284: Healing Addiction Now - with Jason Giles
BIOptimizers - Awesome Health Podcast
Release Date: 05/16/2025
301: The Menopause Gut Connection - with Cynthia Thurlow
BIOptimizers - Awesome Health Podcast
The conversation around menopause is evolving toward a more holistic understanding of this transition. One crucial, yet often overlooked, aspect is the profound connection between menopause and gut health. Nurse practitioner Cynthia Thurlow is shedding light on what she terms the "menopause gut" to help women navigate this stage with vitality. The Gut-Hormone Connection Hormonal shifts during perimenopause and menopause have a direct and significant impact on the gut microbiome. This complex ecosystem of trillions of microbes is intricately linked to nearly every system in our body. As Thurlow...
info_outline
300: Roadmap to Tinnitus Relief - with Ben Thompson
BIOptimizers - Awesome Health Podcast
While many perceive tinnitus as a problem solely with the ears, it is actually a neurological condition occurring in the auditory brain. The Auditory Brain Connection Because the brain possesses neuroplasticity—the ability to adapt and change—this "brain buzz" is not necessarily a permanent condition.In a deep dive into the subject, Dr. Ben Thompson, an audiologist and tinnitus expert, reveals that Tinnitus is not a disease itself, but rather a symptom of an underlying issue within the auditory system. The Impact of Stress A healthy brain typically utilizes a filter mechanism to...
info_outline
299: Fertility Beyond Biological Clock - with Gabriela Rosa
BIOptimizers - Awesome Health Podcast
For decades, the conversation around starting a family has been dominated by a single, ticking sound: the biological clock. We're told that age is the ultimate arbiter of reproductive success. But according to Harvard-awarded fertility specialist Gabriela Rosa, age is only one piece of a much larger puzzle. If you've been told that your "labs are normal" but you still aren't pregnant, or if you're facing the daunting prospect of IVF, it's time to look deeper. Based on Gabriela Rosa's pioneering F.E.R.T.I.L.E. Method, here's why health matters more than age, and what's truly missing from the...
info_outline
298: Organic to Regenerative Agriculture - with Jeffrey Burke
BIOptimizers - Awesome Health Podcast
Dr. Burke started working in health food stores while in college at the University of Michigan. In the late 70s and early 80s, he worked with industry pioneer Dr. Earl Mandel, eventually managing a chain of 170 stores. For 42 years, he hosted a national radio talk show focused on health. He now hosts the Honest Health with Jeffrey Burke podcast and serves as the Director of Education for Kokora Life, founded by Rick Scalzo. The Industry Evolution He credits his interest in natural medicine to his Ukrainian and Polish grandmother, who used to forage for mushrooms and dandelion tea and kept a...
info_outline
297: Insurance Rigged Against You - with Chris Hamilton
BIOptimizers - Awesome Health Podcast
Health insurance in America is expensive on purpose, not by accident. Chris Hamilton argues that confusion and hidden incentives are the real products big carriers sell… and employers and employees pay the price. How Insurance Giants Game the System Under federal rules, large insurers in the USA can only keep about 15 percent of premiums as profit, which sounds protective until you realize it pushes them to grow the total cost of care. To do that, they've built a "massive ecosystem that's able to bill the insurance company" by buying physician groups, pharmacies, and pharmacy benefit...
info_outline
296: Emerge From Behind Logo - with Paige Velasquez Budde
BIOptimizers - Awesome Health Podcast
The old playbook of "buy ads, rank for keywords, and wait for patients" is failing. According to Paige Velasquez Budde, CEO of Zilker Media and author of The Strategic Business Influencer, we've entered an era of "corporate suspicion." Trust in institutions is at an all-time low, while trust in individuals is skyrocketing. For health and wellness organizations, you can no longer rely on your company brand alone. AI Search Demands Leader Visibility Patients now find health providers through AI platforms like ChatGPT, not just Google. Budde calls this Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). Unlike...
info_outline
295: Your Fatigue Has Hidden Roots - with Martha Carlin
BIOptimizers - Awesome Health Podcast
Are you constantly battling fatigue, brain fog, and persistent bloating? You might be dealing with a silent instigator: LPS endotoxins. We recently dove deep into this topic with Martha Carlin, a pioneering microbiome researcher and founder of The BioCollective. Here's what you need to know about this stealthy driver of chronic inflammation. What is LPS? LPS, or lipopolysaccharide, is an endotoxin—a component of the cell wall of gram-negative bacteria in your gut. While these bacteria are normal, problems arise when they die and release inflammatory debris. In a healthy gut, this isn't a...
info_outline
294: Oral Health “Mouth Mapping” - Jonathan Levine
BIOptimizers - Awesome Health Podcast
With long-term health, the mouth is often overlooked. For most people, the dentist is someone only seen for a cleaning or to fix a problem like a cavity or crown. However, according to Dr. Jonathan B. Levine, a world-renowned oral health expert, we are undergoing a massive paradigm shift. It is time to stop seeing the mouth as separate and recognize it as a critical data center for your entire body's well-being. This new approach, which Dr. Levine's practice calls "mouth mapping," is poised to change how we manage everything from heart disease to sleep. The Biological Connection: Mouth...
info_outline
293: Not Willpower, Your Roots - with Amber Romaniuk
BIOptimizers - Awesome Health Podcast
It is a staggering statistic that an estimated 90% of women and up to 50% of men in North America struggle with binge and emotional eating. For those caught in this exhausting cycle—marked by shame, frustration, and the feeling of being completely out of control—the common response is often another diet, followed by self-blame for lacking willpower. However, according to emotional eating and hormone expert Amber Romaniuk, focusing on willpower is exactly the wrong approach. Individuals are attempting to fix a deep, multi-layered issue with a surface-level solution. The true healing, she...
info_outline
292: The Key to Aging Strong - with Alan Rozanski
BIOptimizers - Awesome Health Podcast
We all want to age with vitality and independence. Yet, there's a stark statistic looming over Americans: 1 in 3 people over 65 will suffer a fall. This "overlooked aging crisis" isn't just about a broken bone; it's often the starting point for a decline in health, confidence, and independence. According to Dr. Alan Rozanski, a distinguished professor of medicine, the solution isn't a new drug or a complex medical procedure. It's a proactive, powerful strategy he calls "muscle care." The Real Reason We Fall The primary driver behind this crisis is a natural process that we've accepted for too...
info_outlineDr. Jason Giles, a board-certified addiction medicine expert, former anesthesiologist, and a person who has personally battled and overcome substance addiction, recently appeared on the *Awesome Health Podcast* by BiOptimizers. With over 27 years of medical experience and leadership in managing 40 addiction treatment centers, Dr. Giles offers an honest and compassionate view into addiction and recovery.
Addiction isn't just a medical condition, but a human challenge impacting all facets of life, from drugs and alcohol to screen time and food. These behaviors often serve as emotional coping mechanisms, hijacking the brain’s reward system and substituting pleasure for well-being.
Modern Addiction Triggers
Substance use is not new, but the availability and potency of substances and stimuli have changed. Modern addictions are amplified by 24/7 access, social pressures, and chemically engineered substances that overstimulate neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinephrine. Addiction isn't a lack of willpower, but a rewiring of the brain.
Substance use builds tolerance, creating a cycle of withdrawal, craving, and temporary relief. "Addiction is when we begin treating withdrawal with the very thing causing the problem," says Dr. Giles. This makes addiction chemical, emotional, and behavioral.
The Journey Through Addiction
Dr. Giles simplifies addiction into three stages: Fun, Fun with Problems, and Just Problems. It begins as an enhancement, then consequences mount, and eventually, the behavior continues despite harm. This trajectory isn't limited to substances, as emotional eating or overworking can follow the same path.
Raised in an alcoholic household, Dr. Giles became a successful anesthesiologist, but carried an internal void. Medical access led to experimentation, and Fentanyl became his drug of choice. An intervention led him to a recovery program with a 95% success rate.
Redefining Recovery
Detox is only the first step. True recovery is slow and non-linear. Dr. Giles believes in meeting patients where they are, using medication to ease withdrawal and building trust. Many team members are in recovery themselves, creating supportive environments. When the pandemic hit, Dr. Giles led in telehealth for addiction care, reducing relapses and shortening the gap between treatment and reentry.
Emerging therapies, like GLP-1 agonists and TMS, offer hope, but long-term change requires behavior shifts. Anyone can struggle with addiction, and everyone deserves a path out. "We have to stop treating people like problems and start treating them like people," says Dr. Giles.
In This Podcast You’ll Learn…
-
The three stages of addiction and how to identify them.
-
Why modern society amplifies addictive behaviors.
-
How Dr. Giles overcame his own addiction.
-
Emerging therapies for addiction treatment.
-
The importance of compassion in addiction recovery.
EPISODE RESOURCES: