protein. She is now dedicated to providing personalized care rooted in functional and integrative medicine principles, and she treats a broad spectrum of chronic health conditions beyond COVID and post-vaccine syndromes.
Tune in and download this episode to learn more about:
- How Dr. James’ first attempt at building a practice failed because she was using an insurance model
- The ethical responsibility of physicians to keep functional medicine affordable
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Her experience working in ICUs during four waves of the pandemic, which included having her ivermectin prescriptions canceled
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Foundational tools to treat post-vaccine syndrome
- And much, much more
Peter Kozlowski, MD is a functional medicine physician based in Chicago, Illinois. In this episode, we discussed the importance of detoxification and gut health in his practice. He emphasizes the need to address the mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of health because they play a significant role in detoxification.
Dr. Kozlowski recommends focusing on the basics of detox, such as sleep, hydration, bowel movements, and sweating, before considering more advanced testing and treatments. He also highlights the importance of community and social support for maintaining a healthy detoxification system in the body. Dr. Kozlowski encourages practitioners to work together and collaborate rather than compete in order to better serve patients and improve outcomes.
Download and listen to learn more about the following:
- How recovering from an alcohol-use disorder led Dr. Kozlowski to functional medicine
- The value of testing for heavy metals, mycotoxins and glyphosate
- Addressing the skin and gut barrier during detoxification protocols
- Dr. Kozlowski’s experimentation with different payment models and in-person versus virtual visits
- Using cortisol labs, stool cultures and other tests to show patients how trauma impacts their health
- And much, much more
This episode’s guest is Dr. Michelle Thompson, the medical director of the Lifestyle Medicine Institute at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). This conversation explores how Dr. Thompson is bringing lifestyle and integrative medicine into major health systems.
She began her journey practicing integrative medicine but leveraged the six pillars of lifestyle medicine to bridge the gap with conventional medicine. This hybrid path allowed her to excel at practicing in traditional settings and facilitated introducing integrative and lifestyle medicine principles into larger health systems.
Dr. Thompson also shared evidence that there is growing momentum behind the integrative and lifestyle medicine movements, including acceptance and adoption of its principles within health systems. She encourages physicians who may have previously left the system to consider returning and joining a hospital system that is open to change and supportive of these modalities.
Building upon recent podcast conversations, such as the episode with Dr. Joe Pizzorno, this episode emphasizes the importance of unity amongst the many disciplines within health-promoting care.
Download and listen to this episode to learn more about:
- How clinicans can transform medicine by being bold and authentic in how they choose to practice
- The responsibility of clinicians, residents and medical students to help shift the culture in medicine to better align with the principles of lifestyle medicine
- The importance of showing empathy towards patients and letting them drive their own health journey
- Physician burnout and the importance of clinicians prioritizing self-care
- And much, much more
Related resources:
American College of Lifestyle Medicine: About the UMPC Lifestyle Medicine Program
Whole Hearted Medicine: Meet Dr. Michelle
Dr. Joe Pizzorno, a prominent naturopathic doctor and Board Chair at the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM), joins James to discuss the unifying factors among the many channels of health medicine, which include acupuncture, naturopathic, functional, integrative, chiropractic, and Ayurvedic medicine.
This conversation addresses foundational aspects of health, such as nutrition and lifestyle, that support optimal mitochondrial function for vitality. Dr. Pizzorno also shared the need for scientific research to support the effectiveness of health medicine practices and calls for increased funding in this area. For example, he hopes that we will have access to reliable clinical testing for mitochondrial energy and ATP production in the future.
Listen to the episode to learn more about:
- Preventing neurodegeneration by eating organically grown food
- The importance of flavonoids
- Vitalism (creating health) versus pathogenesis and salutogenesis
- The need for a clear conceptual basis for integrative medicine
- The great potential for Health Medicine Alliance to improve the public health baseline
Related resources:
- Health Medicine Alliance
- Health Medicine by Dr. Joseph Pizzorno and published in Integrative Medicine
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Our guest, Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Scott Mann is a former U.S. Army Green Beret, and he now shares his skills and experience as a storyteller, speaker, actor, playwright and leadership trainer. During this podcast episode, he joined Kristen Brokaw, our host for the Business of Functional Medicine quarterly series, to discuss the importance of emotional recovery and human connection for clinicians so they can combat burnout and build trust with patients.
Scott Mann's experience in the Special Forces, where relationships were crucial to his survival, has shaped his approach to leadership and communication. He now helps business, nonprofit and corporate leaders develop interpersonal influence skills to bridge trust gaps and engage with others effectively. He also highlights the power of storytelling in healing and fostering connections.
Scott encourages practitioners to share their own stories and ask thoughtful, open-ended questions to build trust and understanding with patients and peers.
Check out this episode to learn more about the following:
· Scott Mann’s Pre-Engagement Preparation (PEP) technique (demo video)
- What the world should learn from acting and storytelling practices
- High performers and mental health issues, and why clinicians must protect their well-being
- Storytelling heals and is a sense-making tool
- Why narrative competence may be the most important soft skill for clinicians to foster
- And much, much more!
In this podcast episode, James Maskell speaks with Swathi Rao, PA-C. She is the owner of Be Well Family Care in Indianapolis, and she was featured in James’ book, The Community Cure, to showcase her successful implementation of group visits.
We explored the clinical applications of vitamin K2, which range from musculoskeletal and immune health to aesthetics and longevity. Swathi also shared how her knowledge on vitamin K2 nutrient therapy has developed throughout her career, how to identify patients who may benefit from vitamin K2 therapy and the benefits of combining vitamin K2 with vitamin D, including dosing recommendations.
Swathi emphasized the importance of patient education to enable informed decision-making when it comes to controversial health topics like vitamin K2 supplementation. She also provided insights on building a successful practice and the role of non-MD professionals in healthcare.
Please download and listen to learn more about:
- The forms of vitamin K and which are most beneficial
- When it is appropriate to recommend this nutrient
- Swathi’s experience with local Functional Forum meetups
- Vitamin K2 uses for aesthetics and longevity
- And much, much more!
Related resources:
- Episode with Dr. Leon Schurgers on vitamin K
- Be Well Family Care
- Dr. Robin Berzin on the Functional Forum
Our podcast guest, Michael Mabry, DO, works in a fully capitated medical group in Johnson City, Tennessee. Capitation is a fee-per-patient model, which tends to promote health by incentivizing preventative medicine, chronic disease reversal and helping patients maintain their health.
Implementing group medical visits has allowed Dr. Mabry’s practice to improve patient outcomes and increase the local community’s access to lifestyle medicine. In his group visits, patients who have similar medical issues come together once a month for a two-hour visit to learn relevant health information.
Dr. Mabry also shared that he can spend more time with patients individually because he has systemized patient education. Part of the success of the group visits, according to Dr. Mabry, comes from the much-needed sense of community experienced by participants.
Early in his career, he learned about how to build and scale his practice through some of the first Functional Forum events and the Group Visit Toolkits from Lifestyle Matrix Resource Center.
When you listen to this episode, you’ll also learn about the following:
- How to connect your business needs with your passion for lifestyle medicine to evolve health care
- The benefits of capitation as a business model
- How you can foster connections with your local community to build your business
- Practical alternatives for dysfunctional payment models in the health care industry
- And much more!
This week’s podcast guest is Jonathan Jones, PhD, a plant polyphenols researcher and the Chief Scientific Officer at Monteloeder, a company that provides innovative, scientifically researched botanical ingredients by assessing the botanicals’ components, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacities, and mechanisms of action.
They developed a product called metabolaid®, which contains a standardized ratio of Hibiscus sabdariffa extract and lemon verbena extract to deliver active compounds, primarily anthocyanins and verbascoside, respectively. This product reduces triglyceride buildup in fat cells in the liver and adipose tissue.
We learned from Dr. Jones about how metabolaid® activates AMPK, which can switch on fat burning and block fat storage. There are numerous other cardiovascular and weight-loss benefits linked to this product, including improved microbiome diversity and others discussed by Dr. Jones in this episode.
Please listen to the full conversation to learn the following about this powerful botanical:
- Its cardiovascular and fat-loss benefits
- The plant components and mechanisms of action
- The research and extraction process
- How this product differs from incretin agonists and increases GLP-1 expression
- And much, much more!
Zandra Palma, MD practices what she calls “sub-diagnostic analysis and disease reversal,” which is primarily environmental medicine with a touch of functional medicine. Environmental medicine, according to our guest, looks for elegant solutions to chronic health conditions. This often means removing environmental toxins that trigger mitochondrial dysfunction.
Common environmental toxins include heavy metals, pesticides, plastics like BPA, and biotoxins like Lyme and mold—among many others. She also discusses the treatments she uses to reboot mitochondrial function.
Her passion is to spread the word about the gravity of the effects environmental toxins have on human health, especially the hormone-disrupting impacts of plastics and BPAs.
She recently gave a TEDx talk, which was censored by the TED organization. Thankfully, she was able to rip the video so you can still watch it online. In her talk, she provides specific tips to protect yourself from environmental toxins and recommendations for initiating grass roots movements in your community.
Other topics Dr. Palma covered in the conversation include:
- Factors that motivate patients to care about their environment, such as weight loss, fertility and the health of future generations
- The CLARITY-BPA Program
- Why environmentalism is a public health issue
- And much more!
Our guest for this episode is Zeev E. Neuwirth, MD, an advocate for transforming healthcare delivery.
He is a healthcare executive with over 15 years of clinical practice in internal medicine and another 15 years in clinical operations, quality improvement, care redesign and population health. Dr. Neuwirth is also a digital health industry advisor, podcast host and author.
His most recent book released in September 2023 is called Beyond The Walls: Megatrends, Movements and Market Disruptors Transforming American Healthcare. It outlines a three-part strategy for the transformation of American healthcare and documents dozens of examples of the visionary, courageous entrepreneurs and leaders who are transcending the constraints of our legacy past.
Dr. Neuwirth is closely aligned with the Evolution of Medicine’s values, and he has been working to change healthcare from a high level within conventional systems.
Download and listen to the episode to learn more about the following:
- How digital technology and group visits can improve healthcare
- The importance of reducing or preventing physician burnout
- The urgency behind transforming payment models to reduce healthcare expenses
- Practical strategies for transforming healthcare from within large healthcare systems and “beyond the walls” of those systems
- And much, much more!
On this episode, Jon D. Kaiser, MD taught us about the mitochondrial health and chronic disease connection.
Dr. Kaiser is a mitochondrial specialist with over thirty years of clinical and research experience in applying functional medicine approaches to treat complex medical conditions, including HIV/AIDS, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), fibromyalgia and long COVID.
Dr. Kaiser began his career as an HIV/AIDS specialist in San Francisco at the height of the HIV epidemic. He found that many of his patients needed nutritional and mitochondrial support, especially after manifesting antiviral medication side effects.
He developed protocols to help patients improve their baseline health with an original nutraceutical formulation that supports mitochondrial health. Dr. Kaiser joined James to discuss how he has applied his protocols to help patients with other chronic illnesses and post-infection syndromes.
Tune in to learn more from Dr. Kaiser about the following topics:
- Lifestyle factors that support healing beyond other integrative interventions
- How mitochondria are chemically and electrically connected and communicate with each other throughout the body
- Parasympathetic activation as a critical component of recovery
- How the poor mitochondrial function impacts the neuro-endocrine-immune axis and gastrointestinal tract
- His vision for the next steps in medicine, including the need for a readily available blood test that assays the health of mitochondria in blood cells
This episode continues to explore the theme laid out in the August 2023 Functional Forum, Mitochondrial Mayem, where we learned how mitochondrial dysfunction leads to a wide range of chronic illnesses—from autoimmunity to cardiometabolic disease, neurologic disorders and more.
This week, we address a hot and controversial topic in medicine: weight loss pharmaceuticals.
Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptides (GIP) agonists are gaining popularity for their use in treating type 2 diabetes and, in some cases, obesity. These medications stimulate insulin secretion and are shown to increase weight loss and improve blood pressure.
However, significant gastrointestinal and other rare but concerning side effects make these medications controversial. Patients often also gain back much of the lost weight when these medications are stopped.
Our guest this episode is Christina Robins, MD, who has a successful clinic called RevitaLife, which blends family medicine, women’s health care, antiaging medicine and medical weight loss, among other services. Dr. Robins has long been using GLP-1 agonists with her patients, and she joined James to share her strategies for supporting patients using those medications in combination with nutraceutical support.
Listen to the full conversation to learn about the following:
- Lifestyle and nutraceutical support before, during and after the use of weight-loss medications
- How to prevent connective tissue and muscle loss during weight loss
- FDA approval for weight loss and type 2 diabetes drugs
- Appropriate uses for these medications and potential off-label uses
- And much, much more!
Molly Maloof, MD joins the Evolution of Medicine podcast to discuss a shared vision: connection as a critical pillar of healthcare.
Dr. Maloof recently authored and released a book called The Spark Factor, which teaches readers how to personalize biohacking strategies for better energy and health. Dr. Maloof wrote portions of the book to fill the information gaps in biohacking for women, but 80% of its content is also applicable to men.
If you listen to this short yet powerful episode, you’ll quickly recognize how well-aligned Dr. Maloof is with our year of connection. She discussed how loneliness and lack of connection—either social or connecting with your own body and health—is a leading crisis, especially post-pandemic.
Please listen to the full audio to learn more about the following:
- How The Spark Factor helps readers personalize their journey to improve their mitochondrial energy
- How the Functional Forum will be even more critical in the age of digital and medical censorship
- The seriousness of the loneliness and mental health crises
- Some practical tips for women to better align with their cycles
- Tips on fasting and exercise for different patient groups
- And much, much more!
Dan Strause is the president and CEO of Hometown Pharmacy, which is a network of 70 independent functional pharmacies across Wisconsin and Upper Michigan that deliver patient-focused care.
The Hometown Pharmacy group seeks to connect prescribing clinicians with pharmacists to collaborate and achieve the goal of moving patients from pharmaceuticals to nutraceuticals to food. They see a critical need for pharmacists to reconnect and work with prescribing clinicians, especially to mitigate or address drug-induced nutrient deficiencies.
Building relationships between patients, prescribing clinicians and pharmacists often starts with patients asking questions and engaging with their health care. Thus, the functional pharmacy approach involves empowering and inspiring patients through health education.
Listen to this full conversation to learn from Dan about the many innovative strategies the group incorporates, including:
- Sending dieticians and nutritionists to speak within communities about functional pharmacies to educate and inspire at a grassroots level
- A test-teach-therapy-test approach with patients
- Using scientific literature and dialog to build relationships with like-minded clinicians
- Learning how to best work with patients to foster adherence
- And much, much more!
Dan Strause is a keynote speaker at the upcoming Functional Pharmacy Symposium on September 23 in Nashville, TN. He will be joined by other former Functional Forum and Evolution of Medicine podcast guests, such as James LaValle, RPh; Thomas G. Guilliams, PhD; Mark Houston, MD; and Jeff Robins, RPh. Register to attend the conference to learn more functional medicine best practices that will support the future success of your pharmacy.
Our guest this week on the podcast is Robert Pearl, MD, a lifestyle medicine champion and leader. He is the former CEO of The Permanente Medical Group (1999-2017), the largest United States medical group, and the former president of The Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group (2009-2017). In those two roles, he led 10,000 physicians and 38,000 staff. Currently, he cohosts a podcast and is an author, clinical professor, contributor to Forbes, and speaker.
In this podcast episode, we discussed the economics of health care and different payment models that can support preventative care and lifestyle medicine. Dr. Pearl laid out his perspective on the issues with fee-for-service payment models—mainly that it incentivizes disease treatment rather than prevention. He proposed an alternative model known as capitation, which is the model Kaiser Permanente uses. Capitation pays a group of doctors an established, upfront fee to fulfill medical needs for a defined population of patients.
Listen to this fascinating conversation to learn more about the following:
- Capitation versus fee-for-service models
- Dr. Pearl’s vision for how clinicians can contribute to building an alternative market for lifestyle medicine
- The role of artificial intelligence in supporting patient education, compliance and outcomes
- Using telemedicine and groups to make lifestyle medicine more economical
- And much more!
Izabella Wentz, PharmD is an author and pharmacist who previously spoke on the Functional Forum and specializes in helping patients overcome thyroid dysfunction. In this episode, she joins James to talk about her personal journey with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis after years of debilitating symptoms.
Her most recent book, Adrenal Transformation Protocol, was released on April 18, 2023. The book focuses on resetting the body’s stress response through targeted safety signals, and it features a four-week program that has already helped over 3,500 people.
Dr. Wentz is also an advocate for spreading awareness about how thyroid dysfunction can produce psychiatric symptoms, which is often overlooked by conventional health care providers. Check out the full episode to learn more about:
- The stigma around the term “adrenal fatigue”
- Dr. Wentz’ experience addressing adverse drug events and drug-induced nutrient depletion
- The mental health and adrenal connection
- Options for supporting patients with thyroid dysfunction
- How to help your patients achieve lifestyle changes
- And much, much more!
Dr. Carrie Jones rejoins the Evolution of Medicine podcast to discuss the functional medicine approach to depression, anxiety and attention issues. She is an avid educator who specializes in stress and endocrine health.
A recent systematic review found that the serotonin theory of depression is scientifically unsupported, which raises the question: What does this mean for patients who use either SSRIs or SNRIs? Dr. Jones explains how she answers this for concerned patients and discusses her approach to resolving mood issues by looking for root causes.
Other topics discussed in this conversation include rising mental health issues amongst teenagers in particular, group care, and mental health lifestyle factors, such as balancing neurotransmitters, stress management, social connection, nutrition, gut health and physical activity.
Tune in and listen to the whole conversation to learn about the following from Dr. Jones:
- Examples of how blood sugar dysregulation can harm sleep quality and mental health
- Problems that can arise when supporting only one neurotransmitter
- Specific nutrients she uses for patients with mood dysregulation
- The potential for technology, especially continuous glucose monitors, to empower patients in their health journeys
- And much, much more!
Kristen Brokaw hosts this episode which features Andy Sutton, CEO of Kare Health & Wellness.
Andy and his wife, Keri Sutton, cofounded and grew a successful integrative health center. Andy’s background is in architecture as a project manager, and his wife is a nurse practitioner who serves as the chief medical officer of Kare Health & Wellness. At the clinic, Andy also oversees marketing, new staff hires and training.
Their clinic prioritizes developing and nurturing a strong culture amongst staff. Andy believes his staff’s cohesiveness and shared values has a downstream effect of benefiting patients and allowing their business to be more efficient, which is one of the keys to their success.
This episode belongs to the Evolution of Medicine’s Business of Functional Medicine series. Once a quarter, we bring you conversations that focus on the business and practice management side of functional medicine.
Check out the full recording to learn more about Andy’s approach to the following:
- Developing a standardized staff training program
- Staff hiring and fostering a team culture
- Leveraging emotional appeal to acquire and retain patients
- New patient onboarding
- And much, much more!
Guest: Amanda Wilson, MD, CEO, Founder
In this episode, we learned about emerging, research-based treatments for alcohol use disorder (AUD) that pair well with functional medicine values.
Traditional 12-step programs have startlingly low success rates (8% for Alcoholics Anonymous) and teach some principles that are not supported by scientific literature—for example, that patients must abstain and avoid exposure indefinitely to stay in recovery.
James’ guest, Amanda Wilson, MD, is an addiction physician who cofounded NorthStar Care, an alcohol treatment center that approaches AUD as a medical issue and offers a year-long, physician-monitored, at-home program. They incorporate functional medicine elements, including nutrition therapy, genomics for personalized medication selection, social support groups, and several technologies, such as virtual reality (VR) and wearables.
NorthStar Care is partnering with a company developing a wearable device to continuously track not only blood alcohol levels but also glucose and sleep patterns. For their peer support group meetings, they use VR headsets so patients can participate remotely using anonymous avatars, virtual backgrounds and even voice changers for privacy.
Download and listen to the full conversation to learn about:
- A genetic factor that makes naltrexone ineffective for a portion of the population
- The shortcomings of rapid-detox, inpatient rehabilitation and 12-step programs
- The importance of medical support throughout the recovery process
- The benefits of using VR for peer support networks
- And much more!
Adrian den Boer, DC, ND joins the podcast this week to share his clinical success with collagen. As a functional medicine practitioner with extensive experience in naturopathic and chiropractic care, Dr. den Boer is just the person we needed to speak with to learn about the benefits of collagen for the musculoskeletal system.
Tune into this episode to hear his astounding success stories, including one that did not even seem possible, according to his medical school training. He also provided clinical pearls that will help you achieve the best outcomes and improve compliance when using collagen with your patients.
Listen to the full episode to learn:
- How collagen helps athletes recover from injury
- Benefits of collagen for the aging musculoskeletal system
- How Dr. den Boer’s highly successful practice got started, and why he is passionate about quality testing for supplements
- Issues and risks with using bone broth in place of collagen supplements
- And much, much more!
Functional Forum Local Communities connect like-minded practitioners, enabling dialog, information sharing, interdisciplinary discussion, and community building for those who attend.
In this episode we hear from a Functional Forum Community host and a loyal attendee. Kristen Brokaw, this week’s host, is the leader of Saint Louis’ local Forum Community, and founder of the St. Louis Institute for Integrative Medicine (SLIIM).
Guest Grant Corsi is the Community Host of the Orange County Functional Forum Community. He shares his story about what drove him to begin planning community events and what has made his community successful.
Our second guest is Anthony Pasek, DC who has been attending St. Louis Forum Community events for at least seven years. He speaks to the value of his community, including professional camaraderie and collaboration.
Listen to this short episode to learn:
· Valuable tips for initiating community meetups
· Why you should consider hosting your own local Community
· What challenges to expect, and how to prepare for them as a new host
· The benefits of attending local community events for physicians
· And much, much more.
Help us honor this year’s theme of Connection by sharing this episode and consider joining or hosting a local Forum Community near you.
Find a community near you.
Host a community.
Request a community.
“Everyone needs a good coach in life,” according to our podcast guest this week.
For this Business of Functional Medicine episode, Kristen Brokaw interviewed Coach Micheal Burt to explore his perspective on becoming and staying motivated.
He applies the term prey drive—the instinctual motivation of certain animals to find, pursue and capture prey—to human behavior and motivation.
Coach Burt began his career as a basketball coach and is now an author, speaker and professional coach for multiple industries. He has clients who are the most successful preventative doctors and functional health care providers in the country.
Check out this full episode to take in empowering messages about:
- Every individuals’ potential to express a strong prey drive
- The parts of oneself that may need to be supported (body, mind, heart and spirit)
- How to foster motivation on a daily basis
- The importance of building and maintaining dynamic energy in business
- Business coaching for preventative and functional medicine providers
- And much, much more!
Visit his website to learn more about activating the drive to pursue your goals.
On this episode of the podcast, James is joined by two doctors from the Institute of Functional Medicine (IFM) to learn about their upcoming annual conference from June 1-3 in Orlando, FL.
Aly Cohen, MD is an integrative rheumatologist who speaks about the importance of environmental medicine and why autoimmunity needs to be understood by providers across medical specialties.
Dan Lukaczer, ND is the Director of Medical Education at IFM. He was previously Director of Clinical Research at the Metagenics Functional Medicine Research Center in Gig Harbor, WA, where he served as the principal investigator on various clinical trials on diet and nutrition.
This event will be the first in-person IFM event since 2019 and will not be limited to any one topic or health issue. Instead, they offer an agenda featuring a wide range of subject matter. Consider registering for the IFM conference to learn more about:
· Contaminants in drinking water—from artificial turf, fluoride and more
· Data about environmental chemicals and how they contribute to human health conditions, specifically diseases of the immune system
· Dietary approaches and lifestyle changes to reduce toxicity
· Functional medicine approaches to oncology and cancer care
· Understanding mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS)
· Innovative treatment options for mental health care
· Updates on the microbiome, oral microbiome and systemic disease
· Impacts of intermittent thermal stress on aging and longevity
· Therapeutic applications of medical cannabis and endocannabinoids
· Wearable devices and the unlocked potential of remote health monitoring
· And much more!
This episode explores Kalibra, a new healthcare AI tool. It aggregates patient data from multiple sources and helps clinicians and patients alike prioritize health information based on functional and lifestyle medicine principles.
Our guest on this episode of the podcast, Ivan Vatchkov, the CEO of Kalibra, shares with us how Kalibra.ai performs diverse functions, including bringing together all patient data into one dynamic place. It digitizes, organizes and analyzes the many PDFs from health wearables and lab, gut microbiome, and functional medicine testing.
Listen to the full conversation to:
- Understand how you can simplify your practice management
- Consider how data collection and analysis can streamline healthcare, especially in conventional medicine
- Discover how lifestyle medicine principles were built into Kalibra
- Explore the potential of AI health coaches as powerful tools to help patients make lifestyle changes
- And much, much more
The Evolution of Medicine has sought to be inspiring, present valuable clinical content, and highlight technology and practice management topics that advance lifestyle and functional medicine. Now that AI is becoming more prevalent, we are asking, “how will this impact the evolution of medicine?”
Kalibra is tangible, it is real, and it is exciting. This is the Evolution of Medicine. Enjoy.
Approximately one quarter (25%) of the United States population has non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Patients with this reversible condition have accumulated fat in their liver cells. Over time, this creates inflammation and if left unaddressed, will eventually lead to permanent scarring or cirrhosis of the liver. The condition is highly associated with metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance, and it is projected to become the leading cause of liver transplantation by 2030.
Our guest on this episode of the podcast is Elizabeth Boham, MD. She is trained as both a medical doctor and nutritionist, teaches with the IFM and is the Medical Director for the UltraWellness Center.
She joins James to share:
• Which symptoms and test results are red flags for NAFLD
• That toxins and alcohol significantly impact liver health and metabolic syndrome
• How lifestyle and nutrition strategies will help patients with the condition
• Resources and approaches that will help your patients with cardiometabolic disease
• And much more!
Nathan S. Bryan, PhD is an academic and entrepreneur who has focused his career on the study of nitric oxide for nearly 25 years. He joins the podcast to contribute to the Evolution of Medicine’s current focus on cardiovascular and endothelial health.
Nitric oxide production is foundational to overall health. Unfortunately, many contemporary environmental and lifestyle factors reduce or prevent nitric oxide production in the body. Suboptimal nitric oxide production is a factor in insulin resistance, cardiovascular issues, erectile dysfunction, long COVID and other post-viral syndromes, chronic fatigue, cognitive disorders, and more.
Tune into this episode to learn about the many lifestyle and environmental factors that can impede or support the production of this important molecule. Some may even surprise you!
Listen to the episode to learn more about:
- Nitric oxide’s role in cardiovascular, immune and nervous system function
- The gold standards for measuring functional nitric oxide production
- James’ and Dr. Bryan’s views on the public health response during the COVID era
- Using nitric oxide to heal inflammation caused by excess spike protein
- The risks of using some commercially available products that claim to boost nitric oxide
Also, check out Dr. Bryan’s educational website, which includes a blog, videos and more: https://drnathansbryan.com/
Dr. Patricia Restrepo is a Practice Accelerator alumna who joins the podcast to share her experience growing two businesses with the help of the Accelerator program.
After being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at 14 years old, Dr. Restrepo pursued an education and career that allowed her to research natural solutions for weight management and diabetes. She was able to reverse her own diabetes, and now helps patients with similar diagnoses. Both of her businesses, one in Miami and the other in Mexico, help patients manage weight loss and diabetes.
Dr. Restrepo used what she learned in the Practice Accelerator program to establish a business model that allows her to allocate time according to her personal lifestyle goals: 20% of her time is spent in clinic with patients (including groups), 40% is spent on remote consultations, and 40% is spent on her own continuing education and developing medical education for her patient community.
Listen to this full episode from the Success Leaves Clues Series to learn about:
- · The key elements that allowed her businesses to run efficiently
- · How the Practice Accelerator program helped her build a patient database
- · The importance of recording patient education videos
- · The aspects of the business can best be delegated
- · And much more!
To explore what the Practice Accelerator program has to offer, consider registering for the free 90-Minute Private Practice Sprint at goevomed.com/sprint.
Yaa Boakye, CPT, RDN from the Practice Accelerator team joins James on this special episode to announce an upcoming resource that will help practitioners develop their businesses: the 90-Minute Private Practice Sprint. During this free webinar on February 17 at 8 p.m. PST/11 p.m. EST, James and Yaa will share practical, actionable, no-fluff guidelines to help practitioners set goals to grow their practices.
Register for the Sprint here: https://goevomed.com/sprint
With her experience in marketing, personal training, nutrition and coaching healthcare providers, Yaa guides practitioners to develop the business side of their practices with efficiency and focus.
As she explains in this podcast episode, building a successful practice requires knowledge of multiple domains, including understanding your target patient, having solid marketing strategies, utilizing technology systems to streamline day-to-day operations, and understanding how to successfully deliver patient education to maximize clinical results.
However, without the right tools in place, healthcare providers may attract the wrong patients and adopt ineffective practices that consume their limited time and resources. The 90-Minute Private Practice Sprint was designed to help practitioners avoid these problems and streamline their business development strategy.
Listen to the episode to learn more about:
- Why it’s important to market your practice online and offline
- How to overcome unhelpful patterns that hold back your business development
- How the 90-Minute Private Practice Sprint can help you avoid common pitfalls and accelerate your practice growth
- The many other benefits and free resources you’ll receive when you join us live for the 90-Minute Private Practice Sprint
This is the first podcast episode of the 2023 year of connection. How can we employ connection to advance the functional and lifestyle medicine movement?
One answer is that we must continue to leverage group care and community networks to support reconnection in the post-COVID era, improve patient outcomes and increase the awareness and accessibility of our movement.
Our guest on this episode is an innovator and thought leader on health creation and chronic disease reversal. Zach Bush, MD teaches about the intersections between the environment and the individual by identifying the themes that connect diverse systems, such as microbiologic processes and macroeconomics. To him, the original human wound is a false belief that we are not all connected—to ourselves, nature and everyone around us.
To be healthy—physically and mentally—is to be connected. In this episode, Dr. Bush and James explore the many repercussions of disconnection, from autoimmune disease to war, while also covering how connection can transform and heal.
The full episode will bring you more insights about:
- The negative effects of cellular disconnection, and what environmental or lifestyle factors trigger that dysfunction
- How a scarcity mentality leads to fear, guilt, shame and economic disparity
- Empowering perspectives that help people heal
- Flaws in peer-reviewed, evidence-based medicine
- Quorum sensing and Dr. Bush’s new organization, The Institute for Natural Law and Governance
The Journey of Intrinsic Health:
- https://journeyofintrinsichealth.com/
Institute of Natural Law and Governance:
- https://www.naturallawandgov.org/
FARMER’S FOOTPRINT:
- http://www.farmersfootprint.us/
- https://www.facebook.com/farmersfootprint
- https://www.instagram.com/farmersfootprint/
In this final episode of 2022, James reviews key topics from the year of growth and provides a sneak peek of what is to come in 2023, the year of connection.
The Evolution of Medicine community has experienced impressive growth and witnessed significant shifts in 2022. We learned about deprescribing to help patients escape the polypharmacy public health disaster. We have applied functional medicine principles to help patients who experience long COVID and other post-viral syndromes.
Increasingly, we are also seeing signs that the mainstream is moving in our direction, and we must position ourselves to be ready when more patients come our way. Functional medicine needs to scale up, in part to help address the mental health crisis that exploded during the COVID era. More patients are also seeking support from functional medicine providers for vaccine injuries, such as myocarditis.
Healthcare systems are now adopting functional medicine and building integrative care into their hospital and insurance systems. Group care is being delivered on a larger scale as well, which increases access to functional medicine.
While the Evolution of Medicine is apolitical, James also discusses how medicine has been impacted by the economic and political climates in the US and UK.
Listen to the full episode to hear more of James’ reflections about:
- Long COVID, controversies regarding its prevalence and why our community is able to provide the best help for patients
- Signs that mainstream medicine is moving in our direction
- Censorship, authoritarianism and technology
- The effects of the pandemic on mental health, especially for children
- Upcoming 2023 initiatives well-worth anticipating
In this episode of the Business of Functional Medicine series, our guest, Erwin Raphael McManus, is a pastor, author, filmmaker and thought leader at the intersection of entrepreneurship, spirituality and psychology. He joins this podcast to share his model of communication archetypes called The 7 Frequencies and how understanding them can help practitioners work and communicate more effectively with patients.
Erwin also talks through the frequencies most often adopted by practitioners and offers insights on how to better support and motivate patients to get healthy before they get sick.
Listen to the full episode to learn more about:
- Erwin’s thoughts on the theory of quantum entanglement
- Descriptions of the frequencies, including the Challenger, Seer and Maven
- How healthcare providers benefit from understanding their communication style
- The importance of interpersonal relationships and interactions between patients and clinicians
- And much more
Erwin McManus is also the host of The Genius Of podcast and the founder of McManus Gallery and Mosaic, a church movement based in the heart of Hollywood, CA. Visit his website to learn more about The 7 Frequencies along with his other work.
Dysautonomia is a condition where the nervous system becomes dysregulated, causing disruption in the functions of various organ systems. Common symptoms include fluctuations in blood pressure, fatigue and anxiety. The condition seems to be increasingly common in the post-COVID era, and conventional medicine is unable to resolve the causes of this condition for patients.
Shilpa P. Saxena, MD, an expert in cardiometabolic health and regular guest on the podcast, joins us to explore why functional medicine clinicians are uniquely positioned to support patients experiencing dysautonomia.
Listen to the full conversation to learn more about:
- The importance of polyvagal theory for understanding dysautonomia
- How vagal tone impacts multiple organ systems
- How to regulate and improve vagal tone
- Functional medicine tools that help heal dysautonomia
Sandra Scheinbaum, PhD is the founder and CEO of Functional Medicine Coaching Academy. As a leader in the field of integrative psychiatry, she joins James to speak about the advantages of leveraging a group coaching model for mental health services.
For many reasons—from the current shortage of licensed clinical psychologists to improved patient compliance—mental health group coaching offers compelling advantages. Patients often feel more comfortable being honest and open with coaches they can relate to more as peers. Because traditional therapy still carries a cultural stigma, shame is a common barrier that prevents people from seeking support. Coaches, on the other hand, can be more approachable and provide a friendly dynamic that builds trust with patients.
There is also a strong economic rationale behind practitioners adopting a coaching model: demand for mental health care is increasing, while the supply of licensed therapists is limited. Dr. Scheinbaum shares ample evidence of the benefits group coaching offers both patients and mental health practitioners. We also encourage more people who are interested in supporting their community to either employ coaches or consider becoming a coach via the Functional Medicine Coaching Academy.
Listen to the full episode to learn more about:
- The data on the effectiveness of health coaching
- Conditions that often co-occur with mental health challenges
- The downsides to patients over-identifying with mental health diagnoses
- Issues with and opportunities for billing coaching sessions to insurance
We are all familiar with functional medicine and perhaps even functional fitness, but have you heard of functional joy? Our guest for this podcast episode is Radha Agrawal, a successful entrepreneur and the author of the book Belong. Radha joins us to discuss her organization, Daybreaker, which spans 28 cities and five continents with a mission to foster joy and community.
Daybreaker’s very first events in 2013 were community dance meetups held early in the morning that aimed to replicate the positive aspects of nightlife while excluding alcohol. The scope of their work continues to expand nine years on, but dance is still their primary tool. Radha is now writing another book and developing a curriculum to teach clinicians and others to systematically foster joy in their communities. Community is a factor critical to chronic disease prevention and reversal, so we invited Radha to share her extensive experience with this powerful predictor of health outcomes often overlooked by healthcare institutions.
Download the episode to learn about:
- Consciously building communities
- How to foster joy for yourself and your patients
- The importance of hospitality and designing welcoming spaces in medicine
- The biochemistry of joy (D.O.S.E.)
- And much more!
If this episode uplifts and inspires you, we encourage you to share it with your friends, colleagues and community.
EvoMed listeners have access to a 25% discount off the Dose membership with code "EVOMED." http://dose.daybreaker.com?code=evomed
Patrick Holford is the author of 46 books on nutrition and lifestyle factors for wellness. He is also the founder of a charity, Food for the Brain Foundation, and the voluntary director of the Alzheimer’s Prevention Project.
He joins James on this episode to showcase the foundation’s resources for reversing cognitive decline and preventing Alzheimer’s disease. They discussed targeted nutrition approaches and other tools available to patients and practitioners on the foundation’s website.
Listen to the full episode to learn more about:
- Which nutrient deficiencies correlate with poorer cognitive function
- How to reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease through supplementation
- The success rates of targeted nutrition therapy for reversing cognitive decline—and how nutrition therapy can be more successful than pharmaceuticals
- Cognitive function data collected from 377,000 participants via the foundation's test
Discover more valuable resources on the Food for the Brain Foundation’s website, where you can also register for their virtual Masterclass on Alzheimer’s prevention. Registrants will have access to a recording if they cannot attend the live event on November 1, 2022.
This episode features Leo Galland, MD, who outlines a systems biology approach to understanding and treating post-COVID syndrome.
Dr. Galland created the graphic below to model factors and biological repercussions of long COVID. In the interview, Dr. Galland walks us through each element in the web of long COVID.
During the pandemic, he also created and published two hour-long videos—one for patients and one for providers—containing research and recommendations on addressing long COVID. The information he shares is intended to empower and educate both health care providers and patients.
Download and listen to this episode to learn more about:
- The deficiency that both contributes to and results from long COVID
- Key information about what causes long covid
- How to prevent severe infection and address symptoms
- Downstream effects of viral damage that should be addressed by functional medicine providers
Episode assets:
- Understanding Long Covid: a comprehensive presentation for health professionals
- ACE2 in Immune Resilience, Presentation to American Nutrition Association
- Healing Long Covid, video presentation for patients
Julie Funt is the CEO of Juliet Funt Group and author of A Minute to Think, which describes the importance of metaphoric white space in everyone’s regular schedule. Her firm provides efficiency training to change the way we work, making it more sane, more human, and a more positive experience for all. In this Business of Functional Medicine episode, Kristen Brokaw speaks with Juliet about how this concept applies to the medical field, and we learn from the author some practical habit adjustments that can create more productive “white space.”
Download and listen to the full conversation to learn more about:
- Why we need white space to be creative, productive and decisive
- Studies showing how small breaks improve performance
- Why pushing harder does NOT always equal better results
- Practical tips to conquer busyness and communicate efficiently
- And much more!
Julie Funt is the CEO of Juliet Funt Group and author of A Minute to Think, which describes the importance of metaphoric white space in everyone’s regular schedule. Her firm provides efficiency training to change the way we work, making it more sane, more human, and a more positive experience for all. In this Business of Functional Medicine episode, Kristen Brokaw speaks with Juliet about how this concept applies to the medical field, and we learn from the author some practical habit adjustments that can create more productive “white space.”
Download and listen to the full conversation to learn more about:
- Why we need white space to be creative, productive and decisive
- Studies showing how small breaks improve performance
- Why pushing harder does NOT always equal better results
- Practical tips to conquer busyness and communicate efficiently
- And much more!
Our guest in this episode, Greg Leyer, PhD, has an academic background in deadly pathogenic bacteria, such as botulism and other foodborne illnesses. Now, he focuses on healthy bacteria and joins James to discuss benefits of probiotics for the vaginal microbiome.
While gastrointestinal health is thought to depend on microbiome diversity, the vaginal cavity requires a more homogenous population of Lactobacillus species. By producing organic acids—mainly lactic acid—lactobacilli help maintain a pH below 4, which prevents bacterial vaginosis.
Listen to the full episode to learn more about:
- How and why taking oral probiotics affects the vaginal microbiome
- Forms of microbiome supplementation, like probiotics, spores and heat-inactivated bacteria
- Efficacy of probiotic supplementation in different geographic locations and ethnicity
And check out Dr. Leyer’s ongoing work:
- Your Health - Our Science
- UREX™ – The world’s most documented probiotics for women’s urogenital health
- Women's Health | The Probiotics Institute by Chr. Hansen
Our guest in this episode, Greg Leyer, PhD, has an academic background in deadly pathogenic bacteria, such as botulism and other foodborne illnesses. Now, he focuses on healthy bacteria and joins James to discuss benefits of probiotics for the vaginal microbiome.
While gastrointestinal health is thought to depend on microbiome diversity, the vaginal cavity requires a more homogenous population of Lactobacillus species. By producing organic acids—mainly lactic acid—lactobacilli help maintain a pH below 4, which prevents bacterial vaginosis.
Listen to the full episode to learn more about:
- How and why taking oral probiotics affects the vaginal microbiome
- Forms of microbiome supplementation, like probiotics, spores and heat-inactivated bacteria
- Efficacy of probiotic supplementation in different geographic locations and ethnicity
And check out Dr. Leyer’s ongoing work:
- Your Health - Our Science
- UREX™ – The world’s most documented probiotics for women’s urogenital health
- Women's Health | The Probiotics Institute by Chr. Hansen
Dr. Shane Holland joins this week’s podcast to share his experience with the Practice Accelerator. Shane’s story is one we hear over and over amongst our Practice Accelerator participants. In this series, Success Leaves Clues, we celebrate alumni stories in conjunction with our current open enrollment period, running September through October 2022.
Shane began his career as a teacher and later became an emergency medicine physician, and he is currently transitioning into operating a functional medicine practice. Over the years, Shane has been interested in treating patients with chiropractic manipulation, herbs and supplements, and lifestyle adjustments. Still, he did not have access to a clear path toward building his own clinic around those strategies.
As an emergency medicine physician, Dr. Holland observed that roughly 90% of his patients did not require emergency care and were using emergency services in lieu of primary care. The training he received from The Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM) provided him with greater clinical insights into preventative medicine to better serve his community, and the Practice Accelerator program then guided him through building his practice.
Listen to the full episode to hear Dr. Holland’s story, including:
- The challenges he faced during his journey
- His clinic’s payment model and layout
- How the Practice Accelerator supported the launch of his new clinic
- The benefits of scheduling a concierge call with our coach, Patrick
Dr. Shane Holland joins this week’s podcast to share his experience with the Practice Accelerator. Shane’s story is one we hear over and over amongst our Practice Accelerator participants. In this series, Success Leaves Clues, we celebrate alumni stories in conjunction with our current open enrollment period, running September through October 2022.
Shane began his career as a teacher and later became an emergency medicine physician, and he is currently transitioning into operating a functional medicine practice. Over the years, Shane has been interested in treating patients with chiropractic manipulation, herbs and supplements, and lifestyle adjustments. Still, he did not have access to a clear path toward building his own clinic around those strategies.
As an emergency medicine physician, Dr. Holland observed that roughly 90% of his patients did not require emergency care and were using emergency services in lieu of primary care. The training he received from The Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM) provided him with greater clinical insights into preventative medicine to better serve his community, and the Practice Accelerator program then guided him through building his practice.
Listen to the full episode to hear Dr. Holland’s story, including:
- The challenges he faced during his journey
- His clinic’s payment model and layout
- How the Practice Accelerator supported the launch of his new clinic
- The benefits of scheduling a concierge call with our coach, Patrick
Dr. Tom Guilliams, our go-to expert for anything related to nutrition research, returns to the Evolution of Medicine podcast for the second part of our Controversies in Nutrition series. Dr. Guilliams has written several books on the therapeutic uses of nutritional supplements.
Our guest opens the discussion by rebutting attempts by major medical journals to discredit nutraceuticals. He breaks down the weaknesses of their research and arguments, along with how the studies are biased and unscientific. He also reviews the limitations of specific nutrient biomarkers, realistic expectations for improving methylation through folic acid supplementation, and how to assess optimal vitamin D levels in individuals who receive plentiful sun exposure.
Listen to this episode if you’re interested in:
- Why treating based on genetic testing may or may not be beneficial
- The significance of tracking homocysteine levels in patients
- When to evaluate methionine levels
- The NAC controversy between the FDA and Amazon
Dr. Shilpa P. Saxena adds to her series of Evolution of Medicine interviews with a discussion on polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). With both personal and professional experience reversing the condition, she walks us through the functional medicine approach to treatment.
Dr. Saxena explains how insulin resistance often accompanies and must be addressed through the “matrix” of each patient’s overall health and lifestyle. Since PCOS is a clinical diagnosis, she also describes the signs practitioners should look out for in their patients and how to confirm the diagnosis with the aid of laboratory testing.
Developing a niche in PCOS can be a great opportunity for practitioners since it is so prevalent, affecting between 6-12% of women, and because functional medicine provides the most robust treatment approach for complex metabolic conditions.
Listen to the full conversation to learn more about:
- Tailoring treatments to patients with PCOS
- Which supplements to utilize in a PCOS treatment protocol
- Common root causes and co-conditions
- The importance of securing Phase I and Phase II detox pathways
- How group visits can be a powerful aid to treatment
Michael Fishman is a top advisor on marketing and business growth, aiding successful health and wellness companies. He leads the Consumer Health Summit (CHS) annually, which is now in its 24th year, and acts as an angel investor for over 20 health and wellness businesses. With his expertise, he advises his clients on how to effectively formulate their brand messaging and ensure it is communicated consistently, from training team members to sharpening taglines and from online messaging to in-person trust. In this episode of the podcast, Michael shares with Kristen Brokaw the principles and psychology behind his guidance.
Tune in if you’d like to learn more about:
- How and why you need to develop a powerful tagline
- Avoiding overselling or “trying too hard” in online marketing
- Ensuring that your message cannot be misunderstood by your audience
- Why patients also need to feel understood—emotionally and intellectually
- And much more!
Michael Fishman is a top advisor on marketing and business growth, aiding successful health and wellness companies. He leads the Consumer Health Summit (CHS) annually, which is now in its 24th year, and acts as an angel investor for over 20 health and wellness businesses. With his expertise, he advises his clients on how to effectively formulate their brand messaging and ensure it is communicated consistently, from training team members to sharpening taglines and from online messaging to in-person trust. In this episode of the podcast, Michael shares with Kristen Brokaw the principles and psychology behind his guidance.
Tune in if you’d like to learn more about:
- How and why you need to develop a powerful tagline
- Avoiding overselling or “trying too hard” in online marketing
- Ensuring that your message cannot be misunderstood by your audience
- Why patients also need to feel understood—emotionally and intellectually
- And much more!
Functional medicine providers have the best tools and scientific understanding of topics like immunology, the microbiome and mitochondria. This constellation of knowledge and tools makes functional and integrative doctors optimally equipped to address osteoarthritis. Dr. Thomas Guilliams is an expert in nutrition research and immunology, and he has written several books on the therapeutic uses of nutritional supplements.
During this conversation, we hear about the gut-joint relationship and an expanded understanding of osteoarthritis. We also explore best practices for nutrition and supplementation alongside lifestyle modifications to resolve chronic conditions.
Listen in to learn more about:
- The evolution of the scientific understanding of osteoarthritis
- Issues with nutrition and supplementation research
- Addressing autoinflammatory conditions (as differentiated from autoimmunity)
- Guilliams’ take on the paleo dietary pattern
- And much more!
Josh Gunn, PhD is the Chief Scientific Officer for Ethos Laboratories. Ethos began with the mission to incorporate more functional medicine principles into conventional care and to help patients gain access to the root causes of their pain.
With a background in forensic toxicology, Dr. Gunn and the team have developed a new tool at Ethos called the Foundation Pain Index. The Pain Index is a biometric test designed to identify potential biochemical origins of patients’ chronic pain. The test results categorize health insights in a way that is actionable for all physicians, even if they are not trained in functional medicine. This personalized method also acknowledges that patient recovery often requires a multimodal approach, including lifestyle and community considerations.
Practitioners who run OAT tests or other labs may already have access to some of these data points, but uniquely, the Foundation Pain Index test is covered by Medicare, Medicaid and most insurance plans. This is especially important for chronic pain patients with a lower socioeconomic status because statistically they have been over-prescribed opioids.
The full conversation is densely packed with insights such as:
- Socioeconomic factors are strong factors in opioid over prescription, misuse and abuse
- Why it is essential to bring elements of functional medicine into conventional care
- How nutrient depletion may contribute to pain
- An interdisciplinary approach is required to help patients with chronic pain
- And much more
James interviews Michelle Simon, PhD, ND, president and CEO of the Institute for Natural Medicine (INM). Dr. Simon sees an increasing awareness that our current healthcare system is not delivering the results we need. She advocates for alternate solutions through her work with INM.
Some have argued that iatrogenic disease is the third-largest cause of death in America. Applying the Therapeutic Order, which is a guiding principle for naturopathic medicine, can reverse that trend. Naturopathic medicine combined with the group visit model has the potential to address most of the population’s health issues. It is an excellent option to improve healthcare on a large scale.
Listen to the full conversation to learn about:
- The Therapeutic Order: what it is and why its important
- The reasons we need to change how we view primary care
- A new residency program for naturopathic doctors
- Projects that the Institute for Natural Medicine is working on
- How lifestyle and naturopathic medicine prevent iatrogenic disease
This week’s podcast is a series of interviews with a handful of physicians who are involved with the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM). Dr. Luby is the Director of Medical Education Initiatives at IFM, which works to scale functional medicine and make it more accessible and easier to adopt into larger healthcare systems. The pandemic brought to light weaknesses in our healthcare system for which functional medicine offers solutions! Dr. Penn is an infectious disease specialist and works in epidemiology and infection prevention at Nebraska Methodist Hospital. He has worked closely with Dr. Luby, and Dr. Penn is planning to implement more of the IFM’s principles into his healthcare system. Dr. Nancy Cutter and Sharon Williams are from the Veterans Affairs (VA) in New Jersey. They are also working towards integrating lifestyle medicine into their systems in part by utilizing group visits.
Listen to the full panel discussion to learn more about:
- The benefits offered by functional medicine for the VA in New Jersey
- The problems in our healthcare system, which functional medicine can help
- How Nebraska Methodist Hospital has seen the IFM’s principles improve their COVID outcomes
- And much, much more!
Our guest on this episode, Dr. Michael Ash, is a researcher who discusses lipid replacement therapy. The applications for this treatment include all fatigue related illnesses, including but not limited to environmental toxin exposure, Lyme disease and long COVID. Oxidative damage, which this therapy addresses, occurs in aging and all chronic and acute illness. When the immune system is activated (e.g., after an infection), mitochondria can be damaged. The defective mitochondria become swollen and leak electrons, which results in the oxidation of membranes. Oral lipid replacement therapy is used to remove and replace damaged membranes. Listen to this episode to learn:
- Mechanisms of action of inflammasomes
- What causes danger signals in cells
- Supplement dosing and sources of this nutrient through diet
- Symptoms and consequences of poor membrane health
- And much, much more!
Dr. Mary Pardee, who specializes in fecal macrobiotic transplantation (FMT), explores how personal history with trauma (emotional or physical) often contributes to chronic disease, the necessity of physicians acknowledging their patients’ journey into disease, and the paramount importance of community during the healing process. Highlights include:
- Empaths are more susceptible to chronic illness
- Connection, bonding and community are pillars of health
- Why group medical visits are necessary to transform the future of medicine
- And much, much more!
On this episode, we speak with Josiah Bartz from the Lifestyle Matrix Resource Center. The LMRC is driven by the same purpose as Evolution of Medicine and supports growth of lifestyle and functional medicine by providing clinicians with practical resources and tools to get their practices off and running.
The LMRC was born out of thousands of hours of speaking and working with functional medicine practitioners who want to start or build their practices but feel overwhelmed and in need of support or guidance. After years of developing a library of resources, the LMRC is now offering a membership to provide clinicians with ongoing, thorough and personalized practice management and clinician education support. Listen to learn more about:
- The history of shared medical appointments or Group Visit Toolkits
- Successful frameworks to empower patients
- Features available to members of the LMRC
- Business growth for functional medicine practices
- And much, much more!
Penney Stringer, a family medicine physician, shares her journey into functional medicine and her experiences moving in and out of conventional medicine. Dr. Stringer shares anecdotes from her exceptionally successful HealCommunity group. Listen in to hear Dr. Stringer and James explore:
- The power of community in medicine
- How patients with chronic illness are underserved
- The importance of group support for behavior change
- And much, much more!
Cheng Ruan, MD is a Functional Medicine practitioner who trains other physicians to work through insurance systems. He discusses value-based care and it’s current limitations, physician services that are currently billable to Medicare or insurance which are underutilized, how to foster a sense of empowerment with patients, rather than trying to be the “hero” as a physician. Listen to the full conversation to hear about: * How physician entrepreneurs should be thinking about scalable growth * Coaching concepts for physicians * Statements of guidance and focusing positive energy towards collaborative health care * And much, much more!
Chris McChesney is a behavior change expert who wrote The 4 Disciplines of Execution. His fascinating perspective offers practical tips about how to manage “The Whirlwind” of competing priorities and make meaningful strides towards focused goals. James dives into the business-oriented concepts exploring their applications in the Business of Functional Medicine series on the podcast. Listen to the full episode for insights that will help you build your own practice, improve patient relationships and trust, and encourage positive behavior change.
When we started Evolution of Medicine, we saw a theme emerging that conversations about evolution were going to be critical for understanding all the different ways in which medicine was evolving. With that in mind, who better to have on the podcast than two evolutionary biologists?
On this episode, we share an amazing story of four doctors from across the country brought together to form new friendships that transformed their businesses. Tune in as we hear from three chiropractors, Dr. Bill Hammer, Dr. Russell Sher and Dr. Todd Di Leo, and Tracy Jones, DO, as they share how they've moved toward their own practice vision in the last five years, how those visions differ dramatically, and how they've built strong connection and friendship, even though they've never met in person.
In this episode, we have Dr. David Perlmutter on to talk about his new book, Drop Acid. Dr. Perlmutter talks about how he chose this topic and the profound impact of restoring metabolic health and controlling uric acid with simple dietary and lifestyle tweaks.
This episode is part of our Success Leaves Clues Series and features Helen Perks, a nutritionist from the UK. She joined the Practice Accelerator in 2017, and as you listen to her story, you’ll hear just how valuable a supportive community of practitioners can be when building your practice.
On this episode, we talk about the changes in the 2022 coding, with guest, Sonda Kunzi. She runs Coding Advantage, and is a leading biller and understands the world of not just medical billing, but medical billing as it applies to the functional medicine community.
Every year, Evolution of Medicine picks a theme, and this year’s theme is Growth. And who better to kick off our year of growth than Dr. Mark Hyman? In this episode, we talk about the growth of the movement and the surprising places where functional medicine is really starting to take off.
Today, we are talking with Dr. Sunjya Schweig, you may know him as a leader in the Lyme and biotoxin illness space. However, over the last few years he has been working on an interesting project to bring functional medicine principles, and clinical nutrition to a very special population; firefighters and policemen.
On this episode, we have Dr. Elroy Vojdani returning to the podcast. A few months ago, he came onto the podcast and did our most popular show of the year, talking about the role of food and autoimmunity and how it relates to COVID-19.
This week, we are talking about enzymes. Enzymes are used and recommended by practitioners across our ecosystem. There are many different supplement companies that are recommending enzymes, so we wanted to get to the guy behind the guy, like where are these enzymes coming from?
On this week’s episode, we’re going to go right to the heart of the Evolution of Medicine, looking to solve the biggest issues and the biggest gaps that exist not only in conventional care, but also in functional medicine.
In this episode, we feature Dr. Jessica Drummond, as a part of our New Models series. You’ll learn what a big deal endometriosis is, and to what degree it acts like many other chronic illnesses that you're probably treating in your practices.
This week on the podcast we have an exciting episode announcing our launch of Functional Forum Communities! I'm joined by Toni Wolley and Kristen Brokaw, who are both leaders of their local communities in St. Louis and Indianapolis but are also sales reps.
This week we have guest host, Kristen Brokaw on to interview Dr. Miles Bodzin about the business of functional medicine. Dr. Bodzin discusses what to do for your practice overwhelm. He shares what he struggled with as well as tips and tricks he has learned to improve patient retention.
This week on the podcast, we are going deep into immune health with Dr. Elroy Vojdani. The Vojdani family, Elroy and his father Aristo have been very helpful for James in sense-making over the last year and a half in the most important topic on the planet, immunology.
This week on the podcast, we feature Dr. Aimie Apigian. This episode is an incredibly inspiring story about her journey from general surgery residency to addiction medicine, and now to teaching other practitioners and doctors about the nervous system and how it affects addiction.
This week on the podcast, we have another episode in our New Models Series focused on concierge care for the poor. Dr. Angela Bymaster and her husband Brett are on to talk to us about a really unique community-focused model of business that they created. They're able to take concierge medicine patients at full price and use that money to pay for other people in the community who don't have access to care.
This week, we are talking pharmacies, pharmacists, and the reinvention of medicine. Melody Hartzler, PharmD, BCACP, BC-ADM is a pharmacist on the frontlines, organizing a new model of functional medicine-trained pharmacists integrated with primary care and specialty care.
This week on the podcast, we have another episode in our New Models Series focused on the terrain theory with Dr. Maya Shetreat. Maya was on the Functional Forum back in 2017 in Guernsey. She talked all about plant medicine. In this episode, she talks about her journey with terrain medicine and how that concept aligned all her clinical interests and passions. We also talk about how terrain and community connections go hand in hand, and how functional medicine practices can use her insight to treat patients with the terrain theory mindset.
This week, we are going clinical with Dr. Tom Guilliams. This is a new podcast segment that we're doing called Controversies in Nutrition, and in each session we are going to take some big controversies that have been brought to us by listeners and ask Dr. Tom Guilliams about them.
In this year of reinvention, we are going to need partners that can deliver incredible value to clinicians and make it easier for them to run successful practices. This week on the podcast, we spoke to Josh Crolle from Evexia Diagnostics, who are going to be one of our new partners. We talked about the genesis of Evexia, what it means.
On this episode of the podcast, we have guest host Kristen Brokaw on to interview Seth Conger, COO of Freedom Practice Coaching. Seth shares his journey to functional medicine and how he went from wanting to be a practitioner to helping practitioners scale up their practices, so they have better business models.
This week on the podcast, we feature Dr. Alex Keller. He is the medical director of Fullscript, and he’s here to talk to us about adherence. This has been a topic that we've been hot on at the Evolution of Medicine throughout our existence, and we’re excited to have a guest from our long-time sponsor on to share his insights and new resources.
This week, we are talking all about collagen. Collagen has exploded in demand with it seemingly everywhere in supplements, teas and bone broths, so we wanted to speak to someone who's on the front lines of research. Dr. Steffen Oesser works at the Collagen Research Institute.
This week, we are talking about sprouting as part of our New Models series. We have Doug Evans, one of the world experts on sprouting, joining us on this episode He wrote a book called The Sprout Book.
This week on the podcast, we have a special episode with Dr. Noel Williams, a conventionally trained MD who specializes in using supplements like bergamot, berberine and fish oil to manage his patients’ heart health. He realized along his journey that if conventional medicine wasn’t helping, he needed to learn more about nutrition to see what can help his patients.
In our second episode of the New Models of Care Series, we feature Dr. Katherine Bisharat. Dr. Bisharat is an internal medicine physician from the Sacramento area. We have partnered with her and her clinic to launch virtual group visits and bill them to insurance.
On this episode of the podcast, we kick off our New Models Series with guest Dr. David Tusek. Dr. Tusek built the first direct primary care clinic in Colorado and now operates a world-class facility called Cloud Medical. In this episode, he shares his insight on creating and building a direct primary care practice.
On this episode, guest host Kristen Brokaw interviews Chris Smith, founder of Campfire Effect™. Campfire Effect™ is a company that teaches entrepreneurs how to talk about their work in a way that is as powerful and impactful as the work itself.
This week on the podcast, James sits down with Amanda D'Almeida and Daniel Villavecer, medical students with an interest in functional medicine who have more than 400 million followers on the social media platform TikTok.
On this episode of the podcast, James sits down with Dr. Andrea McSwain, an osteopathic physician. She started her functional medicine journey with the Practice Accelerator and has now expanded her clinical influence throughout Michigan with four practices. Dr. McSwain discusses how she decided early on in medical school that she wanted to transition into functional medicine and really focus on patient needs. If you are someone who is interested in the Practice Accelerator and want to learn about how this program can be a catalyst for building the practice of your dreams, then you won’t want to miss this episode!
This week on the podcast, James sits down with Nisha Chellam, MD, who discusses her journey from medical school to working in a hospital setting to transitioning into functional medicine.
This week on the podcast, James sits down with Dr. Vincenzo Mollace, a leading researcher for a particular compound in a citrus Mediterranean fruit called bergamot
On this episode James talks with Joel Evans, MD about how the Institute for Functional Medicine has created content for their programs in response to COVID-19.
Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! In this episode, James Maskell sits down with Theresa DePasquale, CEO of Capture Social Group, to discuss how to use Instagram and its features for growing your brand.
Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! On this episode, James Maskell sits down with Yael Joffe, RD, PhD,to talk about the kickoff for 2021, the year of re-invention. They discuss genetics and genomics, and how they could change the profession of nutrition. Yael shares her insight as a dietician on powerful strategies for nutritionists and dieticians with functional medicine. If you are interested in nutrition and want to get in a new mindset for 2021, then this podcast episode is for you!
Highlights include:
- The hierarchy within medicine and how the meetup groups are there for everyone to share and discuss their practices together
- Looking deeper into nutrigenetics: How do my genes behave?
- Discussing what “new nutrition” is and how it is accurate than just looking at genetics
- And so much more!
Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! On this episode, guest host Kristen Brokaw sits down with Ari Meisel, founder of Less Doing.
Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! On this episode, James sits down with Christopher Mote, DO, DC, IFMCP, and Tom Guilliams, PhD to discuss HPA axis dysfunction and stress.
Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! On this episode, James sits down with biochemistry professor and prolific researcher Dr. Leon Schurgers of the University of Maastricht. Much of Dr. Schurgers’ research has centered on vitamin K and cardiovascular risk. In this half hour, James and Dr. Schurgers talked about calcification of the heart and the role of vitamin K2 in reducing cardiovascular risk. The conversation also covered vitamin K2 supplementation, and what to look for in the products available. This is a must-listen for any practitioner on the front lines of functional integrative medicine! Highlights include:
- Dr. Schurgers’ research journey and how he has helped shape the role of K vitamins in functional integrative medicine
- The causes of calcification and how vitamin K2 affects this process
- Where the research stands on vitamin K2 and cardiovascular risk
- Best practices for testing vitamin K levels
- And so much more!
Resources mentioned in this episode:
www.researchgate.net/profile/Leon_Schurgers
Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! In this episode, James sits down with Lara Salyer, DO, a functional medicine physician and Practice Accelerator alum who is innovating healthcare practice and tackling a major issue affecting physicians across the healthcare spectrum: burnout. Her new book, Right Brain Rescue, teaches clinicians how to access their inner creativity, which she refers to as the “Sixth Vital Sign.” Dr. Salyer’s story is a great example of innovation on the front lines of healthcare, and her insight is invaluable to any practitioner ready to radically transform their career and build a life of purpose. Highlights from this episode include:
- The “Sixth Vital Sign” and what that means for patient care
- How the Practice Accelerator can be a catalyst for practice transformation and growth
- How Dr. Salyer is bringing functional medicine to a growing number of physicians
- How tapping into creativity helps practitioners build resiliency and improve empathy
- And so much more!
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Right Brain Rescue
Practice Accelerator
Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! On this episode, James talks with Abbi Linde, PharmD of HomeTown Pharmacy, a regional chain of pharmacies across Wisconsin and Michigan. But this team of pharmacists is so much more than just a regional pharmacy network—they are community providers who know their patients on a personal level and are bridging the gap between patients and functional medicine. HomeTown Pharmacy is leading the way in shifting pharmacies from product-based businesses to service-based businesses. If you’re a practitioner listening to this episode, you’ll hear why it makes sense to connect with your local independent pharmacist, and how you can partner to deliver even better patient care in your community. Highlights from this episode include:
- The HomeTown Pharmacy model and how they’re doing things differently than the average independent pharmacist
- How pharmacists can play a critical role in building health resilience in their communities, and how that can be a gamechanger for pharmacy business
- The synergies that exist between functional medicine practitioners and functional pharmacists, and why it is worth it to invite your local independent pharmacist to your next Functional Forum meetup
- Why drug-induced nutrient depletion is low-hanging fruit for pharmacy business
- Essential reading for functional medicine practitioners and functional pharmacists alike
- And so much more!
Resources mentioned in this episode:
HomeTown Pharmacy
The Standard Road Map Series by Dr. Tom Guilliams
Supplementing Dietary Nutrients Road Map
Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! On this episode, guest host Kristen Brokaw talks with Dr. Jarrod Spencer, a sports psychologist, speaker, author and consultant, about helping healthcare providers overcome burnout in their careers. Just like athletes must continuously work on their mindsets and remain focused to perform at the top level, healthcare providers must take steps to support their mental resilience. The problem is, 92% of healthcare providers report feeling burned-out in their careers, and the majority also admit they would never seek professional help. As Dr. Spencer discusses in this episode, it’s time to erase the stigma of mental health challenges in the healthcare profession and empower providers to overcome burnout and become the best versions of themselves. Enjoy this incredible conversation! Highlights include:
- The striking similarities between athletes and healthcare providers
- How we can give a voice to the topic of mental health in the healthcare profession, which has long been stigmatized
- Steps healthcare providers can take to address burnout
- The importance of building a supportive, engaged team
- Why healthcare providers should consider consulting a psychologist to help keep their practices running smoothly
- And so much more!
Resources mentioned in this episode:
mindoftheathlete.com
Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! On this episode, James interviews Olivia Joseph, DC, a chiropractor, Chinese medicine practitioner and clinical nutritionist from the St. Louis, MO area. Their conversation spanned the growth of her practice, how she markets her practice and attracts new patients, and how she has pivoted her practice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Joseph shared some great insight on how we can take a community-led practice model to the next level. Highlights include:
- Baseline principles for filling your practice
- How to get prospective patients to attend workshops (whether in-person or virtually) and ultimately book an appointment with you
- How marketing strategy has evolved over the years, and how even someone with no marketing or technology savvy can build a successful campaign
- Identifying a key staff member who can support the clinician in organizing and executing marketing strategy
- The major opportunity that exists for practitioners transitioning to functional medicine right now
- And so much more!
Resources mentioned in this episode:
thewellnessconnection.com
Practice Marketing Series, Episode 2: Niching
Practice Accelerator
SLIIM
Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! On this episode, James talks with Suzanne Keyes, PharmD. She is a pharmacist and certified functional medicine practitioner (IFMCP) from Oklahoma whose passion for patient care led her to becoming the go-to health resource in her community. In the process, she has transformed the typical pharmacy into a thriving business and wellness hub, complete with professional grade supplements and a vegetable garden. Whether you are a pharmacist or functional medicine clinician, you’re sure to learn something new from this episode—enjoy! Highlights include:
- A pharmacist’s journey to functional medicine, and how that journey informs patient care
- How pharmacists are in a unique position to help patients address the root causes of their ailments
- How pharmacists can deliver health and nutrition information to patients efficiently and effectively
- How pharmacists play a key role in the evolution of medicine and in community care
- Why the partnership between practitioner and pharmacist is more important than ever
- And so much more!
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Functional Medicine Pharmacists Facebook Group
Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! In this episode, Kristen Brokaw guest-hosts and interviews Benjamin Hardy, PhD, bestselling author and organizational psychologist. His latest book Personality Isn’t Permanent dives into fixed mindsets about who we think we are and how they can hold us back from achieving our goals and realizing our future selves. It was a great conversation, and one that all functional medicine practitioners, no matter where you are on your journey, should listen to—a ton of incredible insight shared. Highlights include:
- How the ways we explain ourselves can be a detriment to our future selves
- How labels can be both detrimental and helpful in personal development
- The concept of “future self” and how to get clear on your goals
- The difference between experience and learning
- And so much more!
Resources mentioned in this episode:
benjaminhardy.com
Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! In this episode, the fourth in our Practice Marketing Series, James sits down with chiropractor and author John Bartemus, a functional medicine doc from Charlotte, NC. John has built a very successful practice in the autoimmune niche, and he shares his insight on building digital marketing for his practice, specifically video marketing. John committed to making one educational video a day for a year and sharing them on his practice YouTube channel. He ended up exceeding his goal and build his practice exponentially by sharing his knowledge and expertise in a video format. His journey to successful practice marketing is one you can take, too. It was a super interesting interview with lots of tangible value for physician entrepreneurs. Enjoy! Highlights include:
- How to commit to creating and sharing a video every day to market your practice (John made a video every day for 411 days in a row—wow!)
- How to use video to market your practice, from pre-appointment to post-appointment
- The journey from practicing functional medicine clinician to published author and digital marketing wiz, and how you can make that journey, too
- And so much more!
Resources mentioned in this episode:
functionalmedicinecharlotte.com
Functional Medicine Charlotte YouTube channel
The Autoimmune Answer book
Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! In this episode, James talks with Michael Twyman, MD, a cardiologist from the St. Louis area, and dives deep into mitochondrial medicine. It’s a topic we’ve explored on the podcast before, but as more research is published highlighting the role of mitochondria in chronic illness, we want to continue providing up-to-date, valuable information to our practitioners. Dr. Twyman shares his knowledge of the latest research and how he is putting it into practice in his functional, integrative cardiology practice. A ton of wisdom shared in this episode—enjoy! Highlights include:
- The basics of mitochondrial medicine that practitioners need to know, plus more advanced research findings
- Educational resources for practitioners who want to dive deeper into this topic
- The symptoms and patient types that point to mitochondrial dysfunction
- And so much more!
Resources mentioned in this episode:
michaeltwymanmd.com
Practice Marketing Series, Episode 3: Diabetes Niche Funnel
Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! On this episode, James sits down with Brad Dyer, DO, a functional medicine practitioner from Kansas City. A former hospitalist, Brad has been practicing functional integrative medicine for a few years, but is making a big impact in his community. He talks about his journey to functional medicine, how he stays inspired and motivated in this field of medicine, and how he is integrating group visit care in diabetes treatment. There is so much to learn from this episode—enjoy! Highlights include:
- How Brad found functional medicine and knew he wanted to start practicing this way
- The turning point that helped him solidify his practice model and grow revenue
- The gamechanger that turned his practice marketing strategy into a major success
- And so much more!
Resources mentioned in this episode
The Community Cure book
premierintegrativehealthkc.com
Group Visit Toolkits
lifestylematrix.com
Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! In this episode, James sits down with Amy Mack, CEO of the Institute for Functional Medicine, to discuss IFM’s leadership in the functional medicine space and the pivots the organization has made in response to COVID-19. One of the biggest changes the organization faced was transitioning their Annual International Conference, considered one of the best and most well-attended educational conferences in functional medicine, to a virtual platform. While Amy acknowledges the challenges of building a virtual community, she is excited for all the 2020 conference has to offer, including perspectives on how we can build immune resilience within the fragile health of many populations. Highlights from this episode include:
- How IFM’s COVID-19 Task Force supports the functional medicine community and plans for its continued guidance during the COVID-19 pandemic
- How we can take ideas at the bedrock of functional medicine, like immune resilience, and bring them into the mainstream
- How IFM brought their Annual International Conference to the virtual space
- What attendees will learn at AIC this year, and new opportunities for engagement and networking virtually
- What IFM has planned for the future as the healthcare ecosystem continues to evolve
- And so much more!
Resources mentioned in this episode
IFM AIC registration
Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! In this episode, we have a special guest host filling in for James. Kristen Brokaw is the leader of the St. Louis Institute for Integrative Medicine. For the past decade, she has been building communities of functional medicine practitioners, helping them find their tribe and reach their potential in this space. She is joined by Bo Eason, former professional football player, actor, playwright, author, and one of Kristen’s mentors. Their high-energy, engaging conversation spans mindset, the power of stories, how saying “no” is a key to achieving greatness, and how functional medicine practitioners can still thrive, even during a pandemic. Highlights include:
- The power of stories and how the ones we tell ourselves shape our lives
- How to move past the “it’s not about me” mindset
- How you should be thinking about making a declaration in your life, while avoiding the tendency for perfectionism
- Why elimination is key to becoming the best at what you do
- How to find the silver linings in the COVID-19 pandemic and take the lead in your practice and community
And so much more!
Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! In this episode, James and Uli sit down with Tara Scott, MD, a functional medicine physician from Akron, Ohio and one of the stars of the Practice Accelerator. This episode is the second in our Practice Marketing Series, which will give functional medicine practitioners a step-by-step guide to taking their practices to the next level. Highlights include:
- What niching in functional medicine means, and how to determine your niche
- How a practitioner who initially resisted niching her practice went through the process and built a remarkably resilient practice that has withstood COVID-19 and other challenges
- How Dr. Scott found the Practice Accelerator and why she recommends the program to other functional medicine colleagues
- How education-based marketing and a digital infrastructure will fortify your practice
- Why a simple email autoresponder will be a gamechanger for your practice
- And so much more!
Resources mentioned in this episode
goevomed.com/accelerator-special
goevomed.com/pivot
lifestylematrix.com/
Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! On this episode, James sits down with his friend and colleague, Uli Iserloh, PhD. Uli is the Chief Operating Officer at the Evolution of Medicine and founder of Big Boost Marketing, where he helps practitioners build education-based marketing structures for their practices. This episode kicks off our Practice Marketing Series, which will give functional medicine practitioners a step-by-step guide to taking their practices to the next level. Highlights from this episode include:
- Understanding the “hero’s journey” in marketing and how using the method of storytelling can accelerate your marketing efforts and engage patients, both current and potential
- What an education-based marketing infrastructure would look like in your practice
- How the process of buying a car is actually quite similar to marketing a functional medicine practice (you might be surprised!)
- How to differentiate your practice and services when marketing to patients
- How to not only attract patients to your website, but also continue engaging with them via email and social media
- How to define your marketing message
- And so much more!
Resources mentioned in this episode:
functionalforum.com/category/group-visits
youtube.com/watch?v=Bi4tzleWU_Y
functionalforum.com/category/success-leaves-clues
Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! On this episode, James sits down with Julie Foucher-Urcuyo, MD, functional medicine physician, four-time CrossFit Games athlete, and host of the Pursuing Health podcast. Her talent and drive have made her well-known in both the functional medicine and CrossFit spaces, and she is poised to make a big impact in healthcare. It was an excellent conversation and I think you’ll learn a lot—enjoy! Highlights include:
- Understanding the synergy of functional movement and functional medicine
- Julie’s definition of CrossFit, and why she encourages people to look beyond common perceptions of the sport
- How CrossFit and functional medicine compare when addressing misconceptions and educating people on the health benefits each provide
- What it was like to pursue medical school while competing in the world of CrossFit
- What we can learn at the cross-section of resilience, CrossFit and the future of medicine
- And so much more!
Resources mentioned in this episode:
instagram.com/juliefoucher/
pursuing-health.com/ph-podcast/
pursuing-health.com/
goevomed.com/lmrc
Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! This week, Mat Boulé, osteopath and posturologist, joins us to discuss his work on posture and health creation. In our Year of Resilience, it’s the perfect time for Mat to share his insight on the significant role posture plays in health resilience and how resolving patients’ mechanical issues can transform other important lab markers. But I think the biggest takeaway you’ll get from this episode is an understanding of why the best medical teams need practitioners who can support and improve structural integrity. It was a fascinating 30 minutes—enjoy! Highlights include:
- What posturology is, and how this medical discipline has the potential to revitalize health creation and resilience
- How resolving mechanical issues can transform important lab markers
- The interconnection among structure, posture and inflammatory markers
- The body-self matrix and how it relates to the biopsychosocial model of care
- And so much more!
Resources mentioned in this podcast:
goevomed.com/lmrc
Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! In this episode, James continues the Group Visit Series with Swathi Rao, PA-C, who owns and operates a functional medicine practice in Indianapolis, IN. What makes her practice unique is the focus on the power of community in conjunction with group visits to inspire lasting lifestyle change in her patients. In addition to running successful group visits in her practice, Swathi has tapped into the local community, like restaurants and yoga studios, to build new business and maintain the health of the patients she’s seeing in-clinic. It’s an interesting avenue of the group visit model that we haven’t yet explored on the Group Visit Series, and I think it will really impact your perspective on group visits and how they can become integral to the communities they service. Highlights of this episode include:
- Swathi’s journey to functional medicine and to discovering the power of group visits
- How she separates group events for patients and group medical visits when billing insurance
- How she leverages the value of the group visit community structure for the benefit of both her community and her patient base
- How Swathi maximizes peer-to-peer interaction in her group visits
- Her tried-and-true strategies for recruiting patients to group visits
- Why some of her best referrals aren’t coming from the usual sources
- Her profound advice for practitioners who are still on the fence about group visits
- And so much more!
Resources mentioned in this episode:
goevomed.com/accelerator
functionalforum.com
bewellfamilycare.com
Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! In this episode, James sits down with Dallas Hartwig, who you’ll recognize as the co-founder of the Whole30 program and co-author of two bestselling books, It Starts with Food and The Whole30. He joins us on the podcast for the first time to talk about his upcoming book, The 4 Season Solution, and explore the fascinating role of seasons, starting inside the cell and emerging all the way through to the seasons of our lives. I think this book is really going to impact the future of our entire industry, especially regarding nutrition. This conversation with Dallas became one of my favorite podcast episodes ever, and I think you’re going to really enjoy it. Highlights include:
- The natural expansion and contraction cycles and how they are relevant to you and your practice, and to medicine in general
- How Dallas’s new book, The 4 Season Solution, could kill the diet book industry and help us rethink diet and nutrition education
- The concept of “chronic summer” and why it is so important to overall health and wellness
- How we can shift perception of change from loss to evidence of progression as we move through seasons of life
- Why conversations about patients’ seasons of life need to be happening in functional medicine practices to help practitioners get to the root cause of health issues
- And so much more!
Resources mentioned in this episode:
The 4 Season Solution preorder
dallashartwig.com
Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! In this episode, James talks with Michelle Peris, ND, creator and facilitator of Rebel Tribe, a community group of women seeking support and health education. She has successfully made group visits sexy—helping women of all walks of life and health statuses build their own tribes and improve their health and wellbeing. A common concern we hear from practitioners starting out with group visits is that their patients won’t be interested in participating. But what’s different about Michelle’s groups is that that they are aspirational; the foundation of the groups encourages people to grow into better versions of themselves, and to draw on the bravery of their co-members to do it. Functional medicine groups are inspirational in that way—they channel community into a force that is powerful enough to motivate lasting behavior change. It was an excellent 30-minute conversation with Michelle, and she shared great insight that will be valuable to anyone looking for strategies to successfully market group visits and recruit patients. Highlights include:
- What inspired Michelle to pursue group visits in her practice
- How to demedicalize the marketing of group visits and attract more participants
- Stories of transformation from Rebel Tribe groups
- How the Practice Accelerator helps facilitate group visits in any practice
- How Michelle plans to continue to grow Rebel Tribe in 2020 and beyond
- And so much more!
Resources mentioned in this episode:
poppyclinic.com/rebel-tribe
goevomed.com/accelerator
functionalforum.com/success-leaves-clues-series
goevomed.com/blogs/the-naturopathic-revolution-is-upon-us-will-you-lead
michelleperis.com/freebie
Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! In this episode, James sits down with team members from Functional Medicine of Idaho, a private practice owned by a husband-and-wife team. After starting their first practice in Boise, they joined the Practice Accelerator program and scaled their business to open a second location. They’re now building their third location as they continue to bring functional medicine is an effective, clear way to their patients. Hearing their journey, from where it started to their vision for the future to how they use group visits to help scale their business, is truly inspiring. But not only that, it provides a road map for any practitioner who is ready to take their practice to the next level. It was a fascinating, fun interview, and I think anyone who is passionate about moving functional medicine forward will enjoy it immensely. Highlights include:
- One practice’s journey from one location to two thriving locations and counting
- How to scale functional medicine so that it is both effective and profitable
- How to create boundaries for specific roles within a practice
- How functional medicine is thriving across the globe and even in rural locations, not just in major cities
- How the Practice Accelerator program helps practitioners scale their care and help more patients, without burnout or high overhead costs
- Where you can learn more about the Practice Accelerator program and when open enrollment begins
- And so much more!
Resources mentioned in this episode:
functionalforum.com/success-leaves-clues-series
goevomed.com/accelerator
funmedidaho.com/
Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! In this episode, James sits down with Dr. Asfia Aftab, a GP partner in the National Health Service in the UK and founder of the Birmingham Functional Forum meetup group. She is also one of the heroes of James’s book, The Community Cure. Dr. Aftab is a dynamic person, with an energy and passion for her work that is inspiring. Her commitment to her practice and to her patients is leading the charge toward a new era of the NHS. There is so much to learn from her in this episode, and we think you’ll really enjoy it. Highlights include:
- What inspired Dr. Aftab to pursue medicine and join the NHS
- How Dr. Aftab is creating change in the NHS
- Why the term “social prescribing” is trending in the NHS right now, and what it means for all functional medicine practitioners
- How Dr. Aftab uses online tools to create offline connections with her patients and colleagues
- How she implements group visits in her practice, and how she continues to grow and develop these groups with her patients
- How Dr. Aftab has built a community around the Functional Forum meetup group she founded—and how this can be a model for all meetup groups to follow
- And so much more!
Resources mentioned in this episode:
January 2020 Functional Forum
Prescribing Functional Medicine
Group Visit Series on EvoMed Podcast
Bioavailability vs. Microbiome Availability
Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! On this episode, James sits down with Dr. Tom Guilliams, who had our most-downloaded podcast of the year in 2019. Dr. Guilliams talks about a topic most clinicians have strong opinions on: bioavailability. With a background in molecular immunology and extensive research on nutrition and dietary supplement efficacy, Dr. Guilliams brings a unique and refreshing perspective to functional medicine clinicians of any discipline who are trying to get the best results with their patients. Highlights include:
- Bioavailability and the new science on what that looks like in the era of the microbiome
- How traditional herbal preparations can maximize microbiome availability
- How attempting to replicate the pharmaceutical model for dietary supplements has brought us to opposite conclusions simultaneously, and how this will be a refreshing conversation for the new decade
- How researchers are devising new ways of thinking about how evidence works in the evaluation of non-drug therapies
- The questions practitioners who want to maximize dietary supplement effectiveness should be asking
- And so much more!
Resources mentioned in this episode:
goevomed.com/lmrc
functionalforum.com/podcasts/podcast-phenotypic-flexibility
thecommunitycure.com
Tickets for PLMI Conference in Chicago
Group Visit Series Part 10: If an Ophthalmologist Can Run Group Visits…
Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! This week, we sit down with Shalesh Kaushal, MD, PhD for Part 10 of our Group Visit Series. This episode looks at group visits from a different perspective—a much narrower one than we have previously shared, and I really love that. If you’ve been following our series or are familiar with group visits, you know that they are effective in so many areas of medicine, but in general, they affect the reversal of chronic diseases. In this episode, we’re talking about group visits in a very specific application: retina disease.
Dr. Kaushal is a pioneer on this front, bringing the power of group visits and community to super specific disease cases. His work exemplifies the broad range of application group visits can have, and how their positive impact can reach across the spectrum of medicine, from the general to the specific. If an ophthalmologist can run group visits, so can you! Highlights of this episode include:
- How Dr. Kaushal got his start in functional medicine
- When he realized he needed to deliver care in a group format
- What he has learned from his work as a medical specialist and group visit practitioner
- How he has used Group Visit Toolkits in practice
- And so much more!
Resources mentioned in this episode:
lifestylematrix.com
lifestylematrix.com/gvthome
reversalchronicdiseases.com
Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine Podcast! This week, we’re talking with Jeremie Kubicek, the well-known speaker and bestselling author who has appeared on our podcast twice before to discuss business aspects of functional medicine practice. In this episode, Jeremie discusses strategies for goal setting in 2020—something we’re all thinking about as 2019 winds down, and even more poignant as we prepare to embark on a new decade. What I appreciated most about the conversation with Jeremie is that he shares actionable steps to make your vision for 2020 a reality. It’s not about avoiding the obstacles that will come your way, but planning how you will overcome them. The process is self-reflective and, I think, a necessary exercise for anyone who wants to make positive change happen in 2020. Highlights from this episode include:
- Learning from Mount Everest’s Sherpas to become a leader worth following
- Jeremie’s strategy for identifying pain points, setting your vision for the future and overcoming resistance
- How overcoming obstacles to your vision might be as simple as how you communicate
- Thinking about group visits as a way to mitigate common sources of dissatisfaction for practitioners
- And so much more!
Resources mentioned in this episode:
100xleader.com
functionalforum.com/podcasts/podcast-getting-the-most-out-of-your-staff-juggling-personalities
functionalforum.com/podcasts/podcast-the-power-of-full-engagement
Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! On this episode, we talk with Dr. Alejandro Junger, a cardiologist by trade and a celebrated and well-known practitioner in the functional medicine space. He is the bestselling author of Clean and Clean 7, and the founder of Clean, a 21-day detoxification experience. Dr. Junger is an expert on detoxification, and one of the first practitioners to advocate for its benefits and widespread use—a detox OG, if you will. He shares his health journey and a powerful testimony to functional medicine. It was a really engaging conversation, and I think you’ll enjoy it. Highlights include:
- How Dr. Junger combines detoxification and intermittent fasting in his new book, Clean 7, to help more people reap the benefits of healthy detoxification
- Dr. Junger’s own health journey and path to functional medicine and detoxification
- Why community is the best approach to successful detoxification
- Why Dr. Junger believes in the power of groups
- His tips and tricks for running successful group visits
- The role of toxicity in chronic disease, and how it is more damaging than most people realize
- How to stop the naysaying and alleviate the tension between the old way of thinking about detoxification and the new way
- And so much more!
Resources mentioned in this podcast:
cleanprogram.com
cleanprogram.com/pages/clean7
functionalforum.com/biotransformation-the-2020-challenge
goevomed.com/groupchallenge
Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! In this episode, part of our Group Visit Series, we sit down with Dr. Elizabeth Markle to talk about her revolutionary practice, Open Source Wellness. It's an incredible story of their journey to organize and synthesize a consistent group visit model. In this episode, you're going to hear about their thoughts about why behavior change was difficult, how to democratize it and make it available for prescription. Dr. Markle also talked about the sequence of behavior changes that happen through patients’ 16-week visit at Open Source Wellness. You’ll also hear a lot about how to facilitate behavior change in a group. It was a really interesting conversation, and I think you'll really enjoy it, especially if you’ve been thinking about starting group visits. Highlights include:
- The origin story of Open Source Wellness and Dr. Markle’s and her c-founder’s vision for the future
- Why patients need democratization and experiences to build healthy lifestyle behaviors and overcome health issues
- Human behaviors that predispose us to crave community, especially when creating healthy habits
- Markle’s secret sauce for developing a thriving community in your practice
- How group visits reward the patient with improved health and community, and practitioners with a deep sense of purpose in their healthcare practice
- And so much more!
Resources mentioned in this episode:
opensourcewellness.org
Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! This week, we sit down with Dr. Elroy Vojdani, a preeminent functional medicine physician, researcher, and educator. Dr. Vojdani and his father, Dr. Aristo Vojdani, widely recognized as the godfather of functional immunology, have partnered to research intestinal permeability and the gut-brain axis. These are two key areas in understanding and resolving autoimmune conditions, which affect millions of patients. Dr. Vojdani shared some of his clinical findings, the strategies and products he uses in clinical care, and why his new practice will feature a meeting space dedicated to group visits. It was a fascinating 30 minutes and if you’re interested in the future of autoimmune disease reversal (and based on that growing number of patients, we all should be), I think you’ll really enjoy it. Highlights include:
- The autoimmunity research Dr. Vojdani and his father are tackling and their latest findings
- The three subtypes of leaky gut and how to treat them
- Why antibody testing is the gold standard for understanding leaky gut
- The best tools for reversing leaky gut
- The strategies and products Dr. Vojdani uses in clinical care to address autoimmune conditions
- Vojdani’s thoughts of precision public health and the future of healthcare
- And so much more!
Resources mentioned in this podcast:
regeneramedical.com/
researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/39442278_Elroy_Vojdani
orthomolecularproducts.com/sbi-protect-capsules/
apexenergetics.com/enterovite
joincyrex.com/the-cyrex-system/array-10-multiple-food-immune-reactivity-screens
Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! In this episode, we sit down with the indomitable Shilpa P. Saxena, MD, who brings her expert knowledge and wit to a conversation on a hot topic in our industry: functional foods. She sees functional foods as an “idiot-proof” entry-level therapy for functional medicine and describes the five patient personas who are perfect candidates. You’ll be surprised how many patients fit into these categories! In addition, Dr. Saxena talks about leadership in functional medicine, and how her perspective on her own style of leading has changed over the years. It was a fascinating 30-minute conversation with one of functional medicine’s finest—you’re sure to enjoy it! Highlights include:
- Why functional foods are an idiot-proof entry-level therapy for functional medicine
- The five patient personas Dr. Saxena has developed and how to engage them with functional foods
- Dr. Saxena’s new perspective on leadership, and what she had to realize about herself in order to become a more effective leader in both her professional and personal life
- What functional medicine practitioners need to master in their leadership of staff and patient communities move the practice of functional medicine forward
Resources mentioned in this podcast:
lifestylematrix.com
goevomed.com/gvt
Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! This episode is the third and final installment in our series with Carrie Jones, ND, MPH and DUTCH Test. Dr. Carrie Jones is a force in the functional medicine community, a modern doc with a holistic approach who can appreciate the best of both medical practices. In her own words, she “helps hormonally challenged people feel less crazy” by using testing and her own extensive knowledge to help people understand their hormones so they can feel empowered to take control of their health.
In this episode, Dr. Jones dives into case studies explaining the cortisol awakening response, assessment and treating chronic diseases. Through these explanations, she provides a clear picture of how CAR testing can be practically applied and the opportunities it provides practitioners trying to help patients caught in a cycle of stress. It was a fascinating 30-minute episode, and an excellent way to cap off our series with Dr. Jones and DUTCH Test. I think you’ll really enjoy it, and you can check out our YouTube channel for additional resources discussed in this episode. Highlights include:
- CAR and stress resiliency played out in real-life case studies
- Best practices for testing and assessing CAR
- Why it is critically important to address issues in the HPA axis first
- The one health change patients can make that is totally free and affects all bodily rhythms
- And so much more!
Resources mentioned in this podcast:
goevomed.com/LMRC
goevomed.com/DUTCH
youtube.com/functionalforum
dutchtest.com
Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! This week, we’re continuing our Group Visit Series with Donna Naumann, NP. She has been successfully running group visits in the St. Louis area for nearly three years, and has seen amazing moments of patient transformation that have convinced her of the power in community care. Her perspective adds so much to the group visit conversation because it is from the front lines of group visit implementation—she shares her experiences, plus practical tips on recruiting patients for group visits and running successful appointments that you can apply to your practice. No matter what topic you’re planning for your next group visit, or if you’re still on the fence about getting started with group visits, you will take away important, real-world information from this episode. Highlights include:
- Her transition to group visits and the resources she used to make implementation a breeze
- Examples of how the group dynamic motivates patients and builds connection in ways that one-on-one consultations cannot
- How to successfully recruit patients for group visits and keep them engaged
- How to structure group visits that are focused on stress and weight loss, two topics that many patients struggle with
- And so much more!
Resources mentioned in this episode:
lifestylematrix.com
lifestylematrix.com/gvthome
Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! In this episode, we’re discussing the gut-brain-pain axis with Robert Silverman, DC. As you know, chronic pain is a problem of epidemic proportion, as is dependence on opioids, with deadly consequences. Healthcare needs a new solution to treating chronic pain, and integrative and functional medicine holds the key.
Dr. Silverman is a chiropractic doctor, functional medicine expert, clinical nutritionist, international speaker and author. At his private practice in White Plains, NY, Dr. Silverman specializes in the treatment of joint pain using functional nutrition combined with cutting-edge, science-based, nonsurgical approaches. Our conversation spanned the scientific, when he discussed how the gut and brain communicate, to the practical, when he shared his seven Rs for healing the gut, to the big picture, when he theorized the protocol he would prescribe to address the opioid epidemic. It was a fascinating 30 minutes, and I think you’ll really enjoy it. Highlights include:
- A deeper understanding of the gut-brain-pain axis, and how it is critical for overall health and addressing chronic pain
- The three pathways through which the gut and brain communicate
- The link between the gut-brain axis and intestinal permeability
- The seven Rs of healing the gut
- Nutrient recommendations for addressing chronic pain
- A vision for chronic pain treatment in the future
- And so much more!
Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! This episode is the second installment in our series with Carrie Jones, ND, MPH and DUTCH Test. Dr. Carrie Jones is a force in the functional medicine community, a modern doc with a holistic approach who can appreciate the best of both medical practices. In her own words, she “helps hormonally challenged people feel less crazy” by using testing and her own extensive knowledge to help people understand their hormones so they can feel empowered to take control of their health.
In this episode, we take a deeper look at stress resilience and share concrete ways you can use the cortisol awakening response with your patients. We also discuss autoimmune patients, some of the most challenging cases to tackle, and how the CAR influences immunity. It was a fascinating 30 minutes, and I think you’ll really enjoy it. Highlights include:
- What the cortisol awakening response can reveal about health, and how to dial in that information for patients
- The impact of the cortisol awakening response on energy levels, resiliency, mood, blood sugar management and autoimmune recall
- How the cortisol awakening response can be an early indicator of autoimmune disease and testing can help you recognize and address it earlier in your patients
- And so much more!
Resources mentioned in this podcast:
goevomed.com/DUTCH
dutchtest.com
dutchtest.com/dutch-fest-2019
Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! This week, we’re talking with Lara Salyer, DO, IFMCP, a family physician based in Monroe, WI whose passion is health education at the micro and macro level. After 15 years as a board-certified family physician, she was unsatisfied with the troubling trend in America: increased dependence on prescriptions yet decreased overall wellness. She enrolled in training courses through the Institute of Functional Medicine and opened her private practice in 2017. Dr. Salyer is one of the key members of our Practice Accelerator and we are thrilled to share her insight in our Group Visit Series.
In this episode, you’ll hear about how Lara has innovated in group visit intake and creating efficiencies in her practice. We talk about her journey with the Practice Acceleratory and her YOUniversity program, which she created to educate patients and give them access to functional medicine testing. This is a super-interesting, energizing 30 minutes for anyone ready to be on the cutting edge of functional medicine delivery. Enjoy! Highlights include:
- Dr. Salyer’s journey from conventional medicine to running a thriving functional medicine practice
- How to use group visits to channel efficiency in functional medicine practice
- How group visits give patients the agency they need to take control of their health and achieve positive outcomes
- The value of the Practice Accelerator, and the power of its “collective group creativity”
- How to build a sustainable business model by identifying and targeting your niche audience for group visits
- How to effectively recruit for group visits and maintain consistent attendance
- And so much more!
Resources mentioned in this podcast:
drlarasalyer.com
YOUniversity Core Classes
rightbrainrescue.com
goevomed.com/accelerator-special
Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! This episode is our second with Jeremie Kubicek, entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and author of 5 Voices: How to Communicate Effectively with Everyone You Lead. The book holds the key to unlocking your capacity to have honest conversations and build deeper, more authentic relationships, and has been an invaluable resource to companies worldwide. In our first episode with Jeremie, he discussed his work in identifying the 5 Voices (the Pioneer, the Connector, the Creative, the Guardian, and the Nurturer) and how they help you discover what your leadership voice sounds like to others and how to hear and value others’ voices.
In this episode, we talk about how you can apply this incredible understanding of emotional intelligence and behavior patterns to your staff. Your staff is truly the front lines of your practice—the way they interact with your patients, their colleagues and even you have an impact on the overall culture of your practice and the patient experience. As the “gardener” of your practice, it is your responsibility to help every “plant” (your employees), no matter their temperament, thrive. By committing to this, you’ll not only see your practice culture and staff retention improve, but also patient satisfaction. It was a fascinating 30 minutes discussing this important but often overlooked topic in healthcare—enjoy! Highlights include:
- How to use the 5 Voices methodology to support your staff and help them become a magnet for new patients
- How to take ownership of your role as “gardener” of your practice greenhouse, and learn what your staff needs to feel supported and thrive in their roles
- How understanding yourself and your natural tendencies can take your listening and relational abilities to a whole new level
- How the different personality types execute and what they need to operate at their best
- And so much more!
Resources mentioned in this podcast:
5Voices.com
5voices.com/assessment
giant.tv
giantuniversity.com/5-voices
giantuniversity.com/ttc
goevomed.com/LMRC
Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! This episode is the first installment in our series with Carrie Jones, ND, MPH and DUTCH Test. Dr. Carrie Jones is a force in the functional medicine community, a modern doc with a holistic approach who can appreciate the best of both medical practices. In her own words, she “helps hormonally challenged people feel less crazy” by using testing and her own extensive knowledge to help people understand their hormones so they can feel empowered to take control of their health. It was an energizing, educational 25 minutes, and I think you’ll really enjoy it.
In this episode, we dive into a cutting-edge topic: the cortisol awakening response (CAR). We discuss how it became the default test for assessing stress and how you can capitalize on this information in your practice. Highlights include:
- Understanding the cortisol awakening response, and how it became the default test for assessing stress
- How testing the cortisol awakening response answers the question, “How resilient are you?” and changes the conversation from testing for disease risk to testing for health opportunity
- How the cortisol awakening response influences alertness and blood sugar management
- Resources for getting up to speed on the cortisol awakening response and implementing this testing in your practice
- And so much more!
Resources mentioned in this episode:
goevomed.com/LMRC
goevomed.com/DUTCH
dutchtest.com
dutchtest.com/dutch-fest-2019
Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! In this episode, we talk with Christopher Mote, DO, DC, IFMCP, a practicing physician and owner of Cornerstone Health Community in Centennial, CO. Dr. Mote has not only mastered the art of group visits in his practice, but also lab reviews in those group health appointments. He finds great joy in teaching and learning more about his patients and their health struggles in this setting, and he shares some great insight into how you too can find both personal and professional fulfillment with group visits.
In this motivational 30-minute episode, Dr. Mote discusses his innovative practice model that blends functional medicine and primary care, how he uses lab testing, and how he makes functional medicine affordable and accessible for his patients. If you’re thinking about implementing group visits in your practice, but don’t know where start, this is the episode for you. You’ll feel a new level of motivation and confidence to pursue this innovative model for patient care. Highlights include:
- How to blend functional medicine and primary care in practice
- Focusing on practice efficiency and avoiding burnout
- Implementing the Group Visit Toolkit and other resources to run successful group visits
- How to share lab results in a group format
- How to effectively recruit patients for group visits
- Insurance considerations for group visits
- And so much more!
Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! In this episode, we sit down with Cheng Ruan, MD, a practicing physician in Houston, TX and founder of the Texas Center for Lifestyle Medicine. His passion for functional medicine stems from his childhood; he comes from a family of Chinese medical doctors. His background and education allow him to combine beneficial aspects of both Eastern and Western medicine approaches to achieve health and wellness for his patients. Dr. Ruan is also on the cutting edge of building communities with group visits and using data to track patient outcomes.
In this insightful 45-minute episode, Dr. Ruan discusses his journey to practicing functional medicine, his work with group visits and billing insurance, how he educates and connects with patients on social media, and how he uses outcomes data to further his practice and the practice of functional medicine on a global scale. Listening to this episode and the insight Dr. Ruan shares, you will feel a new level of confidence in the knowledge that functional medicine is the future. Highlights include:
- How he learned the business behind healthcare and insurance, and used that knowledge to successfully navigate billing in his practice
- How to build preeminence, in addition to sharing clinical knowledge, with your patients
- How to start sharing and educating on social media, and Dr. Ruan’s “golden rules” for marketing on these platforms
- What social media algorithms mean for functional medicine education, and how to continue sharing valuable, evidence-based information with your patients via these platforms
- The biggest mistake he sees with practitioners just starting out with group visits, and how to avoid it
- How he builds thriving communities with the Group Visit Toolkit
- Why outcomes data is vitally important to practitioners in the functional medicine space
- And so much more!
Resources mentioned in this podcast:
www.lifestylematrix.com/group-visit-toolkits
www.lifestylematrix.com
www.grandrounds.ifm.org
www.texascenterforlifestylemedicine.org
Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! In this episode, we talk with Thomas G. Guilliams, PhD, a leading researcher and educator on stress and the brain who currently serves as the vice president of scientific affairs at Ortho Molecular Products and as director of the Point Institute. His studies focus on the mechanisms and actions of natural-based therapies, and he is an expert in the therapeutic uses of nutritional supplements.
In a fascinating 30 minutes, Dr. Guilliams discusses the latest research and terminology in the measurement of health—not the measurement of disease or disease risk, but health. This is a key theme you’ll notice in this episode, that we are fast approaching a healthcare system in which patients are interested in and take ownership of their health and begin addressing concerns with their practitioners long before they are upstream in a chronic disease state. This episode is a brilliant example of the exciting future ahead for functional medicine. Highlights include:
- The key measurements of health and the markers of disease management necessary for health creation
- How cutting-edge terms like “metabolic reserve” and “physiologic resilience” are defined and measured in the body
- The role of the HPA axis in health measurement
- How biological rhythms affect the body’s reserve and resilience to threats
- The main drivers of health creation in the future of functional medicine
- And so much more!
Resources mentioned in this podcast:
Advances in Mitochondrial Medicine Conference
July Functional Forum: Stress and the Brain: Understanding Biological Rhythms
Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! In our latest episode, we sit down with Andrew Heyman, MD, an internationally recognized expert integrative and functional medicine who currently serves as program director of integrative and metabolic medicine at The George Washington University and as the director of academic affairs at the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M). In this episode, Dr. Heyman discusses mitochondrial medicine, the latest in genetic research and our understanding of the cell healing cycle, and the functional aspects of cell metabolism and related genomics.
While this may sound like an educationally hefty half-hour, Dr. Heyman’s teaching approach, deeply rooted in scientific evidence and expert patient care, is easily accessible to both new learners and seasoned practitioners alike. If you enjoy this episode and want to learn more, we’re also sharing an opportunity to continue learning with Dr. Heyman and a panel of speakers he’s curating for an upcoming conference event. Highlights of this episode include:
- What mitochondrial medicine is and why it is important in integrative and functional medicine
- New research on genes and how they turn on and off
- Dr. Heyman’s experience treating Lyme disease and mold-related conditions, and what he’s learned about their impact on the brain
- The possibility of completing reformulating how we understand cell function and what controls those processes
- And so much more!
Resources mentioned in this podcast:
Advances in Mitochondrial Medicine Conference
Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! In Part 4 of our Group Visit Series, we talk with Shilpa P. Saxena, MD, functional medicine practitioner, educator, group visit pioneer and creator of the Group Visit Toolkit. In this episode, Dr. Saxena discusses her decision to practice the group visit model, the inspiration behind the innovative Group Visit Toolkit, and how she practices functional medicine efficiently and effectively. Her wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm for her work are inspiring and made for a brilliant conversation that will empower you to start implementing group visits.
Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! In Part 3 of our Group Visit Series, we sit down with Tawny Jones, chief administrator at the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine.
Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! In this episode, we sit down with Jeremie Kubicek, entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and author of 5 Voices: How to Communicate Effectively with Everyone You Lead.
Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! This episode continues our series on group visits and the pioneers who are bringing this practice model to the masses. We sit down with Dr. Mikhail Kogan, integrative medicine leader at the George Washington Center in Washington, DC.
Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! This episode kicks off our series on group visits and the pioneers who are bringing this practice model to the masses. Today we are honored to welcome the doctor who has been called the godfather of group visits, Dr. Jeffrey Geller.
Welcome back to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! We are excited to reboot the podcast with none other than the godfather of functional medicine, Dr. Jeffrey Bland.
Evolution of Gastroenterology
In anticipation of this month’s Functional Forum: Reversing Digestive Disorders, we bring you this special Podcast: Evolution of Gastroenterology, featuring integrative gastroenterology expert Dr. Ronald Hoffman
This presentation was given in 2014 at the Evolution of Medicine Summit, and is chock-full of digestive health and root-cause resolution clinical tips and tools for today’s functional medicine practitioner.
Tune in now to learn from one of functional medicine’s celebrated digestive health pioneers, including:
- The connection between the GI tract, the GU tract, the urinary tract, sexual organs (specifically in women), the neurological system, the brain, mouth, nose and throat
- An incredible story of a woman who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, only to find out gluten was the real culprit behind her symptoms
- Key clinical clues into gut-related ailments and skin issues
- What types of tests Dr. Hoffman uses to check for gut issues
- The importance of developing “local environmental resistance” to create optimal gut ecology
- Clinical insights on causal factors behind IBS, IBD, ulcerative colitis, leaky gut syndrome, SIBO, and more
And for more on the latest in functional gastroenterology, be sure to join us for this month’s Functional Forum: Reversing Digestive Disorders, LIVE from Washington, DC.
Will you be in the DC area Monday, October 1? Click here to get 2 free tickets to the LIVE show using the coupon code “Dutch”, courtesy of our sponsor: Precision Analytical.
Resources mentioned in this podcast:
Functional Forum: Reversing Digestive Disorders
Evolution of Endocrinology
In anticipation of this month’s Functional Forum, we bring you this very special Podcast: The Evolution of Endocrinology, featuring functional endocrinology expert Dr. Mark Menolascino of The Meno Clinic in Jackson Hole, WY.
This podcast was recorded several years ago for the first Evolution of Medicine Summit, and provides a wealth of clinical pearls and practical tips on today’s endocrine-driven chronic diseases.
Tune in now and get up-to-speed on the latest in functional endocrinology, including:
- The difference between conventional medical endocrinology and functional endocrinology
- The surprising laundry list of chronic conditions rooted in sub-optimal endocrine function including adrenal fatigue, erectile dysfunction, thyroid ailments, diabetes and more...
- What Dr. Menolascino believes are the top 2 misunderstood and mismanaged endocrine conditions
- The role of the gut-liver connection in hormonal function and balance
- The real story behind the endocrine-cancer-connection
- How and where to begin unraveling complex hormonal issues
- ...and much more
And if you’re hungry for more information and best practices in functional endocrinology, click here to join us for this month’s Functional Forum: Evolution of Endocrinology LIVE from Minneapolis, MN.
Will you be in the Minneapolis area Monday, September 10? Click here to get 2 free tickets to the LIVE show using the coupon code “Dutch”, courtesy of our sponsor: Precision Analytical.
Resources mentioned in this podcast:
Functional Forum: Evolution of Endocrinology
This week’s podcast features: Daniel Schmachtenburger, co-founder and director of research and development at Neurohacker Collective, in Complexity Medicine: The Basis for a Functional Standard of Care.
Daniel is a deep thinker and researcher on how human regulatory systems function, how they break down and how they can be supported to function with greater resilience.
In this thought-provoking half-hour, we take a deep dive into the future of personalized medicine, longevity and health, including:
- How Daniel reversed his autoimmune diagnosis by using complexity science theory and functional medicine
- The importance of non-linear thinking and investigation in pinpointing, stopping and reversing the causal factors of complex illness
- Definitions of the 3 tiers of disease within the homeodynamic axis
- The three fundamental tier 1 root causes of disease based on evolutionary code
- How functional medicine practitioners can help attract biotech companies and entrepreneurs into our space
- Insightful tips for practitioners to gain clarity in uncovering root cause(s) in an era of complex clinical cases
- And much more
This was a fantastically dense half-hour of clinical insights, theory and tips...so grab your notebooks (hang onto your hats), listen and subscribe to the podcast today.
Resources mentioned in this podcast:www.neurohackercollective.com
This Evolution of Medicine Podcast, Coaching and Functional Medicine: A Match Made in Value-Based-Care-Heaven, features KNEW Health’s Director of Coaches and the founder of The School of Applied Functional Medicine, Tracy Harrison, MS.
Tracy first appeared on the Functional Forum with her “Future of Functional in Five: Health Coach Keys to the Future” in December 2016 (watch it here).
In this interview, Tracy talks about the value she’s seen in KNEW Health’s experiment of creating a new practitioner: the physician-supervised functional-medicine trained health coach.
Tune in for all details, plus some invaluable tips for doctors and health coaches, including:
- Why Tracy believes strongly that functional medicine science alone is not enough to transform people’s health, and how health coaching helps facilitates the behavioral changes necessary to get sustainable results
- The key role health coaches play in helping practitioners prevent burnout, focus on root cause resolution and run a profitable practice
- An insider look at KNEW Health’s physician-supervised, functional-medicine-trained health coaching model---and how this could rapidly transform the future of medicine
- Why “Tier Two” patients are often the ones who benefit most from health coaching
- The inside scoop on what KNEW Health is looking for when hiring health coaches
- ...and much more
If value in medicine is outcomes divided by cost, then the functional medicine-trained health coach could become the most valuable provider in medicine.
Want to learn more about how health coaches could help streamline your practice? Click here to listen and subscribe to the Podcast today.
Resources mentioned in this podcast:
The School of Applied Functional Medicine
KNEW Health
This Evolution of Medicine Podcast, The Archetype Diet: Where Do Women Source Their Self-Worth? features long-time Functional Forum supporter, food coach and author of the newly released Archetype Diet, Dana James, MS, CDN, CNS.
Dana appeared on the very first Functional Forum in a comedy sketch with our co-founder, James Maskell, called: Think Pink.
Her groundbreaking new book is all about how women’s source of self-worth leads to the formation of their health and lifestyle behaviors.
Tune in for a fascinating listen on how self-worth creates or diminishes women’s health, including:
- What Dana discovered after years of practice about why most women can’t stick to an individual nutrition plan long-term
- The 4 key ways in which women source their self-worth, and how these archetypes influence their behaviors
- Typical lifestyle behaviors and health issues associated with the 4 archetypes
- How to use cognitive behavioral therapy to help your patients crack their archetype code, and thus, improve their health
- Tips for practitioners on identifying and addressing these 4 archetypes in practice
- And much more
If you’re a woman, or a practitioner who sees women in your practice, be sure to listen, and subscribe to the podcast today.
Resources mentioned in this podcast:
The Archetype Diet Reclaim Your Self-Worth and Change the Shape of Your Body by Dana James, MS, CDN, CNS
This Evolution of Medicine Podcast, Community in Action: The Evolution of Meetups, features Dr. Cynthia Thaik—the record-holder for the largest Functional Forum Meetup in Glendale, California.
Tune in today to learn Dr. Thaik’s template for growing her Meetup from zero to over 180 people in no time, including:
- How she used the community-building principles she learned from EvoMed to get started strong—including opening events to the public
- The key strategic relationships they created with event venues, speakers, sponsors and patients that helped build their tribe
- The different formats they’ve used to galvanize their group and encourage collaboration
- Their most effective social media channel for promoting their Meetup
- Which surveys they used to get to know their audience and create targeted event topics to meet their needs
- And so much more
Resources mentioned in this podcast:
The kNew Vision Tour
In this week’s Podcast: Tour Sponsor: Genexa―The Healthier Medicine we announce our newest kNew Vision Tour sponsor: Genexa, in a special interview with CEO David Johnson, and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Mark Menolascino, MD.
Genexa is the first non-GMO, organic micro-pharmaceutical company dedicated to making healthier over-the-counter medicines free from toxic fillers, artificial colors, flavors and sweeteners, gluten, lactose, petroleum and other unsavory ingredients.
And they’re on a mission to educate consumers about what’s really hiding in their OTC medications.
If you’re a practitioner who recommends OTC medicines in conjunction with supplements, OR you’re a patient who uses OTC medicines for yourself or your children, you won’t want to miss this podcast.
Tune in today and learn all about it, including:
- How Genexa—the first organic, non-GMO micro-pharmaceutical company, got started
- Genexa’s mission to help educate the public on avoiding toxic ingredients in medicines
- An overview of their OTC line, including: like talc-free antacids, a menthol roll-on, disodium EDTA-free nasal sprays and clean laxative chewables for children and adults
- A crash-course in the toxic inactive medication fillers and preservatives found in nearly all OTC pharmaceuticals, and the non-toxic ingredients Genexa uses in place of these in their line
- How we’ll work with Genexa throughout the kNew Vision Tour to create a bridge to the 95% of Americans who rely on OTC medicines and know very little about functional medicine
- All about Genexa’s Healthcare Influencer Network, where you can promote your practice, find support, discounts for your patients, carry Genexa in-house and more
We are so excited about what this partnership will mean for the expansion of our community and the worldwide evolution of healthcare.
To learn more, listen, subscribe or read the transcript today.
Practitioners: to learn more about getting referrals, support, discounts for your patients, how to carry Genexa in-house and more, visit: goevomed.com/genexa.
Patients: if you’re interested in getting 2 free tickets to the kNew Vision Tour, courtesy of Genexa, visit: goevomed.com/tour, select your tour date/location and enter the code “Genexa”
(first letter uppercase, the rest lowercase) to claim your two free tickets
Resources Mentioned in this Podcast:
Genexa’s Healthcare Influencer Network (for practitioners)
The kNew Vision Tour
This week’s podcast features Sarah Morgan, MS, “The Gene Queen” and author of the new book: Buddies in my Belly: A Story About Probiotics.
In the podcast, James interviews Sarah about her fantastic new children’s book on the microbiome and her mission to make complex, medical topics easy to understand for children all ages.
Tune in today and discover:
- Highlights about the book and how it can help educate the next generation about their body’s greatest allies
- How the characters “Lactie,” “Bifie,” “Strepie” and “Ba-Silly” came alive in words and illustrations
- What they discovered in their focus groups to make the book ultra-relatable, believable and fun for kids of all ages
- How the principles and resources in this book can help your children and patients adopt healthy behaviors for life
- Sarah’s big vision for creating “The Sesame Street of Health,” starting with the “buddies” initiative
- And much more...
This book is one of our founders, James Maskell’s, favorites to read with his daughter, and it will be available in the Merch Store on the kNew Vision Tour this summer.
Whether you’re a parent, grandparent, parent-to-be, practitioner, teacher, child caregiver or health advocate, this book is a must-have for educating the next generation.
Learn more about the buddies in your belly by listening and subscribing to the Podcast today.
Resources mentioned in this podcast:
Buddies in My Belly
The kNew Vision Tour
This week’s podcast features: Dr. Mat Boulé, DO, posturologist and educator in Posturology: The Missing Link in Root Cause Resolution.
Functional medicine practitioners are trained to look at health from the inside out, but Dr. Boulé has shown often you have to look from the outside in when to comes to specific conditions.
We know structure dictates function, tune in today to discover how this principle works posturally to accelerate healing and help your patients overcome complex issues, including:
- A revealing list of symptoms and conditions which indicate a postural component
- What it looks like to combine functional medicine and posturology in an initial workup
- The influence of body position on the autonomic nervous system
- How addressing structural issues frees up crucial energy which can then to be redirected toward speedier healing
- 3 tips on how to identify possible postural issues in your patients
- And more...
This week’s Podcast serves as a perfect example of why we need our whole community to help patients resolve chronic disease, MDs, DOs, DCs, PTs, and more.
Discover the power of addressing complex issues from the outside-in by listening and subscribing to the Podcast today.
Resources mentioned in this podcast:
The kNew Health Cooperative
This week’s Podcast features movement coach, lifestyle educator, nutritionist and the founder of Primal Play, Darryl Edwards.
In this interview, Darryl shares about the success of Primal Play―a popular fitness practice that utilizes of all your natural surroundings―and his new book, Animal Moves, which outlines 40 different animals you can replicate to make exercise and movement fun for the whole family.
Tune in today and discover a whole new way to exercise, including:
- The evolutionary fitness philosophy behind the Primal Play methodology of movement as medicine
- What a Primal Play fitness session looks like―a refreshingly stark contrast from your typical gym workout
- An overview of the Animal Moves 28-Day movement plan, which outlines 40 different animals you can replicate in just 15-30 minutes a day to make exercise a blast
- The incredible health benefits of focusing on all types of playful animal-movement―jumping, crawling, sprinting, crouching, climbing, static poses, etc.
- Tips on finding rewarding opportunities for natural movement within your local environment, no matter where you live
- The key component community and family participation plays in a successful fitness routine
- And more….
Whether you’re a practitioner interested in curating fun and innovative exercise practices for your patients or an individual looking for ways to improve you or your family’s fitness, this is a must-listen.
Bring some serious fun back into fitness routine by listening to the podcast today.
Resources mentioned in this podcast:
Animal Moves―How to Move Like an Animal to Get You Leaner, Fitter, Stronger and Healthier for Life
Lifestyle Medicine in Community: By the Numbers
This week’s podcast features Dr. Mohan-pal Singh Chandan, a GP working within the NHS who we met at the Prescribing Lifestyle Medicine Conference this year.
Dr. Chandan has garnered government support to start up a community-based lifestyle medicine clinic in a poor area of inner city Birmingham, UK.
By supporting lifestyle interventions and incentivizing peer-to-peer medicine, they’ve not only seen a dramatic reduction in medical visits and pharmaceutical use, but also remissions of so-called chronic conditions throughout their pilot program.
Tune in today to see the dramatic power of lifestyle community interventions for improving patient outcomes, including:
- How Dr. Chandan convinced his employer to fund this pilot program
- A summary of pilot program data, like how patient empowerment led to a 20% reduction in GP visits, a 10% reduction in prescription costs and a variety of positive health outcomes for Birmingham residents
- Dr. Chandan‘s favorite structures for facilitating successful peer-to-peer medicine
- The special role faith-based communities play in community-based healthcare, and how those qualities can translate to any community
- Details on how we plan to use kNew Health Cooperative to bring medicine back into communities, re-empower patients and achieve these same types of results in the United States
This impressive data from Dr. Chandan’s pilot program offers further proof that community-based health incentives and peer-to-peer support are the ultimate creators of good health.
Learn how it’s done (and how we plan to do it with kNew Health) by listening and subscribing to the podcast today.
Resources mentioned in this podcast:
The kNew Health Cooperative
This week’s podcast features our accountability group manager Nicole Villamora on the success of our Practice Accelerator’s Accountability Groups.
With spring enrollment in full-swing (and coming to an end April 27, 2018), James interviews Nicole on why the accountability groups have become a sought-after feature of the Accelerator, and why these group members are crushing it when it comes to practice development and marketing.
Tune in today and discover:
- How the accountability groups came to be, and what we’ve learned over last 2 years to make them super valuable
- What to expect when you join an accountability group, what’s expected of you and how the whole process works
- Why participants in the accountability groups wind up being the most successful in creating the low-overhead, high-profit, purpose-driven practices they want
- Success stories as-told by Nicole from participants
- And much more…
At EvoMed, we’re all about harnessing the power of community to accelerate our movement forward---these groups were created in that same spirit (and they cost a heck of a lot less than hiring a personal business coach).
Open enrollment in the Practice Accelerator is on through April 27, 2018. To learn more, click here to download the program brochure.
This week’s podcast features professional athlete, explorer and 2X record-holder Colin O’Brady in: Overcoming Massive Odds to Change the World.
While we typically feature doctors and experts from within our industry on the podcast, Colin’s background, story and mission run in perfect parallel with our kNew vision for American healthcare.
Tune in today for one of the most inspirational comeback stories you’ll ever hear, including:
- How Colin overcame severe burns to over 25% of his body and the prognosis of “never walking again”, and went on to become a record-shattering professional athlete, explorer and philanthropist
- What he credits as being key in his recovery of body and mindset (hint: integrative medicine played a role)
- The inside-story on what compelled and motivated him to complete (and win) some of the world’s most grueling athletic competitions, including the “Explorer’s Grand Slam” mountaineering challenge
- How his core desire to help eradicate childhood obesity drove him to push himself beyond perceived physical barriers, and inspired him to found his non-profit: Beyond72
- Plus, learn how you can join Colin in his commitment to inspire America’s health and fitness in his Forest-Gump-style state-by-state mountain-climbing tour this summer
Those of us who have answered the call to evolve the future of healthcare know what it feels like to be up against all-odds.
But, if stories like Colin’s teach us anything, it’s that our cause is nowhere near impossible and we can all do more to change the world.
Resources mentioned in this podcast:
The kNew Health Cooperative
Beyond72
Colinobrady.com
This week’s podcast features Darrin Ingles, ND and author of the new book: The Lyme Solution: A 5-Part Plan to Fight the Inflammatory Auto-Immune Response and Beat Lyme Disease.
It’s been almost 4 years since we’ve featured Lyme Disease in our content, and its prevalence has only increased―with cases popping up all over the world.
If you work with Lyme Disease in your practice or are battling the disease yourself, tune in today to discover Dr. Ingles’ most up-to-date and effective solutions for beating Lyme Disease, including:
- A sneak-preview of Dr. Ingles’ 5-step plan for healing Lyme Disease
- The specific diet that works best for Lyme Disease patients
- The top targeted herbal therapies to treat the infection, reduce inflammation, improve circulation, address autoimmune-related conditions and more
- Key environmental factors that exacerbate Lyme Disease, suppress the immune system and can even masquerade as Lyme
- How to get a copy of Dr. Ingles new book: The Lyme Solution: A 5-Part Plan to Fight the Inflammatory Auto-Immune Response and Beat Lyme Disease
- And much more...
Despite the growing prevalence of Lyme Disease, there are very few practitioners―integrative or otherwise―who understand how to detect it, diagnose it and address its insidious symptoms and co-infections at their roots.
Whether you’re a practitioner or patient, the information in this show will help you better understanding Lyme Disease and the most effective, up-to-date therapies to help you beat it.
Resources mentioned in this podcast:
The Lyme Solution: A 5-Part Plan to Fight the Inflammatory Auto-Immune Response and Beat Lyme Disease
This week’s podcast Where Do CEOs Go for High Performance continues our theme of employer health.
In this show, we feature Dr. Ronald Brown, MD and his CEO Seth Conger of Carolina Healthspan Institute in Charlotte.
Dr. Brown and team have created a unique Bredesen-style brain health protocol combining functional medicine and neurofeedback; which has flooded his practice with high-performing CEOs, executives, athletes and business owners.
Tune in today and discover the keys to building a sustainable and wildly successful cognitive health practice, including:
- How they cornered their local market and reached high-level patients by offering neurofeedback, bioidentical hormones and functional medicine in one place
- What’s made them so successful in reversing cognitive decline in patients in an efficient and predictable fashion
- How their signature programs have helped those with cognitive decline, PTSD, head injuries and neurodevelopmental impairments and also high-performers looking to improve executive function
- The keys to developing a systematic hierarchy of needs with each cognitive health patient that produces predictable, measurable results
- The incredible value of offering complex brain function testing to high performers
High-performers like employers, executives, CEOs and athletes are hungry for cognitive health programs like this...get an insider-look at how Dr. Browns’ model could help take your practice to new heights.
In this week’s podcast we revisit our Success Leaves Clues series with Employers at Movie Night, featuring Dr. Tara Scott of Revitalize Medical Group in Akron, Ohio.
Dr. Scott, a member of our Practice Accelerator program, recently executed a blockbuster patient education movie night that made a massive impact on her practice and the local functional medicine movement.
How did she do it?
Tune in today and discover:
- The details of how she put on a blockbuster, practice-changing movie night that attracted key CEOs to her practice and the local functional medicine movement, including:
- How she selected the right movie for the right audience (this is key)
- How she attracted experts for a panel discussion
- Which venue she used
- And how she marketed it to attract over 80 participants and high-level business owners
- Why CEOs and business owners are so interested in events like this, and how it can impact your practice and local movement
- How the Evolution of Medicine book and the Functional Forum helped Dr. Scott transform her business from a high-overhead insurance-based model to a lean, profitable cash-based micropractice
- How she re-branded her practice using the simple tech-strategies taught in the Practice Accelerator and the help of the accountability groups
As Dr. Scott’s story proves, a simple movie night can have an incredible ripple effect on a single practice and the functional medicine movement as a whole...when done right.
In this week’s podcast, James interviews our COO and Chief Marketing Technologist Uli Iserloh, PhD on the top 5 things he learned from last week’s Functional Medicine Success Summit.
Presented by Dr. Peter Osborne, this summit was headlined by our industry’s top practice development experts including Razi Berry, Dr. Sachin Patel, Dr. Matthew Loop and more.
Tune in right now for the top 5 things we learned at the summit, plus Uli’s root-cause solutions for the most common practice ailments holding you back, including:
- How to do a quick practice health check-up to identify systemic insufficiencies within your structures and systems
- Discover the 3 “time thieves” robbing you of time, revenue and better patient outcomes
- The best “set-it-and-forget-it” way to showcase your expertise and make your practice stand out
- The 3 key tools you can use to address the most common chronic practice ailments at their root
- How to implement these tools to increase efficiency, shore up your systems and get your practice back on track
The biggest thing we learned: with the massive demand for functional medicine upon us, practitioners can no longer afford to “just wing it”; you must have the right systems, support and strategies in place to thrive.
Wondering what do to next? Schedule a free practice assessment with an EvoMed concierge here and discover the best next-steps for you.
Want to go deeper? Check out our on-demand training here and learn Uli’s recommendations for optimal website set up and effective automated email marketing.
In Part 2 we welcome back Benicomp Insurance CEO Doug Short to explain how their new product, IncentiCare® makes functional medicine coverage accessible and affordable for all employees, not just CEOs, executives and business owners.
If you got excited about the new patient potential outlined in last week’s podcast, you’ll be jumping out of your seat over what Doug has in store today.
Tune in right now and learn why IncentiCare® and kNew Health will be the driving forces that bring functional medicine to the masses, including:
- What IncentiCare® is, why it’s unlike any insurance product you’ve worked with before and why it’s a perfect match for the functional medicine operating system
- The role our community has to play in the evolution of insurance and “trend suppression”
- Why IncentiCare® is the ideal product for employers interested in cutting healthcare costs and incentivizing healthy lifestyle choices
- How IncentiCare is revolutionizing the insurance industry, by profiting when they save employers money, not the other way around
- What the new partnership between kNew Health and Benicomp means to you, your practice and the future of functional
- How, with your help, the kNew Vision tour and IncentiCare could make functional medicine accessible to millions more people this year
It’s time to act like we’re winning, because a whole new world is about open up for our ecosystem via IncentiCare.
If you would like to support our efforts to make FxMed accessible to millions, we’d love to hear from you about local employers or business owners who could be a good fit for IncentiCare®. Tell us about them by clicking here.
In this week’s game-changing podcast: “Meet the Health Insurance CEO Who Loves Functional Medicine”, James interviews Benicomp Insurance CEO, Doug Short on how functional medicine practitioners can now serve the approximately 200 million Americans receiving insurance through their employer, without cutting rates or changing practice models.
Sound too good to be true? It’s not.
This is the kNew era of medicine we’ve been talking about… and it’s here waiting for you right now.
Tune in now and learn how to get in on this little-known niche, plus:
- Exactly how you, a functional medicine provider, can access the employer-insured market through CEOs, executives and business owners (and get paid handsomely for it)
- How to reduce the cost of your services (including packages) 30-40% for local employers, CEOs, executives and their spouses without cutting your rates
- A clear understanding of how ACA laws are impacting these business owners and our ecosystem
- Who Benicomp Insurance is, why their products are different and how they are able to cover functional medicine services using specific claims and post-tax dollars
- How you can get signed up to be part of this kNew movement and start receiving referrals as employers come to the table
And be sure to tune in next week for Part 2, when Doug lays out how Benicomp can offer this type of functional medicine coverage for all employees (not just high-level executives and business owners).
Want to join forces?
If you’re a practitioner: Click here to enter the names of the CEOs, business owners, HR managers and executives you’ve been seeing for the last 4 years and enter them on the podcast page.
If you’re a patient and/or business owner, CEO, HR Manager, etc interested in getting functional medicine covered for your employees: click here to enter your contact information.
Our goal in procuring these names, is to meet with these decision makers who already see the value in functional medicine for themselves and show them how they could reap the benefits of affordable, consistent functional medicine for all of their employees.
Please forward it to all your colleagues who could benefit.
This week marks the fourth anniversary of the Functional Forum! In our debut 2014 episode, we featured a bright young integrative psychiatrist, Dr. Kelly Brogan, who went on to blow the lid off the mental health world with her controversial, NYT-best-selling book: A Mind of Your Own.
Two years later, James invited Kelly to be part of a new podcast series entitled: “Leaders of the kNew School”, showcasing women physicians leading the charge to a kNew type of feminine-focused, intuitive medicine.
Join your host, James Maskell and NYT Best-Selling Author and holistic psychiatrist Dr. Kelly Brogan, to learn what this kNew era of medicine is all about.
Tune in today and discover:
- Why the old masculine-focused-allopathic model is being replaced by a kNew feminine-focused, patient-centered integrative model
- How to harness the power of feminine-based medicine and non-linear systems to predict and reverse disease before they manifest
- The kNew role of holism in predictive and preventative care
- The power of intuitive action in cases of complexity (for practitioner and patient)
- How to use kNew medicine techniques to motivate and empower your patients to accept control of their own health
No matter what nutrition philosophy you recommend, nearly everyone agrees fasting or cleansing is beneficial to healing.
But…how to guide your patients safely and successfully on a practitioner-led fasting program is no small feat (especially considering how many people suffer from chronic conditions).
If you struggle with uncertainty about implementing fasting programs in your practice then this week’s podcast: Prescribing Lifestyle Medicine: The Power of Fasting is the tutorial you’ve been looking for.
Join your host, James Maskell and fasting expert Dr. Felice Gersh, on how to safely run a clinical fasting program that gets results.
Tune in today and discover:
- Why most doctor-directed fasting programs fail
- Which patients are candidates for fasting, and which aren’t
- The most important pre-fasting step to take before recommending any type of fast
- How to get your patients excited and motivated to stay the course
- Plus get access to the new movie “Fasting” featuring Dr. Gersh
Mastering the art of practitioner-directed fasting takes prescribing lifestyle and functional medicine to a new level...the key is knowing how to do it effectively and safely.
Click here to today to learn how.