James Maskell’s guest on this episode is Jeffrey Morrison, MD, whose clinical approach is to use nutrition to prevent or reverse degenerative and chronic disease. In both his clinical practice and as a member of the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Environmental Medicine, he considers detoxification as a critical foundation to health.

During this conversation, Dr. Morrison emphasizes that toxins in the environment are a major cause of disease and that our bodies are not equipped to handle the vast array of chemicals present in our modern environment.

He explains that detoxification is a natural process where cells push toxins into the connective tissue, which then moves them through the lymphatic system, liver, gallbladder, and digestive tract for elimination (or through sweat or breath). However, if the body is overwhelmed with toxins or if the detoxification process is hindered, symptoms and illness can occur. Most often, this looks like visible inflammation, aches and pains, fatigue, skin issues and brain fog.  

Dr. Morrison recommends supporting detoxification through practices such as regular exercise, anti-inflammatory eating, drinking plenty of water, and maintaining regular bowel movements. He also discusses the importance of the lymphatic system in detoxification and the role of the nervous system in regulating detoxification.

 Please listen to this full episode to learn more about:

• Group detox programs to save costs and time, for clinicans and patients alike. 
• The role of saunas in detoxification
• The American Academy of Environmental Medicine’s focus on educating practitioners and advocacy for environmental health
• And much more!

 Evolution of Medicine’s partner, Lifestyle Matrix Resources Center can point you to patient education materials, as well as protocols related to detoxification as well. You can contact them at contactus@lifestylematrix.com.  

In this episode, James interviews Dr. Bryce Appelbaum, a neuro-optometrist. For the first time ever on the podcast, we learn about the field of functional optometry, including how it differs from traditional optometry.

Dr. Appelbaum discusses the importance of vision for overall health and how vision problems can impact learning, behavior and daily life. His framework is shaped by his childhood experience with overcoming visual problems through vision therapy. He is passionate about his mission to raise awareness about functional vision care, even though he faces resistance from conventional optometry.

He also introduces his online vision training program, ScreenFit, which is designed to minimize the negative effects of screens on vision and promote healthy visual habits. Podcast listeners can use the code EVOMED to receive a discount on the ScreenFit program.

Tune into the full conversation to learn more about:

• How one in 10 children have vision problems that impact their ability to learn
• The importance of vision for neurological function, especially in childhood
• Waldorf education and developmentally appropriate educational philosophies
• How inflammation and cardiometabolic health relate to eye function
• And much, much more!

James’ guest on this episode is Dr. Andrew Weil, the founder and leader of a fellowship program for integrative medicine through the University of Arizona. In this role and others, he has significant influence on future generations of integrative medicine practitioners.

In this conversation, Dr. Weil discusses the current state of integrative medicine and his vision for the future. Integrative medicine is becoming more mainstream in the United States, with many medical schools teaching some form of it. However, there is still a long way to go in changing the paradigm of conventional medicine and fully integrating health-promoting practices.

Dr. Weil believes that history is on the side of integrative medicine and that it will eventually become the standard of care. Listen to the full show to discover what is needed going forward to evolve medicine from our guest’s perspective.

This dynamic conversation also touched upon the following topics:

• The role of psychedelics in integrative medicine
• A vision of the future where allopathic medicine is a subspecialty focused on critical care, trauma and terminal care
• The lack of financial incentives for health-promoting and preventative medicine
• The need for studies that compare conventional and integrative medicine in terms of patient outcomes
• And much more!

This interview was also featured in the January 2024 Functional Forum, which kickstarted the Evolution of Medicine’s year of unity.