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

Akkermansia & Gut Health With Dr. Colleen Cutliffe

In this podcast, Dr. Colleen Cutliffe, a PhD scientist and the co-founder and CEO of the microbiome company, Pendulum Therapeutics, discusses the role that different bacterium such as Akkermansia play in optimal gut health and function. Click here to view episode transcript: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/akkermansia-gut-health-with-dr-colleen-cutcliffe/

Jul 25, 202329 min

Food and Mood: Nutritional Psychiatry, the Microbiome, and Mental Health

Mental health disorders including depression and anxiety are a major cause of disability and reduction in quality of life worldwide. Many people who experience these conditions do not achieve lasting remission from pharmaceuticals or talk therapy alone. In the past ten years, the practice of nutritional psychiatry has developed to help fill this void. Focused on integrating dietary change into a broader treatment plan that may include medication, talk therapy, and other lifestyle approaches, nut...

Jul 11, 202345 min

Navigating Menopause: Hormones, Mental-Emotional Function, and Sexual Health

The transition to menopause is a significant hormonal shift that marks each woman’s life and every journey is different depending on the person’s unique hormonal profile, health history, and wellness path. Along with the common vasomotor symptoms, women may also experience changes in arousal or desire and in mental-emotional function. Through nutrition and lifestyle change, women can stay empowered during menopause and maintain sexual health and optimal mental-emotional function. In this episode...

Jun 27, 202350 min

Nutrition’s Role in Anxiety Disorders: Evaluating Mental Wellness With Dr. Kate Henry

What role does nutrition play in anxiety disorders? Kate Henry, ND Head of Medical Education at RUPA Health, speaks with IFM podcast host Kalea Wattles, ND on this pertinent topic. Anxiety disorders in the US are common, affecting approximately 40 million adults every year. Concerns about mental health remain elevated three years after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, with 90% of US adults believing that the country is facing a mental health crisis. Both anxiety and panic disorders may severe...

Jun 06, 202347 min

Phytocannabinoids for Treating Common Conditions

Description: Understanding medical cannabis, how it interacts with the human brain and body and the current clinical applications is necessary for all healthcare professionals now that it is available in most states and many countries. Bonni Goldstein, MD, will discuss her clinical experience using phytocannabanoids to treat common conditions as well as her research into using them as a treatment in pediatric populations. Click here to view episode transcript: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/p...

May 16, 202345 min

Increasing Healthspan: From Micronutrients to Hormetic Stressors, With Dr. Rhonda Patrick

In this podcast, Rhonda Patrick, PhD, discusses healthy aging and longevity using personalized lifestyle-based approaches and emphasizes the importance of micronutrients, healthy fat intake, physical activity, and hormetic stress for disease prevention. Click here to view episode transcript: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/increasing-healthspan-from-micronutrients-to-hormetic-stressors-with-dr-rhonda-patrick/

May 02, 20231 hr 3 min

The Oral Microbiome & Systemic Disease

After the gut, the second largest and most diverse microbiome in the body is located in the mouth. The oral microbiome is becoming an increasing area of interest in the medical community as research highlights several connections between chronic oral dysbiosis and systemic diseases, with inflammation being a common link. Pathogenic oral bacteria may influence inflammatory pathways particularly via the gut and by translocation through perivascular spaces. Thus, maintaining balance is the oral mic...

Apr 11, 202346 min

Fueling for Fitness: Igniting Metabolism Through Personalized Lifestyle Interventions

Jade Teta, ND discusses modifiable lifestyle factors integral to metabolic health, explores the intricate connections between hormones and an individual’s metabolism, and shares clinical pearls for collaborative, effective and sustainable personalized interventions. Click here to view episode transcript: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/fueling-for-fitness-igniting-metabolism-through-personalized-lifestyle-interventions/

Mar 28, 202349 min

Healthy Aging and Longevity with Mark Hyman, MD

Dr. Mark Hyman discusses the hallmarks of aging and how to optimize health and longevity through modifiable lifestyle factors and hermetic therapies. Click here to view episode transcript: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/healthy-aging-and-longevity-staying-young-forever-with-mark-hyman-md/

Mar 14, 202330 min

Root Causes & Treatment of Mast Cell Disease

Mast cell activation disorders may present as episodic inflammatory symptoms that come and go over time making them difficult to diagnose. These fluctuating symptom patterns include allergic-type responses and non-specific symptoms ranging across the cardiovascular, endocrine, gastrointestinal, dermatologic, and respiratory systems. Chronic diseases and lifestyle choices may influence mast cell dysregulation and overall immune system activation. Identifying potential antecedents and triggers of ...

Feb 28, 202358 min

The 2022 Functional Medicine Year in Review

Functional medicine continues to equip healthcare providers with the latest tools, technology, and research to innovate patient care and enhance clinical outcomes. Throughout 2022, we’ve had our finger on the pulse of several prominent topics in the research literature such as mast cell activation syndromes, new research on dementia prevention, diabetes remission, and a perennial favorite, the gut microbiome. A systems-based approach to health and disease is being increasingly acknowledged, with...

Dec 13, 202252 min

Addressing the Root Causes of Cognitive Decline and Dementia

As life expectancy increases around the world, so too are the rates of dementia and cognitive decline. These conditions may be a major concern for some patients, especially those with a family history or increased genetic risk for neurodegenerative disease. Multi-pronged lifestyle interventions including nutrition and exercise offer hope for the prevention and delay of cognitive decline by reducing neuroinflammation and improving brain plasticity. On this episode of Pathways to Well-Being, we we...

Nov 15, 202245 min

Functional Medicine Approaches to Cancer Care

Conventional mainstays of cancer treatment may include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and targeted therapy, but these approaches may not be as effective as standalone treatments. Supporting cancer patients with complementary lifestyle-based interventions such as nutrition, exercise, and mind-body therapies, may help reduce the side effects of cancer treatment and improve outcomes. On this episode of Pathways to Well-Being, Dr. Aisha Chilcoat is joining us to discuss functiona...

Oct 26, 202244 min

Psychobiotics: Therapeutic Potential for Modulating the Gut-Brain Axis

Communication between the gut and the brain is bidirectional and researchers continue to study whether brain and behavioral alterations seen in some mental health and neurological conditions are the result of intestinal dysbiosis or vice versa. This research had opened up therapeutic possibilities for targeting the microbiome to support overall mental and physical health. On this episode of Pathways to Well-Being, Dr. Holly Lucille joins us to discuss the concept of psychobiotics—beneficial prob...

Sep 27, 202234 min

Authentic Self & the Healing Journey

A new article published in Integrative Medicine: A Clinician’s Journal (IMCJ) expands on the connections between lifestyle, behavior, and disease, and proposes that a lack of connection to our authentic selves is a major obstacle on the journey towards healing. On this episode of Pathways to Well-Being, we welcome four of the article’s contributing authors, Drs. David Jones, Deanna Minich, Joseph Lamb, and Michael Stone, to discuss the importance of the therapeutic partnership and its role in he...

Sep 06, 20221 hr 6 min

Streamlining Care with IFM’s Toolkit Resources

Pathways to Well-Being podcast edisode with Brandilyn Binstock, ND, and Briana Aspy, PA on utilitizing IFM’s clinical toolkit in practice. To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/streamlining-care-with-ifms-toolkit-resources/.

Aug 09, 202241 min

Fasting, Hormones, and Men’s Sexual Health

On this episode of Pathways to Well-Being, we welcome Dr. Mark Holthouse to discuss male hormone imbalances and how they affect men’s sexual health and function. We’ll explore the potential antecedents and mediators related to male infertility and erectile dysfunction and discuss how dietary interventions including fasting and aromatase-inhibiting foods can help naturally bring the body back into balance. To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/fast...

Jun 14, 202251 min

Utilizing Patient Data In Your Functional Medicine Practice

On this episode of Pathways to Well-Being, Dr. Shilpa P. Saxena joins the conversation to explore the concept of evidence-based practice and how the functional medicine approach is designed to support innovations in clinical care. She’ll also discuss how we can collect practice data and leverage that knowledge to increase practice efficiency and streamline effective patient care. Dr. Saxena will be presenting at the upcoming Annual International Conference, where she will be speaking on the topi...

May 17, 202237 min

Building the Functional Medicine Evidence Base

Conducting research into the effectiveness of the functional medicine model requires overcoming some barriers, including the inherent difficulty of studying multimodal treatment strategies in randomized controlled studies. Even so, such research is critical to improving access to functional medicine care for all. On this episode of Pathways to Well-Being, we discuss the efforts undertaken by the research team at the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine to build a robust functional med...

May 03, 202247 min

Functional Fertility & Preconception Health

On this episode of Pathways to Well-Being, Leslie Stone, MD and Emily Rydbom CN, HN, CNP explore the intersection of functional medicine and pregnancy, from supporting fertility to optimizing fetal and maternal health through collaborative personalized care. To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/functional-fertility-pregnancy-and-fetal-health/.

Mar 29, 202247 min

Mast Cell Activation Syndrome: The Functional Medicine Approach

On this episode of Pathways to Well-Being, Greg Plotnikoff, MD, will explore a topic that has been the subject of an increasing amount of research lately: mast cell activation. He’ll discuss how the functional medicine approach can help recognize when hyperactive mast cells may be contributing to a patient’s dysfunction and how we can begin to address this complex issue. To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/mast-cell-activation-syndrome-the-funct...

Mar 16, 202246 min

Sustainable Diets

In this podcast, Elizabeth Boham, MD, MS, RD, discusses how to create sustainable dietary interventions for patients with cardiometabolic concerns, including fasting and time-restricted feeding. To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/fasting-sustainable-dietary-change-and-cardiometabolic-health/.

Jan 25, 202238 min

2021 Functional Medicine Year in Review

As the COVID-19 pandemic continued throughout 2021, the functional medicine approach offered help by providing a model that both optimizes health in the short-term and also maintains long-term well-being and prevents future disease. On this episode of Pathways to Well-Being, we’re recapping the functional medicine year in review with IFM’s Director of Medical Education Dan Lukaczer, ND, IFMCP and the Director of Medical Education Initiatives Robert Luby, MD, IFMCP. They cover the most prominent ...

Dec 21, 202149 min

Endocrine Disrupting Plastics: Minimizing Health Impacts and Restoring Well-being

In the modern world, toxicant exposure is ubiquitous, with some studies reporting the average person is exposed to hundreds of environmental chemicals daily via air, water, soil, and food. While these exposures usually occur at a low-level, the bioaccumulation of toxins in the body can be a root cause of several types of dysfunction. On this episode of Pathways to Well-Being, Tom Malterre, MS, CN, clinical educator and cofounder of Whole Life Nutrition, explains the biochemical impacts of endocr...

Oct 26, 202143 min

Stress, Trauma, and Dysbiosis: Connecting the Gut-Brain Axis to Autoimmune Disease

Stress and unresolved psychological trauma may cause dysbiotic patterns in the gut and conversely, gut dysbiosis may activate stress responses that upregulate inflammatory pathways. Chronic stress may impair communication along the gut-brain axis and is implicated in both psychiatric and GI-related comorbidities such as IBD. On this episode of Pathways to Well-Being, Keesha Ewers, PhD, MSN, ARNP, FNPc, founder of the Academy for Integrative Medicine and Functional Sexology, discusses how psychol...

Oct 12, 202145 min

Optimizing Outcomes: The Benefits of Health Coaching for Patients and Practitioners

Collaborative care teams can enhance the quality and efficacy of care delivered to patients. Leveraging the expertise of multiple healthcare providers including nutritionists, pharmacists, psychiatrists, health coaches can improve long-term outcomes and keep patients engaged in the lifestyle modifications. Studies indicate that patients who work with health coaches in particular, demonstrate consistently higher rates of treatment adherence, improved self-efficacy skills, and a decreased recurren...

Sep 07, 202143 min

Targeted Healing Inside the Brain: HYLANE Technology for Neuropsychiatric Care

On this episode of Pathways to Well-Being, noted psychiatrist Robert Hedaya, MD, ABPN, DLFAPA, IFMCP discusses the innovative HYLANE technology for addressing neuropsychiatric conditions like PTSD or TBI. To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/targeted-healing-inside-the-brain-hylane-technology-for-neuropsychiatric-care/

Jul 27, 202132 min

Where Does Functional Medicine Go From Here? The 2021 AIC in Review

On this episode of Pathways to Well-Being, James Maskell from the Functional Forum discusses his top takeaways from AIC and what they mean for functional medicine in the future. To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/where-does-functional-medicine-go-from-here-the-2021-aic-in-review/

Jun 29, 202147 min

Food Access & Insecurity with Clancy Harrison, MS, RDN

Food insecurity and insufficient access to healthy foods have been associated with negative health outcomes, including an increased vulnerability for micronutrient deficiencies and a higher probability of developing chronic diseases. Nutrition interventions are essential therapeutic strategies for combatting many chronic diseases, yet food insecurity and limited access to affordable, varied, and nutritious foods may impede healthcare efforts. Clancy Harrison, a registered dietician with two deca...

May 25, 202137 min

The Fasting Mimicking Diet: Impacts on Aging and Chronic Disease with Valter Longo, PhD

Fasting can be an important clinical tool to promote patient health. There are various approaches to fasting, which allows for the use of the most appropriate therapeutic application for each patient. Intermittent fasting strategies such as periodic fasting mimicking diets have a range of potential health benefits and may improve physical and mental health through multiple pathways, from triggering autophagy to enhancing mitochondrial health. On this episode of Pathways to Well-Being, our guest ...

May 04, 202139 min
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