The Lab Report

Diet is one of the most dominant factors in determining just how well our body functions, especially when it comes to fighting disease. With a tsunami of different and conflicting diets, gurus, and supplements, how do you know what food is best for your immunity?

Dr. Susan Blum is the Founder and Director at Blum Center for Health, a healthcare practice that provides personalized treatments with an emphasis on functional and integrative medicine. She is the author of the best-selling book, The Immune System Recovery Plan, where she offers a four-step program that she uses to help patients recover from both immune and autoimmune-related conditions. Susan also authored Healing Arthritis where she writes about healing, and even reversing, this condition.

Susan joins us today to discuss her integrative approach to diet and immunity and the steps she takes when it comes to personalized treatments for her patients. She explains what readers can expect from her books and what inspired her to write them. She describes what the functional medicine industry was like in the early days and how it has evolved over the years. She explains the link between gut health and our immune system and describes the best foods to eat for our gut. Susan also shares how she managed to prepare for the pandemic and care for her patients ahead of the city-wide lockdowns.

“There is a foundation for a healthy immune system.” - Dr. Susan Blum

This week on The Lab Report Podcast:

• Susan's thoughts on the current functional medicine movement.
• What it was like to be one of the first who pioneered functional medicine.
• Why Susan authored The Immune System Recovery book.
• What the Gut Terrain is and how best to keep it healthy.
• Antioxidants and how they affect the immune system.
• The different things that influence gut health.
• What she recommends when it comes to testing for leaky gut.
• The steps included in Susan's Heal My Gut Protocol.
• The different eating habits Susan encourages her clients to follow.
• Susan's virtual setup and how she's prepared for the pandemic.

Connect with Dr. Susan Blum

• Blum Health MD
• Blum Center for Health
• The Immune System Recovery Plan
• Healing Arthritis

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Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Lab Report, presented by Genova Diagnostics, with your hosts, Michael Chapman and Patti Devers. If you enjoyed this episode, please head over to Apple Podcasts to subscribe to the show and give us a rating and review.

Don’t forget to visit our website, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. Email Patti and Michael with your most pressing questions on functional medicine.

And be sure to share your favorite Lab Report episodes with your friends and colleagues on social media to help others learn more about Genova and all things related to functional medicine and specialty lab testing.

Disclaimer: The content and information shared in The Lab Report is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. The views and opinions expressed in The Lab Report represent the opinions of Michael Chapman and Patti Devers and their guests.

For medical advice, diagnosis, and/or treatment, please consult a medical professional.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Marrying conventional medicine with functional medicine is ideal, but it’s not exactly easy. Many doctors looking to practice functional medicine have to relearn - or even unlearn - a lot of what’s been ingrained to them in med school. It’s difficult, but it’s certainly not impossible.

Dr. Christopher Mote is a Functional Medicine & Primary Care Physician as well as the Founder of the Cornerstone Health Community, a practice that promotes patient and healthcare partnership through functional medicine. He is a dual degree, Board Certified Family Medicine Physician who specializes in Lifestyle Medicine and Functional Medicine. Before joining the industry, Christopher was a Chiropractic Physician.

Christopher joins us today to discuss how he and his team have built a community out of his primary care practice. He shares his life as a chiropractor and what prompted him to go back to medical school at age 40. He discusses how you can combine functional medicine and conventional treatments without ignoring one or the other. Christopher also explains why he always tests for a specific set of markers and hormones with almost every patient.

“The least efficient way to try to help patients transform their habits is to sit down for 30-60 minutes one on one.” - Dr. Christopher Mote

This week on The Lab Report Podcast:

• Mote’s career as a chiropractor and when he joined the functional medicine industry.
• Why it was difficult to get patients as a chiropractor.
• What it was like to go back to school at 40.
• How you can integrate functional medicine in a primary care practice.
• How their clinic solved the need to educate their patients with basic health information.
• What their patients say about online classes and educational content.
• The specific markers he keeps an eye on for common illnesses.
• Mote’s advice to traditional practitioners who want to learn functional medicine.

Connect with Dr. Christopher Mote

• Cornerstone Health Community

Subscribe, Rate & Review The Lab Report

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Lab Report, presented by Genova Diagnostics, with your hosts, Michael Chapman and Patti Devers. If you enjoyed this episode, please head over to Apple Podcasts to subscribe to the show and give us a rating and review.

Don’t forget to visit our website, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. Email Patti and Michael with your most pressing questions on functional medicine.

And be sure to share your favorite Lab Report episodes with your friends and colleagues on social media to help others learn more about Genova and all things related to functional medicine and specialty lab testing.

Disclaimer: The content and information shared in The Lab Report is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. The views and opinions expressed in The Lab Report represent the opinions of Michael Chapman and Patti Devers and their guests.

For medical advice, diagnosis, and/or treatment, please consult a medical professional.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Functional medicine has come a long way from being just an “alternative” form of therapy. In recent years, we’ve seen more and more practitioners foregoing what they were taught in medical school to learn how functional medicine works and why many seek it over conventional medicine. What’s in store for the industry in the future? James Maskell joins us to share his predictions.

James is a health economist, serial healthcare founder, and the owner of Evolution of Medicine, a company that helps functional medicine practitioners to start their own virtual practices. He is recognized as a healthcare disruptor, championing innovative ideas that promote prevention and reversal over traditional cures. James is also the host of the Evolution of Medicine podcast, a show featuring experts in the healthcare field that are driving the evolution of modern medicine.

James joins us today to discuss the future of functional medicine. He shares his journey and the events that led him to be part of the functional medicine industry. He describes his clinic management experience, discusses the virtual conferences he hosts, and explains why now is the right time for virtual practitioners to thrive. James also shares why the primary care we receive will need to eventually change.

The future of medicine is communities of people helping each other to get healthy.” - James Maskell

This week on The Lab Report Podcast:

• Where his passion for disrupting traditional medicine came from.
• How he became part of the functional medicine industry.
• His experience in seminar speaking and clinic management.
• How he's managing to conduct multiple functional forums all over the world.
• What the future of medicine looks like.
• Virtual practices and how they're thriving during the pandemic.
• Applying lifestyle changes to chronic diseases over drugs.
• Why traditional doctors have to unlearn so much to become an expert in functional medicine.
• The kind of primary care we have in the United States.

Connect with James Maskell

• Evolution of Medicine
• Podcast
• Facebook
• Instagram

Subscribe, Rate & Review The Lab Report

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Lab Report, presented by Genova Diagnostics, with your hosts, Michael Chapman and Patti Devers. If you enjoyed this episode, please head over to Apple Podcasts to subscribe to the show and give us a rating and review.

Don’t forget to visit our website, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. Email Patti and Michael with your most pressing questions on functional medicine.

And be sure to share your favorite Lab Report episodes with your friends and colleagues on social media to help others learn more about Genova and all things related to functional medicine and specialty lab testing.

Disclaimer: The content and information shared in The Lab Report is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. The views and opinions expressed in The Lab Report represent the opinions of Michael Chapman and Patti Devers and their guests.

For medical advice, diagnosis, and/or treatment, please consult a medical professional.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Functional Medicine integrates diet and lifestyle changes with a variety of tests to provide a better understanding of a specific illness and how best to treat it. One mode of treatment is exercise, and our guests Dr. Julie Foucher and Dr. Dani Urcuyo join us to help us understand how physical activity can be a form of therapy.

Dr. Julie Foucher and Dr. Dani Urcuyo are the owners of Pursuing Health, a practice that uses a lifestyle-first approach to get their patients back into a state of optimal health. Dani is board-certified by the American Board of Family Medicine and completed his training at the Institute for Functional Medicine. Julie is a resident in Family Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic and has a degree in Biomedical Engineering. They believe exercise is vital to functional treatment and promote Crossfit as an ideal exercise program to do so.

Julie and Dani join us to share why they chose Crossfit as the best exercise protocol for functional medicine. They describe how functional medicine filled the gaps left by conventional medicine. They explain how fitness enthusiasts aren’t always in their best state of health. They explain why not all Crossfitters achieve optimal health and how telemedicine will impact the future of the health industry. Julie and Dani also discuss the importance of data in promoting lifestyle changes in any patient.

“Having the lab work to show what types of dysfunction are happening can really motivate the behavior change and help people realize what's going and how important it is to make some of those changes.” - Julie Foucher

This week on The Lab Report Podcast:

• Why Dani and Julie went to work in the functional medicine industry.
• How functional medicine filled the gaps of conventional medicine.
• Why they gravitated towards Crossfit over other exercise programs.
• The ways telemedicine will revolutionize the health industry.
• Why not all Crossfitters are in optimum health.
• The different ways they approach Crossfitters and average patients.
• The power of data in changing for a healthier lifestyle.
• Why they recommend Crossfit to those who are interested in a healthy lifestyle.

Connect with Julie Foucher and Dani Urcuyo

• Pursuing Health
• Podcast

Subscribe, Rate & Review The Lab Report

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Lab Report, presented by Genova Diagnostics, with your hosts, Michael Chapman and Patti Devers. If you enjoyed this episode, please head over to Apple Podcasts to subscribe to the show and give us a rating and review.

Don’t forget to visit our website, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. Email Patti and Michael with your most pressing questions on functional medicine.

And be sure to share your favorite Lab Report episodes with your friends and colleagues on social media to help others learn more about Genova and all things related to functional medicine and specialty lab testing.

Disclaimer: The content and information shared in The Lab Report is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. The views and opinions expressed in The Lab Report represent the opinions of Michael Chapman and Patti Devers and their guests.

For medical advice, diagnosis, and/or treatment, please consult a medical professional.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our immune system is our body’s line of defense against foreign invaders. For the most part, the body does a great job of attacking pathogens and sometimes even becoming immune to them. In light of the pandemic, it would make sense to try to strengthen our immunity through a functional medicine perspective. Dr. Patrick Hanaway of Family to Family Integrative Medicine joins us to help us do just that.

Dr. Hanaway is a widely recognized pioneer of functional medicine and Co-Owner of Family to Family, an integrative and holistic medical practice. After serving 10 years as Chief Medical Officer at Genova Diagnostics, he went on to become the Institute for Functional Medicine’s (IFM) Chief Medical Education Officer. Some of Patrick’s specialties include nutritional biochemistry, digestion, immunology, and prevention.

Patrick joins us to share how we can best prepare our body for pathogens in a holistic manner. He discusses how far functional medicine has come and what we can expect from the industry in the coming years. He explains his role at IFM and what they’re doing to help regarding the COVID-19 situation. Patrick also describes the importance of mindfulness in stressful times.

“Direct measures are useful, but not sufficient, whereas having a functional approach gives us a much broader view on what we can do clinically.” - Dr. Patrick Hanaway

This week on The Lab Report Podcast:

• What it's like to witness the evolution of functional medicine.
• How functional medicine factors into reducing the symptoms of COVID-19.
• His role at IFM and what they're doing to help beat the virus.
• Understanding how the body responds to the virus.
• Why a strong immune system is not overreactive.
• Different symptoms of the virus and how to properly assess treatment.
• Why mindfulness is important for long-term wellness.
• The lifestyle changes he applied due to the current situation.
• The concept of functional-nutritional evaluations and why it's important.

Resources Mentioned:

• HeartMath
• Oura Ring
• Institute for Functional Medicine

Connect with Dr. Patrick Hanaway

• Family to Family Integrative Medicine

Subscribe, Rate & Review The Lab Report

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Lab Report, presented by Genova Diagnostics, with your hosts, Michael Chapman and Patti Devers. If you enjoyed this episode, please head over to Apple Podcasts to subscribe to the show and give us a rating and review.

Don’t forget to visit our website, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. Email Patti and Michael with your most pressing questions on functional medicine.

And be sure to share your favorite Lab Report episodes with your friends and colleagues on social media to help others learn more about Genova and all things related to functional medicine and specialty lab testing.

Disclaimer: The content and information shared in The Lab Report is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. The views and opinions expressed in The Lab Report represent the opinions of Michael Chapman and Patti Devers and their guests.

For medical advice, diagnosis, and/or treatment, please consult a medical professional.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Functional medicine has become an industry of its own, giving birth to plenty of experts to learn from and doctors to avail of treatment. With the advent of technology and new research, it seems functional medicine will only go up from here. To guide us where the industry is headed is Dr. Will Cole, a functional medicine practitioner and author.

Dr. Will Cole is one of the world’s most recognizable names when it comes to functional medicine. Some of his specialties include chronic diseases, thyroid problems, hormonal dysfunction, brain diseases, and autoimmune conditions. Will is also the author of Ketotarian, a book that revolves around an almost plant-based ketogenic lifestyle; and The Inflammation Spectrum, where he provides examples of foods that trigger inflammation in most people.

Will joins us today to share what inspired him to start a career in functional medicine and what it was like before it became an industry. He discusses the core principles of functional medicine and the kind of treatment options it offers. He explains how mental health is affected by how well we treat our bodies. Will also describes what his two books are about, the reasons he authored them, and the problems he wants to address in today’s world.

“It's really important to get your head and your heart right before any of the health and wellness stuff.” - Dr. Will Cole

This week on The Lab Report Podcast:

• How Will discovered functional medicine before it was a massive industry.
• Why functional medicine is an efficient approach to treatment.
• Will’s inspiration for writing his recent book and what it's about.
• How mental health is connected to our physical well-being.
• The foods that cause inflammation for most people.
• Building the foundations of sustainable wellness.
• How Will became associated with Goopfellas.

Resources Mentioned:

• The Goopfellas Podcast

Connect with Will Cole

• Official Website
• Ketotarian
• The Inflammation Spectrum

Subscribe, Rate & Review The Lab Report

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Lab Report, presented by Genova Diagnostics, with your hosts, Michael Chapman and Patti Devers. If you enjoyed this episode, please head over to Apple Podcasts to subscribe to the show and give us a rating and review.

Don’t forget to visit our website, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. Email Patti and Michael with your most pressing questions on functional medicine.

And be sure to share your favorite Lab Report episodes with your friends and colleagues on social media to help others learn more about Genova and all things related to functional medicine and specialty lab testing.

Disclaimer: The content and information shared in The Lab Report is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. The views and opinions expressed in The Lab Report represent the opinions of Michael Chapman and Patti Devers and their guests.

For medical advice, diagnosis, and/or treatment, please consult a medical professional.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nutrition is one of the major pillars of our health. What we eat can translate to how good we feel, how fast we think, and how far we can go without rest. Because of this, many common illnesses can be attributed to nutrition gaps, and a simple nutrition plan can serve as a form of treatment. How do you know which foods can heal you? Are all the bad foods we see online really harmful to us? Brigid Titgemeier of BeingBrigid joins us to answer these questions.

Brigid Tigmeier is a registered dietitian who emphasizes on using nutrition over conventional drugs as a treatment option. She champions the idea of functional medicine because she once experienced being healed through dietary changes instead of prescription pills. She is also a health coach who has helped thousands of people transform their lives.

Brigid joins us to share how functional medicine helped change her life for the better. She discusses the time she saw functional medicine as a weird fad and the moment that ultimately made her pursue a career in it. She explains how simply going with diet trends is harmful and how people develop orthorexia because of it. Brigid also describes her thoughts on the ketogenic diet and why fat shouldn’t be consumed in excess.

“Nutritional interventions can create therapeutic outcomes.”- Brigid Titgmeier

This week on The Lab Report Podcast:

• What her path to functional medicine was like.
• How her parents intervened when she was diagnosed with narcolepsy.
• Why fixing a person's relationship with food can be a treatment option.
• The way she starts a conversation with her patient.
• Orthorexia and how she helps patients reintroduce foods.
• What she's considering regarding dairy, lactose, gluten, and other types of foods.
• Her thoughts on the ketogenic diet's popularity and its surge of followers.
• Should we be worried about increasing saturated fat intake?
• How she treats athletes who want to optimize performance through diet.
• The one mistake many athletes make and how to fix it.

Resources Mentioned:

• Peak Performance

Connect with Brigid Titgemeier

• BeingBrigid

Subscribe, Rate & Review The Lab Report

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Lab Report, presented by Genova Diagnostics, with your hosts, Michael Chapman and Patti Devers. If you enjoyed this episode, please head over to Apple Podcasts to subscribe to the show and give us a rating and review.

Don’t forget to visit our website, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. Email Patti and Michael with your most pressing questions on functional medicine.

And be sure to share your favorite Lab Report episodes with your friends and colleagues on social media to help others learn more about Genova and all things related to functional medicine and specialty lab testing.

Disclaimer: The content and information shared in The Lab Report is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. The views and opinions expressed in The Lab Report represent the opinions of Michael Chapman and Patti Devers and their guests.

For medical advice, diagnosis, and/or treatment, please consult a medical professional.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two things happen to us as we age: The gradual loss of physical strength and cognitive decline. You can delay or slow down strength loss through exercise, but can you do the same for the brain? How do you reduce the effects of age-related cognitive decline? What does the current literature say? To help us with these questions is Dr. Nate Bergman, Chief Science Officer at Kemper Center for Cognitive Health & Wellness.

Dr. Bergman specializes in the aging brain, treating cognitive decline and the early-onset of dementia, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s disease. Dr. Bergman holds an MBA in Healthcare Leadership and is board-certified in Internal Medicine as well as an Institute for Functional Medicine certified practitioner. He completed his fellowship in Geriatric Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic with an emphasis on optimizing the aging brain and body. During his fellowship, he co-developed the Center for Functional Medicine’s program for cognitive impairment and brain health as well as worked as a Research Fellow at the NIH.

Dr. Bergman joins us today to discuss the effects of aging on brain function and activity and some of the ways to slow it down. He describes his transition from conventional medicine to functional medicine and why he decided to make the transition. He shares his thoughts on popular diets and what he recommends for older adults. Dr. Bergman also explains some of the recent findings on functional medicine and cognitive decline and the benefits of exercise to your body and brain.

“Through things like movement or movement with therapy, you can unburden the body and mind from some neurodegenerative problems.” - Dr. Nate Bergman

This week on The Lab Report Podcast:

• Bergman’s journey from traditional medicine to functional medicine.
• The importance of stress for the aging brain.
• What senescence is, when it happens, and how it affects our hormones.
• The diet Dr. Bergman favors the most out of the ones available.
• Insulin sensitivity and how it affects brain function.
• What current research says about reversing cognitive decline.
• How dancing has become part of his life and why he dropped it.
• How physical activity affects dementia.

Connect with Dr. Nate Bergman

• Kemper Center for Cognitive Health & Wellness
• Evolving Past Alzheimer’s Podcast

Subscribe, Rate & Review The Lab Report

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Lab Report, presented by Genova Diagnostics, with your hosts, Michael Chapman and Patti Devers. If you enjoyed this episode, please head over to Apple Podcasts to subscribe to the show and give us a rating and review.

Don’t forget to visit our website, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. Email Patti and Michael with your most pressing questions on functional medicine.

And be sure to share your favorite Lab Report episodes with your friends and colleagues on social media to help others learn more about Genova and all things related to functional medicine and specialty lab testing.

Disclaimer: The content and information shared in The Lab Report is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. The views and opinions expressed in The Lab Report represent the opinions of Michael Chapman and Patti Devers and their guests.

For medical advice, diagnosis, and/or treatment, please consult a medical professional.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Everyone has at least one type of food they don’t like, and most people don’t like them because their body doesn’t. Some call it food intolerance; others call it food allergy, but they’re both what we collectively refer to as food reactions. What is a food reaction? How do you test if you’re allergic to food or if you’re sensitive to it? Is there a difference?

In this episode, we describe what a food reaction is and share some of the ways you can test for it. We discuss the difference between food intolerance and allergies, as well as the immunoglobulins associated with them. We explain the right way to conduct food tests for patients and what doctors should avoid doing. We also share some of the ways to interpret test results and what it means for someone who’s allergic or intolerant to a specific food type.

“When in doubt - treat the gut.” - Patti Devers

This week on The Lab Report Podcast:

• How food reactions are related to gastrointestinal health.
• The gut's main role in the human body.
• The non-immune related responses to food.
• The difference between Immunoglobulin G and Immunoglobulin E food reactions.
• The right way to test a person's food sensitivity.
• What to tell patients that find out they're sensitive to foods they don't remember eating.
• Common foods associated with different food reactions.

Question of the Day:

• "How is my total IgE high and all of these IgE reactions are negative?"

Subscribe, Rate & Review The Lab Report

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Lab Report, presented by Genova Diagnostics, with your hosts, Michael Chapman and Patti Devers. If you enjoyed this episode, please head over to Apple Podcasts to subscribe to the show and give us a rating and review.

Don’t forget to visit our website, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. Email Patti and Michael with your most pressing questions on functional medicine.

And be sure to share your favorite Lab Report episodes with your friends and colleagues on social media to help others learn more about Genova and all things related to functional medicine and specialty lab testing.

Disclaimer: The content and information shared in The Lab Report is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. The views and opinions expressed in The Lab Report represent the opinions of Michael Chapman and Patti Devers and their guests.

For medical advice, diagnosis, and/or treatment, please consult a medical professional.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the benefits of having a healthy gut and gut bacteria is the production of vital fatty acids called short-chain fatty acids. Admittedly, they’re not exactly the fatty acids many people like to talk about, but they’re vital for optimum health and organ function. What do short-chain fatty acids do? How do these fatty acids contribute to overall health? What does it mean if you’re low on short-chain fatty acids?

In this episode, we discuss how short-chain fatty acids affect our gut health and its implications for everyday life. We explain how they are produced and the importance of fibrous foods. We describe some of the symptoms and diseases associated with low short-chain fatty acid levels and how you can test for it. Fellow Genovian, Oliver Jenkins, also joins us to describe the weight of expectations Genova has to meet with each test sample.

“The more you increase the diversity of the food you're eating, the more you increase the diversity of your microbiome.” - Michael Chapman

This week on The Lab Report Podcast:

• Why short-chain fatty acids are sometimes called postbiotics.
• What short-chain fatty acids do for the body.
• The difference between putrefactive and beneficial short-chain fatty acids.
• How fiber affects short-chain fatty acid production and risk of disease.
• What it means when you're low on short-chain fatty acids.
• The three major symptoms that conventional tests can't detect.
• How Genova is run in the UK and the expectations of patients.

Subscribe, Rate & Review The Lab Report

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Lab Report, presented by Genova Diagnostics, with your hosts, Michael Chapman and Patti Devers. If you enjoyed this episode, please head over to Apple Podcasts to subscribe to the show and give us a rating and review.

Don’t forget to visit our website, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. Email Patti and Michael with your most pressing questions on functional medicine.

And be sure to share your favorite Lab Report episodes with your friends and colleagues on social media to help others learn more about Genova and all things related to functional medicine and specialty lab testing.

Disclaimer: The content and information shared in The Lab Report is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. The views and opinions expressed in The Lab Report represent the opinions of Michael Chapman and Patti Devers and their guests.

For medical advice, diagnosis, and/or treatment, please consult a medical professional.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.