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Dr. Turner returns to the Health Solutions podcast to discuss the most important “next level” lab tests to ask your doctor about (ones you may not have thought of). Listen to their fascinating discussion for insight on living your best, healthiest life.

Discover:

• The most important hormone to drive energy levels and weight loss

• The hormone that boosts your immune system, lowers blood sugar, helps weight loss, improves brain function, and protects against Alzheimers

• The hormone that boosts muscle mass, sheds fat, improves strength and stamina, boosts mood and boosts sex drive

• You can’t lose weight if the level of this hormone is high.

• The vitamin that boosts bone and muscle density, fights cancer, strengthens your immune system, and treats autoimmune problems

• The genetic mutation that causes problems with energy levels, immune strength, nerve health, mood, and pain

• This potent antioxidant vitamin also boosts cellular energy generation. And every person taking a statin medication should be on it.

1:12 Introduction to Dr. Turner

2:48 Test #1: Vitamin D

• Strong correlation between low vitamin D levels and chronic pain

• If your vitamin D is low enough, you develop widespread pain that looks like fibromyalgia

• Misnamed - vitamin D is actually a hormone that requires sunlight to activate

• Causes of reduced vitamin D synthesis:

• Indoors all the time

• Sunscreen

• Living in northern latitudes – increased portion of atmosphere that the sun has to penetrate

• Darker skin – the same skin tones that protect against sunburn also block the synthesis of vitamin D

7:19 Benefits of Vitamin D

• Bone density

• Fast-twitch muscle fibers are highly influenced by your vitamin D levels

• Your immune system improves with better vitamin D levels

• Autoimmune disease risk lowers with higher vitamin D

• Often a treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS)

• Strong anticancerproperties

9:21 Vitamin D Dosage

• Start with getting an accurate view of your vitamin D level

• If you’re very low, typical doses would be 50,000 IU per week

• If you just need maintenance, 4,000-6,000 IU per day

• If you’re acutely ill(e.g. COVID) and cannot get tested, 10,000 IU per day is safe

• Best to take a combo product that includes vitamin K2 (prevents calcium build-up in blood vessels)

• Here is my favorite product

10:45 Test #2: MTHFR genetic mutation impairs folic acid activation

• MTHFR (methylene-tetra-hydro-folate reductase) helps activate folic acid, a core B vitamin

• Genetic mutations are common, causing impairments in the functions of B vitamins (energy, immune system, nerve health, depression, pain)

15:16 Test #3: DHEA

• DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone) is a hormone with multiple roles in the body

• Excellent overview here

• Boosts immune system

• Raises intracellular levels of testosterone and estrogen

• Improves blood sugar metabolism and promotes weight loss

• Dosing

• None for women under 35

• Women over 35: 15-25 mg a day, depending on blood levels (goal 250)

• Men: 50-100 mg a day,, depending on blood level (goal 500)

• Brain function: boosts levels of Dopamine and Serotonin, promotes nerve growth, treats anxiety and depression, protects against Alzheimer’s

• In-depth article here

21:26 Test #4: Coenzyme Q10

• CoQ10 is important for creation of energy in your mitochondria

• Often the limiting factor (i.e. a chain is only as strong as the weakest link)

• Also apotent antioxidant

• What is oxidation and why is it bad? Rust on an old truck or a half-eaten apple out on the counter turning brown = oxidation

• Very important if you take statin medications, suffer from chronic fatigue, or have heart problems

• Dosing:

• General health, anti-aging: 100mg

• History of heart problems or statin medication use: 200mg

• Chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia: 400-500mg

• Here is my favorite product

24:36 Test #5: Thyroid

• A initial screen includes TSH, Free T3, and Free T4

• Symptoms of low thyroid: fatigue, weight gain, hair loss, constipation, depression.

• Here is my favorite product to stimulate thyroid function naturally

27:44 Test #6: Fasting Insulin

• Chronically high levels damage blood vessels

• Insulin also sends powerful signals to your cells to store fat: If you have high insulin levels, you cannot lose weight.

• Learn more in these videos: overview, longer one, longer one

29:47 Test #7: Fasting cholesterol

• Blood vessel health is the single most important prevention and anti-aging concept that exists.

• Atherosclerosis (“hardening of the arteries”) is a process that starts as early as your 20s

• The more in-depth cholesterol assessment is called the “NMR lipoprotein profile”

32:56 Test #8: Testosterone

• Men lose one testosterone-producing cell every 4 seconds

• Low T symptoms: fatigue, loss of muscle, belly fat, depression, low sex drive, erectile dysfunction

• Women can also be tested and benefit from fixing low levels, especially as regards loss of muscle, stamina, and sex drive.

Review:

• The most important hormone to drive energy levels and weight loss → thyroid

• The hormone that boosts your immune system, lowers blood sugar, helps weight loss, improves brain function, and protects against Alzheimers → DHEA

• The hormone that boosts muscle mass, sheds fat, improves strength and stamina, and boosts sex drive → testosterone

• You can’t lose weight if the level of this hormone is high. → insulin

• The vitamin that boosts bone and muscle density, fights cancer, strengthens your immune system, and treats autoimmune problems → vitamin D

• The genetic mutation that causes problems with energy levels, immune strength, nerve health, mood, and pain → MTHFR

• This potent antioxidant vitamin also boosts cellular energy generation. Every person taking a statin medication should be on it. Also good for chronic fatigue → Coenzyme Q10

About

Michael K. Turner, M.D., is a graduate of Stanford University, Harvard Medical School and The Mayo Clinic. He practices Integrative Medicine in his own national concierge practice, providing personalized approaches (including hormones, sleep, recovery, nutrition, supplements and exercise) to help people achieve their optimal state of health. Called “genuine”, “caring”, and “the best doctor in the world” by patients, he brings a high degree of empathy, trademark optimism, and a holistic approach to patient care. He brings a passion for excellence to everything he does. He believes in living and modeling a healthy, balanced lifestyle.

What would it feel like to be as healthy as you could possibly be?

Let’s begin the journey…

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit drturner.substack.com/subscribe

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What does it mean to live in the moment? How do we stop dwelling on past mistakes and instead focus on Today? Join the conversation with Dr. Turner as he discusses how to live more meaningfully and begin, today, to build a beautiful future for yourself.

Key Takeaways

• “Today is the first day of the rest of your life.”

• Implication for your past: Since today is the first day of the rest of your life, it reminds us that your past is behind you and cannot be changed. Let it go!

• Today is the end of your past! If there are regrets and mistakes, they get to end today.

• Implication for your future: Today is the first day of the rest of your life. It’s the beginning of your future.

• You will never be as young as you are today.

• You will never have as much time to shape and create your future as you have available to you today.

• “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is today.”

• Today is your action day. You cannot take action in the past or in the future -- only in Today.

• Yesterday is a memory and tomorrow is only a concept. The only day you can do anything is Today.

Time Stamps

[00:00] Today is the first day of the rest of your life

• Your past is gone and done with. It’s only present when you make it so.

• Your most valuable resource is time. You will never have more of that valuable time than today.

• Today is your best opportunity to create something beautiful in your life.

[4:36] Charting a new plan in life

• What is your motivation, your “why”?

• Rehearse your motivation to yourself to stoke your energy for moving forward.

[8:12] We all need a purpose in life

• The most powerful and sustaining purposes involve serving other people.

[11:41] “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is today.”

• Yesterday is a memory. Tomorrow is only a concept. The only day you can do anything is Today.

• Seize the moment to create a beautiful future for yourself. Carpe Diem.

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About

Michael K. Turner, M.D., is a graduate of Stanford University, Harvard Medical School and The Mayo Clinic. He practices Integrative Medicine in his own national concierge practice, providing personalized approaches (including hormones, sleep, recovery, nutrition, supplements and exercise) to help people achieve their optimal state of health. Called “genuine”, “caring”, and “the best doctor in the world” by patients, he brings a high degree of empathy, trademark optimism, and a holistic approach to patient care. He brings a passion for excellence to everything he does. He believes in living and modeling a healthy, balanced lifestyle.

What would it feel like to be as healthy as you could possibly be?

Let’s begin the journey…

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit drturner.substack.com/subscribe

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Dr. Michael Turner joins Josh Tapp on The Lucky Titan podcast to discuss his 5 dimensions of healthy living, focused around the question, “What would it feel like to be as healthy as I could possibly be?”

Key Takeaways

Your most valuable asset is your health, which impacts all other areas of life.

Quality sleep is foundational to good health.

Eating well isn’t about depriving yourself of things that taste good; rather, moderation is the key idea.

Consistent exercise is your single best anti-aging strategy, affecting multiple pathways of aging.

Stay mentally healthy with positive self-reinforcement and affirmations.

Social connectedness is vital: our purpose in life is ultimately to give and receive love, both with God and with others.

Time Stamps

00:00 Introduction

01:02 From Classroom Teacher to Doctor to Online Teacher

Burned out from undergrad; needed to take some time doing something else

Started as a 5th grade teacher (all subjects); later moved to 7th and 8th grade Science.

Desire to reach more people, more effectively, through online health courses

Ability for patients and others to access online curriculum content 24 hours a day

05:00 Your greatest possible investment = improving your health

Your most valuable asset is your health

What would it feel like to be as healthy as you could possibly be?

And what would be the return on investment for spending time getting healthier?

Don’t compare yourself to others around you: this is about you, not them

07:56 Dimension #1: The importance of sleep

Immune system

Your immune system has natural killer (NK) cells that target infections and cancerous cells in your body 24/7

After just one night of 4 hours of sleep, NK cell activity dropped by 30%

Mental acuity

After being awake for 18 hours, you become as cognitively impaired as someone who has a blood alcohol level of 0.05

Brain health

Strong correlation between poor sleep and Alzheimer’s

Sleep is a cleansing process that helps reduce amyloid proteins

11:48 Optimal Sleep Patterns

You want your sleep to be front-loaded; earlier than midnight is ideal

6 hours of sleep between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. is not the same as between 1 a.m. and 7 a.m.

Aim for 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep

If you find yourself needing to take a nap in the afternoon, or drinking coffee regularly, you’re not getting enough sleep

14:15 Dimension #2: Eating patterns and supplements

Supplements can be powerful

E.g. Ginkgo Biloba improves blood flow to the brain

Dr. Daniel Amen – “All of my best brains take Ginkgo.”

The overall healthiest diet is whole foods and plant-based (WFPB).

Avoid sugar and saturated fat.

Moderation, not deprivation, is the key concept, since food isn’t just about your health

Social aspects, taste, joy of living

19:35 Dimension #3: Exercise

The #1 best anti-aging strategy is consistent exercise

Contributes significantly to multiple areas of your body, including:

Heart and lung health

Brain health

Musculoskeletal structure

Testosterone levels

Inflammation

Improves sleep

Try to exercise every day, even if it’s small. Avoid “all or nothing” thinking

E.g. Tabata workout methods - high intensity, 4 min duration

27:30 Dimension #4: Mental Health

Positive self-talk is hugely important

Key takeaway = create affirmations and rehearse them daily

30:39 Dimension #5: Social Connectedness

What is the purpose of life?

To give and receive love

Make time for your relationships, focusing on one or two meaningful relationships every week

35:40 Final Thoughts

Fall in love with the question, “What would it feel like to be as healthy as I could be?”

Take small, consistent, cumulative actions and you will be well on your way.

Resources

Whole foods plant-based diet solves cardiovascular problems https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5466936/

And is effective for weight loss

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7444011/

The Godfather of psychological research on the power of the subconscious mind to shape behavior is John Bargh. Great interview here.

About

Michael K. Turner, M.D., is a graduate of Stanford University, Harvard Medical School and The Mayo Clinic. He practices Integrative Medicine in his own national concierge practice, providing personalized approaches (including hormones, sleep, recovery, nutrition, supplements and exercise) to help people achieve their optimal state of health. Called “genuine”, “caring”, and “the best doctor in the world” by patients, he brings a high degree of empathy, trademark optimism, and a holistic approach to patient care. He brings a passion for excellence to everything he does. He believes in living and modeling a healthy, balanced lifestyle.

What would it feel like to be as healthy as you could possibly be?

Let’s begin the journey…

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit drturner.substack.com/subscribe

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Dr. Turner joins A Global and Holistic Approach to Your Health as a guest to discuss his holistic, integrative approach to Long COVID treatment.

His initial approach to Long COVID include addressing pneumonia symptoms, low adrenal function, brain inflammation, and improving vascular/circular health.

Join Dr. Turner for a further exploration of sleep and the immune system, including the importance of a resting bedtime ritual and slow-wave sleep.

3 Key Takeaways

You don’t need to choose between western and eastern medicine to improve your quality of life. Oftentimes, it takes a little bit of everything to get you to your best health.

Long COVID is treatable. I’ll share four methods for treating COVID, boosting your immunity, and improving your overall health.

Sleep is essential for your immune system. Removing hours from your rest routine will sabotage your immune system and prolong any illness.

Time Stamps

[1:40] Introduction

[4:54] Dr. Turner’s 4 initial approaches to long-term COVID

Any active COVID symptoms?

In particular, any cough or lingering sign of pneumonia?

Assess the patient’s adrenal function

COVID can impact your adrenal glands

Symptoms: brain fog; fatigue, especially in the morning

If you have a good night’s sleep but still awaken feeling tired, that is a cardinal sign of low adrenal function

Reduce brain inflammation

This is what drives brain fog or loss of taste and smell (neuro-inflammatory damage)

Can be addressed with supplements or medication

Improve circulation

COVID predisposes to blood clots

Spike protein damages lining of blood vessels

Can be addressed with exercise, supplements, and medication

[11:37] Having long COVID is not an interminable sentence

Recommends Front Line COVID Critical Care (FLCCC)

Publishes effective long haul protocols

Long COVID is treatable and curable

[18:33] Sleep health: The importance of a resting bedtime ritual

Learn to give yourself a resting bedtime ritual, like tucking kids into bed

The key is transitioning yourself from day-to-day energy for problem-solving to a nighttime state of internal recharge

Don’t watch TV, pay bills, or having emotionally-charged conversations right before bed

Some examples of restful activities: journaling, listening to calming music, reading with a night light, soaking feet in epsom salt, etc.

[20:34] Sleep health: optimal conditions

Think of a tomb: cold, dark and quiet

Optimal sleep is at about 66 degrees

Slow-wave Sleep

Deepest, most restorative stage of sleep

Lack of slow-wave sleep is correlated with Alzheimer’s

Can be improved with exercise, supplements, medication

[23:24] Sleep and your immune system

During sleep your body goes through cellular turnover and renewal

The body reproduces approximately 300 billion cells per day

Without sufficient sleep, your body is not producing the necessary immune cells to maintain optimal health. Excellent article here.

Your immune system fights infections mainly when you are asleep, not when you are awake!

[30:54] Final thoughts

Holistic, integrative solutions to living healthy, drawn from his experience as a physician, teacher, and high-level athletic enthusiast

Resources

How to Prevent and Treat COVID

Sleep and Immune Function

mydaolabs.com

FLCCC website

About Dr. Turner

Michael K. Turner, M.D., is a graduate of Stanford University, Harvard Medical School and The Mayo Clinic. He practices Integrative Medicine in his own national concierge practice, providing personalized approaches (including hormones, sleep, recovery, nutrition, supplements and exercise) to help people achieve their optimal state of health. Called “genuine”, “caring”, and “the best doctor in the world” by patients, he brings a high degree of empathy, trademark optimism, and a holistic approach to patient care. He brings a passion for excellence to everything he does. He believes in living and modeling a healthy, balanced lifestyle.

What would it feel like to be as healthy as you could possibly be?

Let’s begin the journey…

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit drturner.substack.com/subscribe

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Dear Friends,

Like you, I am eager to see this whole pandemic come to an end and to do everything in my power to help myself, and those I love, stay healthy and strong.

Like you, I know people – close friends – who have died from this dreadful disease. We have suffered way too many lives lost; and way too much social, educational, and economic damage.

Perhaps differently from you, as a physician, I have been blessed with inside knowledge of physiology and medicine – and, if I don’t know something, I know where to look to educate myself on it. I can look behind the veil of media censorship to understand what truly does and does not work. I have used this knowledge, combined with practical expertise, to successfully provide prevention and early treatment for thousands of people.

My desire is to make this critical information more widely known.

Guess what?

I just did a Google search for “How to treat COVID at home.” Here is what I found:

Get vaccinated?.. What?… I am not “anti-vax” but we need to be honest – vaccination is not even a treatment, it’s a prevention strategy (with an increasingly questionable risk/benefit ratio). Not to mention, someone with COVID should never get the injection while he or she is actively sick.

“Water. Rest. Tylenol and ibuprofen...Masks, isolation, and quarantine.”

The #2 Google search result was from the Mayo Clinic… More of the same.

Is that all we can do?... Seriously?

What about Vitamin D?... Zinc? .. Gargling with mouthwash to kill the virus? Nasal sprays?

What about the fact that Dr. Brian Tyson and Dr. George Fareed (Harvard Medical graduate) gave early treatment to over 3,000 people with zero deaths, published a book about it, and even spoke on record at the US capitol over a year ago? (actions which promptly got them banned from Twitter and YouTube).

This is a disgrace. This silence is deafening and is causing unnecessary suffering and loss of life. We can do better – and we will.

It’s time to join with me, and many others, to get this message out. I am going to do my part and share with you the best of my expertise and insight; it’s up to you to do the rest.

Let’s get started …

Step 1: Strengthen Your Immune System

Your best defense against COVID is a healthy, robust immune system (which is, for example, the goal of the vaccine). There are many ways to do this, but here is my personal list of the absolute most impactful suggestions:

SLEEP
The strength of your immune system today is affected by the quality of sleep you had last night. And when you are sick, this becomes even more important: Your body fights COVID (or any infection) mainly when you are asleep, not when you are awake. This is why when you get sick you feel both sick and tired – your body is trying to send you a message: “Put me to sleep so I can get active fighting this infection.”

EXERCISE
Besides all the good exercise does for the heart, lungs, brain, muscles, etc. it also boosts your immune system. In fact, if I were to draw your blood immediately after doing cardio, it would show higher circulating levels of white blood cells (via a phenomenon called “demargination”).

MINIMIZING/AVOIDING SUGAR
You already knew sugar wasn’t good for you...Enough said.

MUSHROOMS OR MUSHROOM EXTRACTS
Mushrooms are great for the immune system. My personal favorite is the ABM mushroom. There’s a reason the natives call it “the mushroom of God.”

AGED GARLIC
Take your garlic just like Grandma used to tell you.

NAC (N-ACETYL CYSTEINE)
NAC is a blockbuster natural supplement the FDA is trying to take away from us. (How do you spell “drug company influence”?) Read more of the science here.

SELENIUM
Selenium is a trace mineral and a potent anti-cancer weapon.

PROBIOTICS
Turns out healthy bacteria in your gut are good for your immune system – helping not only with infections but also allergies.

CHINESE HERBAL MEDICINE
I can’t claim to understand it, but I have seen this product work miracles for family members.

Step 2: Supplements Specifically Active Against COVID

The story gets even better: There are supplements known to have a specific role during a COVID infection. To make things simple and actionable, I created this chart:

References: FLCCC website and this YouTube video

*TUMERIC/CURCUMIN
Here are my recommendations for a savory tea or the highest-potency oral capsule (used at MD Anderson and UCLA Medical Center in their studies of turmeric and cancer).

*QUERCETIN
The best source (price, quality, etc.) I have found is this formulation.

*MELATONIN
Listed here not because it helps you sleep (which is great) but because it has direct activity against COVID. I prefer the extended-release formulation because it helps you stay asleep as well as fall asleep. One pill at bedtime of this formulation.

*NAC
NAC can be hard to obtain. The best source I have found is this formulation.

Step 3: Preventative Medications

1. Gargling and nasal irrigation twice a day (using 1% povidone iodine, or this nasal spray, or mouthwash). The COVID virus first settles into your throat and nasal passages and from there multiplies and spreads. Why not knock it down at its source?

2. Ivermectin at 0.2 mg/kg twice a week (read all about it). The horse paste that happens to have won the Nobel Prize in medicine; launched a worldwide, DIY, COVID-treatment revolution; and antagonized pharmaceutical executives worldwide…You can’t make this stuff up… Power to the people!

3. Hydroxychloroquine 200 mg once a day (read all about it). (Note: only helpful when used as prevention or early treatment.) This drug was off to a great start until Trump started shouting it from the rooftops and it suffered from political backlash. Further studies also took some wind out of its sails by showing it does not help if given too late in the disease.

Step 4: The Boy Scout Motto (“Be prepared”)

Buy a nebulizer. This is basically a humidifier with a mouthpiece and a reservoir to add medication. When I used to work in the ER, the first thing we would do for anyone having significant breathing problems (short of intubation) was to give them oxygen and breathing treatments through a nebulizer… This is the same thing that happens in a hospital if the doctor calls for the Respiratory Therapist.
So get ahead of the game and have one ready – that way, if you end up with breathing problems and need urgent medication (Albuterol and/or Budesonide), you won’t have to scramble to get one. They are available without a prescription from pharmacies, medical device stores, or even online.

Nebulizer

Extra credit: A home oxygen machine and a facemask. Search online for “oxygen concentrator.”

Step 5: Early Treatment

1. Aspirin 325 mg once a day (unless contraindicated). The COVID virus predisposes to blood clots and inflames the lining of the blood vessels ("endothelial damage"); aspirin is a potent blood-thinner and anti-inflammatory.

2. Start rescue doses of these medications to have on hand in the medicine cabinet:

Paxlovid twice a day for 5 days. Very promising results when started within 5 days of symptoms. Good safety profile. Some intriguing examples that it may even help with Long COVID. The challenge is that it interacts with multiple medications, isn't recommended for people with kidney or liver disease, and some people experience "Paxlovid rebound" -- a resurgence of symptoms after their initial treatment stops.

Ivermectin at 0.4 mg/kg once a day. Binds spike protein, impairs viral entry into cells, interferes with viral replication (inhibits RNA polymerase), potent anti-inflammatory effects (suppresses IL-6, TNFα, and NF-kB).

Hydroxychloroquine at 200 mg twice a day. Impairs viral entry into cells, helps prevent cytokine storm, enhances uptake of zinc into cells (“zinc ionophore”), anti-inflammatory.

Doxycycline at 100 mg twice a day or Azithromycin at 250 mg twice a day. Impairs viral entry into cells, potent anti-inflammatory effects (suppresses IL-6, TNFα, and NF-kB).

Not Recommended: Molnupiravir -- Initial data looked promising but the more it was scrutinized, the less impressive the results. It also has serious safety concerns -- in fact, an independent panel of scientific advisors, convened by the FDA to offer their expert opinion on the risk/benefit ratio, barely passed it, with 13 in favor and 10 against. Read all about it here.

Conclusion

And there we have it, my friends. This is the very best information I can provide you at this time. If there are any other proven treatments out there, let me know – you will have my gratitude and appreciation; of course, I will continue my own diligent search.

I want to leave you on a note of positivity and optimism: This disease is preventable. It is treatable. It is not Ebola. You can prepare ahead of time and be successfulin staying out of the hospital. You do nothave to live your life in fear. These precautions canrelieve your anxietyand help you reclaim your quality of life.

Amen?

Amen!

Best Wishes,

Health & Wellness with Dr. Turner is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

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It’s that time of the year – trees bloom, hot winds blow, sinuses get irritable, and red eyes and sneezing threaten to become a part of your daily life. Allergy season.

I struggled with this as a child growing up in some of the richest and most diverse farmland in the country – central California. Hot summer days found me wanting to claw my eyes out and became the occasion for trips to the ER because of asthma flares. My mom lived in a high state of alert.

Can anything be done from a natural viewpoint to help?

Absolutely.

Magnesium. Did you know you have a 50% chance of being magnesium deficient? Turns out to be the most common mineral deficiency in the U.S – estimated to effect half our population. This is thought to be due to the declining mineral content in our soils and the fact that processed foods become depleted of magnesium. Also, people who exercise heavily have an increased need.

Magnesium deficiency can cause an increase in histamine levels in the blood after being exposed to allergens. (Histamine is released from mast cells and is the main chemical mediator of an allergic reaction -- hence the benefit of “antihistamines”.) Good sources include nuts, legumes, fiber-rich whole grains, spinach, dairy, and dark chocolate (yay!). Because deficiency is so common, it is advisable that everyone supplement with 300 mg a day of a well-absorbed form (citrate, glycinate, taurate, aspartate or threonate).

Tip: The most accurate blood test for magnesium is not a simple serum concentration (which is what is typically ordered) but an “RBC magnesium” (aka Red Blood Cell magnesium).

Tip: Magnesium is well-absorbed topically. So you can buy some magnesium oil and apply once daily or enjoy a foot soak with Epsom salts (which contain significant amounts).

Tip: Do you struggle to keep your blood levels of Vitamin D up? In other words, are you one of those people who must take seemingly excessive doses of Vitamin D just to keep a minimal blood level? This is a sign of magnesium deficiency (read more here).

Quercetin: A natural antioxidant and bioflavonoid with proven anti-histamine effects, it’s naturally found in broccoli, cauliflower, green tea, and citrus fruits. If taken as a supplement, I recommend 250 mg or so a day. A great value brand is here (paired with bromelain, which reduces inflammation).

Bonus: Quercetin has strong anti-viral activity and is therefore recommended for COVID treatment (see FLCCC protocols), besides its activity against other viruses like the flu or herpes.

Vitamin C. Besides its roles as an antioxidant and its importance in adrenal function, vitamin C helps reduce histamine release and speeds histamine breakdown. For severe allergy sufferers, I recommend a sustained release formulation, like this one, at 1000-2000 mg a day.

And there we have it, my friends: my best suggestions to get some immediate allergy relief, naturally.

Bonus Content: If you need medication, my go-to is a simple over-the-counter Claritin 10 mg. Lasts all day and non-drowsy. Works like a champ.

Your Trusted Partner In Health,

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Ever had that feeling of trying to start your day and just not having the energy to get going? Or doing fine till mid-afternoon, when you start begging for a nap, coffee or some Red Bull?
I’ve been there, trust me.
I’m going to share with you a safe, all-natural and immediately effective solution for an instant and sustained burst of energy: a blue light box.
Perhaps you have heard about these for treating Seasonal Affective Disorder (basically, mild depression due to lack of sunlight). Turns out that’s not all – the blue spectrum of light also powerfully stimulates the alerting centers of your brain.
Even been tent camping? Ever fallen asleep late, exhausted, and yet found yourself snapping awake at the break of dawn? Why did that happen? Why didn’t you sleep more?
Dawn light has a predominance of blue-spectrum wavelengths, which enter through the tent, through your closed eyelids, through your pupil and directly to the part of your brain that controls alertness (“suprachiasmatic nucleus”).
You can buy a quality unit online for about $60. Use for between 10-30 minutes.

Your Partner in Health,

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Dr. Turner concludes his series on helping you boost your brain health naturally. Tune-in and learn why sugar is so damagingfor your brain; a review of all the brain health principles presented thus far, and a Q&A of brain-related questions, including a discussion of the vagus nerve, why your brain loves words, effects of fasting, screen time, and eating habits.

4 Key Takeaways

• Sugar is damaging for your brain in multiple ways (decreases BDNF, is addictive, drives inflammation, promotes overeating).
• Exercise is the single most important thing you can do for your brain.
• Preventing atherosclerosis by following a heart and brain-healthy diet boosts blood flow and prevents strokes.
• Certain supplements will boost your brainpower (Ginkgo Biloba, Resveratrol, Gotu Kola).

Resources

Negative effects of sugar on the brain

Basic overview of health effects of the vagus nerve

Personality changes after heart transplantation

Beneficial effects of fasting on your brain

Negative effects of technology on your brain and mental health

Explore and apply these subjects in more depth with Dr. Turner's "Change Your Brain, Change Your Life!" curriculum:

https://www.michaelturnermd.com/contents/services/brain-health

Ready to take action?

• What if you took some time to further learn and develop habits of health that would optimize your brain function for the rest of your life?
• Dr. Turner has created a multimedia curriculum, delivered by email, to help you. This is a dynamic 12-week program filled with engaging content and actionable steps to help you optimize mental function and prevent disease.
• Click here to learn more

About Dr. Turner

Michael K. Turner, M.D., is a graduate of Stanford University, Harvard Medical School and The Mayo Clinic. He practices Integrative Medicine in his own national concierge practice, providing personalized approaches (including hormones, sleep, recovery, nutrition, supplements and exercise) to help people achieve their optimal state of health. Called “genuine”, “caring”, and “the best doctor in the world” by patients, he brings a high degree of empathy, trademark optimism, and a holistic approach to patient care. He brings a passion for excellence to everything he does. He believes in living and modeling a healthy, balanced lifestyle.

What would it feel like to be as healthy as you could possibly be?

Let’s begin the journey…

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Host Dr. Turner continues the discussion on improving your brain, starting with an analysis of “foods that harm and foods that heal”. Tune-in and learn how saturated fats harm your body, how to boost blood flow to your brain, and discover how solving The French Paradox (people who eat more fatty foods and yet remain healthy) gives you a huge resource to boost your brain.

3 Key Takeaways

• Your cognitive ability is linked to your aerobic capacity, no matter your age.
• Foods that harm are those that promote atherosclerosis (saturated fat, trans fat, sugar, refined carbs, meat).

It is possible to reverse atherosclerosis by changing your diet.

Resources:

One meal high in saturated fat causes immediately negative changes to blood vessels

• Good article here
• And another here

Best diet advice for preserving heart, vessel and brain health:

• Dr. Ornish Longevity Program
• Pritikin Longevity Center
• Dr. Esselstyn

Cognitive benefits of exercise

About Dr. Turner

Michael K. Turner, M.D., is a graduate of Stanford University, Harvard Medical School and The Mayo Clinic. He practices Integrative Medicine in his own national concierge practice, providing personalized approaches (including hormones, sleep, recovery, nutrition, supplements and exercise) to help people achieve their optimal state of health. He brings a passion for excellence to everything he does. He believes in living and modeling a healthy, balanced lifestyle.

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Your amazing brain: the source of your memories, your thoughts, your intelligence, and your personality.

The control center of the rest of your body.

Wouldn’t it make sense to invest a little time learning to optimize the health of your brain?

Join Dr. Turner as he educates and inspires you towards optimal brain health.

3 Key Takeaways

• All the functions of your brain are based on the integrity and health of 3-dimensional, physical connections between nerves.
• The most essential factor for a healthy brain is sufficient blood flow.
• Atherosclerosis (“hardening of the arteries”) results in diminished blood flow, thereby killing your brain slowly (aka dementia) or suddenly (aka stroke).

Ready to take action?

• What if you took some time to further learn and develop habits of health that would optimize your brain function for the rest of your life?
• Dr. Turner has created a multimedia curriculum, delivered by email, to help you. This is a dynamic 12-week program filled with engaging content and actionable steps to help you optimize mental function and prevent disease.
• Click here to learn more

Resources

• Phenomenal science-based summaries of pertinent health topics: nutritionfacts.org

About

Michael K. Turner, M.D., is a graduate of Stanford University, Harvard Medical School, and The Mayo Clinic. He practices Integrative Medicine in his own national concierge practice, providing personalized approaches (including hormones, sleep, recovery, nutrition, supplements, and exercise) to help people achieve their optimal state of health. He brings a passion for excellence to everything he does. He believes in living and modeling a healthy, balanced lifestyle.

Show Notes

[2:26] Importance of prevention

• "Instead of asking 'Now that I'm sick, What do I do about it?' It's asking "How do I be as healthy as possible and how good would that feel?" -Dr. Turner

[3:35] Your brain: a network of 200 billion interconnected cells

• Each nerve has up to 4,000 "tentacles" connecting it to surrounding nerves.
• Each connection is called a “synapse”.
• Alzheimer’s involves shrinkage in which these connections are pulled apart; eventually, entire networks (memory, movement, speech) cannot function.

[8:30] Memories and learning both require strong neural connections

• Every memory you have is stored as a series of physical connections between nerves!
• Any time you learn something new you are creating new connections between neurons.

[9:50] What does the brain most need in order to be healthy? Adequate blood flow

[13:55] What do strokes and heart attacks have in common? Lack of blood flow due to atherosclerosis

• The problem is the same in the brain or the heart: an acute lack of blood flow
• Some doctors have proposed renaming “strokes” as “brain attacks”.
• "If you could prevent this, you'd be preventing the number one cause of death in the world." -Dr. Turner

[19:25] Atherosclerosis: The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

• Smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, LDL cholesterol

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“Behind every challenge is an opportunity.” The last two years of the COVID pandemic have been a difficult time for everyone, but like all other challenges we go through, they are also an opportunity to act in courage and faith to lift others up.

Dr. Turner concludes his candid reminisces about hardships from his past, including adopting four children, two marriages that ended in divorce, taking the biggest risk of his career, and losing close friends to COVID. But most importantly, he shares lessons learned from these adversities.

Join Dr. Turner on today’s episode of Manna as he shares a message of hope and encouragement.

Key Takeaways

We all face challenges in life, some more difficult than others. For Dr. Turner, these included:

• Adopting four young children
• Two marriages that ended in divorce
• Giving up a well-paying, comfortable job
• Losing two dear friends to COVID

But what ultimately matters is how we respond to those challenges. “The man who thinks he can and the man who thinks he can’t are both right. Which one are you?” Henry Ford.

Resources

Website

Instagram

Facebook

LinkedIn

Twitter

Google Business Page

About

Michael K. Turner, M.D., is a graduate of Stanford University, Harvard Medical School and The Mayo Clinic. He practices Integrative Medicine in his own national concierge practice, providing personalized approaches (including hormones, sleep, recovery, nutrition, supplements and exercise) to help people achieve their optimal state of health. He brings a passion for excellence to everything he does and believes in living and modeling a healthy, balanced lifestyle.

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Have you ever been fired from a job, resorted to stress-eating, or failed to achieve a dream?

You’re not alone. Dr. Turner continues sharing candidly some of the challenges he has faced and his shortcomings in dealing with them.

Join us on this episode of Manna as we explore some of Dr. Turner’s most formative experiences.

Key Takeaways

Dr. Turner can relate to you if you …

• Have been fired from a job
• Have struggled to make ends meet on a tight budget
• Have responded to stress in unhealthy ways
• Have experienced the death of a dream

Resources

Website

Instagram

Facebook

LinkedIn

Twitter

Google Business Page

About

Michael K. Turner, M.D., is a graduate of Stanford University, Harvard Medical School and The Mayo Clinic. He practices Integrative Medicine in his own national concierge practice, providing personalized approaches (including hormones, sleep, recovery, nutrition, supplements and exercise) to help people achieve their optimal state of health. He brings a passion for excellence to everything he does and believes in living and modeling a healthy, balanced lifestyle.

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What makes Manna different from other health-focused podcasts?

In this inaugural episode Dr. Michael Turner shares his perspective about why you’ll find value here. Uninterested in marketing pitches disguised as educational advice or selling products you don’t need, he prizes honesty, efficiency, and directness.

From holistic and integrative health advice drawn from multiple sources, to positive inspiration and spirituality, our host describes Manna as “world-class health and wellness advice, combined with a dose of inspiration and spiritual encouragement.”

Join Dr. Turner as he explains three key reasons why you and your loved ones will want to listen.

Key Takeaways

• Holistic and integrative health advice, drawn from all streams of wellness.
• Inspiration: Dr. Turner speaks from a place of positivity, hope, and enthusiasm.
• Spirituality: Dr. Turner approaches everything he does from a spiritual framework, as a calling from God and not just a job.

ResourcesWebsite

Instagram

Facebook

LinkedIn

Google Business Page

About

Michael K. Turner, M.D., is a graduate of Stanford University, Harvard Medical School and The Mayo Clinic. He practices Integrative Medicine in his own national concierge practice, providing personalized approaches (including hormones, sleep, recovery, nutrition, supplements and exercise) to help people achieve their optimal state of health. He brings a passion for excellence to everything he does, and believes in living and modeling a healthy, balanced lifestyle.

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Dr. Turner discloses some of the challenges he experienced growing up and how you might be able to relate. Stepping into his past, he shares intimate insights from childhood through college that helped shape him to be the person he is today.

From a difficult relationship with his father, to struggling as an overweight kid among peers; from feeling out-of-place as a minority, to becoming an exchange student in a foreign country; Dr. Turner has a deep understanding of challenges and the important role they play in shaping who we are.

Discover how these experiences informed who he is, and how that knowledge can inspire you today on Manna.

Key Takeaways

Dr. Turner can relate to you if you …

• Come from a divorced home
• Have experienced “Daddy Issues”
• Have felt out-of-place
• Have struggled with your weight
• Had to adapt to a different culture
• Felt overwhelmed in school

Resources

Website

Instagram

Facebook

LinkedIn

Google Business Page

About

Michael K. Turner, M.D., is a graduate of Stanford University, Harvard Medical School and The Mayo Clinic. He practices Integrative Medicine in his own national concierge practice, providing personalized approaches (including hormones, sleep, recovery, nutrition, supplements and exercise) to help people achieve their optimal state of health. He brings a passion for excellence to everything he does and believes in living and modeling a healthy, balanced lifestyle.