Can nutrition change the trajectory of a suicidal, aggressive teenager faster and more safely than psychiatric medication? In this final installment of our three-part conversation, Dr. Anikó and Professor Julia Rucklidge unpack the newly published BEAM study, a randomized controlled trial testing broad-spectrum micronutrients in adolescents with severe irritability and emotional dysregulation. The results are striking: teens who met criteria for disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD) saw a 64% response rate on micronutrients compared to just 12.5% on placebo, and suicidal ideation dropped more in the micronutrient group than has ever been documented with psychiatric medication in this population.

The conversation then turns practical. They cover who responds best (and why a history of psychiatric medication actually predicts a stronger response), the real side effects worth monitoring (mostly diarrhea, not what you'd expect), and the evolution of the formulations themselves  from the original Empower Plus to Daily Essential Nutrients to a newer sublingual "stick" delivery system now being tested in children in the M&M trial. Professor Rucklidge also walks through how cross-tapering off psychiatric medication actually works for patients who want to try micronutrients, why it must be done carefully and only with professional guidance, and where clinicians, researchers, and curious listeners alike can go to learn more, get involved, or support the lab's ongoing work.

Whether you're a clinician looking for an evidence-based option for treatment-resistant, dysregulated teens, a parent trying to understand what's out there, or someone who's followed this series from the start, Part 3 closes out the conversation with a clear-eyed, practical roadmap for putting this research into action safely.

Episode Highlights:

1:34 Introducing the BEAM Study: A New RCT on Adolescent Irritability and Emotional Dysregulation

2:39 Recruiting a Severely Dysregulated Population: 20% Suicidal, Many Self-Harming

2:59 The Headline Result: Irritability Improved Significantly More on Micronutrients vs. Placebo

3:09 Understanding DMDD: Why This Controversial New Diagnosis Replaced Pediatric Bipolar

3:29 The Biggest Effect Yet: 64% Responders on Micronutrients vs. 12.5% on Placebo in DMDD Teens

3:53 Why More Severe Symptoms Predict a Bigger Micronutrient Response — and a Smaller Placebo Response

4:09 The "Permission to Heal": Unpacking the Placebo Effect in Teens and Their Families

4:39 Socioeconomic Status as a Moderator: Why Lower-Income Families Responded Best

4:59 Personality Difficulties as a Predictor of Response in the Nutramum Study

5:29 Past Medication History Predicts a Stronger Response to Micronutrients, Not a Weaker One

6:07 The NOMAD Study: Confirming the Same Pattern in Adults with Depression

6:37 If Micronutrients Were a Finite Resource, Who Should Get Them First?

7:03 Adolescent Aggression and Delinquency: The Populations Poised to Benefit Most

7:27 A First: Suicidal Ideation Dropped More on Micronutrients Than Ever Seen with Psychiatric Medication

7:56 Why Weekly Suicidality Monitoring Made This Finding So Robust

8:05 Self-Harm Went Down, Not Up, in Both Study Groups

8:07 Checking for Side Effects: Diarrhea Was the Only Significant One

8:38 Empower Plus vs. Daily Essential Nutrients: How the Two Formulations Diverged

9:17 Introducing the Sublingual Stick: A Pilot Study in 6- to 10-Year-Olds

9:47 The M&M Trial: Testing Micronutrients Plus Mindfulness, Now in Analysis

12:01 Critical Safety Cautions: Why You Should Never Combine Micronutrients with Medications on Your Own

12:54 Why Every Clinical Trial to Date Has Required Participants to Be Medication-Free

14:01 The Skill of Cross-Tapering Off Psychiatric Medications, and Charlie Popper's Early Work

16:11 Honoring Micronutrients as Medicine, Not Just Another Casual Wellness Trend

17:03 How to Get Educated, Get Involved, or Start a Research Collaboration

19:29 Funding the Future: Donor Support, Book Proceeds, and the Fight for Traditional Research Dollars

About Professor Julia Rucklidge, PhD:

Professor Julia Rucklidge, a clinical psychologist, is the Director of Te Puna Toiora, the Mental Health and Nutrition Research Lab at the University of Canterbury. Originally from Canada, she's a renowned clinical psychologist focusing on nutritional interventions for mental illnesses. With over 160 publications and 100s of global talks, she advocates for healthy eating to enhance mental health. Notable achievements include co-authoring "The Better Brain," a TEDx talk with over 5 million views, >100,000 learners on her popular edX course "Mental Health and Nutrition," and receiving awards like the University of Canterbury's Innovation Medal 2024, the Ballin Award from the New Zealand Psychological Society, and being named one of New Zealand's top 100 influential women.

Te Puna Toiora: Mental Health and Nutrition Research Lab

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-rucklidge-b58372b7/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mentalhealthandnutrition/

Connect with Dr. Anikó:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.aniko/

Website: https://www.draniko.com/

Thank you for listening to Nourished with Dr. Anikó! 

It would mean the world if you would take one minute to follow, leave a 5 star review and share with those you love! 

Your presence is truly felt and deeply appreciated.

Disclaimer:
The content of this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The views expressed are those of the host and guests and do not substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the guidance of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you heard on this podcast.

If micronutrients can help with severe psychiatric conditions, why isn't everyone doing this already? In Part 2, Dr. Anikó and Professor Julia Rucklidge unpack the real controversy and institutional resistance behind this research, from patients deemed "incompetent to consent" for wanting to try micronutrients over medication, to a clinical trial disrupted by an earthquake. Their shared message: this isn't about rejecting medication, it's about expanding the menu of options available to patients and clinicians.

The conversation then turns to the Nutramum study, Professor Rucklidge's RCT testing broad-spectrum micronutrients in pregnant women with depression. The results: lower rates of preterm birth, fewer low-birth-weight babies, less postpartum hemorrhaging, and a fivefold reduction in postpartum depression risk compared to standard care. They also cover why pregnancy depletes mom's nutrient stores, what five-year follow-up data shows for the babies, and why this belongs in every informed-consent conversation during pregnancy.

Whether you're a clinician, an expecting parent, or just curious why nutrition isn't taken more seriously in mental health care, this episode makes the case for why that needs to change.

Episode Highlights:

2:00 The Controversy: Why a "Good News Story" About Micronutrients Faced So Much Resistance

3:00 Deemed "Incompetent to Consent": The Ethics Battles That Shut Down Early Studies

6:00 Studying Through a Disaster: Running a Clinical Trial During the Christchurch Earthquake

7:00 The First ADHD RCT: 47% Much-to-Very-Much Improved on Micronutrients vs. 20% on Placebo

11:00 Fear, Stigma, and Undertrained Providers: Parallels to Perinatal Mental Health Care

14:00 Not Anti-Medication: Reframing This as an Expanded Menu of Options

19:00 Side Effects Worth Having: Better Sleep, Reduced Irritability, Improved Growth

23:00 Why the RDA Was Never Designed for Brain Health

27:00 Understanding the Upper Limit (UL): Why It's Not the Same as Toxicity

28:00 The Pellagra Lesson: Why Blaming a Single Nutrient Misses the Bigger Picture

30:00 Introducing Nutramum: A Pregnancy Study Born From Wanting to "Change the World"

31:00 Inside the Trial Design: Randomizing 88 Moms to Micronutrients or Placebo

34:00 Who Responded Best: Moms With a History of Medication Saw the Biggest Gains

40:00 Where Do the Nutrients Go? How Pregnancy Depletes Mom's Reserves

47:00 The Birth Outcomes: Lower Preterm Birth and Resuscitation Rates

54:00 A Surprising Protective Effect: Reduced Postpartum Hemorrhaging

1:03:00 Assessing the Infants: What the Brazelton Assessment Scale Revealed

1:07:00 The Postpartum Depression Findings: A Fivefold Risk Reduced Back to Baseline

1:12:00 Five Years Later: Developmental Outcomes for the Nutramum Kids

About Professor Julia Rucklidge, PhD:

Professor Julia Rucklidge, a clinical psychologist, is the Director of Te Puna Toiora, the Mental Health and Nutrition Research Lab at the University of Canterbury. Originally from Canada, she's a renowned clinical psychologist focusing on nutritional interventions for mental illnesses. With over 160 publications and 100s of global talks, she advocates for healthy eating to enhance mental health. Notable achievements include co-authoring "The Better Brain," a TEDx talk with over 5 million views, >100,000 learners on her popular edX course "Mental Health and Nutrition: and receiving awards like the University of Canterbury's Innovation Medal 2024, the Ballin Award from the New Zealand Psychological Society, and being named one of New Zealand's top 100 influential women.

Te Puna Toiora: Mental Health and Nutrition Research Lab

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-rucklidge-b58372b7/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mentalhealthandnutrition/

Connect with Dr. Anikó:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.aniko/

Website: https://www.draniko.com/

Thank you for listening to Nourished with Dr. Anikó! 

It would mean the world if you would take one minute to follow, leave a 5 star review and share with those you love! 

Your presence is truly felt and deeply appreciated.

Disclaimer:
The content of this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The views expressed are those of the host and guests and do not substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the guidance of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you heard on this podcast.

For most of us, mental health treatment begins and ends with medication. But tucked into the history of modern psychiatry is a quieter story: of two grieving fathers, a skeptical scientist, and a connection to animal nutrition that would eventually reshape how we think about the brain.

In Part 1 of this special two-part conversation, Dr. Anikó sits down with Professor Julia Rucklidge, clinical psychologist and director of Te Puna Toiora, the Mental Health and Nutrition Research Lab at the University of Canterbury, to trace the improbable origin story behind her research into micronutrients and mental health.

Together they walk through how two families in Alberta, Canada drawing on an unlikely insight from livestock management connected a broad-spectrum of vitamins and minerals to real improvement in severe psychiatric conditions like bipolar disorder and psychosis. They cover how Professor Rucklidge's mentor, Bonnie Kaplan, initially waved the idea off as quackery before deciding it deserved serious study, and how that decision set Professor Rucklidge on a career spent building some of the most rigorously placebo-controlled research in psychiatry, down to scenting both placebo and active pills with vanilla so participants couldn't guess which group they were in.

Professor Rucklidge also opens up about her own connection to this work, growing up watching her mother struggle with mental illness that medication alone never fully resolved, and the two dig into the environmental side of the story: how soil depletion, food processing, and the modern diet have quietly stripped nutrients out of the food supply, leaving many people malnourished even while well-fed.

Whether you're a clinician, a parent, or simply curious about the science behind nutritional psychiatry, this episode lays the groundwork for understanding why food may be a far more powerful mental health tool than most of us were ever taught.

Episode Highlights:

1:00 Introducing Professor Julia Rucklidge, PhD: Clinical Psychologist, Nutrition Researcher, and Director of Te Puna Toiora

5:00 The Origin Story: How a PhD Under Bonnie Kaplan Led to an Unlikely Discovery

6:00 From "Snake Oil" to Science: The Alberta Families Treating Severe Psychiatric Illness with Micronutrients

9:00 A Career-Changing Data Set: Watching Medicated Patients Who Were Still Unwell

11:00 Staying Agnostic: Why Independent, Industry-Free Funding Was Non-Negotiable

12:00 Inside the Placebo: Vanilla Sachets, Riboflavin, and the Lengths Taken to Eliminate Bias

16:00 The Two Fathers: How a Conversation at Church About Livestock Connected Animal Behavior to Human Mental Illness

18:00 A Personal Thread: Growing Up with a Mother Whose Mental Illness Never Fully Responded to Medication

21:00 Rediscovering What Our Ancestors Knew: Hippocrates, Mrs. Beeton, and the Forgotten History of Food as Medicine

23:00 How We Got Lulled Into the Chemical Imbalance Story

26:00 The Soil-to-Brain Connection: Why Modern Food Is Quietly Losing Its Nutrients

30:00 Food First: Why Medication Alone Was Never Going to Solve a Multifactorial Problem

33:00 The Simple Test: How to Spot Ultra-Processed Food and Why It Matters for Mental Health

About Professor Julia Rucklidge, PhD:

Professor Julia Rucklidge, a clinical psychologist, is the Director of Te Puna Toiora, the Mental Health and Nutrition Research Lab at the University of Canterbury. Originally from Canada, she's a renowned clinical psychologist focusing on nutritional interventions for mental illnesses. With over 160 publications and 100s of global talks, she advocates for healthy eating to enhance mental health. Notable achievements include co-authoring "The Better Brain," a TEDx talk with over 5 million views, >100,000 learners on her popular edX course "Mental Health and Nutrition: and receiving awards like the University of Canterbury's Innovation Medal 2024, the Ballin Award from the New Zealand Psychological Society, and being named one of New Zealand's top 100 influential women.

Te Puna Toiora: Mental Health and Nutrition Research Lab

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-rucklidge-b58372b7/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mentalhealthandnutrition/

Coming Next Week

In Part 2, Dr. Anikó and Professor Rucklidge dig into the controversy her research has stirred, from ethics committees that questioned whether patients were even competent to consent to a nutrition study, to funding rejections and a literal earthquake that threatened to derail her first randomized controlled trial. They also get into the findings themselves, including a landmark ADHD study in which 47% of participants on micronutrients were rated as much or very much improved compared to 21% on placebo, and have a candid conversation about how micronutrients compare to stimulant medication, why the RDA badly underestimates what the brain actually needs, and what real informed consent should look like for patients weighing their options.

Connect with Dr. Anikó:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.aniko/

Website: https://www.draniko.com/

Thank you for listening to Nourished with Dr. Anikó! 

It would mean the world if you would take one minute to follow, leave a 5 star review and share with those you love! 

Your presence is truly felt and deeply appreciated.

Disclaimer:
The content of this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The views expressed are those of the host and guests and do not substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the guidance of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you heard on this podcast.

In this enriching episode of Nourished with Dr. Anikó, Dr. Anikó explores one of the most powerful yet overlooked foundations of health: human connection.

Fresh from a week spent surrounded by people she loves, she reflects on how deeply nourishing it is to share space, conversation, laughter, and meaningful experiences with others. That experience becomes a reminder that while technology has made communication easier than ever, it cannot replace genuine, face-to-face connection.

Dr. Anikó discusses why community is a fundamental human need, how modern life often encourages isolation, and why so many people are unknowingly substituting true connection with social media, endless productivity, or even AI. She explains how these conveniences, while helpful, can never provide the emotional and physiological benefits that come from being physically present with another person.

Throughout the episode, she offers practical ways to build stronger relationships through everyday interactions, from chatting with a grocery store cashier to making time for close friends and loved ones. She also shares why practicing these small moments of connection helps strengthen our social skills, improve our wellbeing, and create a richer, more fulfilling life.

If you've been feeling disconnected, overwhelmed by technology, or longing for deeper relationships, this episode is a gentle reminder that some of life's greatest healing comes simply from being together.

Episode Highlights

01:30 Why community is one of our most essential human needs

03:00 The hidden ways we try to replace genuine connection with technology and productivity

05:00 Why social connection is critical for emotional and physical wellbeing

06:00 How everyday interactions can strengthen your sense of belonging

08:00 Why we're losing important social skills in a digital world

10:00 The difference between casual connections and deep relationships

12:00 Why making time for the people you love should become a priority

14:00 Why there is no substitute for genuine human connection

15:00 Finding meaningful moments of connection in everyday life

17:00 A simple reminder to prioritize relationships that nourish your body, mind, and spirit

This week's episode builds beautifully on the themes explored in Episode 45: Why Community Matters for Your Health: The Hidden Impact of Loneliness and How to Reconnect. If you haven't had a chance to listen yet, go ahead and add it to your playlist. Together, these two conversations offer a powerful exploration of why meaningful connection is essential for our physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing.

Connect with Dr. Anikó:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.aniko/

Website: https://www.draniko.com/

Thank you for listening to Nourished with Dr. Anikó! 

It would mean the world if you would take one minute to follow, leave a 5 star review and share with those you love! 

Your presence is truly felt and deeply appreciated.

Disclaimer:
The content of this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The views expressed are those of the host and guests and do not substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the guidance of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you heard on this podcast.

What if everyday plants could treat your family's cuts, burns, bruises, and bug bites better than anything in your medicine cabinet?

In Part 3 of this special three-part conversation, Dr. Anikó concludes her discussion with renowned herbalist and founder of the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia, Roy Upton, exploring how trusting our common sense, reconnecting with cultural knowledge of herbs, and understanding evidence-based botanical medicine can help families make informed, individualized health decisions.

Together, they discuss why the "middle ground" between conventional and alternative care is where true informed choice lives, how modern culture has lost touch with the herbal knowledge our ancestors took for granted, and why the safety of traditional herbs like Triphala is backed by centuries of real-world use in children and adults alike.

Roy shares decades of clinical experience walking through his go-to topical remedies for everyday injuries, including calendula for cuts, St. John's wort for nerve pain and shingles, Arnica for bruising, plantain for stings and bites, and Yerba Santa as a rediscovered California remedy. He also covers treating eczema, psoriasis, and skin conditions from the inside out with fish oil and an anti-inflammatory diet.

Whether you're building a natural first-aid kit, looking for safe herbal options for children, or wanting a deeper philosophy for how to make health decisions with confidence, this episode wraps up the series with practical tools and a bigger-picture reminder to trust yourself, your family, and the earth.

Episode Highlights:

1:00 Common sense, trust of self, and finding the middle ground in health decisions

10:00 Reconnecting with our cultural knowledge of herbs, and raising children who understand cause and effect

16:00 Topical herbal first aid: calendula, St. John's wort, arnica, and plantain for cuts, burns, bruises, and bites

22:00 Treating eczema, psoriasis, and shingles from the inside out with fish oil, diet, and lemon balm

29:00 Herbal medicine as sustainable medicine: reconnecting with nature, plus where to find Roy and GAIHM - https://www.gaihm.org/.

About Roy Upton, RH, DipAyu

Roy Upton has been working professionally as an herbalist since 1981, with training in Ayurvedic, Chinese, and Western herbal medicine. He is the founder and executive director of the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing the responsible use of herbal medicine through rigorous critical review of both historical and modern scientific literature.

Roy maintains formal affiliations with the Bensao Gangmu Institute, Sonoran University, the Rick Schultes Center for Botanical Excellence, the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at University of California, Santa Cruz, and the Institute for Traditional Persian Medicine. He is also the founder of the Global Alliance for Integrative Health and Medicine (GAIHM), working to unite individuals and organizations worldwide to advance integrative healthcare.

Website: American Herbal Pharmacopoeia

This concludes our three-part conversation with Roy Upton. If you haven't already, go back and listen to Parts 1 and 2 so you don't miss out on all of Roy's wisdom, remedies and ways to Nourish your family.

Connect with Dr. Anikó:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.aniko/

Website: https://www.draniko.com/

Thank you for listening to Nourished with Dr. Anikó! 

It would mean the world if you would take one minute to follow, leave a 5 star review and share with those you love! 

Your presence is truly felt and deeply appreciated.

Disclaimer:
The content of this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The views expressed are those of the host and guests and do not substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the guidance of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you heard on this podcast.

What if some of the safest and most effective tools for supporting your family's health have been hiding in plain sight for centuries?

In Part 2 of this special three-part conversation, Dr. Anikó continues her discussion with renowned herbalist and founder of the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia, Roy Upton, exploring how herbal medicine can complement modern healthcare through evidence-based botanical therapies, lifestyle medicine, and individualized care.

Together, they discuss common misconceptions about herbal medicine, supplement regulation, and evidence-based botanical research before diving into practical herbal approaches for children, ADHD, emotional regulation, immune health, cold and flu season, and supporting the body's natural healing processes.

Roy shares decades of clinical experience explaining why herbs should never be viewed as "magic bullets," but rather as part of a comprehensive approach that includes nutrition, movement, digestion, sleep, and treating the whole person not simply the diagnosis.

Whether you're curious about herbal medicine for children, interested in natural immune support, or looking to better understand integrative medicine, this episode offers practical insights while emphasizing the importance of informed decision-making and working alongside qualified healthcare professionals.

Timestamps

2:00 The evidence behind herbal medicine, supplement quality, and the work of the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia

14:00 Herbal support for children: Chamomile, hawthorn, individualized care, and supporting focus naturally

26:00 Looking beyond herbs: Nutrition, movement, digestion, and lifestyle strategies for hyperactivity and ADHD

34:00 Preparing for cold and flu season with elderberry, astragalus, cod liver oil, and immune-supportive botanicals

39:00 Natural approaches for coughs, congestion, fever support, and knowing when to seek medical care

About Roy Upton, RH, DipAyu

Roy Upton has been working professionally as an herbalist since 1981, with training in Ayurvedic, Chinese, and Western herbal medicine. He is the founder and executive director of the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing the responsible use of herbal medicine through rigorous critical review of both historical and modern scientific literature.

Roy maintains formal affiliations with the Bensao Gangmu Institute, Sonoran University, the Rick Schultes Center for Botanical Excellence, the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at University of California, Santa Cruz, and the Institute for Traditional Persian Medicine. He is also the founder of the Global Alliance for Integrative Health and Medicine, working to unite individuals and organizations worldwide to advance integrative healthcare.

Website: American Herbal Pharmacopoeia

Coming Next Week

In Part 3, Dr. Anikó and Roy Upton continue their conversation by exploring additional herbal approaches for everyday health, how to choose high-quality botanical products, and what the future of truly integrative healthcare could look like.

Connect with Dr. Anikó:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.aniko/

Website: https://www.draniko.com/

Thank you for listening to Nourished with Dr. Anikó! 

It would mean the world if you would take one minute to follow, leave a 5 star review and share with those you love! 

Your presence is truly felt and deeply appreciated.

Disclaimer:
The content of this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The views expressed are those of the host and guests and do not substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the guidance of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you heard on this podcast.

What if the way we think about medicine in the United States isn't just incomplete but has actually been shaped by a specific historical moment that left behind centuries of wisdom about how to keep people truly well?

For most of us, Western medicine is the only medicine we've ever known. But for thousands of years, and still today in much of the world, healing has meant something very different: supporting the whole person, preventing disease before it starts, and working with the intelligence of nature rather than against it.

In Part 1 of this special three-part conversation, Dr. Anikó sits down with renowned herbalist and founder of the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia Roy Upton to explore the philosophy, history, and practice of traditional medicine and why the United States ended up so far from it. Together they trace how we went from a pluralistic medical landscape to a single, commercially driven model of disease treatment, and what we've lost along the way.

Roy shares stories from his decades of work across Ayurvedic, Chinese, and Western herbal medicine traditions from practitioners in the ABC Islands who were paid to keep their patients well, to Indian Ayurvedic hospitals dispensing herbal immune kits during COVID, to Swiss insurance plans covering six-week health spa stays. He also explains the history behind the Flexner Report, the role of the Rockefeller and Carnegie foundations, and why 65% of America's medical schools closed within 15 years including those training women and Black physicians.

Whether you're new to herbal medicine or deeply curious about how other countries approach health, this episode offers a fascinating and necessary look at the bigger picture of healing.

Episode Highlights:

1:00 Introducing Roy Upton: Herbalist, Founder of the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia, and Global Advocate for Integrative Medicine 

3:00 The Traditional Medicine Lens: How Ayurveda and Chinese Medicine View the Body and How That Differs From Western Care 

6:00 Getting Paid to Keep You Well - The Philosophy of Prevention at the Heart of Traditional Medicine 

8:00 Stories From the Field: Practitioners in Vietnam and the ABC Islands Who Treated Health, Not Disease 

11:00 The Highest Ideal: Preventing Disease and Promoting Vitality vs. Managing Symptoms 

17:00 Preconception Planning and Fetal Education: What Ayurvedic and Chinese Medicine Know About Supporting Life Before It Begins 

23:00 Investing Time in Healing: Why Rest, Nourishment, and Presence Are Medicine 

24:00 Switzerland, Hungary, Germany: What It Looks Like When Insurance Pays for Healing 

28:00 How We Got Here: From Paracelsus and Morphine to the Microscope and Germ Theory 

35:00 The Flexner Report: How Rockefeller, Carnegie, and the AMA Reshaped American Medicine 

41:00 What the Data Shows: Why the US Spends the Most and Gets the Worst Outcomes 

56:00 GAIM and Changing the Narrative: How We Get to 10,000 Integrative Physicians 

58:00 The Truth About Supplement Regulation: What Most Doctors and Patients Don't Know 

1:03:00 The American Herbal Pharmacopoeia and the Evidence Base Behind Botanical Medicine

About Roy Upton, RH, DipAyu;

Roy Upton has been working professionally as an herbalist since 1981, with training in Ayurvedic, Chinese, and Western herbal medicine. He is the founder and executive director of the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia (AHP), a nonprofit dedicated to advancing the responsible use of herbal medicine through rigorous critical review of historical and modern scientific literature.

Roy maintains formal affiliations with the Bensao Gangmu Institute in Beijing, Sonoran University, the Rick Schultes Center for Botanical Excellence, the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at UC Santa Cruz, and the Institute for Traditional Persian Medicine at the University of Medical Sciences in Tehran. He is also the founder of the Global Alliance for Integrative Health and Medicine (GAIM), working to unite individuals and organizations worldwide to advance natural healthcare globally.

Website: American Herbal Pharmacopoeia

Coming Next Week

In Part 2, Dr. Anikó and Roy Upton dive deeper into specific botanicals for everyday use, when to seek out a professional herbalist, and how GAIM is working to shift the narrative and the system toward a more integrative future for medicine.

Connect with Dr. Anikó:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.aniko/

Website: https://www.draniko.com/

Thank you for listening to Nourished with Dr. Anikó! 

It would mean the world if you would take one minute to follow, leave a 5 star review and share with those you love! 

Your presence is truly felt and deeply appreciated.

Disclaimer:
The content of this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The views expressed are those of the host and guests and do not substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the guidance of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you heard on this podcast.

What if the reason you're struggling to sleep has less to do with willpower and more to do with how your brain, body, and nervous system are responding to stress, habits, and modern life?

In Part 2 of this special conversation, Dr. Anikó continues her discussion with Stanford sleep medicine specialist Dr. Caroline Okorie, diving deeper into insomnia, melatonin, sleep anxiety, and the powerful mindset shifts that can transform your relationship with rest.

Together, they explore why sleep medications often fail to address the root causes of sleep challenges, how chronic stress and hyperarousal can keep the brain awake, and why many people unknowingly make sleep struggles worse while trying to fix them.

Dr. Okorie shares evidence-based strategies for calming an overactive nervous system, including cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, breathwork, yoga, acupuncture, acupressure, journaling, and practical tools for both children and adults who struggle with sleep-related anxiety.

The conversation also tackles one of the most commonly misunderstood sleep aids: melatonin. Dr. Okorie explains what melatonin actually does, when it may be helpful, why more is not better, and the surprising concerns surrounding many over-the-counter products.

Episode Highlights:

02:30 How Much Sleep We Actually Need at Every Age

06:30 Understanding Insomnia and Hyperarousal of the Brain

08:00 Mind-Body Approaches for Better Sleep

10:00 Helping Children Navigate Fear, Anxiety, and Sleep Challenges

14:00 Journaling and Brain Dumps to Quiet a Busy Mind

16:00 Why You Don't Have to Earn Your Rest

18:30 Reframing Sleep as an Investment in Your Health

19:00 What Everyone Should Know About Melatonin

23:00 The Hidden Risks of Over-the-Counter Melatonin Products

27:00 Melatonin Use in Children and Why Timing Matters

About Dr. Caroline Okorie

Dr. Caroline Okorie is a board-certified sleep medicine specialist and pediatric pulmonologist at Stanford University. She specializes in helping children, adolescents, and young adults navigate complex sleep and breathing challenges using an integrative, whole-person approach that combines evidence-based medicine with lifestyle and behavioral strategies.

Learn more at: https://okoriemd.com

Connect with Dr. Anikó:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.aniko/

Website: https://www.draniko.com/

Thank you for listening to Nourished with Dr. Anikó! 

It would mean the world if you would take one minute to follow, leave a 5 star review and share with those you love! 

Your presence is truly felt and deeply appreciated.

Disclaimer:
The content of this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The views expressed are those of the host and guests and do not substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the guidance of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you heard on this podcast.

What if one of the most powerful tools for improving your mood, immune system, metabolism, learning, and overall health was something you do every night?

Sleep impacts nearly every aspect of our physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing, yet it's often one of the first things we sacrifice in our busy lives.

In Part 1 of this special two-part conversation, Dr. Anikó sits down with Stanford sleep medicine specialist Dr. Caroline Okorie to explore why sleep is far more than simply rest. Together, they discuss how sleep supports brain health, emotional regulation, immune function, growth, learning, memory, athletic performance, and long-term wellness.

Dr. Okorie shares practical insights into common sleep challenges affecting both children and adults, including sleep apnea, ADHD-like symptoms, allergies, mouth breathing, anxiety, and circadian rhythm disruptions. She also explains why many sleep issues are often overlooked and how parents can identify warning signs that a child may not be getting restorative sleep.

If you've ever wondered why sleep feels so essential—or why getting enough sleep can feel so difficult—this episode offers a fascinating look into the science and art of healthy sleep.

Episode Highlights:

2:00 Why Sleep Is Essential for Physical, Mental, and Emotional Health

07:00 What Happens When We Don't Get Enough Sleep

11:00 Common Sleep Challenges in Children and Teens

18:00 ADHD, Focus, and the Hidden Impact of Poor Sleep

22:00 What Parents Should Know About Sleep Studies

25:00 Nose Breathing, Airway Health, and Sleep Apnea

33:00 Allergies, Myofunctional Therapy, and Improving Sleep Naturally

35:00 Sleep Medications vs. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia

39:00 Circadian Rhythms, Melatonin, Light Exposure, and Better Sleep Habits

Key Takeaway

Sleep is not a luxury or a reward. It is a biological necessity that influences nearly every system in the body. By understanding the root causes of poor sleep and supporting healthy sleep habits, we can improve not only how we sleep, but how we think, feel, heal, and thrive.

About Dr. Caroline Okorie - https://okoriemd.com/about

Dr. Caroline Okorie is a board-certified sleep medicine specialist and pediatric pulmonologist at Stanford University. She specializes in helping children, adolescents, and young adults navigate complex sleep and breathing challenges using an integrative, whole-person approach that combines evidence-based medicine with lifestyle and behavioral strategies.

Coming Next Week

In Part 2, Dr. Anikó and Dr. Okorie dive deeper into melatonin, sleep medications, natural tools for calming an overactive mind, and why rest should be viewed as a biological necessity rather than something we must earn.

Connect with Dr. Anikó:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.aniko/

Website: https://www.draniko.com/

Thank you for listening to Nourished with Dr. Anikó! 

It would mean the world if you would take one minute to follow, leave a 5 star review and share with those you love! 

Your presence is truly felt and deeply appreciated.

Disclaimer:
The content of this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The views expressed are those of the host and guests and do not substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the guidance of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you heard on this podcast.

Do you ever feel like you're constantly moving but never truly catching up?

In today's fast-paced world, many of us are living as human doings instead of human beings, running on stress, productivity, and endless to-do lists while feeling increasingly disconnected from ourselves.

In this episode of Nourished with Dr. Anikó, Dr. Anikó explores why so many of us feel exhausted, overwhelmed, and stuck in a cycle of constant doing. Drawing from integrative medicine, mindfulness, Ayurveda, and personal reflection, she shares practical ways to reconnect with your natural rhythms and create more balance, meaning, and ease in your daily life.

• How chronic stress and busyness disconnect us from our human rhythms
• Why many of us are living in a constant state of high alert
• The difference between reacting and responding
• How meditation helps regulate the nervous system and create space for intentional choices
• Simple Ayurvedic morning practices that support wellbeing and restoration
• Why meaningful connection, creativity, and rest are essential for health
• How our culture ties worthiness to productivity—and how to challenge that belief

This episode is filled with compassionate wisdom, practical tools, and gentle reminders for anyone feeling burned out, overwhelmed, disconnected, or simply longing to feel more present in their life.

If you've been running on empty, this episode offers an invitation to slow down, reconnect with yourself, and remember what it means to be fully human.

Connect with Dr. Anikó:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.aniko/

Website: https://www.draniko.com/

Thank you for listening to Nourished with Dr. Anikó! 

It would mean the world if you would take one minute to follow, leave a 5 star review and share with those you love! 

Your presence is truly felt and deeply appreciated.

Disclaimer:
The content of this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The views expressed are those of the host and guests and do not substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the guidance of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you heard on this podcast.