230 Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, Interstitial Cystitis. What the Immune System Reveals with Dr. Bruce Gillis
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
Release Date: 10/13/2025
247 Carnivore vs Whole Foods: An N-of-1 Experiment on Epigenetics, Nutrition and Healthspan with Dr. Andres Ayesta
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
Extreme diets dominate social media, but what actually happens inside your body when you follow them? In this episode, registered dietitian Andres Ayesta shares the results of a 60-day self-experiment comparing a carnivore diet with a whole-foods, minimally processed approach. Using lab testing, DEXA scans, and behavioral science, he reveals what truly changes—and what doesn’t—when it comes to weight, body composition, energy, and long-term health as we age. Andres Ayesta is a registered dietitian, sports nutritionist, and founder of Planos Nutrition. With...
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246 Stress, Burnout and Biological Aging. Simple Habits to Reclaim Energy and Longevity with Erica Jones
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
Chronic stress and burnout are often worn as a badge of honor, yet they can be powerful accelerators of biological aging. In this conversation, wellness entrepreneur and educator Erica Jones explains how persistent stress can disrupt sleep, increase inflammation, and influence mitochondrial function, hormones, and even gene expression through epigenetic pathways. Together, with the host, Dr. Gillian Lockitch, we focus on sustainable strategies that busy, high-capacity people can actually maintain - starting with the “unsexy basics” of hydration and sleep, plus boundaries that protect your...
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245 How Adverse Childhood Experiences Shape Aging and Affect Health with Wendy B. Correa
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
Early life trauma can leave lasting imprints on the brain, body, and emotional health well into later life, but healing is possible at any age. In this episode of Growing Older Living Younger, Dr. Gillian Lockitch speaks with memoirist and wellness practitioner, Wendy Correa about adverse childhood experiences, intergenerational trauma, and the profound healing power of self-awareness and creative expression. Wendy shares how writing her memoir, My Pretty Baby, became both a personal reckoning and a path to liberation. This conversation explores how movement, mindfulness,...
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244 Panic, Anxiety and the Aging Brain: A Trauma-Informed Approach with Dr. Nicole Cain
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
Chronic stress and anxiety are not just emotional experiences; they can quietly accelerate biological aging and undermine brain health. In this episode of Growing Older Living Younger, Dr. Gillian Lockitch speaks with integrative mental health expert Dr. Nicole Cain about how anxiety, panic, trauma, and unresolved stress shape the nervous system across the lifespan. Dr. Cain explains the critical differences between fear, anxiety, and panic, and how symptoms often serve as meaningful signals rather than disorders to suppress. This rich conversation offers science-backed, compassionate...
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243 Movement as Longevity Medicine; How Fascia and the Brain Shape Aging with Dr. Edythe Heus
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
What if the way you move could directly influence how well you age? In this episode of Growing Older Living Younger, Dr. Gillian Lockitch is joined by movement specialist and chiropractor Dr. Edythe Heus to explore how intentional, brain-engaged movement can become one of the most powerful tools for longevity. Drawing on decades of clinical experience, Dr. Heus explains how subtle changes in movement reorganize fascia, enhance balance, sharpen cognition, and reduce fall risk. This conversation reframes exercise not as punishment, but as a playful, intelligent practice that supports...
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242 Welcome 2026. Healthspan Extension Starts Here: Your Epigenetic Path to Aging Well with Dr. Gillian Lockitch
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
Many people believe that memory loss, physical decline, and loss of independence are inevitable parts of aging. But what if that belief is wrong? In this first Growing Older Living Younger episode of 2026, Dr. Gillian Lockitch challenges the outdated narrative that aging automatically means decline. Drawing on decades of medical expertise, cutting-edge epigenetic science, and her own lived experience, Dr. Lockitch explains why growing older is inevitable—but aging poorly is not. This episode introduces the concept of healthspan—the years of life lived with clarity, mobility, independence,...
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241 Resilience: Transforming Obstacles into Opportunities with Dr. Gillian Lockitch
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
In this deeply personal solo episode, Dr. Gillian Lockitch shares a powerful story of resilience—one that unfolds unexpectedly as she prepares to celebrate turning 80 through dance, vitality, and joy. What began as a year of celebration was abruptly reshaped by a diagnosis of persistent atrial fibrillation, forcing Dr. Lockitch to confront physical limitations, uncertainty, and the temporary loss of a defining passion. Rather than framing this episode as a story of illness, she reframes it as a story of adaptation, courage, and transformation—and what it truly means to grow older...
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240 From Hot Flashes to Harmony: Reclaim Vitality through Nutrition and Lifestyle Changes with Alison Bladh
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
In this enlightening conversation, Dr. Gillian Lockitch talks with Alison Bladh about navigating menopause and midlife with confidence, vitality, and grace. Alison shares over 35 years of experience helping women transform their health, beauty, and mindset through evidence-based nutrition, lifestyle, and self-care. Learn how small, realistic changes can rebalance hormones, improve sleep, manage weight, and restore radiant skin and energy—so you can age youthfully and thrive through every life stage. Alison Bladh is an award-winning nutritional therapist and aesthetician...
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239 Midlife Transformation: Ironman Playbook for Endurance, Longevity and Healthy Aging with Jeffrey Weiss
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
Can you build healthspan in your 50s, 60s and beyond? In our episode 239 conversation, Jeff Weiss says yes—and he’s got the miles to prove it. After his first 10K at 48, Jeff progressed to marathons, ultramarathons, and Ironman triathlons, discovering how structured training within smart guardrails, and the right mindset can unlock cardiovascular fitness, strength, confidence, and cognitive resilience in midlife. We explore practical ways to get started (and keep going), how to balance discomfort vs. danger, and why setting “big, hairy, audacious goals” fuels transformation far beyond...
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238 Perimenopause to Second Spring: Hormones, Hugs and Healthspan with Carla Wainwright
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
Coach and educator Carla Wainwright joins Dr. Gillian in episode 238 to reframe midlife (about 40–65) as a gateway rather than a decline. Drawing on science and somatic wisdom, Carla explains how shifting sex hormones affect metabolism, sleep, stress tolerance, and body composition—and why nervous‑system regulation, metabolic basics, and pleasure practices are foundational for healthspan. You’ll learn simple micro‑resets (breath, grounding, nature time), how to stack small rituals, and why cultivating daily moments of joy/connection boosts oxytocin and nitric oxide—two...
info_outlineIn this episode of Growing Older Living Younger, Dr. Gillian Lockitch speaks with Dr. Bruce Gillis about chronic immune system disorders such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, interstitial cystitis, and long COVID. Dr. Gillis shares how his research overturned decades of stigma by proving these conditions are objectively measurable through immune system testing and DNA genomic signatures. The conversation explores the role of epigenetics in disease development, the link between coronaviruses and long COVID, and the discovery of a microbiome-modulating compound that reduces symptoms. Listeners will gain validation, clarity, and practical insights into how accurate diagnosis and targeted therapies can improve quality of life.
Dr. Bruce Gillis is a physician-scientist and public health expert whose career spans clinical medicine, research, and academic leadership. After earning his MD from the University of Illinois College of Medicine and his MPH from the Harvard School of Public Health, he completed two residencies and two fellowships before joining the faculty at Harvard Medical School, UCLA, and the University of Illinois. His early work focused on environmental health and toxic exposures, including oversight of the Alaskan oil spill cleanup and aerospace medicine projects. Dr. Gillis later turned his focus to chronic immune system disorders such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, interstitial cystitis, and long COVID. Through groundbreaking research, his team identified specific white blood cell dysfunctions and unique DNA genomic signatures that objectively prove fibromyalgia and related disorders are real, diagnosable conditions. He pioneered the development of the FibroTest, an FDA-reviewed diagnostic blood test now covered by Medicare and many insurers, and continues to study therapeutic compounds that support microbiome health and improve symptom management.
Episode Timeline
00:00 – Welcome & Introduction
Podcast focus on aging youthfully; Gillian introduces Dr. Gillis and chronic immune disorders.
05:51 – Dr. Gillis’ Journey
From rural upbringing to Harvard MD/MPH; work in environmental health, aerospace, and proving fibromyalgia is real.
08:44 – What Are Chronic Immune Disorders?
Definitions, stigma, and why current drugs only mask symptoms.
12:17 – Epigenetics & Long COVID
How environmental triggers and coronaviruses drive epigenetic DNA changes linked to fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue.
16:40 – Blood-Based Diagnostics
Immune system testing, identification of protein deficiencies, and discovery of unique DNA genomic signatures.
18:56 – Comparing Conditions
How fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, and interstitial cystitis differ yet share immune dysfunction.
25:34 – Better Diagnostics for Interstitial Cystitis
Blood tests prove 11x more accurate than invasive cystoscopy.
27:15 – Therapies & Lifestyle
Nutrition, hydration, and discovery of the mycobacterium-derived compound Imbics that supports microbiome health.
34:40 – Future Directions
Expanding research into long COVID and other chronic conditions; improving management, not curing DNA changes.
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Connect with Dr. Gillian Lockitch
Email: askdrgill@gmail.com
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