The esteemed Dr. Jeffrey Bland, an internationally recognized leader in the nutritional medicine field, joins the show today. He’s a biochemist by training, co-founding the Institute for Functional Medicine in 1991 while coming to be known to many as The Father of Functional Medicine. 

Dr. Bland invites us into his deep wisdom and vast experience as we explore his path to, and away from, traditional medicine, before delving into the issues we see in modern healthcare and what the rapidly changing space might look like in the near future. 

Today’s healthcare ills, as he points out, can be tied to money’s omnipresence in the market, which has urged the prioritization of disease treatment – for profit’s sake, mostly – rather than focusing on promoting societal wellness as its table-stakes mission.

We also talk about his latest project, Big Bold Health, which launched in 2018, through which he's on a mission to transform the way people think about one of nature's greatest innovations, the mighty immune system. That’s right, the gut remains front and center as Dr. Bland breaks down the differences between boosting and balancing, benefits to eating the rainbow, and much more.

By advocating for the power of immuno-rejuvenation to enhance immunity at a global level, he’s really doing some important work for the world – work that generations in the future (and today!) can look back upon and be so thankful for.

You will learn about...

• When Dr. Bland started to think for himself
• Circumventing traditional medicine
• Diseasecare vs. healthcare
• Money as the pitfall of modern medicine
• Focusing on what it means to be well
• Big Bold Health
• The super system: nervous system and immune system 
• Balancing vs. boosting your immune system
• What are zombie cells?
• Exploring the link between damaged cells and inflammation
• The benefits of autophagy and how to activate it in your body
• Writing your own “book of life” - your genes are not your destiny
• Gene plasticity and epigenetics
• Diet as the unlock
• Learning about phytonutrients
• Benefits of Himalayan tartary buckwheat
• Why we should be eating the rainbow
• Looking ahead to the future of healthcare

Resources:

• Website: jeffreybland.com
• The Institute for Functional Medicine: ifm.org
• Big Bold Health: bigboldhealth.com 
• Instagram: @drjeffreybland
• Linkedin: Jeffrey Bland PHD
• Enjoy 20% off Big Bold Health with code BEWELL20 [Expires 11/30/2022]. Discount cannot be combined with other offers. Big Bold Health only ships to US and Canadian addresses. Other restrictions may apply. Void where prohibited.

Connect with Kelly:

• kellyleveque.com
• Instagram: @bewellbykelly
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/bewellbykelly

Be Well By Kelly is produced by Crate Media.

Mentioned in this episode:

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