Redefining Medicine

Today's episode on Redefining Medicine features Terry Wahls, MD. As a doctor in Functional Medicine and an academic clinical professor, Dr. Wahls discusses a powerful personal story of recovery and triumph in combatting a crippling case of MS. Through the effective application of diet and therapeutic lifestyle changes, Dr. Wahls illuminates the impact of nutritional interventions in treating progressive health problems and chronic disease—specifically, neurological degeneration—and explains the background behind her own nutritional protocol. Listen to Dr. Wahls describe the progression of her own diagnosis and dependency on a wheelchair, as she ultimately regained her strength and restored her health: now pedaling five miles to work each day. In detailing how traditional, allopathic medicine only worsened her condition, Dr. Wahls recounts the importance of addressing symptoms and root causes, and presents the overall benefits stemming from Integrative Medicine.

Today's interview on Redefining Medicine featuresFlorence Comite, MD: a leading endocrinologist, innovator in Precision Medicine and Genomics, and founder of Women's Health at Yale School of Medicine. As Dr. Comite discusses how the changes associated with aging often occur before they are physically present, she emphasizes the importance of the application of personalized medicine—and strategies to 'connect the dots' in medicine through an interdisciplinary approach. By investigating data at the cellular level, Dr. Comite's work is focused on understanding "the study of data married to the human story of family history" in order to detect, predict, and reverse both disease and physiological aging. With extensive experience in optimizing health at each stage of an individual's lifespan, listen to Dr. Comite illustrate how the practice of Precision Medicine can ultimately transform conventional disease care—and how "our genes don't need to be our destiny."

Today’s interview on Redefining Medicine features Mary Flynn, PhD, RD, LDN: researcher, nutritionist, and associate professor at Brown University. As an expert in the impact of diet and nutrition on chronic disease, Dr. Flynn reviews the importance of using ‘food as medicine.’ Having developed a plant-based olive oil diet that she has continuously investigated and evaluated for two decades, Dr. Flynn’s findings and research have additionally assessed food insecurity in low-income communities. In working with food pantries and McAuley House in Providence, Dr. Flynn developed the Healing Foods program: with the ultimate goal of combatting type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity, and heart disease—which disproportionately impact impoverished communities. Listen to Dr. Flynn discuss the best strategies for both nutritional cooking and weight loss, and incremental changes that can be made to incur the maximum health benefits. 

Today’s podcast on Redefining Medicine features Martin Miner, MD: expert clinician, academic, and researcher in the field of men’s health. In addition to serving as co-director of Men’s Health Center at the Miriam Hospital in Providence, Dr. Miner is also Chief of Family and Community Medicine at the hospital, and holds an academic appointment at Brown University. With over two decades of experience in preventive and primary care medicine, Dr. Miner discusses how his initial interest in exploring men’s wellness was peaked through an investigation of sexual dysfunction, and considers how medicine can best assist men in the area of erectile dysfunction. Listen to Dr. Miner additionally investigate how lifestyle changes—including nutrition and exercise—can become ‘learned behaviors,’ and how to best optimize hormone levels through effective interventions and strategies.

Today's podcast on Redefining Medicine features Joel Heidelbaugh, MD. A veteran medical educator and mentor to medical students at the University of Michigan Medical School, Dr. Heidelbaugh serves as an authority in family medicine, men's health, and a variety of interdisciplinary clinical interests. As Dr. Heidelbaugh discusses his exploration of preventive medicine and men's wellness, he presents specific strategies for stress minimization, sleep hygiene, enhanced nutrition, and other health tactics. Dr. Heidelbaugh additionally examines gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), after his own personal experience with the disorder, coupled with integrative approaches to treat the disease through food & diet— with less of a focus on medications. Listen to an interview that focuses on the fundamental, foundational basics of integrative medicine and wellness, and how to continuously practice optimal health through mindfulness, nutrition, exercise, and more.

Today's interview on Redefining Medicine features Abraham Morgentaler, MD: internationally-renowned expert in testosterone therapy, prostate cancer, and male sexuality. Credited with founding Men's Health Boston, the first center that specifically focuses on men's health, Dr. Morgentaler initially began his career as a hockey player during his undergraduate tenure at Harvard, and his interest in medicine was first peaked through research surrounding the sexual behavior of lizards, and the importance of testosterone as a brain hormone. Upon finishing his residency as a urologist specializing in male fertility issues in the late 1980s, Dr. Morgentaler found that many men had low levels of testosterone—and would respond to testosterone therapy. Dr. Morgentaler is now credited with shattering the decades-old belief that testosterone therapy is risky for prostate cancer, and pioneering the modern use of testosterone in men. Listen to Dr. Morgentaler discuss his more recent findings regarding cardiovascular risks of testosterone therapy, how to combat the inherently negative impacts of the aging process, and the work he undertakes to educate the public & his colleagues on the benefits of testosterone therapy.

Today's episode on Redefining Medicine features Jeanne Drisko, MD. Dr. Drisko initially began her career in conventional medicine, ultimately experiencing an overwhelming burnout and fatigue that led her to transition into integrative & functional medicine. With the belief that "integrative medicine can bridge gaps," Dr. Drisko steadily built an integrative medicine program at the University of Kansas Medical Center, and championed therapies and beliefs rooted in functional medicine, modern naturopathic medicine, clinical nutrition, and environmental medicine. Listen to the trajectory of Dr. Drisko's career in medicine, including both the struggles & triumphs she has encountered, and the various programs she has spearheaded in an effort to teach, mentor, and guide the next generation of healthcare professionals & practitioners.

Today’s interview on Redefining Medicine features Joseph Cleaver, MD, ABAARM: an expert in integrative medicine, hormonal therapies, and chronic disease. Listen to Dr. Cleaver discuss his original background in the Italian and Mediterranean culture, which initially exposed him to the fundamental tenets of functional medicine and the impact of nutrition, and how he subsequently further pursued his passion for integrative health: including his introduction into A4M’s education, through a hormone symposium taught by Fellowship Director Pamela Smith, MD, MPH, MS. Operating through the framework that “the purest form of medicine is prevention and lifestyle,” Dr. Cleaver ultimately opened Paradigm Wellness Medical Group: incorporating regenerative medicine, aesthetics, and supplementary practices & protocols to optimize health and enhance patient care. Through his exploration of the benefits of integrative medicine, Dr. Cleaver additionally reviews the ways in which peptides will function as the ‘future of medicine,’ and the combination therapies & techniques that can be harnessed to provide the most successful and effective outcomes. 

Today's podcast on Redefining Medicine features Kathleen O'Neil-Smith, MD, FAARM. With an original background in physiology and biology as a rowing coach & athlete, Dr. O’Neil Smith ultimately graduated from Boston University magna cum laude, and subsequently completed an internship in pathology at Massachusetts General Hospital and an internship & residency in internal medicine at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Ultimately, Dr. O’Neil Smith recognized that she needed to find interventions for optimal health, and help navigate the landscape of preventive medicine. When she experienced a personal health crisis, Dr. O’Neil Smith was forced to ‘crawl’ her way back to wellness, using functional & integrative medicine. After rebuilding and restoring her own health through nutrient applications and approaches, Dr. O’Neil Smith was introduced to A4M, and transitioned into a new practice of medicine: now committed to promoting a wellness model of medicine, versus a sickness model that approaches health from a disease-state.

Today's episode on Redefining Medicine features Lyn Patrick, ND. Originally interested in the role of nutrition in human biochemistry, Dr. Patrick transitioned into the field of integrative care after experiencing dissatisfaction with the landscape of traditional, allopathic medicine. Now known as a renowned naturopathic physician with over three decades of experience, Dr. Patrick works in collaboration with several organizations and institutions to advance progressive medical education: including the American College for the Advancement of Medicine. Through her background in environmental medicine, listen to Dr. Patrick discusses the harmful, damaging effects from exposures to metals, leads, chemicals, pesticides, PCBs, and more—and their collective impact on the body’s immunological, neurological, metabolic, and cardiovascular systems. As an expert in preventive care, Dr. Patrick explores best strategies to mitigate and minimize the effects of exposure, in addition to the benefits of chelation therapy, diet & nutrition, and additional detoxification practices & protocols.