A Medicinal Mind
A podcast dedicated to the discovery of the authentic human experience. From discussions of integrative and holistic medicine to explorations of our deeper spiritual roots, this podcast seeks to share a collective narrative from voices believing in a unified purpose: to make this world a more loving, accepting and joyful place.
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Episode 060: Yvette Brisco, A Champion for Multiple Sclerosis and Autoimmune Disease
10/05/2019
Episode 060: Yvette Brisco, A Champion for Multiple Sclerosis and Autoimmune Disease
In Episode 60 of A Medicinal Mind: Wisdom and Wellbeing, I share an intimate conversation with my friend and colleague: Yvette Brisco. I was first introduced to Yvette as part of her enduring work interviewing experts across the field of autoimmune disease and specifically MS in order to bring greater awareness and education to the hundreds of thousands of individuals affected by autoimmune disease. As you will hear in the podcast, Yvette is as authentic and unique as they come. She begins by sharing her own story and struggles with her health and how that led her into her current career as a health coach and health educator. But just to make things interesting, Yvette’s passions are not just confined to the health and wellness space. Spilling her passions over into the world of UFC, Yvette has found a community in which she can share her love for wellness, caring and resilient strength. Even if you are not someone who has been diagnosed with MS of suffer from another autoimmune disease, I believe you will find great meaning and enjoyment listening to Yvette’s story. I have been fortunate and honored to share some of my work as part of her greater efforts and education and it is my pleasure to share a little but of her life and love with you. You can access more information on out podcast page You can see all of our content including blogs, poetry, meditations, at You can also follow A Medicinal Mind on and If you enjoyed the show, please subscribe with and leave us a review. Your feedback and reviews allow our message and this space of nourishment to grow. Disclaimer: The content at and the content of our podcast are educational and informational in nature. They are not intended to be medical advice, spiritual counsel or a substitute for working with a health professional or a trained spiritual counselor. We cannot guarantee the outcome of any of the recommendations provided on our page or by the guests on our podcast and any statements written or made about any potential outcomes are expressions of opinion only.
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Episode 059: Joe Mather MD, From Family Medicine to Functional Medicine, A Paradigm Shift in Chronic Disease Care
08/17/2019
Episode 059: Joe Mather MD, From Family Medicine to Functional Medicine, A Paradigm Shift in Chronic Disease Care
In episode 59 of A Medicinal Mind: Wisdom and Wellbeing, I have an explorative conversation with my functional medicine colleague and dear friend Dr. Joe Mather. Having connected with Joe, as a result of our mutual friend and colleague, Michael Ruscio, our friendship has quickly blossomed, bringing together two functional medicine practitioners seeking value based care and a critical eye to this new root cause resolution approach. After sharing his story of supporting his mother with a functional medicine approach, Joe outlines the clinical importance of addressing foundational concerns with all of his functional medicine patients, regardless of the overt presenting symptoms. Outlining skin rashes, IBS and joint pain as the most common presenting conditions he’s seeing clinically, Joe provides some insights into his clinical approach as to how he is determining the root level of dysfunction in these myriad of conditions. Digging deeper into how he’s addressing gut health dysfunction specifically, as well as the overall stages of his clinical approach, Joe gives us a clear and concise framework by which compromised gut health can be addressed without unnecessary testing, supplements and medications. Emphasizing the importance of addressing the terrain over the overt condition, Joe reports how he is preventing recurrence of conditions by treating the terrain over simply symptoms alone. We then get into a thoughtful critique of functional medicine, collectively sharing insights regarding the strengths of functional medicine as well as some of the more controversial, misguided approaches such as food sensitivity testing, isolated genetic testing and expensive testing in general. Moving further into the role of medications, Joe shares how he is moderating medication use, not completely eschewing medications in lieu of supplements and herbs. Giving examples such as genetic predispositions for lp(a) as well excessive supplementation, Joe shares how he is careful to utilize all available tools to address chronic health conditions. We close the conversation with a thought experiment: exploring where functional medicine can go next so that we can address some of the controversial areas lacking rigorous evidence, all with the intention of increasing education as well as improving the gold standard of root cause resolution care. I am so grateful to be able to share the work of another colleague who is practicing value based and rigorous functional medicine care. Please check out the links in the show notes to see more of Joe’s work and how you can become a patient of Dr. Mather’s! You can access more information and notes for this episode on our podcast page You can see all of our content including blogs, poetry, meditations, and our weekly newsletter at our webpage: You can also follow A Medicinal Mind on and If you enjoyed the show, please subscribe with and leave us a review. Your feedback and reviews allow our message and this space of nourishment to grow. Disclaimer: The content at and the content of our podcast are educational and informational in nature. They are not intended to be medical advice, spiritual counsel or a substitute for working with a health professional or a trained spiritual counselor. We cannot guarantee the outcome of any of the recommendations provided on our page or by the guests on our podcast and any statements written or made about any potential outcomes are expressions of opinion only.
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Episode 058: Jennifer Iserloh, Blending Alchemy, Nutrition and Functional Medicine to Optimize Health and Healing
06/03/2019
Episode 058: Jennifer Iserloh, Blending Alchemy, Nutrition and Functional Medicine to Optimize Health and Healing
In Episode 058 of A Medicinal Mind: Wisdom and Wellbeing, I have a wonderful conversation with my new friend, classically trained chef and certified yoga teacher Jennifer Iserloh. Jennifer is a graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and is the best-selling author of and as well as her most recent book: The Superfood Alchemy Cookbook. In this conversation, we begin with an exploration of Jennifer’s childhood, the role of chronic disease and family food addiction to influence her career into the culinary arts. From here Jennifer shares how some of her own health issues and emotional attachment to food lead her into nutrition, functional medicine and publishing books about nourishing and delicious food. She then pushes us into a discussion of creativity, artistry and the role of her yoga practice to deeply influence her professional and personal pursuits. Digging into her role as a health coach as well as a coach for functional medicine practitioners like myself, we see how she blends practical tips and empathetic understanding to support her clients. She provides some very inspiring advice and guidance for innovative clinicians to bring greater awareness to their practice and overall healing pursuits. Expanding into the art of holding the therapeutic space, we engage in a thought provoking conversation about the many ways in which we can promote engaged listening, storytelling and a narrative of wholism to provide the greatest chances for us all to heal and remained nourished. We then lead the conversation to a discussion of alchemy, starting first with Jennifer’s definition of alchemy, and how she has taken a deep dive into alchemical principles and the medicinal properties of certain foods to make a comprehensive book blending in therapies for the mind, body, and spirit using much more than just food. She even provides an interesting perspective that functional and bioindividual medicine is one form of modern alchemy. This conversation is so positively intense and I’m so happy to be able to share Jennifer’s work as well as her tremendous passion to help grow this greater movement of root cause resolution and bio-individual medicine. Be sure to check out the links below to get Jennifer’s latest book as well as links to get her free online program accompanying the book! Superfood Alchemy Cookbook: Check out more of Jennifer's Work: You can access more information and notes for this episode on our podcast page You can see all of our content including blogs, poetry, meditations, and our weekly newsletter at our webpage: You can also follow A Medicinal Mind on and If you enjoyed the show, please subscribe with and leave us a review. Your feedback and reviews allow our message and this space of nourishment to grow. Disclaimer: The content at and the content of our podcast are educational and informational in nature. They are not intended to be medical advice, spiritual counsel or a substitute for working with a health professional or a trained spiritual counselor. We cannot guarantee the outcome of any of the recommendations provided on our page or by the guests on our podcast and any statements written or made about any potential outcomes are expressions of opinion only.
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Episode 057: Laura Schoenfeld, MPH, RD, Finding Your Way, One Woman’s Deep Desire to Pursue Wellness, Helping Women Find Freedom, Faith, Health and Joy
04/18/2019
Episode 057: Laura Schoenfeld, MPH, RD, Finding Your Way, One Woman’s Deep Desire to Pursue Wellness, Helping Women Find Freedom, Faith, Health and Joy
In Episode 057 of A Medicinal Mind: Wisdom and Wellbeing, I have a deeply nourishing conversation with one of the most authentic healers I know, nutritionist and women’s health expert Laura Schoenfeld. Laura has fascinating background, bringing a rigorous formal education in public health and dietetics into the world of integrative and ancestral wellness. Working alongside Chris Kresser to help mobilize the ancestral health movement through dogma and initial growing pains, Laura has been finding her own way beyond Paleo, incorporating her Christian faith and desire to help women find freedom and wellness outside of just food. In this conversation, we begin by hearing about Laura’s early childhood and her spiritual roots as well as her beginnings in the health space, expanding her interest in psychology from her undergraduate education into her pursuit of an education in public health and nutrition. From there, Laura leads us deeper into the flowering of her faith, the origin of intentional and deep friendships that allowed her to accelerate her spiritual and personal growth. Laura opens up about the process of bringing her faith and Christ into her work, sharing how she works professionally with individuals seeking to grow spiritually, all the while remaining authentic to her values every step of the way. Acknowledging her own spiritual challenges, Laura describes how she has found a personal and professional clarity coming from a foundation of faith. Expanding upon a personal Biblical verse, Laura shares how she has been able to value her own needs as well as others’, and keep integrity to her clinical and personal approach. And with that, let’s dig into the show! You can access more information and notes for this episode on our podcast page: You can see all of our content including blogs, poetry, meditations, and our weekly newsletter at our webpage: You can also follow A Medicinal Mind on and If you enjoyed the show, please subscribe with and leave us a review. Your feedback and reviews allow our message and this space of nourishment to grow. Disclaimer: The content at and the content of our podcast are educational and informational in nature. They are not intended to be medical advice, spiritual counsel or a substitute for working with a health professional or a trained spiritual counselor. We cannot guarantee the outcome of any of the recommendations provided on our page or by the guests on our podcast and any statements written or made about any potential outcomes are expressions of opinion only.
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Episode 056: Darryl Edwards, How One Man is Changing Your Relationship with Play and Cultivating Wellness through Radical Authenticity
03/01/2019
Episode 056: Darryl Edwards, How One Man is Changing Your Relationship with Play and Cultivating Wellness through Radical Authenticity
In episode 057 of A Medicinal Mind: Wisdom and Wellbeing I have a deeply authentic and powerful conversation with one of the leaders of the ancestral health movement, the creative mind behind Primal Play: Darryl Edwards. Darryl has been featured on numerous podcasts, sharing his beautiful spirit and desire to change your relationship with exercise, interjecting movement and play into every aspect of our lives. Today, however, seeking to delve more into Darryl’s life story, we explore aspects of Darryl’s journey, starting in early childhood through his initial career pursuits culminating in a radical shift towards cultivating wellness in everything he pursues. Hearing first about Darryl’s childhood and his original desire to enter medicine as a doctor, we then get a glimpse of the reframing and birthing of a new inner desire to explore computing and a relationship with technological intelligence. Moving from here, Darryl continues exploring his early life and adulthood, sharing his original pursuits into investment banking and the financial arena followed by his awakening to begin modeling his life using an ancestral and evolutionary perspective. Describing his “child like” and playful approach away from the jungle gym, Darryl outlines how his perspective has changed within the health and wellness field from one of dispensing of concrete knowledge, to one of playful curiosity, asking questions and holding space for others to cultivate their own questions and encourage openness rather than concrete certainty. Moving into a discussion of human behavior, Darryl offers some insightful wisdom taken from the observation of humans as we collectively pursue convenience, yet accumulate chronic health issues. Sharing ways to positively avoid convenience, Darryl provides his approach to addressing chronic health concerns by encouraging a playful mind, body and spirit, positively avoiding convenience and including play where you didn’t think it was possible. Getting into a necessary, but perhaps controversial topic, Darryl and I begin to explore how the greater ancestral health movement currently needs to change in order to become more inclusive and address the current barriers in education, language and accessibility. Sharing a personal example from his own life, seeking to help his mother address type ii diabetes, Darryl explains how he had to change and adapt his own educational approach to practically help his mother make the changes necessary to positively improve her health. Darryl ends the conversation sharing some of his amazing resources educating us all on the practical ways we can cultivate play into our lives. From his website including blog and videos, to a recently released book, and Animal Moves play card deck, Darryl has created some of the most enriching resources for anyone seeking to avoid convenience and cultivate joy. And with that, let’s dig into the show! Check out Primal Play: Primal Deck: Check out all of our old podcasts using this link: Disclaimer: The content at and the content of our podcast are educational and informational in nature. They are not intended to be medical advice, spiritual counsel or a substitute for working with a health professional or a trained spiritual counselor. We cannot guarantee the outcome of any of the recommendations provided on our page or by the guests on our podcast and any statements written or made about any potential outcomes are expressions of opinion only.
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Episode 055: Scott Dolly, The Undefinable Healer: Utilizing Intuition, Movement Analysis, Soft Tissue Mobilization and Deep Curiosity to Redefine Performance and Rehabilitation
01/12/2019
Episode 055: Scott Dolly, The Undefinable Healer: Utilizing Intuition, Movement Analysis, Soft Tissue Mobilization and Deep Curiosity to Redefine Performance and Rehabilitation
In Episode 055 of A Medicinal Mind: Wisdom and Wellbeing, I have one of my most beautifully intense and inspiring conversations with one of the top sports performance and rehabilitation specialists in the field, my close friend Scott Dolly. Starting with an exploration of Scott’s early life, we get a clear picture of the deep spirituality and intuition that was being cultivated long before his pursuit of sports performance and rehabilitation. We then move to a discussion of Scott’s methodical approach, illustrating, rather poetically, the inclusivity of his therapeutic techniques, outlining how he combines his empathic nature, pattern recognition, and a deep understanding of biomechanics and physiology to help individuals achieve optimal performance or rehab from challenging injuries. Seeking to dispel the negativity attached to consistent judgement and labeling, Scott opens our eyes to see that as healers, we should not define ourselves simply by our formal training, and we should consistently seek further education as part of a greater exploration of ways to support healing. Getting more specific, Scott begins an exploration of his manual techniques, defining and describing biomechanics, myofascial disturbance and the use of instrumented assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM). Providing concrete clinical examples, Scott illustrates how his manual therapies must be combined with optimal nutrition and lifestyle habits in order to facilitate healing or improved performance. Expressing his humility, Scott shares his evolution as a healer, outlining the changes in his nutritional and manual approaches, echoing the importance of continual and iterative improvements. Expanding into some of the biggest challenges facing the health of our broad society, Scott offers his opinions on what he sees as the biggest barriers and drivers to dysfunction. Getting practical, Scott leads us through what he calls “honoring the simplicity of movement” asking us to simply start moving our bodies through the breadth of angles and loads for which it was designed. We close the conversation with a poignant exploration of the purpose of training and the desire to become more aware and mindful of our athletic pursuits. There is so much in this discussion and I am really grateful to have crossed paths with Scott during my time in Winchester, and so grateful to continue my friendship with this dynamic healer. And with that, let’s dig into the show! Explore Scott’s Clinic: Check out all of our previous conversations on our website: Disclaimer: The content at and the content of our podcast are educational and informational in nature. They are not intended to be medical advice, spiritual counsel or a substitute for working with a health professional or a trained spiritual counselor. We cannot guarantee the outcome of any of the recommendations provided on our page or by the guests on our podcast and any statements written or made about any potential outcomes are expressions of opinion only.
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Episode 054: Oren Sofer: Mindful and Non-violent Communication: A Path to More Nourishing Relationships
12/20/2018
Episode 054: Oren Sofer: Mindful and Non-violent Communication: A Path to More Nourishing Relationships
In Episode 054 of A Medicinal Mind, Wisdom and Wellbeing, I welcome a visionary in the field of mindfulness and deliberate, non-violent communication Oren Sofer. Oren’s background is beyond fascinating. As you will hear in the podcast, he brings years of training in meditation from the Buddhist spiritual tradition as well training seeking to transform the way we communicate and interact with others. Formally speaking, he has a degree in Comparative Religion from Columbia University, and spent two and a half years of living as an (renunciate) at various branch monasteries. Today, his teaching combines classical Buddhist training with the accessible language of secular mindfulness. In this conversation, we begin the exploration with a look at Oren’s early childhood, its spiritual roots and his earliest experiences delving into the world of intimate awareness. Getting rather personal, Oren shares one of his most powerful experiences early in his life beginning his push to wanting to further understand the depth of emotion and what it really means to be human. Oren offers his perspective on the power of loss and sorrow, letting us all see the universal nature of this experience and the beautiful acts of compassion and connection that can happen my allowing ourselves to fully experience it. Beginning our deepening discussion of violence and non-violence Oren outlines how human beings seek both consciously and unconsciously to meet various needs and that this pursuit often times can lead to needs not being met and interpersonal conflict. Defining violence as “any avoidable impairment of human needs,” Oren shares insight from Johan Galtung as to what perhaps really underlies an act of violence and how as a society we may be committing more acts of violence than we really know. Stepping into the practical. Oren provides us with a framework for seeking understanding as well as collaborative clarification in order to address others needs and our own in a unified and non-violent manner. Drawing from his just released book: Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication, Oren provides some of the most essential practices, techniques and tools for achieving more constructive clarity in our relationships, and ultimately meet your needs. As you will hear throughout the conversation, Oren’s passion and expertise for the craft of mindful and non-violent communication and I cannot urge you enough to order Oren’s book: Say What You Mean. I have yet to find another book that practically addresses the most challenging aspects of cultivating nourishing relationships and engaging in the sticky, difficult conversations like Oren’s. Check out the show notes for a link to Oren’s page as well as links to order his book! Oren’s Webpage: Get Oren’s Book: Disclaimer: The content at and the content of our podcast are educational and informational in nature. They are not intended to be medical advice, spiritual counsel or a substitute for working with a health professional or a trained spiritual counselor. We cannot guarantee the outcome of any of the recommendations provided on our page or by the guests on our podcast and any statements written or made about any potential outcomes are expressions of opinion only. And with that let’s dig into the show
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Episode 053: Neil Nathan MD, Navigating the Therapeutic Healing Relationship: How A Curious Physician is Helping Patients Recover from Chronic Illness
11/22/2018
Episode 053: Neil Nathan MD, Navigating the Therapeutic Healing Relationship: How A Curious Physician is Helping Patients Recover from Chronic Illness
In Episode 053 of A Medicinal Mind: Wisdom and Wellbeing, I welcome the incredibly talented and voraciously curious physician and expert in the field of environmental toxicity and chronic infections Dr. Neil Nathan MD. Dr. Nathan is a board certified family physician and as you will hear in the podcast has an extensive background additionally in the world of pain management. He has spent over 40 years helping individuals recover from complex chronic illnesses. The depth of his expertise incorporating multiple healing modalities is beyond extraordinary and his determination to continually learn and explore the ways in which his patient’s can heal is matched by very few. Recently Dr. Nathan released a groundbreaking NY Times bestselling book. Toxic: Heal Your Body from Mold Toxicity, Lyme Disease, Multiple Chemical Sensitivities and Chronic Environmental Illness and while he is certainly known for his expertise in these domains, his passions and skills as a healer extend far beyond than that of just chronic environmental illness. In this discussion, we start off with a exploration of Dr. Nathan’s early childhood, hearing about his spiritual upbringing with Orthodox Judaism and his eventual journey into numerous other spiritual traditions and practices. Distilling down his spiritual core into three fundamental mantras: Be Mindful, Be Grateful and Be of Service, Dr. Nathan provides some tremendous insight into perhaps the ultimate purpose of any religious or spiritual pursuit. Moving from here, Dr. Nathan offers a very personal look into the diverse explosion of his medical education, most of which occurred AFTER his time in medical school As a self proclaimed seeker, Dr. Nathan shares the real reason behind his exploration of osteopathy, pain management and other healing modalities, as a seeker trying to discover the tools that would better support the spiritual wellbeing of his patients. Expanding into the art of medicine, Dr. Nathan articulates the essence of medicine as truly listening and holding space so that patient can engage positively in the act of story telling. Dr. Nathan provides incredibly practical insights for any current practitioner or student of the healing arts as to the most supportive ways to listen, to collect a history, to hold space, to remain curious, to engage in the day after day, month after month journey of helping to remove the roadblocks preventing patients from healing. We close the podcast with a critical analysis of functional medicine as Dr. Nathan helps us to understand how to really discover the root causes of illness and not just treat effects with supplements and drugs. Offering wisdom from 40 years of practice, Dr. Nathan shares his observation that as a healer, you will come into contact with fundamentally very different types of patients. Using the terms difficult vs complex or complicated, Dr. Nathan shares a compassionate view towards physicians who feel they are not successful in the practice of medicine, telling us that the most challenging art of medicine is discerning the complex patients who are dedicated to healing no matter how long it takes, vs. the difficult or demanding patients who may still have unconscious or other blocks preventing them from progressing in the healing journey. There is a wealth of wisdom in this podcast, and I strongly encourage you to take time to listen to the many insights of Dr. Nathan as well as check out and buy his book Toxic. And with that let’s dig into the show! Notes Dr. Neil Nathan’s Main Page Podcast with Better Health Guy Buy the Book: Toxic: Heal Your Body from Mold Toxicity, Lyme Disease, Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, and Chronic Environmental Illness You can see all of our content including blogs, poetry, meditations, and our weekly newsletter at our webpage: You can also follow A Medicinal Mind on and If you enjoyed the show, please subscribe with and leave us a review. Your feedback and reviews allow our message and this space of nourishment to grow. If you want like become a patient of Dr. Abbott's you can explore his clinic: Disclaimer: The content at and the content of our podcast are educational and informational in nature. They are not intended to be medical advice, spiritual counsel or a substitute for working with a health professional or a trained spiritual counselor. We cannot guarantee the outcome of any of the recommendations provided on our page or by the guests on our podcast and any statements written or made about any potential outcomes are expressions of opinion only.
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Episode 052: Kelly Halderman MD, How One Woman Came by Beautiful Serendipity to Integrative Medicine, Healing Chronic Disease Through Mind-Body Medicine, Nutrigenomics and Augmented Detoxification
10/11/2018
Episode 052: Kelly Halderman MD, How One Woman Came by Beautiful Serendipity to Integrative Medicine, Healing Chronic Disease Through Mind-Body Medicine, Nutrigenomics and Augmented Detoxification
In Episode 052 of A Medicinal Mind: Wisdom and Wellbeing, I share space with integrative and naturopathic physician, a pioneer in the field of nutrigenomics, Dr. Kelly Halderman. Dr. Kelly Halderman completed a Family Practice Medicine internship with the University of Minnesota; has a Naturopathic Medical Degree from Kingdom College of Natural Health where she is the current Academic Dean of Students. She holds certification in MethylGenetic Nutrition by the Nutrigenetic Research Institute and certification from The American Functional Neurology Institute in Functional Neurology and Neurofeedback. Despite the temptation to simply geek out in the world of nutrigenomics, detoxification and chronic disease, we spend most of this enlightening conversation exploring the miraculous background and journey of Dr. Kelly. Beginning with a walk through her early childhood, we are given a glimpse at Dr. Kelly’s spiritual background, the ethos by which her first years were imbued. Sharing reflections from her experiences witnessing her father’s own chronic illness, Dr Kelly provides a rather raw showcase of her first visions of healthcare, physicians and the medical system as a whole. Stepping away from her years as a witness to medicine, she then leads us into her own years in medical school and residency, ultimately leading to her own period of suffering, disillusionment and incredible awakening into the true power of healing when one surrenders to the powers of something greater. Offering story after story of her life’s journey, Dr. Kelly illustrates the foundation by which she currently practices blending her deep spiritual roots with her fascination with the quantifiable, the biochemical and the poetically physiological. Stepping away to end our journey in the world of nutrition, genomics, and detoxification, Dr Kelly starts us off with a description and definition of nutrigenomics. From here she guides us into practical applications of how understanding one’s genetic template, its current state of expression, and the nutrients we supply it impact the progression or reversal of chronic disease. Providing a solid foundation for understanding our genetic code Dr. Kelly leads us into a thoughtful explanation of how certain genetic variations or SNP’s when expressed within the context of poor lifestyle habits can lead to compounding negative effects and perpetuation of chronic disease. She even gives us a sampling of some of the most common genetic variants and how she is seeking to support individuals with these SNP’s suffering from a myriad of symptoms and chronic illness. Dr. Kelly closes the conversation with an elegant summary of detoxification, including the newly understood phase 2.5, and how we can apply an evidence based approach to detoxification so that we do not end up in the world of expensive and potentially harmful green medicine. Lastly, I am incredibly excited to announce, if you are listening to this upon its initial release, that I have just joined my amazing team of functional clinicians at the Charlottesville Center for Functional Medicine and am now accepting new patients seeking support through functional and lifestyle medicine. Using the links in the show notes below, you can read more about our clinic and how to become a new patient. Become a New Patient at Charlottesville Center for Functional Medicine Call: 434.260.3284 Email: Link to Dr. Kelly's website: Link to longer 2.5 podcast w Better Health Guy (just in case you want to geek out on the science): Disclaimer: The content at and the content of our podcast are educational and informational in nature. They are not intended to be medical advice, spiritual counsel or a substitute for working with a health professional or a trained spiritual counselor. We cannot guarantee the outcome of any of the recommendations provided on our page or by the guests on our podcast and any statements written or made about any potential outcomes are expressions of opinion only.
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Episode 051: Benjamin Richardson, The Citizen Scientist Returns: A Deep Dive Into Quantified Self, Exercise Snacking, and Functional Blood Chemistry
08/22/2018
Episode 051: Benjamin Richardson, The Citizen Scientist Returns: A Deep Dive Into Quantified Self, Exercise Snacking, and Functional Blood Chemistry
In Episode 51 of A Medicinal Mind: Wisdom and Well Being, I jump back into the world of quantified self and self improvement with our good friend, Benjamin Richardson. Ben has been featured on the show, not only once, but twice before in Episodes 31 and 35 and has brought a wealth of knowledge as a self proclaimed, practical citizen scientist, seeking to use emerging technologies and our understanding of the human body to improve his health, and through that exploration, make it easier for others to do the same. In this episode we get our feet wet with a methodical discussion of quantified self, as Ben offers his 5-step approach to identifying and addressing self challenges. From this framework, Ben delves more deeply into each of the essential steps, from choosing a quantifiable goal, to selecting an intervention and measurement technique to actually assessing your progress and adapting based on your results, Ben gives us incredible insights into the practical things one must consider when attempting to make or quantify positive change. From here we begin our dive into Ben’s real life application of this framework as part of his attempt to improve his movement patterns and variety with a concept known as “exercise snacking.” After providing a brief definition of this pattern of “exercising,” Ben takes us through each step of the quantified self process, beginning with his primary goals of improving blood and biometric markers to his creative implementation of various exercises in the workplace. We end the show with an in depth discussion of functional blood chemistry, and a second personal experiment and exploration that occurred as a result of Ben’s first intervention. Applying our previously identified quantified self framework, Ben takes us through an exploration of his approach to address and further understand the roots behind low testosterone. Starting from a set of plausible hypothesis, Ben outlines a second multifaceted intervention to address this new identified concern and describes how he partnered with a holistic practitioner to obtain complementary testing to support and guide his personal self experiment. This was as always, an absolute blast, and whether you are a citizen scientist, or clinician, you will gain some tremendous insights into cost effective and simply more effective ways to guide and support positive behavior change. While this may have been my third conversation with Ben, I found myself throughout the podcast continuing to uncover pieces of Ben’s story and passion I had yet to fully see. Driven by the details, but fulfilled by the bigger picture, Ben’s willingness to experiment, to explore and to let others in on his vulnerable journey is rather remarkable, and in truth, beyond rational explanation. While most seek to showcase a filtered version of their perfected lives, Ben has never been afraid to offer his authentic self, genuinely encouraging people through purposeful intent to see how they too can find more fulfillment, better health, and above all, greater meaning in their lives. Listen to our previous conversation here: Disclaimer: The content at and the content of our podcast are educational and informational in nature. They are not intended to be medical advice, spiritual counsel or a substitute for working with a health professional or a trained spiritual counselor. We cannot guarantee the outcome of any of the recommendations provided on our page or by the guests on our podcast and any statements written or made about any potential outcomes are expressions of opinion only.
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Episode 50: A Case Study in Functional Medicine and How to Effectively Develop Your Clinical Skills and Fluency with Clinically Relevant Research
08/10/2018
Episode 50: A Case Study in Functional Medicine and How to Effectively Develop Your Clinical Skills and Fluency with Clinically Relevant Research
In this week’s episode Dr. Abbott walks us through a clinical case, outlining his therapeutic approach, offering along the way insights into the best ways to expand your integrative medicine education as well as improve your skills as a clinicians. Not to be left out, Dr. Abbott also offers his tips for patients on how to best partner with a holistic health clinician to effectively improve your health without breaking your budget or morale! Please check out the links below to a text version of the case study as well as more resources to expand your functional medicine education! Link to the Case Study: Link to Dr. Ruscio’s Future of Functional Medicine Review: Explore more functional and integrative medicine resources from our E-Book Check out our previous shows here: Disclaimer: The content at and the content of our podcast are educational and informational in nature. They are not intended to be medical advice, spiritual counsel or a substitute for working with a health professional or a trained spiritual counselor. We cannot guarantee the outcome of any of the recommendations provided on our page or by the guests on our podcast and any statements written or made about any potential outcomes are expressions of opinion only.
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Episode 049: Nasha Winters ND, L.Ac., The Changing Landscape of Cancer Therapeutics: Why Faith, Purpose and Your Psychological Wellbeing Are Just as Important as Diet and Exercise
07/28/2018
Episode 049: Nasha Winters ND, L.Ac., The Changing Landscape of Cancer Therapeutics: Why Faith, Purpose and Your Psychological Wellbeing Are Just as Important as Diet and Exercise
In Episode 049 of A Medicinal Mind: Wisdom and Well Being, I share space with one of the leading voices in the integrative oncology movement, a pioneer in collaborative and whole person care, Dr. Nasha Winters ND. Many of you listening to this show have likely heard of Nasha and her work, but for those new to her name and work here is all you really need to know: She is arguably the most widely spoken and passionate clinician I have ever met when it comes to integrative oncology, and simply to whole person care. She is the founder of Optimal Terrain, an innovative healing venture striving to educate, empower, and assist individuals in knowing their bodies and their physiologic process from a perspective grounded in scientific research and clinical patient care, and above all else, address the root causes of cancer and cancer progression. While we certainly could have spent the entire show talking about Nasha’ multi-faceted approach to cancer, getting into the weeds of the ketogenic diet and nutrition as well supplements and complementing therapies to chemotherapeutics, much of today’s show is spent in an entirely different realm, a realm science, on its own, will never fully be able to explain. Starting with a dive into Nasha’ personal life story, we get a glimpse and the real reasons behind her pursuit of a career in medicine, a vulnerable look at her own journey with the cancer, and what she learned along the way that is informing her career now as a oncology physician. Digging deeper, Nasha answers such questions as What is the most challenging thing about being a patient? What are some of the best qualities of the most admirable physician, when precisely did you know, you were going to survive? Delving into the roots of her faith, Nasha, shares her perspective on the role of spirituality, religion and the pursuit of something greater as one traverses the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Even providing her own definition of this terrifying word, Nasha shows us precisely how she enters into the therapeutic space with patient’s and their families, uncovering the real reasons and questions her patients are seeking to answer. Sharing stories from her clinical experience, the depth an poignancy of this podcast is second to none and left me wondering on more than one occasion, why do we even bother with the science when we have human connection? This conversation was an absolute blast, and a refreshing dive into spirituality and our connections to something greater, perhaps the real reasons healing is ever possible in the first place. And with that, let’s dig into the show Keep up with Nasha: The Metabolic Approach to Cancer: Check out our previous shows here: Disclaimer: The content at and the content of our podcast are educational and informational in nature. They are not intended to be medical advice, spiritual counsel or a substitute for working with a health professional or a trained spiritual counselor. We cannot guarantee the outcome of any of the recommendations provided on our page or by the guests on our podcast and any statements written or made about any potential outcomes are expressions of opinion only.
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Episode 048: Morley Robbins, The Many Hats of Vitamin A, How Retinol Works with Magnesium, Iron and Copper to Keep You Well
07/06/2018
Episode 048: Morley Robbins, The Many Hats of Vitamin A, How Retinol Works with Magnesium, Iron and Copper to Keep You Well
In Episode 048 of A Medicinal Mind, Wisdom and Wellbeing, I welcome back the inquisitive mind of the researcher known affectionately as the Magnesium man, Morley Robbins. In my two previous discussions with Morley, Episodes 23 and Episode 32, we explored the foundations of mineral metabolism, the intricate dance between Fe, Mg and Cu and the overall implications of these minerals on our health. In this new foray into the world of biochemistry, Morley leads us through a fascinating exploration of his most recent research rabbit hole into the importance of fat soluble vitamins, and most specifically Vitamin A and its part of the wider dance of mineral biochemistry. Morley begins the conversation with a foundational discussion of Vitamin A metabolism, what really is Vitamin A, retinol, retinal, and beta carotene. Is the vitamin A in carrots the same Vitamin A in beef liver? Exploring further questions, Morley helps to answer: What are some of the highest sources of retinol, what is the history of cod liver oil and the ingestion of organ meats? What is retinol actually doing in the body? Besides its involvement in balancing oxidative stress in the body, Is it the molecule, and not iron, driving the production of hemoglobin and eventually the oxygen carrying red blood cell? We then shift the discussion into the intricate science behind energy production in the mitochondria and the fascinatingly beautiful electron transport chain, where does Fe, Oxygen, Magnesium, Vitamin A, lipids and Cu enter the scene in order for us to make the energy currency of the body: ATP. As the story unfolds we begin to discover that Vitamin A is behind perhaps the most important systemic processes in the body Energy Production Genetic Expression and Regulation Inflammation Oxygen Deliverability Oxidative Stress and much more Shifting back to the discussion of fat soluble vitamins, A, D and K, Morley fills us in with the reality that Vitamin D supplementation alone is likely not helping and actually probably hurting more people than we think. And where does Cu fit into the metabolism and function of the fat soluble vitamins? And what really is the difference between a vitamin and a mineral chemically? Structurally? How does their chemical structure affect their function and location of action in the body. We then end the discussion with an exploration of Vitamin A and its importance in genetic expression and regulation? Why are people so terrified of Vitamin A overdose and toxicity? I encourage you once more to listen to this conversation at least 2 or 3 times to really synthesize all of the ideas presented by Morley and myself. And, be sure as well to explore the show notes for today’s show on our podcast page, our podcast app or other podcast media device to find our link to the intricately described Nutritional Testing Resource: a jam packed guide created by the visionary researcher Dr. Chris Masterjohn to help you discover how to properly assess, test and address functional nutritional status and any unearthed clinical deficiencies. To get Dr. Chris Masterjohn’s Nutritional Testing Resource go List of Primary Research Studies Don’t forget to get Dr. Chris Masterjohn’s Nutritional Testing Resource You can see all of our content including blogs, poetry, meditations, and our weekly newsletter at our webpage: You can also follow A Medicinal Mind on and If you enjoyed the show, please subscribe with and leave us a review. Your feedback and reviews allow our message and this space of nourishment to grow. Disclaimer: The content at and the content of our podcast are educational and informational in nature. They are not intended to be medical advice, spiritual counsel or a substitute for working with a health professional or a trained spiritual counselor. We cannot guarantee the outcome of any of the recommendations provided on our page or by the guests on our podcast and any statements written or made about any potential outcomes are expressions of opinion only.
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Episode 047: Will Van Derveer MD, Integrative Psychiatry, Augmented Psychotherapy: The Role of Ritual and Mind Altering Compounds to Facilitate “Cures” in Clinical Psychiatry: A New Frontier
06/28/2018
Episode 047: Will Van Derveer MD, Integrative Psychiatry, Augmented Psychotherapy: The Role of Ritual and Mind Altering Compounds to Facilitate “Cures” in Clinical Psychiatry: A New Frontier
In Episode 047 of A Medical Mind: Wisdom and Well Being I bring back one of my previous guests, visionary integrative psychiatrist Dr. Will Van Derveer MD. Back in of the show, Will gave us a great glimpse into his foundational approach to medicine and integrative psychiatry. In this episode, we jump in right where we left off into an exploration of Will’s innovative research and clinical expertise utilizing psychedelics alongside psychotherapy to combat severe PTSD and treatment resistant depression. Will leads us through an introduction offering an insightful rationale for using psychedelics in supportive psychotherapy. Applying our emerging understanding of brain connectivity and the activity of the Default Mode Network, Will explains why this baseline “mind wandering” state of thinking is perhaps one of the greatest reasons for cognitive distortions leading to rumination, depression, obsessions and general maladaptive thinking patterns. From this understanding of the importance of the DFN to our resilience and cognitive flexibility, Will explains the role of meditation and psychedelics to alter the activity of the DFN. Getting more specific, Will then introduces the two psychedelic drugs emerging as effective augmenting treatments with psychotherapy: MDMA and Ketamine. Will explains how his clinic and clinicians and general are using MDMA and integrative psychotherapy session to help individuals with severe PTSD breakthrough debilitating states of fear and hypervigilance to discover self compassion, forgiveness and paths to healing. Expanding from here, Will also provides insights into the drug ketamine and how it is emerging through rigorous clinical trials to be off significant benefit to those undergoing psychotherapy for chronic treatment depression. While the drugs are extremely distinct in structure and proposed mechanism of action, together they represent a new paradigm of psychiatric care that for perhaps for the first time can actually involve the word CURE. We end the conversation with perhaps the most important and meaningful exploration I have had to date. Getting a little controversial, Will and I share our concern with our societal search for the quick fix, whether it be in the form of a pill, diet or green medicine. Sharing vulnerable insights from our own journeys integrating traumatic experiences and doing the “deep work,” we open up about the reality that we cannot expect to heal wounds overnight that took years to form in the first place. From a place of hopeful curiosity, we urge everyone, clinician or layperson to recognize the deep need to engage in the process of iterative self exploration, extending compassion and forgiveness to all along the way. To explore Dr. VDV’s Integrative Psychiatry Training starting in October: Visit Dr VDV’s main page at To learn more about MAPS and psychedelic studies visit Check out all of our previous podcasts using this link: Disclaimer: The content at and the content of our podcast are educational and informational in nature. They are not intended to be medical advice, spiritual counsel or a substitute for working with a health professional or a trained spiritual counselor. We cannot guarantee the outcome of any of the recommendations provided on our page or by the guests on our podcast and any statements written or made about any potential outcomes are expressions of opinion only.
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Episode 046, Tommy Wood PhD, MD and Christopher Kelly, Innovation in Functional and Ancestral Health: Machine Learning and Blood Chemistry, How Two Friends Are Seeking to Change How Medicine is Practiced
06/14/2018
Episode 046, Tommy Wood PhD, MD and Christopher Kelly, Innovation in Functional and Ancestral Health: Machine Learning and Blood Chemistry, How Two Friends Are Seeking to Change How Medicine is Practiced
In episode 046 of A Medicinal Mind: Wisdom and Well Being , I welcome TWO guests, and new close friends. Dr. Tommy Wood and Christopher Kelly of Nourish Balance Thrive. Between the two of them, Tommy and Chris have been helping burned out athletes achieve both optimal performance and wellness through a combination of targeted testing, nutritional approaches and selective augmentation. The two have helped thousands of athletes and are constantly providing nourishing content, no pun intended to thousands more via their NBT podcast. Additionally Tommy puts out an incredible weekly review: a “Highlights” emails that will leave you with more to chew on that just your thumbs. In this episode we start the conversation exploring the origin stories of Chris and Tommy, finding their way into the ancestral health space. They both offer descriptions of the paths that lead them to their current work in addition to more specific details regarding the nature of the education and scholastic background. When then explore the birth of Nourish Balance Thrive and discuss in depth the vision, passion and ethos behind this unique and innovative initiative. Chris offers a personal look into his own leap of faith starting the business, followed by the quick collaboration with bright and curious minds like Tommy. We then get into the meat of the discussion, the newest technological feat between the two and their partner in crime naturopathic physician and biochemistry extraordinaire: Dr. Bryan Walsh. Chris and Tommy describe their blood chemistry calculator, a tool utilizing machine learning and incorporating data from thousands of athletes, that can actually predict nutritional status, blood sugar regulation, and even potentially xenobiotic exposure from just a handful of laboratory tests. While still early in its implementation, this calculator has the ability to transform medical care and functional medicine testing, and you will here from them both how they see it being optimally used and explored. Combining perspectives for both clinicians and the lay audience, Tommy offers some great reasons, why machine learning and this calculator should be on your radar. We then end the podcast with Tommy sharing a little of his background leading the innovative group: Physicians for Ancestral Health, an organization of which I am proudly affiliated. Tommy shares some of the vision and initiatives of the group and how he hopes to expand its reach in the months and years to come. I still cannot fully believe I was able to share this conversation with Tommy and Chris, having listened to the two over many years during my own incubation and exploration of ancestral and functional health. I am extremely excited to share this conversation with you all and please be sure to explore the podcast show notes with links to their page, podcast and their Blood Chemistry Calculator. And with that, let’s dig into the show! Check out Tommy’s homepage: Blood Chemistry Calculator: Physicians for Ancestral Health:
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Episode 045: Ashley Mannell RD, NP, Integrative Psychiatry and Nutrition, Bringing Whole Being Wellness to Virginia’s Capital
06/04/2018
Episode 045: Ashley Mannell RD, NP, Integrative Psychiatry and Nutrition, Bringing Whole Being Wellness to Virginia’s Capital
Before I get into the introduction for today’s show, I simply want to thank you all for your patience and support over the past month as we have taken a brief break from the podcast. The entire team has been hard at work over the past two weeks and have just released the newest version of the . The 2018 edition has a whopping 57 pages and is filled with 170 total resources from blogs, books and e-books to podcasts, practitioner trainings and conferences, all with embedded links to get you right where you need to be! The book is also full of amazing pictures from none other than my partner in crime, my twin brother James, and I think you will really enjoy the combination of artistry and content. And I have to give some major thanks to my dear friend and the woman behind the scenes of nearly everything you see on the webpage and social media, Rhett Deverich. She was instrumental in getting this E-book designed and I am lucky to have it . AND, if that wasn’t enough, I just announced my partnership with Mickey Trescott and Angie Alt of Autoimmune Wellness. If you have not already, you must check out the work of Mickey and Angie, pioneers in the field of nutrition when it comes to the nutrient dense elimination diet The Paleo Autoimmune Protocol. I am so fortunate to have partnered with them and have already published our first collaborative blog post: Be sure to explore the article with the link on our podcast page or your podcast player. So, are you ready for today’s show? In Episode 045 of A Medicinal Mind: Wisdom and Well Being, I welcome my close friend and fellow Virginian, Ashley Mannell. Ashley is the only dual-credentialed psychiatric nurse practitioner and registered dietitian in Virginia, who is ALSO a certified practitioner of Functional Medicine through the . And in today’s show we get into the story that lead Ashley to such a unique place of healing. Starting by sharing her early experiences as a child and in the healthcare field as a whole, Ashley offers some background behind her pursuit of medicine. Growing from here Ashley leads us into her journey into more holistic practice, why she ultimately decided to pursue functional and integrative medicine over more traditional clinical practice. Ashley then leads us into a discussion of her clinical practice, first seeking to define integrative psychiatry and psychology, outlining the methodical and foundational approach of her visionary clinic Richmond Integrative Psychiatry and Nutrition Services. She shares a little about their design, describing the team based approach of the clinic and the way they focus on key lifestyle habits while supporting and healing the gut on top of integrating in support for mental wellness. We then explore some of the current hot topics in psychiatry, discussing the role of psychotherapy and genetic testing alongside nutrition and targeted supplementation. We even begin to speculate upon the future of psychiatry and the road ahead for mental health care. This was an absolute joy to record and I am so lucky to have a partner in Virginia with such knowledge and passion for healing using root cause approaches. Functional and integrative medicine in Virginia is only going to grow with clinicians like Ashley. And with that, let’s get into the show! Stay up to date with Ashley and her work using this link: You can see all of our content including blogs, poetry, meditations, and our weekly newsletter at our webpage: You can also follow A Medicinal Mind on and If you enjoyed the show, please subscribe with and leave us a review. Your feedback and reviews allow our message and this space of nourishment to grow. Disclaimer: The content at and the content of our podcast are educational and informational in nature. They are not intended to be medical advice, spiritual counsel or a substitute for working with a health professional or a trained spiritual counselor. We cannot guarantee the outcome of any of the recommendations provided on our page or by the guests on our podcast and any statements written or made about any potential outcomes are expressions of opinion only.
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Episode 044: Emily Deans MD, The Future of Psychiatry and How Your Genes (And Their Regulation and Expression) Influence Your Mental Health
04/26/2018
Episode 044: Emily Deans MD, The Future of Psychiatry and How Your Genes (And Their Regulation and Expression) Influence Your Mental Health
In Episode 044 of A Medicinal Mind, Wisdom and Wellbeing, I welcome evolutionary psychiatrist and a pioneer studying the genetic underpinnings of mental health, Dr. Emily Deans MD. Since first discovering the ancestral and functional medicine movements, I have been an avid follower of Emily Deans and her curious, yet practical explorations into our evolving understanding of psychiatric illness. Dr. Deans is a practicing psychiatrist who utilizes an ancestrally informed nutritional approach as well as targeted pharmaceutical interventions to improve those with previously treatment refractory depression. She is a regular contributor at Psychology Today with her blog: Evolutionary Psychiatry where she explores the role of nutrition and genetic variability, amongst many other topics, and their impact on mental well being. In this episode Dr. Deans starts us off with a little background into his first experiences in medicine and her choice to pursue psychiatry, detailing her own life journey that lead her to explore more integrative approaches to well being. She then leads us into the meat of today’s discussion, a beautifully articulated story detailing the function, regulation and variability of some of the most well studied genes in psychiatric health including the recently popularized MTHFR and COMT. Taking us on a journey of the neurotransmitter from its production, release, reuptake or breakdown to its eventual signalling and the downstream cascade of events stemming from its simple signal, Dr. Dean’s offers insights as to why many of the medicines we use to treat psychiatric illness are not effective or simply not enough to help someone through a period of significant depression. She provides us with an integrated theory of mental illness, combining our emerging understanding of inflammation and immune activation in the brain with the role of neurotransmission and neuronal connectivity circuits influencing our behaviors. This podcast is one of my absolute favorites and it was such an honor to have Dr. Deans on the show. It is quite incredible to think back to my own journey struggling with depression in medical school and the influence of Dr. Deans work some 5 years prior to lead me to a new understanding of whole person wellness. And with that let’s dig into the show! Read up on Dr. Dean’s blog here:
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Episode 043: Matt Bodnar, The Science of Success, How to Become a Better Learner and Why You Should Never Stop
04/19/2018
Episode 043: Matt Bodnar, The Science of Success, How to Become a Better Learner and Why You Should Never Stop
In episode 043 of A Medicinal Mind Wisdom and Well Being, I welcome the creator and host of the top rated evidence based personal growth podcast, a visionary leader in the self improvement movement, Matt Bodnar. Outside of hosting the podcast “The Science of Success” Matt is a partner at early stage investment firm Fresh Hospitality where he focuses on deal-making and strategy. In the podcast, Matt leads us into a explorative discussion of our current education system pointing out some of the key inefficiencies and downsides of modern education. He then guides us into the role of lifelong self directed learning and shares much of his recent dive into speed reading and how to remember more of what you read and learn. Expanding from this, Matt offers his evolutionary hypothesis for learning and explains why we have a much greater capacity to encode and retrieve associative visuospatial memory over concrete words and objects. When then move into a discussion of Matt’s podcast: “The Science of Success” and explore his definition of “evidence based personal growth.” He shares some of the most insightful wisdom he has gained from these conversations and the importance of being a curious and purposeful listener. Matt explains why he believes the two most practices one can engage in are building self awareness and learning how to effectively deal with challenging and negative emotions. Matt ends the show sharing a few of the wonderful free resources available on the Science of Success homepage that seek to help you become a better decision maker and empowered learner. This was once again, another serendipitous and thought provoking podcast and I am incredibly grateful to have connected with Matt and to be able share his wisdom and work with you. And with that let’s dig into the show. Keep up with Matt and his awesome work using the links below: Check out all of our previous podcasts using this link: Disclaimer: The content at and the content of our podcast are educational and informational in nature. They are not intended to be medical advice, spiritual counsel or a substitute for working with a health professional or a trained spiritual counselor. We cannot guarantee the outcome of any of the recommendations provided on our page or by the guests on our podcast and any statements written or made about any potential outcomes are expressions of opinion only.
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Episode 042: Ryan Munsey, Self Mastery and Making Better Humans, Why Self Optimization Is Not Really About You
04/13/2018
Episode 042: Ryan Munsey, Self Mastery and Making Better Humans, Why Self Optimization Is Not Really About You
In Episode 042 of A Medicinal Mind Wisdom and Well Being I welcome my new friend and one of the leaders in the self optimization and self mastery space fellow Virginian Ryan Munsey. As you will hear in the show, I was fortunate enough to be introduced to Ryan and his incredible work through a dear friend Steve Fullerton and this conversation was an absolute blast to record. Ryan is the co-founder of the new podcast the Better Human Project More, “a movement; sharing inspiring stories from people of all walks of life, stories made to given all people the tools we need to become better humans while simultaneously building bridges to foster unconditional giving to improve our communities. In the podcast Ryan and I start out with an exploration of his childhood, going through his early years in sports and even a foray into strength training and the modeling industry as he sought to discover what it was he was truly called to do. We even explore rather philosophically what perhaps we are getting wrong today when it comes to raising and holding environments for creative and curious exploration in our youth. Ryan then offers us his definition of self mastery or self optimization and provides a rather incredible insight that self mastery is really not about making a better you, but a better we. Ryan explores how we can take the energy we pour into ourselves through self care and increase our capacity for giving to others. The conversation then turns into an exploration of human behavior as we collectively ask what is really behind our actions? Are our rational minds running the show or do our feelings have much more control than we wish to believe? Ryan gives is a great overview of the basic neurobiology behind human behavior and we some people succeed at their goals and others fall tremendously short? It can’t just be about will power and tangible resources can it? We end the podcast exploring Ryan’s new innovative endeavour the previously mentioned podcast and initiative: The Better Human Project. I was so lucky to connect with Ryan and to be able to share this conversation with you all. I encourage you to explore Ryan’s work and the Better Human Project for it is people like Ryan and initiatives like this that are making meaningful and positive change in our world. Stay up to date with each new “Better Human Project” podcast using this link: Follow Ryan and his work on his website: Listen to our previous podcasts using this link: Disclaimer: The content at and the content of our podcast are educational and informational in nature. They are not intended to be medical advice, spiritual counsel or a substitute for working with a health professional or a trained spiritual counselor. We cannot guarantee the outcome of any of the recommendations provided on our page or by the guests on our podcast and any statements written or made about any potential outcomes are expressions of opinion only.
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Episode 041: Jamil Sayegh, How to Live a Joyful and Meaningful Life: One Man’s Journey to Uncover the Roots of Flourishing
04/04/2018
Episode 041: Jamil Sayegh, How to Live a Joyful and Meaningful Life: One Man’s Journey to Uncover the Roots of Flourishing
Episode 041: Jamil Sayegh, How to Live a Joyful and Meaningful Life: One Man’s Journey to Uncover the Roots of Flourishing In Episode 041 of A Medicinal Mind Wisdom and Well Being I have perhaps my most intimate and inspiring conversation to date with my close friend, naturopathic medical student and transformation coach Jamil Sayegh. I could provide a short bio for Jamil, but there is simply no way to adequately articulate the passionate drive and story of this incredible healer. In our conversation, Jamil lets us in to his miraculous life journey, providing a vulnerable glimpse into his path to becoming motivational integrated healer. Jamil shares the early years where his diet was far from optimal and the self-directed journey that led him to holistic nutrition and the empowerment of lifelong learning. Jamil offers his insights as to the role of a transformational coach in bringing about dramatic and meaningful life change. Jamil tells the story of what it was like growing up in a medical family and the surprises that unfolded as he brought his newly discovered passion for holistic health into this traditional medical space. We then explore perhaps the most powerful story ever told before on the podcast, the story of Jamil’s father and how their relationship grew during his father’s own personal struggle with illness. Since the original recording of this show, I have gone back 5 times to listen to this story and I have yet to make it through without being moved to tears. Jamil’s passion for wellness and joy is unrivaled by anyone I have ever met. It is impossible to not be moved and motivated by his story, his life’s work and his vision for a better world. Please explore the show notes to find links to Jamil’s page and get his amazing free Ebook: 20 Steps To Your Next Breakthrough, one of the most practical guides to realizing your greater purpose and service to others. Check out Jamil's book: "20 Steps To Your Next Breakthrough" using the link below! Jamil's website: Follow Jamil's journey on Instagram at: thelifedoc And keep up with Jamil using his Facebook: Check out our previous podcasts using this link: Disclaimer: The content at and the content of our podcast are educational and informational in nature. They are not intended to be medical advice, spiritual counsel or a substitute for working with a health professional or a trained spiritual counselor. We cannot guarantee the outcome of any of the recommendations provided on our page or by the guests on our podcast and any statements written or made about any potential outcomes are expressions of opinion only.
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Episode 040: Kyle Braatz, Fullscript and the Evolution of the Integrative Prescription
03/20/2018
Episode 040: Kyle Braatz, Fullscript and the Evolution of the Integrative Prescription
In Episode 040 of A Medicinal Mind: Wisdom and Wellbeing, I have one of my most inspiring conversations with one of the leading visionaries in integrative and functional medicine: Kyle Braatz. Kyle is the co-founder of the wellness platform and online nutriceutical dispensary Fullscript and his radical approach to wellness is changing how integrative medicine is practiced. In the podcast, you will hear some of Kyle’s fascinating background including some of the early inspiration behind his love of creation and pursuit of meaningful service. From biking across Canada to raise money for those in need to laying the foundations for Fullscript, Kyle life is one full of passion and relentless curiosity. As we dig deeper into the conversation, Kyle shares his definition and vision for health. What are the most essential components and where can we start to improve our health. When then get into the vision, mission and ethos behind the wellness platform Fullscript. What exactly is Fullscript? Is it for doctors? Patients? Or Both? How and why should clinicians be using Fullscript to better serve their patients? Who currently are the greatest utilizers? And where did you even get the name Fullscript in the place? Kyle even offers us a sneak peak of what it’s like to be a Team Member at Fullscript, how they seek to support each other’s wellness and the importance of self care. We also explore some of the biggest challenges facing healthcare delivery and how Fullscript is seeking to address these issues with some creative and innovative solutions As you will hear in the show, I am incredibly grateful for all the team members at Fullscript for providing an integrative wellness platform that allows me the better serve by patients and it was an honor to share this conversation with Kyle. I sincerely encourage all clinicians to explore Fullscript and incorporate this platform into your practice and I urge any interested patients to share the utility of Fullscript with your doctor. And with that let’s dig into the show! Check out Fullscript using this link: Listen in to our previous podcasts using this link: Disclaimer: The content at and the content of our podcast are educational and informational in nature. They are not intended to be medical advice, spiritual counsel or a substitute for working with a health professional or a trained spiritual counselor. We cannot guarantee the outcome of any of the recommendations provided on our page or by the guests on our podcast and any statements written or made about any potential outcomes are expressions of opinion only.
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Episode 039: Christina Bjorndal ND, Transformative Wellness: A Physical, Emotional and Spiritual Approach to Mental Health
03/08/2018
Episode 039: Christina Bjorndal ND, Transformative Wellness: A Physical, Emotional and Spiritual Approach to Mental Health
In Episode 039 of A Medicinal Mind: Wisdom and Wellbeing, I seek to dispel some of the myths behind mental health with naturopathic doctor, Dr. Christina Bjorndal. As you will hear in the podcast, Dr. Bjorndal’s journey to becoming a holistic mental health clinician is anything but linear or easy. In this conversation, Dr. Bjorndal, shares some intimate details of her own struggle with mental illness, navigating the medical system, stigma and labels that sought to suppress her flourishing. Growing through these incredible experiences, Dr. Bjorndal offers some of her own insightful wisdom as she realized the power of nutrition, connection and emotional freedom to cultivate whole being wellness. She leads us through her own definition of health and walks us through her clinical approach to addressing mental illness, offering powerful physiologic and psychological therapies to bring about positive changes to an otherwise conflicted mind, body and spirit. Dr. Bjorndal and I even dig into some potentially controversial topics, exploring the “victim” mentality and what it means to contribute meaningfully to society. We even start to ask the question: What thoughts and beliefs are actually behind our most common habits and perceptions? Dr. Bjorndal’s story and clinical work is beyond inspiring and will certainly empower anyone who has experienced mental illness. I personally resonated with one her most poignant pieces of wisdom “you will be with you longer than anyone else, so why not start focusing on the relationship with yourself first.” I hope you resonate with her authentic story and seek out some of her nourishing resources created to support people through their journeys of healing. And with that, let’s dig into the show! Learn more about Dr. Christina Bjorndal and her work by using this link to her website: Listen to our previous podcast using this link: Disclaimer: The content at and the content of our podcast are educational and informational in nature. They are not intended to be medical advice, spiritual counsel or a substitute for working with a health professional or a trained spiritual counselor. We cannot guarantee the outcome of any of the recommendations provided on our page or by the guests on our podcast and any statements written or made about any potential outcomes are expressions of opinion only.
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Episode 038: Erika Krumbeck ND, Why You Should Care About the Opioid Crisis, An Exploration of Acetaminophen (Tylenol) and its Potential Harms, and What Really is Behind Our Sensitive and Empathetic Children?
03/01/2018
Episode 038: Erika Krumbeck ND, Why You Should Care About the Opioid Crisis, An Exploration of Acetaminophen (Tylenol) and its Potential Harms, and What Really is Behind Our Sensitive and Empathetic Children?
In episode 38, I welcome back one of my previous guests: naturopathic pediatrician and visionary mother: Dr. Erika Krumbeck. Dr. Krumbeck returns in this conversation to help us explore the uses, potential harms and relative unknown of the commonly used over the counter drug: Acetaminophen. She shares much of her research into the still unknown mechanism of action of this ubiquitous medication as well as some of the concerning associations with its use and certain disease states such as Autism Spectrum Disorder. Dr. Krumbeck provides a very practical approach for helping children through febrile illness and shares some herbal alternatives for fevers that do not interfere with the body’s natural immune response to infection. We then explore the newest literature showing the potential associations between Tylenol and decreased emotional responses that may interfere with normal cognitive and emotional development in children and adults. We then end the conversation with Dr. Krumbeck discussing some of the genetic polymorphisms and potential neurotransmitter perturbations behind the “behavioral disturbances” we commonly see in our growing children. Incorporating an ancestral and evolutionary argument, Dr. Krumbeck offers her hypothesis and insights regarding the potential true reasons behind our most sensitive and empathetic children. This second conversation is once again filled with numerous insights and wisdom from Dr. Krumbeck and I really encourage you to sit with some of the topics discussed and explore some of the small things you could do today to better support the health of your children and even yourself. And if you haven’t already, I encourage you to check out my new collaborative endeavour the Charlottesville Center for Functional Medicine at our homepage: where you can subscribe to get our Free Quickstart Wellness Guide and our 10-part email series embedded with nutrient guides, workouts, recipes and more to help you take control of your health. We also just posted the first video recording of our community wellness series, an exploration of sleep and stress and things you can do today to improve your resilience, decrease your total burden of stress and get better sleep. I extend my deepest gratitude and appreciation for your interest in our work and would love to hear your thoughts on what you like, what we could do better, or what you would like us to address in a future podcast. And lastly I want to extend a big shout out and a huge thanks to the amazing team behind A Medicinal Mind this includes Tucker MacDonald, the brains behind the podcast and beautiful voice you hear in the beginning and end of each show as well as Rhett Deverich the passionate spirit the makes the blog, poems, podcast, and webpage come to life or simply exist in the first place. And with that, let’s dig into the show! Access our previous podcasts using this link: Disclaimer: The content at and the content of our podcast are educational and informational in nature. They are not intended to be medical advice, spiritual counsel or a substitute for working with a health professional or a trained spiritual counselor. We cannot guarantee the outcome of any of the recommendations provided on our page or by the guests on our podcast and any statements written or made about any potential outcomes are expressions of opinion only.
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Episode 037: Drew Gallagher, The Intersection of Faith and Fitness, What Really is the Role of Exercise?
02/23/2018
Episode 037: Drew Gallagher, The Intersection of Faith and Fitness, What Really is the Role of Exercise?
In Episode 037 of A Medicinal Mind Wisdom and Well Being I dive head first into fitness and faith with innovative nutrition and movement coach Drew Gallagher. Describing Drew and his passion in a single sentence is nearly impossible, so I will do my best to showcase a bit of his varied background and extensive training in the world of fitness. Drew has a bachelor’s in Exercise Science and is a certified coach through the National Academy of Sports Medicine, Level 2 Kettlebell instructor through Strongfirst, Titleist Performance Institute Level 1 instructor, certified Level 2 instructor through Functional Movement Systems and Level 1 Precision Nutrition Coach. More importantly, however, Drew is a visionary in the field of fitness exploring the real role of exercise vs. developing functional movements and differentiating the purpose of workouts vs formalized training. As you will hear in the podcast, in his most recent incarnation, Drew is now specializing in a unique approach of functional movement and performance through biomechanics and neural motor control that maximizes overall function, performance and health. In our conversation we start the ground running seeking to define exercise vs. movement, workout vs. training and the real reasons why we should pursue movement and exercise in the first place. Drew offers both insight and personal reflection as part of his journey navigating the sometimes misaligned fitness industry. Drew illustrates the importance of the breath in initiating and creating positive movement and engaged exercise and then leads us into a thoughtful discussion about neural control and the role of neuromuscular training vs simply lifting heavy weight. Through it all Drew offers his fatherly voice, sharing how he structures his workout with his kids and integrates dedicated training to expand his capacity to be a better role model and facilitator of play for his kids. We end the podcast with a heartful discussion of faith, spirituality and wisdom as Drew shares how he incorporates his deep rooted Christian faith into his work with clients as they seek create whole being wellness. This podcast is packed with wonderful nuggets for anyone with a shred of interest in fitness and movement, and you will likely hear something contrary or new to your present understanding. I am so grateful for connecting with Drew and I think you will this conversation, inspiring, enlightening and just plain fun. At with that, let’s get into the show! Listen to all of our previous podcasts using this link: Disclaimer: The content at and the content of our podcast are educational and informational in nature. They are not intended to be medical advice, spiritual counsel or a substitute for working with a health professional or a trained spiritual counselor. We cannot guarantee the outcome of any of the recommendations provided on our page or by the guests on our podcast and any statements written or made about any potential outcomes are expressions of opinion only.
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Episode 036: Rebecca Dekker, PhD, RN, APRN, An Innovative Voice for Evidence Based Maternity Care
02/15/2018
Episode 036: Rebecca Dekker, PhD, RN, APRN, An Innovative Voice for Evidence Based Maternity Care
In Episode 036 of A Medicinal Mind Wisdom And Wellbeing, I welcome the founder and innovative voice behind Evidence Based® Birth Rebecca Dekker. Rebecca Dekker, PhD, RN, APRN, received her Master of Science in Nursing and her Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing from the University of Kentucky and has built a strong reputation in maternal and infant health circles for her pioneering work as the founder of Evidence Based Birth.® In the podcast, Rebecca shares here personal story of childbirth, the true origins behind the birth, pun most certainly intended, of her research and greater work with Evidence Based Birth®. Rebecca offers her insights into the evolution of pregnancy and the birthing experience, sharing her passion for putting practical evidence about childbirth into the hands of families and professionals with the ultimate desire to empower and educate all curious enough to explore. The conversation is spilling over with Rebecca’s passion and drive to hold nourishing spaces for mothers and their families to discover what they really need to support themselves and baby to be. We explore some of Rebecca’s newest groundbreaking work, expanding the content and reach of Evidence Based Birth ® and even discuss the role patients can play it helping to appreciate and understand the burdens clinicians face in trying to provide compassionate care to all patients. It was such a honor to share this time with Rebecca and I really believe no matter your background or interest in childbirth that you will enjoy this conversation. Many thanks again to your continued support of the podcast and work at A Medicinal Mind. We extend back our appreciation and love for you in this our St. Valentine’s Day podcast. And with that let’s dig into the show. Stay up to date and involved with Rebecca using the links below: Home site with newsletter signup: Podcast page on iTunes: Information on our Professional membership: Application link for our Professional membership student scholarship: Our upcoming events page on Facebook: The About EBB page: Rebecca's EBB bio page: Disclaimer: The content at and the content of our podcast are educational and informational in nature. They are not intended to be medical advice, spiritual counsel or a substitute for working with a health professional or a trained spiritual counselor. We cannot guarantee the outcome of any of the recommendations provided on our page or by the guests on our podcast and any statements written or made about any potential outcomes are expressions of opinion only.
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Episode 035: Benjamin Richardson, Personalized Carbohydrate Testing, Insulin Resistance and the Flexitarian Approach to Eating Well
02/07/2018
Episode 035: Benjamin Richardson, Personalized Carbohydrate Testing, Insulin Resistance and the Flexitarian Approach to Eating Well
In episode 035 of A Medicinal Mind: Wisdom and Well Being, I welcome back the curious citizen scientist Benjamin Richardson. In Part I of this series, Episode 031 to be exact, Benjamin introduced us to intermittent fasting, the fasting mimicking diet and the role of personalized experimentation to discover what your body really needs to remain well. In this conversation, Benjamin leads us into a discussion of personalized carbohydrate testing, insulin resistance and a thoughtful examination of all the reasons we choose to eat the food that we do. We start out the podcast with Benjamin sharing some background behind his reason for undertaking another self experiment, this time to meticulously monitor his blood sugar in response to various foods and eating environments. Together we delve into the implications of personalized glucose testing and tailoring one’s diet to avoid large fluctuations in blood sugar. Benjamin then explains some of his own personal findings as part of the experiment and describes the importance of understanding all of the inputs, outside of just diet, such as sleep, stress, and chronic disease burden that can influence someone’s insulin and blood sugar response to certain foods. Benjamin then moves us into a thoughtful inquiry of the many reasons we humans choose to eat the food that we do. Benjamin offers his thoughts on the concept of eating for pleasure, and explores the implications of one’s food choices on the health (or lack thereof) of our gut microbiota. This is another wonderful discussion with Benjamin and I am honored to have his efforts and wisdom as part of our podcast. Be sure to check out the podcast page where Benjamin has provided a wealth of links and additional resources related to the conversation today. And lastly, I wanted to also share some exciting news as I have recently partnered with my close friends Ryan Hall and Kerri Cooper in starting my newest and perhaps biggest wellness endeavour: The Charlottesville Center for Functional Medicine. While I will still be in Front Royal for the next 2 years as part of my family medicine residency training, we are already laying the foundations for discovering whole being wellness in the City of Charlottesville. You can explore our new homepage at cvillefxmed.com as well as our facebook page to find out more about upcoming free community workshops. And with that, lets dig into the show! Check out our previous podcasts using this link: Check out the "Charlottesville Center for Functional Medicine" here: Disclaimer: The content at and the content of our podcast are educational and informational in nature. They are not intended to be medical advice, spiritual counsel or a substitute for working with a health professional or a trained spiritual counselor. We cannot guarantee the outcome of any of the recommendations provided on our page or by the guests on our podcast and any statements written or made about any potential outcomes are expressions of opinion only.
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Episode 034: Tim Marema, An Innovative Voice for Rural Community Wellness
02/01/2018
Episode 034: Tim Marema, An Innovative Voice for Rural Community Wellness
In episode 34 of A Medicinal Mind: Wisdom and Wellbeing, I remain in the “non-medical world” exploring rural community wellness with pioneering activist and Vice President of the Center for Rural Strategies: Tim Marema. Tim Marema is editor of the , a news site published by the Center for Rural Strategies that covers rural economics, politics and culture using professional journalists, community correspondents, scholars, and a wide range of policy advocates.. In our conversation, Tim and I explore the life of the rural community, beginning with Tim’s very own life story growing up in small rural community in Kentucky. Asking and answering questions such as From the perspective of a rural community what is your definition of health and how do we cultivate it? What are the biggest barriers to wellness within rural communities, and How as clinicians and advocates can we empower and support communities and protect cultural and geographic heritage? Tim shares with us the work of the visionary non-profit Rural Strategies: an organization seeking to improve economic and social conditions for communities in the countryside through the creative and innovative use of media and communications. We then close the conversation with an exploration of faith and Tim’s story of spirituality, reflecting on the importance of spiritual institutions for creating social engagement, wellness and a space for finding joy. I am so thankful for connecting with Tim and for all the members of Rural Strategies for their selfless work advocating and promoting the health of rural communities. As many of you know, I am currently in my family medicine residency training in Front Royal Va, a rural community itself with the greater Shenandoah Valley area, and rural health and wellness is certainly something close to my heart. I really hope you enjoy the show! Hear more about Tim and his great work using these links: Listen to all of our previous conversation using this link: Disclaimer: The content at and the content of our podcast are educational and informational in nature. They are not intended to be medical advice, spiritual counsel or a substitute for working with a health professional or a trained spiritual counselor. We cannot guarantee the outcome of any of the recommendations provided on our page or by the guests on our podcast and any statements written or made about any potential outcomes are expressions of opinion only.
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Episode 033: Catherine Day: “Story + Mastery = More”, Visionary Storytelling and the Power of Purpose
01/25/2018
Episode 033: Catherine Day: “Story + Mastery = More”, Visionary Storytelling and the Power of Purpose
In Episode 033, of A Medicinal Mind Wisdom and Well Being, I step away from the strictly medical to discover the beauty and truth of storytelling with visionary community leader and the founder of Storyslices Catherine Day. In this conversation, Catherine shares her unique story-based approach intended to help others find their purposeful narrative and constructed from her extensive study at the Adler Graduate School as well as experiences as an executive in higher education, television, and radio. We start the podcast wading in the waters of Catherine’s childhood with the birth of her own origin story and the beginnings of her calling as a steward of the story, paving passageways for others through life’s most challenging transitions. Catherine then outlines her experience studying psychotherapist and medical doctor Alfred Adler, sharing how his pioneering work surrounding the role of community and our collective search for meaning informed the development of her story based approach. We then explore the fundamental framework behind Catherine’s unique method, delving into the spectrum of tragic character states that hold us back and the transitional changes that must take place in order for us to embody our archetypal ideals, our SUPER CHARACTERS: The Truth Teller, The Visionary, The Healer and The Artist. Catherine blends her own narrative, and even that of her mother as she describes the dynamic fluidity of these positive trajectories, and together we seek to uncover what really is at the root of our suffering or our hindered flourishing. Catherine ends the podcast with a piece of her own creative mastery, a poem that will likely leave you too surrounded by the beauty of our natural world, free from the container reality says you inhabit. Keep up with Catherine and her amazing work using this link to her website: Listen to our previous conversations here: Disclaimer: The content at and the content of our podcast are educational and informational in nature. They are not intended to be medical advice, spiritual counsel or a substitute for working with a health professional or a trained spiritual counselor. We cannot guarantee the outcome of any of the recommendations provided on our page or by the guests on our podcast and any statements written or made about any potential outcomes are expressions of opinion only.
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Episode 032: Morley Robbins, Iron and Magnesium Revisited, What is Really Being Taught in Medical School?
01/12/2018
Episode 032: Morley Robbins, Iron and Magnesium Revisited, What is Really Being Taught in Medical School?
In Episode 032 of A Medicinal Mind: Wisdom and Well Being I welcome back visionary researcher and the man behind the Magnesium Advocacy Group: Morley Robbins. From start to finish, this conversation is another whirlwind of mineral metabolism, our second dive back into the fascinating world of magnesium, iron and copper. In this conversation, Morley quickly get us up to speed on iron and its primary role in the body as the structural center of the oxygen carrying molecule hemoglobin, and then quickly pushes us forward into a fascinating exploration of blood and the red blood cell. What do we mean when we say blood? How many red blood cells do we really have? Where do they come from and what is their primary role? Where does iron and oxidative stress enter the picture? We then discuss a surprising discovery by Morley, an iron metabolism and pathology module from very own medical school! Together we deconstruct what I was taught as a second year medical student and perhaps the pieces of the story that were missing from my education. Morley then leads us into a discussion of the reticuloendothelial system and the life cycle of a red blood cell. What role does iron, and magnesium play in the function and shape of our red blood cells? Are our cells living as long as they should? What can we learn from sickle cell anemia and other disorders of the red blood cell membrane when it comes to iron and magnesium metabolism? Changing gears, Morley gives us a wonderful description of our primary energy production system: the electron transport chain, the role of reactive oxygen scavengers and antioxidants, and the interplay of copper and magnesium to produce energy and ultimately protect us from free radical damage. We end the discussion with a little thought experiment exploring the implications of iron fortification and compare the amounts and forms of iron found in animal foods vs fortified cereals. We trace the journey of excessive and poorly absorbed iron into our colon, exploring the resulting gut dysbiosis and immune activation that can ensue from this excessive oxidative load. Morley gives us hope at the end of this discussion as he describes his food based root cause protocol designed to restore the intricate balance of these minerals in our bodies. Morley’s curiosity is unparalleled and I am thankful for his desire to research deas at the edge of science, sharing his findings with us all. I encourage you to spend some time with this conversation, as you will likely need to listen 2, 3 or 4 times to pick up all the insights and wisdom discussed. And lastly, If you enjoyed this conversation, we would really appreciate it if you would take 2 minutes to leave a review in I-Tunes so more people can find our podcast and its curious explorations. And with that let’s dig into the show! Catch up with our last episode with Morley using this link: University of Virginia School of Medicine Iron Metabolism Module: Dr. Innes, MD Got Mag: Root Cause Protocol: Disclaimer: The content at and the content of our podcast are educational and informational in nature. They are not intended to be medical advice, spiritual counsel or a substitute for working with a health professional or a trained spiritual counselor. We cannot guarantee the outcome of any of the recommendations provided on our page or by the guests on our podcast and any statements written or made about any potential outcomes are expressions of opinion only.
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Episode 031: Benjamin Richardson, A Citizen Scientist’s View on Healthspan, the Fasting Mimicking Diet and Self Experimentation
01/05/2018
Episode 031: Benjamin Richardson, A Citizen Scientist’s View on Healthspan, the Fasting Mimicking Diet and Self Experimentation
In episode 031 of A Medicinal Mind: Wisdom and Well Being, I explore the world of self experimentation, longevity, intermittent fasting and fasting mimicking diets with citizen scientist Benjamin Richardson. I recently stumbled across Ben’s work and page at Forever Free From during one of my many rabbit hole forays into emerging medical therapies, this time into the world of intermittent fasting and the newly evolving 5 day Fasting Mimicking Diet. In this conversation, Benjamin and I delve into some of his curious self experiments, implementing major dietary and lifestyle changes, quantifying the results and sharing this wisdom with a wider audience. We explore questions such as What is the difference between lifespan vs. healthspan? What really is behind the aging process and who is at the cutting edge of longevity research? Benjamin than leads us into a thoughtful discussion of fasting, outline the differences between intermittent fasting, time restricted eating windows and the Fasting Mimicking Diet or FMD. He shares he own story researching, planning and implementing the 5 day FMD as well as his generous reflections and resources created so that others can try the dietary approach for themselves. Through it all, Benjamin shares his authentic curiosity and his genuine desire to help others through his own experimentation. Dietary interventions such the FMD and intermittent fasting are emerging as powerful therapies for neurocognitive illnesses such as Alzheimer's dementia as well as for metabolic disorders such as diabetes and even cancer and it is quite exciting to explore this space with such a passionate and knowledgeable friend. Benjamin has provided a wealth of curated resources available on the podcast page and I encourage you to explore some this nourishing content as well as the resources on his own page at . We will certainly be having Benjamin back soon to discuss his most recent experiment involving glucose monitoring, carb tolerance, insulin resistance and heart rate variability. I really hope you enjoy the show! Keep up to date with Ben using the links below: Ben’s page Forever Free From Fasting Mimicking Diet Resources DIY Guide to FMD including template Reflections: Resource: Guide to science of Fasting Resource: Fasting Mimicking Diet First Human Trial outcomes review Resource: Commercial ProLon version of FMD Resource: Blue Zones actionable insights based on research on the world’s longest lived communities Resource: Dr Rhonda Patrick interview with Salk Institute Dr Satchin Panda on Time Restricted Feeding Resource: Dr Rhonda Patrick interview with Buck Institute Dr Eric Verdin on Resource: Dr Rhonda Patrick interview with Valter Longo on Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD) Resource: Buck Institute Science of Aging Blog Resource: Homepage of Chris Kresser, functional medicine advocate, practitioner and author of Your Personal Paleo Code and Paleo Cure New Post on Carb Experimenting: Testing Blood Sugar DIY Listen to all of our previous podcasts using this link: Disclaimer: The content at and the content of our podcast are educational and informational in nature. They are not intended to be medical advice, spiritual counsel or a substitute for working with a health professional or a trained spiritual counselor. We cannot guarantee the outcome of any of the recommendations provided on our page or by the guests on our podcast and any statements written or made about any potential outcomes are expressions of opinion only.
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