Pathways to Well-Being

On this episode of Pathways to Well-Being, Leslie Stone, MD and Emily Rydbom CN, HN, CNP explore the intersection of functional medicine and pregnancy, from supporting fertility to optimizing fetal and maternal health through collaborative personalized care.

To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/functional-fertility-pregnancy-and-fetal-health/.

On this episode of Pathways to Well-Being, Greg Plotnikoff, MD, will explore a topic that has been the subject of an increasing amount of research lately: mast cell activation. He’ll discuss how the functional medicine approach can help recognize when hyperactive mast cells may be contributing to a patient’s dysfunction and how we can begin to address this complex issue.

To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/mast-cell-activation-syndrome-the-functional-medicine-approach/.

In this podcast, Elizabeth Boham, MD, MS, RD, discusses how to create sustainable dietary interventions for patients with cardiometabolic concerns, including fasting and time-restricted feeding.

To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/fasting-sustainable-dietary-change-and-cardiometabolic-health/.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continued throughout 2021, the functional medicine approach offered help by providing a model that both optimizes health in the short-term and also maintains long-term well-being and prevents future disease. On this episode of Pathways to Well-Being, we’re recapping the functional medicine year in review with IFM’s Director of Medical Education Dan Lukaczer, ND, IFMCP and the Director of Medical Education Initiatives Robert Luby, MD, IFMCP. They cover the most prominent topics and takeaways from the 2021 medical research, highlight clinical advances, and present new opportunities for functional medicine care that practitioners should be considering as we head into the new year.

To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/the-2021-functional-medicine-year-in-review/.

In the modern world, toxicant exposure is ubiquitous, with some studies reporting the average person is exposed to hundreds of environmental chemicals daily via air, water, soil, and food. While these exposures usually occur at a low-level, the bioaccumulation of toxins in the body can be a root cause of several types of dysfunction. On this episode of Pathways to Well-Being, Tom Malterre, MS, CN, clinical educator and cofounder of Whole Life Nutrition, explains the biochemical impacts of endocrine disrupting plastics such as Bisphenols like BPA and microplastics, and shares his insights on how nutrition and lifestyle can support the body’s biotransformation pathways and reduce total toxic burden.

To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/endocrine-disrupting-plastics-minimizing-health-impacts-and-restoring-well-being/.

Stress and unresolved psychological trauma may cause dysbiotic patterns in the gut and conversely, gut dysbiosis may activate stress responses that upregulate inflammatory pathways. Chronic stress may impair communication along the gut-brain axis and is implicated in both psychiatric and GI-related comorbidities such as IBD. On this episode of Pathways to Well-Being, Keesha Ewers, PhD, MSN, ARNP, FNPc, founder of the Academy for Integrative Medicine and Functional Sexology, discusses how psychological trauma may exacerbate autoimmune processes and compromise the health and function of the gut microbiome.

To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/stress-trauma-and-dysbiosis-connecting-the-gut-brain-axis-to-autoimmune-disease/

Collaborative care teams can enhance the quality and efficacy of care delivered to patients. Leveraging the expertise of multiple healthcare providers including nutritionists, pharmacists, psychiatrists, health coaches can improve long-term outcomes and keep patients engaged in the lifestyle modifications. Studies indicate that patients who work with health coaches in particular, demonstrate consistently higher rates of treatment adherence, improved self-efficacy skills, and a decreased recurrence of hospitalization. On today’s episode of Pathways to Well-Being, we welcome Monique Class, director of coaching development for the Functional Medicine Coaching Academy, to discuss the role of health coaching in improving both patient and practitioner outcomes. Working on a collaborative care team, with or as a health coach, has many benefits and can help reinforce several core concepts of functional medicine, including sustainable lifestyle change and facilitating the therapeutic partnership with patients.

To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/optimizing-outcomes-the-benefits-of-health-coaching-for-patients-and-practitioners/

On this episode of Pathways to Well-Being, noted psychiatrist Robert Hedaya, MD, ABPN, DLFAPA, IFMCP discusses the innovative HYLANE technology for addressing neuropsychiatric conditions like PTSD or TBI.

To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/targeted-healing-inside-the-brain-hylane-technology-for-neuropsychiatric-care/

On this episode of Pathways to Well-Being, James Maskell from the Functional Forum discusses his top takeaways from AIC and what they mean for functional medicine in the future.

To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/where-does-functional-medicine-go-from-here-the-2021-aic-in-review/

Food insecurity and insufficient access to healthy foods have been associated with negative health outcomes, including an increased vulnerability for micronutrient deficiencies and a higher probability of developing chronic diseases. Nutrition interventions are essential therapeutic strategies for combatting many chronic diseases, yet food insecurity and limited access to affordable, varied, and nutritious foods may impede healthcare efforts. Clancy Harrison, a registered dietician with two decades of experience in nutrition and food insecurity, challenges the way food insecurity is approached in the US. In this episode of Pathways to Well-Being, she will discuss the ways in which she is working to demolish the stigma around healthy food access.

To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/food-access-insecurity-with-clancy-harrison-ms-rdn/