Adrian den Boer, DC, ND joins the podcast this week to share his clinical success with collagen. As a functional medicine practitioner with extensive experience in naturopathic and chiropractic care, Dr. den Boer is just the person we needed to speak with to learn about the benefits of collagen for the musculoskeletal system.  

Tune into this episode to hear his astounding success stories, including one that did not even seem possible, according to his medical school training. He also provided clinical pearls that will help you achieve the best outcomes and improve compliance when using collagen with your patients.

Listen to the full episode to learn:

•         How collagen helps athletes recover from injury
•         Benefits of collagen for the aging musculoskeletal system
•         How Dr. den Boer’s highly successful practice got started, and why he is passionate about quality testing for supplements
•         Issues and risks with using bone broth in place of collagen supplements
•         And much, much more!

Functional Forum Local Communities connect like-minded practitioners, enabling dialog, information sharing, interdisciplinary discussion, and community building for those who attend.

In this episode we hear from a Functional Forum Community host and a loyal attendee. Kristen Brokaw, this week’s host, is the leader of Saint Louis’ local Forum Community, and founder of the St. Louis Institute for Integrative Medicine (SLIIM).

Guest Grant Corsi is the Community Host of the Orange County Functional Forum Community.  He shares his story about what drove him to begin planning community events and what has made his community successful.

Our second guest is Anthony Pasek, DC who has been attending St. Louis Forum Community events for at least seven years. He speaks to the value of his community, including professional camaraderie and collaboration.

Listen to this short episode to learn:

·       Valuable tips for initiating community meetups

·       Why you should consider hosting your own local Community

·       What challenges to expect, and how to prepare for them as a new host

·        The benefits of attending local community events for physicians

·       And much, much more.

Help us honor this year’s theme of Connection by sharing this episode and consider joining or hosting a local Forum Community near you.

Find a community near you.

Host a community.

Request a community.  

“Everyone needs a good coach in life,” according to our podcast guest this week.

For this Business of Functional Medicine episode, Kristen Brokaw interviewed Coach Micheal Burt to explore his perspective on becoming and staying motivated.

He applies the term prey drive—the instinctual motivation of certain animals to find, pursue and capture prey—to human behavior and motivation.

Coach Burt began his career as a basketball coach and is now an author, speaker and professional coach for multiple industries. He has clients who are the most successful preventative doctors and functional health care providers in the country.

Check out this full episode to take in empowering messages about:

• Every individuals’ potential to express a strong prey drive
• The parts of oneself that may need to be supported (body, mind, heart and spirit)
• How to foster motivation on a daily basis
• The importance of building and maintaining dynamic energy in business
• Business coaching for preventative and functional medicine providers
• And much, much more!

Visit his website to learn more about activating the drive to pursue your goals.

On this episode of the podcast, James is joined by two doctors from the Institute of Functional Medicine (IFM) to learn about their upcoming annual conference from June 1-3 in Orlando, FL.

Aly Cohen, MD is an integrative rheumatologist who speaks about the importance of environmental medicine and why autoimmunity needs to be understood by providers across medical specialties.

Dan Lukaczer, ND is the Director of Medical Education at IFM. He was previously Director of Clinical Research at the Metagenics Functional Medicine Research Center in Gig Harbor, WA, where he served as the principal investigator on various clinical trials on diet and nutrition.

This event will be the first in-person IFM event since 2019 and will not be limited to any one topic or health issue. Instead, they offer an agenda featuring a wide range of subject matter. Consider registering for the IFM conference to learn more about:

·       Contaminants in drinking water—from artificial turf, fluoride and more

·       Data about environmental chemicals and how they contribute to human health conditions, specifically diseases of the immune system

·       Dietary approaches and lifestyle changes to reduce toxicity

·       Functional medicine approaches to oncology and cancer care

·       Understanding mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS)

·       Innovative treatment options for mental health care

·       Updates on the microbiome, oral microbiome and systemic disease

·       Impacts of intermittent thermal stress on aging and longevity

·       Therapeutic applications of medical cannabis and endocannabinoids

·       Wearable devices and the unlocked potential of remote health monitoring

·       And much more!

This episode explores Kalibra, a new healthcare AI tool. It aggregates patient data from multiple sources and helps clinicians and patients alike prioritize health information based on functional and lifestyle medicine principles. 

Our guest on this episode of the podcast, Ivan Vatchkov, the CEO of Kalibra, shares with us how Kalibra.ai performs diverse functions, including bringing together all patient data into one dynamic place. It digitizes, organizes and analyzes the many PDFs from health wearables and lab, gut microbiome, and functional medicine testing.

Listen to the full conversation to: 

•       Understand how you can simplify your practice management
•        Consider how data collection and analysis can streamline healthcare, especially in conventional medicine
•        Discover how lifestyle medicine principles were built into Kalibra
•        Explore the potential of AI health coaches as powerful tools to help patients make lifestyle changes
•        And much, much more

The Evolution of Medicine has sought to be inspiring, present valuable clinical content, and highlight technology and practice management topics that advance lifestyle and functional medicine. Now that AI is becoming more prevalent, we are asking, “how will this impact the evolution of medicine?”

Kalibra is tangible, it is real, and it is exciting. This is the Evolution of Medicine. Enjoy.

Approximately one quarter (25%) of the United States population has non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Patients with this reversible condition have accumulated fat in their liver cells. Over time, this creates inflammation and if left unaddressed, will eventually lead to permanent scarring or cirrhosis of the liver. The condition is highly associated with metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance, and it is projected to become the leading cause of liver transplantation by 2030.

Our guest on this episode of the podcast is Elizabeth Boham, MD. She is trained as both a medical doctor and nutritionist, teaches with the IFM and is the Medical Director for the UltraWellness Center.

 She joins James to share:

•            Which symptoms and test results are red flags for NAFLD

•            That toxins and alcohol significantly impact liver health and metabolic syndrome

•            How lifestyle and nutrition strategies will help patients with the condition  

•            Resources and approaches that will help your patients with cardiometabolic disease

•            And much more!

Nathan S. Bryan, PhD is an academic and entrepreneur who has focused his career on the study of nitric oxide for nearly 25 years. He joins the podcast to contribute to the Evolution of Medicine’s current focus on cardiovascular and endothelial health.  

Nitric oxide production is foundational to overall health. Unfortunately, many contemporary environmental and lifestyle factors reduce or prevent nitric oxide production in the body. Suboptimal nitric oxide production is a factor in insulin resistance, cardiovascular issues, erectile dysfunction, long COVID and other post-viral syndromes, chronic fatigue, cognitive disorders, and more.

Tune into this episode to learn about the many lifestyle and environmental factors that can impede or support the production of this important molecule. Some may even surprise you!

Listen to the episode to learn more about:

• Nitric oxide’s role in cardiovascular, immune and nervous system function
• The gold standards for measuring functional nitric oxide production
• James’ and Dr. Bryan’s views on the public health response during the COVID era
• Using nitric oxide to heal inflammation caused by excess spike protein
• The risks of using some commercially available products that claim to boost nitric oxide

Also, check out Dr. Bryan’s educational website, which includes a blog, videos and more: https://drnathansbryan.com/

Dr. Patricia Restrepo is a Practice Accelerator alumna who joins the podcast to share her experience growing two businesses with the help of the Accelerator program.

After being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at 14 years old, Dr. Restrepo pursued an education and career that allowed her to research natural solutions for weight management and diabetes. She was able to reverse her own diabetes, and now helps patients with similar diagnoses. Both of her businesses, one in Miami and the other in Mexico, help patients manage weight loss and diabetes.

 Dr. Restrepo used what she learned in the Practice Accelerator program to establish a business model that allows her to allocate time according to her personal lifestyle goals: 20% of her time is spent in clinic with patients (including groups), 40% is spent on remote consultations, and 40% is spent on her own continuing education and developing medical education for her patient community.

 Listen to this full episode from the Success Leaves Clues Series to learn about:

• ·       The key elements that allowed her businesses to run efficiently
• ·       How the Practice Accelerator program helped her build a patient database
• ·       The importance of recording patient education videos
• ·       The aspects of the business can best be delegated
• ·       And much more!

To explore what the Practice Accelerator program has to offer, consider registering for the free 90-Minute Private Practice Sprint at goevomed.com/sprint.

Yaa Boakye, CPT, RDN from the Practice Accelerator team joins James on this special episode to announce an upcoming resource that will help practitioners develop their businesses: the 90-Minute Private Practice Sprint. During this free webinar on February 17 at 8 p.m. PST/11 p.m. EST, James and Yaa will share practical, actionable, no-fluff guidelines to help practitioners set goals to grow their practices.

Register for the Sprint here: https://goevomed.com/sprint 

With her experience in marketing, personal training, nutrition and coaching healthcare providers, Yaa guides practitioners to develop the business side of their practices with efficiency and focus.

As she explains in this podcast episode, building a successful practice requires knowledge of multiple domains, including understanding your target patient, having solid marketing strategies, utilizing technology systems to streamline day-to-day operations, and understanding how to successfully deliver patient education to maximize clinical results.

However, without the right tools in place, healthcare providers may attract the wrong patients and adopt ineffective practices that consume their limited time and resources. The 90-Minute Private Practice Sprint was designed to help practitioners avoid these problems and streamline their business development strategy.

Listen to the episode to learn more about:

• Why it’s important to market your practice online and offline
• How to overcome unhelpful patterns that hold back your business development
• How the 90-Minute Private Practice Sprint can help you avoid common pitfalls and accelerate your practice growth
• The many other benefits and free resources you’ll receive when you join us live for the 90-Minute Private Practice Sprint

 

Dr. Tom Guilliams, a longtime friend of the podcast, returns to share his experience researching and foraging for mushrooms.

Dr. Guilliams also speaks about the difficulties of accurately identifying mushrooms due to inconsistent documentation and characterization across scientific resources. These inconsistencies present significant challenges for manufacturers developing medicinal mushroom products since the extracts and powders may not be reliably labeled. Therefore, manufacturers must be diligent in verifying the mushrooms they purchase.

There may also be unintended differences between mushrooms grown commercially versus those foraged from their natural setting. Practitioners and patients should be aware that many marketing claims around consumer-facing mushroom products are likely unsubstantiated. 

This episode honors this year’s theme of connection and builds upon what we recently learned from Dr. Zach Bush, who spoke about the role that environmental networks play in human health. Mushrooms are a literal example of biologic networks. Root-like networks of fungi and mushrooms, called mycelia, facilitate communication and allocate resources between plants within ecosystems.

Check out the full conversation to learn more about:

• The benefits of dietary versus supplemental mushrooms
• The components of mushrooms and their medicinal applications
• The immune-modulating qualities of medicinal mushrooms
• The potential benefits of mushrooms for autoimmune patients
• And much more!

This is the first podcast episode of the 2023 year of connection. How can we employ connection to advance the functional and lifestyle medicine movement?

One answer is that we must continue to leverage group care and community networks to support reconnection in the post-COVID era, improve patient outcomes and increase the awareness and accessibility of our movement.

Our guest on this episode is an innovator and thought leader on health creation and chronic disease reversal. Zach Bush, MD teaches about the intersections between the environment and the individual by identifying the themes that connect diverse systems, such as microbiologic processes and macroeconomics. To him, the original human wound is a false belief that we are not all connected—to ourselves, nature and everyone around us.

To be healthy—physically and mentally—is to be connected. In this episode, Dr. Bush and James explore the many repercussions of disconnection, from autoimmune disease to war, while also covering how connection can transform and heal.

The full episode will bring you more insights about:

• The negative effects of cellular disconnection, and what environmental or lifestyle factors trigger that dysfunction
• How a scarcity mentality leads to fear, guilt, shame and economic disparity
• Empowering perspectives that help people heal
• Flaws in peer-reviewed, evidence-based medicine
• Quorum sensing and Dr. Bush’s new organization, The Institute for Natural Law and Governance

  

The Journey of Intrinsic Health: 

• https://journeyofintrinsichealth.com/

 

 Institute of Natural Law and Governance:

• https://www.naturallawandgov.org/

 

FARMER’S FOOTPRINT:   

• http://www.farmersfootprint.us/    
• https://www.facebook.com/farmersfootprint   
• https://www.instagram.com/farmersfootprint/   

In this final episode of 2022, James reviews key topics from the year of growth and provides a sneak peek of what is to come in 2023, the year of connection.

The Evolution of Medicine community has experienced impressive growth and witnessed significant shifts in 2022. We learned about deprescribing to help patients escape the polypharmacy public health disaster. We have applied functional medicine principles to help patients who experience long COVID and other post-viral syndromes.

Increasingly, we are also seeing signs that the mainstream is moving in our direction, and we must position ourselves to be ready when more patients come our way. Functional medicine needs to scale up, in part to help address the mental health crisis that exploded during the COVID era. More patients are also seeking support from functional medicine providers for vaccine injuries, such as myocarditis.

Healthcare systems are now adopting functional medicine and building integrative care into their hospital and insurance systems. Group care is being delivered on a larger scale as well, which increases access to functional medicine.

While the Evolution of Medicine is apolitical, James also discusses how medicine has been impacted by the economic and political climates in the US and UK.

Listen to the full episode to hear more of James’ reflections about:

• Long COVID, controversies regarding its prevalence and why our community is able to provide the best help for patients
• Signs that mainstream medicine is moving in our direction
• Censorship, authoritarianism and technology
• The effects of the pandemic on mental health, especially for children
• Upcoming 2023 initiatives well-worth anticipating 

In this episode of the Business of Functional Medicine series, our guest, Erwin Raphael McManus, is a pastor, author, filmmaker and thought leader at the intersection of entrepreneurship, spirituality and psychology. He joins this podcast to share his model of communication archetypes called The 7 Frequencies and how understanding them can help practitioners work and communicate more effectively with patients.

Erwin also talks through the frequencies most often adopted by practitioners and offers insights on how to better support and motivate patients to get healthy before they get sick.

Listen to the full episode to learn more about:

• Erwin’s thoughts on the theory of quantum entanglement
• Descriptions of the frequencies, including the Challenger, Seer and Maven
• How healthcare providers benefit from understanding their communication style
• The importance of interpersonal relationships and interactions between patients and clinicians
• And much more

Erwin McManus is also the host of The Genius Of podcast and the founder of McManus Gallery and Mosaic, a church movement based in the heart of Hollywood, CA. Visit his website to learn more about The 7 Frequencies along with his other work.

Dysautonomia is a condition where the nervous system becomes dysregulated, causing disruption in the functions of various organ systems. Common symptoms include fluctuations in blood pressure, fatigue and anxiety. The condition seems to be increasingly common in the post-COVID era, and conventional medicine is unable to resolve the causes of this condition for patients.

Shilpa P. Saxena, MD, an expert in cardiometabolic health and regular guest on the podcast, joins us to explore why functional medicine clinicians are uniquely positioned to support patients experiencing dysautonomia.

Listen to the full conversation to learn more about:

• The importance of polyvagal theory for understanding dysautonomia 
• How vagal tone impacts multiple organ systems
• How to regulate and improve vagal tone
• Functional medicine tools that help heal dysautonomia

Sandra Scheinbaum, PhD is the founder and CEO of Functional Medicine Coaching Academy. As a leader in the field of integrative psychiatry, she joins James to speak about the advantages of leveraging a group coaching model for mental health services.

For many reasons—from the current shortage of licensed clinical psychologists to improved patient compliance—mental health group coaching offers compelling advantages. Patients often feel more comfortable being honest and open with coaches they can relate to more as peers. Because traditional therapy still carries a cultural stigma, shame is a common barrier that prevents people from seeking support. Coaches, on the other hand, can be more approachable and provide a friendly dynamic that builds trust with patients.

There is also a strong economic rationale behind practitioners adopting a coaching model: demand for mental health care is increasing, while the supply of licensed therapists is limited. Dr. Scheinbaum shares ample evidence of the benefits group coaching offers both patients and mental health practitioners. We also encourage more people who are interested in supporting their community to either employ coaches or consider becoming a coach via the Functional Medicine Coaching Academy.

Listen to the full episode to learn more about:

• The data on the effectiveness of health coaching
• Conditions that often co-occur with mental health challenges
• The downsides to patients over-identifying with mental health diagnoses
• Issues with and opportunities for billing coaching sessions to insurance

We are all familiar with functional medicine and perhaps even functional fitness, but have you heard of functional joy? Our guest for this podcast episode is Radha Agrawal, a successful entrepreneur and the author of the book Belong. Radha joins us to discuss her organization, Daybreaker, which spans 28 cities and five continents with a mission to foster joy and community.

Daybreaker’s very first events in 2013 were community dance meetups held early in the morning that aimed to replicate the positive aspects of nightlife while excluding alcohol. The scope of their work continues to expand nine years on, but dance is still their primary tool. Radha is now writing another book and developing a curriculum to teach clinicians and others to systematically foster joy in their communities. Community is a factor critical to chronic disease prevention and reversal, so we invited Radha to share her extensive experience with this powerful predictor of health outcomes often overlooked by healthcare institutions.

Download the episode to learn about:

• Consciously building communities
• How to foster joy for yourself and your patients
• The importance of hospitality and designing welcoming spaces in medicine
• The biochemistry of joy (D.O.S.E.)
• And much more!

If this episode uplifts and inspires you, we encourage you to share it with your friends, colleagues and community.

EvoMed listeners have access to a 25% discount off the Dose membership with code "EVOMED."  http://dose.daybreaker.com?code=evomed

Patrick Holford is the author of 46 books on nutrition and lifestyle factors for wellness. He is also the founder of a charity, Food for the Brain Foundation, and the voluntary director of the Alzheimer’s Prevention Project.

He joins James on this episode to showcase the foundation’s resources for reversing cognitive decline and preventing Alzheimer’s disease. They discussed targeted nutrition approaches and other tools available to patients and practitioners on the foundation’s website.

Listen to the full episode to learn more about:

• Which nutrient deficiencies correlate with poorer cognitive function
• How to reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease through supplementation
• The success rates of targeted nutrition therapy for reversing cognitive decline—and how nutrition therapy can be more successful than pharmaceuticals
• Cognitive function data collected from 377,000 participants via the foundation's test

Discover more valuable resources on the Food for the Brain Foundation’s website, where you can also register for their virtual Masterclass on Alzheimer’s prevention. Registrants will have access to a recording if they cannot attend the live event on November 1, 2022.

This episode features Leo Galland, MD, who outlines a systems biology approach to understanding and treating post-COVID syndrome.

Dr. Galland created the graphic below to model factors and biological repercussions of long COVID. In the interview, Dr. Galland walks us through each element in the web of long COVID.

During the pandemic, he also created and published two hour-long videos—one for patients and one for providers—containing research and recommendations on addressing long COVID. The information he shares is intended to empower and educate both health care providers and patients.

Download and listen to this episode to learn more about:

• The deficiency that both contributes to and results from long COVID
• Key information about what causes long covid
• How to prevent severe infection and address symptoms
• Downstream effects of viral damage that should be addressed by functional medicine providers

 

Episode assets:

• Understanding Long Covid: a comprehensive presentation for health professionals
• ACE2 in Immune Resilience, Presentation to American Nutrition Association
• Healing Long Covid, video presentation for patients

Julie Funt is the CEO of Juliet Funt Group and author of A Minute to Think, which describes the importance of metaphoric white space in everyone’s regular schedule. Her firm provides efficiency training to change the way we work, making it more sane, more human, and a more positive experience for all. In this Business of Functional Medicine episode, Kristen Brokaw speaks with Juliet about how this concept applies to the medical field, and we learn from the author some practical habit adjustments that can create more productive “white space.”

Download and listen to the full conversation to learn more about:

• Why we need white space to be creative, productive and decisive
• Studies showing how small breaks improve performance
• Why pushing harder does NOT always equal better results
• Practical tips to conquer busyness and communicate efficiently
• And much more!

Our guest in this episode, Greg Leyer, PhD, has an academic background in deadly pathogenic bacteria, such as botulism and other foodborne illnesses. Now, he focuses on healthy bacteria and joins James to discuss benefits of probiotics for the vaginal microbiome.

While gastrointestinal health is thought to depend on microbiome diversity, the vaginal cavity requires a more homogenous population of Lactobacillus species. By producing organic acids—mainly lactic acid—lactobacilli help maintain a pH below 4, which prevents bacterial vaginosis.

Listen to the full episode to learn more about:

• How and why taking oral probiotics affects the vaginal microbiome
• Forms of microbiome supplementation, like probiotics, spores and heat-inactivated bacteria
• Efficacy of probiotic supplementation in different geographic locations and ethnicity

And check out Dr. Leyer’s ongoing work:

• Your Health - Our Science
• UREX™ – The world’s most documented probiotics for women’s urogenital health
• Women's Health | The Probiotics Institute by Chr. Hansen

Dr. Shane Holland joins this week’s podcast to share his experience with the Practice Accelerator. Shane’s story is one we hear over and over amongst our Practice Accelerator participants. In this series, Success Leaves Clues, we celebrate alumni stories in conjunction with our current open enrollment period, running September through October 2022.

Shane began his career as a teacher and later became an emergency medicine physician, and he is currently transitioning into operating a functional medicine practice. Over the years, Shane has been interested in treating patients with chiropractic manipulation, herbs and supplements, and lifestyle adjustments. Still, he did not have access to a clear path toward building his own clinic around those strategies.  

As an emergency medicine physician, Dr. Holland observed that roughly 90% of his patients did not require emergency care and were using emergency services in lieu of primary care. The training he received from The Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM) provided him with greater clinical insights into preventative medicine to better serve his community, and the Practice Accelerator program then guided him through building his practice.  

Listen to the full episode to hear Dr. Holland’s story, including:

• The challenges he faced during his journey
• His clinic’s payment model and layout
• How the Practice Accelerator supported the launch of his new clinic
• The benefits of scheduling a concierge call with our coach, Patrick

Dr. Tom Guilliams, our go-to expert for anything related to nutrition research, returns to the Evolution of Medicine podcast for the second part of our Controversies in Nutrition series. Dr. Guilliams has written several books on the therapeutic uses of nutritional supplements.

Our guest opens the discussion by rebutting attempts by major medical journals to discredit nutraceuticals. He breaks down the weaknesses of their research and arguments, along with how the studies are biased and unscientific. He also reviews the limitations of specific nutrient biomarkers, realistic expectations for improving methylation through folic acid supplementation, and how to assess optimal vitamin D levels in individuals who receive plentiful sun exposure.

Listen to this episode if you’re interested in:

• Why treating based on genetic testing may or may not be beneficial
• The significance of tracking homocysteine levels in patients
• When to evaluate methionine levels
• The NAC controversy between the FDA and Amazon

Sandi and Steve Amoils are Medical Doctors who built a multi-disciplinary functional medicine clinic in Cincinnati, which includes chiropractors, energy healers, therapists and doctors. They talk about what first steps they took to work towards this vision, how they made their business work in a cash-based model, and why they partnered with a larger hospital system. Their clinic also runs an accredited fellowship integrative medicine program.

Download and listen to the full episode to learn more about:

• Their insights on how they became successful
• Increasing patient demand for functional healthcare
• Building credibility for functional medicine
• Why a large hospital system wants to run an integrative health clinic, and why the doctors singed onto that partnership
• And much, much more!

Dr. Shilpa P. Saxena adds to her series of Evolution of Medicine interviews with a discussion on polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). With both personal and professional experience reversing the condition, she walks us through the functional medicine approach to treatment.

Dr. Saxena explains how insulin resistance often accompanies and must be addressed through the “matrix” of each patient’s overall health and lifestyle. Since PCOS is a clinical diagnosis, she also describes the signs practitioners should look out for in their patients and how to confirm the diagnosis with the aid of laboratory testing.

Developing a niche in PCOS can be a great opportunity for practitioners since it is so prevalent, affecting between 6-12% of women, and because functional medicine provides the most robust treatment approach for complex metabolic conditions. 

Listen to the full conversation to learn more about:

• Tailoring treatments to patients with PCOS
• Which supplements to utilize in a PCOS treatment protocol
• Common root causes and co-conditions
• The importance of securing Phase I and Phase II detox pathways
• How group visits can be a powerful aid to treatment

Michael Fishman is a top advisor on marketing and business growth, aiding successful health and wellness companies. He leads the Consumer Health Summit (CHS) annually, which is now in its 24^th year, and acts as an angel investor for over 20 health and wellness businesses. With his expertise, he advises his clients on how to effectively formulate their brand messaging and ensure it is communicated consistently, from training team members to sharpening taglines and from online messaging to in-person trust. In this episode of the podcast, Michael shares with Kristen Brokaw the principles and psychology behind his guidance.

Tune in if you’d like to learn more about:

• How and why you need to develop a powerful tagline
• Avoiding overselling or “trying too hard” in online marketing
• Ensuring that your message cannot be misunderstood by your audience
• Why patients also need to feel understood—emotionally and intellectually
• And much more!

Functional medicine providers have the best tools and scientific understanding of topics like immunology, the microbiome and mitochondria. This constellation of knowledge and tools makes functional and integrative doctors optimally equipped to address osteoarthritis. Dr. Thomas Guilliams is an expert in nutrition research and immunology, and he has written several books on the therapeutic uses of nutritional supplements.

During this conversation, we hear about the gut-joint relationship and an expanded understanding of osteoarthritis. We also explore best practices for nutrition and supplementation alongside lifestyle modifications to resolve chronic conditions.

Listen in to learn more about:

• The evolution of the scientific understanding of osteoarthritis
• Issues with nutrition and supplementation research
• Addressing autoinflammatory conditions (as differentiated from autoimmunity)
• Guilliams’ take on the paleo dietary pattern
• And much more!

Josh Gunn, PhD is the Chief Scientific Officer for Ethos Laboratories. Ethos began with the mission to incorporate more functional medicine principles into conventional care and to help patients gain access to the root causes of their pain. 

With a background in forensic toxicology, Dr. Gunn and the team have developed a new tool at Ethos called the Foundation Pain Index. The Pain Index is a biometric test designed to identify potential biochemical origins of patients’ chronic pain. The test results categorize health insights in a way that is actionable for all physicians, even if they are not trained in functional medicine. This personalized method also acknowledges that patient recovery often requires a multimodal approach, including lifestyle and community considerations.

Practitioners who run OAT tests or other labs may already have access to some of these data points, but uniquely, the Foundation Pain Index test is covered by Medicare, Medicaid and most insurance plans. This is especially important for chronic pain patients with a lower socioeconomic status because statistically they have been over-prescribed opioids.

The full conversation is densely packed with insights such as:

• Socioeconomic factors are strong factors in opioid over prescription, misuse and abuse  
• Why it is essential to bring elements of functional medicine into conventional care
• How nutrient depletion may contribute to pain
• An interdisciplinary approach is required to help patients with chronic pain
• And much more

James interviews Michelle Simon, PhD, ND, president and CEO of the Institute for Natural Medicine (INM). Dr. Simon sees an increasing awareness that our current healthcare system is not delivering the results we need. She advocates for alternate solutions through her work with INM.

Some have argued that iatrogenic disease is the third-largest cause of death in America. Applying the Therapeutic Order, which is a guiding principle for naturopathic medicine, can reverse that trend. Naturopathic medicine combined with the group visit model has the potential to address most of the population’s health issues. It is an excellent option to improve healthcare on a large scale. 

Listen to the full conversation to learn about:

• The Therapeutic Order: what it is and why its important
• The reasons we need to change how we view primary care
• A new residency program for naturopathic doctors
• Projects that the Institute for Natural Medicine is working on
• How lifestyle and naturopathic medicine prevent iatrogenic disease

This week’s podcast is a series of interviews with a handful of physicians who are involved with the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM). Dr. Luby is the Director of Medical Education Initiatives at IFM, which works to scale functional medicine and make it more accessible and easier to adopt into larger healthcare systems. The pandemic brought to light weaknesses in our healthcare system for which functional medicine offers solutions!

Dr. Penn is an infectious disease specialist and works in epidemiology and infection prevention at Nebraska Methodist Hospital. He has worked closely with Dr. Luby, and Dr. Penn is planning to implement more of the IFM’s principles into his healthcare system. Dr. Nancy Cutter and Sharon Williams are from the Veterans Affairs (VA) in New Jersey. They are also working towards integrating lifestyle medicine into their systems in part by utilizing group visits.

Listen to the full panel discussion to learn more about:

• The benefits offered by functional medicine for the VA in New Jersey
• The problems in our healthcare system, which functional medicine can help
• How Nebraska Methodist Hospital has seen the IFM’s principles improve their COVID outcomes
• And much, much more!

Our guest on this episode, Dr. Michael Ash, is a researcher who discusses lipid replacement therapy. The applications for this treatment include all fatigue related illnesses, including but not limited to environmental toxin exposure, Lyme disease and long COVID. Oxidative damage, which this therapy addresses, occurs in aging and all chronic and acute illness.

When the immune system is activated (e.g., after an infection), mitochondria can be damaged. The defective mitochondria become swollen and leak electrons, which results in the oxidation of membranes. Oral lipid replacement therapy is used to remove and replace damaged membranes. Listen to this episode to learn:

• Mechanisms of action of inflammasomes
• What causes danger signals in cells
• Supplement dosing and sources of this nutrient through diet
• Symptoms and consequences of poor membrane health
• And much, much more!

Dr. Mary Pardee, who specializes in fecal macrobiotic transplantation (FMT), explores how personal history with trauma (emotional or physical) often contributes to chronic disease, the necessity of physicians acknowledging their patients’ journey into disease, and the paramount importance of community during the healing process.

Highlights include:

• Empaths are more susceptible to chronic illness
• Connection, bonding and community are pillars of health
• Why group medical visits are necessary to transform the future of medicine
• And much, much more!

On this episode, we speak with Josiah Bartz from the Lifestyle Matrix Resource Center. The LMRC is driven by the same purpose as Evolution of Medicine and supports growth of lifestyle and functional medicine by providing clinicians with practical resources and tools to get their practices off and running.

The LMRC was born out of thousands of hours of speaking and working with functional medicine practitioners who want to start or build their practices but feel overwhelmed and in need of support or guidance. After years of developing a library of resources, the LMRC is now offering a membership to provide clinicians with ongoing, thorough and personalized practice management and clinician education support. Listen to learn more about:

• The history of shared medical appointments or Group Visit Toolkits
• Successful frameworks to empower patients
• Features available to members of the LMRC
• Business growth for functional medicine practices
• And much, much more!

Penney Stringer, a family medicine physician, shares her journey into functional medicine and her experiences moving in and out of conventional medicine. Dr. Stringer shares anecdotes from her exceptionally successful HealCommunity group. Listen in to hear Dr. Stringer and James explore:

 

• The power of community in medicine
• How patients with chronic illness are underserved
• The importance of group support for behavior change
• And much, much more!

Cheng Ruan, MD is a Functional Medicine practitioner who trains other physicians to work through insurance systems. He discusses value-based care and it’s current limitations, physician services that are currently billable to Medicare or insurance which are underutilized, how to foster a sense of empowerment with patients, rather than trying to be the “hero” as a physician. Listen to the full conversation to hear about:

• How physician entrepreneurs should be thinking about scalable growth
• Coaching concepts for physicians
• Statements of guidance and focusing positive energy towards collaborative health care 
• And much, much more!

 

Chris McChesney is a behavior change expert who wrote The 4 Disciplines of Execution. His fascinating perspective offers practical tips about how to manage “The Whirlwind” of competing priorities and make meaningful strides towards focused goals. James dives into the business-oriented concepts exploring their applications in the Business of Functional Medicine series on the podcast.  Listen to the full episode for insights that will help you build your own practice, improve patient relationships and trust, and encourage positive behavior change.

When we started Evolution of Medicine, we saw a theme emerging that conversations about evolution were going to be critical for understanding all the different ways in which medicine was evolving. With that in mind, who better to have on the podcast than two evolutionary biologists?

On this episode, we share an amazing story of four doctors from across the country brought together to form new friendships that transformed their businesses. Tune in as we hear from three chiropractors, Dr. Bill Hammer, Dr. Russell Sher and Dr. Todd Di Leo, and Tracy Jones, DO, as they share how they've moved toward their own practice vision in the last five years, how those visions differ dramatically, and how they've built strong connection and friendship, even though they've never met in person.

In this episode, we have Dr. David Perlmutter on to talk about his new book, Drop Acid. Dr. Perlmutter talks about how he chose this topic and the profound impact of restoring metabolic health and controlling uric acid with simple dietary and lifestyle tweaks.

This episode is part of our Success Leaves Clues Series and features Helen Perks, a nutritionist from the UK. She joined the Practice Accelerator in 2017, and as you listen to her story, you’ll hear just how valuable a supportive community of practitioners can be when building your practice.

On this episode, we talk about the changes in the 2022 coding, with guest, Sonda Kunzi. She runs Coding Advantage, and is a leading biller and understands the world of not just medical billing, but medical billing as it applies to the functional medicine community.

Every year, Evolution of Medicine picks a theme, and this year’s theme is Growth. And who better to kick off our year of growth than Dr. Mark Hyman? In this episode, we talk about the growth of the movement and the surprising places where functional medicine is really starting to take off.

Today, we are talking with Dr. Sunjya Schweig, you may know him as a leader in the Lyme and biotoxin illness space. However, over the last few years he has been working on an interesting project to bring functional medicine principles, and clinical nutrition to a very special population; firefighters and policemen.

On this episode, we have Dr. Elroy Vojdani returning to the podcast. A few months ago, he came onto the podcast and did our most popular show of the year, talking about the role of food and autoimmunity and how it relates to COVID-19.

This week, we are talking about enzymes. Enzymes are used and recommended by practitioners across our ecosystem. There are many different supplement companies that are recommending enzymes, so we wanted to get to the guy behind the guy, like where are these enzymes coming from?

On this week’s episode, we’re going to go right to the heart of the Evolution of Medicine, looking to solve the biggest issues and the biggest gaps that exist not only in conventional care, but also in functional medicine.

In this episode, we feature Dr. Jessica Drummond, as a part of our New Models series. You’ll learn what a big deal endometriosis is, and to what degree it acts like many other chronic illnesses that you're probably treating in your practices.

This week on the podcast we have an exciting episode announcing our launch of Functional Forum Communities! I'm joined by Toni Wolley and Kristen Brokaw, who are both leaders of their local communities in St. Louis and Indianapolis but are also sales reps.

This week we have guest host, Kristen Brokaw on to interview Dr. Miles Bodzin about the business of functional medicine. Dr. Bodzin discusses what to do for your practice overwhelm. He shares what he struggled with as well as tips and tricks he has learned to improve patient retention.

This week on the podcast, we are going deep into immune health with Dr. Elroy Vojdani. The Vojdani family, Elroy and his father Aristo have been very helpful for James in sense-making over the last year and a half in the most important topic on the planet, immunology.

This week on the podcast, we feature Dr. Aimie Apigian. This episode is an incredibly inspiring story about her journey from general surgery residency to addiction medicine, and now to teaching other practitioners and doctors about the nervous system and how it affects addiction.

This week on the podcast, we have another episode in our New Models Series focused on concierge care for the poor. Dr. Angela Bymaster and her husband Brett are on to talk to us about a really unique community-focused model of business that they created. They're able to take concierge medicine patients at full price and use that money to pay for other people in the community who don't have access to care.

This week, we are talking pharmacies, pharmacists, and the reinvention of medicine. Melody Hartzler, PharmD, BCACP, BC-ADM is a pharmacist on the frontlines, organizing a new model of functional medicine-trained pharmacists integrated with primary care and specialty care.

This week on the podcast, we have another episode in our New Models Series focused on the terrain theory with Dr. Maya Shetreat. Maya was on the Functional Forum back in 2017 in Guernsey. She talked all about plant medicine. In this episode, she talks about her journey with terrain medicine and how that concept aligned all her clinical interests and passions. We also talk about how terrain and community connections go hand in hand, and how functional medicine practices can use her insight to treat patients with the terrain theory mindset.

This week, we are going clinical with Dr. Tom Guilliams. This is a new podcast segment that we're doing called Controversies in Nutrition, and in each session we are going to take some big controversies that have been brought to us by listeners and ask Dr. Tom Guilliams about them.

In this year of reinvention, we are going to need partners that can deliver incredible value to clinicians and make it easier for them to run successful practices. This week on the podcast, we spoke to Josh Crolle from Evexia Diagnostics, who are going to be one of our new partners. We talked about the genesis of Evexia, what it means.

On this episode of the podcast, we have guest host Kristen Brokaw on to interview Seth Conger, COO of Freedom Practice Coaching. Seth shares his journey to functional medicine and how he went from wanting to be a practitioner to helping practitioners scale up their practices, so they have  better business models.

This week on the podcast, we feature Dr. Alex Keller. He is the medical director of Fullscript, and he’s here to talk to us about adherence. This has been a topic that we've been hot on at the Evolution of Medicine throughout our existence, and we’re excited to have a guest from our long-time sponsor on to share his insights and new resources.

This week, we are talking all about collagen. Collagen has exploded in demand with it seemingly everywhere in supplements, teas and bone broths, so we wanted to speak to someone who's on the front lines of research. Dr. Steffen Oesser works at the Collagen Research Institute.

This week, we are talking about sprouting as part of our New Models series. We have Doug Evans, one of the world experts on sprouting, joining us on this episode He wrote a book called The Sprout Book.

This week on the podcast, we have a special episode with Dr. Noel Williams, a conventionally trained MD who specializes in using supplements like bergamot, berberine and fish oil to manage his patients’ heart health. He realized along his journey that if conventional medicine wasn’t helping, he needed to learn more about nutrition to see what can help his patients.

In our second episode of the New Models of Care Series, we feature Dr. Katherine Bisharat. Dr. Bisharat is an internal medicine physician from the Sacramento area. We have partnered with her and her clinic to launch virtual group visits and bill them to insurance.

On this episode of the podcast, we kick off our New Models Series with guest Dr. David Tusek. Dr. Tusek built the first direct primary care clinic in Colorado and now operates a  world-class facility called Cloud Medical. In this episode, he shares his insight on creating and building a direct primary care practice.

On this episode, guest host Kristen Brokaw interviews Chris Smith, founder of Campfire Effect™. Campfire Effect™ is a company that teaches entrepreneurs how to talk about their work in a way that is as powerful and impactful as the work itself.

This week on the podcast, James sits down with Amanda D'Almeida and Daniel Villavecer, medical students with an interest in functional medicine who have more than 400 million followers on the social media platform TikTok.

On this episode of the podcast, James sits down with Dr. Andrea McSwain, an osteopathic physician. She started her functional medicine journey with the Practice Accelerator and has now expanded her clinical influence throughout Michigan with four practices. Dr. McSwain discusses how she decided early on in medical school that she wanted to transition into functional medicine and really focus on patient needs. If you are someone who is interested in the Practice Accelerator and want to learn about how this program can be a catalyst for building the practice of your dreams, then you won’t want to miss this episode!

This week on the podcast, James sits down with Nisha Chellam, MD, who discusses her journey from medical school to working in a hospital setting to transitioning into functional medicine.

This week on the podcast, James sits down with Dr. Vincenzo Mollace, a leading researcher for a particular compound in a citrus Mediterranean fruit called bergamot

On this episode James talks with Joel Evans, MD about how the Institute for Functional Medicine has created content for their programs in response to COVID-19.

Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! In this episode, James Maskell sits down with Theresa DePasquale, CEO of Capture Social Group, to discuss how to use Instagram and its features for growing your brand.

Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! On this episode, James Maskell sits down with Yael Joffe, RD, PhD,to talk about the kickoff for 2021, the year of re-invention. They discuss genetics and genomics, and how they could change the profession of nutrition. Yael shares her insight as a dietician on powerful strategies for nutritionists and dieticians with functional medicine. If you are interested in nutrition and want to get in a new mindset for 2021, then this podcast episode is for you!

Highlights include:

• The hierarchy within medicine and how the meetup groups are there for everyone to share and discuss their practices together
• Looking deeper into nutrigenetics: How do my genes behave?
• Discussing what “new nutrition” is and how it is accurate than just looking at genetics
• And so much more!

Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! On this episode, guest host Kristen Brokaw sits down with Ari Meisel, founder of Less Doing. 

Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! On this episode, James sits down with Christopher Mote, DO, DC, IFMCP, and Tom Guilliams, PhD to discuss HPA axis dysfunction and stress. 

Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! On this episode, James sits down with biochemistry professor and prolific researcher Dr. Leon Schurgers of the University of Maastricht. Much of Dr. Schurgers’ research has centered on vitamin K and cardiovascular risk. In this half hour, James and Dr. Schurgers talked about calcification of the heart and the role of vitamin K2 in reducing cardiovascular risk. The conversation also covered vitamin K2 supplementation, and what to look for in the products available. This is a must-listen for any practitioner on the front lines of functional integrative medicine! Highlights include:

• Dr. Schurgers’ research journey and how he has helped shape the role of K vitamins in functional integrative medicine
• The causes of calcification and how vitamin K2 affects this process
• Where the research stands on vitamin K2 and cardiovascular risk
• Best practices for testing vitamin K levels
• And so much more!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

www.researchgate.net/profile/Leon_Schurgers

 

Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! In this episode, James sits down with Lara Salyer, DO, a functional medicine physician and Practice Accelerator alum who is innovating healthcare practice and tackling a major issue affecting physicians across the healthcare spectrum: burnout. Her new book, Right Brain Rescue, teaches clinicians how to access their inner creativity, which she refers to as the “Sixth Vital Sign.” Dr. Salyer’s story is a great example of innovation on the front lines of healthcare, and her insight is invaluable to any practitioner ready to radically transform their career and build a life of purpose. Highlights from this episode include:

• The “Sixth Vital Sign” and what that means for patient care
• How the Practice Accelerator can be a catalyst for practice transformation and growth
• How Dr. Salyer is bringing functional medicine to a growing number of physicians
• How tapping into creativity helps practitioners build resiliency and improve empathy
• And so much more!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Right Brain Rescue

Practice Accelerator

Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! On this episode, James talks with Abbi Linde, PharmD of HomeTown Pharmacy, a regional chain of pharmacies across Wisconsin and Michigan. But this team of pharmacists is so much more than just a regional pharmacy network—they are community providers who know their patients on a personal level and are bridging the gap between patients and functional medicine. HomeTown Pharmacy is leading the way in shifting pharmacies from product-based businesses to service-based businesses. If you’re a practitioner listening to this episode, you’ll hear why it makes sense to connect with your local independent pharmacist, and how you can partner to deliver even better patient care in your community. Highlights from this episode include:

• The HomeTown Pharmacy model and how they’re doing things differently than the average independent pharmacist
• How pharmacists can play a critical role in building health resilience in their communities, and how that can be a gamechanger for pharmacy business
• The synergies that exist between functional medicine practitioners and functional pharmacists, and why it is worth it to invite your local independent pharmacist to your next Functional Forum meetup
• Why drug-induced nutrient depletion is low-hanging fruit for pharmacy business
• Essential reading for functional medicine practitioners and functional pharmacists alike
• And so much more!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

HomeTown Pharmacy

The Standard Road Map Series by Dr. Tom Guilliams

Supplementing Dietary Nutrients Road Map

Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! On this episode, guest host Kristen Brokaw talks with Dr. Jarrod Spencer, a sports psychologist, speaker, author and consultant, about helping healthcare providers overcome burnout in their careers. Just like athletes must continuously work on their mindsets and remain focused to perform at the top level, healthcare providers must take steps to support their mental resilience. The problem is, 92% of healthcare providers report feeling burned-out in their careers, and the majority also admit they would never seek professional help. As Dr. Spencer discusses in this episode, it’s time to erase the stigma of mental health challenges in the healthcare profession and empower providers to overcome burnout and become the best versions of themselves. Enjoy this incredible conversation! Highlights include:

• The striking similarities between athletes and healthcare providers
• How we can give a voice to the topic of mental health in the healthcare profession, which has long been stigmatized
• Steps healthcare providers can take to address burnout
• The importance of building a supportive, engaged team
• Why healthcare providers should consider consulting a psychologist to help keep their practices running smoothly
• And so much more!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

 mindoftheathlete.com

Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! On this episode, James interviews Olivia Joseph, DC, a chiropractor, Chinese medicine practitioner and clinical nutritionist from the St. Louis, MO area. Their conversation spanned the growth of her practice, how she markets her practice and attracts new patients, and how she has pivoted her practice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Joseph shared some great insight on how we can take a community-led practice model to the next level. Highlights include:

• Baseline principles for filling your practice
• How to get prospective patients to attend workshops (whether in-person or virtually) and ultimately book an appointment with you
• How marketing strategy has evolved over the years, and how even someone with no marketing or technology savvy can build a successful campaign
• Identifying a key staff member who can support the clinician in organizing and executing marketing strategy
• The major opportunity that exists for practitioners transitioning to functional medicine right now
• And so much more!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

thewellnessconnection.com

Practice Marketing Series, Episode 2: Niching

Practice Accelerator

SLIIM

Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! On this episode, James talks with Suzanne Keyes, PharmD. She is a pharmacist and certified functional medicine practitioner (IFMCP) from Oklahoma whose passion for patient care led her to becoming the go-to health resource in her community. In the process, she has transformed the typical pharmacy into a thriving business and wellness hub, complete with professional grade supplements and a vegetable garden. Whether you are a pharmacist or functional medicine clinician, you’re sure to learn something new from this episode—enjoy! Highlights include:

• A pharmacist’s journey to functional medicine, and how that journey informs patient care
• How pharmacists are in a unique position to help patients address the root causes of their ailments
• How pharmacists can deliver health and nutrition information to patients efficiently and effectively
• How pharmacists play a key role in the evolution of medicine and in community care
• Why the partnership between practitioner and pharmacist is more important than ever
• And so much more!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Functional Medicine Pharmacists Facebook Group

Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! In this episode, Kristen Brokaw guest-hosts and interviews Benjamin Hardy, PhD, bestselling author and organizational psychologist. His latest book Personality Isn’t Permanent dives into fixed mindsets about who we think we are and how they can hold us back from achieving our goals and realizing our future selves. It was a great conversation, and one that all functional medicine practitioners, no matter where you are on your journey, should listen to—a ton of incredible insight shared. Highlights include:

• How the ways we explain ourselves can be a detriment to our future selves
• How labels can be both detrimental and helpful in personal development
• The concept of “future self” and how to get clear on your goals
• The difference between experience and learning
• And so much more!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

benjaminhardy.com

Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! In this episode, the fourth in our Practice Marketing Series, James sits down with chiropractor and author John Bartemus, a functional medicine doc from Charlotte, NC. John has built a very successful practice in the autoimmune niche, and he shares his insight on building digital marketing for his practice, specifically video marketing. John committed to making one educational video a day for a year and sharing them on his practice YouTube channel. He ended up exceeding his goal and build his practice exponentially by sharing his knowledge and expertise in a video format. His journey to successful practice marketing is one you can take, too. It was a super interesting interview with lots of tangible value for physician entrepreneurs. Enjoy! Highlights include:

• How to commit to creating and sharing a video every day to market your practice (John made a video every day for 411 days in a row—wow!)
• How to use video to market your practice, from pre-appointment to post-appointment
• The journey from practicing functional medicine clinician to published author and digital marketing wiz, and how you can make that journey, too
• And so much more!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

functionalmedicinecharlotte.com

Functional Medicine Charlotte YouTube channel

The Autoimmune Answer book

Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! In this episode, James talks with Michael Twyman, MD, a cardiologist from the St. Louis area, and dives deep into mitochondrial medicine. It’s a topic we’ve explored on the podcast before, but as more research is published highlighting the role of mitochondria in chronic illness, we want to continue providing up-to-date, valuable information to our practitioners. Dr. Twyman shares his knowledge of the latest research and how he is putting it into practice in his functional, integrative cardiology practice. A ton of wisdom shared in this episode—enjoy! Highlights include:

• The basics of mitochondrial medicine that practitioners need to know, plus more advanced research findings
• Educational resources for practitioners who want to dive deeper into this topic
• The symptoms and patient types that point to mitochondrial dysfunction
• And so much more!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

michaeltwymanmd.com

Practice Marketing Series, Episode 3: Diabetes Niche Funnel

Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! On this episode, James sits down with Brad Dyer, DO, a functional medicine practitioner from Kansas City. A former hospitalist, Brad has been practicing functional integrative medicine for a few years, but is making a big impact in his community. He talks about his journey to functional medicine, how he stays inspired and motivated in this field of medicine, and how he is integrating group visit care in diabetes treatment. There is so much to learn from this episode—enjoy! Highlights include:

• How Brad found functional medicine and knew he wanted to start practicing this way
• The turning point that helped him solidify his practice model and grow revenue
• The gamechanger that turned his practice marketing strategy into a major success
• And so much more!

Resources mentioned in this episode

The Community Cure book

premierintegrativehealthkc.com

Group Visit Toolkits

lifestylematrix.com

Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! In this episode, James sits down with Amy Mack, CEO of the Institute for Functional Medicine, to discuss IFM’s leadership in the functional medicine space and the pivots the organization has made in response to COVID-19. One of the biggest changes the organization faced was transitioning their Annual International Conference, considered one of the best and most well-attended educational conferences in functional medicine, to a virtual platform. While Amy acknowledges the challenges of building a virtual community, she is excited for all the 2020 conference has to offer, including perspectives on how we can build immune resilience within the fragile health of many populations. Highlights from this episode include:

• How IFM’s COVID-19 Task Force supports the functional medicine community and plans for its continued guidance during the COVID-19 pandemic
• How we can take ideas at the bedrock of functional medicine, like immune resilience, and bring them into the mainstream
• How IFM brought their Annual International Conference to the virtual space
• What attendees will learn at AIC this year, and new opportunities for engagement and networking virtually
• What IFM has planned for the future as the healthcare ecosystem continues to evolve
• And so much more!

Resources mentioned in this episode

IFM AIC registration

Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! In this episode, we have a special guest host filling in for James. Kristen Brokaw is the leader of the St. Louis Institute for Integrative Medicine. For the past decade, she has been building communities of functional medicine practitioners, helping them find their tribe and reach their potential in this space. She is joined by Bo Eason, former professional football player, actor, playwright, author, and one of Kristen’s mentors. Their high-energy, engaging conversation spans mindset, the power of stories, how saying “no” is a key to achieving greatness, and how functional medicine practitioners can still thrive, even during a pandemic. Highlights include:

• The power of stories and how the ones we tell ourselves shape our lives
• How to move past the “it’s not about me” mindset
• How you should be thinking about making a declaration in your life, while avoiding the tendency for perfectionism
• Why elimination is key to becoming the best at what you do
• How to find the silver linings in the COVID-19 pandemic and take the lead in your practice and community

And so much more!

Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! In this episode, James and Uli sit down with Tara Scott, MD, a functional medicine physician from Akron, Ohio and one of the stars of the Practice Accelerator. This episode is the second in our Practice Marketing Series, which will give functional medicine practitioners a step-by-step guide to taking their practices to the next level. Highlights include:

• What niching in functional medicine means, and how to determine your niche
• How a practitioner who initially resisted niching her practice went through the process and built a remarkably resilient practice that has withstood COVID-19 and other challenges
• How Dr. Scott found the Practice Accelerator and why she recommends the program to other functional medicine colleagues
• How education-based marketing and a digital infrastructure will fortify your practice
• Why a simple email autoresponder will be a gamechanger for your practice
• And so much more!

Resources mentioned in this episode

goevomed.com/accelerator-special

goevomed.com/pivot

lifestylematrix.com/

Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! On this episode, James sits down with his friend and colleague, Uli Iserloh, PhD. Uli is the Chief Operating Officer at the Evolution of Medicine and founder of Big Boost Marketing, where he helps practitioners build education-based marketing structures for their practices. This episode kicks off our Practice Marketing Series, which will give functional medicine practitioners a step-by-step guide to taking their practices to the next level. Highlights from this episode include:

• Understanding the “hero’s journey” in marketing and how using the method of storytelling can accelerate your marketing efforts and engage patients, both current and potential
• What an education-based marketing infrastructure would look like in your practice
• How the process of buying a car is actually quite similar to marketing a functional medicine practice (you might be surprised!)
• How to differentiate your practice and services when marketing to patients
• How to not only attract patients to your website, but also continue engaging with them via email and social media
• How to define your marketing message
• And so much more!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

functionalforum.com/category/group-visits

youtube.com/watch?v=Bi4tzleWU_Y

functionalforum.com/category/success-leaves-clues

Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! On this episode, James sits down with Julie Foucher-Urcuyo, MD, functional medicine physician, four-time CrossFit Games athlete, and host of the Pursuing Health podcast. Her talent and drive have made her well-known in both the functional medicine and CrossFit spaces, and she is poised to make a big impact in healthcare. It was an excellent conversation and I think you’ll learn a lot—enjoy! Highlights include:

• Understanding the synergy of functional movement and functional medicine
• Julie’s definition of CrossFit, and why she encourages people to look beyond common perceptions of the sport
• How CrossFit and functional medicine compare when addressing misconceptions and educating people on the health benefits each provide
• What it was like to pursue medical school while competing in the world of CrossFit
• What we can learn at the cross-section of resilience, CrossFit and the future of medicine
• And so much more!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

instagram.com/juliefoucher/

pursuing-health.com/ph-podcast/

pursuing-health.com/

goevomed.com/lmrc

Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! This week, Mat Boulé, osteopath and posturologist, joins us to discuss his work on posture and health creation. In our Year of Resilience, it’s the perfect time for Mat to share his insight on the significant role posture plays in health resilience and how resolving patients’ mechanical issues can transform other important lab markers. But I think the biggest takeaway you’ll get from this episode is an understanding of why the best medical teams need practitioners who can support and improve structural integrity. It was a fascinating 30 minutes—enjoy! Highlights include:

• What posturology is, and how this medical discipline has the potential to revitalize health creation and resilience
• How resolving mechanical issues can transform important lab markers
• The interconnection among structure, posture and inflammatory markers
• The body-self matrix and how it relates to the biopsychosocial model of care
• And so much more!

Resources mentioned in this podcast:
goevomed.com/lmrc

Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! In this episode, James continues the Group Visit Series with Swathi Rao, PA-C, who owns and operates a functional medicine practice in Indianapolis, IN. What makes her practice unique is the focus on the power of community in conjunction with group visits to inspire lasting lifestyle change in her patients. In addition to running successful group visits in her practice, Swathi has tapped into the local community, like restaurants and yoga studios, to build new business and maintain the health of the patients she’s seeing in-clinic. It’s an interesting avenue of the group visit model that we haven’t yet explored on the Group Visit Series, and I think it will really impact your perspective on group visits and how they can become integral to the communities they service. Highlights of this episode include:

• Swathi’s journey to functional medicine and to discovering the power of group visits
• How she separates group events for patients and group medical visits when billing insurance
• How she leverages the value of the group visit community structure for the benefit of both her community and her patient base
• How Swathi maximizes peer-to-peer interaction in her group visits
• Her tried-and-true strategies for recruiting patients to group visits
• Why some of her best referrals aren’t coming from the usual sources
• Her profound advice for practitioners who are still on the fence about group visits
• And so much more!

Resources mentioned in this episode:
goevomed.com/accelerator
functionalforum.com
bewellfamilycare.com

Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! In this episode, James sits down with Dallas Hartwig, who you’ll recognize as the co-founder of the Whole30 program and co-author of two bestselling books, It Starts with Food and The Whole30. He joins us on the podcast for the first time to talk about his upcoming book, The 4 Season Solution, and explore the fascinating role of seasons, starting inside the cell and emerging all the way through to the seasons of our lives. I think this book is really going to impact the future of our entire industry, especially regarding nutrition. This conversation with Dallas became one of my favorite podcast episodes ever, and I think you’re going to really enjoy it. Highlights include:

• The natural expansion and contraction cycles and how they are relevant to you and your practice, and to medicine in general
• How Dallas’s new book, The 4 Season Solution, could kill the diet book industry and help us rethink diet and nutrition education
• The concept of “chronic summer” and why it is so important to overall health and wellness
• How we can shift perception of change from loss to evidence of progression as we move through seasons of life
• Why conversations about patients’ seasons of life need to be happening in functional medicine practices to help practitioners get to the root cause of health issues
• And so much more!

Resources mentioned in this episode:
The 4 Season Solution preorder
dallashartwig.com

Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! In this episode, James talks with Michelle Peris, ND, creator and facilitator of Rebel Tribe, a community group of women seeking support and health education. She has successfully made group visits sexy—helping women of all walks of life and health statuses build their own tribes and improve their health and wellbeing. A common concern we hear from practitioners starting out with group visits is that their patients won’t be interested in participating. But what’s different about Michelle’s groups is that that they are aspirational; the foundation of the groups encourages people to grow into better versions of themselves, and to draw on the bravery of their co-members to do it. Functional medicine groups are inspirational in that way—they channel community into a force that is powerful enough to motivate lasting behavior change. It was an excellent 30-minute conversation with Michelle, and she shared great insight that will be valuable to anyone looking for strategies to successfully market group visits and recruit patients. Highlights include:

• What inspired Michelle to pursue group visits in her practice
• How to demedicalize the marketing of group visits and attract more participants
• Stories of transformation from Rebel Tribe groups
• How the Practice Accelerator helps facilitate group visits in any practice
• How Michelle plans to continue to grow Rebel Tribe in 2020 and beyond
• And so much more!

Resources mentioned in this episode:
poppyclinic.com/rebel-tribe
goevomed.com/accelerator
functionalforum.com/success-leaves-clues-series
goevomed.com/blogs/the-naturopathic-revolution-is-upon-us-will-you-lead
michelleperis.com/freebie

Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! In this episode, James sits down with team members from Functional Medicine of Idaho, a private practice owned by a husband-and-wife team. After starting their first practice in Boise, they joined the Practice Accelerator program and scaled their business to open a second location. They’re now building their third location as they continue to bring functional medicine is an effective, clear way to their patients. Hearing their journey, from where it started to their vision for the future to how they use group visits to help scale their business, is truly inspiring. But not only that, it provides a road map for any practitioner who is ready to take their practice to the next level. It was a fascinating, fun interview, and I think anyone who is passionate about moving functional medicine forward will enjoy it immensely. Highlights include:

• One practice’s journey from one location to two thriving locations and counting
• How to scale functional medicine so that it is both effective and profitable
• How to create boundaries for specific roles within a practice
• How functional medicine is thriving across the globe and even in rural locations, not just in major cities
• How the Practice Accelerator program helps practitioners scale their care and help more patients, without burnout or high overhead costs
• Where you can learn more about the Practice Accelerator program and when open enrollment begins
• And so much more!

Resources mentioned in this episode:
functionalforum.com/success-leaves-clues-series
goevomed.com/accelerator
funmedidaho.com/

 

Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! In this episode, James sits down with Dr. Asfia Aftab, a GP partner in the National Health Service in the UK and founder of the Birmingham Functional Forum meetup group. She is also one of the heroes of James’s book, The Community Cure. Dr. Aftab is a dynamic person, with an energy and passion for her work that is inspiring. Her commitment to her practice and to her patients is leading the charge toward a new era of the NHS. There is so much to learn from her in this episode, and we think you’ll really enjoy it. Highlights include:

• What inspired Dr. Aftab to pursue medicine and join the NHS
• How Dr. Aftab is creating change in the NHS
• Why the term “social prescribing” is trending in the NHS right now, and what it means for all functional medicine practitioners
• How Dr. Aftab uses online tools to create offline connections with her patients and colleagues
• How she implements group visits in her practice, and how she continues to grow and develop these groups with her patients
• How Dr. Aftab has built a community around the Functional Forum meetup group she founded—and how this can be a model for all meetup groups to follow
• And so much more!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

January 2020 Functional Forum
Prescribing Functional Medicine
Group Visit Series on EvoMed Podcast

Bioavailability vs. Microbiome Availability

Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! On this episode, James sits down with Dr. Tom Guilliams, who had our most-downloaded podcast of the year in 2019. Dr. Guilliams talks about a topic most clinicians have strong opinions on: bioavailability. With a background in molecular immunology and extensive research on nutrition and dietary supplement efficacy, Dr. Guilliams brings a unique and refreshing perspective to functional medicine clinicians of any discipline who are trying to get the best results with their patients. Highlights include:

• Bioavailability and the new science on what that looks like in the era of the microbiome
• How traditional herbal preparations can maximize microbiome availability
• How attempting to replicate the pharmaceutical model for dietary supplements has brought us to opposite conclusions simultaneously, and how this will be a refreshing conversation for the new decade
• How researchers are devising new ways of thinking about how evidence works in the evaluation of non-drug therapies
• The questions practitioners who want to maximize dietary supplement effectiveness should be asking
• And so much more!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

goevomed.com/lmrc

functionalforum.com/podcasts/podcast-phenotypic-flexibility

thecommunitycure.com

Tickets for PLMI Conference in Chicago

Group Visit Series Part 10: If an Ophthalmologist Can Run Group Visits…

Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! This week, we sit down with Shalesh Kaushal, MD, PhD for Part 10 of our Group Visit Series. This episode looks at group visits from a different perspective—a much narrower one than we have previously shared, and I really love that. If you’ve been following our series or are familiar with group visits, you know that they are effective in so many areas of medicine, but in general, they affect the reversal of chronic diseases. In this episode, we’re talking about group visits in a very specific application: retina disease.

Dr. Kaushal is a pioneer on this front, bringing the power of group visits and community to super specific disease cases. His work exemplifies the broad range of application group visits can have, and how their positive impact can reach across the spectrum of medicine, from the general to the specific. If an ophthalmologist can run group visits, so can you! Highlights of this episode include:

• How Dr. Kaushal got his start in functional medicine
• When he realized he needed to deliver care in a group format
• What he has learned from his work as a medical specialist and group visit practitioner
• How he has used Group Visit Toolkits in practice
• And so much more!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

lifestylematrix.com

lifestylematrix.com/gvthome

reversalchronicdiseases.com

Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine Podcast! This week, we’re talking with Jeremie Kubicek, the well-known speaker and bestselling author who has appeared on our podcast twice before to discuss business aspects of functional medicine practice. In this episode, Jeremie discusses strategies for goal setting in 2020—something we’re all thinking about as 2019 winds down, and even more poignant as we prepare to embark on a new decade. What I appreciated most about the conversation with Jeremie is that he shares actionable steps to make your vision for 2020 a reality. It’s not about avoiding the obstacles that will come your way, but planning how you will overcome them. The process is self-reflective and, I think, a necessary exercise for anyone who wants to make positive change happen in 2020. Highlights from this episode include:

• Learning from Mount Everest’s Sherpas to become a leader worth following
• Jeremie’s strategy for identifying pain points, setting your vision for the future and overcoming resistance
• How overcoming obstacles to your vision might be as simple as how you communicate
• Thinking about group visits as a way to mitigate common sources of dissatisfaction for practitioners
• And so much more!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

100xleader.com

functionalforum.com/podcasts/podcast-getting-the-most-out-of-your-staff-juggling-personalities

functionalforum.com/podcasts/podcast-the-power-of-full-engagement

Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! On this episode, we talk with Dr. Alejandro Junger, a cardiologist by trade and a celebrated and well-known practitioner in the functional medicine space. He is the bestselling author of Clean and Clean 7, and the founder of Clean, a 21-day detoxification experience. Dr. Junger is an expert on detoxification, and one of the first practitioners to advocate for its benefits and widespread use—a detox OG, if you will. He shares his health journey and a powerful testimony to functional medicine. It was a really engaging conversation, and I think you’ll enjoy it. Highlights include:

• How Dr. Junger combines detoxification and intermittent fasting in his new book, Clean 7, to help more people reap the benefits of healthy detoxification
• Dr. Junger’s own health journey and path to functional medicine and detoxification
• Why community is the best approach to successful detoxification
• Why Dr. Junger believes in the power of groups
• His tips and tricks for running successful group visits
• The role of toxicity in chronic disease, and how it is more damaging than most people realize
• How to stop the naysaying and alleviate the tension between the old way of thinking about detoxification and the new way
• And so much more!

Resources mentioned in this podcast:
cleanprogram.com
cleanprogram.com/pages/clean7
functionalforum.com/biotransformation-the-2020-challenge
goevomed.com/groupchallenge

Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! In this episode, part of our Group Visit Series, we sit down with Dr. Elizabeth Markle to talk about her revolutionary practice, Open Source Wellness. It's an incredible story of their journey to organize and synthesize a consistent group visit model. In this episode, you're going to hear about their thoughts about why behavior change was difficult, how to democratize it and make it available for prescription. Dr. Markle also talked about the sequence of behavior changes that happen through patients’ 16-week visit at Open Source Wellness. You’ll also hear a lot about how to facilitate behavior change in a group. It was a really interesting conversation, and I think you'll really enjoy it, especially if you’ve been thinking about starting group visits. Highlights include:

• The origin story of Open Source Wellness and Dr. Markle’s and her c-founder’s vision for the future
• Why patients need democratization and experiences to build healthy lifestyle behaviors and overcome health issues
• Human behaviors that predispose us to crave community, especially when creating healthy habits
• Markle’s secret sauce for developing a thriving community in your practice
• How group visits reward the patient with improved health and community, and practitioners with a deep sense of purpose in their healthcare practice
• And so much more!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

opensourcewellness.org

Welcome to the Evolution of Medicine podcast! This week, we sit down with Dr. Elroy Vojdani, a preeminent functional medicine physician, researcher, and educator. Dr. Vojdani and his father, Dr. Aristo Vojdani, widely recognized as the godfather of functional immunology, have partnered to research intestinal permeability and the gut-brain axis. These are two key areas in understanding and resolving autoimmune conditions, which affect millions of patients. Dr. Vojdani shared some of his clinical findings, the strategies and products he uses in clinical care, and why his new practice will feature a meeting space dedicated to group visits. It was a fascinating 30 minutes and if you’re interested in the future of autoimmune disease reversal (and based on that growing number of patients, we all should be), I think you’ll really enjoy it. Highlights include:

• The autoimmunity research Dr. Vojdani and his father are tackling and their latest findings
• The three subtypes of leaky gut and how to treat them
• Why antibody testing is the gold standard for understanding leaky gut
• The best tools for reversing leaky gut
• The strategies and products Dr. Vojdani uses in clinical care to address autoimmune conditions
• Vojdani’s thoughts of precision public health and the future of healthcare
• And so much more!

Resources mentioned in this podcast:

regeneramedical.com/

researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/39442278_Elroy_Vojdani

orthomolecularproducts.com/sbi-protect-capsules/

apexenergetics.com/enterovite

joincyrex.com/the-cyrex-system/array-10-multiple-food-immune-reactivity-screens