The most played episodes among Podcast App listeners.

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   Number 1: 96: Dr. Geeta Maker-Clark: Forgotten medicines for better mental & physical health

   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. Take the conversation further at IMMH 2026 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/

   September 10, 2026·1h 14min
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   Number 2: 95: Dr. Judith Pentz: How Modern Life Is Overstimulating Your Nervous System & How Ayurveda Can Help

   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. Take the conversation further at IMMH 2026 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.

   September 01, 2026·1h 1min
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   Number 3: 95: Dr. Judith Pentz: How Modern Life Is Overstimulating Your Nervous System & How Ayurveda can help

   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. Take the conversation further at IMMH 2026 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.

   September 01, 2026·1h 1min
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   Number 4: 94: Dr. James Greenblatt: 7 biological factors that can drive depression

   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. Take the conversation further at IMMH 2026 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. Early Bird ticket prices – available until August 31 In-person ticket: $1,045 Virtual ticket: $495 Get tickets here: https://www.immh.org/immh-2026/

   August 21, 2026·1h 7min
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   Number 5: 93. Judy Benjamin: Reversing Alzheimer's: Dr. Dale Bredesen's first patient diagnosed at 67, Thriving at 81

   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.

   August 10, 2026·1h 5min
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