Better Man Clinics Podcast

In this episode we discuss anxiety. Over the past few years, we have all experienced our share of anxiety.  Stress can be a natural part of our lives as a response to events that occur in relation to our jobs, our families or our health.  But what happens when stress transforms from a nuisance to a debilitating condition that impacts all aspects of our lives?  How do we even know if we have a problem with anxiety?  Are there ways to restructure our lives and lifestyles to better handle stress?  When should we seek professional help and what does that help entail?  And what is the right balance between success and the stress that comes with it? To answer these questions and many more we are fortunate to be joined by Dr. Dimitrios Tsatiris.  Dr. Tsatris is a practicing board-certified psychiatrist specializing in the field of anxiety management. He is a Clinical Assistant Professor of psychiatry at Northeast Ohio Medical University.  He studies and writes about the interface of anxiety and achievement. His popular Psychology Today blog “Anxiety in High-Achievers” is viewed by more than 20,000 readers per month. He has given a TEDx talk on the subject titled “Why Success Won’t Make You Happy.” His writings have appeared in Psychology Today, PsychCentral, NAMI, ThriveGlobal, KevinMD and the White Coat Investor, among other publications. 

In this episode we discuss robotic simple prostatectomy for men with urinary symptoms due to an enlarged prostate (BPH).  In prior episodes, we have discussed several treatment options for BPH including medications and a variety of procedures.  But what if the medications don’t work and the prostate is just too big to qualify for minimally invasive surgical procedures?  Fortunately, robotic simple prostatectomy has emerged as a potential option for men in this situation.  But, how does this procedure work?  What are the risks?  How long is the recovery?  And how successful is it in relieving urinary symptoms of BPH for the long haul.  To help us answer these questions, we are fortunate to be joined by Dr. Daniel Eun.  Dr. Eun is a professor of urology and director of the Robotic Urologic Surgery Clinical Fellowship Program at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University.  He is also the chief of robotic surgery and the director of minimally invasive robotic urologic oncology and reconstructive surgery at Temple University Hospital.  Aside from performing over 1000 robotic surgical procedures, Dr Eun has also extensively published peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and video teaching guides and travels nationally and internationally as an invited lecturer to present research and to train robotic surgeons.

In this episode we discuss the impact of the mind on how we perceive and manage chronic pain. We have all heard the concept of mind over matter and the importance of having the right mindset to overcome adversity and to succeed.  But can your state of mind impact how you actually experience pain?  And to that extent, can psychotherapy teach your mind to process chronic pain differently so as to make it less debilitating? Now in asking these questions, we are in no way implying that pain is “all in your head.”  Rather, we are exploring if and how the mind can be trained to perceive and process pain signals from the rest of the body in a way that makes living with chronic pain manageable. To answer these questions we spoke to a researcher who has been studying this fascinating topic and whose recently published, groundbreaking study has yielded some pretty dramatic results.  Dr.Tor Wager is the Diana L. Taylor Distinguished Professor in Neuroscience at Dartmouth College. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in Cognitive Psychology in 2003, and served as an Assistant (2004-2008) and Associate Professor (2009) at Columbia University, and as Associate (2010-2014) and Full Professor (2014-2019) at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Since 2004, he has directed the Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience laboratory, a research lab devoted to work on the neurophysiology of affective processes—pain, emotion, stress, and empathy—and how they are shaped by cognitive and social influences.

In this episode we discuss penile implants.  Most guys are aware of the common treatments for erectile dysfunction ranging from pills to injections to vacuum pumps.  But what if those treatments don’t work or have intolerable side effects?  Did you know that erectile dysfunction can also be treated by surgically implanting devices into the penis that can create erections on demand?  So what is involved with this type of surgery? Are these implants safe?  How do they work?  What are the risks?  And are they durable enough to last for the long haul?  To help us answer these questions, we are fortunate to be joined by Dr. Marah Hehemann.  Dr. Hehemann is a board certified urologist specializing in male reproductive and sexual health.  She earned her medical degree from Rush Medical College.  Dr.  Hehemann completed her general and urologic surgical training at Loyola University Medical Center and then completed a fellowship in Andrology, Male Reproductive and Sexual Health at the University of Washington.   Dr. Hehemann is an active member of several national and international societies including the Sexual Medicine Society of North America and the Society for the Study of Male Reproductive Health, and serves on the Editorial Board of the Video Journal of Prosthetic Urology.

In this episode we discuss colon cancer.  Did you know that over 50,000 people die of colon cancer in the US every year?  Can these deaths possibly be prevented?  Can our diets and lifestyles affect our chances of developing colon cancer?  Can screening for colon cancer actually decrease your chances of dying from the disease?  And if so, how?  To help us answer these questions and many more we spoke to a true expert.  Dr. Zuri Murrell is a licensed and board certified colorectal surgeon.  Dr. Murrell received his medical degree from UCLA and then went to complete his general surgery training at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and a fellowship at UC Irvine.  He is currently the director of the Colorectal Cancer Center at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

In this episode, we discuss plant based diets. Plant based diets are being praised for health benefits ranging from weight loss to heart health to even cancer prevention. But what exactly constitutes a plant based diet? Can any animal products be included? Are there any risks to only consuming plant based foods? Do you need to make any adjustments with supplements? And is a plant based diet something that guys can stick with for the long haul? To help us answer these questions and many more, we turn to an expert in plant based diets. Julieanna Hever is a registered dietitian and a certified personal trainer. She has authored six books including The Healthspan Solution, the Idiot's Guide to Plant Based Nutrition, and The Vegiterranean Diet, as well as two peer reviewed journal articles on plant based nutrition for healthcare professionals. Her latest book, The Choose You Now Diet is due to be published this month. Ms. Hever is also the host of the Choose You Now podcast, has given a TEDx talk and has served as an instructor for the E Cornell Plant Based Nutrition Certification Program. She's also appeared on shows such as Dr. Oz, Harry, and the Steve Harvey Show. 

In this episode we discuss high blood pressure. Did you know that 50% of men in the United States have high blood pressure?  That’s, right, HALF of all men in the United States.  So why is that important? Well, high blood pressure can increase your risk of heart attack and stroke while also possibly leading to kidney failure, vision loss, and dementia.  If that wasn’t concerning in and of itself, most people with high blood pressure don’t even know they have it. So how can we tell if we have high blood pressure, what can we do to prevent it?  And if we do have it, what can we do to treat it and prevent its potentially very serious consequences.  Fortunately, to help us answer these questions, we are joined by a true expert.  Dr. John Erwin is a general cardiologist and the clinical chair of the Department of Medicine at NorthShore University Health System, an affiliated program of the University of Chicago College of Medicine. He formerly served as senior staff cardiologist and professor and chair in the Department of Internal Medicine at Baylor Scott and White Health/Texas A&M College of Medicine. Dr. Erwin completed his residency and cardiovascular fellowship at the Mayo Clinic and a level II fellowship in cardiac CT angiography at the Princeton Longevity Center. In addition to clinical practice, he serves on the NorthShore University HealthSystem Board of Directors.

In this episode we discuss the relationship between COVID and male sexual health.  As if COVID has not caused enough problems, we are now learning that it can creep into our bedrooms as well.  Anybody on social media can tell you that there are all sorts of claims about the impact of COVID on the sex lives of men. And, just in case you weren’t confused and worried enough, those claims are often conflicting.  While some claim that COVID can cause problems ranging from erectile dysfunction to infertility, other claim that it’s the COVID vaccines (rather than COVID itself) that are causing the problems. So who do we believe?  What do we know to be true versus what we think is true vs what may not be true vs what we know to be just pure nonsense? To help us sort the facts from the fiction, we are fortunate to be joined by Dr. Rena Malik. Dr. Malik is Assistant Professor of Surgery in the Division of Urology at the University of Maryland. She completed her training at the University of Chicago and the University of Texas at Southwestern Medical Center. She is currently a member of the American Urological Association and the Society of Women in Urology. She has published over 20 peer-review articles and book chapters. She also has a very popular YouTube channel dedicated to men’s health that currently educates and entertains over 700,000 subscribers. And now, without further ado, I bring you our conversation with Dr. Renal Malik about the relationship between COVID and male sexual health.

In this episode we discuss low carb diets.  A simple Google search or jaunt through social media will show you that low carb diets are getting a lot of attention, both as an effective approach to weight loss and a means to maintain good overall health. But what does a low carb diet actually mean? What can you eat and what should you avoid? Are there risks involved? Who should avoid these diets? And are low carb diets sustainable for the long haul?  To answer these questions, we turned to an expert on low carb diets.  Dr Bret Scher is a board certified and licensed cardiologist.  He completed his undergraduate studies at Stanford University and earned his medical degree from Ohio State University.  He subsequently completed his residency training in internal medicine at Mercy Hospital in San Diego and a fellowship in cardiology at the Scripps Clinic. Aside from his busy private cardiology practice, Dr Scher is also the medical director of dietdoctor.com and hosts the Diet Doctor Podcast.

In this episode we continue our discussion about testosterone replacement therapy.  In a previous episode, we spoke to Dr. Amy Pearlman about how men can determine whether testosterone therapy may be right for them. But what do you do after you decide that you want to proceed with testosterone therapy?  What type of testosterone treatment should you try: shots, creams, pellets, or even pills?  What are the risks and benefits of each? How are the different treatment options administered? And what do you need to monitor and watch out for when receiving testosterone replacement? In order to help us answer these questions, we are fortunate to be joined by an expert in testosterone supplementation.  Dr. Rachel Rubin is a board-certified urologist and sexual medicine specialist. She is an assistant clinical professor of Urology at Georgetown University and works in a private practice in Washington DC. She is one of only a handful of physicians fellowship trained in male and female sexual medicine. Dr. Rubin is a clinician, researcher, and vocal educator in the field of sexual medicine. She completed her medical and undergraduate training at Tufts University, her urology training at Georgetown University, and her fellowship training under Dr. Irwin Goldstein in San Diego. In addition to being education chair for the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health (ISSWSH), she also serves as Associate Editor for the Journal Sexual Medicine Reviews. She was named a Washingtonian Top Doctor for the past 3 years.