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What policies should and should not be in place for transgender athletes to compete in sports is a hotly debated topic. There are different rules and regulations for the elite level vs high school vs youth. But what should the path forward look like? What does the science show and how can we use that to implement better policies?
In this episode, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Timothy Roberts, a researcher and physician who studies this topic. He is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine and the director of Adolescent Medicine. He recently published a study on transgender athletes in the The British Journal of Sports Medicine that was widely cited in the media and on social media. 
On this podcast, he will discuss the findings of his study, differences in policies for transgender athletes at the elite, high school and youth levels, and what he thinks is the best path forward. 

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Conor Farren about mental health and addiction during the pandemic, and particularly during the lockdowns. Dr. Farren will discuss the trends he's seeing, differences between adults and kids, alcohol use and the link between alcohol and suicides, what people should do if they think they need help and how to find help that actually works.
Dr. Farren is a consulting psychiatrist at St. Patrick's University Hospital in Dublin and a senior lecturer at Trinity Dublin. He is an international expert on addiction and alcohol-use and has written several books on this topic, as well as conducted years of research. He also developed UControl Health, an evidence-based digital intervention for alcohol use and addictions.

You can contact Dr. Eeks at bloomingwellness.com.
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PCOS affects millions of people all over the world. It's associated with high rates of infertility, depression, anxiety and obesity. It's difficult for those struggling with PCOS to lose weight, which can by itself fuel feelings of depression and anxiety.
In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Geranne Jiskoot, a researcher and therapist who works in the Department of Reproductive Medicine and Department of Medical Psychotherapy at Erasmus MC in the Netherlands. She works daily with people with PCOS and weight struggles and has done research on what the best diet, exercises and lifestyle modifications are for people with PCOS to lose and maintain a healthy weight. In this podcast, she will discuss the link between PCOS and obesity, what diet, therapies and lifestyle modifications the research supports or doesn't support, and she will also dispel  popular myths. 
You can contact Dr. Eeks at bloomingwellness.com.
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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Andrew Fleming about the new COVID-19 vaccines that were recently produced and the ones still undergoing testing. They chat about what the vaccines do and what they don't do, safety concerns, ingredients and adjuvants,  the potential for antibody dependent enhancement (and what that is), how long immunity is expected to last and immunity to COVID-19  in general. They also talk about how long people will be expected to wear face masks and why.

Dr. Fleming is an infectious disease doctor and researcher at  NYU Langone Hospital in New York City. He has done research on antibody responses, particularly antibody responses to COVID-19.

To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
To read or listen to her new comedic parody on the sleazy side of the wellness industry, check out Yours in Wellness, Krystal Heeling on Amazon.
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We hear a lot about blood type and COVID-19, but is there a significant relationship? Do certain blood types increase one's risk of getting COVID-19 or increase one's risk of having a more severe infection, or even dying? Do certain blood types lower the risk of getting COVID-19 and/or having a serious infection? And if there is a connection, what is the mechanism of action?
To answer some of these questions, Dr. Chrisophter Latz joins Dr. Eeks on Causes or Cures. Dr. Latz is specializing in vascular surgery at Harvard Medical School affiliate, Massachusetts General Hospital. He received his MD from Texas A&M College of Medicine and his MPH from the Harvard Chan School of Public Health. He has advanced training in observational research  and recently authored a study on blood type and COVID-19 that was published earlier this year.

To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
To read or listen to her new comedic parody on the sleazy side of the wellness industry, check out Yours in Wellness, Krystal Heeling on Amazon.
Or you can listen to it from Google Play or Walmart!
Or follow her on Instagram here.
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Since the beginning of the pandemic, the US has been comparing its response to other countries. People who aren't happy with how the US responded to COVID-19 often say, "Why couldn't we respond like Singapore did?" They say this because Singapore has been praised for its response and has an extremely low mortality rate.
So, why was Singapore so successful in its pandemic response?  Would it be possible for a country like the US to respond in a similar way? What's the difference between our public health and political systems and populations? To answer these questions and more, Dr. Walid Jumblatt Abdullah joins Dr. Eeks on Causes or Cures.
Dr. Abdullah is a professor of social sciences and researcher at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. He recently published a critical assessment of Singapore's response to COVID-19. His areas of research include political systems and elections, state-religion relations, political Islam and Southeast Asia politics.

To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
To read or listen to her new comedic parody on the sleazy side of the wellness industry, check out Yours in Wellness, Krystal Heeling on Amazon.
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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with JL Keez,  founder of Anorexia Unlocked, a powerful online program to help people overcome anorexia and other eating disorders. JL suffered from anorexia for years, after a history of family sexual abuse, bullying, depression, suicidal thoughts and not knowing who she truly was. When she finally met the right person who could help her, she made a full recovery and went on to become a counselor specializing in reality therapy. She will discuss the darkest parts of her story, her recovery journey and what she can offer those who are currently struggling. To learn more about JL, her upcoming book,  or to try the Anorexia Unlocked program, visit her website here.

You can contact Dr. Eeks at bloomingwellness.com.
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Disclaimer: Causes or Cures is for informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, and no medical claims are being made. Always talk to a qualified healthcare provider about your personal health.

While most people are focused on vaccines, face masks and lockdowns, some doctors are trying to get people to focus on, or at least consider, early ambulatory treatment for COVID-19. This means care that is initiated right when a person is diagnosed or starts to show symptoms, while he/she is still at home or self-isolating, and well before a person has to go to the hospital. These doctors believe early ambulatory treatment would significantly reduce hospitalizations and deaths.
In this podcast, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Peter McCullough, an internist, cardiologist and epidemiologist who authored a paper on this topic that included a protocol for early treatment. The protocol lists specific drugs to use and when to use them. Dr. McCullough discusses the rationale behind this protocol, what other countries are doing for early ambulatory treatment ( things that the US is not doing), and why the media is not addressing early ambulatory care since he believes it could save many lives.
Dr. McCullough is the Vice Chief of Internal Medicine at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Tx and a consulting cardiologist. He is a Principal Faculty in internal medicine for the Texas A&M University Health Sciences, has over 1000 publications and over 500 citations in the National Library of Medicine. You can read his full bio here.

Keep in mind that this podcast is information only and not medical advice. At this time, several of the drugs mentioned are not approved by the FDA for use against COVID-19. If you have questions about treatment, please check in with your doctor.

You can contact Dr. Eeks at bloomingwellness.com.
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Read Manic Kingdom here.
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Prior to the current pandemic, the news cycle was dominated by the opioid epidemic,  a beast that has taken the lives of many people from all walks of life. Just yesterday, the Sackler family's Purdue Pharma, the maker of Oxycontin, plead guilty to federal criminal charges related to the marketing and selling of opioids. Universities, like NYU, just announced that they are removing the Sackler family name from their campuses. Many other drug companies face serious legal issues. Prior to COVID-19, the opioid crisis was the top public health issue that everyone was talking about. National, state and local governments were desperate to find ways to address it. It was a top election issue. Since COVID-19, the opioid epidemic has been removed from the spotlight..., but it has not gone away. In fact, it's gotten significantly worse. We just aren't talking about it as much.

In this podcast, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. John Kelly about the current state of the opioid epidemic. Dr. Kelly will identify who is getting hit the hardest,  why the epidemic is getting worse, overdose deaths, why stress and isolation affect a person struggling with opioids more than a person who is not, and if someone is in recovery, when is the most critical time period he or she is most likely to relapse. He will also discuss changes to treatment, telemedicine, digital Apps and what he thinks is the best path forward for putting a major dent in this public health crisis.

Dr. Kelly is a Professor of Psychiatry in Addiction Medicine at Harvard Medical School. He is the Founder and Director of the Recovery Research Institute at the Massachusetts General Hospital, the Associate Director of the Center for Addiction Medicine, and the Program Director of the Addiction Recovery Management Service. He is a former President of the American Psychological Association's Society of Addiction Psychology and has served as a consultant to U.S. federal agencies and non-federal institutions, as well as foreign governments and the United Nations. He has published over 200 peer-reviewed articles, reviews, chapters and books in the field of addiction medicine. Finally, he was the author on the U.S. Surgeon General's Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health.

You can contact Dr. Eeks at bloomingwellness.com.
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Read Manic Kingdom here.
Listen to her short audio parody on the wellness industry here.
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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Sharonza Penson, a very talented artist and single mom in Texas. Sharonza is mom to Elijah, her beautiful four year old son.

When Elijah was born, Sharonza learned that Elijah had a rare genetic disorder called Cornelia de Lange Syndrome. The doctors told her that Elijah wouldn't be able to do much and in the podcast, Sharonza talks about that day and how that conversation made her feel.

While Elijah has many medical difficulties, has already undergone numerous surgeries, and is currently non-verbal, Sharonza is confident he will talk one day. Elijah has already found other ways to communicate though, including the keyboard and the drums. He has a peg tube to assist with feeding and though he's small for his age, Elijah has a larger-than-life personality. In the podcast, Sharonza discusses Elijah's medical issues and what her day-to-day looks like as Elijah's sole caretaker. In fact, she recorded the podcast from the hospital, because Elijah is there for a procedure.

Sharonza is also an incredibly talented artist, and you can see for yourself on her Instagram feed. In the podcast she discusses her art, what inspires her and her goals. When Elijah was born, Sharonza left a successful career to take care of him full time, though as you can imagine, that hasn't been easy. She talks about that transition and the financial difficulties it brought, especially after a car accident that totalled her car. In fact, she sells her art and raises funds with the hope of raising enough money to purchase a new car to take Elijah to his frequent doctor appointments.

After you listen to the episode, if you are interested in contacting Sharonza or seeing more of her art, you can contact her on Instagram or via email: [email protected].
If you are interested in contributing to her and Elijah's cause, you can do so via GoFundMe or Zelle ( [email protected]), Paypal ([email protected]), or CashApp : ($Sharonza9)   

Thanks for listening and hope you find her story inspiring!

To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
To read or listen to her new comedic parody on the sleazy side of the wellness industry, check out Yours in Wellness, Krystal Heeling on Amazon.
Or you can listen to it from Google Play or Walmart!
Or follow her on Instagram here.
Or Facebook here.
Subcribe to her newsletter here!

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