287: Thyroid & Liver: Key to Health - with Sara Banta
BIOptimizers - Awesome Health Podcast
Release Date: 06/19/2025
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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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_outlineIn today’s world, many people struggle with weight gain, a slow metabolism, brain fog, and difficulty building muscle, despite healthy diets and exercise. Health expert Sarah Banta says the cause is often in thyroid and liver health. Her insights, shared on a podcast with Wade Lightheart, highlight how these organs regulate metabolism, fat burning, and muscle building. When these organs are not working well due to toxins, stress, or poor nutrition, the body may have trouble losing fat and gaining muscle.
Thyroid: Metabolic Master Switch
The thyroid controls how the body makes energy. It affects our metabolism, body temperature, fat burning, mental clarity, mood, and hormone balance. Sarah notes that many people might have thyroid issues, even if tests look normal. Symptoms of a struggling thyroid include slow metabolism, fat gain, cold hands and feet, brain fog, fatigue, and muscle loss. Thyroid issues can prevent effective fat burning, no matter the diet or exercise.
Liver: Metabolic Role
The thyroid and liver work together. The liver converts inactive thyroid hormone (T4) to the active form (T3). If the liver is slow or congested, this conversion suffers, slowing down the thyroid. Modern lifestyles burden the liver with toxins, processed foods, and stress. This can lead to fat gain, slow metabolism, and hormonal imbalances. Liver stress can reduce thyroid and overall metabolic function.
Iodine’s Essential Role
Iodine is important for thyroid function and every cell in the body. Many people are iodine deficient due to depleted soils, microplastics in salt, and competition from other chemicals. Iodine helps produce thyroid hormones, supports brain function, cellular energy, immune defense, and hormonal balance. It also helps detoxify heavy metals. Optimal iodine dosing is needed to overcome deficiency and remove toxins.
Liver Detox for Results
An overloaded liver can block fat burning, impair thyroid conversion, cause insulin resistance, and interfere with protein absorption. Sarah’s approach uses herbs to stimulate bile flow, support detox, break down fatty liver, and optimize metabolism. Key ingredients include Milk Thistle and other herbs that help with liver health. A healthy liver allows the body to burn fat and build muscle safely.
In this podcast you'll learn...
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Why iodine deficiency is a true health crisis.
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What are the causes of unexplained weight gain are.
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What the hidden causes of Insulin Resistance are.
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If you can burn fat and build muscle at the same time.
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How the spike protein affected our health.
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How thyroid health affects mental health.
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