The MindHealth360 Show

An autism diagnosis can be overwhelming, complex and difficult to manage. Integrative approaches, however, have so much more to offer than conventional ones, by looking beyond behaviour to what is actually happening in the body.

In this episode of the MindHealth360 Show, I interview Dr. Armen Nikogosian, a physician specialising in functional and integrative approaches to autism, and we explore the biological systems he evaluates in his clinical practice, and their potential relationship with symptoms in people with autism – from inflammation and immune dysregulation to gut health, mitochondrial dysfunction, infections and environmental exposures.

Drawing on his clinical experience, Dr. Nikogosian explains why he approaches each patient individually, looking for potential physiological stressors rather than viewing autism through a single pathway. We explore the relationship between the gut, immune system and brain, the importance of mitochondrial function and why he investigates factors such as mould exposure, Lyme disease and other infections in some of the patients he sees.

But what happens when some of those underlying systems have been addressed? Dr. Nikogosian discusses his search for neuroregenerative therapies, including his work with exosomes and why their potential effects on synaptic plasticity have become an important focus of his practice.

Throughout the conversation, Dr. Nikogosian is clear that there are "no silver bullet treatments in autism". Instead, he makes the case for understanding each person's biology individually, identifying factors that may be affecting their health and considering how different approaches might support their function and quality of life.

We also explore the increasing prevalence of autism, the roles Dr. Nikogosian believes genetics and environmental factors may play, and the questions this raises about how we understand autism and support those people living with it.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why Dr. Nikogosian looks beyond behavioural symptoms to inflammation, immune function, mitochondrial health, the gut and environmental exposures.

• How gut dysfunction and immune dysregulation may interact with brain health and behaviour.

• Why mitochondrial function is an important part of Armen's approach to autism.

• How he investigates potential contributors including mould, Lyme and other pathogens in individual patients.

• The interventions Dr. Nikogosian prioritises to reduce inflammation, support the gut, address toxic and pathogenic exposures and improve mitochondrial function.

• Why he believes autism's increasing prevalence requires us to consider the interaction between genetic vulnerability and environmental factors.

• Why addressing underlying dysfunction isn't the end of the story – and why Dr. Nikogosian has become interested in neuroregeneration.

• What exosomes are and why their potential effects on synaptic plasticity have become an emerging area of interest in Dr. Nikogosian's's work.

At the Integrative Medicine for Mental Health (IMMH) Conference 2026, Dr. Armen Nikogosian will explore these ideas in greater depth in his session, MSC Exosomes and Treatment of ASD and Other Neurodevelopmental Delays – Sponsored by Recharge Biomedical.

He will look at what MSC exosomes are, how they differ from mesenchymal stem cells, and the role of microRNA (miRNA) as a proposed driver of their therapeutic effects, including why this may be relevant to ASD and other neurodevelopmental delays.

His session will also review a case series of autistic patients treated with intranasal exosomes, exploring this emerging area of regenerative medicine and its potential relevance to neurodevelopment.

Join Dr. Nikogosian and more than 50 clinicians and researchers at IMMH 2026, 8–11 October at the Town and Country Resort, San Diego, or online.

An autism diagnosis can be overwhelming, complex and difficult to manage. Integrative approaches, however, have so much more to offer than conventional ones, by looking beyond behaviour to what is actually happening in the body.

In this episode of the MindHealth360 Show, I interview Dr. Armen Nikogosian, a physician specialising in functional and integrative approaches to autism, and we explore the biological systems he evaluates in his clinical practice, and their potential relationship with symptoms in people with autism – from inflammation and immune dysregulation to gut health, mitochondrial dysfunction, infections and environmental exposures.

Drawing on his clinical experience, Dr. Nikogosian explains why he approaches each patient individually, looking for potential physiological stressors rather than viewing autism through a single pathway. We explore the relationship between the gut, immune system and brain, the importance of mitochondrial function and why he investigates factors such as mould exposure, Lyme disease and other infections in some of the patients he sees.

But what happens when some of those underlying systems have been addressed? Dr. Nikogosian discusses his search for neuroregenerative therapies, including his work with exosomes and why their potential effects on synaptic plasticity have become an important focus of his practice.

Throughout the conversation, Dr. Nikogosian is clear that there are "no silver bullet treatments in autism". Instead, he makes the case for understanding each person's biology individually, identifying factors that may be affecting their health and considering how different approaches might support their function and quality of life.

We also explore the increasing prevalence of autism, the roles Dr. Nikogosian believes genetics and environmental factors may play, and the questions this raises about how we understand autism and support those people living with it.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why Dr. Nikogosian looks beyond behavioural symptoms to inflammation, immune function, mitochondrial health, the gut and environmental exposures.

• How gut dysfunction and immune dysregulation may interact with brain health and behaviour.

• Why mitochondrial function is an important part of Armen's approach to autism.

• How he investigates potential contributors including mould, Lyme and other pathogens in individual patients.

• The interventions Dr. Nikogosian prioritises to reduce inflammation, support the gut, address toxic and pathogenic exposures and improve mitochondrial function.

• Why he believes autism's increasing prevalence requires us to consider the interaction between genetic vulnerability and environmental factors.

• Why addressing underlying dysfunction isn't the end of the story – and why Dr. Nikogosian has become interested in neuroregeneration.

• What exosomes are and why their potential effects on synaptic plasticity have become an emerging area of interest in Dr. Nikogosian's's work.

At the Integrative Medicine for Mental Health (IMMH) Conference 2026, Dr. Armen Nikogosian will explore these ideas in greater depth in his session, MSC Exosomes and Treatment of ASD and Other Neurodevelopmental Delays – Sponsored by Recharge Biomedical.

He will look at what MSC exosomes are, how they differ from mesenchymal stem cells, and the role of microRNA (miRNA) as a proposed driver of their therapeutic effects, including why this may be relevant to ASD and other neurodevelopmental delays.

His session will also review a case series of autistic patients treated with intranasal exosomes, exploring this emerging area of regenerative medicine and its potential relevance to neurodevelopment.

Join Dr. Nikogosian and more than 50 clinicians and researchers at IMMH 2026, 8–11 October at the Town and Country Resort, San Diego, or online.

Anxiety, depression and chronic stress are usually approached through psychology and the brain – but what if some of the biological processes influencing our mental health begin much further down, in the gut?

In this episode of the MindHealth360 Show, I sit down with Dr. Oscar Coetzee, clinician, researcher and educator working at the intersection of psychology and nutritional science, to explore the gut–brain connection, the microbiome and the nutritional foundations of mental health.

Dr. Coetzee explains how the bacteria living in our gut can influence inflammation, nutrient metabolism and the amino acids needed to make neurotransmitters and why he believes gut and nutritional health deserve greater consideration alongside psychiatry and psychotherapy.

Together, we explore the role of anaerobic keystone bacteria, what can happen when beneficial microbial communities are depleted and how increased gut permeability and LPS-producing bacteria may contribute to systemic inflammation and neuroinflammation. We also look at factors that may disrupt this system, from chronic psychological stress (which can affect both nutritional requirements and our ability to digest and assimilate nutrients) and constant digital stimulation, to diet, alcohol, medications and environmental exposures.

Dr. Coetzee's message is not simply to take more probiotics or supplements. Instead, he makes the case for a more personalised approach that takes into account the gut, nutrition, metabolism and individual biology alongside psychological and psychiatric care. In this way he brings together psychiatry, therapy and what he calls psychonutrigenomics together as three complementary pillars of mental health care.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How gut health and mental health are interconnected and how the microbiome can influence inflammation, nutrient metabolism and neurotransmitter pathways.

• Why anaerobic keystone bacteria such as Akkermansia, Roseburia and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii are receiving increasing attention.

• How the loss of beneficial anaerobic bacteria may allow opportunistic, LPS-producing bacteria to proliferate and contribute to inflammation and neuroinflammation.

• How psychological, physiological and environmental stress can trigger the body's stress response and how chronic activation can deplete nutrients and impair digestion.

• How information overload and constant digital stimulation are underrecognised drivers of anxiety.

• How amino acids including tryptophan interact with blood sugar regulation, B vitamins and magnesium in pathways involved in neurotransmitter production.

• Why simply taking nutrients may not solve the problem if the gut cannot digest, absorb and assimilate them effectively.

• Why Dr. Coetzee believes mental healthcare should integrate psychiatry, therapy and psychonutrigenomics rather than considering them in isolation.

• How functional testing may help clinicians investigate the microbiome, nutrient status, metabolism and genetics as part of a more personalised assessment of mental health symptoms.

At the Integrative Medicine for Mental Health (IMMH) Conference 2026, Dr. Oscar Coetzee will explore these ideas in greater clinical depth in his session, The Connection Between Functional Testing and Mental Health: A New Frontier of Prevention, Causal Investigation and Treatment, sponsored by Designs for Health.

Dr. Coetzee will explore how functional stool testing, organic acids, metabolomics, hormonal and genomic testing can be used to investigate neurocognitive dysfunction and mental health, including the relationships between nutrient deficiencies, the microbiome, gut inflammation, amino acids and genetic factors involved in neurotransmitter pathways.

His session makes the case for what he describes as the often-overlooked "third pillar" of mental health treatment – psychonutrigenomics – sitting alongside psychiatry and therapy/counselling.

Join Dr. Coetzee and more than 50 leading clinicians and researchers at IMMH 2026, October 8–11 at the Town and Country Resort, San Diego – or online.

I started dancing 5 Rhythms about a year ago, and it changed my life. I met a whole new tribe of like minded people who have become fast friends, learned to inhabit my body in ways I never had before, healed some of my childhood wounding, discovered Joy in a way that had always eluded me, and enjoyed a year of personal freedom, exploration and growth which have profoundly changed me. Who knew that dance could be so powerful?

Dr. Geeta Maker-Clark, herself a physician and dancer, understands the power of dance, and the science behind its healing benefits. But she also understands the power of other cultural and lifestyle traditions which form part of the ancient medicine practiced by our ancestors. In this episode of the MindHealth360 Show, Dr. Geeta Maker-Clark raises an important question: have we become so focused on increasingly sophisticated treatments, testing and biomarkers that we are overlooking some of the most fundamental determinants of our mental and physical health? Drawing on her new book Medicine for All People: Science and Ancient Wisdom for Revolutionary Healing, Dr. Maker-Clark explores the medicines we may have forgotten to value: nature, food, plants, relationships, community, movement, dance, gratitude and play.

Dr. Maker-Clark's approach brings together biomedical science, integrative medicine and ancestral wisdom without dismissing any of them. She argues that even functional medicine can become reductionist when it focuses exclusively on biomarkers and biochemical precision, while overlooking the environments and relationships in which people actually live.

We explore why health is not simply created in the exam room; how loneliness and social connection can affect stress physiology, inflammation, immunity and mortality risk; why our increasingly indoor and digital lives may be distancing us from important biological inputs; and why Getta describes community as 'the vagal nerve stimulator of our times'.

We also look at the emerging science behind some of these forgotten medicines. Why might time in nature affect mood and circadian biology? What happens when dance brings together aerobic movement, rhythm, memory, emotion and social connection? And can practices such as gratitude help us train our attention without denying the reality of suffering? Finally, we explore "primordial prevention": the idea that rather than waiting for disease or even its risk factors to emerge, we can create environments and ways of living in which those risks are less likely to develop in the first place.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why medicine belongs to everyone and should not be reserved for those who can afford expensive testing, supplements or specialist care.

• Why modern medicine may be overlooking the health effects of nature, food, community, movement, relationships, gratitude and play.

• How our increasing disconnection from nature may be affecting mental and physical health, particularly for children growing up in increasingly indoor and digitalised environments.

• Why social connection is biological as well as emotional, influencing stress physiology, inflammation, immunity, sleep and mortality risk.

• Why dance brings together movement, music, memory, emotion, culture and human connection in ways that may have particular relevance for mental health.

• Why gratitude is a practice of attention rather than denial and what research suggests about its relationship with mental health and resilience.

• Why rebuilding trust, including trust in ourselves, can be a powerful part of healing.

• What primordial prevention means and why addressing the conditions that give rise to disease could fundamentally change the model of care.

At the Integrative Medicine for Mental Health (IMMH) Conference 2026, Dr. Geeta Maker-Clark will take one of the central ideas from this conversation, and one close to my heart, into greater clinical depth in her session: Could dance have a serious role to play in mental healthcare?

In her CE/CME presentation Medicine for All People: Dance, Neuroscience, and Embodied Mental Health she will explore how dance brings together aerobic movement, bilateral motor engagement, music, memory, emotional expression and interpersonal synchrony and examine the emerging evidence for its effects on neuroplasticity, stress regulation, mood, cognition and social connection.

She will also consider dance through the lens of ancestral and cross-cultural healing traditions. Long before movement was studied through neuroscience and psychophysiology, humans danced collectively. What might modern mental healthcare learn from a practice that has brought together body, emotion, rhythm and community across cultures for millennia?

Join Dr. Maker-Clark and more than 50 leading clinicians and researchers at IMMH 2026, October 8–11 in San Diego or online,to explore the emerging science behind whole-person approaches to mental health and their potential application in clinical practice.

Get tickets now: https://www.immh.org/immh-2026/

An overstimulated nervous system is my chronic problem, and the problem of many of us in our current society with its 24/7 connectivity and therefore constant demands and stimulation. And that's just tech. Not to mention other contributing factors such as disrupted circadian rhythms, lack of nature and natural light, lack of sleep, processed foods, pollutants in the air, water and soil, and nutritional deficiencies. Of all the interventions I have ever done to reset my nervous system, one found in the ancient practice of Ayurveda has proven to be the most effective – known as the queen of Ayurvedic cures, the Panchakarma is a prolonged nervous system reset and detoxification protocol with incredible results. I always come away completely reset and restored.

So I was thrilled to find a fellow aficionado from the medical world with data in her pocket, psychiatrist Dr. Judith Pentz , In this episode of the MindHealth360 Show, we sit down to explore what the ancient Indian healing system of Ayurveda can teach us about some of the most modern problems affecting our mental health – chronic stress, overstimulation, poor sleep, nervous-system dysregulation and our increasing difficulty creating space for genuine self-care.

Dr. Pentz's journey into Ayurveda began after a health scare during perimenopause led her to experience Panchakarma, an intensive personalised Ayurvedic cleansing programme in India. What began as an attempt to support her physical health became something much deeper. She describes how repeated Panchakarma experiences affected not only her body, but also brought unresolved trauma, emotional patterns and questions of meaning and purpose to the surface. As a child and adolescent psychiatrist, she reflects on how many adults may carry wounds from childhood without fully recognising their impact.

Together, we explore Ayurveda's highly personalised approach to health, including the doshas and the idea that modern life itself can push many of us towards imbalance through constant stimulation. Dr. Pentz explains why healing is not something that happens passively: sleep, food, breathwork, movement, boundaries, relationships and small daily rituals all influence how regulated and resilient we feel. We also explore the idea that physical cleansing, emotional processing and spiritual growth may be more connected than Western medicine traditionally assumes – and why sometimes the smallest "life-affirming choices" can be the beginning of meaningful change.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why modern overstimulation can leave us with poor sleep, scattered thinking and a dysregulated nervous system.

• What Panchakarma is and how Dr. Pentz's own experience brought unresolved trauma and emotional patterns to the surface, changing her understanding of healing.

• Why Ayurveda looks beyond symptoms to food, sleep, relationships, social connection, spirituality and daily habits.

• Why many adults carry unresolved childhood wounds without fully recognising their impact.

• How daily breathwork, sleep, movement and moments of quiet may have a cumulative effect on mental and physical health.

• Why self-care requires active participation and daily discipline, and how boundaries and relationships became part of Dr. Pentz's own healing.

• Why disease prevention is something shaped by the choices we make everyday.

At the Integrative Medicine for Mental Health (IMMH) Conference 2026, Dr. Judith Pentz will take the ideas explored in this episode into greater clinical depth in her session:

Ayurveda and Personalized Medicine: The Power of Self-Care for Prevention and Longevity CE/CME presentation – exploring how Ayurvedic principles can complement modern psychiatry and lifestyle medicine, and how simple, consistent daily practices can support prevention, emotional balance, resilience and longevity.

Dr. Pentz will be joined by more than 50 leading clinicians and researchers exploring the latest approaches to integrative and functional mental health, including Dr. Robert Lustig and Dr. Elissa Epel on mitochondria, metabolism and the biology of stress; Dr. Emeran Mayer on the brain–gut–microbiome connection in healthy ageing; Dr. Leslie Korn on safely reducing or discontinuing psychiatric medication; and Dr. Ilene Naomi Rusk on nervous system regulation, resilience and brain health.

Taking place October 8–11 at the Town and Country Resort, San Diego – and online, IMMH 2026 offers up to 40 CE/CME and CPD credits, with 90-day on-demand access to revisit sessions you miss live.

An overstimulated nervous system is my chronic problem, and the problem of many of us in our current society with its 24/7 connectivity and therefore constant demands and stimulation. And that's just tech. Not to mention other contributing factors such as disrupted circadian rhythms, lack of nature and natural light, lack of sleep, processed foods, pollutants in the air, water and soil, and nutritional deficiencies. Of all the interventions I have ever done to reset my nervous system, one found in the ancient practice of Ayurveda has proven to be the most effective – known as the queen of Ayurvedic cures, the Panchakarma is a prolonged nervous system reset and detoxification protocol with incredible results. I always come away completely reset and restored.

So I was thrilled to find a fellow aficionado from the medical world with data in her pocket, psychiatrist Dr. Judith Pentz , In this episode of the MindHealth360 Show, we sit down to explore what the ancient Indian healing system of Ayurveda can teach us about some of the most modern problems affecting our mental health – chronic stress, overstimulation, poor sleep, nervous-system dysregulation and our increasing difficulty creating space for genuine self-care.

Dr. Pentz's journey into Ayurveda began after a health scare during perimenopause led her to experience Panchakarma, an intensive personalised Ayurvedic cleansing programme in India. What began as an attempt to support her physical health became something much deeper. She describes how repeated Panchakarma experiences affected not only her body, but also brought unresolved trauma, emotional patterns and questions of meaning and purpose to the surface. As a child and adolescent psychiatrist, she reflects on how many adults may carry wounds from childhood without fully recognising their impact.

Together, we explore Ayurveda's highly personalised approach to health, including the doshas and the idea that modern life itself can push many of us towards imbalance through constant stimulation. Dr. Pentz explains why healing is not something that happens passively: sleep, food, breathwork, movement, boundaries, relationships and small daily rituals all influence how regulated and resilient we feel. We also explore the idea that physical cleansing, emotional processing and spiritual growth may be more connected than Western medicine traditionally assumes – and why sometimes the smallest "life-affirming choices" can be the beginning of meaningful change.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why modern overstimulation can leave us with poor sleep, scattered thinking and a dysregulated nervous system.

• What Panchakarma is and how Dr. Pentz's own experience brought unresolved trauma and emotional patterns to the surface, changing her understanding of healing.

• Why Ayurveda looks beyond symptoms to food, sleep, relationships, social connection, spirituality and daily habits.

• Why many adults carry unresolved childhood wounds without fully recognising their impact.

• How daily breathwork, sleep, movement and moments of quiet may have a cumulative effect on mental and physical health.

• Why self-care requires active participation and daily discipline, and how boundaries and relationships became part of Dr. Pentz's own healing.

• Why disease prevention is something shaped by the choices we make everyday.

At the Integrative Medicine for Mental Health (IMMH) Conference 2026, Dr. Judith Pentz will take the ideas explored in this episode into greater clinical depth in her session:

Ayurveda and Personalized Medicine: The Power of Self-Care for Prevention and Longevity CE/CME presentation – exploring how Ayurvedic principles can complement modern psychiatry and lifestyle medicine, and how simple, consistent daily practices can support prevention, emotional balance, resilience and longevity.

Dr. Pentz will be joined by more than 50 leading clinicians and researchers exploring the latest approaches to integrative and functional mental health, including Dr. Robert Lustig and Dr. Elissa Epel on mitochondria, metabolism and the biology of stress; Dr. Emeran Mayer on the brain–gut–microbiome connection in healthy ageing; Dr. Leslie Korn on safely reducing or discontinuing psychiatric medication; and Dr. Ilene Naomi Rusk on nervous system regulation, resilience and brain health.

Taking place October 8–11 at the Town and Country Resort, San Diego – and online, IMMH 2026 offers up to 40 CE/CME and CPD credits, with 90-day on-demand access to revisit sessions you miss live.

I was particularly excited to sit down with one of my long term colleagues, psychiatrist Dr. James Greenblatt for an exploration of his new book "Finally Hopeful subtitle". Dr. Greenblatt is one of the pioneers of functional and integrative psychiatry, and it's his fourth interview with the MindHealth360 Show. His first three were about suicide, ADHD and Eating Disorders. This one was about the biological root causes of depression – and why identifying them could fundamentally change the way we diagnose and treat mental illness.

Dr. Greenblatt argues that depression is not one uniform condition: ten people with the same diagnosis may have ten different underlying drivers. From vitamin D and B12 deficiencies, amino acids, thyroid and hormone imbalances, to low cholesterol, impaired digestion and chronic infections, he explains why common and measurable biological factors can contribute to depressive symptoms – and why testing for root causes should often come before treatment.

But this is not a conversation about replacing antidepressants with supplements. Dr. Greenblatt is equally critical of functional medicine approaches that focus on tests and large supplement protocols without understanding the individual patient. We explore his mantra to "treat patients, not tests", and examine why trauma and chronic stress can impair digestion and nutrient absorption, and why nervous-system regulation, and an understanding of psycho-social factors and relationships must sit alongside biochemical treatment.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why ten people with depression may have ten completely different underlying causes.

• Why clinicians should investigate factors including thyroid function, iron, B12, zinc and vitamin D before automatically reaching for an antidepressant.

• Why vitamin D deficiency is associated with depression, anxiety and suicide risk – and why testing matters more than simply giving everyone vitamin D.

• How trauma and chronic stress can suppress stomach acid and digestion, leaving people low in amino acids even when they eat adequate protein.

• Why commonly accepted B12 "normal" ranges may miss deficiencies relevant to brain and mental health.

• Why very low cholesterol levels may be an overlooked biological factor in depression, addiction and suicide risk.

• What new research tells us about lithium orotate and brain health, and why lithium is being reconsidered by mainstream psychiatry.

• Why "treat patients, not tests" has become one of Dr. Greenblatt's central principles – and why more supplements do not necessarily mean better treatment.

• Why he considers somatic therapies particularly important for patients whose stress and trauma are held in the body.

• Why ketogenic diets and psychedelics can be powerful tools, but may still become sophisticated "Band-Aids" if basic biological deficiencies are overlooked.

At this year's Integrative Medicine for Mental Health (IMMH) Conference, Dr. James Greenblatt will take several of the ideas explored in this episode into greater clinical depth across two sessions:

Amino Acids as Precursors for Neurotransmitters – exploring how amino acid deficiencies can affect neurotransmitter production, and how targeted testing and repletion may support more personalised approaches to depression.

Functional Medicine for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder – examining evidence-based nutritional approaches to OCD, including inositol, NAC and 5-HTP, alongside nutrigenomic testing to inform individualised treatment.

Join Dr. Greenblatt and more than 50 leading clinicians, researchers and thought leaders at IMMH 2026, October 8–11 in San Diego.

• In-person ticket: $1,045

• Virtual ticket: $495

Get tickets here: https://www.immh.org/immh-2026/

In this episode of the MindHealth360 Show, I sit down with Judy whose remarkable journey has challenged long-held assumptions about Alzheimer's disease and cognitive decline. Diagnosed with Alzheimer's at the age of 67 after watching her mother and four uncles die from the disease, Judy believed her future had already been written.

Instead, she became Dr. Dale Bredesen's 'patient zero' – his first human patient to follow the personalised precision medicine approach that would later become the RECODE Programme. Together, they explored whether identifying and addressing the many factors contributing to cognitive decline could alter the course of the disease. Judy's experience went on to help shape one of the most widely discussed personalised approaches to Alzheimer's disease.

Together, we explore why Alzheimer's may not be driven by a single cause, but by a combination of underlying factors that differ from person-to-person. Judy explains how nutrition, sleep, exercise, stress reduction, detoxification and other personalised interventions became the foundation of her approach and why consistency has been just as important as the interventions themselves.

Fourteen years after her diagnosis, at the age of 81, Judy is fitter, healthier and cognitively sharper than ever. To prove it, she walked 3,000 miles across America to raise awareness of Dr. Bredesen's work and to share a message of hope for others facing cognitive decline. Now, at 82, she is currently walking from Land's End to London, across the UK.. Her extraordinary and inspirational story invites us to reconsider what is possible when cognitive decline is addressed through a personalised, whole-person approach.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What it was like to receive an Alzheimer's diagnosis after watching dementia affect five close members of Judy's family.
• How Judy became Dr. Dale Bredesen's 'patient zero' and helped inspire the personalised approach that became the RECODE Programme.
• Why Alzheimer's may be driven by multiple underlying factors rather than a single disease process.
• Why identifying and addressing those underlying factors supports better brain health, and better overall health.
• Why early intervention, lifestyle changes and long-term consistency have been central to Judy's experience.
• How Judy went from an Alzheimer's diagnosis at 67 to walking 3,000 miles across America at the age of 81 and now, at the age of 82, Judy is walking 530 miles across the UK.
• What Judy's story reveals about emerging precision medicine approaches to cognitive decline.
• Why Judy believes hope and taking an active role in your health makes all the difference.

Take the conversation further at IMMH 2026

At this year's Integrative Medicine for Mental Health (IMMH) Conference, Judy Benjamin will join Dr. Kat Toups, Dr. Dale Bredesen and Dr. Richard Horowitz for a dedicated session on reversing cognitive decline through personalised, precision medicine.

The session will explore groundbreaking results from a randomised controlled trial of precision medicine in Alzheimer's disease, alongside the clinical approaches being used to identify and address the individual drivers of cognitive decline.

Join Judy and leading experts in neurodegeneration at IMMH 2026, October 8–11 in San Diego.

In this episode of the MindHealth360 Show, I was lucky enough to sit down with one of my favourite people in the world: physician, bestselling author and trauma expert Dr. Gabor Maté, to explore some of the most important questions in mental health: what is at the root of all diseases of the body and mind? How can we heal? And what does it actually mean to be healed?

Drawing on decades of clinical experience working with addiction, mental illness and chronic disease, Dr. Mate explains why trauma is not simply what happens to us but what happens inside us as a result. He argues that while trauma is increasingly recognised by the public, it remains one of medicine's greatest blind spots – despite growing evidence that early experiences shapes brain development, stress physiology, behaviour and long-term health outcomes.

Together, we explore why symptoms such as anxiety, ADHD and addiction may often be understood as adaptive responses to developmental stress, and why emotional suppression, chronic stress and unresolved trauma may also contribute to autoimmune disease and other chronic illnesses.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why trauma remains one of the biggest blind spots in modern medicine – despite a growing body of scientific evidence.
• Why the true cause of many mental health conditions lies in developmental trauma and its impact on our neurobiology, nervous system and relationships.
• Why symptoms such as anxiety, ADHD and addiction can often be understood as adaptive responses rather than disorders per se.
• How the conflict between authenticity and attachment in childhood shapes lifelong patterns of behaviour, health and relationships.
• The relationship between emotional repression, trauma and autoimmune disease and other chronic health conditions.
• Why trauma separates us from ourselves and the world around us.
• Why a biochemical approach can be helpful, but still does not address the underlying root cause of physiological and psychological imbalances – developmental trauma and poor relationships
• How connection, whether in person or on our phones, is key, but addiction to connection is problematic, as an escape from feeling difficult feelings
• Why chronic and unfettered use of social media can cause brain damage, relationship issues and mental health issues in children and adolescents
• AI as therapist, pipe dream or nightmare?
• The true meaning of healing – and why becoming whole may be more important than being cured.

As a thank you to our community, we're giving you free access to Dr. Gabor Maté's full IMMH 2025 session:

https://www.immh.org/gabor-mate-the-myth-of-normal-session/

In this episode of the MindHealth360 Show, I speak with Luis Mojica, somatic therapist, trauma expert, nutritionist, founder of Holistic Life Navigation, and author of Food Therapy: Conscious Eating to Navigate Anxiety, Stress and Trauma. Luis brings together nutrition, somatic experiencing and trauma healing in a way that beautifully captures the MindHealth360 approach: that mental health cannot be separated from physical health, and that the biochemical, psychospiritual and lifestyle-behavioural roots of our symptoms are deeply interconnected. Together, we explore how food affects not only our metabolism and blood sugar, but also the nervous system, emotional regulation and trauma responses. Luis explains how many of us turn to food for regulation when connection, safety or co-regulation are unavailable elsewhere and how cravings, bingeing, restriction and even 'healthy eating' can often be understood as nervous system adaptations rather than matters of shame or willpower. Luis also shares his framework of stimulating, depressing and balancing foods, showing how different foods can push us into fight-or-flight, numb us out, or help us stabilise. We discuss why trauma can make the body more sensitive to caffeine, sugar, fasting and processed foods; why embodiment is essential for understanding how food affects us; and how learning to pause, listen to cravings and sense into the body can help us use food more consciously to support regulation, resilience and healing. In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why food is about far more than nutrition, influencing emotions, safety and nervous system regulation.
• How trauma can drive cravings, bingeing, restriction and other eating behaviours.
• How different foods, through their biochemical effects on the body and brain, can stimulate, numb or help regulate the nervous system.
• What cravings may reveal about unmet emotional, relational or nutritional needs.
• How conscious eating and embodiment practices can support healing and resilience.
• Why Luis sees food as both biochemical and relational – something that can affect our body, emotions and sense of safety.

Join Luis Mojica at IMMH 2026

As understanding of the brain-body connection continues to evolve, practitioners are increasingly recognising the role that nutrition, trauma and nervous system regulation play in mental health.

At the Integrative Medicine for Mental Health (IMMH) conference, October 8–11, 2026, Luis Mojica will join more than 50 world-renowned clinicians, researchers and thought leaders exploring the emerging science and clinical applications shaping the future of integrative mental health..

In his session, Food Therapy: The Missing Piece for Nervous System Regulation, Luis will share practical frameworks for understanding the relationship between food, trauma and nervous system function, helping practitioners recognise patterns of dysregulation, and integrate nutrition more effectively into mental health treatment and recovery.

Luis will also join an expert panel on Eating Disorders alongside Dr. James Greenblatt, Dr. Jeanne Catanzaro, and Dr. Christina Bjorndal, examining integrative root-cause approaches to understanding and treating disordered eating.

Early Bird tickets are now available.

Shownotes:

• Food Therapy by Luis Mojica: Conscious Eating to Navigate Anxiety, Stress, and Trauma https://amzn.to/4tKNbuB
• Luis Mojica's website — For more on somatic nutrition and reading your body's response to food https://www.holisticlifenavigation.co...