Pathways to Well-Being - podcast cover

Pathways to Well-Being

The Institute for Functional Medicineifm.org
Functional medicine uses the latest advances in the areas of genomics, epigenetics, nutrition, and lifestyle to find personalized solutions that lead to improved patient outcomes. Now, more than ever, the functional medicine approach is critical to address the rising tide of chronic disease and increase resilience among the most vulnerable populations in the time of a pandemic. Everyone deserves to find their own pathway to optimal health, which requires expanding access to high quality medical care for all individuals. Pathways to Well-being is a clinician-focused podcast that will feature leading practitioners and researchers from around the world engaged in conversations about the foundations of health, the latest medical advances from the front lines of health care, and the ways in which we can all help increase access to quality functional medicine care for everyone.
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Episodes

Ketogenic Diets and Brain Health with Dr. Terry Wahls

On this episode of Pathways to Well-Being, legendary IFM educator Dr. Terry Wahls discusses how low-carbohydrate dietary plans like paleo and keto can provide the necessary nutrients to fuel the brain and help prevent cognitive decline and neurodegeneration, as well as how we can help patients implement and sustain these dietary changes to improve brain health.

Jun 18, 202548 min

Whole Health and Transforming Healthcare Systems With Tracy Gaudet, MD

On this episode of Pathways to Well-Being, Whole Health pioneer and featured 2025 AIC speaker Tracy Gaudet, MD, who has years of experience as an agent of change in healthcare systems, will explore what healthcare transformation means and how practices and hospital systems alike can begin to achieve it.

May 13, 202544 min

Healing the Physiological Effects of Trauma

On today’s episode of Pathways to Well-Being, AIC 2025 speaker Aimie K. Apigian, MD, MS, MPH, explores physiological dysfunction rooted in past trauma, differentiates between the body’s stress response and trauma response, and discusses how trauma affects mental, emotional, and physical markers of health.

Apr 30, 202542 min

Chronic Infections as an Underlying Cause of Persistent Symptoms

On today’s episode of Pathways to Well-Being, Tom Sult, MD, discusses the important clinical connections between chronic infections and common persistent symptoms and how to manage them using functional medicine strategies. Transcript: https://www.ifm.org/podcast/chronic-infections-persistent-symptoms

Mar 18, 202550 min

Revisiting the Trending Topics in Functional Medicine of 2024

As a systems-based approach, the functional medicine model looks all facets of health; evaluating why disease occurs and uncovering what each patients needs to thrive. Over the past year, we’ve discussed how this personalized approach to dysfunction and disease makes a difference in clinical outcomes. On this special episode of Pathways to Well-Being, we’re revisiting some of the trending topics and highlights of 2024. From brain health and thyroid health, to Long COVID, menopause, the gut micro...

Dec 22, 202442 min

Linking Stress and Inflammation to Chronic Disease

Mylene Huynh, MD, MPH, IFMCP, explores the connections between stress, inflammation, and disease and highlights ways to effectively transform stress to improve health. Transcript: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/stress-inflammation-chronic-disease/

Nov 23, 202439 min

Optimizing Cancer Care & Prevention

Rebecca Knackstedt, MD, PhD, discusses the benefit of lifestyle-based modalities in supporting breast cancer treatment. Transcript: https://www.ifm.org/podcast/breast-cancer-care-and-prevention

Oct 25, 202441 min

The Impact of Toxins on the Gut Microbiome, With Dr. Joseph Pizzorno

On this episode of Pathways to Well-Being, Dr. Joseph Pizzorno discusses clinical indicators of toxic overload and how the integrity of the gut microbiome can influence an individual’s sensitivity to ubiquitous toxins. Transcript: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/impact-of-toxins-on-the-gut-microbiome/

Oct 21, 202447 min

Improving Thyroid Function by Targeting the Gut Microbiome

On today’s episode of Pathways to Well-Being, clinical researcher and thyroid expert Michael Ruscio, DC, discusses the functional medicine approaches to optimizing and balancing thyroid hormone levels. Transcript: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/improving-thyroid-function-gut-microbiome/

Sep 14, 202446 min

Biological Aging and Extending Healthspan, With Dr. Kara Fitzgerald

On this episode of Pathways to Well-Being, Dr. Kara Fitzgerald discusses epigenetics, longevity, and how diet and lifestyle-based interventions can slow biological aging to optimize the healthspan. Full transcript: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/biological-aging-health-span

Aug 25, 202436 min

Neuroinflammation, Brain Function, & Mental Health

On this episode of Pathways to Well-Being, we welcome Jaquel Patterson, ND, to explore the systemic impacts of neuroinflammation on physiological and psychiatric conditions and outline functional medicine approaches to optimizing brain health. Full transcript: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/neuroinflammation-brain-function-mental-health/

Aug 22, 202443 min

Whole-Person Care for Perimenopause Symptoms

Carrie Levine, CNM, IFMCP discusses whole-person care for perimenopause and personalized approaches for assessing and treating fluctuating hormonal patterns. Full transcript: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/podcast-july-2024-whole-person-care-perimenopause/

Jul 27, 202445 min

Drug-Induced Nutrient Depletion and How Functional Medicine Pharmacists Can Help

In this episode of Pathways to Well-Being, we welcome functional medicine pharmacists Dr. Lara Zakaria and Dr. Melody Hartzler to discuss drug-induced nutrient depletions and the role of pharmacists on collaborative care teams. View full transcript here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/podcast-july-2024-nutrient-depletion-and-pharmacists/

Jul 12, 202444 min

Mental-Emotional-Spiritual Connections to Physiology

In this episode of Pathways to Well-Being, Kara Parker, MD, discusses social determinants of health and assessing mental-emotional-spiritual well-being. Read episode transcript here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/podcast-june-2024-mental-emotional-spiritual-connections/

Jun 24, 202444 min

Exploring the Gut-Skin Connection

In this episode of Pathways to Well-Being, Drs. Michael Chapman and Patti Devers from Genova Diagnostics discuss the connection between skin and gut health. Read episode transcript here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/podcast-may-2024-exploring-the-gut-skin-connection/

May 18, 202450 min

The Phytobiome, Planetary Health, and Human Disease

In this episode of Pathways to Well-Being, we welcome 2024 AIC speaker Dr. Michael Ash to discuss what we know about the phytobiome and its potential implications for planetary and human health View episode transcript: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/podcast-april-2024-phytobiome-planteray-health/

Apr 13, 202438 min

Micronutrient Deficiencies, Ultra-Processed Foods, & Personalized Food Plans

In this episode of Pathways to Well-Being, we welcome Dr. Liz Lipski to discuss the importance of micronutrients and how emphasizing these components in personalized therapeutic food plans may benefit a patient’s health. Read episode transcript here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/podcast-april-2024-micronutrient-deficiencies-processed-foods/

Apr 08, 202444 min

The Oral-Systemic Connection & Personalized Nutrition Interventions

The oral and gut microbiomes have a complex relationship influenced by several factors, including the micronutrients, macronutrients, and phytochemicals that we consume. Research suggests that the intestinal microbiome can be influenced by diet, and that these dietary interventions, while they may not result in the same responsiveness in all patients, may improve the symptoms and outcomes of a broad spectrum of diseases such as obesity, diabetes mellitus, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, color...

Feb 10, 202438 min

Intermittent Fasting and Heart Health

Intermittent fasting may be an appropriate therapeutic approach for some patients and has been associated with improved health across a range of areas.1-4 Research suggests that the potential benefits of fasting work through multiple pathways from reducing oxidative stress to triggering autophagy. What are potential benefits when intermittent fasting therapies are used in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease? And how can the latest research help inform clinical interventions? I...

Jan 30, 202451 min

Whole Health and Functional Medicine in 2023 and Beyond

Whole Health and the Whole Health approach received a lot of attention in 2023. The move toward a cultural transformation in care delivery to include both prevention and treatment with conventional and complementary approaches that embed each patient in a “circle of health” was noted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine as a potential model for higher-value care nationally. Prioritizing a person-centered, integrated approach to health care that focuses on health creat...

Dec 19, 202355 min

Diabetes Subtypes and Individualized Approaches to Metabolic Health

Metabolic dysfunction is common in many communities and contributes to many of the most debilitating chronic diseases across the globe. The spectrum of metabolic function includes several points for intervention both before and after the diagnosis of conditions such as type 2 diabetes. The functional medicine approach to assessing and treating metabolic dysfunction involves a personalized approach to each patient, including understanding the root causes of each patient’s issues and developing in...

Nov 28, 202344 min

Environmental Toxins & Cancer: Exposure, Risks, and the Path Forward

Toxins and environmental chemicals pervade our everyday lives, and the human body has adapted over the years to withstand the increasing volume and complexities of these exposures. However, chronic exposure to known carcinogenic substances present in the environment, our indoor spaces, and even in the products we use, may contribute to significant health risks. When should clinicians begin to suspect toxicity as a contributing factor to disease and cancer? In this episode of Pathways to Well-Bei...

Oct 24, 202352 min

Fasting and the Gut Microbiome: Exploring the Connection and Health Benefits

A therapeutic fasting intervention may be an appropriate component for a personalized treatment strategy and may improve health across a range of areas, from mental and cognitive performance to cardiometabolic health to the effectiveness of cancer treatments. Research suggests that the potential benefits of fasting work through multiple pathways, such as reducing oxidative stress, enhancing mitochondrial health, and triggering autophagy. Now, more studies indicate that fasting also positively im...

Sep 19, 202348 min

Exploring Mood Disorders and Brain Health Through the Lens of Functional Psychiatry

Mood disorders such as depression and anxiety are multi-factorial in nature, resulting from physiological and biochemical imbalances, and psycho-social imbalances. The field of functional psychiatry aims to identify the somatic root causes that contribute to mental health disorders. Due to the complexity and sensitivity around how these conditions manifest in each patient, the optimal treatment plan goes beyond a singular treatment modality and focuses on truly bringing the body, mind, and spiri...

Aug 22, 202346 min
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