The Double A Podcast

You've been diagnosed with alpha-gal syndrome — now what? In the final episode of the series, Andrea and Ashley get into the practical side: how to actually manage this thing, from individualized avoidance and tick-bite prevention (yes, that's part of treatment too) to emergency planning, symptom management, and the emerging — and genuinely interesting — question of whether desensitization is possible. They also dig into SAAT, Soliman Auricular Allergy Treatment, the specialized auricular acupuncture protocol generating serious buzz in the alpha-gal community, where a tiny semi-permanent needle in your ear may lead to eating a burger again. A 2021 case series reported a 96% symptom resolution rate — so what do we actually make of that?

This episode doesn't oversell anything. It also doesn't dismiss anything. It's an honest look at where the science is, what patients are reporting, and how to think about reintroduction safely — especially if your history includes anaphylaxis.

📬 Reach us:
Andrea – [email protected] | www.rmhealthpartners.com
Ashley – [email protected] | www.karvefitness.co

You might have alpha-gal syndrome and have no idea — and neither might your doctor. In this episode, Andrea and Ashley go deeper on the numbers (up to 450,000 Americans may be living with AGS, and it's not even a reportable condition), who's most at risk, why the lone star tick's expanding range means this is no longer just a Southern problem, and why a positive antibody test doesn't automatically mean you have the disease. They also get into the 2023 CDC survey that found nearly half of healthcare providers had never even heard of alpha-gal — which explains a lot about why so many patients end up bouncing between IBS diagnoses, anxiety labels, and "idiopathic" everything before anyone connects the dots.

Plus: the controversial philosophical paper that argued deliberately giving people alpha-gal could be a form of "moral bioenhancement" — and why that take falls apart the moment you talk to an actual patient.

📬 Reach us:Andrea – ⁠[email protected]⁠ | ⁠www.rmhealthpartners.com⁠Ashley – ⁠[email protected]⁠ | ⁠www.karvefitness.co

A tick bite that turns you allergic to red meat - and wakes you up at 2am in anaphylaxis hours after dinner. Alpha-gal syndrome is one of the strangest medical discoveries of the 21st century, and it's being missed constantly.

In this episode, Andrea breaks down what alpha-gal actually is, why its delayed reaction throws everyone off, and why the risks go way beyond skipping a burger - touching everything from heparin during surgery to gelatin capsules to bone broth. If you've ever been handed a diagnosis of "idiopathic" anything, this one's worth a listen.

📬 Reach us:Andrea – [email protected] | www.rmhealthpartners.com
Ashley – [email protected] | www.karvefitness.co

Your PCP Has a Scorecard: What Patients Aren't Usually Told About Insurance Metrics

Most people assume their doctor's recommendations are purely about their health — but did you know your clinic might be graded on whether you got a mammogram this year?

Behind the scenes, insurance companies track whether patients complete certain screenings, labs, and vaccines, and those numbers can affect how clinics are paid, scored, and penalized. That doesn't automatically make your provider's recommendations wrong.

But there's a layer to your healthcare most patients never see — and patients who understand the system are better equipped to advocate for themselves in it.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Andrea⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - [email protected]

www.rmhealthpartners.com

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ashley⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠- [email protected]

www.karvefitness.co

How hard do you actually need to train to build muscle?

In this episode, we’re diving into new research reviewed by Bill Campbell that examined whether women build more muscle and strength when training closer to failure.

Spoiler: most people probably aren’t training nearly as hard as they think they are.

We break down:

• the difference between fatigue and failure
• what “reps in reserve” actually means
• why the last few reps matter most for hypertrophy
• what training close to failure should FEEL like
• why women may benefit from higher training effort than previously thought
• when to push to failure — and when NOT to

We also discuss common mistakes we see in the gym, how to apply this research to your own workouts, and why progressive overload and intentional effort matter more than fancy programming.

Whether you’re new to lifting or have been training for years, this episode will help you better understand how to train smarter, harder, and more effectively for muscle growth and strength.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Andrea⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - [email protected]

www.rmhealthpartners.com

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ashley⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠- [email protected]

www.karvefitness.co

You’ve probably heard:
“Carbs make you fat.”
“Fat makes you fat.”
“Calories are all that matter.”

…but what does the research actually say?

In today’s episode, we’re breaking down a fascinating study reviewed by Bill Campbell that explored what happens when people intentionally overeat carbohydrates versus dietary fat.

Does the body store them differently?
Does one lead to more fat gain?
And why does protein still reign supreme when it comes to body composition?

We’re diving into:

• how the body burns vs stores carbs and fats
• why dietary fat is more easily stored
• how carbs impact metabolism and training performance
• why “calories in vs calories out” is only part of the conversation
• practical applications for muscle building, fat loss, and everyday nutrition

If you’ve ever been confused about carbs, fat, metabolism, or weight gain — this episode breaks the science down in a way that actually makes sense.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Andrea⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - [email protected]

www.rmhealthpartners.com

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ashley⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠- [email protected]

www.karvefitness.co

In this episode, we sit down with Joshua LeBreton, author of SO OUR KID IS SICK, NOW WHAT?: An Anecdotal Evidence Guide—a book shaped by every parent’s worst nightmare. Joshua shares his family’s journey, the hard-earned lessons along the way, and how those experiences reshaped his approach to advocating for his child’s health. This conversation challenges conventional thinking and offers a powerful perspective on navigating uncertainty, asking better questions, and becoming your child’s strongest advocate.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Andrea⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - [email protected]

www.rmhealthpartners.com

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ashley⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠- [email protected]

www.karvefitness.co

So you're ready to talk estrogen — now what?

In Part 2, we get into the practical stuff: your options, what to expect when you start, and the questions you should absolutely be asking your provider.

We break down the difference between systemic and localized formulations, why the route you take matters (hello, oral vs. transdermal), and what insurance will and won't cover. We also talk estriol - yes, there's a version that works locally without raising your serum levels, and it has some pretty interesting uses beyond the obvious.

Then there's the titration dance. Side effects, breakthrough bleeding, what's normal, what needs attention, and why slow really is the only way to go.

We close out with a guided list of questions to bring to your next appointment - because the best outcomes happen when you show up to that conversation prepared.

Part 1 is still up if you missed it.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Andrea⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - [email protected]

www.rmhealthpartners.com

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ashley⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠- [email protected]

www.karvefitness.co

Hot flashes are just the tip of the iceberg.

The average American woman lives to 81.4 - meaning she'll spend nearly as many years post-menopause as she did menstruating. So why are we still treating estrogen like it's only about symptom relief?

In Part 1 of this two-part series, we break down what estrogen is actually protecting -your brain, your heart, your bones, your joints, your skin, and yes, your bladder - and why getting the dose right matters just as much as starting it in the first place.

We also talk about why Dr. Andrea lives by "Start Low, Go Slow" and what happens when you don't.

Part 2 drops next week!

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Andrea⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - [email protected]

www.rmhealthpartners.com

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ashley⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠- [email protected]

www.karvefitness.co

The Primer on Primary Care-Part 1

The Primer of Primary Care- Part 2

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Aaron Kearsley, PT, DPT, CFMT, to unpack a smarter, more effective approach to pain, movement, and long-term performance.

Dr. Kearsley specializes in orthopedic and manual therapy, with advanced training in Functional Manual Therapy—a hands-on, movement-focused approach that goes beyond simply treating symptoms. Instead of chasing pain, he helps patients identify and address the root cause of dysfunction so they can move better, feel stronger, and stay active for the long haul.

We dive into why so many people stay stuck in cycles of pain, what most traditional rehab is missing, and how individualized treatment can make all the difference—whether you’re recovering from an injury, dealing with chronic discomfort, or trying to continue strength training without setbacks.

If you’ve ever felt frustrated by recurring pain or wondered if you should be “pushing through” workouts, this episode will give you clarity and a new perspective on how your body actually heals and performs.

This conversation is all about building strength without breaking your body—and understanding that better movement is the foundation for everything.

https://www.manualsolutionsphysicaltherapy.com/about

https://instituteofphysicalart.com/