Menopause Mastery

The FDA seems to gatekeep the idea that breast implant illness exists. But the fact is, it's more common than you might think!

Dr. Robert Whitfield is a natural plastic surgeon and one of the foremost experts on breast cancer illness. Renowned for his expertise and research, he comes to the show to share the truth about breast implant illness.

Betty and Dr. Whitfield discuss breast implant illness, what it is, and the symptoms to look out for. You'll also hear Dr. Whitfield's unique take on breast reconstruction and how might be able to avoid implants in the first place.

He'll take you through his Holistic Accelerated Recovery Program (HARP), explaining how he sets patients up for success pre-surgery. Through using his holistic methods, you can recover more quickly.

If you have breast implants or are thinking about getting them, this episode will help you have the best possible outcome!

Key Topics/Takeaways:

• How Dr. Whitfield got into medicine and plastic surgery.
• Dr. Whitfield tells personal client success stories.
• Functional genomics and breast implant illness.
• Symptoms of breast implant illness.
• Difference between textured and non textured breast implants.
• Dr. Whitfield takes you through his holistic recovery program.
• Why the pre-surgery planning process is so important.
• Alternatives to breast implants.

Where to Find the Guest:

DrRobertWhitfield.com

BreastImplantIllnessExpert.com

Listen to Dr. Whitfield's Podcast

@drrobertwhitfield

Memorable Quotes:

"You try to treat everybody like they're family and take care of them the best you can." (11:47, Dr. Whitfield)

"I think it's frightening that we don't know more about this and that if you go out and look at the FDA, they're sort of sidestepping the idea that breast implant illness really exists and that it's just this very rare, rare thing." (20:19, Betty)

"Traditionally surgeons try to get everything set up so they do the safest possible operations, but really when we're talking about people that have lots of inflammation, you really wanna reduce the inflammation prior to surgery in as many ways possible as you can." (36:48, Dr. Whitfield)

"Food is your fuel for recovery. If you can't eat, you can't recover." (38:41, Dr. Whitfield)

"You miss a hundred percent of the questions you don't ask." (40:20, Dr. Whitfield)

Website

Living Well Dallas

Hormone Reset

Betty Murray

Socials

Facebook

Instagram

This week, Betty dives back into autoimmunity and talks about the genetic component around it.

She will walk you through the genes and mutations that are associated with autoimmunity. You'll learn that although genetics do play a role, they don't necessarily determine that you will develop an autoimmune condition.

Betty will teach you how mutations occur in the genes and what you can do with that information. Information is power, and this information can address the root causes and avoid autoimmunity in the first place.

It's time to pull back the veil and learn what's happening behind the scenes in your body!

Key Topics/Takeaways:

• How mutations occur in genes.
• Betty walks you through the combination of genes that are associated with autoimmunity.
• An overview of HLAs.
• Genes that cause a loss of function.
• How specific ethnic groups are affected by autoimmune conditions.
• Why it's important to know what genes have a role in autoimmunity.
• What you can do with your genetic information.

Memorable Quotes:

"Our genes are our instruction manuals." (2:46, Betty)

"Most autoimmune diseases arise from a combination of genetic predisposition, environmental triggers, that then disrupt the immune system's ability to distinguish self from other." (7:20, Betty)

"I believe knowledge is power, and so when we do have an opportunity to know at least some of our genetics, I think it's valuable" (17:57, Betty)

"In order to really affect the genes you have to affect the fire that's turning him on." (20:32, Betty)

Website

Living Well Dallas

Hormone Reset

Betty Murray

Socials

Facebook

Instagram

Today, Betty will continue to guide you through the root causes of autoimmunity.

It turns out that if you have an autoimmune condition, a virus or parasitic infection might be the cause. In this episode, you'll hear the role of infections and parasites in autoimmunity. Then, you'll get tips and tools to make your immune system healthy.

You might be surprised to discover that viruses, bacteria, and parasites aren't all bad. You'll learn that infections are actually the driving force that helps the immune system learn.

There is an amount of exposure to bacteria, viruses, and parasites that our immune system needs to go through for it to intelligently figure out how and when to fight back.

After listening, you'll look at infections in a whole new way. In fact, they could stop being so scary!

Key Topics/Takeaways:

• The hygiene hypothesis.
• What you need to know about bacteria.
• Cross-reactivity.
• Biofilms.
• Why humans need exposure to viruses early on.
• Parasites.
• How to make your immune system healthy.

Memorable Quotes:

"Infections in some ways help our immune system learn." (3:57, Betty)

"Our immune system is like a bunch of teenage boys without oversight." (5:09, Betty)

"We need early exposure, particularly when we're young, probably with really robust immune systems, to a host of infections to help the body learn what is the difference between self and others." (22:50, Betty)

"In some cases, parasites can be protective against autoimmunity." (25:35, Betty)

"There is an amount of exposure to bacteria, viruses, and probably parasites that our immune system needs to go through for it to intelligently learn how to fight back and when to fight back and with what." (30:09, Betty)

Website

Living Well Dallas

Hormone Reset

Betty Murray

Socials

Facebook

Instagram

Hustle culture is on the rise, and with it comes stress and burnout. It's time to learn a new way.

Today, Betty talks all about stress and its impact on the body. Stress is an underestimated trigger for disease and should be taken very seriously.

By listening, you'll learn what stress really is and what causes it. Then, Betty will explore the connection between stress and autoimmunity. It turns out that stress is a huge contributor to the development of autoimmune conditions!

Many people want to release stress, but they refuse to make any lasting lifestyle changes. Betty is here to say that this problem won't get better on its own and there's no better time than the present to start avoiding it.

Get ready, because relief is coming!

Key Topics/Takeaways:

• The definition of stress.
• How stress negatively affects physical, psychological, and emotional health.
• The relationship between stress and autoimmunity.
• Ways the stress response system becomes activated.
• The biology behind autoimmunity.
• Why you should take stress seriously.

Memorable Quotes:

"Stress is both physical, psychological, and emotional." (3:51, Betty)

"Stress is a big contributor to the actual onset and also the flaring of the immune system." (6:39, Betty)

"It's a significant problem when we have a lot of chronic stress because it's gonna cause dysregulation of these immune cells and how they respond to any, any incoming pathogen." (23:18, Betty)

"We are not designed to live in a prolonged, protracted chronic stress response. We are not designed to constantly be pushing the envelope to almost fight or flight." (27:08, Betty)

"The take-home message is stress is really important, and it is one of the biggest things that probably induce autoimmunity." (28:05, Betty)

"You've gotta find ways to find coping mechanisms to help you work with the life that you live because often we have to get well in an environment that very well makes us sick." (30:54, Betty)

Website

Living Well Dallas

Hormone Reset

Betty Murray

Socials

Facebook

Instagram

With the increase in chemicals and environmental toxins, autoimmunity has become an epidemic. The fact is, the chemicals we've added to our environment since industrialization are incredibly toxic.

In this episode, Betty talks about the connection between environmental toxins and autoimmunity. She'll explain why chemicals are the leading cause of chronic illness and diseases, and their specific role in the immune system.

Then, she'll give you easy tips and lifestyle changes to reduce your exposure to toxins and your chance of developing an autoimmune condition.

It's almost impossible to get away from toxins, but you can reduce your overall chemical load within your environment. After listening, you'll know how to do just that!

Key Topics/Takeaways:

• The research around environmental toxins and autoimmunity.
• How exposure to environmental toxins causes autoimmunity.
• Endocrine disruptors.
• How chemicals affect DNA.
• Antioxidants and toxins.
• How toxins modify proteins in the body and promote dysregulation of the cells.
• Tips for avoiding chemical exposures.
• How to remove toxins from your water.

Memorable Quotes:

"When we look at autoimmunity, it is a greater epidemic today than just cardiovascular disease, which gets billions of dollars every year and is heavily funded." (2:09, Betty)

"Chemical exposures absolutely have correlation to the onset of autoimmune conditions." (5:31, Betty)

"Environmental chemicals have the ability to impact the mechanism of managing your DNA." (11:54, Betty)

"Chemicals have not only been found to flare up autoimmunity, but they also have the potential to develop autoimmunity." (20:30, Betty)

"I believe it really is the food toxicants and the environmental toxicants that are a heavy driver of the epigenetic risk to those that have the genetic risk for autoimmunity." (30:52, Betty)

"These toxins do exist and you can't really get away from them. And ultimately our goal should be to reduce the overall chemical load within our environment." (36:28, Betty)

Website

Living Well Dallas

Hormone Reset

Betty Murray

Socials

Facebook

Instagram

When Betty was struggling with her autoimmune disorder and asked whether it had anything to do with her diet, her doctor laughed in her face. Today, she knows that her doctor couldn't be more incorrect.

Nowadays, autoimmunity is an epidemic. And despite research showing that food can contribute to the onset of autoimmune conditions, much of conventional medicine still denies this.

In today's episode, Betty talks about how food plays a role in autoimmune conditions. Explaining how it works biologically and the research behind it, she'll explain food-related triggers for autoimmunity and what you can do about them.

If you have an autoimmune condition, Betty will convince you that your diet is something you should be paying attention to!

Key Topics/Takeaways:

• The 3 major "military branches" of the immune system.
• How the body identifies viruses and bacteria.
• Why the body recognizes certain foods as invaders.
• The reason humans have lost so much oral tolerance.
• The research behind the connection between food and autoimmunity.
• Everything you need to know about dietary testing + what you should look for in a test.

Memorable Quotes:

"The only autoimmune condition that we actually know the cause of is celiac disease." (3:33, Betty)

"If we have antibodies that have now been triggered to things we eat every day or at some level of frequency, that means that the immune system is now responding to that food as if it's a foreign invader." (8:54, Betty)

"We lose immune tolerance to foods over time." (16:15, Betty)

"When we're looking at possible triggers for autoimmune conditions, food absolutely should be part of that process." (22:38, Betty)

"At the end of the day, finding out what foods are triggering you are important." (25:05, Betty)

Website

Living Well Dallas

Hormone Reset

Betty Murray

Socials

Facebook

Instagram

Last week, Betty talked about autoimmunity and its relationship with sex hormones and immune stimulation. Today, she continues that talk by explaining the underpinnings of autoimmune conditions.

In this episode, Betty dives into the topics of leaky gut and dysbiosis. She describes why the microbiome is so important and how to tell if it's out of balance. By going through the causes, you'll know how to avoid leaky gut and autoimmune conditions in the first place.

But if you're struggling with gut issues right now, don't dismay! Betty will give you advice and tips on how to balance your microbiome and get it back to an optimal state.

It turns out that you can do a lot in your daily life to positively affect your gut. After listening, you'll know how to take control of your microbiome and avoid long-term problems!

Key Topics/Takeaways:

• Why you should balance your gut.
• How gut bacteria evolves over time.
• Tips for balancing the microbiome.
• How the foods we eat affect the microbiome.
• The causes of autoimmunity.
• How to test your microbiome.
• The "5 R's" of gut repair.

Memorable Quotes:

"Our microbes are neither good nor bad." (3:47, Betty)

"How we eat grows different bacteria." (11:30, Betty)

"If you talk to your practitioner and they say, there's no way to know if there is leaky gut or not, then you need to go to another practitioner." (21:18, Betty)

"Everything really lives and dies in the gut." (25:10, Betty)

"So at the end of the day, there's almost always a relationship between the microbes and the leaky gut." (29:55, Betty)

Website

Living Well Dallas

Hormone Reset

Betty Murray

Socials

Facebook

Instagram

Did you know that 9 out of 10 individuals who get autoimmune conditions are women?

In this episode, Betty talks about why autoimmune conditions are so prevalent in women. She takes you through the various sex hormones, with an emphasis on estrogen, explaining how they are related to autoimmunity.

Betty is particularly passionate about this topic because part of the reason she came to the fields of functional medicine and nutrition was as a result of her own autoimmune history. Her passion will translate over to you as she explains ways to avoid autoimmune conditions in yourself.

The fact is, there are easy steps you can take to reduce the chances of an autoimmune condition. This episode is your first step in doing just that!

Key Topics/Takeaways:

• Risk factors for autoimmune conditions.
• Why women have more autoimmune conditions than men.
• The connection between autoimmune disorders and hormones.
• How to know if your hormones are out of balance.
• Why you should know the purpose of estrogen.
• Does pregnancy trigger autoimmune diseases?
• Ways to prevent autoimmune conditions.

Memorable Quotes:

"The truth is autoimmune conditions are probably one of the most distinct and widely varied diseases that have the most wide variety of causes that are often multifactorial." (1:45, Betty)

"There is no other thing on the planet as ubiquitous and as prevalent at changing our DNA and the function of our cells than viruses." (4:39, Betty)

"There are over 50 million people with at least one autoimmune condition, the majority of which do not know." (14:16, Betty)

"Ultimately estrogen and all those compounds that our body either makes or come in contact with that look estrogenic are going to stimulate inflammation." (37:38, Betty)

"Yes, we got the short end of the stick as women, but it's all because nature wants to make sure that we can continue the species. And so we have to just work within that." (41:33, Betty)

Website

Living Well Dallas

Hormone Reset

Betty Murray

Socials

Facebook

Instagram

Did you know your skin could be a glimpse into the rest of your health?

Dr. Keira Barr is a dual board-certified dermatologist and a menopause specialist who wants to empower women with the tools they need to help them feel more comfortable in their skin.

This episode discusses why skin is so important and what could negatively impact it.

You'll hear tips and tricks to heal your skin naturally from the inside out while feeling empowered to prioritize your skin health. Dr. Keira explains that skincare is not just what we do on the outside, but is also an internal job.

Skin is the number one reason people go to the doctor and influences everything from how you feel to how you show up in the world. After listening, you'll take your skin health a lot more seriously!

Key Topics/Takeaways:

• Why Dr. Keira became a dermatologist.
• The importance of skin.
• The reason your worth shouldn't be tied to your appearance.
• Dr. Keira's definition of skin care.
• The relationship between skin and the gut.
• How stress impacts skin.
• Tools to help improve your skin.
• Why you should check your own skin.

Where to Find the Guest:

DrKeiraBarr.com

Does your skincare routine need a makeover? Take the quiz today!

@drkeirabarr

Memorable Quotes:

"Your skin is just this messenger of telling you what's happening in your body." (4:46, Dr. Keira)

"We teach best what we need to learn the most." (6:26, Dr. Keira)

"Skincare is so much more than the products that we use." (9:24, Dr. Keira)

"I really define skincare as connection and relationship. And it's the connection and relationship to ourselves." (14:26, Dr. Keira)

"Your skin is not trying to sabotage you. It is not trying to make you have a bad day. It is offering information that something is happening beneath the surface that needs your attention." (16:44, Dr. Keira)

"We have been conditioned in Western medicine especially to always look outside ourselves for answers, but that is not where the answers are." (24:49, Dr. Keira)

Website

Living Well Dallas

Hormone Reset

Betty Murray

Socials

Facebook

Instagram

Concerned about the effects that iodine, bromine, fluoride, and chlorine can have on your body? In this episode, Betty explains the halides and their connection to thyroid function.

Nowadays, this topic is fairly common. For instance, we need to detox from them, we need to take doses of iodine, fluoride in toothpaste is bad for you, and chlorine in the pool can cause thyroid dysfunction. But what's really true and what's a misconception?

Betty will answer all of these questions and more by showing you what the most accurate research says. By using her broad experience as a functional medicine practitioner, you'll finally know everything you need to know about halides and the thyroid.

Get ready for a heaping dose of knowledge and clarity! After this episode, you'll know that halides are not so scary after all.

Key Topics/Takeaways:

• What's really true about halides.
• Why it's important for women to have adequate levels of iodine.
• Symptoms of iodine deficiency + who's at risk.
• Is fluoride in water, food, and toothpaste actually harmful?
• Fibrocystic breast disease
• What the research shows about halides and the thyroid.
• How much exposure to chlorine is actually harmful?
• The best way to test your iodine levels.

Memorable Quotes:

"I wouldn't worry a ton of chlorine other than the effect of it on your skin and lungs." (8:02, Betty)

"Bromine is number one an essential nutrient, and also number two, not truly something that is going to alter iodine's function at the thyroid." (11:39, Betty)

"Fluoride out of all the halides is the only one that we know disrupts thyroid function at super physiological doses, above five milligrams a day" (12:38, Betty)

Website

Living Well Dallas

Hormone Reset

Betty Murray

Socials

Facebook

Instagram