The Thyroid to IBS Journey
Evolution of Medicine Podcast
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...
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The Pracititoner Burnout Trap
Evolution of Medicine Podcast
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,...
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Why Brain Health Is the Future of Longevity Medicine
Evolution of Medicine Podcast
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...
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Betrayal and the Brain
Evolution of Medicine Podcast
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...
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Your Best Shot: Holistic Approach to GLP-1
Evolution of Medicine Podcast
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...
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From Artisan to Infrastructure
Evolution of Medicine Podcast
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,...
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An Evolutionary Perspective on Brain Diseases
Evolution of Medicine Podcast
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...
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Metabolic Psychiatry: Healing the Brain
Evolution of Medicine Podcast
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...
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Jan 2026 Wrap: From Food Pyramid to Electrosmog
Evolution of Medicine Podcast
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...
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The Alzheimer’s Mind Hack
Evolution of Medicine Podcast
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...
info_outlineThis 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.