Dr. Carrie Jones rejoins the Evolution of Medicine podcast to discuss the functional medicine approach to depression, anxiety and attention issues. She is an avid educator who specializes in stress and endocrine health.

A recent systematic review found that the serotonin theory of depression is scientifically unsupported,  which raises the question: What does this mean for patients who use either SSRIs or SNRIs? Dr. Jones explains how she answers this for concerned patients and discusses her approach to resolving mood issues by looking for root causes.

Other topics discussed in this conversation include rising mental health issues amongst teenagers in particular, group care, and mental health lifestyle factors, such as balancing neurotransmitters, stress management, social connection, nutrition, gut health and physical activity.

Tune in and listen to the whole conversation to learn about the following from Dr. Jones:

• Examples of how blood sugar dysregulation can harm sleep quality and mental health
• Problems that can arise when supporting only one neurotransmitter
• Specific nutrients she uses for patients with mood dysregulation
• The potential for technology, especially continuous glucose monitors, to empower patients in their health journeys
• And much, much more!

Kristen Brokaw hosts this episode which features Andy Sutton, CEO of Kare Health & Wellness. 

Andy and his wife, Keri Sutton, cofounded and grew a successful integrative health center. Andy’s background is in architecture as a project manager, and his wife is a nurse practitioner who serves as the chief medical officer of Kare Health & Wellness. At the clinic, Andy also oversees marketing, new staff hires and training.

Their clinic prioritizes developing and nurturing a strong culture amongst staff. Andy believes his staff’s cohesiveness and shared values has a downstream effect of benefiting patients and allowing their business to be more efficient, which is one of the keys to their success.

This episode belongs to the Evolution of Medicine’s Business of Functional Medicine series. Once a quarter, we bring you conversations that focus on the business and practice management side of functional medicine. 

Check out the full recording to learn more about Andy’s approach to the following:

•        Developing a standardized staff training program
•        Staff hiring and fostering a team culture
•        Leveraging emotional appeal to acquire and retain patients
•        New patient onboarding
•        And much, much more!

Guest:  Amanda Wilson, MD, CEO, Founder

In this episode, we learned about emerging, research-based treatments for alcohol use disorder (AUD) that pair well with functional medicine values. 

Traditional 12-step programs have startlingly low success rates (8% for Alcoholics Anonymous) and teach some principles that are not supported by scientific literature—for example, that patients must abstain and avoid exposure indefinitely to stay in recovery.  

James’ guest, Amanda Wilson, MD, is an addiction physician who cofounded NorthStar Care, an alcohol treatment center that approaches AUD as a medical issue and offers a year-long, physician-monitored, at-home program. They incorporate functional medicine elements, including nutrition therapy, genomics for personalized medication selection, social support groups, and several technologies, such as virtual reality (VR) and wearables. 

NorthStar Care is partnering with a company developing a wearable device to continuously track not only blood alcohol levels but also glucose and sleep patterns. For their peer support group meetings, they use VR headsets so patients can participate remotely using anonymous avatars, virtual backgrounds and even voice changers for privacy. 

Download and listen to the full conversation to learn about:

• A genetic factor that makes naltrexone ineffective for a portion of the population
• The shortcomings of rapid-detox, inpatient rehabilitation and 12-step programs
• The importance of medical support throughout the recovery process
• The benefits of using VR for peer support networks
• And much more!