Pursuing Health

By Julie Foucher Brown MD, MS.Health & Fitness

Pursuing Health episodes

March 17, 2020Immune System Strength with Dr. Leonard Calabrese PH135
“What we’re talking about is systemic, low-grade inflammation where the body’s barometer for this inflammatory response is turned up just modestly. This contributes to a whole host of diseases. Diseases of chronic inflammation that range from type 2 diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease with heart disease and stroke, neurodegenerative disease, fatty liver– which is now epidemic in our society– as well as autoimmune disease. So, now these diseases which are non-communicable– you can’t catch them– they are the leading cause of death on our planet right now and they’re being driven by chronic, systemic low-grade inflammation” – Dr. Leonard Calabrese
Dr. Leonard Calabrese, is a rheumatologist, immunologist, and doctor of osteopathic medicine. He is the head of Cleveland Clinic’s Section of Clinical Immunology and manages the Clinical Immunology Clinic. After graduating from the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, Dr. Calabrese completed his internal medical training at Cleveland Clinic, followed by a fellowship in rheumatic and immunologic disease.
Over the course of his career, Dr. Calabrese has authored more than 300 publications and become an internationally recognized HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C researcher. He is also passionate about utilizing lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, sleep and stress management to reduce inflammation, control disease, and bolster immunologic function. Based on growing scientific evidence that environment and behavior play a large role in immune function and gene expression, Dr. Calabrese is leading the charge in educating physicians and empowering patients so that they can feel confident in using wellness behaviors to help strengthen their immune function and improve their overall health and happiness.
Dr. Calabrese and I recently sat down to chat about the basics of the immune system and what practices we can implement in our day-to-day lives to reduce inflammation and lower our risk of chronic disease.
In this episode we discuss:
Dr. Calabrese’s medical background and what drew him to immunology
How the field of immunology has changed over the years
The role of our immune system: how it interacts with our body and our environment
How the immune system can become overactive
What inflammation is, and what causes contributes to it
What we can do to reduce our inflammation
Diet, intestinal permeability and their effect on the immune system
The role of diet, exercise, sleep and stress on the immune system
Social genomics and how we can influence which genes express themselves
Dr. Calabrese’s thoughts on the impact of gratitude practice
Habits that Dr. Calabrese implements in his own life to manage stress, diet, exercise and sleep
Dr. Calabrese’s vision for the Immune Strength program and how he hopes to help patients on a broader scale
Three things Dr. Calabrese does on a regular basis that have the biggest positive impact on his health
One thing he struggles to implement that could have a big impact on his health
What a healthy life looks like to Dr. Calabrese
You can follow Dr. Calabrese on Twitter and via his CME courses.
Links:
How Your Immune System is Affected by Diet, Stress and Exercise with Dr. Leonard Calabrese
National Institutes of Health
Nurses’ Health Study
The Institute for Functional Medicine Interview with Dr. Alessio Fasano
Our health is on your plate, Dr. Roxanne Sukol
Why Sleep Is Important for Health: A Psychoneuroimmunology Perspective, Dr. Michael R. Irwin
Effects of Sleep and Sleep Deprivation on Interleukin-6, Growth Hormone, Cortisol, and Melatonin Levels in Humans
UCLA Norman Cousins Center for Pyschoneuroimmunology
Human Social Genomics
Stress Free Now
10% Happier, Dan Harris
Headspace
The VB6 Diet, Mark Bittman
Pacer
Go! To Sleep
The Role of Gratitude in Spiritual Well-Being in Asymptomatic Heart Failure Patients
Healio Rheumatology
Related episodes:
Ep 22 – Brigid Titgemeir on Functional Nutrition
Ep 42 – Against All Grain’s Danielle Walker on Advocating, Healing and Celebrating
Ep 78 – Lifestyle & Brain Health with Dr. David Perlmutter
Ep 103 – What to Eat When with Dr. Michael Roizen
Ep 105 – Sleep, Stress and Brain Health with Dr. Nate Bergman
If you like this episode, please subscribe to Pursuing Health on iTunes and give it a rating. I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below and on social media using the hashtag #PursuingHealth. I look forward to bringing you future episodes with inspiring individuals and ideas about health every other Tuesday.
Disclaimer: This podcast is for general information only, and does not provide medical advice. We recommend that you seek assistance from your personal physician for any health conditions or concerns.
1 hr 2 min
March 10, 2020 Pursuing Health Pearls: Coronavirus PH134
Given that the coronavirus seems to be a major topic of conversation these days, we thought it would make for the perfect topic for our first edition of Pursuing Health Pearls. These are short, ideally 10-15 minute podcast episodes (although this one was a bit longer!) meant to offer succinct, high-yield info on common health concerns. You can listen to the episode in audio format, or you can read a more detailed write-up in the blog post below.

In this article, well first shed some light on what coronavirus is, how it is transmitted, who is at highest risk, how we can decrease our risk, and what to do if you think you are infected. Then well talk some numbers about the scope of the outbreak and try to put it into context with other major public health concerns.

Its important to note that our understanding of the coronavirus is evolving day by day. The information in this blog post and accompanying podcast are accurate as of this writing but will likely change with time. The information presented here has been gathered primarily from the CDC and WHO, and we recommend you use these as well as your state or local health department for the most up-to-date information as the outbreak continues to evolve.
31 min
March 10, 2020 Pursuing Health Pearls: Coronavirus PH134
Given that the coronavirus seems to be a major topic of conversation these days, we thought it would make for the perfect topic for our first edition of Pursuing Health Pearls. These are short, ideally 10-15 minute podcast episodes (although this … ContinuedThe post Ep 134 – Pursuing Health Pearls: Coronavirus appeared first on Julie Foucher | Reebok CrossFit Games Athlete.
0 min
March 03, 2020 A New Chapter for Pursuing Health with Dr. Dani Urcuyo PH133
Daniel Urcuyo is a board certified family physician and has completed his training with the Institute for Functional Medicine. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Microbiology and completed his medical school and residency training at the Cleveland Clinic. Dani is also a CrossFit Level 1 Trainer, co-founder of the TRAIN with Julie Foucher program, and a former CrossFit Games team competitor.

Dani also happens to be my husband, the person that introduced me to CrossFit, and my business partner! We first met in college (over an episode of Greys Anatomy!), and as we progressed through our medical training, we both shared a frustration with the inability of the conventional medical system to address root causes of disease. After witnessing the power of lifestyle to improve overall health via our time in the CrossFit affiliate, we knew we wanted to practice a different kind of medicine: one that harnesses the power of lifestyle and is rooted in communities.

In this episode, Im excited to give you a peek behind the curtain to learn more about Dani as we talk about how we met, answer listener questions, and make a big announcement about the improvements coming to Pursuing Health and our vision for the future!
1 hr 49 min
March 03, 2020 A New Chapter for Pursuing Health with Dr. Dani Urcuyo PH133
“This question also leads us into some big announcements that we have, because we realize that there is a huge gap between all the information that youre getting from the fitness world and the wellness world out there, and medical … ContinuedThe post Ep 133 – A New Chapter for Pursuing Health with Dr. Dani Urcuyo appeared first on Julie Foucher | Reebok CrossFit Games Athlete.
0 min
February 18, 2020 Healing Through Functional Movement with Dr. Amy West PH132
What does good movement mean? And what are the principles of good movement? And sometimes people have a hard time articulating that, physiatrists, physical therapists included. Because we focus a lot on, is this person strong, do they pass these … Continued
The post Ep 132 – Healing Through Functional Movement with Dr. Amy West appeared first on Julie Foucher | Reebok CrossFit Games Athlete.
0 min
February 04, 2020 Dave Castro on Changes in Life and the CrossFit Games PH131
Im still the Director of the Games. Im still Director of Training, also. I still have that responsibility to conduct it. I still have a lot of freedom to conduct it the way that I see the direction that I … Continued
The post Ep 131 – Dave Castro on Changes in Life and the CrossFit Games appeared first on Julie Foucher | Reebok CrossFit Games Athlete.
0 min
January 21, 2020 Kristi OConnell on Training for Joy and Balance PH130
We, ultimately- we love CrossFit, but we also view CrossFit as a way for us to be fit and do things outside of the gym. And do them together. We always try to continue reminding ourselves of that, so, in … Continued
The post Ep 130 – Kristi OConnell on Training for Joy and Balance appeared first on Julie Foucher | Reebok CrossFit Games Athlete.
0 min
January 07, 2020 Improving Your Fitness from the Ground Up: Nutrition Basics with Nicole Aucoin PH129
I believe something as fundamental as nutrition shouldnt be complicated, and if you keep it simple, and you help people make changes, and you encourage them and find bright spots- find positive things in what theyre doing Theyll make those … Continued
The post Ep 129 – Improving Your Fitness from the Ground Up: Nutrition Basics with Nicole Aucoin appeared first on Julie Foucher | Reebok CrossFit Games Athlete.
0 min
December 24, 2019 Dr. Jeffrey Geller on Loneliness and the Power of Groups PH128
Jeffrey Geller, MD, practices family medicine and integrative medicine and has been a pioneer in group medical visits. He is widely recognized as an innovator in the delivery of health care by creating and using an empowerment model for shared medical appointments.

Dr. Geller began his work with groups in 1996 during his residency when he noticed that loneliness played a large role in his patients well-being. He has since completed research studies showing a relationship between loneliness and increased hospital visits, as well as identifying a link between loneliness, depression, and chronic illness.

Dr. Geller has a particular passion for delivering care to underserved communities. By sharing his experiences and training others to deliver health care in a group setting, he hopes to provide efficient care in a financially sustainable way that eliminates barriers to health and provides services otherwise unavailable to many patients.

I recently sat down with Dr. Geller to learn more about how loneliness plays a role in our health, how hes implemented group visits in his own practice, and the lessons hes learned along the way.
1 hr 10 min

About Pursuing Health

From the publisher's feed

Julie Foucher Brown MD, MS is a four-time CrossFit Games athlete and family physician.

Her passion lies in bridging the gap between fitness and medicine to empower individuals to live…