Thyroid Strong

We all have stress in our lives. We’ve got jobs, families, and a lot going on. Stress is going to be part of all that. But stress, if we let it run rampant, will take its toll on our bodies and wellbeing. There’s hope though! My guest, Dr. Doni Wilson is here to share some amazing stress-coping strategies to help you get a handle on your health.

Dr. Doni is a naturopathic doctor, professional midwife, clinical nutritionist, and best-selling author with a practice located in New York City and Connecticut. An expert in stress-related illnesses, Dr. Doni helps her patients address and overcome autoimmune diseases, like Hashimoto's, Crohn's, and rheumatoid arthritis. Her extensive knowledge extends to genetic mutations like the MTHFR gene as well as hormonal imbalances. Her best-selling books include Stress Warrior and The Natural Insomnia Solution. As if that wasn’t enough, she has created several stress remedy programs.

Today we get deep into stress, particularly the harmful effects on your body of living with chronic stress. It affects so many systems, from your thyroid and adrenal glands to your hormones. We discuss the best tests to ask your doctor for. Perhaps most importantly, we talk about how to set habits for yourself to combat unnecessary stress and become your own stress warrior.

Do you have regular habits in place for dealing with stress? Leave a comment on the episode page!

In this episode:

• The ways that stress can present itself in your body, sometimes without you even being aware of it
• Some of the positive stressors that you shouldn’t dismiss
• Tests you should ask your doctor for to see the effects that stress is having on you
• Tips and tricks to help you get regular quality sleep
• Regular daily activities you can use to help your body recover from stress
• How overtraining can be as detrimental as not working out at all
• The role that your genetics play in stress and what you can do to understand them better

Quotes:

“If we can actually face the stress and look at it and see how it affects us, then we can be proactive about supporting our bodies to be healthy while stressed. I call it being a stress warrior.” [4:07]

“Sometimes we dismiss stress and then the alternative is that we end up thinking that somehow we’re supposed to eliminate all stress, which is impossible first of all, and even if we could, it wouldn’t be a good thing.” [6:13]

“Even with exercise, there’s a certain amount that’s good for us. But even if it’s something good for us … we can overdo it and then that becomes a stress.”  [27:37]

“Genetics are somewhere between ten and fifteen percent of the equation. So it’s an important part and we can use it to our advantage, but really the part of the equation where we have the most power to make a difference is in our stress recovery.” [32:21]

Links:

Dr. Doni Wilson Book Giveaway

Find Dr. Doni online

Follow Dr. Doni on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube

Stress Warrior book

The Dutch Test

StrateGene genetic analysis

Check out the full show notes for this episode here

Urban Wellness Clinic

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We all know that crooked teeth and the need for orthodontia is a big problem. But did you know that it can affect everything from your breathing to mental clarity and performance? This is all caused by poor childhood nutrition, and as today’s guest, Dr. Steven Lin, will tell us, it is all preventable.

Dr. Steven Lin is not what you think of when you think of a dentist. As a world-leading functional dentist, TEDx speaker, and author of the international bestseller The Dental Diet, Dr. Lin focuses on understanding dental disease through nutritional principles. Ever passionate about preventative whole-health advocacy, his work has shown that crooked teeth and the orthodontia epidemic are caused by nutritional problems as children which are completely preventable.

Today we discuss the connection between your mouth and your gut. A problem in one is a sign that something is not right in the other. We talk about supporting good oral health through proper diet and breathing. This conversation certainly changed the way I think about the mouth and its connection to the rest of the body.

Have you taken action to improve your teeth and breathing through proper nutrition? Leave a comment on the episode page!

In this episode:

• The mouth and teeth as a window to understanding whole-body nutrition
• How gum disease is an early sign of leaky gut or another nutritional problem
• The causes and consequences of crooked teeth and how it affects much more than just your smile
• Why it’s so important to foster good breathing techniques starting at a very young age and the role that the tongue and palate play in this
• What it means for a child to be tongue-tied and signs to look out for
• Dr. Lin’s recommendations to prevent a whole host of nutritional and oral problems

Quotes:

“We’re looking at how people can really optimize their health by understanding their body better, and it all starts in the mouth. It’s pretty remarkable how much you can do just by understanding the mouth.” [3:03]

“It’s very typical of the scientific progress, when it first breaks we kind of discount it and it may get thrown out. Then we go back and go ‘Whoa, this person’s actually on to it.”’ [9:47]

“When you lose the balance of the microbiome and when you don’t feed the nutrients to the defense system inside the tooth, then you get tooth decay. And that’s a very similar process to conditions throughout the digestive system.” [14:02]

“Prenatal nutrition is critically important for the mother. As soon as the kid is born we need to understand how they are using their tongue, how they are feeding, do they need a lip-release, a tongue release. There are often oral restrictions there that are preventing breathing.” [33:41]

Links:

Find Dr. Steven Lin online

Follow Dr. Lin on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Dr. Lin’s Practice

The Dental Diet

Nutrition and Physical Degeneration by Weston A. Price

Check out the full show notes for this episode here

Urban Wellness Clinic

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We often talk here on the podcast about creating good habits to support our health. Easier said than done, right? In order to effectively train and feed your muscles you need tools to integrate good habits of nutrition and exercise, otherwise, progress isn’t going to happen. My guest, Laurie Gerber, is an expert at helping people, including myself, create the dreams needed to set in motion the right kind of changes.

Laurie is passionate about personal development. She’s a head coach at Handel Group where she teaches people how to pursue their dreams and be truthful with themselves, which is harder than we might think. Laurie has been coaching individuals and groups through in-person meetings, live events, and online for over 15 years in addition to TV appearances on MTV, A&E, the Dr. Phil Show, and the Today Show.

In today’s episode, we discuss transitioning from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset. This requires creating and identifying your dreams and promises and having consequences so that you see them through. It’s about aligning your words with your actions and dismissing the negative stories you tell yourself that end up holding you back.

Have you identified your dreams? What’s standing in the way? Leave a comment on the episode page!

In this episode:

• What it means to have personal integrity so that we can truly align our words and our actions
• Creating and following dreams that exceed what you previously thought possible
• Identifying and overcoming the negative stories that we tell ourselves
• Making achievable promises to ourselves and setting non-punitive consequences for when we don’t follow through

Quotes:

“I am not asking people to dream pie in the sky. I am asking people to dream what is inspiring to themselves; truthful, goosebumpy, spine-tingling, but not grandiose. Because the minute we go grandiose … we don’t believe it. Our subconscious can’t swallow it.” [10:28]

“We were deeply getting to know my subconscious and the inner dialogue I could easily detect and the inner dialogue that I couldn’t easily detect. And that was essentially my god, that was what I was bowing to and I didn’t even know it. I didn’t even know what it was saying.” [24:34]

“Your dream’s tactic is to get inspired by the dream, debunk your dumbass theories and excuses, and then get into action. If you don’t do the action you said you would do, pay a consequence - no drama.”  [27:30]

Links:

Use the code “musclemedicine75” for a discount on Handel Group’s digital program InnerU Coach

Handel Group

Follow Handel Group on Facebook

Schedule your free phone consultation

Take the Current Reality Quiz

Check out the full show notes for this episode here

Urban Wellness Clinic

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It’s a common misconception that elite athletes are always in perfect form and at the pinnacle of physical fitness. Many however are dealing with chronic injury. If you’ve listened to this podcast before you know I’m a huge fan of DNS (Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization). My guest, Dr. Brett Winchester knows what it likes to use DNS to help athletes operating at peak performance and how it can be applied to anyone seeking rehab.

At his St. Louis area clinic Dr. Winchester helps athletes by combining functional movement and functional medicine. He’s worked as a trainer with the Cardinals and as an instructor at Logan University. In addition to treating athletes at home, he travels all over the world to teach DNS. His wealth of knowledge about integrating functional medicine into rehab has been inspiring to me as well as countless other practitioners.

Today, Dr. Winchester shares what it’s like to train elite professional athletes as well as more typical patients using DNS methods. DNS is based on neurodevelopmental levels, i.e. how we learned to move as babies. When working with athletes we often come across the dilemma of helping them train to perform at their maximum potential but also within the bounds of safety. Dr. Winchester explains the role that DNS plays in maintaining this tricky balance.

We also discuss what it’s like working as a clinician with its demanding and fast-paced lifestyle. Dr. Winchester shares his advice on challenging yourself to be the best you can every day while also maintaining a mindset necessary to avoid burnout.  

Do you work with athletes? In your experience, what sets them apart (or doesn’t) from other patients? Tell me about it in the comments on the episode page!

In this episode:

• The neurological and physiological differences that separate elite athletes from the rest of us
• Combining stiffness with movement to achieve the maximum potential of an athletic action
• The importance of getting to know your patients in order to truly understand the complicated issues behind their conditions
• How to challenge yourself to be the best clinician possible
• The mindset you need to prevent burning out as a practitioner
• What sets DNS apart from other practices and how it is an incredibly powerful tool in rehabilitation

Quotes:

“I think we’re learning with neuroplasticity that there is a lot that’s possible for everyday people who don’t think they’re professional athletes.” [4:41]

“The goal is creating proximal stiffness and then be able to explode your muscles in the periphery off of this stiffness. That’s the name of the game for all athletics.” [8:16]

“The important thing is when a patient continues to come back to us and says ‘I’m no better’ and they should be better, we need to audit the body to know … the reason why.”  [21:09]

“Clinical intuition is clinical recognition.” [23:16]

Links:

Find Brett’s Practice at Winchester Spine and Sport

Follow Brett on Facebook

Motion Palpation Institute

Grit by Angela Duckworth

Grant by Ron Chernow

Peak by Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool

Listen to Episode 12 with Dr. Richard Ulm

Check out the full show notes for this episode here

Urban Wellness Clinic

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Anyone who has gone through physical therapy probably experienced a lot of exercises focused on muscle memory and large muscle movement. Unfortunately, that often leaves out other important therapies, such as ones focused on sensory stimulation and mental wellbeing. My guest, Dr. Emily Splichal looks at movement, health, and well-being from the ground up to provide her patients with a truly holistic path to recovery.

Dr. Splichal is a rockstar in podiatry. Her functional-integrated approach to treating her patients in a holistic manner is helping patients in her own practice and inspiring practitioners all over the world. As an integrative podiatrist, Dr. Splichal goes far beyond just the health of your feet. She considers everything from diet to mental health to address her patients’ needs.

Today, Dr. Splichal and I discuss a number of topics, from taking a holistic approach to pain management to the role of attachment theories. As Dr. Splichal clearly and expertly explains, properly sensing your environment through the nerves in your feet is an incredibly important part of your health. So is the bio-psycho-social aspect, which takes into consideration all the layers of your life when it comes to healing.

While these are all big and seemingly all-encompassing topics, Dr. Splichal breaks down these complex ideas for anyone to understand.

Has a holistic approach to pain been beneficial for you? Tell me how it went in the comments on the episode page!

In this episode:

• Tools that are at your disposal to address and recover from chronic pain
• The benefits of incorporating alternative healing practices alongside traditional western medicine
• Why your focus needs to be on sensing subtle joint positions in order to feel more stable on your feet
• Nurturing the mind-body connection in today’s overstimulating modern world
• How trauma sometimes presents as chronic pain and the importance of being vulnerable

Quotes:

“If you want to be more stable or better control your joints. Really what you’re perceiving is subtle shifts in joint position sense. You can only stabilize a joint as quickly as you perceive a shift in that joint.” [8:11]

“When you look at the human body, sensory precedes motor. If you don’t have sufficient sensory-in, motor-out is not going to be good.” [16:54]

“You have to dig deeper into the emotional side because your breath pattern is a reflection of the internal conversation you’re having with yourself. If that’s not addressed, you will never change your breathing pattern.” [22:07]

Links:

Enter for a chance to win a pair of Naboso Insoles!

Find Dr. Emily Splichal online

Follow Dr. Splichal on Facebook | Instagram | Youtube

Naboso Technology

EBFA Global - Evidence Based Fitness Academy

When the Body Says No by Dr. Gabor Maté

Dr. Stephen Porges

Biology of Belief by Bruce Lipton

5Rhythms

Check out the full show notes for this episode here

Urban Wellness Clinic

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We hear a lot of talk from experts about the importance of the gut microbiome but you have another microbiome that is just as influential, and it’s in your mouth. In fact, you are probably doing things every day that harm the community of helpful bacteria that live in your mouth. Today’s guest, Dr. Gerry Curatola, sheds some light on the little-understood importance of oral health and what you can do to take care of it.

Dr. Gerry Curatola has an integrative dental practice on Park Ave in New York City and he’s a special kind of dentist that you might never have heard of, a biological restorative dentist. Dr. Curatola has more than 30 years of clinical experience in dentistry and he is the inventor of Revitin, a revolutionary toothpaste aimed at supporting the oral microbiome. He’s also my dentist.

Today we discuss the unsung importance of the bacteria in your mouth. We talk about getting your mouth’s bacteria back into balance and how that supports so many parts of your overall health. There are many accepted truths about dentistry that Dr. Curatola deconstructs in our conversation and if you are serious about a more healthy life, then you need to hear about the important facets of your oral health that we discuss here.

Do you do anything to support your oral microbiome? Tell me about it in the comments on the episode page!

In this episode:

• Why it's important to treat the bacteria in your mouth nicely
• How most kinds of toothpaste are not good for your mouth
• The mouth as a mirror for the body and how most diseases affect it or start there
• Five major dental dangers that are commonly misunderstood
• Why fluoride is overrated, and in fact, can be harmful
• The connection between the teeth and your internal organs
• What you can start doing today to protect your oral and whole-body health

Quotes:

“The reality is that bacteria are bacteria. Like people, when you treat them nicely they behave nicely.”  [3:21]

“Gum disease is the body’s number one source of chronic low-grade inflammation, and that is a silent alarm-bell.” [16:43]

“Our teeth and bones are vital organs that have this vitality that has a metabolism of mineralization.” [32:07]

“Now we know that there are neurovascular bundles around teeth. So if there’s a toxicity around one tooth, it actually can weaken an energy field around a certain organ.” [42:46]

“I find that eliminating toxicity, improving your diet and nutrition, getting regular exercise, and managing your stress, are the four pillars of living a longer healthier life.” [44:20]

Links:

Win a copy of Gerry's Book & toothpaste here!

Find Dr. Curatola online at Rejuvenation Dentistry

The Mouth-Body Connection by Gerry Curatola

Revitin Toothpaste

The International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology

Check out the full show notes for this episode here

Urban Wellness Clinic

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It turns out that the way many of us have been thinking about the sources of pain in the body is wrong. Pain is not isolated in one just one place. It’s part of a complex system that is your anatomy where everything is connected. My guest, Gary Ward, has reshaped the way I assess and treat patients with his revolutionary approach.

Gary, the creator of Anatomy in Motion, takes a unique and revelatory approach to understanding how the human body moves. Usually starting with the feet he connects all the parts to see how and why someone is experiencing chronic pain and then addresses the issue at its source. In doing so, Gary is helping educate people about their own bodies so that they can take charge of their own health.

I use Anatomy in Motion every day in the clinic and it’s been amazing. It’s helped so many patients receive the relief they need without having to resort to surgery or other drastic measures. Gary and I talk about the ways people overlook sources of pain and the many amazing solutions he uses to fix them.

When have you had pain in one place only to find it is due to something completely different? Tell me about it in the comments!

In this episode:

• What a neutral foot is and how to understand the relationship between all the foot’s joints
• Finding your center by establishing good and repeatable habits
• The way in which muscles react to the actions of the joints and why this is a revolutionary way to view their relationship
• Why pronation of the foot is actually far less common than supination
• The role that old injuries play in creating lasting compensations and how to overcome them
• The many benefits of using corrective foot wedges

Quotes:

“There’s a huge difference between looking and seeing. A lot of people are looking at feet and they’re not really seeing the feet for what they can do.” [5:23]

“If we move the skeleton, we can directly influence the tissue.” [20:04]

“Pronation is evil, but actually the value you get from pronating is insane because you get to put all of your muscles to work and give them a job to do and that job is to pull the bones into supination. So you can’t pronate without supinating because the two are intrinsically connected.”  [25:32]

“Good shit is going to happen when you start putting back movement that’s been lost.”  [44:54]

Links:

Win a copy of Gary’s book

Gary’s book What The Foot

Find Gary online at Finding Centre

Follow Gary on Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

George Monbiot’s Ted Talk

“Doctor in the House”

Check out the full show notes for this episode here

Urban Wellness Clinic

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Understanding what your hormones are doing is critical to understanding your health. To do that, you’ll need to take a hormone test. But there are many factors that can affect a hormone test that can lead to inaccurate results. Going to get your blood drawn is a disruption of your daily routine and, if you’re like many people, needles are going to be an added stressor. It also only gives you a snapshot of one moment out of the day. To truly understand what’s going on with your hormones though, you need a comprehensive test that you can take throughout the day with minimal disruption.

Dr. Carrie Jones is the medical director of Precision Analytical, the creator of the DUTCH Test. She’s a naturopathic doctor with a master’s degree in public health who focuses on women’s health. Dr. Carrie is a driving force in the movement to understand complicated health issues of all sorts and their relation to hormones.

Today, Dr. Carrie and I talk about many important topics surrounding your hormonal health. The effects of stress, exercise, childbirth and so much more have profound effects. Knowledge is perhaps your most crucial tool. I feel that I have a better grasp of this topic after our conversation and I bet you will too!

Have you made changes to your lifestyle and health after a hormone test? Tell me about it in the comments!

In this episode:

• How your cortisol levels fluctuate throughout the day and what you can learn from observing it
• The ways in which adrenal and sex hormones affect your muscle tissue quality
• The potential negative consequences of running and overtraining
• Nutrients and vitamins you can take to help get your adrenals back in line
• Postpartum effects to your hormone balance and how you can best get back to your old rhythm
• How to monitor your hormone cycles to increase your odds of conceiving
• The connection between gluten and thyroid issues

Quotes:

“Cortisol is like the sun and melatonin is like the moon.” [5:58]

“If you’re already stressed out, you’re already in fight or flight. Your body already thinks the tiger is chasing you. And then what do you do? You go run, which is what your body thinks you’re doing already. So now you’re running because you’re life is stressful and busy and full, and then you literally go run for your exercise and it just pushes you to this breakdown state.”  [10:14]

“I’m not against thyroid medication. If you need thyroid medication, then you need it ... Don’t feel guilty. You might totally need it.”  [36:43]

“The thing with gluten-free is, don’t think you’re going to starve, because you’re not. There is so much available that is gluten-free. And don’t automatically buy everything that is gluten-free if you didn’t use to eat it.” [42:38]

Links:

DUTCH Test

Follow Dr.Carrie Jones on Instagram

Why Do I Still Have Thyroid Symptoms? by  Dr. Datis Kharrazian

Check out the full show notes for this episode here

Urban Wellness Clinic

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A lot of my patients are working hard on their functional movement as they try to get out of pain through rehab. Sometimes I notice that part of the issue is caused by bloating. Of course, they’re not going to get better until that’s corrected so they can stabilize their core. That’s where today’s guest comes in. Dr. Ken Brown has been studying and researching the causes of bloating and its solutions and is here to tell us what he knows.

Dr. Brown is a gastroenterologist in Dallas. While doing clinical research for big pharma, Dr. Brown realized that there was a huge connection between the methane in our diet and a whole load of health problems. This led him to develop the supplement Atrantil to address the causes of this problem. Dr. Brown continues to be passionate about research into functional medicine and bridging the gap between traditional medicine and natural solutions.

Bloating can have so many causes and lead to near countless ramifications. Dr. Brown and I talk about how you can identify the issue, understand its causes, and treat it in an effective way. By being on the cutting edge of research, Dr. Brown has a wealth of knowledge on this complex and overlooked subject.

Have you noticed issues related to bloating affecting your health? Leave a comment!

In this episode:

• Some of the common causes of bloating
• Your gut biome and its role in creating bloat-causing gases like methane
• The causes and consequences of leaky-gut and what you can do to avoid it
• Understanding the polyphenol content of what you eat and how it has many different health benefits
• Steps you can take to get rid of bloating

Quotes:

“You don't need to give someone antidepressants because they’re bloated. You need to fix the root cause.” [5:31]

“The multibiome interacts, and if you eat poorly and keep abusing your body, you’re going set yourself up for a situation where all you’re doing is feeding this little ecosystem in your body.” [15:46]

“Wouldn’t it be fantastic to change lifestyle and make a huge difference in people’s lives as opposed to always throwing a drug out?” [37:19]

Links:

Find Dr. Ken online

Atranil

Love My Tummy

Digestive Health Associates of Texas

Check out the full show notes for this episode here

Urban Wellness Clinic

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What’s your poo telling you? Maybe you haven't been listening to it, but you should. Since you can’t actually see what’s happening in your gut, your poo is the best clue you have to see what’s going on in there. In this episode, Dr. Marisol Teijeiro shares just how important it is to be the detective of our own health and take a look.

Dr. Marisol, aka “The Queen of the Thrones,” is a naturopath with a passion for gut health. She’s been training and educating healthcare practitioners for over 15 years. Dr. Marisol has helped thousands of patients transition from what she calls “The Shit Show” to OWNING their throne.

We sit down and talk about a topic that most of us are likely avoiding. This is one of my favorite topics and I wish it was discussed more. Your gut is connected to every other system in your body and to understand it is to understand just how you are functioning. We discuss tips for managing your gut health and taking ownership of your BMs.

How well do you know your gut? Drop a message in the comments!

In this episode:

• What the ideal bowel movement (the royal flush) looks and smells like
• What your stool can tell you about gut problems
• The mind-body connection and what that means for your bowel movements
• Dr. Marisol’s colonic protocol and how it can help get your gut back in order
• All the amazing things that castor oil can do for your body

Quotes:

“Your poo is one of the best measures of your health. If you know how to read it properly, you can find out if you have nutrient deficiencies, if you have vitamin deficiencies, whether you have a hormonal problem, an immune system problem, a nervous system problem.” [3:13]

“If we want to be healthy, if we want to be vibrant, living, loving, doing everything that we want to to the max, we have to totally understand what our body is telling us.” [10:27]

“When you digest, you are not just digesting your food. It’s actually also how you are digesting your life.” [13:39]

“We just lead really stressful lives these days, and it’s hard to escape the stress. So the more practices we can incorporate into our daily life that move that needle so that we have less stress and we practice our relaxed state more, the better it is for us.”  [31:15]

Links:

Find Dr. Marisol online

Follow Dr. Marisol on Instagram

Check out the full show notes for this episode here

Urban Wellness Clinic

Follow Emily & Urban Wellness on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube