The Preventive Medicine Podcast

Medicine is a unique field with many different specialties all focused on helping individuals get or stay healthy. While there is a specialty for preventive medicine, there are also additional specialties such as function, integrative, and lifestyle medicine. What’s the difference between all of them and what is lifestyle medicine? In this episode, we have Dr. Beth Frates the president-elect of the American College of Lifestyle medicine explain and talk about her approach when it comes to promoting health in her patients and clients. Throughout the episode we discuss the unique approach of lifestyle medicine compared to other specialties, high value tips from Dr. Frates, and much more.

The mention of any organizations on this podcast by Dr. Frates are not an endorsement by The Preventive Medicine Podcast.

(1:00 – 2:00) – Introductions

Question 1: Is there anything in particular you want to highlight about yourself to the listeners?

(2:00 – 39:00) – Lifestyle Medicine and Preventive Medicine

Question 2: How did you find out about lifestyle medicine, why did you decide to go into it, and why do you do what you do?

Question 3: What does preventive medicine mean to you?

Question 4: What is the American College of Lifestyle Medicine?

Question 5: Why should medical trainees or physicians join the American College of Lifestyle medicine if I can discover most of the information on nutrition and exercise online?

Question 6: How do you bridge the gap between evidence based medicine and nutrition advice from physicians or members in the American College of Lifestyle Medicine that are not based in evidence?

(39:00 – 58:00) – Wellness Coaching

Question 7: You offer wellness coaching on your website, what is your approach when helping others improve their lifestyle?

Question 8: When you are coaching someone, what are the highest impact things you address right away?

(58:00 – 1:00:00) – Wrapping Up

Question 9: If you were waiting for your coffee at a coffee shop and someone asks you, “how do I get healthy,” what do you tell them in 2 minutes?

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We talk about the union of healthcare and personal training in many episodes but have yet to had a coach or trainer on the show. Well, that changes with Ryan Nosak who was formerly a strength and conditioning coach for many D1 collegiate programs until recently deciding to start his own coaching company RyNo Strength! A former overweight child, Ryan is incredibly passionate about helping others better their lives through exercise and nutrition as he did or himself.

In this episode we dive into topics relating to his history as a coach and his approach to clients. We talk setting goals, talking to clients, and exercise selection among other topics! Near the end of the podcast we talk about the union between personal training/coaching and healthcare and what Ryan thinks about creating a better team approach to the health of our populace.

(00:00 – 10:00) – Introductions

Question 1 : Why did you decide to pursue strength training and coaching/training as a career?

Question 2: What does preventive medicine mean to you?

(10:00 – 23:10) – Personal Training and Preventive Medicine

Question 3: You are a certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS), what is the difference between strength training and conditioning?

Question 4: If you have to do a lot of muscle does this mean that you don’t have to do any conditioning work?

Question 5: Do you think there are any differences between people who look at training as a way to burn calories vs. people who look at training to better their lives when it comes to overall health?

Question 6: Are there any particular methods or strategies for getting people to start exercising?

Question 7: For those that are hesitant to start or continue, how do

(16:20 – 33:20) – Exercise Selection

Question 8: What exercises are you telling people to do if they are on a time crunch, what are the most effective exercises?

Question 9: Are trainers and coaches aware of physical activity guidelines set by the evidence or do they set up their own goals for clients?

Question 10: When it comes to CoVID-19 what exercises do you recommend to people who may not be able to come into a gym and have to train at home?

Question 11: What are your thoughts on trainers that push their clients to exhaustion with the idea that exhaustion is required to achieve a “good workout?”

Question 12: Have you noticed a difference in guidance and coaching required between athletes and those who are not athletes?

(33:20 – 40:40) – The Intersection of Healthcare and Training

Question 13: What do you think about the gap between healthcare providers and personal trainers and how do you think this gap can be bridged?

Question 14: Are there any questions you would have for a physician in a primary care role in how they approach patients and in their thought process?

(40:40 – 18:20) – Wrapping it Up

Question 8: If you’re waiting for your coffee at Starbucks and someone asks you “How do I get healthy?” What do you tell them in 2 minutes?

In an effort to expand our message of prevention we added two new team members – Austin Boos, DO and Jonathan Alessi. Austin is currently a first year resident going into PM&R while Jonathan is a MD/PHD candidate both of whom are extremely passionate about preventive medicine. If you’ve been around for a while you’ve seen our Statistics and Study posts which have now been taken over by Austin. You also may have noticed we started posting written content on our website which we have had contributed by Jonathan!

In this episode we get to know these two better both with their personal goals, ideas in preventive medicine, and much much more. These two bring their own unique perspectives to the podcast which we always appreciate. At the end of the podcast we discuss our strategy and future direction for the podcast. If you want to learn more about the inner workings of our podcast than check this episode out!

(00:00 – 7:40) – Introductions

Question 1 : Tell us a little bit about yourself and why you are passionate about preventive medicine

(7:40 – 22:10) – Podcast Projects

Question 2: Austin, what direction are you taking with the statistics posts and where do you seem them going in the future?

Question 3: Jon, what have you been working on in terms of long-form writing and what do you hope to accomplish with them?

(22:10 – 45:00) – Preventive Medicine

Question 4: What does preventive medicine mean to you two?

Question 5: What do you two think are effective strategies to promote preventive medicine?

(45:00 – 58:00) – Personal Journeys and the Future of the Podcast

Question 6: What are some of the biggest myths or hurdles you have encountered in your own journeys in improving your health?

Question 7: Discussion regarding the future of the podcast

(58:00 – 1:02:00) – Wrapping it Up

Question 8: How do you answer the question “How do I get healthy” in 2 minutes?

(1:00 – 3:30) – Preventive Medicine

Question 1: Since the last time you came on the show has your definition of preventive medicine changed?

(3:30 – 28:40) – Nagging Injuries

Question 2: Is there anyway to prevent smaller injuries or the nagging aches and pains that people might experience due to activities in their daily lives?

Question 3: If resistance training is used to help prevent those nagging injuries what about if you get these nagging injuries from resistance training itself?

Question 4: When do you stop activity, when do you decide to push through, and when do you take a step back to re-evaluate your approach?

Question 5: If someone doesn’t back away from their pain, is there long-term harm in pushing through the pain?

(28:40 – 37:00) – “Prehabilitation” and Preventive Exercise

Question 6: What is “prehab” and is it evidence-based?

Question 7: Can you use extrapolate evidence-based techniques for injury prevention to other applications that there is no direct evidence for?

(37:00 – 58:45) – Treating Nagging Injuries

Question 8: Why did you decide to have your bicep tear managed non-surgically?

Question 9: Myth vs. Fact – Is there any validity to KT or Roc Tape as a treatment modality?

Question 10: Myth vs. Fact – Are passive modalities validated at all as a therapeutic?

Question 11: Myth vs. Fact – Muscle Imbalances cause injuries such as tendonitis and other nagging injuries

Question 12: Myth vs. Fact – Massage therapy may prevent injuries and improve sport performance

(58:45 – 1:04:00) – Wrapping Up

Question 13: What do you tell someone in 2 minutes if they come up to you while you are waiting for your coffee and asks you, “are there exercises I can be doing everyday to stay functional?”

When it comes to preventive medicine you wouldn’t typically think about emergency room physicians would you? Well, Dr. Kristopher Hunt proves otherwise in this episode. Aside from being an emergency physician, Dr. Hunt is also the medical director for USA Powerlifting and has been competing within the organization for 20+ years.

In our episode with him we discuss his take on prevention, the importance for primary care physicians in keeping people out of the emergency room, powerlifting, and how strength training has tremendous benefits for our health.

(1:00 – 12:40) – Introductions

Question 1: Tell us a little bit about yourself, your role as medical director in USA Powerlifting, and why you went into Emergency Medicine?

Question 2: What has it been like as the medical director for USAPL during COVID times?

(12:40 – 23:50) – Emergency Medicine and preventive medicine

Question 2: As an emergency room physician, what does preventive medicine mean to you?

Question 3: What does primary care entail and why is it important?

(23:50 – 47:00) – Powerlifting and strength training

Question 4: What is powerlifting as a sport?

Question 5: Are there injuries associated with powerlifting, is it safe?

Question 6: Has your role within the USAPL been regulatory or given you an opportunity to expand the boundaries of strength training? Do you have any interest in creating any outreach activities in expanding the message of lifestyle modification?

(47:00 – 1:03:00) – Keeping out of the Emergency Room

Question 6: Are there any particular things you tell your patients in general to keep them out of the emergency room?

Question 7: What are the major barriers you see towards a healthier America?

(1:03:00 – 1:05:40) – Wrapping Up

Question 8: What do you tell someone who asks you how to be healthy when you have 2 minutes while waiting for your coffee?

Looking at his achievements and CV, you might think Dr. Chiang has accrued many gray hairs so it might surprise you that he is only 35 years old! Aside from being board certified in Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology, and Obesity Medicine, Dr. Chiang is the director of the endoscopic bariatric program and chief medical social media officer for his employer Thomas Jefferson Hospital! Yes, you read that right – chief medical social media officer! Dr. Chiang is a pioneer in the field of medical social media and the founder of the Association for Healthcare Social media – the first professional society for healthcare social media use. On top of all of his professional pursuits, Dr. Chiang has a huge footprint on his own social media platforms and has been featured in the NY Times for his ability to use social media to educate the public.

In our episode with him, we discuss many topics from the dichotomy between interventional endoscopic procedures and preventive medicine all the way to how healthcare professionals can harness the power of social media to advance public health endeavors. This is likely the most succinct podcast we have had so make sure to give it a listen and let us know what you think!

(1:00 – 4:00) – Introductions

Question 1: Tell us a little bit about yourself and why you do what you do?

Question 2: Did you always know you wanted to go the academic and rigorous medical route?

(4:00 – 10:55) – The Dichotomy of Intervention and Prevention

Question 2: What does preventive medicine mean to you and how does bariatric surgery play a role in that?

Question 3: Do bariatric procedures provide a more definite weight loss or do these patients also regain weight like the majority of those who endeavor to do so in the first place?

Question 4: What exactly do you do in these bariatric procedures?

(10:55 – 17:30) – Obesity and Gastroenterology

Question 4: Do bariatric procedures help in changing the gut microbiome to promote weight loss?

Question 5: What do you cover in the follow-up visits with your patients that help patients keep the weight off?

Question 6: Is your knowledge of the importance of follow-up and obesity counseling something you picked up in practice or learned?

(17:30 – 30:30) – Social Media in Medicine

Question 7: How can social media help us overcome and circumvent the barriers within the current paradigm of medicine?

Question 8: How did you get into TikTok?

Question 9: Where do you draw the line between professionalism in medicine and producing content for social media?

Question 10: How do you balance the relationship between working for a hospital which may be thought of as “corporate” and your presence on social media?

Question 11: Do you envision a future where larger institutions might have social media departments?

(30:30 – 37:15) – Misinformation and Social Media

Question 9: How do we combat misinformation on social media whether its from physicians or others within the healthcare field versus those outside of the field?

Question 10: What do you say to people who think of bariatric procedures as “western medicine” and instead want to “keep it natural?”

(37:15 – 43:20) – Wrapping up

Question 11: What do you tell someone in 2 minutes while waiting for your coffee who asks you,  “how do I get healthy?”

Question 12: Is there anything you want to plug?

Dr. Ray is a chiropractor based in the Harrisonburg, Virginia area and, strangely enough, he is the chiropractor who doesn’t crack necks, backs, or practice any manipulation. Dr. Ray is as evidence based as it goes when it comes to treating pain and other neuromuscular issues and he has been a part of barbell medicine working as a pain and rehab clinician for several years. Between his own practice, the Shenandoah Valley Performance Clinic, his online clients, and the seminars he has done, he has helped numerous individuals overcome their pain.

In our episode with him we discuss many topics including what pain really is, how to overcome chronic pain, why he doesn’t  practice manipulative techniques, and many more topics. This is a very unique episode as pain is a huge issue within the world and something we would all like to prevent. Can we prevent it, or is it just something we have  to live with occasionally? Tune into this episode to hear what Dr. Ray has to say about it!

(1:00 – 13:30) – Introductions and Chiropractic

Question 1: What do you do and what is a chiropractor?

Question 2: What is the difference between a chiropractor and someone like a sports medicine physician?

Question 3: How did you get to the point of not using manipulative medicine as a chiropractor and what do you do today?

Question 4: What is the difference between chiropractic care and physical therapists?

(13:30 – 16:30) – Chiropractic Care and Preventive Medicine

Question 4: What does preventive medicine mean to you as a chiropractor?

(16:30 – 31:30) – All Things Pain

Question 6: What is pain?

Question 7: When does pain matter and when should we worry about it, when do you intervene?

Question 8: How do contextual factors and narratives influence what we feel?

Question 9: How do you balance patients wanting a cure for their pain now versus the nuanced and longer-term approach?

Question 10: How can we bring this evidence based approach to pain to the public to someone who might not have the same background in the literature?

(31:30 – 49:30) – Myth Busting

Question 11: Myth or truth – back pain is dangerous most of the time?

Question 12: Myth or truth – are trigger point releases or injections valid treatment modalities?

Question 13: How do you address expert experience and opinion when they say “you don’t have my hands?”

Question 14: Myth or truth – humans should generally live pain free.

Question 15: Is pain a disease?

Question 16: Myth or truth – posture and pain are related

Question 17: Myth or truth – strength imbalances are related to pain in the weaker body parts

(49:30 – 57:00) – Treatments for Pain

Question 18: When do procedures or surgery come into play for helping someone with their pain?

Question 19: Are there specific things you can do to reduce your risk of pain?

(57:00 – 1:00:00 ) – Closing Remarks

Question 20: What do you tell someone in 2 minutes who asks you, “how do I get healthy?”

Cancer is a big and scary disease that many believe unavoidable and difficult to treat. Well, it does have a large medical burden in the USA but that doesn’t necessarily mean it is completely unpreventable or that cancer patients can’t continue exercising. In fact, exercise and other principles of preventive medicine are just as, if not more, important in the cancer population. Our guest on this episode is Danielle Halsey who is an exercise physiologist specializing in cancer rehab who also works as a research coordinator for the use of exercise in cancer patients.

In this episode we discuss what cancer actually means, some common misconceptions about cancer, how some cancers can be prevented, and how exercise plays a large role in the management of cancer patients! This is a laid back and high energy episode with excellent conversation throughout so make sure to listen to this one all the way through! Danielle is also a health coach who advocates for balance and an all-around approach to fitness having completed a triathalon but also lifting weights consistently. Make sure to check out her interactive and informative social media accounts as well!

(1:00 – 9:30) – Introductions

Question 1: Tell us a little bit about yourself, what you do, and what you do in your job?

Question 2: How did you get interested in or pursue the field of exercise in oncology?

(9:30 – 19:30) – Preventive Medicine and Cancer

Question 3: What does preventive medicine mean to you as an exercise physiologist with cancer patients?

Question 4: As a basic definition, what is cancer?

(19:30 – 44:30) – Exercise in Cancer Patients

Question 5: What is the relationship between exercise, cancer, and chemotherapy?

Question 6: Is there a particular form of exercise that is more beneficial for cancer patients? Should these patients be doing HIIT workouts, yoga, weight training?

Question 7: How would a trainer who works with healthy individuals approach a workout in a cancer patient?

Question 8: Are there some cancers whose risk can be reduced by engaging in regular exercise?

(44:30 – 49:05) – Basic Nutritional Recommendations for Cancer

Question 9: Is there any validity to the statement that sugar feeds cancer? What other common misconceptions are there?

(49:05 – 56:40) – Exercise for Everyone

Question 10: What is one thing in general that you wish everyone knew about exercise?

(18:20 – 1:00:00 ) – Closing Remarks

Question 11: If someone asks you how to get healthy at Starbucks, what do you tell them in the 2 minutes you have waiting for your coffee?