loader from loading.io

20. The Microbiome Makeover: Secrets to a Healthy Gut

Walk, Don't Run to the Doctor with Miles Hassell, MD

Release Date: 11/22/2024

42. Are Red Dye, High Fructose Corn Syrup, and Fancy Tests Health Distractions? show art 42. Are Red Dye, High Fructose Corn Syrup, and Fancy Tests Health Distractions?

Walk, Don't Run to the Doctor with Miles Hassell, MD

In this episode of Walk Don’t Run to the Doctor, Miles Hassell MD unpacks the common health “distractions” that steal attention, money, and energy from what really matters for your well-being. From the sugar wars (high fructose corn syrup vs. cane sugar), to food dyes, celebrity health fads, and fancy but questionable medical tests, we explore how to separate hype from evidence. Key Takeaways: High fructose corn syrup and cane sugar are equally harmful—what matters is cutting refined sugars overall. Food dyes aren’t the main problem—we shouldn't be eating the ultra-processed...

info_outline 41. Your letters: Listeners Avoiding Surgery show art 41. Your letters: Listeners Avoiding Surgery

Walk, Don't Run to the Doctor with Miles Hassell, MD

In this episode, Miles Hassell, MD answers heartfelt listener letters about gallbladder disease and knee pain—sharing real-life stories of patients who successfully avoided major surgeries through lifestyle medicine. From tackling gallstones with diet and exercise to managing osteoarthritis without knee replacement, Dr. Hassell highlights how small, consistent changes—like removing sugar, eating a Mediterranean-style diet, incorporating probiotic foods, and staying active—can dramatically improve health outcomes. Key Takeaways: Gallbladder health: Slow weight loss, high-fiber foods...

info_outline 40. The Truth About Ultra-Processed Foods and Your Child’s Health show art 40. The Truth About Ultra-Processed Foods and Your Child’s Health

Walk, Don't Run to the Doctor with Miles Hassell, MD

In this episode, Miles Hassell MD, an internal medicine physician from Portland, Oregon, dives deep into one of the most important responsibilities of parenthood—feeding your kids well. He tackles the real-life challenges families face in a world dominated by ultra-processed foods, marketing traps, and busy schedules. Learn how simple, home-cooked meals can drastically improve your child’s mental and physical health, prevent chronic diseases, and build lifelong habits. From breakfast hacks to family cooking tips, this episode is a practical and inspiring guide for every parent. Key...

info_outline 39. The Truth About Vegetable Oils show art 39. The Truth About Vegetable Oils

Walk, Don't Run to the Doctor with Miles Hassell, MD

In this episode, Miles Hassell MD breaks down the often misunderstood world of cooking oils. From olive oil to avocado oil, he explains which fats support long-term health—and which ones belong in the trash. Key Takeaways: Extra virgin olive oil is the only widely available oil with strong evidence supporting real health benefits. Avocado, canola, and other industrial oils are ultra-processed, taste terrible without the help of BigFood processing techniques, and lack nutritional value.  Avocados are good food though...thinly sliced, they top any meal or snack nicely. Don’t be...

info_outline 38. Constipation: Fix It Naturally – No Pills, Just Real Solutions show art 38. Constipation: Fix It Naturally – No Pills, Just Real Solutions

Walk, Don't Run to the Doctor with Miles Hassell, MD

Are you or someone you know struggling with constipation? In this episode, Dr. Miles Hassell MD of GreatMed.org explores the real impact of constipation on health and quality of life—and how to fix it without relying on Big Pharma. What You’ll Learn: The health risks and causes of chronic constipation  Lifestyle-based solutions that are safer and more effective than over-the-counter meds The role of fiber, fluids, probiotics, and movement in restoring colon health Practical tips: foods to eat, supplements to consider, and travel-friendly strategies Why addressing constipation is a...

info_outline 37. Make Your Own Ozempic show art 37. Make Your Own Ozempic

Walk, Don't Run to the Doctor with Miles Hassell, MD

Is there a better, safer, FREE alternative to Ozempic (and other GLP-1 drugs)? In this episode of Walk, Don’t Run to the Doctor, Miles Hassell MD reacts to the growing buzz and shares a time-tested, evidence-based 3-step plan that outperforms popular weight loss drugs in the long run. As GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro surge in popularity, Dr. Hassell offers critical insight into their risks—like muscle loss, pancreatic complications, and long-term unknowns—while proposing a practical, natural alternative for lasting weight loss and better metabolic health. Key...

info_outline 36. Cancer Treatment: Include Exercise to Improve Survival show art 36. Cancer Treatment: Include Exercise to Improve Survival

Walk, Don't Run to the Doctor with Miles Hassell, MD

What if a free, side-effect-free therapy could significantly improve your cancer survival— and even help prevent recurrence? In this episode, we explore the powerful, research-backed role of exercise in cancer prevention and treatment, centered around the recent CHALLENGE trial published in The New England Journal of Medicine. Here is the link to that study: Dr. Hassell shares groundbreaking findings showing that moderate, consistent exercise significantly reduces cancer recurrence and mortality — particularly in colon cancer survivors — when added to conventional treatments. More...

info_outline 35. Fight Cancer with Every Meal: The Power of Home Cooking show art 35. Fight Cancer with Every Meal: The Power of Home Cooking

Walk, Don't Run to the Doctor with Miles Hassell, MD

In Episode 35, we sit down with Miles Hassell, MD—internal medicine physician, author, and advocate for lifestyle-based health interventions—to explore the transformative power of cooking at home. Drawing from both clinical experience and personal practice, Dr. Hassell shares evidence-based insights into how preparing your own meals can support cancer survivorship, improve long-term health outcomes, and reduce the burden of chronic disease. Summary: Dr. Hassell emphasizes the crucial role that home-cooked, whole-food meals play in cancer prevention and recovery. He unpacks the science...

info_outline 34. The Power of Muscle: Strength Training for Real Life Health (Part 2) show art 34. The Power of Muscle: Strength Training for Real Life Health (Part 2)

Walk, Don't Run to the Doctor with Miles Hassell, MD

Ep 34 – The Power of Muscle: Strength Training for Real Life Health Part 2 In this powerful follow-up episode of Walk, Don’t Run to the Doctor, Dr. Miles Hassell and Jennifer Smith of Starting Strength Beaverton dig deeper into the mindset behind fitness—and how strength training can be a surprising antidote to loneliness, mental fatigue, and life’s hardest decisions. Key Takeaways: “Everything we do, we do twice—first in our mind, then in action.” Jen explores how mental preparation is just as vital as physical strength. Decision fatigue is real—but strength training helps...

info_outline 33. The Power of Muscle: Strength Training for Real Life Health (Part 1) show art 33. The Power of Muscle: Strength Training for Real Life Health (Part 1)

Walk, Don't Run to the Doctor with Miles Hassell, MD

Some experts insist we should ditch the dumbbells and pick up a barbell. Are they right? Welcome to Walk, Don’t Run to the Doctor with Miles Hassell, MD. In this episode, we dive deep into the transformative power of strength training—not just for fitness, but for long-term health and independence.  Whether it be dumbbells, barbells, a toddler, or heavy backpack, add any kind of weight-bearing exercise every day for muscle mass benefits. Our guest, Jennifer Smith, owner of Starting Strength Beaverton, shares her personal journey into barbell training and how it became her calling to...

info_outline
 
More Episodes

This episode of Walk, Don't Run to the Doctor emphasizes the importance of building and maintaining a healthy microbiome for better health outcomes, disease prevention, and overall well-being. The microbiome, a complex population of microorganisms living in the gut, plays a significant role in protecting against cancer, regulating digestion, and supporting various metabolic and immune functions. A home-cooked diet, particularly a whole food omnivorous diet rich in fiber and fermented foods, helps to cultivate a resilient microbiome. Exercise, scant to moderate alcohol consumption (especially wine), and avoiding sugar, refined flours, and artificial sweeteners further enhance gut health. This episode also warns against overuse of antibiotics and reliance on probiotic supplements, advocating instead for a food-based approach through diet and lifestyle changes.

Key Takeaways:

  1. Microbiome's Role in Health: The microbiome impacts everything from cancer prevention to appetite regulation, insulin sensitivity, immune function, and even brain health.
  2. Diet and Gut Health: A Mediterranean-style, omnivorous whole food, diet improves microbiome diversity and overall health, reducing risks for conditions like obesity, diabetes, and cancer.
  3. Fermented Foods: Incorporating fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, and kombucha supports a healthy microbiome and reduces cancer risk.
  4. Exercise and Lifestyle: Regular exercise promotes gut health and boosts immunity, while avoiding sugar, artificial sweeteners, and unnecessary antibiotics helps maintain microbiome balance.
  5. Natural Approach: The podcast recommends focusing on diet and lifestyle over probiotic or prebiotic supplements to build a resilient microbiome.

For more insights and advice on reducing dependence on medications through lifestyle changes, make sure to subscribe to Walk, Don’t Run to the Doctor.

More references can be found at www.GreatMed.org

Would you like Dr. Hassell to answer your question on the air?  Contact us!

Phone/text: 503-773-0770

e-mail: [email protected]

Write us a letter.  We love to hear from you.  This podcast is sponsored by our generous listeners. 

Send questions, comments, and support to:

4804 NW Bethany Blvd., Suite I-2, #273
Portland OR 97229

References:

          Zhang, X., et al. (2023). Modulating a prebiotic food source influences inflammation and immune-regulating gut microbes and metabolites: insights form the BE GONE trial. The Lancet, 98:104873. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104873

           Diez-Ozaeta, I. & Astiazaran, O. (2021). Fermented foods: An update on evidence-based health benefits and future perspectives. Food Research International, 156. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2022.111133

           Perler, B., et al. (2023). The role of the gut microbiota in the relationship between diet and human health. Annual Reviews in Physiology, 85:449-68. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-physiol-031522-092054

           DeVos, W., et al. (2022). Gut microbiome and health: mechanistic insights. Gut-BMJ, 71:1020-1032. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2021-326789

           Kim, J., and Le, H. (2022). Potential role of the gut microbiome in colorectal cancer progression.  Frontiers in Immunology, 12: 807648. doi: 10.3389/immu.2021.807648

           Pyo, Y., et al. (2024). Probiotic functions in fermented foods: Anti-viral, Immunomodulatory, and anti-cancer benefits. Foods, 13:2386. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13152386

           Zhang, K., et al. (2019) Fermented dairy foods intake and risk of  cancer. International Journal of Cancer, 144: 2099-2108.

           Michels, K. B., et al. (2020). Yogurt consumption and colorectal cancer incidence and mortality in the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 112(6), 1566–1575. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqaa244

           Shams-White, M., et al. (2022). The 2018 World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR) Score and All-Cause, Cancer, and Cardiovascular Disease Mortality Risk: A Longitudinal Analysis in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study, Current Developments in Nutrition, Volume 6, Issue 6, nzac096,ISSN 2475-2991,https://doi.org/10.1093/cdn/nzac096.

           Rad, A., et al. (2021). Postbiotics as promising tools for cancer adjuvant therapy. Advanced Pharmaceutical Bulletin, 11(1), 1-5. https://apb.tbzmed.ac.ir

           Sharma, A., et al. Final results of a phase I/II study to investigate efficacy of a high potency multistrain probiotic on chemo induced diarrhea. ESMO, 29(8). Doi:10.1093/annonc/mdy424

           Luceron-lucas-Torres, M., et al. Association between wine consumption and cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Nutriition, 10:1197745. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1197745

           LeRoy, C., et al. (2020). Red  Wine Consumption  Associated with increased gut microbiota a-diversity in 3 independent cohorts. Gastroenterology, 158:270-272. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.gastro.2019.024

           Duan, J., et al. (2021). The mechanisms of wine phenolic compounds for preclinical anticancer therapies. Food and Nutrition Research, 65:6507. http://dx.doi.org/10.29219/fnr:v65.6507

           Zhao, L., et al. (2023). Sugar-Sweetened and Artificially Sweetened Beverages and Risk of Liver Cancer and Chronic Liver Disease Mortality. JAMA, 330(6), 537–546. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2023.12618

           Debras, C., et al. (2022). Artificial sweeteners and cancer risk: Results from the NutriNet-Santé population-based cohort study. PLoS medicine, 19(3), e1003950. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003950

           Zhang, J., et al. (2019). Oral antibiotic use and risk of colorectal cancer in the United Kingdom, 1989-2012: a matched case-control study. Gut.BMJ; 68:1971-1978. doi: 10.1136/gutnl-2019-318593