Veterans’ Health Matters

An Introduction to the (WRIISC) War Related Illness and Injury Study Center In this episode, we welcome Dr. Helena Chandler, Acting Director of the NJ WRIISC, and welcome back Dr. Susan Santos, Director of Education and Risk Communication at the WRIISC, as they discuss the WRIISC including its nearly 20-year history and how WRIISC can best serve Veterans and their healthcare teams.To learn more about the War Related Illness & Injury Study Center (WRIISC) and what we are doing, visit our website at: https://www.warrelatedillness.va.gov/

Wearable Technology Trends: What Gets Measured, Might Get Improved In this episode, Dr. Michael Falvo, Scientific Director of the Airborne Hazards and Burn Pits Center of Excellence, and Matthew Watson, Clinical Exercise Physiologist, discuss how to measure or monitor personal exercise and physical activity, some advantages and disadvantages of doing so, and its importance to Veterans and clinical providers.The following resources referred to during the show, are found here:Exercise is Medicine: https://www.exerciseismedicine.org/support_page.php/provider-action-guide/CDC’s Guide on Target Heart Rate: https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/measuring/heartrate.htmVA’s ESP Report on wearable technology: https://www.hsrd.research.va.gov/publications/esp/MotionSensingTechnologies.cfmThe War Related Illness & Injury Study Center (WRIISC) Resources:https://www.warrelatedillness.va.gov/WARRELATEDILLNESS/index.asp

Essential Food Nutrients, Vitamins and Supplements Dr. Serena Satcher, Integrative and Functional Nutrition physician ends our Functional Nutrition segment by exploring with moderator Paulette Brower, proven essential phytonutrients in food and drink known to provide health benefits. How the VHA Whole Health model supports “food and drink” as a resource to stay healthy and fight disease is also addressed.Learn more from the following websites here:The War Related Illness & Injury Study Center: https://www.warrelatedillness.va.gov/WARRELATEDILLNESS/index.aspPost Deployment Health Services: https://www.publichealth.va.gov/

The Role and Importance of Mitochondria In this episode, we welcome Dr. Serena Satcher once again to have a discussion on the role and importance of mitochondria with Paulette Brower. Hear Dr. Satcher examine how functional nutrition plans impact and support optimal mitochondrial function.More resources are available here:The War Related Illness & Injury Study Center (WRIISC Resources): https://www.warrelatedillness.va.gov/WARRELATEDILLNESS/index.asp

The Detoxification Dr. Serena Satcher discusses how required nutrients and others optimize the body’s natural detoxification process in the liver, kidney and skin. This podcast is moderated by Paulette Brower.Learn more about detoxification here:The War Related Illness & Injury Study Center (WRIISC Resources): https://www.warrelatedillness.va.gov/WARRELATEDILLNESS/index.asp

The Elimination Nutritional Food Plan Dr. Serena Satcher sits down for a conversation with Steven Greer, Veteran and Exercise Physiologist with the NJ WRIISC, and Paulette Brower. In it, she Introduces the Elimination Diet and its usefulness as a functional nutrition tool in supporting post deployment Veterans with weakened immune systems which may manifest in CMI (Chronic Multi-symptom Illness).Resources:The War Related Illness & Injury Study Center (WRIISC Resources): https://www.warrelatedillness.va.gov/WARRELATEDILLNESS/index.asp

Nutritional Rebalancing-Beyond Diets For this episode, Dr. Serena Satcher, Integrative and Functional Medicine physician in conversation with Paulette Brower, examines functional nutrition plans, their ability to improve overall health and a vast array of Veteran’s symptoms, and how Intermittent fasting is used with them to achieve detoxification and apoptosis [cell death].Clinicians interested in learning more, you can see the textbook Nutritional Medicine by Dr. Alan Gaby.Additional information can be accessed here:The War Related Illness & Injury Study Center (WRIISC Resources): https://www.warrelatedillness.va.gov/WARRELATEDILLNESS/index.asp

Gut Function and Health We welcome back Dr. Omowunmi Osinubi, Dr. Serena Satcher, and Paulette Brower, as they explore how increased intestinal permeability also known as leaky gut syndrome negatively affects Veterans’ health by promoting chronic inflammation, compromising immunity, and resulting in other medical issues. They explore how utilizing what is referred to as the 4 R’s may be helpful in decreasing intestinal permeability and its associated problems. To learn more about gut function and health, access:The War Related Illness & Injury Study Center (WRIISC): https://www.warrelatedillness.va.gov/WARRELATEDILLNESS/index.asp

VA Whole Health and Functional Medicine Approaches for Managing Chronic Inflammation Dr. Serena Satcher, Integrative and Functional Medicine physician with the NJ WRIISC, examines how Chronic Inflammation - a consequence of military exposures and lifestyle factors - may manifest as disease and impact overall health. This discussion is moderated by Paulette Brower.To learn more about Whole Health, visit: https://www.va.gov/wholehealth/To learn more about Functional Medicine, you can visit: ifm.org You can view the Functional Medicine matrix here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/toolkit-functional-medicine-matrix/ The War Related Illness & Injury Study Center (WRIISC Resources): https://www.warrelatedillness.va.gov/WARRELATEDILLNESS/index.asp

Environmental Exposures & Gastrointestinal Health of Veterans Dr. Omowunmi Osinubi, Clinical Director of the NJ WRIISC sits down with our moderator Paulette Brower, at the WRIISC, to highlight common types of health conditions experienced by Veterans of the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and its environmental exposures impacts upon gastrointestinal health.Learn more on post deployment health from the following websites here:The War Related Illness & Injury Study Center (WRIISC): https://www.warrelatedillness.va.gov/WARRELATEDILLNESS/index.aspPost Deployment Health Services: https://www.publichealth.va.gov/

What’s Wrong with me? Creating a Shared Understanding to Improve Communication Dr. Susan Santos and Dr. Lisa McAndrew discuss how to improve communication by develop a shared understanding and treatment plan with Patients when there is no easy answer for their complex medical or exposure concerns.For more information on developing a shared understanding you visit: The War Related Illness & Injury Study Center (WRIISC): https://www.warrelatedillness.va.gov/WARRELATEDILLNESS/index.asp

Improving Communication Between Patients and Providers around Difficult or Sensitive Topics The inaugural episode of Veteran Health Matters, WRIISC’s Dr. Susan Santos, Director of Education & Risk Communication, and Dr. Lisa McAndrew, Director of Research address known difficulties in Communicating with Patients when there is no easy answer for their complex medical or exposure concerns.RESOURCESThe War Related Illness & Injury Study Center (WRIISC): https://www.warrelatedillness.va.gov/WARRELATEDILLNESS/index.asp