Medicinal cannabis has been studied and administered for health benefits like chronic pain reduction and chemotherapy-induced nausea. Compelling—while currently more limited—evidence shows that a small, controlled dose of cannabis can also improve sexual function in the four main domains: libido, arousal, orgasm, and bonding. The optimal medium to use is cannabis flower (to avoid harmful byproducts and have predictable effects) with a vaporizer that has proper temperature regulation and dose con...
Jun 24, 2019•1 hr 2 min•Ep 205•Transcript available on Metacast Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS) is an inflammatory response in the body that may affect multiple systems—like digestive, respiratory, nervous, musculoskeletal, pulmonary—and is generally brought on by environmental exposure or infection. The most common trigger for CIRS is mold and mycotoxins from buildings with water damage. If you see health changes after a water leak, moving to a new residence (or office), or even after a brief exposure like a hotel stay, consider mold and CIRS ...
Jun 19, 2019•55 min•Ep 204•Transcript available on Metacast A large, 20-year study of farmers shows associations between exposure to certain pesticides and herbicides and an increased risk of hypothyroidism. Many of these chemicals are still in use. Note that the study measured occupational use, or very high exposure. Another study which measured pesticide levels in the blood—after participants ate organic versus conventional food—showed higher levels of pesticides in the blood of those who ate conventional food. Eating organic food whenever possible may...
Jun 17, 2019•8 min•Ep 204•Transcript available on Metacast Today we will cover listener questions, including: Elemental Heal for Ulcers; Inulin Intolerance; Keto Diet and Thyroid; H. Pylori False Positives; Red Light Therapy for The Gut; Biofilms and the Elemental Diet. https://drruscio.com/?p=31375 My book Healthy Gut, Healthy You is available at https://drruscio.com/getgutbook/ Looking for more? Check out https://drruscio.com/resources...
Jun 12, 2019•46 min•Ep 203•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode Julie and I discuss diet protocols and a cascade approach that often helps practitioners and patients identify the best possible diet for healing. The protocols we discuss, like starting with a gluten/dairy/soy free diet and cascading to other diets like low histamine, low FODMAP, low salicylate diet and low oxalate diet are not limited to Autism treatment, this approach can be used for many different chronic diseases. https://drruscio.com/?p=31373 My book Healthy Gut, Healthy Yo...
Jun 10, 2019•50 min•Ep 203•Transcript available on Metacast Sometimes, looking at difficult health issues holistically and asking good questions can uncover surprising paths to wellness. Jason Prall of the Human Longevity Project docu-series focused his career on lifestyle medicine after working to help many patients with complex issues. In additional to health practices like exercise and sun exposure, he has also seen powerful healing effects from psychedelics on the nervous system, both personally and in others. One high-impact activity you can incorpo...
Jun 05, 2019•49 min•Ep 202•Transcript available on Metacast The cost of care, especially in the realm of functional medicine, can be an unknown for a suffering layperson. It may feel to weary patients like their only option is to sign away many thousands of dollars. Julie’s story shows that this does not need to be the case. After her general practitioner was not able to treat her myriad symptoms—including brain fog, fatigue, female hormone issues, bloating, and loose stools—Julie turned to functional medicine. The first functional medicine doctor she tu...
Jun 03, 2019•11 min•Ep 202•Transcript available on Metacast Our society provides more stimulus and entertainment than ever before, from streaming video to mobile devices. Parents are often discouraged from letting their children wander off or attempt things unsupervised. And most people think of boredom as a negative feeling to be avoided. But could there be a value to boredom? Dr. Mark Hawkins, a high school counselor, thinks so. Cultivating a practice of boredom, or leaving space to do nothing, can lead to facing and resolving one’s negative feelings, ...
May 29, 2019•35 min•Ep 201•Transcript available on Metacast If you are still experiencing symptoms of hypothyroidism despite taking a thyroid hormone, a recent study shows promise. The study showed that two-thirds of women with the above condition, who brought their ferritin levels (or functional iron in their blood) above 100, saw their persistent symptoms relieved. Consider testing your ferritin and supplementing it before adding on another medication. Interestingly, 100 is not a cutoff for healthy iron levels in most blood tests, so make sure to take ...
May 27, 2019•9 min•Ep 201•Transcript available on Metacast Stoic philosophy is an ancient life philosophy, originating in Rome and Greece, that may help you face challenges more effectively and with greater tranquility. One technique involves briefly visualizing the loss of someone or something precious, restoring gratitude for and awareness of that element of life. Another method is to review and analyze the surfacing of negative emotion to hopefully prevent it in the future. The practice of Stoic philosophy provides a balance to modern goals of materi...
May 22, 2019•37 min•Ep 200•Transcript available on Metacast The influence of social relationships on health and happiness is a popular topic of research. A healthy marital relationship can yield numerous benefits, including better sleep and greater longevity. But marital stress can be detrimental to couples’ immune systems. Stress in a relationship (or even loss) can be buffered by other friendships, by gratitude, by time apart, and by setting realistic expectations. Commitment from your social connections can also bolster health. When considering your o...
May 20, 2019•37 min•Ep 200•Transcript available on Metacast Today we will cover listener questions, including: Magnesium while fasting; Is the elemental diet and fasting okay if you are underweight?; Probiotics; Is the inulin in the probiotic okay?; Noticing white tongue while on the elemental diet; Dosing for NAC; and more. https://drruscio.com/?p=30674 My book Healthy Gut, Healthy You is available at https://drruscio.com/getgutbook/ Looking for more? Check out https://drruscio.com/resources...
May 15, 2019•43 min•Ep 199•Transcript available on Metacast Three main types of symptoms typically occur in mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS): allergic, inflammatory, and growth abnormality symptoms, which can affect different organs in the body. Lyme disease, Bartonella, and other tick-borne (and insect/animal-transmitted) illnesses can influence, trigger, or mimic the symptoms of MCAS. It’s important to consider that these conditions may or may not overlap. Lab testing can help identify inflammation markers or specific infections. Treatments, from h...
May 13, 2019•54 min•Ep 199•Transcript available on Metacast Neural pathways that form the brain to gut connections can be damaged as a result of a concussion or other traumatic injury. For some patients whose symptoms don’t fully resolve with gut therapies, new treatments that stimulate neural pathways may be helpful. Functional neurology is an area of clinical practice that opens a window onto brain-based problems and provides some novel therapies. Today we talk about diagnostic clues for detecting a brain-to-gut problem and we explore electroceuticals,...
May 08, 2019•50 min•Ep 198•Transcript available on Metacast Often people try a few store-bought, random probiotics to help their gut, thinking they are all the same. Then they conclude that either they don’t work, or that they don’t tolerate them. Unfortunately, this can miss some of the most widely-studied effective classes of probiotics: a lactobacillus-bifidobacterium blend, S. boulardii, and soil-based probiotics. Phyllis, a patient, tried the random approach first and didn’t tolerate them. Then she tried the Healthy Gut, Healthy You probiotic protoc...
May 06, 2019•7 min•Ep 198•Transcript available on Metacast Bloating may be largely ignored by most doctors, but this uncomfortable symptom is common and deserves more attention. Dr. Peter Whorwell, a specialist clinician and researcher, shares his insights into bloating and reveals some surprising facts. Why do only half of the patients with bloating pain show signs of abdominal swelling? What is a bloatometer? How is bloating with constipation different from bloating with diarrhea? When is bloating a sign of a more serious disease? What are the most cu...
May 01, 2019•1 hr 12 min•Ep 197•Transcript available on Metacast Sometimes a trauma, whether physical or emotional, can push your limbic system into a “stuck” state of fight or flight. This can lead to a host of issues, from chemical hypersensitivities or fibromyalgia to IBS or survival-related emotional states. To restore your limbic system balance, one approach comes in the form of a neural retraining program. This system targets negative triggers through conscious awareness, guided visualization, exposure therapy, the pursuit of positive emotions, and othe...
Apr 29, 2019•37 min•Ep 197•Transcript available on Metacast An important contributing factor to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is a food poisoning incident (and subsequent antibodies to a toxin called cytolethal distending toxin B, or CdtB). CdtB looks like a protein made by the body and can trigger autoimmunity that disrupts motility in the intestines. Dr. Mark Pimentel and his colleagues developed a blood test that tests for these antibodies, called IBS-smart. This blood test can be ordered by your docto...
Apr 24, 2019•55 min•Ep 196•Transcript available on Metacast The connection between the gut and brain is powerful, and often not realized by the general public. When Dr. Aleksandra Gioe was faced with severe anxiety, she tried natural solutions like chamomile tea and holy basil. But these supplements didn’t address the more profound roots of her condition: gut inflammation. She also was suffering from bloating and chronic hives but didn’t link these with her anxiety. After just beginning the protocol from Healthy Gut, Healthy You, most notably the low FOD...
Apr 22, 2019•20 min•Ep 196•Transcript available on Metacast Intermittent fasting (or time-restricted feeding) is a method of limiting the time window you eat each day to a consistent number of hours and a consistent time each day. Between 8-10 hours of eating window is considered optimal in humans, which leaves 14-16 hours for your body to fast. This period allows your organs a break from digesting so they can heal. This can reduce leaky gut and improve blood sugar and blood pressure. Early studies showed that genetically identical mice fed the same numb...
Apr 17, 2019•55 min•Ep 195•Transcript available on Metacast In recent times, some types of genetic testing, like both diagnostic and predictive testing, have become more popular. These tests offer the potential to identify whether a current health condition might be affected by your genes, or whether you have a higher likelihood of developing certain conditions. Although these tests can offer some insights—such as whether your genes are processing glutamate well or producing too much or little estrogen—their predictive abilities should still be taken wit...
Apr 15, 2019•1 hr 3 min•Ep 195•Transcript available on Metacast Mitochondria are organelles, or “small bodies”, within your cells responsible for producing adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the energy currency of the body. If mitochondria aren’t functioning properly, your cells aren’t fed. Some contributors to mitochondrial damage include environmental toxins like Roundup in food, poor diet that includes refined carbohydrates and added sugars, and even too many nutrients overall. The result could be inflammation, and other conditions like diabetes, cardiovascula...
Apr 10, 2019•42 min•Ep 194•Transcript available on Metacast A 25,000 person study shows that vitamin D supplementation does not reduce the incidence of cancer or cardiovascular disease versus a placebo. However, sun exposure has been tightly correlated with reduction in certain cancers as well as cardiovascular disease. Aim to get outside for 15 minutes with no sunblock, at least three times a week, to reap these benefits. See Healthy Gut, Healthy You for more specific dosage guidelines and considerations for your specific vitamin D level. https://drrusc...
Apr 08, 2019•6 min•Ep 194•Transcript available on Metacast Sometimes the limbic brain can become stuck in a negative cycle conditioned by trauma or stress. When this happens, mysterious conditions like chronic illness and gut imbalances can take hold in the body. Symptoms can include, but are not limited to, bloating, headaches, and an inability to relax, but also more severe symptoms like chronic fatigue, IBS, inflammation, or chronic pain. To break the cycle and restore homeostasis, extended meditation is highly recommended. As well, an anti-inflammat...
Apr 03, 2019•1 hr 3 min•Ep 193•Transcript available on Metacast The recent DIETFITS study explored how well people would do on a low-carb vs. a low-fat diet, based on genotype or the way they secrete insulin. The results of the study didn’t reveal a link with genotype pattern or insulin. But they showed roughly equal weight-loss success for participants on both diets. Notably, the study forbid participants in both diets to eat added sugar or refined grain, and encouraged both groups to eat copious vegetables. More than whether your diet is high-fat or low-fa...
Apr 01, 2019•52 min•Ep 193•Transcript available on Metacast The GA-map test looks for signs of gut dysbiosis (or imbalance of your gut microbiome). This test is closest, clinically, to mapping the gut microbiota. European researchers sequenced the gut bacteria from healthy individuals and bacterial profiles from individuals with IBS and IBD. Then they compared the two, identifying bacterial “targets” that varied between healthy and IBS/IBD populations. If you were to take the test, you could get a dysbiosis index (or rating) from one to five, indicating ...
Mar 27, 2019•44 min•Ep 192•Transcript available on Metacast A handful of studies studying the effects of probiotics may be taken out of context. One study on Align probiotic (a Bifidobacterium infantis strain) showed that a few healthy people who took it for several weeks tested positive for methane on a SIBO lactulose breath test. No significant change in symptoms was noted, most likely indicating only that the probiotics had transiently built up in their digestive systems. The vast majority of evidence indicates that probiotics crowd out harmful bacter...
Mar 25, 2019•8 min•Ep 192•Transcript available on Metacast The thoughts we have can help shape our health and even our career success. Running one’s own business can be a rollercoaster. It can also teach important life lessons about values, beliefs, and persistence. Having (or adopting) a growth mindset can be a key element of learning and ultimately succeeding. Consider the impact of your identity and use your drives to your advantage. Tap into virtual mentors. Everyone’s entrepreneurial journey is different, but you may learn useful lessons about what...
Mar 20, 2019•54 min•Ep 191•Transcript available on Metacast A diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease (or similar degenerative neurological conditions) is devastating, as so far no cure exists. However, recent studies into the condition show that the amyloid plaque responsible for Alzheimer’s symptoms may form as a protective mechanism against other threats to the body. Promising research into the disease shows the possibility of prevention and even reversal of cognitive decline. There may be multiple risk factors for Alzheimer’s, such as chronic inflammation, ...
Mar 18, 2019•55 min•Ep 191•Transcript available on Metacast The ketogenic (or keto) diet emphasizes high fat, low carbohydrates, and medium protein intake. In some studies, the keto diet has been shown to benefit sufferers of epilepsy, insulin regulation, polycystic ovary syndrome, infertility, glioblastoma, and more. One common misconception is that you must be on the diet forever for it to be valuable. Beginners to the diet may want to start slow, replacing some of their carb intake with healthy fats. Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine have lessons to offe...
Mar 13, 2019•42 min•Ep 190•Transcript available on Metacast 
