The Better Prescription

Have you ever noticed that, when you sit in silence, the sometimes relentless chatter in your mind eventually quietens down and you can think with clarity and better process your thoughts? That is the power of silence and, in this episode of The Better Prescription, Dr. Minni Malhotra explains why it might be just what you need to nurture your mind, body, and soul in the madness of today’s noisy world. Tuning in, you’ll hear about the studies that have proven the benefits of silence and the negative effects of excessive noise, an ancient spiritual perspective on silence, and Dr. Malhotra’s advice for practicing silence in your daily life. Tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• How silence can help you reconnect with and nurture your mind, body, and soul.
• The powerful physical effect noise has on our brains, causing elevated stress hormones.
• Studies that have proven the correlation between excessive noise and psychological stress.
• Find out how the benefits of silence were discovered by accident, and proven even more relaxing than music!
• Discover how two hours of silence per day can prompt cell development in the hippocampus.
• While noise creates stress, silence releases stress and tension in the brain and body.
• Dr. Malhotra reflects on the reverence with which ancient spiritual masters regard silence.
• Her advice for practicing silence for five minutes when you wake up, or in your lunch break.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

‘Chronic Noise and Psychological Stress’

‘Is silence golden? Effects of auditory stimuli and their absence on adult hippocampal neurogenesis’

Anchor Wellness Center

Dr. Minni Malhotra

The Institute for Functional Medicine

Aging as we know it is not a hard and fast rule in the way that many of us may think. The findings of recent research and the possibilities offered by the progress made so far suggest we may be able to reduce the risks associated with the aging process and increase the quality and length of life significantly. In today's episode, we look at what has been discovered so far, the markers of aging that make up the important material for study, further research that is needed, and the simple steps one can take to combat the deterioration of one's health. It increasingly looks as if aging will become a more optional part of life, and the future of preventative medicine offers some exciting prospects! As always, a proactive approach beats a cure-centered philosophy, and through simple steps such as exercise and stress management, coupled with a better diet, we can begin our own journey to reduce the effects of aging today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• The recent growth of the tricky field of research into anti-aging. 
• What the research into biomarkers for aging has shown thus far.  
• The ultimate goal of predicting risks of disease and health deterioration. 
• Looking to the future of preventative medication and drug discovery. 
• The five important markers; telomere length, RNA transcriptome, metabolism, oxidative stress, and cell senescence.
• Tips for an anti-aging diet and supplying your body with the right nutrients. 
• Exercise, stress management, and hormone optimization for better health and longer life!

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Anchor Wellness Center

Minni Malhotra

Dr. Minni Malhotra Email

The Institute for Functional Medicine

Aging Cell

Boston University Medical Campus

National Institute on Aging

Professor Paola Sebastiani

Professor Thomas Perls

Long Life Family Study

Many people who caught COVID-19 and supposedly recovered have found themselves to be experiencing lingering health issues. However, it is not only COVID-19 that can leave lasting damage on the immune system, but other viral pathogens too. The solution to this issue lies in bolstering the immune system to prevent infections, or repairing it as best as possible if an infection has already occurred. In this episode, Dr. Minni talks about two approaches to immune system maintenance, immune support, and immune rejuvenation. Tuning in, you will learn about the limits of immune support while hearing how immune rejuvenation deals with the root cause of the issue through an approach informed by functional medicine. To learn more about a systems-based approach to keeping in good health, tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Recent discoveries of longer-term negative effects of COVID-19.
• How viral infections can cause mitochondrial dysfunction. 
• Nutritional recommendations for immune protection against viral infections.
• Whether standard nutritional supplements are sufficient to repair an immune system damaged by viral pathogens.
• Advanced medical nutrition therapy as a treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome.
• Different ways the immune system can be severely damaged from COVID-19.
• The difference between immune support and immune rejuvenation.
• Dietary approaches to immune rejuvenation that support the gut microbiome.

Tweetables:

“Optimal nutritional status is very important for maintaining a well-functioning immune system.” — Dr. Minni Malhotra [0:02:21]

“Immune rejuvenation reprograms the immune system to improve balance and resilience.” — Dr. Minni Malhotra [0:05:06]

“On the other hand, immune support is a gentle boosting of your existing, potentially compromised immune cells.” — Dr. Minni Malhotra [0:05:43]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Anchor Wellness Center

Minni Malhotra

Dr. Minni Malhotra Email — [email protected]

The Institute for Functional Medicine

'Nutrition, Immunity and COVID-19'

Welcome to The Better Prescription, a podcast where we will discuss functional medicine, root cause medicine, and alternative, natural paths to healing without prescription medicine. The conventional model of care is increasingly about disease management rather than root cause treatment, with insurance companies and big pharma dictating patient care. As a result, doctors are becoming burnt out, and patients are disempowered. This podcast seeks to show that a better prescription is possible when patients and doctors work as a team to treat the underlying causes of diseases. People are complex and health is influenced by so many factors. As such, a functional, holistic approach meets them where they are and treats them in their unique situations. We are so excited for you to join us on this journey where we explore care beyond medicine.  

Key Points From This Episode:

• Insights into what a prescription is and the many parts it is comprised of.
• Today's model of care is a disease management system, which does not look at root causes.
• The impact that insurance companies and big pharma have on patient treatment.
• What it means to work towards a better prescription.
• How the functional medicine approach works and why it leads to improved outcomes.
• Dr. Malhotra’s unique COPE methodology and how it works.
• What the purpose of this podcast is; to show there is a different medical model.
• The shifts Dr. Malhotra saw when she moved from conventional to functional medicine.

Tweetables:

“Practicing medicine is also an art which requires knowledge, compassion, and empathy.” — Dr. Minni Malhotra [0:00:46]

“We are looking for the better prescription; one that has a better understanding of the disease, one that can allow patients to be a partner in their care, one that can educate patients, one that can truly diagnose an imbalance before it turns into a disease, one that can train a position to be a coach, one that provides a roadmap to healing rather than treating, one that can offer a solution rather than putting a Band-Aid.” — Dr. Minni Malhotra [0:02:30]

“By addressing the root cause, rather than the symptoms, the practitioner becomes oriented to identifying the complexity of the disease.” — Dr. Minni Malhotra [0:03:47]

“The purpose of this podcast is actually, to help my listeners understand that there is a better way of taking care of your health, away from pills and procedures.” — Dr. Minni Malhotra [0:05:47]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Anchor Wellness Center

Dr. Minni Malhotra