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Whether you've reached work or study burnout, you're going through relationship dramas, or you just feel weighed down by life in general, stress is something that's difficult to avoid. If only there were an easy and free way to alleviate it. Luckily, there is! Breathwork. Breathing is the first and last thing we do on this planet, and it's the simplest way we can alleviate stress and anxiety both immediately and long-term, when done properly. So, how can we reap the benefits?无论您是否已达到工作或学习倦怠、是否正在经历人际关系戏剧,或者您只是感到生活的压力,压力都是难以避免的。 如果有一种简单且免费的方法来缓解它就好了。 幸运的是,有! 呼吸。 呼吸是我们在这个星球上做的第一件事也是最后一件事,如果做得正确,这是我们可以立即和长期缓解压力和焦虑的最简单方法。 那么,我们怎样才能获得好处呢?It's about slowing down. "We all tend to hyperventilate, breathing too fast and not very effectively," says David Spiegel, professor of psychiatry and behavioural sciences at Stanford University in the US. One way to make our breathing more intentional is a technique called 'cyclic sighing', with a focus on prolonged exhalation. Begin with a deep inhale through your nose. Just when you think you're done, take a short, sharp breath to fully fill the lungs. Then, let out a slow and extended sigh to completely empty your lungs. A 2023 study published in PubMed by Spiegel and colleagues found that just five minutes a day of cyclic sighing improved mood and lowered anxiety.这是关于放慢速度。 美国斯坦福大学精神病学和行为科学教授大卫·斯皮格尔说:“我们都容易换气过度,呼吸太快而且效率不高。” 让我们的呼吸更有意识的一种方法是一种称为“循环叹息”的技术,其重点是延长呼气。 首先通过鼻子深吸气。 当您认为自己已经完成时,进行短促的呼吸,让肺部充满空气。 然后,缓慢而长久地叹一口气,将肺部完全排空。 Spiegel 及其同事于 2023 年在 PubMed 上发表的一项研究发现,每天只需五分钟的周期性叹息即可改善情绪并降低焦虑。For a more advanced method, try 'coherent breathing'. To do this, you want to find a comfortable position, with one hand on your belly, and the other on your chest. Inhale through your nose for about six seconds, making the hand on your belly rise by engaging your diaphragm. Then exhale for the same duration. The key is to keep your breath smooth and continuous. "Imagine your breath as a slow tide coming in and going out," says Guy Fincham, who leads a breathwork research lab at Brighton and Sussex Medical School in the UK. The A52 breath method is similar, except at the end of the exhalation, you hold your breath for a couple of seconds before breathing in again.对于更高级的方法,请尝试“连贯呼吸”。 为此,您需要找到一个舒适的位置,一只手放在腹部,另一只手放在胸部。 通过鼻子吸气约六秒钟,通过接触隔膜使放在腹部的手抬起。 然后呼气同样的时间。 关键是保持呼吸顺畅、连续。 英国布莱顿和苏塞克斯医学院呼吸研究实验室的负责人盖伊·芬查姆(Guy Fincham)说:“把你的呼吸想象成缓慢进出的潮水。” A52 呼吸方法类似,只是在呼气结束时屏住呼吸几秒钟,然后再吸气。Slowing down our breathing works because it relaxes the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the 'fight-or-flight' response and activates the parasympathetic nervous system, responsible for the body's 'rest-and-digest' functions. This calms the body. So, whenever you start to feel overwhelmed, remember that you have this easy and instant stress-reliever in your toolkit.放慢呼吸之所以有效,是因为它可以放松负责“战斗或逃跑”反应的交感神经系统,并激活负责身体“休息和消化”功能的副交感神经系统。 这可以使身体平静。 因此,每当您开始感到不知所措时,请记住您的工具箱中有这种简单且即时的缓解压力的方法。
It is time for my summer slow down but the tricksters do not rest. So for a couple of episodes, I want to share with you some of the new fangled ways the underside of the bottom of the barrel will try to get you to read, click or share. This time a look at busty thumbnails and Barney Google's type eyes in social media title cards and thumbnails. The TLDL is that there are all kinds of ways to get attention. Attention sometimes equals clicks and then clicks equal cash or data harvesting. When possible, avoid the Reaper. Resources Mentioned: The Trust It or Trash It website has tutorials on how to evaluate a health or mental health site for being a safe place to get information. The National Library of Medicine has a section of the website that also has tutorials on health literacy topics. On the PubMed page there is a on-line tutorial or you can download the PDF version of Evaluating Internet Health Information: A Tutorial Emergency Resources The Trevor Project: Provides crisis support specifically for LGBTQ+ youth through phone (1-866-488-7386), text (START to 678-678), and online chat. Available 24/7. They also provide peer support and community. Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat online. There are phone lines for those serving overseas. Visit the website to find the current status of the Veteran line and international calling options. National Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 for free, confidential support 24/7. This service operates independently of the 988 service. Users can use text, chat or WhatsApp as a means of contact. Disclaimer: Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements. Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder. This blog and podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this program is intended to be a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from licking the chicken marinade spoon, while pregnant. Dr. Don - risky ☣️ Professor Ben - risky ☣️ A review of Campylobacter infection during pregnancy: a focus on C. jejuni - ScienceDirect Investigating the influence of organic acid marinades, storage temperature and time on the survival/inactivation interface of Salmonella on chicken breast fillets - ScienceDirect Campylobacter jejuni infection during pregnancy: long-term consequences of associated bacteremia, Guillain-Barré syndrome, and reactive arthritist - PubMed
112. Dr. Stephanie Gray, a functional medicine practitioner, nurse practitioner, and author of Your Fertility Blueprint. After navigating a complex, 10-year secondary infertility battle that involved eight IUIs, two out-of-state surgeries for endometriosis, and a devastating standstill with multiple failed euploid embryo transfers, Stephanie had to become her own medical detective. She shares how she used PubMed research to advocate for her own health, eventually uncovering a chronic, low-grade uterine infection (endometritis) from a previous birth and a silent blood clotting condition that conventional doctors completely missed.Stephanie shares the powerful cross-section where conventional reproductive endocrinology and functional medicine meet. Dr. Gray explains why she believes the global decline in fertility is being heavily driven by a toxic world, touching on environmental toxins, soil depletion, and EMF radiation. She also shares the exact high-dose antioxidant protocol she used to achieve an incredible 60% euploid embryo rate at age 39. From the traumatic reality of surviving a life-threatening postpartum hemorrhage to navigating a high-risk pregnancy with placenta previa, Stephanie's story is a masterclass in patient self-advocacy. Tune in to discover the practical, root-cause steps you can take to optimize your egg quality and uterine environment, and get a heavy dose of encouragement to trust your intuition when something doesn't feel right.Get the resources, transcript, and more information about this episode: https://over40fabulousandpregnant.com/episode112/Get Rejoova Eggs & Rejoova Repair. Use code FAB for 10% offShop the Show
Harvard Professor Dr. JoAnn Manson reveals the final results of the VITAL trial: a landmark study on Vitamin D, telomeres, and disease prevention.Is Vitamin D the most underrated molecule in longevity science? Dr. JoAnn Manson, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and lead investigator of the massive VITAL trial, joins us to present groundbreaking new data. We move past the traditional focus on bone health to explore how 2,000 IU of Vitamin D preserves telomere length, effectively slowing biological aging by three years. Dr. Manson discusses the 22% reduction in autoimmune diseases and the 17% reduction in advanced metastatic cancers found within the 25,000-participant study. We also tackle the "BMI Gap", the critical reason why Vitamin D benefits are often blunted in certain populations, and the importance of the Vitamin D/Omega-3 synergy. This conversation provides a definitive clinical roadmap for anyone using these supplements to extend their healthspan. Rooted in gold-standard randomized controlled trial data, this is an essential update on the science of aging well.MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: Modern Healthspan provides reports on peer-reviewed longevity research. We do not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The clinical findings presented by Dr. JoAnn Manson from the VITAL trial are for informational use only. Please see your physician before starting 2,000 IU of Vitamin D or any other supplement protocol.
Content warning: childhood abuse, childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault, rape, abduction, missing persons, gun violence, murder, and mental illness.Amber Rodgers is a survivor, business professional, and creative from Texas. As early as she can remember, her life was filled with chaos. By the time she was fourteen, she was a multi-crime survivor, and by 19 she would serve as a witness in her best friend's murder trial. Amber moved forward by cultivating a successful career and loving family, until her past trauma instigated a cascading effect in her mental health and relationships. Although Amber has shared portions of her story at-large, it took her decades and a life-altering mental health journey to realize the deep impact her teen years had had on her. The Broken Cycle Media team is deeply appreciative of Amber's transparency, rawness, and advocacy. These episodes are dedicated in loving memory of Kytrina Marie Locascio.Sources: -Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “About Adverse Childhood Experiences.” CDC, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2025, https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/aces/. -Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).” CDC Vital Signs, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/aces/index.html. -Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Psychosocial Factors and Health Equity.” CDC, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, https://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/health_equity/psychosocial.htm. -Felitti, Vincent J., et al. “Relationship of Childhood Abuse and Household Dysfunction to Many of the Leading Causes of Death in Adults: The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study.” American Journal of Preventive Medicine, vol. 14, no. 4, 1998, pp. 245–258.-Hughes, Karen, et al. “The Effect of Multiple Adverse Childhood Experiences on Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” The Lancet Public Health, vol. 2, no. 8, 2017, pp. e356–e366. doi:10.1016/S2468-2667(17)30118-4.-McKay, Matthew T., Laura Kilmartin, Aisling Meagher, Mary Cannon, Colm Healy, and Mary C. Clarke. “A Revised and Extended Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Relationship between Childhood Adversity and Adult Psychiatric Disorder.” Journal of Psychiatric Research, vol. 156, 2022, pp. 159–174. PubMed, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36274532/. -Swedo, Elizabeth A., et al. “Prevalence of Adverse Childhood Experiences Among U.S. Adults—Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2011–2020.” Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, vol. 72, no. 26, 2023, pp. 707–715, https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/mm7226a2.htm. -Zhang, Y., et al. “Cumulative Adverse Childhood Experiences and Risk of Mental Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 2026, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001691826007559. Accessed 2 June 2026.For additional resources and a list of non-profit organizations that can help, please visit http://www.somethingwaswrong.com/resources*Thank you again to Rula and Quince for sponsoring this episode. *Remember, Rula patients typically pay $15 per session when using insurance. Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in you at https://www.rula.com/wcn #rulapod *And don't forget to elevate your summer wardrobe, go to quince.com/wcn for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns, now available in Canada too.
En este episodio se presentan los hallazgos derivados de una revisión de la literatura científica realizada en bases de datos especializadas como PubMed, Scopus y ScienceDirect, sobre las estrategias de abordaje espiritual implementadas por el personal de salud dirigidas a cuidadores de pacientes pediátricos en cuidados paliativos y su impacto en el afrontamiento emocional y la resiliencia.A partir del análisis de la evidencia disponible, se explora el papel de la espiritualidad como un recurso fundamental para brindar apoyo, favorecer los procesos de afrontamiento y contribuir a la construcción de sentido frente a la enfermedad, el sufrimiento y el cuidado. Asimismo, se identifican las principales intervenciones espirituales reportadas en la literatura y sus efectos sobre el bienestar de los cuidadores.Este contenido constituye un recurso académico orientado a fortalecer la formación en cuidado paliativo y a promover una comprensión integral del cuidado centrado en la persona, la familia y sus necesidades espirituales.
Welcome to the kickoff of the Action Game series on The Empowered Team Podcast—where Kari Schneider dives into what actually drives results: action. In this solo episode, Kari unpacks the surprising science behind why high achievers and intelligent leaders are more likely to procrastinate—and what to do about it. What You'll Learn: Why overthinking is a strength (and how it turns into a trap) Learn how your brain's “prediction machine” can create decision loops that stall progress—and how to break free. The truth about perfectionism Discover why perfectionism isn't a high standard—it's procrastination in disguise, and how it leads to burnout instead of results. The research-backed method that increases follow-through by 200–300% Kari shares the powerful concept of implementation intention (when-then planning) and how it eliminates hesitation and drives consistent action. Key Insight: High performance isn't about more motivation—it's about clarity, structure, and making decisions your brain can execute. Memorable Quote: “Overthinking isn't weakness—it's intelligence without a deadline.” Take Action: Before you finish this episode, choose ONE thing you've been delaying—and decide exactly when and what action you'll take. If you're ready to stop circling and start executing, this episode will give you the clarity and momentum you've been missing. Key Research Links: Peter Gollwitzer — Implementation Intentions Core 1999 paper: https://www.prospectivepsych.org/sites/default/files/pictures/Gollwitzer_Implementation-intentions-1999.pdf Meta-analysis (94 studies): https://cancercontrol.cancer.gov/sites/default/files/2020-06/goal_intent_attain.pdf Wikipedia overview (accessible summary): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Implementation_intention Google Scholar profile: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Vl1IDvYAAAAJ&hl=en Flett & Hewitt — Perfectionism & Procrastination Original multidimensional perfectionism paper (1991, PubMed): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2027080/ Perfectionism & procrastination chapter: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4899-0227-6_6 30-year review (2021): https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/features/cap-cap0000288.pdf #LeadershipDevelopment #HighPerformance #MindsetShift #Productivity #SelfMastery
In this episode, Lisa discusses one of the most common concerns after tongue tie release: reattachment. But rather than focusing only on whether tissue has “grown back,” she widens the conversation to include aftercare, feeding function, healing, follow-up, and the importance of an individualized care plan.Lisa explains why persistent or returning symptoms after frenotomy do not always mean reattachment. Feeding challenges may be related to incomplete release, healing patterns, oral motor habits, body tension, milk supply, latch mechanics, reflux, or the baby needing help learning to use new tongue mobility.She also reviews current research and guidelines on revision, recurrence, massage, stretching, and follow-up care, highlighting that the evidence is still evolving and that not all studies or professional organizations define aftercare the same way.Using her CAREFUL™ framework, Lisa explains how professionals can think through these cases more clearly by listening to parent concerns, assessing function, relating symptoms to possible causes, educating families, focusing on function, understanding scope and referral needs, and looping back with follow-up.The key message: Preventing reattachment is not just about keeping tissue apart. It is about helping feeding function improve.Mentioned in this episode:Lisa's course, Professional's Guide to Tongue Tie in the Breastfeeding Infant, teaches the CAREFUL™ approach and helps professionals move beyond “Is there a tie?” into a more functional, dyad-centered way of supporting breastfeeding families.Learn more at: tonguetieexperts.net/professionalLisa's parent book, Tongue Tie for Parents, is available on Amazon for families looking for clear, supportive guidance about tongue tie and breastfeeding.More from Tongue Tie ExpertsExplore additional resources, including downloads, free guides, and links mentioned in this episode—along with access to our courses and new book:
Your mood struggles might not be a mindset problem — they might be a methylation problem. In this episode, Nurse Doza breaks down the TMG supplement (trimethylglycine), how it drives serotonin and dopamine production, and why pairing it with SAMe in BLISS delivers clean energy and mood support — no caffeine, no stimulants, results in minutes. Featured Partner: MSW Nutrition — BLISS BLISS by MSW Nutrition combines two of the most underutilized mood-support compounds in functional medicine — trimethylglycine (TMG) and SAMe — in a fast-absorbing sublingual powder. Together, they fuel the methylation pathways your body needs to produce serotonin, dopamine, and sustainable energy — exactly the mechanisms Nurse Doza unpacks in this episode. No caffeine. No fillers. No stimulants. Just the two ingredients your brain chemistry has been waiting for.
Send us Fan MailDo you really need a scanner, whole slide images, and AI infrastructure before you can start in digital pathology?In this episode, I argue that you do not.I'm Dr. Aleksandra Zuraw, veterinary pathologist and digital pathology educator, and this talk is about a belief I hear all the time: I don't have the tools yet, so there is no point learning digital pathology. I used to think that too. When I was training in Berlin, there was one Leica 6-slide scanner, and it felt like digital pathology was only for a small group of chosen people. That experience made the field feel distant, exclusive, and not really available to beginners. What changed for me was not a new scanner. It was a small project.I needed a more consistent way to quantify a senescence marker in archived skin samples, so I used a microscope camera, captured images, opened them in Microsoft Paint, and manually marked cells with colored dots. It was scrappy. Very low tech. But it was also digital, consistent, and verifiable. That project became my first real step into digital pathology and helped me get my first job in the field, where I worked between pathologists and image analysis scientists on biomarker quantification and patient stratification problems. That is the core point of this episode: knowledge unlocks technology.Scanners matter. AI tools matter. But the deeper bottleneck is whether enough people understand how to use these tools, ask good questions, and connect pathology expertise with digital workflows. That is why this episode is really about readiness. Not readiness of the hardware. Readiness of the people.I also talk about Dr. Taladzer from Pakistan, whose story makes this point even more clearly. At the time, Pakistan had around 220 million people, about 500 pathologists, and zero scanners. She still started learning digital pathology during COVID using a microscope and camera, joined the Digital Pathology Association, taught herself from papers and online resources, and kept going even after multiple AI vendors rejected her because she did not have whole slide images. Eventually, she found a DIY image analysis platform, learned to annotate and train models on static images, completed projects quickly, and went on to publish more than 10 digital pathology papers without ever using WSI.Why should you listen?Because this episode is for pathologists and lab leaders who are interested in digital pathology but still feel stuck at the beginning. It is for people waiting for permission, perfect infrastructure, or a formal roadmap. And it is for trailblazers who came back from a meeting or conference energized, but need a practical way to turn that energy into action before it fades.I also address an important AI question near the end: How do we know an AI model is good enough for pathology? I talk about why models are only as good as the pathologist annotations used to train them, why concordance between pathologists matters, how orthogonal labels like IHC can improve model quality, and why pathologists still need to stay in the loop as these systems develop and get deployed.If you are trying to figure out where to start, this episode gives you a practical answer: start where you are. Start with what you have. Start learning now.Episode Highlights00:00 – Why the real barrier to digital pathology is usually not the hardware 00:33 – What it feels like to be at the beginning of the digital pathology journey 02:50 – My first practical digital pathology project using a microscope camera and Microsoft Paint 05:37 – How that low-tech project led to my first digital pathology job 08:52 – Why knowledge, not infrastructure, is the real unlock 09:57 – Dr. Taladzer's story: starting digital pathology in Pakistan with zero scanners 12:03 – What happened after repeated vendor rejection and why persistence mattered 14:39 – The “forgetting loop” vs the “commitment loop” after conferences 16:48 – Practical next steps: book, PubMed alerts, journal clubs, webinars, vendor resources 18:52 – Why I believe digital pathology is the gateway to faster diagnosis 20:00 – How to think about whether an AI model is really ready for pathologyResources MentionedDigital Pathology 101 – free book recommended as a starting point for learning digital pathology. Digital Pathology Association – mentioned as a learning resource and professional community. PubMed alerts for AI and digital pathology. Journal clubs – mentioned as one way to keep learning consistently. Webinars and vendor resources – suggested as practical ways to keep building knowledge. A4A – the DIY image analysis platform that supported Dr. Taladzer's early work with static image annotation and model training. Support the showGet the "Digital Pathology 101" FREE E-book and join us!
In dieser Folge spreche ich über die Frage, ob hinter emotionalem Essen, Heißhunger, restriktivem Essverhalten oder Ängsten rund ums Essen häufig mehr steckt als „fehlende Disziplin“. Gerade bei Reizdarm, Essstörungen, emotionalem Essen oder funktionellen Beschwerden erleben viele Menschen ein Nervensystem, das dauerhaft unter Stress steht. Ich spreche darüber: warum Essen häufig Regulation statt reine Nahrungsaufnahme ist was Psychosomatik wirklich bedeutet wie Stress unser Essverhalten beeinflusst warum Nervensystem und Darm eng zusammenarbeiten weshalb Heilung oft nicht über mehr Kontrolle, sondern über mehr Sicherheit entsteht Außerdem teile ich ein persönliches berufliches Update und erzähle, warum ich mich aktuell noch intensiver mit psychosomatischen Zusammenhängen beschäftige. Wissenschaftliche Quellen Mayer EA. The brain-gut axis in abdominal pain syndromes. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25880867/ Torres SJ, Nowson CA. Relationship between stress, eating behavior, and obesity. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25208774/ ALLE LINKS Hole dir mein Buch “Ayurveda für den Darm” www.lenatura.de Warteliste Therapieplätze https://www.lenatura.de/ernaehrungstherapie Hier geht es zum Kurs "Energetische Balance" Kennst du schon unsere neue Masterclass Ayurveda meets FODMAP? Hol dir das kostenfreie eBook und die monatliche Inspiration! Deine Meinung ist mir wichtig, deshalb sende mir dein Feedback: auf Instagram , Facebook oder per Mail
Photobiomodulation Stroke Recovery: How Laser Therapy Is Restarting Damaged Brains After Stroke For seven years, a woman lived unable to remember faces. She had developed prosopagnosia, a condition that turned every person she met into a stranger, no matter how many times they had been introduced. She kept notes. She took photographs. She built systems to compensate for what her brain could no longer do on its own. Then she sat down for a single laser therapy session with Dr. Robert Hedaya. One session later, the problem was gone. “I can remember the face of the person I worked with this morning and his wife and the dimple on his face,” she told him, describing something she hadn’t been able to do in nearly a decade. What Dr. Hedaya witnessed that day and what he now works to replicate for stroke survivors, people living with aphasia, early dementia, and Parkinson’s, is the result of a therapy called photobiomodulation. And the principle behind it may fundamentally change how you understand your own recovery ceiling. Your Neurons May Not Be Dead. They May Just Be Stuck When a stroke occurs, conventional medicine draws a clear line. Tissue that is destroyed is gone. Deficits that persist beyond the early recovery window are considered permanent. Survivors are told, sometimes gently, sometimes bluntly, that they have plateaued. Dr. Hedaya challenges that directly. In his clinical experience, there is often a population of neurons that survived the stroke intact but are no longer functioning. They are alive. Their cellular architecture is preserved. But they have lost their energy supply, specifically, the ability to produce ATP, the molecule that powers every cellular process in the body. Without energy, these neurons go quiet. They stop firing. From the outside, this looks like permanent damage. But it isn’t. It is dormancy. This mirrors the concept of the chronic penumbra explored in hyperbaric oxygen therapy research, where viable tissue sits in a suspended state, waiting for conditions to change. Dr. Hedaya’s approach is different in method but identical in premise: the brain has not finished recovering. It is waiting for the right signal. Photobiomodulation provides that signal. What Photobiomodulation Actually Does “After the first laser treatment, the problem was gone. Gone. She told me — I can remember the face of the person I worked with this morning.” — Dr. Robert Hedaya Photobiomodulation, also called transcranial laser therapy, delivers precise wavelengths of near-infrared light to targeted areas of the scalp. The photons penetrate through the skull, meninges, and tissue to reach dormant neurons, where they act on the fourth complex of the mitochondrial electron transport chain, the site where nitric oxide accumulates and blocks ATP production. The photons dislodge that nitric oxide. The mitochondria resume normal energy output. The neuron now has what it needs to resume its function. The downstream effects are significant: new synapses form through a process called synaptogenesis, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is produced, inflammation decreases, and misfolded proteins associated with cognitive decline begin to clear. Given energy, the brain begins repairing itself, not because the laser forces it to, but because the cells already know what to do. They were just waiting for the fuel. How QEEG Makes It Precise Not every stroke survivor responds to the same laser parameters or needs treatment in the same regions. This is where Dr. Hedaya’s approach clearly separates from consumer LED helmets or generic light therapy devices. Before any laser is applied, he conducts a quantitative EEG, a brain mapping process that measures electrical activity at 19 points across the scalp. Unlike a standard EEG, which relies on a clinician reading scrolling waveforms visually, QEEG uses AI to analyse thousands of data points and reverse-engineer the source. The result is a functional map: which networks are underperforming, which are overactive, and where pathways between regions have broken down. This is paired with a neuroquant MRI that measures 30 to 40 distinct brain structures volumetrically. Together, they function as a GPS triangulating exactly where the laser should be directed, at what wavelength, power, pulse frequency, and joule delivery for each individual patient. These parameters are adjusted as the patient responds, session by session. This level of precision is what distinguishes clinical photobiomodulation from anything available over the counter. A half-watt LED helmet delivering diffuse light through hair and scalp is not the same intervention. Depression After Stroke – And the Whole-Body Connection Roughly 30% of stroke survivors experience depression in the aftermath. This is not simply an emotional response to a difficult event – it is a physiological outcome with identifiable drivers that conventional psychiatry often does not investigate. Dr. Hedaya’s model, which he calls whole psychiatry, treats post-stroke depression as a downstream expression of broader disruption: hypothyroidism, hormonal imbalance, B12 deficiency, elevated mercury from dietary sources, gut dysbiosis, chronic inflammation, and unresolved neurological stress all play measurable roles. In one of his current stroke cases, treating low thyroid function triggered seizure sensitivity because post-stroke tissue is more vulnerable to excitatory input. That kind of complexity is precisely why a comprehensive functional evaluation must precede treatment. For survivors too depleted to engage with lifestyle changes, Dr. Hedaya will now often begin with laser therapy directly. Once cellular energy is restored, the motivation and capacity to make further changes typically follow. The jump-start, he has found, enables everything else. Is Recovery Still Possible After a Plateau? If you have been told you have reached your ceiling, the core message of this episode is worth sitting with: the plateau is often not a biological fact. It is frequently the consequence of underlying conditions that haven’t been identified, and dormant tissue that hasn’t been activated. “The brain is incredibly plastic,” Dr. Hedaya says. “When you challenge it and give it everything it needs, nutrients, light, hormones, and remove the toxins, great things can happen. There is hope. There is so much hope.” His practice, the Whole Psychiatry and Brain Recovery Center, offers initial consultations via Zoom for those who cannot travel to New Jersey. For survivors with a local physician willing to collaborate, educational consultation is also available. Reach Dr. Hedaya at wholepsychiatry.com. If this episode opened something up for you, Bill’s book – The Unexpected Way That A Stroke Became The Best Thing That Happened follows the full arc of what recovery can become when you stop accepting the ceiling and start questioning it. Find it at recoveryafterstroke.com/book. If the Recovery After Stroke podcast has supported your journey, you can support the show at patreon.com/recoveryafterstroke. This blog is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please consult your doctor before making any changes to your health or recovery plan. The Laser That Restarts Brains – Dr. Robert Hedaya on Photobiomodulation, QEEG, and Whole Psychiatry After Stroke A laser pointed at the right spot in your brain can restart neurons that stopped working. Dr. Robert Hedaya explains how and who it can help. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy – Dr. Amir Hadanny Highlights: 00:00 Introduction – Photobiomodulation Stroke Recovery 01:09 Dr. Hedaya’s Medical Journey 07:55 Transition to Functional Medicine 10:31 Photobiomodulation Stroke Recovery Applications 19:21 Understanding Laser Mechanisms 24:36 Jumpstarting Healing with Laser Therapy 29:48 Understanding EEG vs. QEEG 34:10 Addressing Depression Post-Stroke 39:38 Holistic Approaches to Recovery 46:20 Patient-Centered Care and Follow-Up 51:38 The Role of Spirituality in Healing Transcript: Introduction – Photobiomodulation Stroke Recovery Dr Bob Hedaya (00:00) After the first laser treatment, the problem was gone. Gone. She told me, she said, my God, I can remember the face of the person I worked with this morning and his wife and the dimple on the face. And I said, what are you talking about? She says, have prosopagnosia. I said, says, can’t remember faces. I have to write down everything that I do and take pictures of everything and every person. I said, my God, it’s gone, gone. that’s when I went home that night and I was like, this doesn’t make any sense. How could this be? There’s nothing about a neurological condition being turned around in one minute. It makes no sense. Dr. Hedaya’s Medical Journey Bill Gasiamis (00:41) Welcome everyone to the Recovery After Stroke podcast. I’m Bill Gasiamis and my guest today is Dr. Robert Hedaya, a board-certified psychiatrist, functional medicine practitioner, and the founder of the Hull Psychiatry and Brain Recovery Center in New Jersey. Dr. Hedaya trained at Georgetown and the National Institute of Mental Health. And over the course of his career, he moved from conventional psychopharmacology into functional medicine after discovering of what was driving his patient’s symptoms had nothing to do with their medications and everything to do with their biology. In more recent years, Dr. Hedaya has added a tool that very few practitioners anywhere in the world are using, QEEG, guided transcranial photobiomodulation. That’s laser therapy, precisely using a functional brain map to reactivate neurons that survived the stroke but stopped working. In this conversation, we get into the science behind photobiomodulation and what it actually does inside the cell. How QEEG brain mapping removes the guesswork from treatment, why post-stroke depression is so often mismanaged, the role of nutrition, hormones, and toxin load in recovery. and why Dr. Hedaya believes the plateau most survivors are told about is not the biological sealing they’ve been led to believe it is. Now, before we get into this episode, if you found this podcast helpful in your recovery, my book, The Unexpected Way That a Stroke Became the Best Thing That Happened goes deeper into the tools and mindset shifts that support long-term recovery and personal transformation. You can find it at recoveryafterstroke.com/book. And if this show has supported you, you can support it at patreon.com/recoveryafterstroke. Now let’s get into it. Bill Gasiamis (02:38) Dr. Hedaya. Welcome to the podcast. Dr Bob Hedaya (02:41) Thank you. Pleasure to be here. Bill Gasiamis (02:43) It is a very good pleasure to have you here as well. The reason being is because I, what we’re going to discuss, but B the way that you came to be on my podcast was through somebody who listens to my podcast, reaching out and saying, need to have this gentleman on your podcast. And I get that a lot. And sometimes it’s like, thank you for the referral, but maybe that’s not for me, but this is definitely for me. Can you give me a little bit of. Dr Bob Hedaya (03:01) Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Bill Gasiamis (03:13) background for people who are listening to understand how it is that you and I came to be on the podcast today, but more importantly, like your medical journey to today. Dr Bob Hedaya (03:26) Well, so first of all, I ⁓ was treating a woman who was, let’s say, about 50 years old. She had several strokes. And her husband looked me up, and they came here for treatment. in New Jersey. And ⁓ she had significant improvement in her ability to speak over a short period of time. That’s a little. kind of summary of the situation, but it was ⁓ profound. She still has work to do, a lot of work to do, but she’s doing it and she’s progressing nicely. So that’s, he basically, I guess, decided this needs to get out. And so he contacted you, et cetera, et cetera. In terms of my journey, ⁓ that could take a few hours. So let me try and summarize it. I will say I basically went to medical school, took off six months to study medicine on my own after two years because I really, lot of reasons, but one of them was I just was memorizing things and I didn’t really understand what I was doing. And so I took off six months and I really learned about the human body. I studied, I had a schedule, a very fixed schedule, about 10 hours a day of studying and exercise and eat. was very, you know, I was young and regimented. And I had six books, six subjects that I wanted to get through and I did. And I learned all about the body and different parts of the body, how they interact with each other. And also I was able to understand and predict even certain kinds of processes and problems in the body. So that was an integrative experience, which ⁓ later really served as the foundation for what I do. Fast forward, I was going to be a surgeon, decided to be a psychiatrist instead, because I was fascinated by by the human mind. And what happened was I was trained at Georgetown National Institute of Mental Health in Washington, DC. And then I was in practice for about a year. And I was treating a woman who had panic attacks. And they weren’t getting better after a year. And panic attacks are pretty easy to treat. And so I was like, what’s going on here? She paged me one night after a year, Saturday night. And I remember I had a little beeper, you know, and I went to find a phone booth and, hey, Joanne, what’s going on? It’s midnight, right? She’s talking to me, I’m having a panic attack. And I mean, I still remember the anguish in her voice. You know, it was really, really, really rough to listen to. So Monday morning, I went into the office very early and I’m like, I’m missing something. What am I missing? So I found I had one piece of blood work. had a blood count and the size of her red blood cells was large. and I had seen that and didn’t know what it meant and ignored it. Very little. It wasn’t very large. It was just a little bit out of the norm. And I was trained in hospitals. know, in hospitals, you don’t worry about the little things. You worry about the train wrecks, right? So you never really learn what the little things mean. So here was a so-called little thing and it was ruining her life. Meanwhile, I did some research. It was a B12 deficiency. I gave her B12 injection. And with the first injection, her panic was gone. Transition to Functional Medicine I mean, gone, gone, gone. And I was like, whoa, what else am I missing? Because psychiatry, neuropsychiatry, it’s a revolving door. You go to this doctor, you take these meds, you do this therapy. That works for a while, then you go somewhere else. I figured I’m missing a lot of stuff. And basically, ended up learning. I didn’t know it was called functional medicine, but I ended up learning functional medicine on my own. Wrote a book, got introduced. to Jeff Bland at IFM. contacted me and took formal training and then, you know, that was what I was doing. And I did that, ⁓ put out a second book ⁓ and that was a best seller. And ⁓ the book was called the Anti-Depressant Survival Program. But really it was functional medicine psychiatry or whole psychiatry, which I like to call it. But it’s functional medicine psychiatry, but the publisher wanted… you know, a nice fancy title that would, know, so they decided to call it the Anti-Depressant Program, you know, survival program. Anyway, the best seller and we had thousands of phone calls, we had a lot of publicity and I couldn’t obviously see everybody. So I picked people who had treatment resistant depression and people who had the resources and the motivation or the support to be able to do what they needed to do. And I just treated them with functional medicine. And at this time, you’ve got to realize I was a psychopharmacologist. I was also trained as a psychopharmacologist. So I was doing a lot of psychopharmacology. I mean, a lot. And now I’m doing functional medicine on everybody. And after about three years, I’m noticing that I’m not actually doing that much psychopharmacology anymore. And everybody’s getting better. And the diabetes is going away. and osteoporosis is going away and one woman’s MS lesion in her brain went away and I’m like, what’s going on here? You know what? I might be lying to myself. So maybe I’m paying attention to the positive cases and I’m ignoring the negative. So I hired a statistician to go over all my cases over the course of this period of time, it two or three years. Ended up in 23 cases of treatment resistant depression. ⁓ I wasn’t lying to myself. Every single person went into recovery, not partial remission, not 50 % better, fully recovered by 10 months, every single one. And I was just blown away that, you know, I mean, I was blown away before, but then it was like, well, you’re not really lying to yourself. So that’s what I was doing until 2014 when I retired. I had actually an inaccurate diagnosis. I retired and… turned out it was incorrect. So it was actually really good to be retired, although I missed it terribly, really missed medicine terribly. But it gave me some time. And this is where this kind of starts to relate more to your audience. ⁓ I’m sitting on a hammock for six hours reading a book. Well, you can’t do that when you’re in practice. Bill Gasiamis (10:07) Good thing to do. Yeah. Photobiomodulation Stroke Recovery Applications Dr Bob Hedaya (10:13) That doesn’t happen. So but I was you know in retirement, so I’m reading this book and put two and two together over the course of time and I learned about laser which which they were using in Russia in 1980s and learned how the laser worked and And I was like whoa this could really help the brain and Then I was thinking now. I’m not in practice right, but I’m then I’m thinking but how would I know where to? point the laser in the brain for a patient. And then I keep reading in the book, and then they start talking about in the next chapter about quantitative EEG. And I’m like, oh, that’s how I would know. So I spent the next three years or so actually studying these methodologies. And then in 2017, I want to say, or 2018, I treated my first patient who had early dementia. published this case actually. I was treating her for early dementia. And I had treated her for six months with functional medicine, know, hormones and treating infections, et cetera, et cetera. And she really was much better. And then I was ready to do my first quantitative EEG. And she’s doing much better. She still has some symptoms. And I do the QEG. And actually, if I could share my I don’t know if I can, Okay, so basically what I just sent you is ⁓ how her brain looked after six months of functional medicine, right? So I was shocked because I thought her brain would look much better. And then I said, okay, let’s do the laser. So I knew where to point it because the QEG and this was the shocker. With the first laser, she had a problem. before the laser treatment of facial blindness. I don’t know if you know what that is. It’s people who can’t remember faces. They just met someone, they can’t remember the face. It’s called prosopagnosia. She had acquired it seven years earlier. Bill Gasiamis (12:11) I do. Yeah. Dr Bob Hedaya (12:21) After the first laser treatment, the problem was gone. Gone. She told me, she said, my God, I can remember the face of the person I worked with this morning and his wife and the dimple on the face. And I said, what are you talking about? She says, have prosopagnosia. I said, what? What is proto-diagnosia? I don’t know what that is. She says, can’t remember faces. I have to write down everything that I do and take pictures of everything and every person. I said, my God, it’s gone, gone. that’s when I went home that night and I was like, this doesn’t make any sense. How could this be? There’s nothing about a neurological condition being turned around in one minute. It makes no sense. But then I realized, I reasoned it out, realized, well, she had a population of neurons that were kind of alive, but they were not really functioning. And then I kind of jump started them with the laser and they went about their business and did their job. Bill Gasiamis (13:19) I love it. So, that’s a contrast on what you’re doing as in psychiatry, because psychiatry from, you know, my understanding is, you know, if you, if you speak to somebody who’s been through psychiatry and you ask them, how’s your condition or how is your situation or what has improved, very few people can say, ⁓ well, I’m, I’m better. I’ve overcome it. We’ve moved beyond the resolve that Dr Bob Hedaya (13:27) Yeah. Bill Gasiamis (13:47) Nobody really does that. They kind of just continue to go through the motions of another appointment, another medication, another adjustment in the amount of medication, et cetera. And what you said also seems a little bit ridiculous and kind of too quick. How do you get that kind of a solution that’s meant to take ages? You’re supposed to go through the typical times and it’s supposed to be costly and Dr Bob Hedaya (14:06) Too quick. Bill Gasiamis (14:16) unattainable and all these things. And it makes people feel sometimes I know stroke survivors who come across promises like that from other ⁓ people who talk about ⁓ perhaps ⁓ non-studied, ⁓ no scientific background kind of solutions to stroke and then kind of give everyone a blanket. If we do this, we’ll fix your stroke deficits, which is not true. ⁓ And then And then it leaves people feeling like they got ripped off. If they paid money, it leaves people lost for hope that there is no hope, cetera. And we kind of find ourselves in a, okay, desperate, what do we do now situation, right? And that’s kind of why I got excited when your patient’s husband reached out and said that we should chat. And I had a bit of a look into the kind of work that you do. ⁓ Functional medicine, I’ve heard about heaps. Dr Bob Hedaya (15:00) Hmm. Bill Gasiamis (15:14) And I love that it’s merged with psychiatry because when I started my journey in 2012, overcoming the first brain bladed and the second brain blade six weeks later, I went into functional medicine study to find out not formally, but I started doing what I didn’t know at the time was studying functional medicine and understanding like how I can decrease the inflammation in my brain. and provide the right environment for healing. And the first thing I came across was a book by somebody that you’re gonna know, Mark Hyman. And the book was, ⁓ the book was, ⁓ Eight Fat Get Thin. I read it, not wanting to get thin, I read it ⁓ because it ticked the boxes for the diet that I was gonna use to reduce inflammation in my brain. Dr Bob Hedaya (15:54) Okay. Bill Gasiamis (16:12) And the side effect was I thin. I wasn’t going for that because I was taking medication. was taking ⁓ dexamethasone, which made me put on weight and made these like all these types of ⁓ terrible side effects, but it was helping reduce the inflammation in my brain. So I, I was happy to have it, but I needed to achieve the same outcome as dexamethasone. Dr Bob Hedaya (16:13) I’m kidding. Bill Gasiamis (16:41) or a similar outcome as dexamethasone on a permanent basis without taking dexamethasone to improve the situation in my brain. And then I started to realize that I had a lot of power and I was ⁓ only not guided properly because my physicians, my doctors weren’t able to offer advice in that space. And had I not been the curious kind of guy that I was, I never would have come across Dr. Hyman and some other amazing guys who wrote books at around about that time that were similar in nature. so you’re, and then, and then a little while later, I found there was a Tasmanian, ⁓ psychiatrist, forget her name, but I have her book on my shelf upstairs who wrote a book about, ⁓ psychiatry and food and, the link between food and a good psychiatric outcome. Dr Bob Hedaya (17:15) huh. Bill Gasiamis (17:39) in the brain. And I just thought, okay, there’s much, much more that needs to happen here. Now, this the connections, there’s a lot of connections here. So recently on my YouTube channel, somebody left a comment I wanted to know about red light therapy, and will it help their brain? And I’m like, I have no idea. But let me do some research. I went on to PubMed, I found some articles and wouldn’t you believe it, there is a whole bunch of ⁓ proper data that Dr Bob Hedaya (17:40) You know what? Come on. Bill Gasiamis (18:08) suggests that there is a benefit. The only challenge that I always have with all of these potentially beneficial interventions is there’s no diagnosis done in the first place to determine whether somebody actually is eligible for a particular intervention. And what it sounds like you’re able to do is the diagnostics part and determine their eligibility. Tell me a little bit about why that is important. Dr Bob Hedaya (18:35) Right. Okay, so let me back, I wanna back up, because you said something very important, then I wanna reiterate it. I just gave you before a case of a woman who in five minutes, her problem was gone, right? Not, people should not think that’s the norm, okay? Not the norm. Occasionally it happens, I have a guy who had a head injury and had light sensitivity and confusion in certain situations with light, and one treatment, boom, gone. Understanding Laser Mechanisms People, you know, I have cases like that, but most of the time this is a gradual process. So people should not think it’s a cure-all for everybody. We do have to know who it’s good for. So what we do diagnostically before we do this is I will look at their brain, you know, obviously take some history and all of that business, but we do a quantitative neuroquant MRI. So we look at the different structures inside the brain. You know, we look at… Bill Gasiamis (19:32) Lovely. Dr Bob Hedaya (19:32) 30, 40 different structures. And then we also do a quantitative EEG, which is an electroencephalogram. We measure the electricity in the brain in 19 different places. And then there’s this really AI that takes all this data and it reverse engineers it. It’s called the inverse solution. And you can actually see the pathways, all of the pathways in the brain and the surface areas of the brain. And you can look at that, correlate that with the person’s symptoms. with the neuroquant MRI, it’s like a GPS, right? A triangulation of information and then assuming there’s not a mass or an aneurysm or some reason not to do the laser like an overactive brain or something like that, then we could consider using the laser. And then we also know where we want to do it based on the symptoms, based on the QEG, based on the neuroquant. We will decide what we’re going to target. And then we combine that, sometimes, not always. Bill Gasiamis (20:05) Hmm. Dr Bob Hedaya (20:31) with neurofeedback so we can exercise the areas that we want to exercise or calm down the areas that we want to calm down. And sometimes with hyperbaric oxygen, things like that. And hormones, using hormones or things like that. Bill Gasiamis (20:42) Yep. Hyperbaric oxygen has been a topic that I’ve discussed as well on the podcast and the people that I spoke to about hyperbaric oxygen and guys, I can’t remember right now, but I’ll put a link in the show notes for anyone listening so that you can go and find that episode and have a listen to it. Basically, what I loved about their approach was that they did a massive amount of diagnosis beforehand to determine where the penumbras were and then target those penumbras while the person was in the chamber. by getting them to do certain exercises that would activate those areas and therefore be targeted. So it sounds like the laser therapy is similar. Tell me about the laser. What kind of a laser is it? How does it get targeted to a specific spot? And what does it do when it goes there? I mean, I imagine it just doesn’t point there and go, I’ll illuminate that and it’ll be better. How does it actually work? Dr Bob Hedaya (21:18) Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Okay, so the laser, there are a bunch of different parameters that we have to adjust for each person. So it’s the frequency, how fast is the wavelength? What’s the wavelength? How many times per second is it pulsed? 10 times per second, 40 times per second, 50 times per second. Is it a 8, 10 nanometer wavelength or is it a 1064 wavelength? How many joules are we delivering? you know, where are we delivering it? So there are lots and lots of parameters to adjust, right? ⁓ What does it do? So simple, the first thing that it does, it does many, many things, right? But the very, very first thing it does is it actually releases ATP, the energy molecule, from your mitochondria. So it basically, the photon goes to the fourth channel, the fourth complex in the mitochondria, bumps off the nitric oxide, and that opens the flow of ATP. Well, if your brain, if your neurons have energy, they say, ⁓ energy, ⁓ well, we know what to do with energy. Let’s fix the puddles. Let’s build the roads. Let’s make the connections. Let’s do whatever we got to do. So now you’re getting energy flow. You also get synaptogenesis. You build new synapses. You get production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Bill Gasiamis (23:01) Wow. Dr Bob Hedaya (23:05) You get reduction of inflammation, get reduction of tau proteins and misfolded proteins. ⁓ You get, subjectively, get cognitive enhancement. aphasia, you know, people can start to speak. I mean, I can tell you one story. We used to shave people before doing the laser because I wanted to… Remember, you got a skull, you got the skin, you got all this stuff, right? How are you going to get the light into the brain, right? So we know that only about Bill Gasiamis (23:31) Mmm. Dr Bob Hedaya (23:35) 2.6 % of the light goes through the skull and the meninges and all the layers, right? So we used to shave people because I want to get the hair out of the way, right? At least get rid of some of it. So I had this woman who came to me, this is probably seven years ago, I guess. And at that time, I would not use the laser until I had done functional medicine on the patient. Because I figured, you know, let’s get the terrain straight. the nutrients, the hormones, get rid of the infections, get rid of the toxins, then we’ll apply the sunlight to the brain, to the plant, right? That was my logic. I thought that made perfect sense. So this woman came to me. She was 70 years old, obese. The husband wanted me to give her the laser. She wouldn’t change her diet, not an iota. High blood pressure, obesity. She could not speak. She would not take a medicine. She would not… Bill Gasiamis (24:04) Mm-hmm. Mm. Jumpstarting Healing with Laser Therapy Dr Bob Hedaya (24:33) Like, you name it, non-compliant all the way. Maybe you could say a word or two, that was it. Her husband begged me. I said, listen, it’s a waste, okay? It’s just a waste. I can’t ask her to shave her head. It’s not gonna work. I’m not doing it. He did not stop. So finally, I said, okay, fine, I’ll do it. So I was in my office and I’m making the laser plan. And I’m just writing, and something pops out of my mouth, God, I need a miracle. So I go into the laser room, and I start doing the laser. She starts talking. I have tears. He has tears. She starts talking. So by the end of like 20 sessions, I’m sitting with her having a 45-minute therapy session, because it turns out she was really severely abused when she was young. ⁓ She’s having a whole conversation with me. Turns out she’s psychotic also now. She’s also a psychotic and we didn’t know. So she needs to take some medicine for the psychosis because in the middle of the night, she’s going around with a baseball bat and she wants to like do, and she wouldn’t take medicines, I had to stop the laser. But that was an amazing thing because that was one, but with aphasia, typically it’s more gradual, much more gradual. But I have had a couple of patients where, and a woman came from Chicago and she just started talking also. So everyone’s different. You can’t necessarily come into this expecting that kind of thing is wonderful when it happens, but you Bill Gasiamis (26:14) Yeah. I love the fact that you can intervene with a laser, but also people can intervene with all the things that you said that that patient wasn’t doing beforehand. And that you that’s the top of the hierarchy of how you approach healing the brain is you do all those things. And then you supplement with ⁓ with a therapy like laser or whatever. And you kind of combine that and you make Dr Bob Hedaya (26:25) Yeah, yeah, you got it. Bill Gasiamis (26:42) like the, you make a soup of amazing things that all come together at the same time to support you together. And laser is just one of those things, but all the hierarchy like is so important because Dr Bob Hedaya (26:48) Yeah. It’s all important, all important. But I will tell you this. I have come to the point now where I believe that like people come to me and they don’t want to do anything and I’m like, okay, because I can jumpstart you, assuming you’re a good candidate. I can jumpstart you with the laser. I could just jumpstart you and then once I’ve jumpstarted you, say, ⁓ yeah, okay, I’ll do this. ⁓ okay, I’ll do a little of this. I’ll do a little. Because I’m bypassing everything and I’m giving you energy. Right? And so if you have energy, then, you know, there’s a lot that you can do that you couldn’t do before. So I kind of switched my model, really, only because of the accident of this guy who insisted I give his wife the laser, you know. Bill Gasiamis (27:30) Yeah. That’s not a way to go. mean, ⁓ there isn’t one way to solve a problem. there’s probably many iterations of, know, like how you can put that particular, like intervention together for a person that could specify for that individual, we’re going to go down this approach for you. You were going to go down this approach to get you going. Since you have all these, ⁓ challenges and energy is difficult. Maybe we’ll go directly with the laser and then Dr Bob Hedaya (27:46) Bye. Mm-hmm. Bill Gasiamis (28:09) We give you the skills, the energy, Dr Bob Hedaya (28:09) That’s right. That’s right. Bill Gasiamis (28:12) the training, the coaching, the support to implement the rest of the stuff that you need to implement to continue providing the right ⁓ space for your brain to heal in ongoing so you’re not just relying on laser. Dr Bob Hedaya (28:14) Yeah. ⁓ Yeah, yeah Yeah, if someone comes to me post stroke for example and the laser is appropriate I’m not gonna say well, we’ll get around to laser in six months. I’m not gonna do that They need relief they need help if it can help them Let’s do that. Let’s jump on that and you know, and then is the other stuff we need to do will do it And there’s usually stuff to do ⁓ But I want to get the healing remember the laser is healing It’s clearing out proteins, reducing inflammation, increasing blood flow, synaptogenesis, doing all these good things over the course of time. So you really want to get that process going, I feel, as soon as you can. then, okay, now you can work on the diet that’s going to take some time, check the hormones, make sure there’s no infections, toxic element, you know, all that functional medicine stuff. Maybe you need some medication for depression, you know, it’s having a… a phaser or a stroke or a head injury or some of things like this, they turn your life upside down better than I know. It’s ⁓ incomprehensible, really. Bill Gasiamis (29:26) Yeah, really. Yeah, really challenging. With a laser, how much laser for how long, how often? Understanding EEG vs. QEEG Dr Bob Hedaya (29:37) Great question. So let me say a couple of things. First of all, we have laser and then we have the LED helmets, right? You’ve read about and read the helmets, right? So there are a lot of studies on the helmets. There’s a question of whether they’re really having a direct effect because for a few reasons. Number one, it’s LED, it’s not a laser. Number two, the voltage is so low, if you’re only getting 2.6 % through and it’s so low to begin with, what do you think you’re actually delivering into the tissue? know, it’s hard to imagine that you’re delivering much. there, know, Henderson, I think, wrote an article where he showed there’s no penetration into the brain. But the studies do show cognitive benefit. So it could be an indirect effect or, you know, all the studies are done by the companies that make the… the helmet, there could be some bias. I don’t know the answer there. The laser ⁓ itself is more potent, so we’re doing, say, 30 watts. So the equivalent of a 30-watt light bulb, right? They might be doing half a watt, a very, very, very dim light bulb. We’re doing 30 watts. Now, we’re targeting the area or areas that we want to hit. Now, it goes through 2.6. Bill Gasiamis (30:34) devices. Dr Bob Hedaya (31:03) 5 % of it goes through. And then of course it’s going to be diffused, right? And it’s going to hit the surface tissues more. 1064 will penetrate deeper into the brain, but you don’t really have to go that deep because there’s downstream effects that happen, right? So we really, and then we adjust the parameters depending on how someone does. for example, you know, I had a woman who I was treating And actually it was the patient who her husband contacted you. I was treating her with a certain amount of energy and then after about five sessions I went up, I doubled the energy and boom, she had a response. But we have no way of knowing that’s what she needed. It’s all a calculation. But she, you know… Bill Gasiamis (31:39) Yes. Dr Bob Hedaya (32:00) Whatever it is, the thickness of the skull or the membranes or whatever it is, that’s what you needed and that’s what worked. Bill Gasiamis (32:06) Yeah. Tell me about ⁓ QEEG. So let’s dive deeper into it a little bit because we kind of glossed over it. I think it’s important to discuss how it’s different from EEG, ⁓ what EEG is and then what the Q adds to EEG. Dr Bob Hedaya (32:24) OK, so the EEG, imagine somebody, you put a cap on, and it has all these electrical wires that are measuring the electricity that comes, that’s on your scalp. It’s coming from your brain, but it’s measured at the scalp. And each one is measuring the energy from that spot, comparing it to other spots. And then you might, your viewers might remember. all those squiggly lines, you’ll see like 19 or 20 squiggly lines and you’re like, what is this spaghetti? I don’t know what this is. And I mean, even in medical school, we looked at it and our eyes would glaze over because who knows what it is. So the neurologists look at it and they’ll scroll through it and look for certain patterns to see is there a seizure or is there area of damage where there’s a lot of slowing like the frequency of the electricity slows down if there’s tissue damage, right? And they look visually to see what they can find. But we know with AI, you can get the patterns that you can determine. There’s no way the human mind, the human eye, a trained eye, I don’t care how long you’ve been looking at EEGs, there’s no way you can extract this data that we now extract. So the quantitative is actually looking at the quantity of this, what’s going on here versus the quantity of electricity that’s here versus what’s here versus what’s here. And then all of that is calculated and they say, ⁓ well, if this is high and this is here and this is low here and this is this, well, that means they’re coming from this deeper place here and that’s under functioning. And, you know, that’s done over thousands, thousands of points in a very short order, very short order. It’s amazing. I can’t imagine practicing without this. So now I can look at the thalamus. I can look at the putamen. Addressing Depression Post-Stroke Bill Gasiamis (34:07) Mm-hmm. Dr Bob Hedaya (34:17) In my office, I can do these tests in my office. If a patient is my patient, I can send the QEG to their home and do it in their home. And I get this imagery that’s immensely better than a spec scan. It’s not an MRI, an MRI structure. This is function. Okay, this is function. It tells us how different parts are functioning. Bill Gasiamis (34:40) What’s lighting up? What’s not lighting up? What could be lighting up better? What’s not going to light up anymore? Dr Bob Hedaya (34:45) What’s the information flow? How is the flow going from here to here? How about this network? Is this network working? Is this network overworking? Is it underworking? How about the neuron populations that are firing when I’m relaxed? How are they doing? How about the ones when I’m thinking? How about the ones when I’m thinking fast? How about the populations when I’m emotional? We can look at all those populations and see what’s going on with those populations. And then we can actually target them. train them, et cetera. And then we have that data that we treat, and then we measure and see is it getting better? Do we need to change the protocol? It’s not helping, it is helping, et cetera. Bill Gasiamis (35:29) Yeah. with stroke, so many things come from stroke that people are not equipped to handle. You know, firstly, all of the, ⁓ the parts relating to, ⁓ simply the person discovering them, they’re, they’re immortal after all, you know, you become a mere mortal immediately and you kind of work out the most terrible thing that could have happened to me happened. My brain is injured and all these things go away. Right. And then. Unfortunately, like I think it’s 30 % the studies of people who experienced stroke will then also experience depression. Like as if recovering from stroke isn’t enough and all the deficits that you also have to recover from depression. What’s it like? How can that be supported with this particular method, this approach that we’re discussing here today? Dr Bob Hedaya (36:28) So ⁓ kind of separate from stroke, ⁓ treat treatment resistant depression with laser all the time. With stroke, we use the laser, but you have to watch the QEG to make sure you’re not getting overstimulation, number one. Number two, I learned this with the patient that referred me to you, ⁓ that after, put us in touch, there was actually a central Bill Gasiamis (36:44) huh. for us in touch. Dr Bob Hedaya (36:58) hypothyroidism, meaning the low thyroid function, right? And we had to treat that, but the problem was as we treated that, there was a supersensitivity and because the tissues after stroke are more vulnerable to seizures, the patient actually had a seizure. She was actually having seizures we didn’t know, mild seizures. And then when we treated the thyroid, then we actually ended up having seizures. now we have to support, you need thyroid function to be good in order to not be depressed, right? If you have low thyroid, you’re much more likely to be depressed in the face of a stroke or other stresses. So we were kind of a little bit of a bind there because we went and treated, but it’s too sensitive. So anyway, we’re actually threading that needle nicely and we’re moving slowly and carefully and keeping, there’s no seizure activity now. But you have to treat the depression because of the depression itself. Bill Gasiamis (37:29) Yep. Dr Bob Hedaya (37:55) is a big problem because you know to recover from stroke, man, you gotta work hard. You gotta keep a good attitude. gotta have your eye on the ball. There’s no room for like… I’m going to give up. There’s no room for that. I mean, of course you feel it and I mean, it’s all natural feelings, but you have to really be determined and that’s essential. so with depression that is ⁓ really can get in the way. So we treat it. The laser can treat it. Sometimes pharmacology, sometimes therapy, sometimes yoga, know, hyperbaric, all these things that we do with the nutrition, making sure the hormones are right. All these things work together, you know. Bill Gasiamis (38:14) Yeah. I love all of those things that you mentioned. And then all of a sudden you just throw in yoga. mean, it just, it’s so counterintuitive, isn’t it? When you have a conversation about all these acronyms and all these tests and lasers and all that kind of stuff, and then you just throw in yoga casually like that. It’s, and we underplay it, but it’s such a massive thing in the picture of what creates the environment for a good recovery, but also I love that you mentioned the thyroid in that conversation as well about depression and what can also be a trigger to depression and people may have depression, never check their thyroid and not know that it’s a thing. Now I’ve had thyroid surgery, have ⁓ half of my thyroid removed because I had a massive ⁓ goiter on one side and that was such a difficult thing to discover and have to go through 16 months after brain surgery. but they only discovered it after my brain surgery when they did a chest x-ray, because I wasn’t recovering properly and they found that I had this goitre which would have been there for a long, long time impacting my health and all sorts of things. And I make that point because often people who have had a stroke and can’t speak, for example, have aphasia, ⁓ or their arm doesn’t work or the leg doesn’t work properly, will say, I just wanna fix this thing. If I could speak, Dr Bob Hedaya (39:40) No. Holistic Approaches to Recovery Bill Gasiamis (40:09) everything’s better, but they’ve never looked at the other things that may be contributing to keeping the speech at a level which is not good enough for them, for example, to be comfortable with. And it’s like this one track mind, I’ll just get my speech back, I’ll get my speech back, you what do I need to do? Or make it go, get back for me. There’s often no looking into the other things that might be causing depression, for example. Dr Bob Hedaya (40:31) Thank you. Bill Gasiamis (40:38) After stroke, know for a fact that the gut gets impacted ⁓ very dramatically from a stroke and the gut is highly linked to ⁓ mood and how you feel. And nutrition is what supports the gut to feel better and taking out things from the diet that are ⁓ making the gut sluggish and not work appropriately will ⁓ improve your mood and how you feel. It’ll make a difference and Dr Bob Hedaya (40:59) Okay. Yeah. Bill Gasiamis (41:08) and it’ll add to one of those little tools that supports depression and makes depression less impactful and you have less swings, et cetera. And that’s kind of the point that you’re making is that you don’t just turn up and do psychiatry. We’re gonna do psychiatry, treat you pharmacologically and then send you on your way and then see you in six, 12, eight months again or whatever and then just repeat the process again. It’s a whole, know, holistic is the word that you hear, but it is a broader conversation that people need to be having. And that sounds like what you guys do. It sounds like the conversation doesn’t encompass, it encompasses everything. It doesn’t just focus on one intervention. Dr Bob Hedaya (41:56) That’s why I call it whole psychiatry. But it really should be whole neuropsychiatry or whole brain or, you know, but it’s whole body, whatever you want to call it. It’s really more than the body because obviously the social connections play a big role as well, you know. So yeah, everything you’re saying is 100 % true and it’s all real. Everything you’re saying is real. Everything you do. mean, simple things going back to the B12. You you need B12 to… Bill Gasiamis (41:58) Yeah. Dr Bob Hedaya (42:26) remyelinate your neurons. need to keep the mercury, by the way, got to keep the mercury levels low. know, the mercury, if you’re eating tuna fish or swordfish and you have high mercury levels, know, the mercury will actually prevent you from making new branches. The mercury actually will bind on tubulin, which is like a brick that you need to build new roads. And it will prevent the tubulin from building new roads in your brain. So here you are working hard trying to… Bill Gasiamis (42:28) Mmm. Dr Bob Hedaya (42:54) do things and you’re a can of ⁓ whatever tuna fish with loads of mercury two, three, four times a week. Well, that’s not working, you know. So that’s why you really want to look at the whole thing. It’s a lot. It’s really a lot. You know, it’s a big program, but you you take, take steps. Everybody has different needs or not everybody has to do everything. Bill Gasiamis (43:04) Yeah. Yeah. Not everybody needs to do everything to achieve significant results, but it’d be amazing to be able to find the things and target those, the ones that you’re to get the most bang for buck on. So you’re to putting time and effort into things that are not getting results. For example, an led hat from, uh, Amazon for $9 that you put on your head. And it’s basically just a red light hat. It’s not really doing the thing, right? Dr Bob Hedaya (43:32) Hmm. Ha ha ha. Bill Gasiamis (43:49) And that’s kind of why I started to have that conversation and do a little bit of research in what they, know, what’s medically known as or scientifically known as photo bio modulation, you know, the idea is great, but then it came to me from somebody who I imagine was looking at a seven or eight or $9, $10 cap with red lights that put on the head and they Dr Bob Hedaya (44:00) Right. Bill Gasiamis (44:15) paid money for a cap and hoping for an outcome and they didn’t get an outcome and then they’re wondering why. I suggest when people are looking into those topics, is gonna go and have a look at the science, what it says about the nanometers of the type of light that you need to be experiencing, how, where, who, and always do these things with medical supervision. It really challenges me when I find out people do things like, know, methylene blue was a thing. Dr Bob Hedaya (44:44) Right. Bill Gasiamis (44:45) uh, very recently and people will just go get a bottle of Methylene blue from somewhere and just start taking it and have no idea what they’re doing and, and, and, know, what they could hope for. They could be making things worse than for themselves and actually making themselves, um, like make things a lot harder for themselves. So, uh, my point is this all needs to be done under medical supervision. Typically when you, somebody reaches out to you, how do you begin the conversation and then how does that person engage with you? And then what happens after they’re treated? Because often I know from my experience with all my neurologists, et cetera, very rarely do I see anybody a second time, six months, 12 months, 18 months, five years down the track. You usually go in, they patch you up, they send you home, you get back to your life and then maybe you do one MRI. Dr Bob Hedaya (45:36) Really? Bill Gasiamis (45:44) ⁓ for a few years after brain surgery just to make sure that everything’s stable. But that’s about it. Nobody follows up with you. Dr Bob Hedaya (45:52) No, it’s a whole different ball game with us. No. So what we do first is ⁓ if someone will contact us through the website, which is wholepsychiatry.com, they will actually fill out a form. And if we feel that it looks like we might be able to be helpful to them, then we will send them a welcome letter. And then they will have the opportunity to meet with our new patient coordinator at no charge. Patient-Centered Care and Follow-Up and she’ll talk with them for 15 to 30 minutes and kind of tell them what’s going on and see if they, you know, the fit is good, et cetera. And then they have an opportunity if they want to meet with me on Zoom for 15 to 30 minutes and ⁓ I’ll figure out, can I help them? Can I not help them? Is it a good fit, et cetera? And then if it looks like, you know, green light and they decide they want to move forward and it makes sense, then we’ll schedule an evaluation. The time duration of the evaluation depends on what kind of patient. It could be a couple of hours, could be four and a half hours. But usually for neurological patients, straightforward, it’s a shorter evaluation. And before the evaluation, we’ll collect the neuro-quant and the QEG and the old records, et cetera. And then I will go through all of that data plus lab data that we collect. And I will then have an idea. Okay, what’s going on here? Now there’s all these things. There’s digestion, there’s nutrition, there’s immune function, inflammation, toxins, hormones, all the hormones, structural issues, chiropractic issues, traumatic brain injury, cardiovascular issues, et cetera. We look at all of that and then to see what are the players here and spiritual, social resources, connectivity. We look at all of this. And then we have a whole picture of what’s going on. And then we can figure out, okay, how do we want to approach this? And sometimes we approach it very lightly. Say we just start with the laser, that’s it. Or sometimes somebody says, no, I want to really get in there and fix everything that’s wrong. Okay, well, we identified these five or six things that need correction. So let’s stage this in order. And that’s what we’ll do. And everyone’s different. And then we have follow-up depending on what we need in two weeks, in a month, six weeks, not usually six weeks. Once things are stable, it could be every two, three months or four months. But in the meantime, I’m in the boat rowing, paddling with them. That’s the way I do it. I treat people, really, I try to treat people just like I would want to be treated myself, like I would want my family to be treated. I do the very best. I love what I do, you know what I mean? I just love what I do and I try to do the best, highest quality. And it’s not that I’m perfect, not that I don’t make mistakes, ⁓ not that I know everything because that’s for sure that I don’t, but that’s my approach. So I try to be in the boat with the patient. As long as the patient’s paddling, I’m paddling just as hard, if not. Bill Gasiamis (49:02) Yeah, it sounds like at least if things, if you don’t make the right approach initially, there’s a whole bunch of tools and resources and things that you can kind of focus on. And one of the things you mentioned, again, you glossed over it, but I love that you do this is spiritual. Like it might be a spiritual journey that the person needs to take. And it’s so overlooked because people, you know, do have… Dr Bob Hedaya (49:22) yeah. yeah, yeah. Bill Gasiamis (49:30) existential crisis after a stroke. it’s like a spirituality helps somehow for a lot of people ease, heal that, ⁓ help people move through, you know, the weeds and come out into the opening and then kind of see the opportunities and where they need to go next. And people don’t need to engage with somebody like you to go on a spiritual journey. That might just be something they’ve ever looked and they can just go, you know what, I’m going to pick up the Bible or ⁓ I’m going to learn about this particular ⁓ spiritual journey or whatever and go through it and do whatever it is that they need to do to kind of start beginning the healing journey in their own special unique way. It’s really important that spirituality gets addressed and it’s not glossed over. And I’m not saying that you did or I did or we do, but in the back of the minds, stroke survivors may not consider that being important. The Role of Spirituality in Healing Dr Bob Hedaya (50:31) Yeah, first of all, I’m passionate about spirituality. I mean, passionate because the truth, in my opinion, is that consciousness, your level of awareness is really consciousness is the foundation, the substrate of everything that exists. The material is an outflow from consciousness. So I could talk about this forever. Not everyone is oriented this way. So, you know, I just saw a businessman, very successful businessman ⁓ last week. He doesn’t want to just, you know, get me back online. OK, I don’t want to hear this mumbo jumbo and I just can’t. I don’t want to delve into it. Just get me better. know. But other people are like, I want to find the meaning, you know, and it’s very important. to find the when I think generally for most people finding the meaning in it is critical. And I’ll say one thing, my mother, may she rest in peace, was in the emergency room, probably 25, 30 years ago, I don’t know, something was wrong, she was in the emergency room for seven, eight hours or whatever, and some guy comes by and says, ma’am, can I get you a sandwich? And she says, oh yeah, please, please get me a sandwich. He gets her a tuna fish sandwich, whatever it is, right? He leaves. She’s so grateful. She’s so grateful that she volunteers in the hospital for 20 years. Okay? This guy has no idea what he did and all the people that he helped through her, right? So you’re, you you and you’re not just you, but we, each of us in our small minds, we have no idea. the impact we have on other people. So if it’s important to a person to have a meaningful life, understand that you don’t have to be running a company. You can smile at a stranger, change their day. There are things that you can do and you have an impact. Now, that’s a small consolation when you’re dealing with a stroke, obviously, but that’s when you kind of want to work to a meaningful ⁓ attitude and a good attitude. So yes, the spirituality is… many people very important. Bill Gasiamis (52:54) David who brought us together ⁓ wanted me to meet you so I could interview you. that part of the role that he played in what happened to his wife ended becoming something that helped other people. Isn’t it interesting? The whole journey started on. Dr Bob Hedaya (53:15) Exactly. Bill Gasiamis (53:20) He contacted me because he wanted to make something good come of what happened to his wife, which I’m sure his wife was also interested in. And he said, you need to get Dr. Hedaya on because we need to share more information, make this stuff aware. so, and I’m like, well, that’s perfect. Of course I do. Whoever comes to me with that kind of information because they want to help other stroke survivors because he’s hoping that other caregivers that are in his shoes have a better outcome. They have more support. They have more information. They have more tools. Dr Bob Hedaya (53:27) Mm-hmm. Bill Gasiamis (53:50) That’s the spiritual journey. You don’t have to call it ⁓ Christianity, Judaism. You don’t have to call it something. You don’t have to label it, but that is what spirituality looks like in practice. Dr Bob Hedaya (53:56) Right. Right. That’s exactly it. That’s exactly it. And it gives me chills because, you know, I know his wife is suffering, you know, and ⁓ but she’s making really great headway, but it’s hard, you know. But look at look that he’s reaching out and he cares enough about other people and to and make her journey and what she’s gone through and what she’s learned be useful to other people. That’s it. That’s just beautiful. I mean, that that speaks volumes about him and her. Bill Gasiamis (54:32) It does absolutely and her and your work because your work is not unique. You’re not the only one doing this kind of work. I think there’s only kind of a small percentage of ⁓ medical professionals in the field that are practicing in this way. And hopefully that continues to grow. ⁓ If somebody wanted to, well, somebody lots of people are listening to this today. If anyone wanted to reach out ⁓ who thinks, you know, that they might be able to ⁓ benefit from or go down this kind of approach. How should they go about that? What questions should they be asking of you, et cetera? Like how do they begin? Because this is a different conversation than I have ⁓ neurological injury, have aphasia. It needs to be positioned differently, this conversation. Dr Bob Hedaya (55:29) Tell me what you mean. I’m not really clear what you’re saying. Bill Gasiamis (55:33) If somebody wants to find a clinician who practices the way that you practice, you guys, for example, you know, you know, who thinks about the brain in a different way. What, what should they be looking for and what. Dr Bob Hedaya (55:38) Aha, I see, I see. I would say that they should go to the website for the Institute for Functional Medicine. And there’s a tab. This is find the practitioner. And make sure you look for a practitioner that is certified, fully certified. And then investigate the practitioners who are in your area and see if they experience. in this area. there are not I’m not aware of, there’s a guy somewhere in the Midwest here who’s using a laser, I believe. And then maybe other people that I don’t know about using lasers, but I’m not aware of anybody that I could say, go see this person for this quantitative EEG guided transcranial photobiomodulation. I’m not saying that that is readily available. It’s not. But the whole functional medicine thing, there are a lot of practitioners. And I think that’s the way to go there. Just do your homework. Bill Gasiamis (56:48) Yeah. Yeah. Cool. Your organization is whole psychiatry and the brain recovery center. Is that right? Okay. So the psychiatry part of it, ⁓ people might be listening and going, well, that doesn’t apply to me, the specific word specifically doesn’t need to apply to an individual to engage with you because, we’re not just dealing with the psychiatry part of somebody’s recovery. Dr Bob Hedaya (56:56) Yeah. Right. Thank you. No, no, we’re dealing, we treat psychiatric, but we treat neurological. You know, I started as a psychiatrist. was, you know, certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, but I was doing psychiatry. then, you know, just following, you know, learning and whatever, I ended up, you know, doing some neurology here. And so, but we didn’t change the name to the whole neuropsychiatry and brain recovery. Maybe we should, or maybe the whole brain recovery center or something like that. So, you we do both, no, and if, and if, I can’t be helpful, of course, I’m going to tell people this, we really don’t want to waste people’s time, energy, money, et cetera. ⁓ But it’s, it’s been, you know, I have to say an amazing journey. And I would say when you follow for me, this is me, my life, following my passion of learning about the brain and understanding the brain and Bill Gasiamis (57:45) Yeah. Dr Bob Hedaya (58:14) looking for the fundamentals of how do things work and just there’s a common sense in medicine. I looked at the laser when I was reading that book and I was like, wow, ATP in the brain, that could really help the brain. How would I
MS-Perspektive - der Multiple Sklerose Podcast mit Nele Handwerker
Wo findest du wirklich gute MS-Informationen – und wie erkennst du, was seriös ist? In diesem MS-Kamingespräch sprechen Nadja und ich darüber, wie überwältigend die Informationssuche nach der Diagnose Multiple Sklerose sein kann. Es geht um Google, Social Media, KI, Leitlinien, Patiententage und Kongresse wie den ECTRIMS. Außerdem sprechen wir darüber, warum Informationen stärken sollten, statt Angst zu machen, und wie KI sinnvoll helfen kann, Arztgespräche vorzubereiten. Das Gespräch zum Nachlesen findest du auf meinem Blog: https://ms-perspektive.de/363-infos-finden In dieser Folge geht es um: erste Reaktionen nach der MS-Diagnose warum Google und Social Media verunsichern können seriöse Quellen wie DMSG, Leitlinien und MS-Kongresse den ECTRIMS und Patiententage für Betroffene Therapieentscheidungen, Nebenwirkungen und persönliche Präferenzen KI als Hilfsmittel zur Vorbereitung auf Arztgespräche warum Informationen Orientierung geben sollen – nicht Panik Linkliste: Deutsche Multiple Sklerose Gesellschaft (DMSG) – unabhängige Informationen, Beratung und Unterstützung für Menschen mit MS und Angehörige. DGN-Leitlinie: Diagnose und Therapie der Multiplen Sklerose – medizinische Fachleitlinie zur MS-Diagnostik und -Therapie. Patienten-Leitlinie Multiple Sklerose – verständlich aufbereitetes Behandlungswissen für Betroffene. ECTRIMS – internationaler Fachkongress zu Forschung und Therapie der Multiplen Sklerose. ECTRIMS Patient Community Day – Patiententag mit aktuellen Informationen direkt von MS-Expert:innen. MS Brain Health – englischsprachige Informationen zu Gehirngesundheit und MS. PubMed – wissenschaftliche Studiendatenbank für alle, die tiefer recherchieren möchten. --- Wenn Du Fragen, Kommentare oder Anregungen hast, schreib uns gerne, dann nehmen wir das in eins der kommenden MS-Kamingespräche auf. Bis bald und mach das Beste aus Deinem Leben, Nele Mehr Informationen und positive Gedanken erhältst Du in meinem kostenlosen Newsletter. Hier findest Du eine Übersicht zu allen bisherigen Podcastfolgen.
A guy walks into a hardware store with vinegar, borax, copper mesh, a propane torch, and tweezers. If you have Morgellons, you know exactly what he's building — and exactly why he can't tell the kid in the orange vest. This episode opens with that scene, then goes somewhere most coverage of Morgellons disease refuses to go: the staged, recognizable progression of what people think they have before they arrive at Morgellons. Scabies. Worms. Springtails. Collembola. Lyme. Nanobots. Smart dust. The Oklahoma study at 2 AM on PubMed.Crystal Clear lays out why that sequence itself is data — not delusion. Diseases have stages of symptoms. Morgellons has stages of misidentification, marched through in roughly the same order by thousands of strangers across continents who've never spoken. That pattern requires an explanation. “Mass delusion” isn't one.Plus two records updates worth your attention: • A new Oklahoma Open Records Act request submitted to the State Department of Health regarding the 2000 Collembola study (Altschuler, Crutcher, et al.) — the one with the manipulated photographs. • An IRS 4506-A request for the Morgellons Research Foundation's final 990 filings (2009, 2010, 2011) came back denied with three stacked, internally inconsistent reasons — while the Pennsylvania Department of State has a complete eight-year paper trail for the same organization, including the dissolution filing. Schedule N would document where the money went on the way out. Schedule N is what's missing.You are not crazy. What you have is.Keywords / tags:Morgellons, Morgellons disease, Crystal Clear, More Morgellons podcast, Morgellons fibers, Morgellons stages, Morgellons symptoms, Collembola Oklahoma study, Morgellons Research Foundation, MRF 990, IRS 4506-A, Schedule N, nonprofit dissolution, Altschuler Crutcher, springtails Morgellons, Lyme Morgellons, nanobots smart dust, CDC Morgellons 2012, Mick West, contested illness, medical gaslighting, patient communities, investigative podcast
IN this episode, Dr's J and Santhosh explore the medical traditions of the Big Easy, including voodoo and cajun medicine. Along the way they cover the history of how voodoo is perceived versus how it is practiced, the oldest us medical board, disease gating classicism, yellow fever treatments in the 1850s, voodoo queen marie laveau, Dr Santhosh voodoo lesson, cajun traiteurs, faith healers and herbal lore, and more! SO sit back as we dig into the medical traditions of the crescent city!Further Readinghttps://egrove.olemiss.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1081&context=southernanthro_proceedings#:~:text=Those%20who%20follow%20Vodou%20believe,by%20a%20Western%20medical%20practitioner.https://roguearthistorian.substack.com/p/marie-laveau-a-life-of-healing-andHaitian vodou as a health care system: between magic, religion, and medicine - PubMed https://share.google/YN5IQaDOesyjWiHWW chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:749d8bac-63a7-4afe-9696-5cfa40dfc854/files/mce6ae3fd6cdbef1dd2b31c521deda7a2Support Us spiritually, emotionally or financially here! or on ACAST+travelmedicinepodcast.comBlueSky/Mastodon/X/Instagram: @doctorjcomedy @toshyfroTikotok: DrjtoksmedicineGmail: travelmedicinepodcast@gmail.comSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/28uQe3cYGrTLhP6X0zyEhTPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/travelmedicinepodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Near-Infrared Light Therapy After Stroke: Does the Science Hold Up? A viewer reached out recently with a question I have been getting more frequently: Does near infrared light therapy actually help the brain recover after stroke? It is a fair question — the claims circulating online range from cautiously promising to outright extraordinary. In this post, I am going to cut through the noise and look at what the peer-reviewed research actually shows. What is Near-Infrared Light Therapy? Near infrared (NIR) light therapy — also called photobiomodulation (PBM) or transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) when applied to the head — uses specific wavelengths of light (typically 630-1100 nm) to penetrate tissue and interact with cells at a biological level. This is not a tanning lamp or a heat lamp. The mechanism is specific: NIR light at the right wavelengths is absorbed by cytochrome c oxidase, a key enzyme in mitochondrial energy production. When stimulated, cytochrome c oxidase increases ATP synthesis — essentially giving cells more energy to carry out repair and function. For neurons recovering from ischaemic or haemorrhagic stroke, the theory is compelling: damaged brain cells that are energy-starved might benefit from an additional energy stimulus. The Mechanism: What the Biology Says The cytochrome c oxidase pathway is well-established in photobiology. What is less settled is whether light at therapeutic intensities can penetrate the skull deeply enough to reach relevant brain structures. Skull and scalp tissue absorb and scatter light substantially. Transcranial delivery requires sufficient power density (irradiance) at the source and long enough exposure to accumulate meaningful fluence (energy dose) at depth. Studies using ex vivo human skull specimens suggest that only 1-3% of surface irradiance reaches cortical tissue at clinically relevant depths — and deeper subcortical structures receive even less. This does not make tPBM ineffective — it means dosing is everything. And most consumer devices do not disclose their irradiance or fluence specifications, which makes comparing them to clinical trials nearly impossible. What the Research Shows Animal Studies: Encouraging Signals Several well-designed rodent studies have demonstrated that tPBM applied within hours to days of stroke onset reduces infarct volume, improves functional recovery, and modulates neuroinflammation. A 2019 study by Thunshelle et al. found tPBM reduced lesion size in ischaemic stroke models and improved neurobehavioural scores. Animal models are useful for mechanistic insights. However, rodent skulls are thinner and brain structures are more superficial than in humans — so translational accuracy is limited. Human Clinical Trials: More Complicated The human evidence is where the story becomes nuanced. The NeuroThera Effectiveness and Safety Trial (NEST-1 and NEST-2) were the most prominent early RCTs. NEST-1 (2007) reported positive outcomes for acute ischaemic stroke patients treated within 24 hours. However, NEST-2 (2009), a larger double-blind RCT with 660 patients, failed to replicate those results on its primary outcome measure. NEST-3 was halted early in 2013 after an interim analysis showed it was unlikely to meet its primary endpoint. What went wrong? Researchers identified several issues: heterogeneous stroke populations, inconsistent dosing protocols, and the fundamental challenge of transcranial light delivery in adults with varying skull thickness and tissue composition. More recent work has shifted focus. A 2023 review by Zomorrodi et al. examined pulsed tPBM and found preliminary evidence for cognitive and neurological benefits in traumatic brain injury and neurodegeneration — but noted the absence of large, well-powered RCTs in stroke specifically. The Consumer Device Problem Here is where I have to be direct with anyone considering purchasing a NIR device for home use. Clinical studies use medical-grade devices with precisely calibrated irradiance, typically 10-700 mW/cm2 at the source, with controlled exposure times to achieve specific fluence targets (often 0.9-36 J/cm2). Consumer devices vary enormously — and most do not publish their specifications at all. Buying a NIR cap or helmet marketed for brain wellness is not equivalent to receiving the protocol used in clinical research. This does not mean it is harmful. It means we do not know whether you are getting a therapeutic dose, a sub-therapeutic dose, or anything in between. The Stakes If you are in recovery from a stroke or brain injury and you are exploring every option — which I completely understand — the risk here is not primarily financial. The risk is investing hope, time, and energy into something that may or may not be delivering what clinical trials suggest is therapeutic. The opportunity, on the other hand, is real: the underlying biology is sound, and the research pipeline is active. This is an area worth watching closely. Three Actionable Steps Talk to your neurologist or rehab physician before purchasing any device. Ask specifically whether tPBM has been considered in your care plan and what the current clinical guidance is. If you want to explore the evidence yourself, search PubMed (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) for transcranial photobiomodulation stroke — filter for systematic reviews and RCTs published after 2018 for the most current picture. Check ClinicalTrials.gov (clinicaltrials.gov) for active trials recruiting stroke survivors for tPBM studies. Participation in a trial gives you access to a properly calibrated protocol and contributes to the evidence base. What Recovery Can Look Like When the brain is given the right conditions — adequate sleep, nutrition, rehabilitation, reduced inflammation, and potentially adjunct therapies that the evidence supports — healing happens in ways that can surprise both patients and clinicians. I have spoken with hundreds of stroke survivors on this channel who found approaches that contributed meaningfully to their recovery. Not a single one found a shortcut. But many found tools — used thoughtfully, in partnership with their medical team — that made a genuine difference. That is what this channel is about: doing the work so you can make informed decisions. References Lampl Y et al. Infrared laser therapy for ischemic stroke: a new treatment strategy. Stroke. 2007;38(6):1843-9. PMID: 17463313. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17463313 Zivin JA et al. Effectiveness and Safety of Transcranial Laser Therapy for Acute Ischemic Stroke (NEST-2). Stroke. 2009;40(4):1359-64. PMID: 19233936. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19233936 Thunshelle C, Hamblin MR. Transcranial Low-Level Laser (Light) Therapy for Brain Injury. Photomed Laser Surg. 2016;34(12):587-598. PMID: 27854434. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27854434 Zomorrodi R et al. Pulsed Near Infrared Transcranial and Intranasal Photobiomodulation Significantly Modulates Neural Oscillations. Sci Rep. 2019;9(1):6309. PMID: 31004089. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31004089 Bill Gasiamis is a stroke survivor and the host of the Recovery After Stroke podcast. He is not a medical professional. Nothing in this post constitutes medical advice. Always consult your treating physician before starting any new therapy. The post Near-Infrared Light Therapy After Stroke: Does the Science Hold Up? appeared first on Recovery After Stroke.
In this episode of Disruption/Interruption, host KJ sits down with Ome Ogbru, PharmD, CEO and founder of AINGENS, to tackle a decades-old problem hiding in plain sight: life sciences runs on groundbreaking science, but is buried in broken processes. After 20+ years as a clinician, professor, and pharmaceutical executive, Ome reached a breaking point, and instead of finding a new job, he built a new company. He shares how generative AI, used responsibly and strategically, can finally give researchers their time back, cut through misinformation, and help the right information reach the right people faster. Four Key Takeaways: The scientific content workflow is fundamentally broken [4:15] -- Research teams are so resource-strapped that PhDs spend their time managing IT systems instead of doing science. Procuring a software solution could take one to two years and often didn't even solve the right problem. Generative AI isn't the magic wand, it's how you use it [20:01] -- When Ome first tested ChatGPT on biotech content and got poor results, he had a revelation: the tool wasn't the problem. The problem was not knowing how to use it. Pairing AI with deep domain expertise and proper workflows is where the real power lies. The human expert must remain in the driver's seat [32:30] -- AINGENS' platform (MACG) is built so the professional is in control. The AI handles the time-consuming, mundane tasks like literature search, drafting, and formatting, while the expert applies regulatory knowledge, judgment, and guardrails. Misinformation in life sciences is a public health problem [35:49] -- Misinformation travels faster than accurate data. Ome's vision is for generative AI to help industry proactively get accurate, personalized scientific information to the people who need it, patients, clinicians, and researchers alike, before the noise wins. Quote of the Show (35:41):"Misinformation flies faster than correct information." -- Ome Ogbru Join our Anti-PR newsletter where we’re keeping a watchful and clever eye on PR trends, PR fails, and interesting news in tech so you don't have to. You're welcome. Want PR that actually matters? Get 30 minutes of expert advice in a fast-paced, zero-nonsense session from Karla Jo Helms, a veteran Crisis PR and Anti-PR Strategist who knows how to tell your story in the best possible light and get the exposure you need to disrupt your industry. Click here to book your call: https://info.jotopr.com/free-anti-pr-eval Ways to connect with Ome Ogbru:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ome-ogbru-pharmd/Company Website: http://www.aingens.com How to get more Disruption/Interruption: Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/eccda84d-4d5b-4c52-ba54-7fd8af3cbe87/disruption-interruption Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/disruption-interruption/id1581985755 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6yGSwcSp8J354awJkCmJlDSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Episode Description In this episode of The Peripheral, Justin sits down with Amy to discuss her long battle with chronic knee injuries, frustrating experiences with traditional medical care, and her decision to seek stem cell treatment outside the United States. Amy shares her journey from multiple injuries and misdiagnoses to traveling to Mexico for advanced regenerative therapy using MUSE cells from umbilical cords. She covers the procedure details, costs, recovery, and life-changing results, including improved mobility, reduced pain, and unexpected benefits like better sleep and mental health. If you're dealing with joint issues or curious about alternative treatments, this candid conversation highlights the pros, cons, and realities of medical tourism. Guest Information Amy Zajac: A podcast enthusiast and advocate for regenerative medicine, Amy shares her personal story of resilience after years of knee problems. She's based in Minnesota and has a background in active lifestyles like hiking and boot camp workouts. Additional Notes Resources Mentioned: Amy references MUSE cells (pluripotent mesenchymal stem cells from umbilical cords), Vagus Nerve Reset (Stellate Ganglion Block), and clinics in Mexico (not named for privacy, but vetted via PubMed, doctor credentials, and affiliations like Cedars-Sinai). Always consult a healthcare professional and do your own research before pursuing treatments. Listen and Subscribe Tune in to The Peripheral for more stories on health, true crime, and the unexpected edges of life. Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us on X (@ThePeripheralPod) for updates, and rate/review to help us grow! If you have a story to share, email justin@theperipheralpodcast.com. https://www.instagram.com/dr.akhan/reels/
The Plant Free MD with Dr Anthony Chaffee: A Carnivore Podcast
How did Mimi Morgan defy the odds? Once bedridden and facing daunting diagnoses like Parkinson's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and the effects of a stroke, Mimi's story is one of extraordinary resilience. From relying on multiple medications to now living a vibrant, adventurous life—lifting weights, swimming in icy waters, and thriving as an artist and equestrian—Mimi has become an inspiration to many. In this second interview, we dive deeper into her remarkable transformation and the unconventional path she took to heal herself. Tune in and discover the mystery behind Mimi Morgan's journey to health and vitality—you won't want to miss what's next. X @mimikmorgan https://x.com/mimikmorgan?s=21 IG @mimimorgank https://www.instagram.com/mimikmorgan/ Mimi's Website www.Just10moresteps.com Randomized Controlled Trial Showing significant improvement in Parkinson's disease with ketogenic diets, over a week designed Mediterranean diet: Low-fat versus ketogenic diet in Parkinson's disease: A pilot randomized controlled trial Authors: Phillips MCL, Murtagh DKJ, Gilbertson LJ, Asztely FJS, Lynch CDP Journal: Movement Disorders. 2018 Aug;33(8):1306-1314 DOI: 10.1002/mds.27390 PMID: 30098269 PubMed link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30098269/ PMC free full text: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6175383/ Wiley publisher link: https://movementdisorders.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/mds.27390 Join my NEW 90-day Carnivore Challenge group on Mighty Networks below! https://dr-chaffee-s-90-day-carnivore-challenge.mn.co/landing/ If you liked this and want to learn more go to my new website www.DrAnthonyChaffee.com
Dr. Michael Greger — physician, bestselling author of How Not to Die, and founder of NutritionFacts.org — joins the Plantwise Book Club crew for a live fireside chat focused on how he reads and writes. In this conversation, we ask Dr. Greger how his team tracks thousands of new studies every day using PubMed alerts, a team of 100+ volunteers, and an increasing use of AI. He shares how he actively seeks out evidence that challenges his own positions — and the times he's had to reverse course (including a heartbreaking breakup with his favorite fruit). We also cover:
Send us Fan MailWhere is AI in pathology actually becoming useful right now? In this episode of DigiPath Digest, I review 4 new PubMed papers across digital pathology, whole slide imaging (WSI), computational pathology, medical education, forensic pathology, and breast cancer AI. We look at a deep learning tool for coronary artery stenosis measurement in forensic autopsies, an AI-powered digital pathology model for renal pathology education, an open-source quality control tool for prostate biopsy whole slide images, and a breast cancer stage prediction model built for resource-constrained settings using low-magnification H&E slides. I also share updates on the upcoming second edition of Digital Pathology 101 and the decision to make AI paper summaries public on the podcast feed to help busy pathology professionals stay current. Highlights [01:28] Update on the upcoming second edition of Digital Pathology 101 and the release of public AI paper summaries for faster literature review. [05:22] Paper 1: Deep learning for coronary artery stenosis evaluation in forensic autopsies using whole slide imaging. Why objective stenosis measurement matters, how the model outperformed visual estimates, and why this could affect adoption in forensic pathology. [15:18] Paper 2: AI-powered digital pathology with case-based teaching in renal education. A practical discussion on annotated digital slides, flipped classroom learning, and how digital pathology can improve pathology education and diagnostic reasoning. [21:34] Paper 3: Open-source AI for quantitative quality control in prostate biopsy whole slide images. Why WSI quality control matters, what PathProfiler measures, and how automated QC can support remote pathology workflows. [32:38] Paper 4: Breast cancer stage prediction from H&E whole slide images in resource-constrained settings. A look at low-magnification AI, vision transformers, and what moderate performance can still mean when access to advanced testing is limited. [45:06] Closing thoughts, invitation to vote for future AI paper summaries, and a final reminder to download Digital Pathology 101. Resources Paper 1: Development of a deep learning-based tool for coronary artery stenosis evaluation in forensic autopsies using whole slide imaging PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41998396/Paper 2: Integrating AI-Powered Digital Pathology With Case-Based Teaching: A Novel Paradigm for Renal Education in Medical School PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41995002/Paper 3: Application of an open-source AI tool for quantitative quality control in whole slide images of prostate needle core biopsies - a retrospective study PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41994924/Paper 4: Deep-learning-based breast cancer stage prediction from H&E-stained whole-slide images in resource-constrained settings PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41993946/Support the showGet the "Digital Pathology 101" FREE E-book and join us!
In this episode, Cheryl sits down with Brad Pitzele to unpack a long and complicated health journey that began with early autoimmune symptoms and escalated into psoriatic arthritis, debilitating fatigue, and eventually melanoma linked to immunosuppressive treatment. Frustrated by a system that offered only escalating medications and limited answers, Brad began an intense period of self-experimentation and research. His turning point came after a Lyme disease diagnosis, one that helped connect years of seemingly unrelated symptoms. This ultimately pushed him deeper into understanding the root causes of chronic illness, especially the role of mitochondrial dysfunction and inflammation. From there, the conversation shifts into the tools that helped Brad reclaim his health, including exercise with oxygen therapy (EWOT) and red and near-infrared light therapy. He explains how both approaches work at a cellular level to improve oxygen delivery, support mitochondrial function, and reduce inflammation. Thseare are all mechanisms that have implications for conditions like chronic fatigue, autoimmune disease, multiple sclerosis and even cardiovascular health. This episode is a deep dive into resilience, curiosity, and the power of continuing to search for answers when conventional paths fall short, offering both practical insight and hope for anyone navigating complex or unexplained health challenges. Connect with Brad at One Thousand Roads. Disclaimer: Links may contain affiliate links, which means we may get paid a commission at no additional cost to you if you purchase through this page. Read our full disclosure here. Takeaways Chronic symptoms do not always have clear answers and standard care often focuses on managing symptoms rather than addressing root causes Mitochondrial health plays a central role in energy, recovery, and overall resilience and when it is compromised nearly every system in the body is affected Inflammation and low oxygen levels go hand in hand, creating a cycle that can worsen chronic illness over time Exercise with oxygen therapy works by increasing oxygen delivery to tissues and may support energy production and reduce inflammation Red and near infrared light therapy may enhance mitochondrial function by increasing cellular demand for oxygen and boosting energy output Combining oxygen therapy with red light can create a complementary supply and demand effect at the cellular level Healing from complex or chronic conditions is rarely quick and consistent cumulative inputs over time matter more than short term fixes Self advocacy and curiosity are critical when navigating unexplained health issues or when conventional approaches fall short Small improvements over time can rebuild momentum and hope even before full recovery is achieved Simple inputs like oxygen, light, and movement can have powerful effects when applied consistently and strategically Watch on YouTube Disclaimer: Links may contain affiliate links, which means we may get paid a commission at no additional cost to you if you purchase through this page. Read our full disclosure here. CONNECT WITH CHERYL Shop all my healthy lifestyle favorites, lots of discounts! 21 Day Fat Loss Kickstart: Make Keto Easy, Take Diet Breaks and Still Lose Weight Avaline Wines, Tested and Clean, Sugar Free Drinking Ketones Wild Pastures, Clean Meat to Your Doorstep 20% off for life Clean Beauty 20% off first order DIY Lashes 10% off NIRA at Home Laser for Wrinkles 10% off or current promo with code HealNourishGrow Instagram for daily stories with recipes, what I eat in a day and what’s going on in life Facebook YouTube Pinterest TikTok Amazon Store The Shoe Fairy Competition Gear Getting Started with Keto Resources The Complete Beginners Guide to Keto Getting Started with Keto Podcast Episode Getting Started with Keto Resource Guide Episode Transcript Cheryl McColgan (00:00)Hey everyone, I’m Cheryl McColgan and today I am joined by Brad Pitzley and we are going to talk about some of his health history. He has a really interesting background with some challenging diseases and scenarios that he went through. And you know, like many of the guests on the HealNursery podcast, he just has a health journey that he wants to share with people and kind of what ended up actually helping him. Because so often people go down these roads with different conditions and they just have a lot of trouble finding out number one what it is, number two if there’s anything that can help them feel better or how to treat it. And so I think Brad’s going to have a lot of really interesting things to share with us today. So Brad, if you could just maybe start by, I don’t know how far in the way back machine you want to go, but kind of just, you know, give us a little bit about your health journey. And as we go along, I’m sure I’ll have some kind of questions to fill in for everyone. Brad Pitzele (00:50)Yeah, I had weird health things going on since grade school. I was diagnosed with psoriasis, but then I had other weird things that just kind of came and went. We’d go to the doctor, they’d give it a label. It would last for a while. There was no treatment for said label and then it would kind of just disappear and then I’d move on with life and then a year or six months or whatever, something else might pop up. But it really kind of started to come to a head. Um, probably around 2010 or 11, I started to develop autoimmune arthritis, what was considered psoriatic arthritis, which is, it’s basically like rheumatoid arthritis, but it’s what you get with psoriasis. Um, and they started to test all sorts of different drugs on me. The first sets didn’t work. Then they put me on, um, some immune suppressive drugs. They gave me relief for like maybe six months and they’d start wearing off and they would double the dose and they’re. I was kind of worse off when it wore off and then it would kind of bring me up a little bit. And then was kind of like I was taking a stair step into, you know, into a worse and worse place. And I was on those drugs for probably about two years. And then I developed melanoma. And that’s one of the side effects of the drugs is it’s got a high risk of cancer and specifically melanoma. So that was kind of a, a jumping off point for me. I, during that period, I also started to develop weird other symptoms. Like I started to get stiffness in the back of my legs. had tremendous brain fog and energy issues. had pain in my feet and I would take this back to the rheumatologist and I’d be like, this is, is this part of the, this disease? assume. he was like, no, that’s not part of the disease. And I was kind of shocked and like, well, it feels like part of the disease. It’s kind of, you know, it’s just. Cheryl McColgan (02:38)All right. Brad Pitzele (02:41)another symptom of whatever’s going on with me. But he didn’t really acknowledge that. And then when I got cancer, I went back to him and I was like, Hey, you know, I’m really afraid I’m like, if I keep taking these drugs, more risk of cancer. I don’t take these drugs. I, you know, I die, cripple crumpled up in a ball in the corner, so to speak. And he was kind of like, no, I don’t think that’s going to happen. Yeah. I think we’re just going to try another drug in the, the, the same category. And that was like, just started having alarm bells in my head. Just started shouting at me. was like, either path feels like it’s very bad. And I was a, I had a young children at the time. I was a relatively new father and that was even more scary. I was kind of the single income in the household. And I just started like, I’m like, what happens if these things happen to me to not just me, but my family. and that’s kind of when I started jumping off and like doing my own research and trying to figure out what I call a third path for because neither of those really made sense to me. Cheryl McColgan (03:40)those both sound like not very good options. I’m just kind of curious when you were going back to the doctor with these things, kind of two questions here actually. One, and I think I already know the answer, but one, were drugs the only answer that this doctor was able to give to you? And secondly, I think having the cancer being a known side effect of the drug is really interesting. you ever talk about what the mechanism there is or anything to know about that just for people with curiosity? Brad Pitzele (04:07)Yeah, so yeah, mostly it was drugs. He did also offer me injections of steroids into some of my joints. He was very skilled at it, because he said it was gonna be very painful. It wasn’t that painful, but steroids turn off your immune system. And it’s the same thing with some of the drugs I was on. One of them was a… I won’t call brand name, but it was a TNF inhibitor. TNF stands for tumor necrosis factor. And it’s basically in a component of our immune system. And so there was some research done and they found that if they turned off that component of your immune system, hey, the pain and symptoms go away. Unfortunately, as the name alludes to, it kills tumors. when you turn it, we all have cancer in our Cheryl McColgan (04:49)Yeah Brad Pitzele (04:52)body. Like right now as we speak, everyone has it. It’s just our immune system is able to kill it off and so it never really gains a foothold. But once you start tipping the balance of the scales, obviously, you know, it can run amok. And that’s what happened in my case. Cheryl McColgan (05:08)Yeah, very interesting. also it just brings up so many other questions that I’ll have to go down a rabbit hole after we’re done with our conversation. But so you had these things, you didn’t have good relief, you were still having symptoms, then you got cancer. And I assume obviously you had to get treated for that at that point. Was that really the turning point for you to just be like, I’ve got to find some other way to manage this? How did how did things go from there? Brad Pitzele (05:30)Yeah, it was, and I’m not gonna tell you it was a fast turn for me. It took me several years. But I mean, from there, I just started reading anything I could. I read books, I was out on the internet, I was in chat groups talking to other people who had similar symptoms, Facebook groups, Googling on PubMed, looking at research, so many rabbit holes I ran down. I was joking, I’m recovering engineer. ⁓ I got my undergraduate in mechanical engineering, so I’m very analytical by my nature, I suppose. Research didn’t scare me, and I just was reading anything I could. I wasn’t gonna… Cheryl McColgan (05:55)You Brad Pitzele (06:07)You know, wait for them to find something in the research and then try to translate it 20 years later. Like that does me no good. and I tried everything. I did a lot of self experimentation, everything from complete changes of diet, supplements, so many, mean, different modalities, all sorts of weird stuff. Sometimes my family looked at me pretty good side, I when they saw some of the stuff I was doing. but you know, when you’re, when you’re really desperate and. things are getting worse and worse. And particularly when you also feel this responsibility and obligation to your family, you just, it’s not even just about you. You’re like, what do I do? I like, I’m gonna disappoint all these people and life is not gonna be good for them. I just told myself, I’m not allowed. know, like this is absolutely not allowed. This is not gonna happen, but it kept happening for a few more years. And then, I ended up at a doctor’s office and he tried all sorts of things. Nothing was working. He was an MD, but he was non-insurance, so was integrative. And he was trying all sorts of alternate modalities on me. Even the things he was sure were gonna do anything, nothing was doing anything. He’s doing testing on me, nothing was popping. And then he suggested I do a Lyme disease test. I remember thinking, I’m like, doctor, I don’t have Lyme disease. I’m like, I’ve never been bitten by one of these ticks. I’ve never had that bullseye rash thing. I’m thinking to myself, I don’t have that. But I was kind of like, you know what? And it was expensive test at the time. It was like 500 bucks. Insurance didn’t pay. But I was like, you know what? I’m gonna pay the 500 bucks. I’m gonna do the test so he can see it’s negative and we can get him off this Lyme thing. We can get to the real deal because it’s not Lyme. And sure enough, it came back that I had Lyme disease and one of its co-infections called Bartonella, which is the infection that causes cat scratch disease as well. And I was so shocked. went back to him. was like, doc, what’s the chances this is a false positive? I don’t think I have it. And he was like, Brad, it’s a urine PCR, which means you have the DNA of those bacteria in your urine. What do you think is the chances it’s, it’s false positive? I’m like, got it. Cheryl McColgan (08:12)Not. Brad Pitzele (08:14)And that’s when it finally started to hit. ⁓ Cheryl McColgan (08:16)Well, just for people that aren’t familiar, I think everybody’s kind of heard of Lyme disease at some point, maybe Bartonella, but what did that kind of mean to you at the time? Like I’m sure once you got that diagnosis, you wanted to learn more about it. Were you thinking that that explained some of the things that you had up to this point or how did that mesh into the whole symptom profile? Brad Pitzele (08:36)Life disease is incredibly challenging. for a variety of reasons. One, it’s very difficult to get under control. There’s a lot of folks in America and across the world, quite frankly, suffering with it right now. The other reason it’s tough is there’s not a lot of doctors willing to treat it. There’s this whole stigma about it. What makes it particularly difficult is there’s this question on if it actually exists in some doctor’s head. It’s like the weirdest thing in the world. We know there’s this infectious agent, we know it infects humans, and yet when a human comes to the doctor and says, I’ve been infected by it, they’re like, are you sure? And so you kind of get, I think the term I hear often is medical gas lit. And on top of that, doctors, for legal reasons, often don’t want to touch it. So my doctor didn’t want to touch it. And he was like, look, you have to go to a Lyme specialist three hours away. I recommend him as best I can. And it was a long waiting list to get into this doctor’s office. And while I was waiting, just… I was relentless, you I just couldn’t sit here and let myself deal with all this. It was a three month wait. And so I just started reading voraciously on Lyme disease to your point. was reading all sorts of research. I was reading books on it, a lot of books on the, like the science and what was happening to your body mechanically. And it was actually pretty eye opening because when I started to read all these symptoms, I was like, I started to piece together all these pieces, the puzzle that happened to me in my childhood, ⁓ things that happened Cheryl McColgan (10:12)Mm. Brad Pitzele (10:13)more recently, things that the rheumatologist couldn’t explain, but now we’re clear as day what was going on. And so the jigsaw puzzle started to fall into place for me. So it was kind of an epiphany from that perspective, yeah. Cheryl McColgan (10:29)Yeah, that’s got to be the waiting had to be one of the hardest things, I’m sure. then once you finally got to him, did he because he was specialized in Lyme specifically, did he have any solutions for you? Or then was it somewhere that you still had to go to go down the road? Brad Pitzele (10:42)No. You know, the disappointing thing is, I ended up, the whole family was diagnosed with Lyme disease, not just me, my children and so forth. So we all carted in the car down three hours from, I live in Dallas area down in Austin. He had a lot of things to say to us. It was kind of stuff I’d already read. Most of it I’d already tried. know, supplements I’d already run through myself and like it became cost prohibited both the time and the visitation and we just didn’t get anywhere. So we probably visited him. five or six times and then I was like, okay, well this is not, know, and was, each time it was kind of clear, like his tools were somewhat limited. And so then it was time to kind of, while I was doing his stuff, I was also just actively experimenting. was, you know, was a, you know, a test dummy every set, every second of it, because again, you know, you just can’t wait, you know, come back in two months. You’re like, if this thing doesn’t work in a few weeks, I got to, I’ll keep doing it, but I’ll add other things. See where I go. Cheryl McColgan (11:46)Right, well, I’m sure once you knew that your whole family had this issue that probably made you want to solve it even more, not that it wasn’t enough for you to solve it for yourself, but now you’ve got other people in your family that you want to feel well, you know? Brad Pitzele (11:53)Yes. Absolutely, absolutely. was definitely set heavy on my mind. Just I didn’t want the kids to have to go down this path. Cheryl McColgan (12:06)So this kind of leads us into this whole backstory into the sign that’s behind your head right now, 1000 roads, because you kind of did that many roads to get here, right? And so what did you come across? I thought that was like one of the best business names I’ve ever seen, the way, knowing the backstory. But anyway, what was it that you found in the research or what led you to kind of, there’s a couple of things that did end up helping you, which is awesome, because I think now we’re going to share this with people because Brad Pitzele (12:16)Yeah, that’s right. you Thank you. Cheryl McColgan (12:35)Like you said, there’s plenty of people out there with Lyme disease. There’s plenty of people out there with unexplained illnesses or things that are affecting them. And, you know, there are some interesting tools that do work, worked in your case. So how did you end up finding what actually ended up working for you? Brad Pitzele (12:50)Well, I eventually started doing a lot of research on all sorts of things. And one thing that stuck with me was mitochondrial health. I hear more and more folks talking about it in recent years, which is great, but this is probably about a little 10, 12 years ago. It really wasn’t a well-spoken about area. the more I researched about mitochondrial health, the more I realized this is at the root of everything. So for your listeners, the mitochondria are this little organelle, this little subset inside all of your cells that produce the energy. And they’re extremely fragile. And when they get damaged or they’re not working efficiently, nothing works efficiently because everything takes energy, right? Us talking takes energy, thinking takes energy, moving our muscles, our organs working take energy, repair our immune system, all of it. And so often when you’re dealing with chronic health conditions, particularly when you’re dealing with an infectious agent or even cancers, they go after our mitochondria. because they kind of take the power down in the system and that gives them a leg up on our immune system and our defenses and it allows them to kind of I would call it just burrow deeper into our biology and you know shift the biology to be more favorable towards whatever that is. So for me it that was kind of an epiphany and I delved into a couple tools and the first one was something called exercise with oxygen therapy. also known as EWOT, E-W-O-T. No one was really talking about it. It was kind of the small little thing, not a lot of information out there. And then there was a second one, more folks have heard of today, which is red light therapy, and really red and near infrared light therapy. And they both work through mechanisms that help the mitochondria restore itself. Cheryl McColgan (14:45)Yeah, the exercise, I was looking at the photo on the website of the EWOT contraption and I’m kind of having a hard time conceptualizing. think what, and actually before we go into that, let’s address this other question that came up in my mind when I was looking at the contraption, because I’m like, okay, the thing that most people are probably somewhat familiar with nowadays is a hyperbaric oxygen chamber. And that is used in cancer treatment. think it was, Dr. Seyfried has this thing, and you might be familiar with him just like. through your mitochondrial research, but it’s called like a press pulse thing that they use with cancer patients. And it has to do with ketogenic diet, because you’re starving the cancer of sugar. And then also this hyperbaric oxygen therapy. That’s, that’s all just kind of a weird aside for people that are hearing this, it really has nothing to do with this conversation. But it’s interesting to look up. But for your thing, the hyperbaric works in one way. And I think people like you can visualize it, because you go in and you kind of just lay down. And that’s what it is. But this And when people go to the website, they’ll see it. It’s kind of, looks like a big balloon or a box. So guess I’m having trouble kind of conceptualizing how do you even use that or, how do you exercise with that? That’s a very long winded question, but hopefully we’ll get there. Brad Pitzele (15:47)Yeah. Sure. Well. Yeah, that’s great. So I think it’s two questions. What is it? How does it work sort of thing? Exercise with oxygen therapy at its principles really simple. It simply involves doing any sort of exercise, preferably something that gets your heart rate up, generally cardiovascular exercise, while wearing a mask and breathing near pure oxygen, so about 93 % oxygen. So to your point about how does the contraption or the EWATS system work, it works as, it’s like this, there’s actually a device called an oxygen concentrator that can produce an endless supply of oxygen. You plug it into the wall and you flip the switch and it takes the oxygen in your room, which is probably at like let’s say 21 % at sea level, and it purifies it to 93 % oxygen by separating out the other gases, the nitrogen and the argon. which is great, but these machines that you can plug into your wall, your home outlet, they produce only five or 10 liters of oxygen in a minute. And when you exercise, you can easily use 50 or 60 liters in a minute. So to get a 15 minute session in, you can easily use 900 plus liters of oxygen. And that machine’s only putting out at the best 10 liters of it. And so every minute. And so what we do is we take that machine and we fill a large reservoir to a thousand liters. So think of it as about six feet, five and a half, six feet squared. It looks like a big pillow. And we fill that thing with oxygen. Now to like dimensionalize this for folks, a thousand liters of oxygen is similar to the amount of oxygen you’ll breathe in an entire day. And we’ll fill this, this, you know, bloom, what we call a reservoir with oxygen. And then we’ll attach a hose with a mask on the end of it. Put the mask on and you just breathe out of that reservoir. of water. So again, in that 15 minutes, you can take in a whole day of oxygen. It’s really a massive amount. Now, how does it compare to hyperbaric oxygen? That’s a really good question. Hyperbaric oxygen, at its core, what you do is you get inside of a chamber, they pressurize it, and that forces more oxygen through your lung membrane and into your blood. Now, Once it gets past your lung membrane and into your blood, your, what happens in hyperbaric oxygen is it goes not just into your red blood cells, because if you look at your red blood cells right now, which are the parts of your blood that are designed to carry oxygen, they’re at capacity. Like you can put a little pulse oximeter on your finger and it’ll say 99 % or 100 % or 98%. And so there’s not room for more oxygen, but what hyperbaric does, and EWAT does the same thing, is it actually forces oxygen into your blood plasma. Now blood plasma is this clearish brown liquid, it’s effectively water plus plus, that all the red and white blood cells ride on. And so it can actually turn that into an oxygen carrying vehicle inside your blood, something that normally doesn’t carry very much oxygen. And that’s through a process called Henry’s Law, which goes beyond human biology. It’s really just a chemistry law that says, you take an insoluble gas and enforce it on top of an insoluble liquid, it’ll force the gas to go into solution. In this case, the gas is oxygen and the liquid is blood plasma. Now, in hyperbaric oxygen, the body tries to get back into balance. It notices there’s a surplus of oxygen in the blood. And so your body tries to regulate, go back to homeostasis by using something called vasoconstriction, which means your blood vessels constrict. They get smaller to allow less of that oxygen through. So your body is naturally fighting against delivering that oxygen. In spite of that, you deliver a large dose of oxygen to the tissues. In IWA, what we do is we come to the opposite. Instead of using pressure to force more oxygen into and through your lungs, we use exercise to pull it through. So when you start exercising, your body immediately recognizes that it needs more energy. And the gating factor in producing more energy is oxygen. We all in this Western world generally get enough food. It’s just we’re… When you’re exercising, there’s not enough oxygen. So when it notices this, you have all these physiological changes, right? You start breathing faster and deeper. Your lung membrane actually thins out to allow more oxygen to pass through. Your heart starts beating faster. Every beat is deeper. Your blood vessels actually dilate. They actually open up to allow larger blood flow through them. And then when you exercise, naturally, actually, your blood pressure goes up. And most of us think, no, high blood pressure is bad, but in exercise it’s actually really good because the more pressure inside your blood, that differential between the pressure in your circulatory system and the tissues is like a driving force that drives the oxygen out of the blood and into the tissues. we do EWAT, we’re taking advantage of all those physiological changes to allow us to take in oxygen very quickly and deliver it deeply into the tissues. in a 15 minute EWAT session, you could take in as much oxygen as you would in a hyperbaric session in 90 or more minutes. It’s really quite a large dose. Cheryl McColgan (21:09)Wow. then what about, so how does that affect the mitochondria? Does it just give them more energy and kind of helps them repair quicker? Or what’s the connection between mitochondrial health and the EY? Brad Pitzele (21:16)Thank This is actually the really fascinating part. And this is the thing that really got me more interested in it. EWAT was founded actually in the 1960s and 70s. There was this prolific inventor named Manfred von Arden. He was a German physicist and inventor. He invented the scanning electron microscope. He helped commercialize television technology in the 1930s. And he got interested in oxygen in 1960s and 70s because there was a gentleman named Warburg in the 1920s who had proven that he could take any cancerous cell, any regular cell and turn it into a cancerous cell simply by depriving it of oxygen. And the reverse was true. So Von Arden got interested in that, wanted to start experiment with oxygen, simply trying to reverse cancer. And along the way, what he discovered is something really powerful about our circulatory system, which is as we age, this thing we now refer to as inflammation happens inside our bodies, this slow, gradual increase in inflammation and that affects every part of our body including our circulatory system. But our circulatory system is actually kind of a weak link. At the very end of your circulatory system is your capillaries and they’re incredibly thin and they’re actually the component where the oxygen and the nutrients gets transferred from the circulatory system to the tissues. So you’ve got these really thin capillaries, thinner than a human hair, actually smaller than a red blood cell. In order for a red blood cell to get in a healthy capillary, it has to fold over like a taco to get in because it can’t fit in normal if it’s fully expanded. So there’s not a lot of room for error. And when you start having this inflammation, it causes blockages in the capillaries. So when that happens, you lose circulation downstream. You have what I call a brownout. All the cells on the other side of that inflammation are no longer getting red blood cells, they’re no longer getting oxygen. Luckily, our body does have a backup generator and that’s called anaerobic respiration. Anaerobic respiration is when they create energy without oxygen. But the problem with it is multi-fold. Number one, it only can produce about 5 % of the energy, it can produce what has oxygen. So immediately the cells are like powering down, they’re not able to do all of their essential functions. problem is it produces a massive amount of metabolic waste and free radicals and those things damage our mitochondria because our mitochondria are incredibly fragile as we spoke about earlier and they’re right at the heart of it wherever you’re producing energy you have some free radicals but now when you shift over to anaerobic all of a sudden you’re just spitting out all sorts of damaging chemicals if you will and it has no energy so it has no way to actually clear it and so it becomes I kind of call it’s like a doom loop, which is it starts with dysfunction the dysfunction causes more free radicals which causes more damage and dysfunction and Soon enough, you know, you’ve got these kind of almost zombie cells. They’re just having a hard time Doing anything and then when you do IWA what’s amazing is the oxygen because it’s Inside the plasma it can get through those blockages. So it immediately starts to feed those downstream cells the oxygen they’ve been starving but more importantly than that immediate fix if you will is they cause an anti-inflammatory effect and this was another like big aha in my healing journeys when I realized There’s plenty of research on this. Anywhere in your body you have inflammation, you have the hypoxia, which is the fancy medical term for oxygen starvation. So inflammation means local oxygen starvation. And anywhere you have oxygen starvation, you have inflammation. They go hand in hand. You can’t have one without the other. And so when we restore oxygen, even in the circulatory system, we can turn off that inflammation that’s happening in our capillaries, reestablish normal blood flow. So you get done doing your EWOT sessions. And Von Arden discovered this. had elderly people, he looked at their capillaries and their throughput, and he had them do just a couple sessions of EWOT, and they came back weeks later, and their microcirculation was still reestablished to more youthful levels. So he was able to open them back up where red blood cells were able to deliver oxygen. really at the root of it all is, you know, every chronic illness you can think of, it has inflammation. Right? mean, there’s not one Alzheimer’s, cancer, autoimmunity, the list goes on and on, name one and it has chronic inflammation. And there’s actually, there’s a gentleman, Arthur Guyton, he wrote the textbook, Medical Physiology, and every doctor any of us has ever gone to had to use that medical physiology book. when they went to medical school, it’s been the standard across the world for over 50 years. And he has this great quote where he says all disease at its root is lack of oxygen. And it’s really true because once the mitochondria break down and we start having inflammation, all the negative effects come from downstream from that. And so that was kind of my. Aha. Light bulb moment, which is if I can turn my mitochondria on it, and I can turn down the inflammation and eventually turn off the inflammation. then like my body will have energy to get ahead. can start to repair itself. It can start to detoxify the immune system. Then we’ll have energy to do everything it needs to do and help, you know, kind of kick on and start to fight a good battle, so to speak. Cheryl McColgan (26:58)Yeah, I mean, I want to go back to how this actually helped you and how you actually found one and all that stuff. But my brain is just going, the one thing that I keep coming to hearing your explanation, and that was an amazing explanation, by the way, for lay people, I can tell you’re an engineer or so. The system where you’re talking about going all the way to the capillaries, I heart disease is the number one killer, right? And we have, I think a lot of it is the chronic inflammation that you’re talking about, but. Obviously once that process is already done, you’re describing how the capillaries can’t get any red blood cells. So to me, it would make perfect sense that this might be not only did it help you in your disease process with Lyme disease and the arthritis and everything, but it seems like it would be pretty amazing for cardiovascular patients or people that don’t have good blood flow, like that on top of the mitochondrial benefit. Brad Pitzele (27:41)Hmm It’s actually, we are helping folks with everything from autoimmunity, cancer, Lyme, long COVID, chronic fatigue, Parkinson’s, heart disease, so many things, because if you can turn off the inflammation and you can give the body energy to heal, it will do just amazing things. That was kind of like the shocking thing to me when I first got into it. was like, wait a second. Like every time I was treating myself as a pin cushion and trying something new, I always had to the question like, what if this doesn’t work? and like what damage could I be doing? know, because there were things that were a little bit risky to be quite honest, where I found out risks, you know, a little bit too late for my liking. But this was one where was like, it’s oxygen. And like, so it was kind of shocking when I started looking at the benefits and I was like, this is kind of crazy that we’re talking about something as simple as oxygen with all these health benefits. But yeah, we’ve had folks with all sorts of different chronic cardiovascular conditions Cheryl McColgan (28:31)Right. Brad Pitzele (28:48)Now, there’s a lot of health benefits to it, but the other crazy thing about oxygen is there’s all these athletic performance benefits. And this is important because directly to your cardiovascular component, which is actually a lot of Olympic teams have used EWAT to improve their athletic performance. because athletic teams are very science driven, there’s some really good research on it showing it improves VO2 max, reduces recovery time. improves short-term memory, it improves power output, et cetera. And all of this is really due to being able to fuel our cells and our muscles more, and also helping clear out all that metabolic waste, because that metabolic waste primarily develops when you have a shortage of oxygen when you’re exercising. Cheryl McColgan (29:34)Amazing that something so simple could be so hugely beneficial. So once you finally saw this, you’re like, Werber knew this about cancer and this guy’s onto this exercise with oxygen thing. Like, well, how do you do it? Where do you get it? Like nobody’s ever seen this before. I think like you’re saying the athletic teams might have it and stuff, but I mean, I’ve certainly never been anywhere where I’ve seen like, hey, get EWOT therapy here. So how did you find it? Brad Pitzele (29:56)Yeah, it’s really, really kind of a rare thing. 15 years ago, it was incredibly rare. There really wasn’t anywhere to go. You could find it occasionally. You might find it in a chiropractor’s office here or there or some sort of recovery clinic. Nowadays, they’re more widespread. So there are places that do it, doctors, chiropractors. But for me, there were a couple of folks selling it, but they were… I didn’t have a whole lot of faith. There was no customer reviews. was no customers talking about it on chat. It was just them as the company and they, a lot of them spoke in superlatives and like marketing speak that it just didn’t make me feel really comfortable. And they were very expensive too. you know, they were maybe the cheapest was 5,000 and the most expensive one I saw was 25,000. and it was this kind of cross hatch of I didn’t have confidence and geez, that’s a lot of money for this next experiment when the last Cheryl McColgan (30:31)yeah. Brad Pitzele (30:49)26 behind me didn’t do anything or 57 or whatever it was. So that’s when I kind of decided, did a little bit more research and decided I was going to try to build my own. Cheryl McColgan (31:00)Yeah, was thinking that I was like, I was an engineer, the next thing would be like, can I just build this? So that’s what you did, obviously, right? Brad Pitzele (31:06)I did it out of necessity because I just didn’t have faith. I built my own. didn’t think it was, I’ll be honest, I didn’t think this was gonna be my solution. Nothing else was. And I started doing it and… You know, slowly but surely I started to walk out of that basement, that proverbial basement. I just kept taking steps up and up. At first it was subtle and then it was kind of all at once sort of thing where I was shocked. You know, was like things like, my gosh, my brain fog’s gone. I’m like focusing in a meeting or I just got down on the floor and played with the kids and I don’t need to lay in bed for two days in pain. And you know, slowly but surely I just felt better and better. And it wasn’t until I saw that same doctor again, and he was like, wow, you’re like a year later. And he was like, wow, you’re so much better. What did you do? And I told him, and he’s like, wow, would you consider selling them to my patients? And that was kind of the, you know, jumping off point where I was like, well, gosh, yeah, maybe we could help other people with this. Cheryl McColgan (32:04)Yeah, that’s awesome. I’m so glad, you know, it’s, it’s, it’s always an interesting thing on podcasts because sometimes you get, I think not on this particular podcast, but other ones, it’s like people that kind of are just selling stuff, you know, or snake oil things or whatever. But what I really love is when there are people that, you know, had their own health problem, they dive into the research, they try it all there, use themselves as an experiment as a pin cushion, as you said, and then they find something that actually works. And then they they make it so that they can share it with everybody else. don’t just keep it to yourself, because I’m sure it kind of felt like a miracle at the time if something finally worked for you. Brad Pitzele (32:41)You know, it really was. I was, because the hardest part is also when you’re in these groups and you’re talking to all these other folks and they’re like, oh, try this, nothing worked and then this worked. And you try that thing and it didn’t work. You you try 57 other different things, as I was saying, and you kind of just start losing any hope. You’re like, I don’t think, I think I’m just that case that there’s nothing that’s going to work. But yeah, when you do find it, it’s, yeah, it’s obviously life changing, even having hope and like, I always tell folks like when you’re really sick, it’s not about, you wanna get to 100%, like 100 % is amazing, it’s the dream we all have when we’re sick, but. more important than 100 % is like feeling better this week than last week or this month than last month because at some point when you’re in it, you just lose a lot of hope and it becomes kind of this like the spiral downward that you just don’t believe in anything and it just lowers you spiritually I just say. And having something to know like, hey, Yeah, it still kinda stinks, but like, remember a month ago it was worse, and so like, now you’re like, yeah, I can’t wait to see how I’m gonna be two months from now, you know, or where am gonna be by this summer sort of thing? Like, it was, it’s kinda the exact opposite. It’s kinda like this hope spiral, if you will. Cheryl McColgan (33:55)Yeah. Well, it’s kind of that’s something that I think it’s good to point out for people too, is that, you you mentioned there is all this research on this. There’s a lot of good science to back up mitochondrial health, that’s kind of mitochondrial health is kind of a long game. And it’s kind of something that you have to continually do not over, you know, just a few days and you’re going to feel so much better. It’s week after week, month after month, the more that you support your mitochondrial health, the more chance you have of really feeling better. So it’s not just this thing where you can try it for a week and you’re like, that doesn’t work. You have to keep up on it for a while, right? Brad Pitzele (34:24)Yeah. Yeah, you’re absolutely right in general speaking. mean, we have… people come to me and they ask like, how long am I going to have to do this for? I tell them is, I can’t say how long until you get to the top of the mountain, so to speak, but I find that most folks who get to the top of the mountain, they feel so good when they do it, they don’t ever want to stop. And some of those folks never really exercised, they hated it, but now they’re like, it’s like 15 minutes, I do it three or five times a week, and I feel amazing, so why wouldn’t I do it? And we talked about that capillary thinning, Cheryl McColgan (34:52)Mm-hmm. Brad Pitzele (34:58)That’s actually a chronic thing that happens to all of us in Western society. And so this is something that’s anti-aging at that very kind of cellular level. So I recommend it for folks, but. I guess for me when I was really sick, always say one of the hardest parts was the ceremony is this what they call them. Counting pills every night, doing this protocol, doing that protocol. You keep adding, like if there’s 10 more minutes in your day, you add 10 more minutes of some protocol that you’re hoping will make you feel better. And then you get to a point where you realize you’re spending six hours of your day, you know, just all you’re doing is these protocols and it just becomes overwhelming. like, even if I felt better, what’s the purpose of all I’m doing is going from from the sauna to the this and I’m doing this pill and I’m doing that. And that’s kind of the, what I found, one of the things I really loved about EWOD was it was something I could do consistently in my home, 15 minutes a day. And it helps with your mitochondrial health. It helps with detoxification. It helps with energy. So it’s like, multiple, it’s kind of multifaceted in the way it benefits you. relatively short period of time. Cheryl McColgan (36:07)Yeah, and you mentioned, and I want to be respectful of your time. know we’re kind of getting a little bit long here, but one of the other things when in respect to mitochondrial health is red light therapy. And there’s also a ton of great research on that. And so I kind of wasn’t surprised when I went to your website that that’s something that you also got into. I mean, I think that’s when you look at the number and the breadth of research on that, I think it’s pretty undeniable that it is good for people that serves a real purpose, that it does help the mitochondria. So at what point, Brad Pitzele (36:34)Yeah. Cheryl McColgan (36:35)after you found the EWAT, I’m assuming you kind of got on this mitochondrial health thing and then maybe stumbled into that stuff. that how it went or is there something else? Brad Pitzele (36:44)Yeah, I started looking at it early on, probably about six months after I was doing EWOT, four to six months right in there I’d say, I started doing Red Light. So you’re right, there’s like tens of thousands of peer-reviewed research studies out there and what it does. They work really interestingly together. Because we mentioned EWAT, when you do it, you increase the supply of oxygen massively, right? It’s a day of oxygen in 15 minutes. So you’re flooding your body with oxygen. And then if you do red light immediately afterwards, what it does is the way it primarily works is it increases oxygen demand in your mitochondria. So it forces the mitochondria to suck up more oxygen. And when they do that, they produce more energy. So any of the research you read on red light whether skin health collagen growth bone mental, brain health, me, athletic recovery performance, healing in general, it all comes from the same thing, is that it’s just forcing our mitochondria to suck up more oxygen and produce more energy. So if you compare those two, you compare them at the same time, you first drive a massive increase in supply of oxygen, and then you increase the mitochondrial demand for it, and so you get this kind of one-two punch. The interesting thing is why I think we need it in today’s society as well is we’re actually deficient on red and near infrared light. And the reason is, if you look at the sun, the sun is full spectrum. has everything from ultraviolet and the blues through the reds and the near infrareds. So when you go outside and it changes throughout the day, early and late in the day, you get more of those reds and near infrareds. And at high noon, you get more of the blues. unfortunately, or fortunately, however you want to look at it, over time as as ⁓ species, we’ve moved indoors and we started using indoor lighting primarily and we spend more and more time there. And then more recently, we’ve switched from incandescent to LED lighting. Now, LED lighting is very energy efficient and one of ways they make it incredibly energy efficient is they take out all the reds and the near infrareds that we experience as heat because obviously you don’t want your lighting to heat your room. You don’t want it to, everyone sees that as energy. waste and to that extent you’re trying to use it for lighting it can be. However, that puts us in a place where we spend a lot of time bathed in blue lights and not really getting enough of the reds and the other parts of the spectrum. Cheryl McColgan (39:27)Yeah, that’s another interesting rabbit hole for people to go down if they haven’t already is just the, you know, changing out some of the lighting in your home or using specific lighting for certain scenarios, like in your bedroom and towards night as you’re getting ready to go to sleep. But anyway, I just want to clarify one quick point there, because I’m envisioning, that was actually what I was envisioning when you started talking about the synergy between red light and the EWAT. So do you like do your EWAT with the red light panel like in front of you or do you just do it right after? Brad Pitzele (39:53)Yeah. I prefer to do it right after. The challenge with doing it right on you is to get the best benefit from red light. Red light works on something called a biphasic dose response, fancy science term, which just means the benefits over time look like a bell curve. So too little, you won’t get any benefit. There’s kind of like a just right where you get peak benefit. And then if you do more, it starts diminishing in benefit. It doesn’t harm. It’s just a waste of time, right? So you spent five more minutes to get less sort of thing. Cheryl McColgan (40:21)Mm-hmm. Brad Pitzele (40:22)with exercising in red light is one, I like to get as much skin exposure as possible so you’re hitting as many mitochondria as possible. And two is you’re moving. So sometimes you’re close to the light, sometimes you’re further away. And so you’re not really able to kind of measure that dose effectively to get inside that biphasic kind of peak zone. Cheryl McColgan (40:43)Okay, no, that makes a ton of sense. Although I still am going to put this out to you that, maybe you put at least on, you know, the little face mask while you’re exercising. I feel like you can attach it to the oxygen part, you know, and just put a red light around it. Maybe that’s a little too, maybe that’s a little too much. But anyway, well, Brad, this has been so wonderful. And I just appreciate you so much sharing your whole journey and then how you came to find this. Brad Pitzele (40:51)There you go. It makes yours waterproof. That’d be fun. Cheryl McColgan (41:09)If people want to connect with you online or learn more about EWOT and learn more about Red Light, where’s the best place that they can find you and connect with you? Brad Pitzele (41:17)Yeah, go to 1000roads.com slash Cheryl and we have a great offer for your listeners. They can check out. You can also ⁓ go to our YouTube channel. put out weekly videos. 1000roads, HQ is our channel. It’s all spelled out, O-N-E-T-H-O-U-S-A-N-D-R-O-A-D-S.com. Cheryl McColgan (41:25)Awesome. Okay, awesome, and all that will be in the show notes for everyone, so don’t feel like you have to write it down. But Brad, again, thank you so much for coming and sharing your knowledge today, and I really appreciate it. Brad Pitzele (41:46)Thank you so much, Cheryl.
Here is a quick reference so you feel confident if anyone asks: The migraine + GLP-1 pilot study is published in the journal Headache (PubMed confirmed), authored by Braca et al., conducted January through July 2024, published online June 17, 2025. It is the most current clinical study on this topic. 31 participants, 12 weeks. This is the one everyone is quoting. The nutrient deficiency study is published June 2025 in PubMed, covering 461,382 adults. Very large, very recent, very credible. The muscle loss data comes from the American Diabetes Association's annual meeting in June 2025 and a Nature Reviews Endocrinology paper from July 2025. The pill approval is December 2025 (Wegovy pill) and April 1, 2026 (Foundayo/orforglipron, Eli Lilly's pill). Both are current. The FDA supplement warning on compounded and fraudulent GLP-1 products is actively updated through early 2026 on the FDA's website. Everything in this outline is sourced from 2024 or 2025, with the pill approvals being the most recent news. The hemiplegic migraine case study is from PubMed, published 2024. Resources: FREE DOWNLOAD: Toxic Migraine Triggers Guide Get the complete guide showing you the hidden inflammatory triggers fueling your migraines, including toxins in your medication, environment, and everyday life. https://dwvirtualguide.com/free-guide Book a Free Migraine Breakthrough® Assessment: Let's assess your unique migraine situation and uncover what's been keeping you stuck. https://pages.debbiewaidlcoach.com/breakthroughcall Connect with Debbie: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/debbiewaidl.coach/ Women's Migraine Freedom™ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/womensmigrainefreedom Website: https://pages.debbiewaidlcoach.com/ Email: freedom@debbiewaidl.com Disclaimer: The Migraine Freedom™ Your Way Podcast and information provided by Debbie Waidl and guests is presented solely to provide helpful information, education, and entertainment on the subjects discussed. The use of information or resources mentioned on or linked from this podcast is at the user's own risk and discretion. This podcast is not intended to diagnose or treat any medical condition. For diagnosis or treatment of any medical problem, consult your own physician. Debbie Waidl and In The Balance Health Coaching, LLC are not responsible for any medical conditions or liable for any damages or negative consequences from any treatment, action, application, or preparation to any person reading or following the information presented on this podcast. References are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of any websites or other sources.
Climate change in the context of healthcare can feel overwhelming but it doesn't have to be paralyzing. We're diving into the intersection of climate change and antimicrobial resistance with a focus on practical, actionable steps healthcare organizations can take. Drs. Shreya Doshi, Andrea Pallotta and Preeti Jaggi join Dr. Whitney Buckel to talk about what's real, what matters for healthcare, and where stewardship teams can make a meaningful impact. References: 1. Sustainabil‑ID. https://sustainabil-id.com/ 2. National Academy of Medicine. Climate Collaborative.https://nam.edu/our-work/programs/climate-and-health/climate-collaborative/ 3. Medicine for a Changing Planet. https://www.medicineforachangingplanet.org 4. Cascades Canada. https://cascadescanada.ca/ 5. EcoRxChoice. https://ecorxchoice.com 6. Rx for Climate. https://www.rxforclimate.org/ 7. Practice Greenhealth. https://practicegreenhealth.org 8. Healthcare Without Harm. https://healthcarewithoutharm.org 9. Healthcare Sustainability and Infectious Diseases. _J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc._https://academic.oup.com/jpids/pages/healthcare-sustainability-and-infectious-diseases 10. PubMed. PMID: 40434281. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40434281/ 11. PubMed Central. PMC12616928. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12616928/ 12. Sustainable Healthcare Networks. Scale and spread quality improvement initiative promoting metronidazole IV‑to‑oral switch.https://networks.sustainablehealthcare.org.uk/resources/scale-and-spread-quality-improvement-initiative-promoting-metronidazole-iv-oral-switch- Learn more about the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists: https://sidp.org/About Instagram: @SIDPharm (https://www.instagram.com/sidpharm/) or @breakpointspodcast_sidp (https://www.instagram.com/breakpointspodcast_sidp/)https://www.instagram.com/breakpointspodcast_sidp/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sidprx LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sidp/ SIDP welcomes pharmacists and non-pharmacist members with an interest in infectious diseases, learn how to join here: https://sidp.org/Become-a-Member Listen to Breakpoints on iTunes, Overcast, Spotify, Listen Notes, Player FM, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Google Play, TuneIn, Blubrry, RadioPublic, or by using our RSS feed: https://sidp.pinecast.co/
If you've struggled with overeating, it's not just about discipline. It's about biology, environment, and hormones. And for the first time, we have tools that directly address those systems. Here's a strict, evidence-based breakdown of the negative side effects of GLP medications from: 1. Peer-reviewed clinical trials (PubMed / NEJM / meta-analyses) 2. What is (and is not) documented from Dr. Amin Hedayat Follow us on IG @preplifepodcast @glamgirlbikini @amyehinger @leemarie183 Watch on YouTube: Glam Girl Bikini Join the team: https://www.glamgirlbikini.com/get-started/ 1st Phorm Supplements we use: https://1stphorm.com/?a_aid=glamgirlbikini
Dr. Mike Hart interviews Dr. Russell Kennedy about chronic anxiety as a childhood safety adaptation that never turns off, driven more by a body-based "alarm" than by thinking. Kennedy explains why understanding anxiety and talk-based cognitive approaches often have limited effect because subcortical systems communicate through feeling; alarm sensations trigger the mind to generate worries, which can become dopamine-reinforced and addictive. He discusses sensitivity (often cited as 15–20% of the population), modern stressors like smartphones and social media reducing discomfort tolerance, and high-functioning anxiety in high achievers and physicians, with sleep as a key regulation marker. Kennedy emphasizes reconnecting mind and body and adult self with younger self using somatic techniques (body scanning, hand placement, "sensation without explanation," and the SHOULD acronym), notes trauma can occur without an overtly traumatic life, links dysregulated autonomic states to varied symptoms, and shares rapid tools like the physiological sigh and alternate nostril breathing, plus his "Sanity" app and AnxietyMD resources. Dr. Russell Kennedy is a physician, author, and anxiety expert whose work explores the deeper roots of chronic anxiety, especially the role of childhood stress, nervous system dysregulation, and the body's stored alarm response. In this episode, he explains why anxiety is not just a thinking problem but a feeling problem, how worry becomes a coping pattern that keeps people stuck, why high performers often live in a state of hidden dysregulation, and how self-connection, somatic awareness, and better sleep can help break the cycle. Through a blend of clinical experience, neuroscience, and personal insight, Kennedy helps listeners better understand where anxiety comes from and what it actually takes to heal it at the root. Official site: https://www.dr-russ.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theanxietymd/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DrRussellKennedyTHEANXIETYMD Therapies Mentioned Internal Family Systems (IFS): https://ifs-institute.com/ Somatic Experiencing / somatic therapy: https://traumahealing.org/ Physiological sigh: https://www.hubermanlab.com/newsletter/breathwork-protocols-for-health-focus-stress Alternate nostril breathing: https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthy-aging-and-longevity/alternate-nostril-breath Pain / Neuroplasticity Resources Alan Gordon / Pain Psychology Center: https://painpsychologycenter.com/our-team Pain Reprocessing Therapy: https://www.painreprocessingtherapy.com/ Experts Mentioned David Goggins: https://davidgoggins.com/ Joseph LeDoux: https://www.joseph-ledoux.com/ Dr. Ethan Russo: https://ethanrusso.org/ Clinical endocannabinoid deficiency paper (PubMed): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15159679/ Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to the Hart2Heart Podcast 01:19 Anxiety Starts in the Body 03:17 Sensitivity and Modern Stress 05:58 The Dopamine Worry Loop 08:08 Self Connection Over Self Punishment 09:09 High Functioning Anxiety and Burnout 12:41 Redefining Success Internally 17:19 Discipline vs Dysregulation 21:46 Mind Body Child Separation 27:10 Finding the Alarm Sensation 29:16 Somatic Steps to Soothe Alarm 33:18 Why We Should Say Alarm 35:07 Medicine Limits and SSRIs 35:36 Medicine Misses Root Causes 36:57 Trauma Behind Weird Symptoms 38:58 Fibro IBS and Nervous System 42:31 Forgiveness and Doctor Burnout 50:51 Biohacking Anxiety Spiral 56:56 Somatic Healing and Spirit 01:02:50 Psychedelics Need Foundation 01:03:39 Physiological Sigh Tools 01:06:24 App Plug and Farewell The Hart2Heart podcast is hosted by family physician Dr. Michael Hart, who is dedicated to cutting through the noise and uncovering the most effective strategies for optimizing health, longevity, and peak performance. This podcast dives deep into evidence-based approaches to hormone balance, peptides, sleep optimization, nutrition, psychedelics, supplements, exercise protocols, leveraging sunlight, and de-prescribing pharmaceuticals — using medications only when absolutely necessary. Beyond health science, we explore the intersection of public health and politics, exposing how policy decisions shape our health landscape and what actionable steps people can take to reclaim control over their well-being. Guests range from out-of-the-box thinking physicians such as Dr. Casey Means (author of "Good Energy") and Dr. Roger Sehult (Medcram lectures) to public health experts such as Dr. Jay Bhattacharya (Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Dr. Marty Mckary (Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and high-profile names such as Zuby and Mark Sisson (Primal Blueprint and Primal Kitchen). If you're ready to take control of your health and performance, this podcast is for you.We cut through the jargon and deliver practical, no-BS advice that you can implement in your daily life, empowering you to make positive changes for your well-being. Connect with Dr. Mike Hart Instagram: @drmikehart Twitter: @drmikehart Facebook: @drmikehart
I'm seeing more PR stuff and news stories about weight lost drugs for anxiety and depression. The short version for me is that there is not enough science or science research to determine if GLP-1 can be used to treat anxiety and depression. But that doesn't stop news stories and PR pieces from being written. As a starting point, I want to explain what GLP-1 are, the intended use and some of the side effects. both positive and negative a person could experience. Resources Mentioned: Think Global has an article on the Mental Health Effects of Ozempic and GLP-1 drugs. From the From the American Psychological Association is a post about weight loss drugs and mental health. NPR did a news story about the growth of these types of drugs and possible mental health side effects. PubMed has an editorial on The Potential Role of GLP-1 Agonists in Psychiatric Disorders: A Paradigm Shift in Mental Health Treatment Novo Nordis is the manufacture of Ozempic. This is a link to there website about the product and you would have access to patient information sheets for consumers, doctors and pharmacists. Emergency Resources The Trevor Project: Provides crisis support specifically for LGBTQ+ youth through phone (1-866-488-7386), text (START to 678-678), and online chat. Available 24/7. They also provide peer support and community. Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat online. There are phone lines for those serving overseas. Visit the website to find the current status of the Veteran line and international calling options. National Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 for free, confidential support 24/7. This service operates independently of the 988 service. Users can use text, chat or WhatsApp as a means of contact. Disclaimer: Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements. Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder. This blog and podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this program is intended to be a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Medical menopause after a breast cancer diagnosis is nothing like the gradual kind. When your ovaries are shut down with Zoladex injections or removed through surgery, your estrogen doesn't decline over years — it drops by up to 90% overnight. And most women are sent home with a pamphlet and a six-week follow-up. In this episode, Jen shares her personal experience — four months on Zoladex injections followed by a bilateral oophorectomy — and breaks down everything your doctor didn't have time to explain: what medical menopause actually does to your body and brain, why it hits so much harder than natural menopause, and every strategy she uses to get through it. What we cover: Why medical menopause is so different from natural menopause — and why the symptoms are more intense The full symptom picture: hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness and atrophy, joint pain, brain fog, sleep disruption, bone loss, hair changes, and the mood shifts nobody warns you about Why your mood changes are not a character flaw — and what's actually happening in your brain chemistry Diet as medicine — what to add (phytoestrogens, anti-inflammatory foods, fiber, protein) and what to reduce (sugar, alcohol, processed foods) Exercise — the specific types that protect bone density, support mood, and reduce cardiovascular risk Vaginal estrogen — the research most women have never seen, including the 2023 JAMA Oncology study (49,237 patients) and the 2025 PubMed meta-analysis (24,060 patients), and how to bring this conversation to your doctor Supplements that actually help: magnesium, Vitamin D3+K2, Omega-3s, ashwagandha Sleep — how to set your bedroom up for success and protect the one thing that affects everything Mindset, emotional support, journaling, and when it might be time to talk to your doctor about more support Research mentioned: 72% of breast cancer survivors experience hot flashes and night sweats more severe than women without cancer — Endocrinology Advisor Over 70% of postmenopausal breast cancer survivors face genitourinary syndrome of menopause — AUA News 2024 JAMA Oncology 2023 (49,237 patients): vaginal estrogen users showed 23% LOWER breast cancer mortality risk PubMed meta-analysis 2025 (24,060 patients, 8 studies): vaginal estrogen not associated with increased recurrence — odds ratio 0.48 Abrupt surgical menopause associated with more significant mood symptoms — MGH Center for Women's Mental Health Resources + links mentioned: Not Today Cancer Inner Circle (weekly Thursday calls — all virtual): [JOIN HERE] Magnesium Breakthrough by Bioptimizers Protein powder (third-party tested with Icelandic Spirulina): [Use HELLO10 for $10 off] Hair toppers — DM Jen on Instagram @jendelvaux for info Jen's Blueprint: jendelvaux.com/blueprint Disclaimer: Nothing in this episode is medical advice. Jen is sharing her personal experience and research. Always consult your physician or oncology team before making any changes to your treatment or supplement protocol.
The skin truly is the window of the gut with eczema, psoriasis, acne, rosacea, hives, and even rashes connected to gut infection, inflammation, and leaky gut. This is acknowledged but not addressed well in the world of dermatology where patients will often be put on an antibiotic, antifungal, steroid or other prescription to bandaid the problem often leaving the microbiome more at risk for future infection and the gut barrier more damaged. In this episode, we unpack how the key formulas in the Naturally Nourished Beat the Bloat protocol can serve to support rebalancing the microbiome and repairing gut barrier for better skin health. Ali shares the particular probiotic strains to consider in restoration and recovery post-cleanse as well as how to troubleshoot your gut cleanse for best outcomes. In this episode we discuss key nutrients for skin health with supplement and food-as-medicine solutions. Ali discusses the connection of detox and liver health to gut health and why this needs to be supported along with gut health. Learn about topical considerations for skin health to support barrier and microbial balance. Links discussed in this episode: Join my Beat the Bloat Program launching 4/21/26 Naturally Nourished Beat the Bloat Supplement Bundle Best probiotic for skin health Rebuild Spectrum Probiotic GI Lining Support for Gut Barrier Health Naturally Nourished Detox Packs to aid in liver health Research studies referenced: Gut-skin axis: Emerging insights for gastroenterologists-a narrative review - PMC Very low-calorie ketogenic diet (VLCKD): a therapeutic nutritional tool for acne? - PubMed
Yale epidemiologist Dr. Harvey Risch digs into PubMed's controversial retraction of a 2025 study of Fenbendazole (FenBen) for cancer treatment by Dr. William Makis. Naomi Wolf Ph.D. is concerned about bizarre cloud formations and the real threat of government geoengineering programs – and the exclusion of women from public prayer spaces. Evolutionary biologist and pseudoscience expert Massimo Pigliucci breaks down the ancient practices of Stoicism and Epicureanism, explaining the biological and societal forces that lock human beings into predictable routines. Naomi Wolf, Ph.D. is an independent journalist, co-founder, and CEO of DailyClout.io. She edits The Pfizer Papers and authored Facing the Beast and War Room / DailyClout Pfizer Documents Analysis Volunteers' Reports eBook. More at https://x.com/naomirwolf and https://naomiwolf.substack.com⠀Massimo Pigliucci, PhD, is the K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York. His academic work is in evolutionary biology, philosophy of science, the nature of pseudoscience, and practical philosophy. He has a PhD in Evolutionary Biology from the University of Connecticut and a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Tennessee. He has published over 190 technical papers in science and philosophy and is the author or editor of 23 books. Learn more at https://massimopigliucci.net/⠀Dr. Harvey Risch is Professor Emeritus of Epidemiology at Yale. He provided testimony to the US Senate regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and has spoken widely about his opposition to masking, vaccine mandates, and the reliability of PCR tests – along with his research on COVID prevention and treatment with existing drugs. In 2025, President Trump appointed him to chair the President's Cancer Panel. Follow at https://x.com/DrHarveyRisch 「 SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS 」 • STRONG CELL – If you want to feel more like your younger self, go to https://strongcell.com/ and use code DREW for 20% off. • AUGUSTA PRECIOUS METALS – Thousands of Americans are moving portions of their retirement into physical gold & silver. Learn more in this 3-minute report from our friends at Augusta Precious Metals: https://drdrew.com/gold or text DREW to 35052 • FATTY15 – The future of essential fatty acids is here! Strengthen your cells against age-related breakdown with Fatty15. Get 15% off a 90-day Starter Kit Subscription at https://drdrew.com/fatty15 • PALEOVALLEY - "Paleovalley has a wide variety of extraordinary products that are both healthful and delicious,” says Dr. Drew. "I am a huge fan of this brand and know you'll love it too!” Get 15% off your first order at https://drdrew.com/paleovalley • THE WELLNESS COMPANY - Counteract harmful spike proteins with TWC's Signature Series Spike Support Formula containing nattokinase and selenium. Learn more about TWC's supplements at https://twc.health/drew 「 ABOUT THE SHOW 」 This show is for entertainment and/or informational purposes only, and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Executive Producers • Kaleb Nation - https://kalebnation.com • Susan Pinsky - https://x.com/firstladyoflove Content Producer • Emily Barsh - https://x.com/emilytvproducer Hosted By • Dr. Drew Pinsky - https://x.com/drdrew Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Adam D. Wolfe, MD, PhD, joins the Faculty Factory Podcast this week to discuss peer mentoring for faculty and the power of building a culture of mutual support in academic medicine. It is his third time on our show, and we could not be happier to have him back for an important chat on peer mentoring. He also shares the findings from his work co-authoring, "Outcomes of a Peer Mentoring Circle: An Innovation to Improve Academic Physician Career Advancement in a Community Hospital Setting," published in the peer-reviewed journal Academic Medicine. You can read more about that article by visiting PubMed. Dr. Wolfe is Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Program Director of the Pediatric Residency Program. He also serves as Assistant Dean of Medical Education and holds the Jann L. Harrison Endowed Chair in Pediatric Graduate Medical Education at Baylor College of Medicine in San Antonio at CHRISTUS Children's. "I think creating a peer mentoring circle requires a group of people who have some shared goals and a little bit of willingness to work together, and you can go through the steps I outlined. I think these steps would be germane for any group that wants to accomplish, or help each other accomplish their goals," Dr. Wolfe said. As mentioned, this is Dr. Wolfe's third time appearing on the Faculty Factory Podcast, please be sure to visit his previous appearances here: Visit episode 320 – Self-Promotion and Other Challenges to Embrace in Academic Medicine Check out episode 326 – Key Communication Tips for Better Relationships in Academic Medicine
Dr. Mike Hart interviews elite runner Brady Holmer about endurance training, VO2 max physiology, and common misconceptions. Holmer explains that zone 2 builds the aerobic base and enables high training volume with less fatigue, notes heart-rate zones are ideally defined by lactate thresholds, and says he primarily uses perceived exertion rather than lactate or heart rate during training. He advises against guiding workouts by wearable HRV scores, arguing accurate HRV requires standardized morning measurements and that wearable data can create a nocebo effect; trends may be informative, but subjective feel should come first. They discuss polarized vs pyramidal training and typical 80/20 intensity distributions, effective session durations, mechanisms limiting VO2 max (central vs peripheral), and why Norwegian 4x4 intervals work by maximizing time near 85–90% max heart rate. They cover breathing/nose breathing, inspiratory muscle training, sauna/hot baths as performance adjuncts, nutrition timing of carbohydrates, and supplements including beetroot, beta-alanine, urolithin A, and post-exercise ketones. Brady Holmer is an endurance-focused performance expert and elite runner whose work explores the science and practice of aerobic fitness, VO2 max, recovery, and smarter cardio training. In this episode, he explains how zone 2 training builds the foundation for endurance, why HRV and wearable data should be interpreted carefully, and how protocols like Norwegian 4x4 can improve performance when used in the right context. Through a blend of long-term training experience, research literacy, and practical coaching insight, Holmer helps listeners better understand how to train harder, recover smarter, and think more clearly about what actually improves cardiovascular fitness. Training & Cardio Zone 2 Cardio Overview (Cleveland Clinic): https://health.clevelandclinic.org/zone-2-cardio Lactate / Threshold-Based Training Threshold zones review (PMC): https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6537749/ Lactate-guided threshold interval training (PMC): https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10000870/ Norwegian 4x4 Classic VO2 max paper (PubMed): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17414804/ 4x4 protocol heart-rate response study (PMC): https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7399937/ Polarized Training Meta-analysis / review (PubMed): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38717713/ Older landmark paper (PubMed): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24550842/ Pyramidal Training Pyramidal vs. polarized study (PMC): https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9299127/ HRV & Wearables Marco Altini Official site: https://www.marcoaltini.com/ HRV4Training: https://www.hrv4training.com/ HRV Measurement / Use HRV4Training article with Marco Altini: https://www.hrv4training.com/blog2/heart-rate-variability-hrv-training-with-dr-marco-altini-how-to-exercise-using-hrv Oura Ring Official: https://ouraring.com/ WHOOP Official: https://www.whoop.com/ Experts & Writing Dr. Andy Galpin Official site: https://www.andygalpin.com/ Brady Holmer Substack profile: https://substack.com/@bradyholmer Physiologically Speaking: https://www.physiologicallyspeaking.com/ Supplements & Recovery Exercise / Performance Supplements NIH overview: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/ExerciseAndAthleticPerformance-HealthProfessional/ Creatine Cleveland Clinic overview: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/17674-creatine Beta-Alanine NIH consumer overview: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/ExerciseAndAthleticPerformance-Consumer/ ISSN position stand (PMC): https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4501114/ Beetroot / Dietary Nitrate Review (PMC): https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4008816/ Meta-analysis (PubMed): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23580439/ Urolithin A Mitopure / official: https://www.mitopure.com/ Altitude training camp study (PMC): https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12628386/ Exogenous Ketones Ketone-IQ official: https://ketone.com/ Post-exercise ketone monoester and EPO study (PubMed): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36449571/ Post-exercise ketones improved endurance training adaptations study (PubMed): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41757674/ Show Notes 00:00 HRV Training Myth 00:59 Zone Two Benefits 02:11 Finding True Zone Two 03:59 RPE Over Wearables 06:27 HRV Done Right 12:06 80 20 Training Split 15:23 Zone Two Session Length 18:37 Cardio Adaptation Science 24:03 Norwegian 4x4 Explained 30:30 Sports Versus Machines 32:54 Leg Day Timing Tips 34:58 Best Leg Exercises 38:21 Nordic Curl Reality Check 39:11 Portable Nordic Setup Tips 39:51 Biggest Running Mistake 40:18 Nose Breathing Zone Two 42:16 Breathing Tools And Myths 43:08 Inspiratory Muscle Training 44:51 How Much Benefit Really 46:27 Sauna For VO2 Max 48:35 Heat Mimics Altitude 50:59 Sauna Fertility Debate 52:54 Red Light Therapy Reality 54:30 Carbs Fuel The Work 56:25 Timing Carbs Around Training 57:52 Best Carb Food Choices 59:41 Supplements For Cardio 01:00:20 Creatine Beta Alanine Beetroot 01:02:16 Urolithin A Breakthrough 01:05:01 Ketones After Training 01:07:31 Other Supplements And Caffeine 01:09:07 SARMs Peptides And Doping 01:10:10 VO2 Max And Longevity 01:10:49 Wrap Up And Where To Follow The Hart2Heart podcast is hosted by family physician Dr. Michael Hart, who is dedicated to cutting through the noise and uncovering the most effective strategies for optimizing health, longevity, and peak performance. This podcast dives deep into evidence-based approaches to hormone balance, peptides, sleep optimization, nutrition, psychedelics, supplements, exercise protocols, leveraging sunlight, and de-prescribing pharmaceuticals — using medications only when absolutely necessary. Beyond health science, we explore the intersection of public health and politics, exposing how policy decisions shape our health landscape and what actionable steps people can take to reclaim control over their well-being. Guests range from out-of-the-box thinking physicians such as Dr. Casey Means (author of "Good Energy") and Dr. Roger Sehult (Medcram lectures) to public health experts such as Dr. Jay Bhattacharya (Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Dr. Marty Mckary (Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and high-profile names such as Zuby and Mark Sisson (Primal Blueprint and Primal Kitchen). If you're ready to take control of your health and performance, this podcast is for you.We cut through the jargon and deliver practical, no-BS advice that you can implement in your daily life, empowering you to make positive changes for your well-being. Connect with Dr. Mike Hart Instagram: @drmikehart Twitter: @drmikehart Facebook: @drmikehart
Protecting nurses and healthcare workers physically and mentally is not just one component of the Safer Together National Action Plan; it may be the one that holds all the others together. In this third episode of our Safer Together series, Patricia McGaffigan, RN, MS, Vice President of Safety at IHI, President of the Certification Board for Professionals in Patient Safety, and co-chair of the National Steering Committee for Patient Safety talks with Christine Pabico, Senior Director of the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Pathway to Excellence and Well-Being Excellence Programs. Patricia and Christine trace the development of ANCC's Well-Being Excellence Credential, the first of its kind to encompass the entire workforce across every type of care setting. We also hear from two of its pilot organizations, Children's National Hospital in Washington, D.C., and BayCare Health System in Tampa Bay, to hear how they became certified through the ANCC Wellbeing Certification and what that means for their organizations. Patricia McGaffigan, MS, RN, CPPS · Senior Advisor for Safety, Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI); President, Certification Board for Professionals in Patient Safety; Co-chair, National Steering Committee for Patient Safety Christine Pabico, PhD, RN, NE-BC, FAAN · Senior Director, Pathway to Excellence and Well-Being Excellence, American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Nikki Daily · Chief Team Resources Officer, BayCare Health System Rocky Hauch, DNP, RN, PCCN · Advanced Professional Development Practitioner and Nurse Well-Being Lead, BayCare Health System Trish Shucoski, DNP, MSN, RN, NEA-BC · Chief Nurse Executive, BayCare Health System Simmy King, DNP, MS, MBA, NI-BC, NE-BC, CHSE, FAAN · Chief Nursing Informatics and Education Officer; Associate Professor of Pediatrics, The George Washington University School of Medicine Safer Together Series In the first episode of our Safer Together Series, Donald Berwick, MD, co-founder and President Emeritus of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, and Patricia McGaffigan, RN, MS, Vice President of Safety at IHI, President of the Certification Board for Professionals in Patient Safety, and co-chair of the National Steering Committee for Patient Safety, issued a call to action: safety is not a matter of individual effort; it is a total system responsibility, built on four interlocking pillars, one of which is workforce safety and well-being. In the second episode, Kelly Randall, PhD, Vice President for Patient Safety and Regulatory Services at Ascension, where she leads the health system's comprehensive patient safety program, high reliability strategy, and system-wide deployment of the Safer Together National Action Plan, showed us what it looks like to answer that call, shifting culture across nearly 100 hospitals, one huddle, one conversation, one near-miss at a time. Resources 1. The Foundational Workforce-Safety Lucian Leape Institute. (2013). Through the Eyes of the Workforce: Creating Joy, Meaning, and Safer Health Care. Boston: National Patient Safety Foundation. https://www.ihi.org/library/publications/through-eyes-workforce-creating-joy-meaning-and-safer-health-care Gandhi, T. K., Kaplan, G. S., Leape, L., et al. (2018). Transforming concepts in patient safety: A progress report. BMJ Quality & Safety, 27(12), 1019–1026. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjqs-2018-008768 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6288701/ 2. The Safer Together National Action Plan National Steering Committee for Patient Safety. (2020). Safer Together: A National Action Plan to Advance Patient Safety. Boston, MA: Institute for Healthcare Improvement. https://www.ihi.org/partner/initiatives/national-steering-committee-patient-safety/national-action-plan-advance-patient-safety Integrating the Safer Together National Action Plan to Improve Nurse-Led Models Focused on Patient Safety. PubMed. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40876046/ 3. Nurse Burnout and Patient Safety Li, L. Z., Yang, P., Singer, S. J., Pfeffer, J., Mathur, M. B., & Shanafelt, T. (2024). Nurse burnout and patient safety, satisfaction, and quality of care: A systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Network Open, 7(11), e2443059. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.43059 Getie, A., Ayenew, T., Amlak, B. T., Gedfew, M., Edmealem, A., & Kebede, W. M. (2025). Global prevalence and contributing factors of nurse burnout: An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. BMC Nursing, 24(1), 596. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-025-03266-8 Smiley, R. A., Kaminski-Ozturk, N., Reid, M., et al. (2025). The 2024 National Nursing Workforce Survey. Journal of Nursing Regulation, 16(1), S1–S88. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2155-8256(25)00047-X 4. Workplace Violence Against Nurses Pascale, A., George, N., Potter, C., & Warshawsky, N. E. (2025). Alarming rise in nurse assaults: Urgent call for legislation. Nurse Leader, 23(3), 321–327. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mnl.2024.12.012 Wolf, L. A., Delao, A. M., & Perhats, C. (2014). Nothing changes, nobody cares: Understanding the experience of emergency nurses physically or verbally assaulted while providing care. Journal of Emergency Nursing, 40(4), 305–310. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jen.2013.11.006 5. ANCC Well-Being Excellence Credential Carson, W., & Bates, M. (2024). Elevating professional well-being in healthcare: A crosswalk of the NIOSH Impact Wellbeing campaign and the ANCC Pathway to Excellence Framework. Nursing Administration Quarterly. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11373476/ American Nurses Credentialing Center. (2025). ANCC Well-Being Excellence Credential. NursingWorld.org. https://www.nursingworld.org/organizational-programs/well-being-excellence 6. Nurse Well-Being: Building Peer and Leadership Support Program American Nurses Foundation. (n.d.). Nurse well-being: Building peer and leadership support program. NursingWorld.org. https://www.nursingworld.org/foundation/programs/nurse-wellbeing/ 7. Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation American Nurses Association. (n.d.). Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation. https://www.healthynursehealthynation.org/
Nandaka by Pique - the Rolls-Royce of coffee alternative, and Nurse Doza personally drinks it every morning. This functional mushroom blend combines lion's mane for cognitive support, reishi for stress resilience and immune strength, fermented green and black tea extract for calm, focused energy, and cacao for gut health — delivering everything coffee promises without the downsides. It's the kind of morning ritual upgrade discussed in depth in this episode.
Ready for a clear-eyed look at AI in mental health care? We kick off Season Five of Mind Dive by interviewing ChatGPT, pressing our AI guest on safety, privacy, and practical use, and then stress-testing its limits with live scenarios. No hype, no doom. Just a grounded conversation about what AI can do for clinicians and patients—and where it can't go. We map out the real utility: faster documentation, smarter screening prompts, triage support, and simple coping exercises that help patients self-regulate between sessions. Then we tackle the hard edges. We discuss anthropomorphism, why models “hallucinate” convincing but false citations, and how to verify sources in PubMed or other trusted databases. We get specific about HIPAA, GDPR, data security, and consent, especially for ambient AI that drafts notes during sessions. You'll hear a brief anxiety grounding exercise, plus tone simulations of anxious, depressed, and manic speech for training, showing how AI can support education without pretending to feel. Throughout, we keep the center of gravity where it belongs: human judgment, empathy, and ethical boundaries. We ask pointed questions about liability, medication advice, and patients who consider replacing therapy with a chatbot. The takeaway is pragmatic: start small, choose one low-risk workflow, de-identify sensitive data, and treat AI outputs as drafts to refine with your clinical expertise. The future looks like partnership—tools that handle the boring parts so we can focus on the more interesting and important human parts. Thanks to our listeners for four great years! If this episode sparks ideas or provides an “Aha moment,” please share it with a colleague, subscribe to Mind Dive Season Five, and leave a review with one question you'd like us to tackle next.Follow The Menninger Clinic on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to stay up to date on new Mind Dive episodes. To submit a topic for discussion, email podcast@menninger.edu. If you are a new or regular listener, please leave us a review on your favorite listening platform! Visit The Menninger Clinic website to learn more about The Menninger Clinic's research and leadership role in mental health.
The script explains why fiber is critical for gut and metabolic health, focusing on how soluble fiber is fermented in the colon to produce short-chain fatty acids (butyrate, propionate, acetate). It contrasts soluble fiber (forms a gel, lowers LDL by binding bile acids, slows glucose absorption, increases satiety, feeds the microbiome) with insoluble fiber (adds stool bulk, helps constipation). It highlights research showing 10 g/day psyllium husk (Metamucil) is linked to a 10% reduction in all-cause mortality and typically lowers LDL about 7–15%. Butyrate is emphasized as the primary fuel for colonocytes, supporting gut barrier integrity and potentially reducing colon cancer risk, while also affecting mitochondria, inflammation, and the brain. Propionate influences liver cholesterol production and satiety hormones, and acetate provides systemic energy. Practical supplementation "stacks," dosing ranges, food sources, GI side effects, and timing cautions (e.g., separating psyllium from minerals) are discussed. Metamucil (psyllium husk fiber) — https://www.metamucil.com/ Psyllium husk (soluble fiber) — https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a601104.html Psyllium husk (PubMed search) — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=psyllium+husk Soluble fiber (overview) — https://medlineplus.gov/dietaryfiber.html Insoluble fiber (overview) — https://medlineplus.gov/dietaryfiber.html Inulin (prebiotic fiber) — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=inulin+prebiotic+fiber Acacia fiber / Gum arabic (prebiotic fiber) — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=acacia+fiber+gum+arabic+prebiotic Beta-glucan (oats/barley soluble fiber) — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=beta-glucan+oats+LDL Pectin (soluble fiber) — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=pectin+soluble+fiber Partially hydrolyzed guar gum (PHGG) — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=partially+hydrolyzed+guar+gum Resistant starch / Potato starch — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=resistant+starch+potato+starch Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557571/ Butyrate (SCFA) — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=butyrate+short-chain+fatty+acid+colonocytes LDL cholesterol (general) — https://medlineplus.gov/cholesterol.html Magnesium (mineral supplement info) — https://medlineplus.gov/magnesium.html Show Notes 00:00 Butyrate and Colon Health 00:49 Why Fiber Matters Now 02:28 How Fiber Is Digested 03:45 Soluble vs Insoluble Fiber 06:36 Gel Effect on Blood Sugar 07:36 How Soluble Fiber Lowers LDL 10:19 Short Chain Fatty Acids 101 11:32 Butyrate Deep Dive 16:40 Propionate and Liver Benefits 18:22 Acetate for Energy and Appetite 19:29 Best Fibers to Supplement 21:33 Dosing and Food Sources 24:44 Ideal Fiber Stack and Safety 28:37 Wrap Up and Next Steps The Hart2Heart podcast is hosted by family physician Dr. Michael Hart, who is dedicated to cutting through the noise and uncovering the most effective strategies for optimizing health, longevity, and peak performance. This podcast dives deep into evidence-based approaches to hormone balance, peptides, sleep optimization, nutrition, psychedelics, supplements, exercise protocols, leveraging sunlight, and de-prescribing pharmaceuticals — using medications only when absolutely necessary. Beyond health science, we explore the intersection of public health and politics, exposing how policy decisions shape our health landscape and what actionable steps people can take to reclaim control over their well-being. Guests range from out-of-the-box thinking physicians such as Dr. Casey Means (author of "Good Energy") and Dr. Roger Sehult (Medcram lectures) to public health experts such as Dr. Jay Bhattacharya (Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Dr. Marty Mckary (Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and high-profile names such as Zuby and Mark Sisson (Primal Blueprint and Primal Kitchen). If you're ready to take control of your health and performance, this podcast is for you.We cut through the jargon and deliver practical, no-BS advice that you can implement in your daily life, empowering you to make positive changes for your well-being. Connect with Dr. Mike Hart Instagram: @drmikehart Twitter: @drmikehart Facebook: @drmikehart
In this episode of The MSing Link Podcast, I tackle the important topic of fake MS cures circulating on social media and give you practical strategies to spot what's real versus AI hype. As a physical therapist specializing in multiple sclerosis, I break down the red and green flags in MS treatment posts, discuss the dangers of misinformation, and share my top resources for fact-checking new therapies or “miracle” cures. Whether you're looking for credible MS treatment updates, research-backed mobility tips, or guidance on evaluating social media claims, this episode will help empower your journey and protect your hope. Tune in for insights, exercises, and expert advice designed to support your strength and independence with MS! Resources mentioned in this episode: PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ ClinicalTrials.gov: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ Additional Resources: https://www.doctorgretchenhawley.com/insider Reach out to Me: hello@doctorgretchenhawley.com Website: www.MSingLink.com Social: ★ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/mswellness ★ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doctor.gretchen ★ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/doctorgretchenhawley?sub_confirmation=1 → Game Changers Course: https://www.doctorgretchenhawley.com/GameChangersCourse → Total Core Program: https://www.doctorgretchenhawley.com/TotalCoreProgram → The MSing Link: https://www.doctorgretchenhawley.com/TheMSingLink
Life 3 Years After Stroke: Three years ago, Pete Rumple was in a hospital bed, weighing 337 pounds, unable to walk, unable to talk, and completely paralysed down his right side following a massive hemorrhagic stroke. He was on 17 medications and had just spent his first night as a wheelchair user. By his own admission, the first year was so dark that he didn’t want to live. Today, Pete does CrossFit every day, has lost 150 pounds, is off 15 of his 17 medications, and is about to launch a new business at 61 years old. This is what life 3 years after a stroke can look like and, more importantly, how Pete got there. The First Decision: Control What You Can Within days of his stroke, while still in the hospital, Pete made a choice. He couldn’t walk. He couldn’t use his right arm. Doctors were managing everything around him. But he could control one thing: what he ate. “I got to change everything,” he says. “And as I lay there, this was one thing I could control with all the things I couldn’t.” Pete reduced his intake to two or three bites of food per day. By the time he left the hospital 30 days later, he had lost 40 pounds. That single decision became the foundation of everything that followed. For anyone newly out of the hospital and feeling overwhelmed, this is perhaps the most important message: you don’t have to fix everything at once. Find one controllable. Start there. Books like Grain Brain by Dr David Perlmutter and Why We Get Sick by Benjamin Bikman are excellent starting points for understanding the role of nutrition in brain recovery; both are recommended in this episode. Movement: From Water to CrossFit Pete’s physical recovery moved in deliberate stages. With right-side proprioception severely affected, his body couldn’t properly sense where it was in space land-based exercise felt impossible at first. The solution was water. “The water surrounds you,” Pete explains. “It’s easier to move with what we both have.” He spent nearly a year in the pool doing aquatic therapy, then transitioned to a gym with a personal trainer for four months, then, in April 2024, ditched his cane and started CrossFit. He now attends every day, with about 30% modification. The journey from wheelchair to CrossFit wasn’t fast, and it wasn’t linear. But it was intentional. The Brain Science Behind Doing Hard Things One of the most fascinating parts of Pete’s recovery is how he used neuroscience to drive his progress. After watching a Huberman Lab episode featuring David Goggins, he learned about the anterior mid-cingulate cortex (AMCC), a region of the brain that grows and strengthens specifically when you do things that are difficult and unpleasant. “Everything I did not enjoy or created pain, I’m doing it.” This wasn’t masochism. It was a strategy. Pete began deliberately choosing the exercises, behaviours, and tasks he least wanted to do and watched his recovery accelerate as a result. His speech improved. His movement improved. His cognitive function came back faster. Bill adds important context here: when you visualise movement, your brain fires the same neural pathways as when you physically perform it. Pete used this daily, studying his CrossFit workout the night before, visualising each exercise, then arriving 30 minutes early to breathe and mentally rehearse before training. This is neuroplasticity working for you, not against you. The choice is yours: choose the hard that rewards you, or endure the hard that doesn’t. Identity: Three Words That Changed Everything Beyond the physical, Pete’s recovery demanded a complete rebuild of who he was. An executive career was gone. Independence had been stripped away. The personality and habits that contributed to the stroke, such as overworking, overeating, and using alcohol to manage stress, needed to be replaced, not just removed. He approached this the way he’d approached business: with a framework. At any given time, Pete identifies three words that define who he is. Right now: resilient, consistent, and unafraid. “I try to be honest with myself and say, where am I now?” he explains. “And it may change, but it gives me something to triangulate toward.” This kind of identity-based self-management, knowing who you are deciding to be, not just what you are trying to do, is one of the most transferable lessons from Pete’s story. What Life 3 Years After Stroke Really Looks Like Pete’s neurologist, who once saw him quarterly, recently told him she doesn’t need to see him annually anymore. “We have not seen this kind of recovery before from what you had,” she said. He’s about to start a fractional leadership business with a former CFO. He does CrossFit every day. He sleeps well. He volunteers. He uses AI tools to stay sharp and curious. He is, as he puts it, “on the other side of it.” But he’s also clear-eyed about what’s ahead: returning to high-stakes work, managing the stressors that contributed to his stroke in the first place, and monitoring the potholes that come with re-entering a demanding professional world. “I realise that is a very real risk,” he says. “I’m going to test and learn.” The Lily Pad Principle When asked how to frame the journey for people still in the early stages, Pete offers one of the most useful images in this entire conversation: “It’s like lily pads across the lake. Get to a lily pad, then get to the next one. Don’t worry about boiling the ocean. Don’t worry about what it’s going to be in months or a year. Step by step. Keep pushing.” That is life 3 years after stroke, not a finish line, but a direction. And for Pete Rumple, the direction is forward. Want more stories like this? Read Bill’s book recoveryafterstroke.com/book | Support the show: patreon.com/recoveryafterstroke Disclaimer This blog is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please consult your doctor before making any changes to your health or recovery plan. From Wheelchair to CrossFit: Life 3 Years After a Massive Hemorrhagic Stroke Pete Rumple lost 150 lbs, ditched the wheelchair, and now does CrossFit at 61. Here’s what life 3 years after a stroke really looks like. Turnto.ai InterviewPeter Rumple Interview EP 332Turnto.ai discount code: Bill10Highlights: 00:00 Introduction to Life 3 Years After Stroke Recovery Journey05:31 Physical Recovery and Rehabilitation11:05 Dietary Changes and Weight Loss15:42 Medication Management and Health Improvements21:29 The Role of Visualisation in Recovery26:03 Embracing Discomfort for Growth33:31 The Power of Hard Work and Persistence40:53 The Journey Back to Work50:48 Navigating Health Challenges56:25 Resilience and Consistency in Recovery01:04:38 Proactive Health Management01:15:11 Defining Identity Through Resilience Transcript: Introduction to Life 3 Years After Stroke Recovery Journey Pete Rumple (00:00)And Bill, I want to take a second and plug your book back in the first ⁓ the first session I did with you, I referenced a number of things you taught me through the podcast that I did to make to start building momentum like the cooking dinner every day was the to do. That was your mission. Yeah. so much of what I’ve learned from you, the podcast and what’s inevitably in the book was a great starting point for me. And I built my, my stuff on top of it, but it was really great to stand on your shoulders and get, and get that lift. Bill Gasiamis (00:44)Hi everyone, before we get into Pete’s story and you are definitely going to want to hear this one. I want to share something I’ve been using myself that I genuinely think could help a lot of you. It’s called turn2.ai and it’s an AI health sidekick that keeps you up to date with personalized updates every single week. Did you know there were over 800 new things published every week related to stroke? Research, expert discussions. patient stories, clinical trials, events. It’s an enormous amount of information. Turn2 finds what’s most relevant to you and delivers it straight to your inbox. I use it myself and it’s genuinely my favorite tool for 2026 for staying across what’s new in stroke recovery. It’s low cost and completely patient first. You can try it for free. And when you’re ready to subscribe, you can use my code, BILL10, at turn2.ai slash sidekick slash stroke to get a discount. I earn a small commission if you use that link at no extra cost to you. And that helps keep this podcast going. Also, if you haven’t yet, pick up a copy of my book, head to recoveryafterstroke.com/book. Real stories, real tools. The same stuff Pete and I talk about today and a huge thank you to everyone supporting us on Patreon and in the other ways that you support the show and myself. You’re the reason this content stays free for the people who need it You can support the show at patreon.com/recoveryafterstroke. Right. Let’s get into Pete Rumple’s story. Massive hemorrhagic stroke. Wheelchair couldn’t walk or talk 337 pounds three years later. He does CrossFit every day So you’re gonna want to hear this one. Let’s get into it Bill Gasiamis (02:35)Pete Rumpel, hello, welcome back. Pete Rumple (02:38)Hey Bill, it’s great to see you again. Bill Gasiamis (02:41)Great to see you too, my friend. ⁓ Last time we met was about a year ago. And this is gonna be a slightly different episode because we’re gonna talk about what things were like then and then what they’re like now, just so that we can paint a picture for people about how recovery has gone, what happened in the last 12 or so months. And in the previous episode, by the way, that was episode… 338 or something. And now we’re nearing episode 394, 395. will be. So I’ve been pretty consistent. So it means that it’s been over a year because I try and release one episode a week, et cetera. So it’d be a really good thing to do for people is to give them a bit of a guide of. some of the setbacks, some of the challenges, some of the things that have changed, improved. And now everyone’s different, okay? So this is Pete’s version. And what we’re hoping to do is kind of inspire hope, Pete, right? We wanna give people hope that things can change and improve. And even if it’s slower for you than other people, there can be a reward for putting in a lot of effort, hard work, re-educating yourself about what it means to live healthily. and all that kind of thing. And give us just a little bit of an insight because there’ll be a link to the original video where you can find out Pete’s complete story, but give us a little bit of an insight into the stroke, the day that it happened, what it was like. Pete Rumple (04:24)Okay, you bet Bill it was about 38 months ago. The stroke, was, it was a massive hemorrhagic stroke. ⁓ eight months in a wheelchair had to learn to talk again, walk again, all that. And, ⁓ so we had, ⁓ had the call about a little over a year and a half through it. And then, ⁓ now I’m further through it and, it’s gone amazing. I’m so lucky. So whatever we want to dig into that’ll be great. Bill Gasiamis (05:04)So your deficits were your right arm wasn’t working properly. Initially you weren’t able to walk. You were wheelchair bound for nearly six months. ⁓ So what are the physical deficits like now? What has changed? What has improved? And how did that go? what were the things that you did that helped you improve in that way? Physical Recovery and Rehabilitation Pete Rumple (05:31)Yeah. So Bill, I, um, it was my right side that I lost, which I forget what the term is, but, uh, it was my whole right side. So, um, when I, what, what I did that was important is first of all, totally overhauled my diet. And I, um, I had lost about 150 pounds. Um, I then, when I started about a year into it, I started, um, doing aquatics, the water aerobics to start dealing with their proprioception and the, um, and just movement. couldn’t, I couldn’t do that in, the ether. I couldn’t do it in the air. had to do it with the water. Bill Gasiamis (06:27)Okay, why is that? Because that’s interesting, because I have a similar problem with proprioception. My left side kind of doesn’t know where it is. There’s not enough information telling it where it is. And sometimes it overcompensates and I get off balance, etc. It feels strange. In the water, I also calmly, I felt calmly different, like I felt ⁓ more supported, even though the water wasn’t really supporting me. How was it for you? Pete Rumple (06:56)You’re absolutely right, Bill, because the water surrounds you, right? So it’s easy to move in the water with what we both have. So I spent almost a year in the water. then I started to, then what I did is I moved to a gym with someone helping me work out for about four months. And then in April, so almost a year ago, in April, I got rid of my cane and I went to CrossFit. And so now I do CrossFit every day. And that was really ugly at first, Bill, and I had to do a lot of modification. But now I modify probably 30%. But Bill Gasiamis (07:42)Uh-huh. Pete Rumple (07:54)row bike. can’t run yet. I’m still walking, but I’m getting ready to go to the beach and practice running for about a month. Bill Gasiamis (08:05)Okay, where in the head was the hemorrhagic stroke? Where did it happen? Do you know? Pete Rumple (08:14)The where, ⁓ I forget. Bill Gasiamis (08:18)That’s all right. It’s not important to remember. So also then, ⁓ when you had the hemorrhagic stroke, how was it rectified or resolved? Did they operate? What did they do? Pete Rumple (08:30)They didn’t have to operate. Bill Gasiamis (08:32)Uh-huh. Pete Rumple (08:33)They just, I got in there, they did things to make sure the bleeding stopped, ⁓ but it was no operation. Bill Gasiamis (08:45)what caused the bleed? Was it ⁓ high blood pressure as a result of your weight? Pete Rumple (08:50)It was a number of things, was high blood pressure, it was a lot of stress. They have a scale bill called the Holmes Raw Scale, Holmes with an L and Raw, R-A-H-E, where you can, it has like 42 major stress events. If you score under 150, you’re fine, 150, 300s. pretty bad and then over 300 is devastating like it’s predicts a major stroke or heart attack within a year. And I was 360 on that scale. I’d gone through the divorce, I had the kids, I had a job change, you name it, I had it. ⁓ Weight was not good, drank too much. So that was my wake up call. if you will, which was severe. And it’s been, it’s great now. Bill Gasiamis (09:53)Yeah, so your arm was completely flaccid, I think, when we spoke last. So where is it now? Pete Rumple (10:03)I can do everything with it. This is the, so I can lift and I’m lifting more weight, not where I was, but about probably 50%. I’m doing pull-ups with the arm and my legs are, I’ve worked them a lot. I’m very strong there. So it’s getting there. Bill Gasiamis (10:25)Okay, cool. When we spoke, you mentioned that in hospital alone, you’d lost 40 pounds. That kind of makes sense. A lot of people say that things change in hospital food relation. When you’re unwell, ⁓ how you consume food completely changes, as well as how hospitals ⁓ treat people with regards to the food, how it’s terrible, how often you get to eat. and how accessible it is. So, but earlier, a little earlier, you said that you lost 150 pounds all up. Dietary Changes and Weight Loss Pete Rumple (11:05)Yeah, Bill. So when I was in the hospital, which was obvious, I was there 30 days from the stroke. And that was where I had to make a choice. And it was like, if am I going to try and get better or not. And so what I did is I ate two to three bites of food a day. That was it because I was in a wheelchair, Bill, I couldn’t move. So coming out 40 pounds lighter was ⁓ a lot of work and a lot of fasting, if you will. Bill Gasiamis (11:42)Why did you decide that that was what you needed to do? How did you conclude that? I know I’m gonna be in hospital. I’ve had a hemorrhagic stroke. There’s nothing else I can do. What I’m gonna do is fast and stop eating food. How does that? Pete Rumple (12:01)was a first step, Bill. Absolutely. was like, I got to change everything. And so as I lay here, this is one thing I can control with all the things I can’t. Bill Gasiamis (12:14)In hospital though, most people in hospital don’t have that realization. I mean, that would have been days out from a hemorrhagic stroke. They’re telling you all these things. Like how did you get to that conclusion? Were you cognizant of needing to do that earlier before you got sick and then you thought, well, now I have to do it or was it an aha moment of some other kind? Pete Rumple (12:40)No, you’re absolutely right. And it was something I knew was getting out of control, Bill. And I couldn’t, I couldn’t resolve it. It was just, it was really tough. And I’m like, this is it. I mean, this is the ultimate wake up call. The other one, Bill, was I had, when I came into the hospital, I was on 17 meds. I now have two. and I’m at 20 milligrams and I’m probably off those in the next four to five months. So it’s been a long programmatic diet, nutrition, health, and it’s been three years. I mean, it’s not insignificant for sure. Bill Gasiamis (13:27)⁓ What was the 17 medications treating or or or managing? Pete Rumple (13:37)I think Bill, it’s almost like, like, what do you do with this guy? You got to throw everything at him to keep on going. I don’t think it would have been 17 for very long. It was probably stop gap measures. Some were pain, but even the pain bill second day. I said, I want no more pain meds, take them away. And it was brutal, right? Cause you know, the way you feel and the, my scapula, my legs, was, it was awful, but I was like, I found my way here, I got to find my way out and let me get off as much as I can and start the pilgrimage back. Bill Gasiamis (14:20)Before the stroke, would you have been somebody who would have taken a device to change your diet? Pete Rumple (14:28)I would have taken every hack I could have, Bill, before the stroke. Bill Gasiamis (14:34)Anything to avoid doing the hard work? that what you mean? Yes. Pete Rumple (14:38)Yes, sir. And look, I was always a hard worker. And I would work out and do stuff. But this is a whole other level. This became life or death. I mean, because you know, the stats bill, like, when I looked at the stats that about 75 % of people are gone in year one, there’s 25%, especially hemorrhagic, 25 % at the time. 25 % a month later, 25 % at the end of the year, another 20 at the end of year two. I’m like, I’m gonna go through all this and then I still have so little chance. So I just went for it and I went really hardcore. Bill Gasiamis (15:25)Did you eat, drink too much to manage emotional ⁓ stress, challenges? What do you think was behind it? Or was it just bad habits? Or did you think you were bulletproof? What was the reason behind it? Medication Management and Health Improvements Pete Rumple (15:42)Everything you just said, Bill, everything you just said. Yeah. I mean, it’s everything, right? You start justifying bad behavior. You have a reason for why things happen. And I just like, even when I try to lose weight, though, I might lose a couple pounds, but then I eat again and what I was eating, how I was eating. So in that first year, I went super deep on nutrition. and how your body works. And I went from, at the stroke I was 337 pounds. And then when I did my podcast with you, I was 180. Bill Gasiamis (16:25)Yeah, well, ⁓ one of the books that I’ll mention to people, you might have read different ones, and that’s cool. But the one that always comes to mind that I always recommend is Grain Brain by Dr. David Pelmutter. So if you’re in the very early stages of recovery and you want to make some changes like Pete did, read or listen to the book Grain Brain by Dr. David Pelmutter, and then ⁓ read a book called ⁓ Why We Get Sick. ⁓ I’m going to quickly do a search on ⁓ online because I keep forgetting the person’s name. ⁓ And what it’s going to do is going to why we get sick by Benjamin Bickman. And what it’s going to do is going to give people an insight into the. ⁓ I one of the things is the first book is the food that you can avoid and stop eating and the reasons why and how they benefit the brain and then ⁓ why we get sick is an insight into, in fact, exactly that why we get sick. so that you have an understanding of what might have got you into that real bad state. And then also before that, ⁓ the food component of it, because those two things, if you know why you got somewhere and then you know what the trigger was, what the thing was that made you get there, so the food, for example, then you’ve got a great foundation for taking the next step forward ⁓ and reversing it. Pete Rumple (18:02)Absolutely. Bill Gasiamis (18:04)and improving your health and improving your diet, losing weight and decreasing your risks of heart attack, stroke, cancer, all that kind of stuff. ⁓ So I love that you got curious. That’s what I did. I was in hospital reading and watching YouTube videos about how I’m going to recover, how I’m going to overcome things, all sorts of stuff like that. And it was… Pete Rumple (18:19)I remember. Bill Gasiamis (18:31)in a situation where control is given over to medics, doctors, surgeons, all that kind of stuff, you feel like you’re a little bit of a, you’re just floating in the wind and you’re not really stable and you don’t have an anchor point, right? So when you, if you want to feel like you’re a little more anchored, what you could do is you could take control of the controllables and Nutrition is one of those controllables and it doesn’t cost you any extra. You don’t have to spend money. Pete Rumple (19:04)You’re absolutely right, Bill. It’s a huge point. By the way, there’s a great app, and I know there are many, but there’s a great app called Yuka, Y-U-K-A. You can scan any barcode in the store and it will tell you the score and what’s wrong with it and the amount of food I was eating that was, especially in the U.S., Bill, heavily processed, additives, dyes. It’s like toxic. And so you can scan it and know what’s really in it. And it tells you what’s good, what’s bad. And it was a huge help. Bill Gasiamis (19:44)Yeah. So we’re going to have some of these links in the show notes for anyone who wants to find them. I’ll put a link to the books. I’ll put a link to Pete’s previous episode. We’ll put a link to that Yuka app. Pete, that’s your homework. You have to send me that link when we’re chatting. ⁓ When you say you’ve lost 150 pounds, like that is 50 kilograms. That is almost two-thirds of my weight. Well, it’s actually, yeah, it’s about two-thirds of my weight. That means that if I lost 50 pounds, I would just be a bag of bones. Pete Rumple (20:30)Well, and Bill, I was a bigger guy to begin with. have a big frame and I played a lot of US football, American football. So I had a lot of weight to lose, Bill, and it’s gone now. And I’m back up to about 205 and it’s all muscle life, about a 32 inch waist now. really, really fit and I go for it. And by the way, by the way, I want to make one point to all listeners that took a long time, Bill, like between being the wheelchair for eight months and then getting the pool. It took a long time. I used to go and sit and watch people work out to just reacquaint myself. Bill Gasiamis (21:03)How old are you? The Role of Visualisation in Recovery Pete Rumple (21:29)what it looked like and inspire myself. It has been a long road, but my goodness, is absolutely I’m on the other side of it now. Cause as I had said in the first podcast, the first 18 months, I did not want to live, especially year one, ⁓ immense amount of pain. had been a successful executive that was gone. Like it was really really rough. And so now it’s beautiful. And I want people to know that because it it’s so worth it. Delay gratification, you learn a lot about it. And it’s ⁓ Yeah. Bill Gasiamis (22:14)I love that delayed gratification, but also you went into a gym watching other people train when you couldn’t train, just so you can be around it and familiarize yourself with it again. That’s really interesting. That’s probably one thing I’ve never done is go to a gymnasium and watch other people train. It’s a bit creepy Pete. Pete Rumple (22:32)Yeah, it is. It’s weird. And people would look at me like, what’s he doing? And by and by the way, Bill, I did a lot of work on how to breathe, which was really helpful, how to how to manifest and to really sit and get mentally so I go even today, Bill, I go in a half hour before my workout to work on breathing and visualizing my exercises, because I get the the list of what my workout is before I get there the night before. So I study and I prepare and then go. Bill Gasiamis (23:10)What I love about visualizing is that if you visualize the brain actually fires off the exact same neuron and pathways that it does if you actually physically do that thing. And there’s been studies in the past that have showed that you can take an average guy like me and you can make them watch a video of somebody doing archery, for example, and you can ⁓ take them through a number of repetitions of this person, this champion doing archery. And just with that information and the visualization techniques later, you can take somebody who has basically never shot ⁓ an arrow through a bow and you can get them to a certain level of competence far more rapidly than you would have if you just got that person out of a crowd and sent to him. Have you ever shot an arrow? If they said no and they took the shot, they probably wouldn’t be able to do it as well as the person who was trained by just watching what the other person, the champion was doing. And when I was in hospital wanting to walk again, I’m sitting in my bed between sessions because I had a wheelchair as well. And I was visualizing myself doing the perfect walk, what the perfect walk would look like. And then I would take myself later to ⁓ therapy where I would be walking and I would be trying to replicate what I was seeing in my head so that we could get a similar result. And of course at the beginning, your leg is now doing it physically and it needs to catch up to the brain. The brain has ⁓ the pathway, but the leg needs to catch up. So then what the leg does is it goes, this feels a bit weird or this is a bit strange or this is not how I expected it. But it has a reference point for where to get to and how to do the perfect step, right? And then you’re closer to the perfect step than you were if you were just relying on therapists to ⁓ train you through that. Pete Rumple (25:22)You’re absolutely right, Bill. And the brain is amazing. Look, it can work for you or against you depending on what you’re thinking and how you’re doing things. And it was really amazing, Bill, because as I built my capability through CrossFit, it was amazing how my brain would start to take over. Like I wasn’t sure, but my brain was already, I got it, and so grew. It started carrying me and just getting it done. It’s amazing. Bill Gasiamis (25:58)Yeah, yeah. Embracing Discomfort for Growth But how did you know to do that? That’s the thing that I’m interested in understanding because I didn’t know the guy before stroke didn’t know about doing like magic like this. know, how do you, I don’t know, like, can you explain how you found yourself in that situation? Cause I can’t, people go to me like, well, how did you know to do that? Or how did you do that? And I’m like, I don’t know what happened, but something clicked. that made me stumble onto, discover, find all the necessary tools that I needed to get me to the next stage. I’ve never been able to do that before and I can do that now. Pete Rumple (26:46)Yep, me too, Bill, me too. And you know what? I think it’s how desperate we are for answers. And especially you can read all these blogs about what doesn’t work and what’s a waste of time, but you find the nuggets and you go for it. Here’s a great one, Bill. And I’ll send this in the link. Andrew Huberman, he runs a podcast called Huberman Lab. He had David Goggins on and he purposely waited for Goggins to share with him the research around the AMCC, which is the anterior mid-cruciate cortex, which is a part of the brain. And when you do things that are hard and you don’t enjoy it, that part of your brain grows and gets stronger. So I sat there, Bill, and I’m like, well, damn, if I can start to make my brain stronger, I’m going to do it. So I did all the stuff I hate to do. And I started doing it. And I started even faster, talking better, walking better, and really doing everything I did not like to do. And he even brings up the point when he describes it. He brings up that if you like running every day, It doesn’t work. But if you hate running and you have to go run, it works and it makes sure and make, they’ve learned so much that was, that was about three to four years ago. They found it, but this is a massive find in the brain. And I started using it, Bill. And what I started to do was everything I did not enjoy or created pain. I’m like, I’m doing it. And it took me from averting it to leaning into it. And it was amazing. it’s, you’d think it’s BS, it’s not. And Huberman, you know, he works at Stanford. He knows his stuff. It was really, really impactful. Bill Gasiamis (29:03)Yeah, it’s about being comfortable being uncomfortable, isn’t it? Like it’s realizing that you’re probably not killing yourself by paying in a little bit of pain exercising. also, yeah. Pete Rumple (29:16)And Bill, I will just say, I did a very good job for the first time in my life of listening to my body. So I go hard, I push, but when I wasn’t feeling it or didn’t feel right, I take the day, relax, and then come back stronger next. Bill Gasiamis (29:38)I want to pause there for a second because what Pete just described is exactly the kind of thing I wrote about in my book. The idea that the obstacle is the path, the doing the hard stuff in recovery. If you haven’t grabbed the copy yet, it’s called the unexpected way that a stroke became the best thing that happened. You can find it at recoveryafterstroke.com/book. The link is in the show notes and in the YouTube description. So let’s get packed. to Pete. Bill Gasiamis (30:08)Yeah, yeah, agreed. And it’s important to listen to your body after a stroke, because you don’t want to make things worse, especially when you’re still healing and still recovering and you’re still fragile, you know, there’s a lot of things that you need to take into consideration. However, being uncomfortable and being comfortable with that is really a good skill to master. ⁓ It is, ⁓ it reminds me of the saying that we hear that’s often attributed to the old great Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, which is the obstacle is the way, you know, when you get to something that’s really hard, you go for it, because that’s what you’re to be. That’s the purpose of the obstacle. It’s to overcome it, to find the way around it, under it, over it, through it, whatever it is. And Goggins is a scary guy. He’s a scary guy, because he runs without, without cartilage in his knees or something. I don’t know what he’s missing. but he shouldn’t be able to run, he shouldn’t be running and somehow he still runs. I think his version of running is a little toxic. I think he’s just a slight too far, ⁓ but nonetheless, it’s still proof of ⁓ what you’re capable of and how much people can push and go beyond their comfort zone. And if you’ve never pushed beyond your comfort zone, there’s no better time to do it. You really have to do it now because you want to activate the right neuroplasticity. You don’t want to activate negative neuroplasticity, which rewires your brain to be more comfortable, less willing to do hard things. ⁓ And therefore, you get the results of that. You get the decrease in your recovery or the ⁓ overcoming of your deficits. So I appreciate that whole ⁓ mentality of finding what’s hard and you’re probably in the right place. That’s probably what you need to do. Pete Rumple (32:07)Absolutely right, Bill. And I agree with everything you said. And look, I love Goggins, but it’s not to be like a warrior like him. The point is, like with Huberman, it was cool because Goggins thinks that way so much. He wanted to launch the foundational research with Goggins there with him. He purposely waited. So it was pretty cool. Bill Gasiamis (32:35)Yeah. And that that’s the thing, right? It’s like you get rewarded for doing hard things. ⁓ Stroke is hard. And if you ⁓ take the easy route, the comfortable route, the hard part of your stroke remains hard. Like it doesn’t get better. If you choose the other hard, the recovery Pete Rumple (32:59)right. Bill Gasiamis (33:04)benefits that you get from choosing hard of exercise, the hard of changing your diet, the hard of changing your mindset, et cetera. Like then that version of hard gets you a reward that is beneficial. The other hard just gets you more suffering. And that’s the hard you wanna avoid. Suffering without purpose. Well, suffering for a purpose gets you a payoff. The Power of Hard Work and Persistence Pete Rumple (33:31)That’s right. That’s exactly right, Bill. And look, with the, when you put it all together between the diet, though, increasingly working out, going after the deficits, all that, day by day, painful, hard, depressing, but you start looking three months, six months, a year later, you’re like, you start building your will and your ability. to do things you did not think you could do, and then it starts feeding on itself, and it becomes so powerful. Bill Gasiamis (34:09)Yeah, that’s my experience too. ⁓ Somebody put it in my head that I should start a podcast 10 years ago. It’s been 14 years since my first stroke this month, February, 14 years. It’s just gone like that. And then about three years in, a friend of mine said, should start a podcast type of thing. So I did. And it has been more than 10 years that I’ve been doing this podcast. ⁓ And I never thought that I’d be doing a podcast, let alone for 10 years. We’re talking about at the beginning, not a lot of episodes because I was too unwell to put a lot of episodes out. it’s ramped up now in the last four or five years, doing an episode a week, most weeks. And then the other thing I never ended up, I never thought I’d end up doing is writing a book here. Here’s the plug for the book. Pete Rumple (35:01)love it. I love it. Bill Gasiamis (35:03)The title is mental, like it’s the unexpected way that a stroke became the best thing that happened. ⁓ But the book is exactly the things that you’ve said. And I thought initially when I discovered those things about my book that I needed to put in my book, I thought that I was rediscovering these for the first time. Like at the very beginning, diets, ⁓ mindset, ⁓ exercise, sleep. ⁓ ⁓ meditation, hanging around other people who are positive, all that kind of stuff, doing stuff for other people, ⁓ like volunteering, that kind of thing. I thought I was discovering these things ⁓ for the first time ever, but turns out these are things that humans have always done. That’s what they default to. They default to all of these things when it’s necessary, and that’s where they get lost from. They kind of move away from there because they get diverted from there, from say, marketing or advertising or what somebody else is doing or through a lack of ⁓ focus from being distracted from work, from relationship issues, whatever the situation is. I didn’t write anything different in my book than has been written in the hundreds and thousands of books on this topic that have come before it. I just reorganized that and set it in my own words. But the reality is, is this is what people do when they’re trying to recover. They default back to the bare basics and they’re things that you can implement without ⁓ spending any extra money buying a course or anything like that. Of course, you might need to read it in a book for the first time to remind you or you might need to hear it on a YouTube video, but the reality is, is that nothing new in this book. Pete Rumple (36:51)And Bill, I want to take a second and plug your book because I have not read it yet. But back in the first ⁓ the first session I did with you, I referenced a number of things you taught me through the podcast that I did to make to start building momentum like the cooking dinner every day was the to do. That was your mission. Yeah. so much of what I’ve learned from you, the podcast and what’s inevitably in the book was a great starting point for me. And I built my, my stuff on top of it, but it was really great to stand on your shoulders and get, and get that lift. Bill Gasiamis (37:38)Yeah, isn’t it weird? Like it was just one thing, but it was the most important one thing. My whole world revolved around that. If I could put dinner on the table for the family in any capacity, it didn’t have to be like a five star meal or three courses or anything like that. It just had to be dinner. If I could do that, then that was kind of how I rehabilitated myself. I needed to be healthy enough, good enough, fit enough, have enough energy to just put a meal on the table for everyone when they came home from. work. was such a it’s such a it was it was important for many reasons. But it was also what I didn’t realize the underlying benefits that it was creating, which were the ones that ⁓ I noticed later after Pete Rumple (38:25)Yep. And you were re-engaging and you were pushing yourself. And I remember you go to the store to buy the stuff you needed sometimes. like all that stuff, Bill, when I look at the beginning, I couldn’t watch a TV for over a year. I couldn’t listen and did not listen to music for two years. It was, and now I’m like back in the fold, but it’s the push, the push, the push and just, you know, listening to the body, but going for it all the time. Bill Gasiamis (39:03)Yeah, exposure, like exposure, exposure, exposure, small, then larger, then more and more. I remember going to the stores to the local mall here, and we call it a shopping center, and parking the car, and then not being able to remember where I parked the car, walking around the entire car park, and talking to my brother, and going to him, he rang me just out of blue and I said to him, he goes, what are you doing? I said, I’m walking around the car park. He what are you doing that for? That’s because I don’t know where my car is. I’ve been looking for it for half an hour and I’ve got no idea where it is. I parked it and I just got no idea where. I don’t know which car park. I don’t know where I came in from. I don’t know what level it was on. And I was just walking around the car park talking to my brother, just telling him, I came and got a few things, but now I can’t get back to my car. Pete Rumple (39:55)Yeah, and there’s definitely you know bill once I got out of the darkness There’s definitely some really funny stories That that happened especially like the way The way I would walk people would see me I might be in a restaurant and i’m going to the bathroom and they think i’m drunk Yeah, and they’re like making fun of him like hey i’m not drunk, but ⁓ I get you know, I’m all right, I got it. And they’d be like horrified and I’d just start laughing. It was funny, but you gotta have some fun with it too, you know? Bill Gasiamis (40:34)Absolutely, you have to, you gotta laugh. you don’t laugh, well, it’s gonna be difficult time. You, ⁓ I remember when we spoke last time, you mentioned about trying to get back to work. ⁓ How did that go? Was it successful? Did you have some challenges? What was going back to work like? The Journey Back to Work Life 3 Years After Stroke Pete Rumple (40:53)So Bill, I’m gonna start back in June. I’ve done some projects, work projects, but I have not officially started working, but I’m going to. I’m starting a business with a close friend of mine, my former CFO, and we’re gonna start a new business. Bill Gasiamis (41:18)Tell me about the new business. What is it about? Can you share anything about it? Pete Rumple (41:22)Yeah, it’s called fractional leadership bill will probably go to companies that are ⁓ getting funded, trying to grow. They got a good idea. They can’t afford the people they need. So you basically it’s less consulting. It’s more you’re operating it for them and you work with multiple customers and it’s called fractional leadership is becoming a really pretty popular model. And, ⁓ and also for companies that have that have their revenue is stalled or shrinking, get them turned around. That was my background. My background was ⁓ running chief revenue officer. So everything that drives revenue in a company and I was a CEO twice. Bill Gasiamis (42:06)Uh-huh. Soon. Did you have a specific industry that you worked in? Pete Rumple (42:23)Yet a lot of times I call it TMT for telecom media and tech so tech companies and media and That kind of stuff Rosetta Stone was his language learning company. I was I ran all our institutional business education government and and ⁓ Corporate Bill Gasiamis (42:49)Wow, what a challenge. mean, technology is changing so rapidly. ⁓ I Pete Rumple (42:55)love it, Bill. And look, I’m sorry, I just had to make this point and not forget it. That was another thing I’ve done, Bill is I’ve gone heavy into AI. And I did it, not just because it’s the buzzword. But I’m like, Hey, if I’m going through this process, if I’m retraining my brain, why not try to get good at stuff that I either didn’t do or need to know. And it’s been so rewarding, Bill. Bill Gasiamis (43:24)out. Pete Rumple (43:25)It’s just crazy. Like AI, use chat chat, GBT, and it’s like my, my best friend. now work with chat daily and it’s amazing how the tech technology works. Not only can it be really helpful for figuring things out and having a partner, but it also remembers things about you in how it builds the profile. So it’ll basically say, Pete, don’t forget this, this, and this. And it’s awesome. It’s really killer. Bill Gasiamis (44:02)So here comes another plug, Pete. Okay, so this is not a sponsor, but it’s something that I truly believe in, okay? Because the person who contacted me, A, is an Australian, B, is a mother, ⁓ C, is a mother of two children with cerebral palsy. And she was looking for solutions to all the challenges that they faced as a family, especially to help her children, right? parent would do. So then ⁓ she used to do research like you and me jump on the computer, do some research, find out about all the things that ⁓ she needed to know with regards to what was most current in cerebral palsy right now. And she’s the struggle because ⁓ imagine like the time that it takes when you have a stroke brain to research, read, comprehend, determine whether Pete Rumple (45:01)We know. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Bill Gasiamis (45:04)whether or not that is applicable. Okay, that’s not applicable. Put that to the side, do another search. And then also going to doctors and researchers and all these other people and saying to them, what about this? What about that? And then them not being aware of anything that was new because they’re too swamped. They’ve got a massive workload. They don’t have time to be up to date with all the research, right? And this is a hundred percent a full on plug. I’m not apologizing for that. However, what this lady did, Jess from turn2.ai, I have a link to her interview as well, because I interviewed her, is she created an ⁓ AI that goes and does the research, the searching for you, and then sends you an email every week with everything new in your particular topic, for example, stroke. And then it tells you, I found seven, nine, 10 things for you this week that are new on stroke. It could be a podcast. It could be a research document. could be ⁓ whatever it is. It could be a book. It could be anything. It just finds it and sends you that information. And as your recovery continues, right, ⁓ what happens is ⁓ you might say, okay, now is there any information about food related to stroke recovery and healing the brain? And then it adds that to the search list. And then it comes back at the end of the next week with all the new information from food and brain. And then also whatever it was that you previously prompted it to find you. And it just keeps finding information and you build it and you build it and you build it. And then next week you get interested in meditation and you type, what can you tell me about meditation and healing the brain? And then it’s going to bring you all that information to your inbox. I spent hours and hours and days and days trying to find information about what I needed to know about stroke recovery. And when I found that little piece of paper, I had to go through the rabbit hole. I had to go down the rabbit hole and try and find ⁓ where ⁓ where it kind of where the exit point was where it led to so that I can discover whether I need to implement this, do this. So this just saves so much time and the guys are selling it for two bucks a week. Like you can get a month free and two, and then after that it’s two bucks a week just to find and do all the searching for you and bring you specific and relevant stuff. And we’re talking about scientifically relevant and specific like PubMed articles, like scientifically proven stuff, not what Bill ⁓ concocted up in his bedroom. you know, in suburban Melbourne, like proper things. So I love that you said that you’ve turned to AI. I’ve been using chat as well. Chat helps me with so many things, but what’s important is to learn how to interact with it. And that’s another, that’s another thing, another skill to discover. And it’s important that we jump on the bandwagon. AI is not going away. You need to learn about it, how to interact with it, and how to use it to benefit you and decrease the amount of time it takes to do something and get to recovery. Pete Rumple (48:37)You’re absolutely, absolutely right, Bill. I mean, it is, and even if you just use it for basic stuff to begin with, and you start learning how to create the right prompts to get the kind of answers you’re looking for, it’s a great skill. And the biggest thing is not being afraid and leaning into it. Bill Gasiamis (49:00)Yeah, not bad. Well, there’s nothing to be afraid of. They can get them all for free. At the beginning, you can get a free subscription. It doesn’t cost anything. And it’s just as useful. Perfect for that early training kind of phase in your chat, in your chat, JBT kind of discovery. There’s also Claude, there’s also the Elon Musk one. There’s hundreds of them now. Yeah, there’s heaps of them now, right? So I really encourage people to do that because If you ask it one question like, you know, what is one of the most ⁓ best books that I can read for, we’ll call it nutrition for nutrition and stroke recovery. That’s just going to decrease the amount of time it takes to find those books and bring that to you. Jump on Amazon, find it, get it sent to your house. ⁓ So I think it’s a great time for people. and it’s never been a better time to recover from a stroke. I mean, it’s a shit ⁓ group to become a part of at the beginning and it’s difficult and it’s painful. But if somebody has a stroke today compared to a stroke 30 years ago. Pete Rumple (50:17)⁓ my goodness. Bill Gasiamis (50:19)Like it’s a completely different experience. ⁓ I think we’re kind of lucky to be living in the time that we’re living. ⁓ Even though I know that people hear about AI and what it could potentially do in some other situations. ⁓ Let’s use it for good. Like let’s break the work. Pete Rumple (50:21)That’s all we’ll That’s right. That’s exactly right, Bill. It can be used for evil, but it can be used for good. So use it. That’s right. Navigating Health Challenges Bill Gasiamis (50:48)Yeah, just like any technology, right? Like you hear all these things, but any technology can be used for good or evil. So let’s just use it for good. Let’s just make the most of it. So before your stroke, you were going through a divorce or had you already been divorced? Pete Rumple (51:08)I was already divorced. Yeah, it had been it had been a couple of years earlier. I had a bad car accident a bunch of but you know the kids live with me. It was just a stress sandwich and I did not go out the right way. Bill Gasiamis (51:27)Yeah. You didn’t go out at the right way because what do you think was behind that? Like, it’s hard to make really good decisions in very stressful times anyway. You have to have an opportunity or the insight to pause, step out of that situation for a little bit, reflect and then try and make decisions. how did you get into that stage where you found yourself not being ⁓ not going about things appropriately, for example, perhaps. Pete Rumple (52:02)For me, Bill, it was like I didn’t have a choice. I was now in a wheelchair. I was in pain and I had nothing I could do but think. And at first that was very negative. It was, I didn’t handle it well. I didn’t accept it. And once I went through that process and I got like, okay, I’m going to get holistic about this. And by the way, I don’t want to, I don’t want to just fix the physical and then I get done and everything else is a wreck. So went after all of it and just started carving up my day, spiritual, cognitive, physical, mental, every day, a block of each practicing writing, all that stuff. So I just started doing it and rebuilt my life. probably like I should have in the first place, but stuff happens. I had to, you sometimes, you know, we, you and I laughed about this before. Sometimes we’re a little thick. takes a little longer. So it took me a while, but I’m there now. Bill Gasiamis (53:18)Yeah. And reflecting on that version of yourself from the past, does that does that person ever come up again, every so often, because we’re talking about all these positive things, all these amazing changes. And I don’t want to paint a picture that it’s only ever fantastic you and I like what we go through after our initial stroke has been all just roses. Is there moments of that things rearing their ugly head and you reverting back, how do you catch yourself when you’re there? Pete Rumple (53:57)Yeah, I mean bill that’s why what’s really good about this is my first podcast with you because we went really deep in the in the darkness of that now bill is beautiful man. It is beautiful. I am almost I almost don’t talk to people about it because My life is so much better because I had a stroke. It’s crazy. It sounds nuts, but it’s so true. Everything’s sweeter. I just, it’s hard to describe. It’s a blessing. Bill Gasiamis (54:38)Yeah, that’s crazy. It is probably crazy. Pete Rumple (54:42)It is? Bill Gasiamis (54:45)I find myself, ⁓ I find myself obviously having bad days. My bad days are related to stress, ⁓ you know, work, if they’re related to ⁓ interactions with people that don’t go the way that I preferred. They’re related to ⁓ what the stroke still does to me after 14 years. ⁓ It still causes neurological imbalances. still causes tightness on my left side, know, that tightness causes dysfunction on my right side, you know, the body goes out of whack. And if I catch it, if I have a bad night’s sleep, things get thrown out and it’s hard to, ⁓ it’s hard to always navigate it and be effective at catching it and then doing something about it, you know, cause you’re human, you get distracted, et cetera. Pete Rumple (55:38)Well, and Bill, you’re bringing up great points because as I transition back to work, I’ll have some potential potholes that I don’t have right now. So I’m very, I’m very conscious of what I’m going to go back into. Now. I love, I love work. It’s my sport and I love it. But, ⁓ and today I have now. bad moments, not bad days. Maybe those occurred, but I’m going to try to stave that off. But that’s just how it is now. as of as of now, that’s that’s the update, if you will. Yeah. Resilience and Consistency in Recovery Bill Gasiamis (56:25)Yeah. Okay. I like that you said that about work, like there’s gonna be some potholes with if you’re doing the type of work that you’re doing. ⁓ That’s pretty high level and high stress and intense for ⁓ at some stages, it could be right, you’re talking at organizations that are going through a hard time that are looking to you to solve their problems, so to speak, or to support them solve their own problems. So ⁓ You know, the ramping that up is gonna need a little bit of thought so that you don’t go too far into that type of work without realizing how far in you’ve gotten. Pete Rumple (57:10)Absolutely right, Bill. You’re absolutely right. And look, I’m going to try to be as bulletproof as I can. The good news is I’ve been doing this work my whole career. So it’s been 40 years. So I don’t think I have to micromanage or get to like, I think I can find the right balance if I can’t. I’ll go to a lesser job and do something else. But so I realize, especially because I can get pretty intense. So ⁓ I realized that is a risk, a very real risk. I’m not shying away from it. I’m not saying, don’t worry. yes, there is stuff to worry about, but I’m gonna, I’m gonna test and learn. Test and learn is what I always do. Test it and learn, can I do it, not do it, do I have to do different, do I have to do something else? Bill Gasiamis (58:14)Yeah, brilliant. How old are you now? Pete Rumple (58:17)61. Bill Gasiamis (58:18)Okay, so at 61, most people are thinking about retiring. What are you thinking starting a new business at 61? Pete Rumple (58:25)Well, mean, Bill, look, let’s be honest, I think the last three years off. So I have some ⁓ room left in the battery. But I mean, part of the reason for this type of job, Bill, is because if we do this, we run it. And we’ll decide how we take care of clients, how we work and all that. And if I have to take on less, take on less. If I can take on more, take on more. And I’m gonna, like everything else, I’m gonna figure it out one step at a time, Bill. And I, you know, I don’t have the answers, but I’m gonna find them. Bill Gasiamis (59:11)And retirement’s not really in the frame for you. Like it’s not something that you’re thinking about, like to ⁓ officially retire, know, step away from the day to day and just, you know, go and sail off into the sunset type of thing. Pete Rumple (59:24)Yeah, I think to your point, Bill, like if I can make this work, I’ll probably work through my 60s. If I can’t, then I’ll have to probably hang it up earlier or do something lighter. And if that’s the way to be healthy, so be it. I’ll do that. Bill Gasiamis (59:43)What else does work bring you though? Because it doesn’t just bring work income. Like it brings more than that. Like for you, I feel like it’s more than just I’m making a wage or bringing in some money or whatever. What else does it bring? Pete Rumple (1:00:02)Yeah, it’s it’s competitive, Bill. It’s it’s my sport. You know, so hitting the numbers in a month and a quarter and a year. That is the scoreboard for what I do. And if you if you do it well, you can do really well and be very happy and influence a lot of people’s lives in a positive way. And if you don’t, it can be really awful. So Fortunately, I’ve been on the right side of that for a long time and I want to get back to it and no ego stuff I just I want to I want to I want to have an impact and I want to enjoy my sport. Bill Gasiamis (1:00:48)Fair enough. Even in your unhealthiest and heaviest before the stroke, were you this energetic? Did you have this same amount of energy? Pete Rumple (1:01:00)I’ve always been energetic, Bill, but I couldn’t operate like I do now. Like my sleep is wonderful. I go hard at the gym. I do projects. I volunteer. Like I’ve been readying myself for coming back in. And look, if I can, great. If I can’t, I’ll adapt. Bill Gasiamis (1:01:27)Yeah. I know when I went back to work, uh, well, I had to, I had to pause my business. have a painting and maintenance. Yeah. I had to pause it. I had to go back into an office, very basic admin role, like low level, but it was so hard being at work, sitting in front of a computer for eight hours a day. We started, I started that job in 2016 and finished in 2019. By the time I got to 2019. Pete Rumple (1:01:36)I remember. Bill Gasiamis (1:01:57)I was way more capable of going in focusing on the task at hand and doing the work that needed to be done and then being able to be okay to do the drive home because at some point at the beginning I wasn’t really able or up to the task. But I kind of built ⁓ the muscle again and then got to that stage where by 2019 it was fine. So some people might find going back to work like You know, retraining that muscle of being at work and working and focusing and all that kind of stuff. They might find that it’s gonna take a little bit of time to get there and you might have to step back. You might have to decrease the days, decrease the hours and then go again and then try and find where the threshold is, see if you can exceed it and then see how far you can push it and reflect a year, 18 months, two years. Pete Rumple (1:02:38)That’s right. Bill Gasiamis (1:02:56)down the track back to notice how far you’ve come. Pete Rumple (1:03:00)Yeah, right on Bill. I mean, I’m gonna have been out of it for 42 months, probably when I go back. So I hear you loud and clear, and it would have been really tough to do it. before now. Bill Gasiamis (1:03:20)Yeah. Yeah. And you did have a you had a goal to get back to work a lot earlier. Pete Rumple (1:03:29)Yes, that’s right. And ⁓ that’s another thing, Bill, like I’ll set an intention to do something. I’ll go for it. I’m not ready. I’m not gonna, I’m not gonna do it wrong. I’m not gonna hurt myself. So I set a goal. I try to manifest it, but if I have to push it, I push it. Bill Gasiamis (1:03:51)Yeah. Just before we spoke and started this episode, you’re you apologize for wearing a hat, which is was unnecessary ⁓ because you have a scar on your head because there was a skin cancer found. And before it became a thing, the you got you had it removed. That’s right. So now when So I wanna understand like your mindset now compared to before when you come across ⁓ an issue like that, a health, potentially health issue for people. How do you navigate that now compared to how you might have done things before? ⁓ Proactive Health Management Pete Rumple (1:04:38)Beautiful question. Yeah, I used to avoid all that stuff. I avoided the doctor. I don’t want to do this. I want to there’s always a reason to do something else. Now I lean in, I pay attention, I learn I go in, I may agree or not agree with the doctor on certain things. But especially now because I can think again, took me a couple years. But yeah, I lean in. I want to I want to get in there. I want to know what’s wrong. What’s right. What have you just had my annual exam two days ago ago. It went great. Labs came back great. I I my neurologist that I used to have to ⁓ visit quarterly said Pete I don’t even need to see you annually now. Just if you need me call me. Other than that you’re good to go. And she said, we have not seen this kind of recovery before from what you had. Bill Gasiamis (1:05:43)Yeah, I have a similar experience when I was in hospital. They booked me in for two months. I was out in a month ⁓ in rehab and I feel like they should have asked me what I was doing because It’s really important for people to know the difference between being passive and waiting for somebody to rehabilitate you or being the person who’s driving your own rehabilitation. Like there’s a massive difference and Pete Rumple (1:06:13)Huge difference, Bill. You’re right. Huge difference. mean, last last call, I talked to you from my sister’s house in December, just a couple months, few months after it, I made the decision to move out on my own, which I did, which really stunk, Bill. That was hard. Like, I there were some nights I couldn’t eat. I was like, I can’t I’m either gonna make the the bed or the kitchen, which am I doing? Bed. And I just do it. And but it was important. It was important to start knowing where I could push and not being too reliant. Bill Gasiamis (1:06:59)Yeah, yeah, the less reliant you can be the better, but still also good to be able to rely on people when you need a little bit of support. Pete Rumple (1:07:05)Right on. Absolutely. don’t, you know, it was, there’s not a right or wrong. It’s like, what do you think? What’s your gut? Bill Gasiamis (1:07:14)Yeah. Now let’s do a little bit of a community service announcement about this skin cancer. A, how did you notice it? ⁓ What were the steps that you took after you noticed it? How long did you take? Why did they remove it? And so on. Give us a little bit of information. There’ll be people listening here who ⁓ may have noticed a little bump or a lesion or something on their face, their head, their arm, whatever. Give us a little bit of an understanding of how that came to be. Pete Rumple (1:07:43)absolutely the one thing I’ve done Bill through my life as I’ve stayed disciplined on the dermatologist and I don’t know why I think it’s how I was raised everything else I skipped but the dermatologist I stayed on top of and to your point if I notice something and it seems pervasive like it’s not going away I have it looked at a
When the ice cracked beneath Darven Miller's feet on December 13, 1979, it triggered a cascade of events that seemed impossible to survive. The 11-year-old remained trapped under the frozen surface of Duncan Creek for nearly 30 minutes, his body temperature plummeting to 82 degrees. By the time rescuers pulled him from the water, he had no pulse, no breathing, and pupils fixed and dilated—clinically dead by every measure. What the medical team at a small Wisconsin hospital did next, and what happened 70 minutes into their desperate resuscitation attempt, would challenge everything doctors thought they knew about the limits of human survival. This is a story about the microscopic margin between death and life, and about a boy who became a man determined to live every moment to the fullest. 00:00 Welcome to Crux 00:31 Ice Breaks Open 02:09 Setting the Scene 03:26 Under the Ice 04:19 Rescue at 30 Minutes 06:10 ER Fight Begins 06:54 Acidosis Explained 08:07 Rewarming and Defib 10:50 Heartbeat Returns 11:43 Wakes Up Asking Water 13:15 Rehab and Full Recovery 14:57 Why He Survived 17:40 Life After the Miracle 19:01 Lessons for Medicine 25:34 Final Takeaways 27:26 Listener Wrap Up Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreaon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast Email us! thecruxsurvival@gmail.com Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/ Get schooled by Julie in outdoor wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/ REFERENCES: 1. "45 years pass since boy survived cold water drowning," WEAU, March 23, 2024 2. "Boy who almost drowned as good as new," UPI Archives, December 15, 1980 3. "Recovery of a 62-year-old Man From Prolonged Cold Water Submersion," ScienceDirect, November 4, 2005 4. "Hypothermia. Cold-water drowning," PubMed, PMID: 2054134 5. "Survival after prolonged submersion in cold water without neurologic sequelae," PubMed, PMID: 7387271 6. "Ice Water Drowning Survival After 147-Minute Submersion and 7°C Hypothermic Circulatory Arrest," JACC: Case Reports, 2025 7. "How to bring cold water drowning victims back to life," MyPoolSigns Blog, March 11, 2025 8. "Cold water immersion: sudden death and prolonged survival," The Lancet, December 1, 2003 9. "Anna Bågenholm," Wikipedia, November 6, 2025 10. "Successful resuscitation after drowning with severe hypernatraemia," PMC, December 2019 11. "Hypothermia – Core EM," coreem.net 12. "Duncan Creek Trail," GO Chippewa County Wisconsin 13. "HSHS St. Joseph's Hospital," Hospital Sisters Health System website 14. "St. Joseph's Hospital memorialized in exhibit at History Center in Chippewa Falls," Chippewa Herald-Telegram, November 29, 2024 15. "Our History at HSHS Medical Group," HSHS website Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Your skin is not just a cosmetic surface. It's a living organ that responds to signals, and the right light signal can flip your biology into repair mode. -Watch this episode on YouTube for the full video experience: https://www.youtube.com/@DaveAspreyBPR -Get a discount from LYMA by using code ‘DAVE10' at: https://lyma.life/ In this episode, Host Dave Asprey goes to London to meet Lucy Goff, founder of LYMA, at the LYMA headquarters. Lucy and her scientific team engineered a rare kind of at-home cold laser that delivers precise 808nm light with deep penetration, without burning, cutting, or “damaging to rebuild.” Their work is backed by published research in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal, and they've tested gene expression in human dermis, including a reported sixfold increase in SIRT1, a major longevity pathway. This is why you can trust this conversation. It's not vibes, it's engineering, biology, and data. Most “red light” products are basically glorified LEDs. They can be fine for the surface, but they do not deliver the kind of coherent, polarized, monochromatic light that your cells actually respond to in deep tissue. That matters because your mitochondria run the whole show. When mitochondria get a clean signal and more usable energy, your body suddenly has budget for repair, collagen, circulation, and recovery. That is the real mechanism behind anti-aging that does not rely on controlled injury. We get into how this kind of light hacking can change skin quality, muscle support under the skin, and even scars and fascia. We talk cartilage, knees, jowls, pigmentation, and the weird reality that you might not feel anything while it's working. Dave also shares his early biohacking experiments using light for brain optimization, including the time he overdid it and temporarily scrambled his speech. That story will make you respect the power of light as a biological tool. We also talk human performance and travel. Dave breaks down how he uses light management for sleep optimization and jet lag, and why controlling light is as important as controlling food, fasting, ketosis, and metabolism. There's also a practical angle here that most people miss: with AI, you can now take dense PubMed research and translate it into usable decisions without needing a PhD, which changes how fast you can learn, test, and personalize. If you care about longevity, neuroplasticity, recovery, and looking younger without trashing your tissue, this episode gives you a smarter way to think about lasers, supplements, nootropics, and the whole functional medicine stack. This is Smarter Not Harder biohacking, with a laser. You'll Learn: • Why LED “red light therapy” is not the same as laser-based mitochondrial activation • How coherent light influences mitochondria, collagen quality, and anti-aging repair • What gene expression changes like SIRT1 suggest about longevity signaling • How light may support brain optimization, circulation, and neuroplasticity • Why scars and fascia can disrupt performance, and how light can support remodeling • How Dave uses light and lifestyle hacking for sleep optimization, travel, and metabolism • How AI makes research-driven biohacking more accessible and more personal Thank you to our sponsors! • • • • Dave Asprey is a four-time New York Times bestselling author, founder of Bulletproof Coffee, and the father of biohacking. With over 1,000 interviews and 1 million monthly listeners, The Human Upgrade brings you the knowledge to take control of your biology, extend your longevity, and optimize every system in your body and mind. Each episode delivers cutting-edge insights in health, performance, neuroscience, supplements, nutrition, biohacking, emotional intelligence, and conscious living. New episodes are released every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday (BONUS). Dave asks the questions no one else will and gives you real tools to become stronger, smarter, and more resilient. Keywords: cold laser therapy, 808nm laser, LYMA laser, infrared light therapy, red light vs laser, mitochondrial activation, SIRT1 gene expression, longevity biohacking, anti aging skin tech, collagen regeneration, fascia repair, scar healing laser, pigmentation removal light, brain optimization light therapy, neuroplasticity support, circulation enhancement, human performance recovery, functional medicine tools, Dave Asprey biohacking Resources: • LYMA Website (Use Code ‘DAVE10' For A Discount: https://lyma.life/ • Get My 2026 Biohacking Trends Report: https://daveasprey.com/2026-biohacking-trends-report/ • Dave Asprey's Latest News | Go to https://daveasprey.com/ to join Inside Track today. • Danger Coffee: https://dangercoffee.com/discount/dave15 • My Daily Supplements: SuppGrade Labs (15% Off) • Favorite Blue Light Blocking Glasses: TrueDark (15% Off) • Dave Asprey's BEYOND Conference: https://beyondconference.com • Dave Asprey's New Book – Heavily Meditated: https://daveasprey.com/heavily-meditated • Join My Substack (Live Access To Podcast Recordings): https://substack.daveasprey.com/ • Upgrade Labs: https://upgradelabs.com Timestamps: • 0:00 — LYMA Laser Origin • 1:20 — Dave's Early Light Experiments • 5:15 — Laser vs LED • 10:54 — Safety and Diffusion Lens • 16:37 — 808nm and the Brain • 19:36 — Intimate Performance Effects • 26:03 — Knee Before and After • 29:25 — Vampire Bat and Veins • 37:36 — 6x SIRT1 Activation • 42:42 — Mitochondrial Signaling • 45:04 — Veins and Pigmentation • 52:14 — Scar Recovery See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Send us a Text Message (please include your email so we can respond!)Episode 86! In this episode we talk about endotracheal tubes or "Hospital and long-term outcomes for subglottic suction and polyurethane cuff versus standard endotracheal tubes in emergency intubation" published in Lancet Respiratory Medicine February 2026 by Treggiari et al.Pubmed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41319662/LRM: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(25)00294-2/abstractIf you enjoy the show be sure to like and subscribe, leave that 5 star review! Be sure to follow us on the social @icucast for the associated figures, comments, and other content not available in the audio format! Email us at icuedandtoddcast@gmail.com with any questions or suggestions! Thank you Mike Gannon for the intro and exit music!
Drs. Jensen and Richey welcome Dr. Ryan Rigby to Dean's chat! An alum of the Arizona College of Podiatric Medicine, Dr. Rigby is a Fellowship Trained Foot & Ankle Surgeon who is originally from Logan, Utah and enjoys practicing in his home town. This episode is sponsored by Bako Diagnostics!He specializes in Minimally Invasive Surgery along with Arthroscopy and surgical repair of deformity and fractures. Dr. Rigby performed a Fellowship specializing in Total Ankle Replacement surgery. He also enjoys research and has authored many publications and textbooks.A PubMed link to his work can be found here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=rigby%2C+RB%5BAuthor%5D&sort=date Dr. Rigby also lectures both nationally and internationally. He has given over 400 lectures to Surgeons on leading techniques in Foot & Ankle surgery. He has served as the Chair of the American College of Foot & Ankle Surgeons. He is also a Section Editor for the Journal of Foot & Ankle Surgery. Dr. Rigby enjoys working with Athletes and finding new techniques to help them return back to sports as soon as possible. In his free time he enjoys snowmobiling, boating and traveling with his wife and children.
Thank you for joining us for our 2nd Cabral HouseCall of the weekend! I'm looking forward to sharing with you some of our community's questions that have come in over the past few weeks… Pati: how do you lower and keep cholesterol low during early menopause and when you have Familial Hypercholesterolemia. I have 315 total /240 LDL/70HDL/50 Trig. I am 5.4 height, 120lb and gluten free and dairy free for 13yrs and eat very low carbs and sugar. Never taken statins because they make my joints hurt but had high cholesterol for years but 300 was my highest. What can I take that can help and what should i eat. Thank you Pati Anonymous: Hi Dr. Cabral. Just wanted to confirm. Podcast 3576 reviewed a PubMed study that gave a minimum daily dosage of 10,800 FU to obtain desired results. The podcast gave me the impression that your supplement exceeded the 10,800 FU/day since only the 20,000 FU number was given. However, 3 plus does per day would be needed? Please can you clarify? Proteolytic Enzyme supplement. Natto Serving dosage on label is - (20,000 FU/g) 150mg My understanding is Natto amount is 3,000 FU 20,000 FU/g x .150g =3,000 Is this correct? Ashley: Hi Dr. Cabral, I have a detox meal timing question for you. When I did my last set of the big 5 labs, my health coach told me that it would be OK for me to eat at 8 and 3 instead of 11:30 and 6:30 as I feel much better when I fuel my body in the morning. When I don't, I feel ravenous in the evening. However, the admin in the FB group disagreed and said I shouldn't do that. Can you please clarify and let me know how big of a difference it makes to eat later instead of earlier? I feel like if eating earlier in the day helps me actually stick to the foods I'm supposed to eat and I'm still fasting for the same lengths of time that it would be OK. If it's a bigger deal than I realize, will you please explain the reasoning? Thanks so much! Tommy: Hi Dr. C, I'm an IHP who's come a long way with healing, but I feel stuck for the remainder. I've attempted a detox only once in my life. After the 4th day I was so wiped out that I couldn't really even work. I've also got high heavy metals but the protocol causes me such histamine reactions (even at a lower dose) that I just can't see it through. I feel stuck, I play for a soccer team but even training is too hard on my nervous system and leaves me wired. Maybe I should just try gentler detox like sauna and castor oil packs but I'm not sure it will be enough, and the sauna may just deplete me further. I've suffered so much with health and I'm in a better place, but still much work left to do. Lou: Hi Dr. Cabral, I am 15 and listen to your podcast every morning on the way to school with my mom. I was wondering, what would you say are your 5 favorite books? They dont have to be health books. thanks, Lou Thank you for tuning into this weekend's Cabral HouseCalls and be sure to check back tomorrow for our Mindset & Motivation Monday show to get your week started off right! - - - Show Notes and Resources: StephenCabral.com/3670 - - - Get a FREE Copy of Dr. Cabral's Book: The Rain Barrel Effect - - - Join the Community & Get Your Questions Answered: CabralSupportGroup.com - - - Dr. Cabral's Most Popular At-Home Lab Tests: > Complete Minerals & Metals Test (Test for mineral imbalances & heavy metal toxicity) - - - > Complete Candida, Metabolic & Vitamins Test (Test for 75 biomarkers including yeast & bacterial gut overgrowth, as well as vitamin levels) - - - > Complete Stress, Mood & Metabolism Test (Discover your complete thyroid, adrenal, hormone, vitamin D & insulin levels) - - - > Complete Food Sensitivity Test (Find out your hidden food sensitivities) - - - > Complete Omega-3 & Inflammation Test (Discover your levels of inflammation related to your omega-6 to omega-3 levels) - - - Get Your Question Answered On An Upcoming HouseCall: StephenCabral.com/askcabral - - - Would You Take 30 Seconds To Rate & Review The Cabral Concept? The best way to help me spread our mission of true natural health is to pass on the good word, and I read and appreciate every review!
Entrepreneur Wellness: Supplements, Stress, and Emotional Vitality "Modern medicine lies to us about that. It does say that we are symptoms to be managed, not people to be healed." In Episode 480 of Richer Soul, Rocky Lalvani sits down with Jared St. Clair, owner of Vitality Nutrition and host of Vitality Radio, for a grounded conversation about what it really takes to rebuild health and "the promise of vitality." Jared shares how he grew up in a family health food store (working there from age 7, managing it at 15, and buying it at 22), why trust in modern medicine has eroded, and why he believes the body must be treated as a connected system, not isolated parts. The episode also dives into Jared's "Vital 5" supplement framework, the risks he associates with long-term use of PPIs like Nexium/Prilosec, and the deeper mindset work he calls "emotional vitality," including the story of his wife Jen's long journey from decades of psych meds to being off them for about six years. 7 Soul-Level Insights from Jared St. Clair: Jared learned "money up close" through entrepreneurship. He describes the up-and-down nature of entrepreneurial income, "leaner years" and "better years", and how that shaped his mindset growing up. He took on real responsibility early and built mastery through repetition. Jared started working at 7, was helping customers by 14, managed the store at 15, hired his first employee at 16, and bought the business at 22. Before the internet, natural health meant books + tradition, not PubMed. Jared explains that there was no internet and very little clinical study of nutraceuticals, so he learned through foundational books and lived experience. Trust in medicine has eroded, and healthcare has become political. Jared says trust is "eroded substantially" and describes polarization after COVID, where the same intervention is perceived differently depending on who promotes it. Treating the body like separate "parts" creates blind spots. Jared critiques fragmented care (specialists not challenging each other) and emphasizes that systems (like heart and lungs) are inseparable. Jen's Story shows what Jared calls Emotional Vitality (supplements + diet + mindset). Jared shares that Jen had anxiety/depression since 13, was on psych meds most of her life, and after a long, cautious weaning process has been off pharma meds ~6 years and no longer deals with anxiety/depression the same way. Start simple: "The Vital 5." Jared recommends a baseline for many adults over ~35: omega‑3s, magnesium (he favors bisglycinate for most people), a high-quality multivitamin, probiotics, and digestive enzymes. Why This Conversation Matters A lot of people are doing "all the right things" and still feel stuck, tired, anxious, inflamed, or dependent on symptom-management strategies that never resolve the root. Jared's message is a reminder that vitality is built on foundations: digestion, nutrition, and mindset, and that the body is a connected system, not a collection of separate departments. It's also a practical wake-up call: quality matters. If your supplement supply chain is unreliable, you can't trust your results, and Jared explains why he's cautious about where products come from. Money Learning Jared grew up in an entrepreneurial household and learned firsthand that financial life can be cyclical. He describes feeling like his family could "figure it out," even when money was tight—and later stepped into ownership responsibility young, buying the store at 22 and building a life around serving customers over decades. Key Takeaway You're not just a set of symptoms to manage. Jared challenges the "managed forever" mindset and shares what he believes creates real change: better inputs, better foundations, and better internal programming. Guest Bio: Jared St. Clair Jared St. Clair is the owner of Vitality Nutrition and host of the Vitality Radio podcast. He says he started working in his family's health food store at age 7, began managing it at 15, hired his first employee at 16, and bought the store at 22. At the time of recording, he says he's 53, has owned the store for 31 years, and has worked there for 45 years. Links Website: https://vitalitynutrition.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MyVitality/ https://www.facebook.com/vitalityradio/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vitalitynutritionbountiful/ https://www.instagram.com/vitalityradio/ Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/vitality-radio-podcast-with-jared-st-clair/id1499760048 If you're feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure where to start with your health—start here: Build a base: try Jared's "Vital 5" framework as a starting point, then refine based on your body and needs. Audit digestion + inputs: if you're relying on symptom suppression (like long-term reflux meds), revisit foundations and get support before changing anything. Track your self-talk for 7 days: Jared's advice—notice how you describe yourself, because your brain treats it as truth. #RicherSoul #LifeBeyondMoney #Vitality #Nutrition #Supplements #GutHealth #EmotionalVitality #Mindset Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@richersoul Richer Soul Life Beyond Money. You got rich, now what? Let's talk about your journey to more a purposeful, intentional, amazing life. Where are you going to go and how are you going to get there? Let's figure that out together. At the core is the financial well-being to be able to do what you want, when you want, how you want. It's about personal freedom! Thanks for listening! Show Sponsor: http://profitcomesfirst.com/ Schedule your free no obligation call: https://bookme.name/rockyl/lite/intro-appointment-15-minutes If you like the show please leave a review on iTunes: http://bit.do/richersoul https://www.facebook.com/richersoul http://richersoul.com/ rocky@richersoul.com Some music provided by Junan from Junan Podcast Any financial advice is for educational purposes only and you should consult with an expert for your specific needs.
Thursday, February 5, 2026 - Week 6 Happy #RareDisease & #BlackHistory Month! #NaturalHistory means how this disease progresses. Reminder: We have only been at this for 17 years, first patients were identified via Hamdan, 2009. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19196676/ Retrospective Digital NHS: cureSYNGAP1.org/Citizen (Growing list of tools available to families, for free) Prospective Multi-disciplinary Multi-site NHS: ProMMiS cureSYNGAP1.org/ProMMiS Reminder, only possible by CS1 support for non-CHOP sites and travel plus huge gift to Penn. https://www.chop.edu/news/25-million-gift-penn-medicine-and-children-s-hospital-philadelphia-establishes-center-epilepsy Potential for being a control arm in the future. Protocol: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/curesyngap1_syngap1-stxbp1-dee-activity-7425223573134327808-SVEQ & early data: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40119723/ Join the ~160 families who have enjoyed excellent clinical care and contributed tot he future of SYNGAP1. Today, a 4 month old is going! CHOP: 119 new, V2- 67, V3- 32, V4- 10, V5- 4 CHCO: 37 new, V2- 7 Stanford: 8 new, V2- 2 Total: 164 (double counting one family who goes to multiple sites) Survey English: https://curesyngap1.org/SurveyProMMiS Spanish: https://curesyngap1.org/encuestaProMMiS 94 Responses to survey, so far: Why not? Did not receive an invitation, Too far to travel, Too expensive Barriers: Logistics, Cost, Time off, Behaviors, Insurance ETC. Pubmed 2026 is at 6! But will soon be 7 with the McKee paper! https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=syngap1&filter=years.2026-2026&sort=date Biorepository needs more samples. Check out the list and map here https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1IjaHILXj7AlBDlbTJgvYrkBS_0bnI8VCnTIiPXJ7JGM/edit?usp=sharing and contribute blood. The data and research we do with these samples is invaluable. May 28, San Francisco, CA: cureSYNGAP1.org/SF26 SOCIAL MATTERS 4,668 LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/company/curesyngap1/ 1,520 YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/@CureSYNGAP1 11.2k Twitter https://twitter.com/cureSYNGAP1 45k Insta https://www.instagram.com/curesyngap1/ $CAMP stock is at $3.59 on 5 Feb. ‘26 https://www.google.com/finance/beta/quote/CAMP:NASDAQ Like and subscribe to this podcast wherever you listen. https://curesyngap1.org/podcasts/syngap10/ Episode 198 of #Syngap10 #CureSYNGAP1 #Podcast
Send us a textIn this episode, I take a close look at how health misinformation spreads in modern wellness culture — and why it's so destabilizing to the nervous system, especially in the Information Age.People often ask me to review things they see on Instagram or explain whether a claim is “true.” I'm not here to fact-check the internet — but I am here to help you build discernment. Because when you don't have a filter, your nervous system becomes the filter. That's how people end up overwhelmed, confused, and disconnected from their bodies.Building on the previous episode about the shadow side of wellness culture, I walk through a real Instagram carousel as a case study. The post claims that vitamin D determines whether calories become fat or muscle, backed by PubMed citations and a personal transformation story.This episode slows that claim down.We explore:• Why single-nutrient narratives oversimplify human physiology• How PubMed studies are often misused or misunderstood• Why animal studies and unrelated research don't equal clinical truth• How transformation stories create false certainty• Why changing a lab number doesn't mean healing occurred• How nutrient chasing creates new imbalances• Why this model backfires faster in women's bodies• And how wellness content trains people to outsource discernmentThis is not an episode about vitamin D.It's about how reductionistic health advice erodes trust, fuels protocol fatigue, and keeps people chasing fixes instead of restoring stability.I also share why I work from an ecosystem-based approach using minerals and the microbiome — and why healing requires context, pacing, and nervous system safety, not more force.If you're exhausted by wellness advice and ready for a more coherent way to understand your body, this conversation will help sharpen your filter and protect your biology.Support the show Support the podcast Mineral Foundations Course HERE Minerals & Microbes package HERE Rewilded Wellness program HERE Join my newsletter HERE If you are interested in becoming a client and have questions, reach out by emailing me: lydiajoyme@gmail.com Find me on Instagram : @ Lydiajoy.me
You've got a decision you've been putting off. Maybe it's a career move. An investment. A difficult conversation you keep rehearsing in your head but never starting. You tell yourself you need more information. More data. More time to think. But you're not gathering information. You're hiding behind it. What looks like due diligence is actually overthinking in disguise. The certainty you're waiting for doesn't exist. It won't exist until after you decide and see what happens. I call this mindjacking: when something hijacks your ability to think for yourself. Sometimes it's external. Algorithms, experts, crowds thinking for you. But sometimes you're the one doing it. That endless research? It feels like diligence. It functions as delay. You're not being thorough. You're mindjacking yourself. Today, you'll learn a framework for knowing when you have enough information, even when it doesn't feel like enough. Because deciding before you're ready isn't recklessness. It's a skill. And for most people, that skill has completely atrophied. The Real Cost of Waiting At a California supermarket, researchers set up a tasting booth for gourmet jams. Some days, the display showed 24 varieties. Other days, just six. The bigger display attracted more attention. Sixty percent of people stopped to look. But only three percent actually bought jam. When shoppers saw just six options? Thirty percent purchased. Ten times the conversion rate. More options didn't help people choose. More options paralyzed them. The jam study has been replicated across dozens of categories since then. The pattern holds. More choices, more overthinking, fewer decisions. Think about your postponed decision. How many options are you juggling? How many articles have you read? Every expert you consult, every scenario you play out in your head... you're not getting closer to certainty. You're adding jams to the display. And while you're researching, the world keeps moving. Opportunities close. Competitors act. Your own situation shifts. The decision you're avoiding today won't even be the same decision six months from now. Waiting has a cost. Most people dramatically underestimate it. The Two-Door Framework So how do you know when you have enough information? Jeff Bezos uses a mental model that's useful here. Picture every decision as a door you're about to walk through. Some doors are one-way: once you're through, you can't come back. Selling your company. Getting married. Signing a ten-year lease. These deserve serious deliberation. Most decisions, though, are two-way doors. You walk through, look around, and if you don't like what you see, you walk back out. Starting a side project. Trying a new marketing strategy. Having that difficult conversation. The consequences are real, but they're not permanent. The mistake most people make is treating two-way doors like one-way doors. They apply the same level of analysis to choosing project management software as acquiring a company. They're not being thorough. They're overthinking reversible choices. That's how organizations grind to a halt. That's how careers stall. That's how opportunities evaporate while you're still "thinking about it." Before you gather more information, ask yourself: Can I reverse this? If yes, even if reversing would be annoying, you're probably overthinking it. The 40-70 Rule General Colin Powell used a decision framework he called the 40-70 rule. Military leaders and executives have adopted it for decades. The Floor: 40% Never decide with less than forty percent of the information you'd want. Below that threshold, you're not being decisive. You're gambling. The Ceiling: 70% Don't wait for more than seventy percent. By the time you've gathered that much data, the window has usually closed. Someone else acted. The situation changed. The decision got made for you, by default. The Sweet Spot That range between forty and seventy percent is where good decisions actually happen. It feels uncomfortable because you're not certain. That discomfort isn't a warning sign, though. It's the signal that you're doing it right. Most overthinking happens above seventy percent. You already have what you need. You're just not ready to commit. If deciding feels completely comfortable, you've probably waited too long. The Productive Discomfort Test "I genuinely need more information" and "I'm using research as a hiding place" feel identical from the inside. Both feel responsible. Both feel like due diligence. I once watched a friend spend eleven months researching a career change. She read books. Took assessments. Talked to people in the field. Built spreadsheets comparing options. She knew more about the industry than people working in it. And at month eleven, she was no closer to a decision than at month one. The research had become the activity. The feeling of progress without the risk of commitment. She wasn't preparing. She was hiding. And she couldn't tell the difference. So how do you tell productive research apart from overthinking? Four tests: Test 1: The Flip Question Ask yourself: What specifically would change my decision? Not what would make me more comfortable. What would actually flip my choice? If you can't name something concrete, you're not gathering information. You're stalling. Test 2: The Repetition Check Are you learning genuinely new things? Or finding different sources that confirm what you already suspected? The third article about the same topic isn't research. It's reassurance-seeking dressed up as diligence. Test 3: The Timeline Test Have you set a deadline for deciding? "When I have enough information" isn't a deadline. That's an escape hatch that never closes. A real deadline has a date. It's in your calendar. It arrives whether you're ready or not. Test 4: The Broken Record Test If you keep telling the same people "I'm still thinking about it" for the same decision over weeks or months, that's not thinking. That's avoidance on autopilot. You've become a broken record, and everyone can hear it except you. Here's the uncomfortable truth: if you fail more than one of these tests, you probably already have enough information. You're not under-informed. You're over-attached to the comfort of not having decided yet. The goal isn't to eliminate uncertainty. You can't. The goal is to act while uncertainty is still manageable, while you can still correct course, while the opportunity is still breathing. Your Decision Deadline That decision you've been postponing? It has an expiration date. Not one you set. One that's already running. Every week you wait, the context shifts. The opportunity narrows. The person you'd need to have that conversation with forms new assumptions about your silence. You're not preserving your options by waiting. You're watching them quietly disappear. This week, not someday, identify the decision you've been postponing. The one that popped into your head when this video started. You know exactly which one I mean. Set a deadline. Pick a specific date by which you will decide. Not a date by which you'll have complete information. A date by which you'll commit to a direction. Write it down. Put it in your calendar. Make it real. Then ask the two-door question: Is this reversible? If it is, your deadline should be soon. Days, not months. When that deadline arrives, decide. Not perfectly. Not with complete confidence. Deliberately, with the information you have, knowing you can adjust as you learn more. And once you've decided, set a checkpoint. Pick a date, two weeks out, a month out, when you'll evaluate whether to stay the course or walk back through the door. This isn't second-guessing. It's building the feedback loop that makes two-way doors work. Decide now, verify later. That feeling of deciding before you're fully ready? Get used to it. That's what good decision-making actually feels like. Closing Uncertainty isn't going away. Not for this decision, not for any decision that actually matters. The question is whether you'll learn to act within it, or let it become a permanent excuse. Acting under uncertainty requires energy, though. Mental fuel. And when that fuel runs out, everything changes. That's next time: deciding when you're depleted. Because the hardest decisions in your life won't happen when you're rested and sharp. They'll happen at 10 PM after a brutal day, when someone needs an answer and you're running on empty. Before You Go You've got two choices right now. Choice one: scroll to the next video. Let this become another thing you watched but didn't act on. Choice two: pause for thirty seconds. Think about that decision. Set the deadline. Put it in your calendar before you leave this page. Thirty seconds. That's the difference between insight and action. If mindjacking is a new concept for you, I've got a full episode that breaks down how to spot when your thinking has been hijacked, whether by outside forces or by yourself. Link's below. For those who want to support the work and the team behind these episodes, you can become a paid subscriber on Substack. That link is below too. One question for the comments: What decision are you finally going to stop researching and start making? Your deadline begins now. Sources The Jam Study Iyengar, S. S., & Lepper, M. R. (2000). When choice is demotivating: Can one desire too much of a good thing? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79(6), 995-1006. The study was conducted at Draeger's Market in Menlo Park, California. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11138768/ Full paper: https://faculty.washington.edu/jdb/345/345%20Articles/Iyengar%20&%20Lepper%20(2000).pdf The 40-70 Rule Attributed to General Colin Powell. The rule appears in "Quotations from Chairman Powell: A Leadership Primer" by Oren Harari (1996), based on Powell's My American Journey (1995). Powell served as a four-star general in the U.S. Army and as the 65th U.S. Secretary of State (2001-2005). The formula "P = 40 to 70" represents the probability of success based on percentage of information acquired. Source: https://govleaders.org/powell.php The Two-Door Framework Bezos, J. (2015). Letter to Shareholders. Amazon.com, Inc. Annual Report. The framework distinguishes between "Type 1" decisions (one-way doors, irreversible) and "Type 2" decisions (two-way doors, reversible). Bezos elaborated on this in his 2016 shareholder letter, noting that organizations often mistakenly apply heavyweight Type 1 processes to reversible Type 2 decisions. Source: https://s2.q4cdn.com/299287126/files/doc_financials/annual/2015-Letter-to-Shareholders.PDF
Hey guys! Happy 2026! I know Dry January is super popular, so I wanted to take today's episode to dive into alcohol and fat loss. We're diving into how and why it affects fat loss, and specifically how it's harder as we age. Research published on PubMed shows that women tend to reach higher blood alcohol levels than men drinking the same amount, partly because they generally have less body water and a smaller volume for alcohol to distribute into (PMID 10890798, PMID 11329488). Research also shows that as we age, total body water and lean body mass decline, so the same amount of alcohol results in higher blood alcohol concentrations in older adults (PMID 837653, PMID 18090653).Join the Shred (starts Jan 12th)Apply for coaching CURED Serenity gummies (code Emma saves 20% through jan)HAPI supplements The EmPowered Community free Facebook group Follow Emma on InstagramFollow Emma on Facebook
Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 3243: Hrefna Palsdottir explores how specific probiotic strains may aid in weight loss by improving gut health, reducing inflammation, and regulating appetite-related hormones. The article highlights evidence supporting the role of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains in lowering belly fat and preventing weight gain, offering a natural complement to a healthy lifestyle. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/probiotics-and-weight-loss Quotes to ponder: "Probiotics may reduce the number of calories you absorb from food." "Evidence indicates that Lactobacillus gasseri may help people with obesity lose weight and waist circumference." "Certain probiotic strains, such as VSL#3, may be able to reduce weight gain." Episode references: Lactobacillus gasseri and weight loss (PubMed): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24912386/ VSL#3 Probiotic Blend (VSL#3 Official Site): https://vsl3.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices