The Spa Dr

How To Heal Your Gut with Dr. Josh Axe

My guest today is Dr. Josh Axe. Dr. Axe is a nutritionist, chiropractic doctor, and author with a passion to help people get well using food as medicine and runs one of the world's largest natural health websites DrAxe.com.

He has been featured on many television shows, including the Dr. Oz Show, CBS and NBC. Dr. Axe has worked with the Wellness Advisory Council and traveled to the 2012 Games in London to work with US athletes. Dr. Axe specializes in herbal medicine, nutrition, digestive health and athletic performance.

He is the author of the new book Eat Dirt – This might be a surprising title for you, but don’t worry he explains what led him to choose the title and write this book in the interview.

We also talk about leaky gut – the causes, how to heal it and Dr. Axe’s 5 gut types. You may be surprised to hear how many health issues are related to your gut!

Topics discussed today include:

• The difference between fitness and health that inspired Dr. Axe to become a doctor

• How following a natural protocol drastically improved his mother’s health including her cancer going into remission

• Dr. Axe started one of the largest functional medicine clinics in Nashville, TN, after being inspired by his mother’ story

• Steps for changing health

  • Start with diet, what is for breakfast, lunch and dinner

  • Find ways to reduce stress like walks and healing baths

  • Pick 5 or 6 of the best supplements

• In Eat Dirt, Dr. Axe tries to bring out the root cause of disease and heal the microbiome

• Science says we need to get more dirt in our diet

• There are soil based probiotics that we need in our diet

• Micro exposures to dirt like walking barefoot, or having a pet, or eating raw honey helps with natural immunizations

• How gut health is key to overall health

• Gut grenades - kill off good microorganisms

  • hand sanitizers

  • fluoride

  • chlorine

  • personal care products

  • cleaning products

• The A-Bomb of killing gut microorganisms is antibiotics

• To heal the gut, start with diet

  • Avoid sugar

  • Avoid conventional grains

  • Sprouting and fermenting grains is the best way to consume them

  • Avoid hydrogenated oils

  • Eat bone broth - it’s high in amino acids that repair the gut lining

  • New product, bone broth protein in a powder form

  • Eat fermented vegetables like sauerkraut or kimchi

  • Eat fermented dairy, like goat’s milk kefir

  • Eat steamed vegetables and food rich in omega 3s like salmon

  • Perfect meal, cooked vegetables, organic meat, and bone broth

• Make it as easy for your body to digest food as possible, cooking vegetables makes digestion easy

Key Takeaways:

Gut health affects overall health. Diet and lifestyle changes are the easiest ways to improve gut health. There are different gut types, and Dr. Josh Axe goes over these in his book, Eat Dirt. Avoiding toxins and improving gut health can help the body heal.

Mentioned on today’s show:

• Eat Dirt

• DrAxe.com

• Is Your Gut Leaking Quiz

Additional links to check out:

• TheSkinQuiz.com - Get your customized skin profile. It’s free, and based upon your answers, it will give you great tips for glowing skin and vibrant health.

Don't miss out on all of the latest tips to get glowing healthy skin from the inside and out. Be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter. Join the conversation!

If you enjoyed this show please leave a review on iTunes.

Eat Fat, Get Thin with Dr. Mark Hyman

On Today’s show my guest is a nine-time #1 New York Times bestselling author, and an internationally recognized leader, speaker, educator, and advocate for functional medicine Dr. Mark Hyman. We’re talking about fats, functional medicine and his new book Eat Fat, Get Thin

Dr. Mark Hyman is a practicing family physician and the Director the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine. He is also the founder and medical director of The UltraWellness Center, chairman of the board of the Institute for Functional Medicine, a medical editor of The Huffington Post, and was a regular medical contributor on many television shows including CNN, and The View, and The Dr. Oz Show.

Dr. Hyman has testified before both the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine and the Senate Working Group on Health Care Reform on Functional Medicine. He is the winner of the Linus Pauling Award and was inducted in the Books for Better Life Hall of Fame.

On today’s show we talk about the shift in diet trends from low fat to what we have now and how this has impacted the health of Americans. Dr. Hyman shares why Eat Fat, Get Thin was the hardest book he has ever written. And we talk about what we should be eating including what a typical healthy plate looks like.

Topics discussed today include:

• We are in a big fat mess - 1 in 2 Americans are sick

• We got into a diet path based on bad science that caused huge problems

• The thinking was that fat was bad and fat made us fat

• The thinking was wrong, the real culprit was sugar and refined carbs

• Processed low fat indulgences usually replaced fats with sugar

• We finally realized or are starting to realize that fats are good and sugar is bad

• Saturated fat combined with sugar is still bad, fat with sugar and starch can be a problem

• A whole foods, low glycemic anti-inflammatory diet is what we should aim for

• Eat Fat, Get Thin was the hardest book Dr. Hyman has ever written because there is so much controversy on the area of fat

• Dr. Hyman used to prescribe very low fat vegetarian diets for people, and they ended up feeling not that great

• Eating whole foods and getting fats from as natural a way as possible is the goal

• We should eat things like fruits and vegetables, grass-fed animal foods, nuts & seeds, whole foods, whole eggs things we would traditionally recognize

• If your plate is 75% vegetables you’re doing good with a side of protein and a side of starch

• Double down on the vegetables and skip the potatoes, bread, and rice

• Unlimited non-starchy vegetables

• Be aware of how much starchy vegetables (potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squash and root vegetables) you are eating because they can turn into sugar in your body try ½ cup

• We talk about having a healthy balance and relationship with food - don’t obsess, find freedom by eating the right foods

• Eating the right foods makes us not hungry and we end up eating less

• Most of your diet by volume should be carbs in the form of vegetables, but most of your calories should be from fat

• Your plate should be 75% veggies, 4 ounces of protein, and 4 or 5 tablespoons of fat a day. These are guidelines nothing rigid.

• Stick with low glycemic fruits and avoid fruit juices, at least until you become more resilient to sugars

• Avoid over heating oils (no smoke), stick with healthy oils like coconut, olive oil, and grass-fed butter

• Simple cooking techniques and eating real food is liberating

Key Takeaways:

Don’t be afraid of eating real food. We need to get back to families cooking simple meals that consist of real food. No barcodes, no ingredient list - just eat real food.

Mentioned on today’s show:

• Eat Fat, Get Thin: Why the Fat We Eat Is the Key to Sustained Weight Loss and Vibrant Health by Mark Hyman

Additional links to check out:

• TheSkinQuiz.com - Get your customized skin profile. It’s free, and based upon your answers, it will give you great tips for glowing skin and vibrant health.

Don't miss out on all of the latest tips to get glowing healthy skin from the inside and out. Be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter. Join the conversation!

If you enjoyed this show please leave a review on iTunes.

The Truth About Depression with Dr. Kelly Brogan

Today my guest guest is holistic psychiatrist Dr. Kelly Brogan, and we’re covering The Truth about Depression. Dr. Brogan is an author of the new book “A Mind of Your Own” and co-editor of the landmark textbook “Integrative Therapies for Depression”.

She completed her psychiatric training and fellowship at NYU Medical Center after graduating from Cornell University Medical College and has a B.S. from MIT in Systems Neuroscience.

She is board certified in psychiatry, psychosomatic medicine, and integrative holistic medicine. She has specialized in a root-cause resolution approach to psychiatric syndromes and symptoms. She is also a mother of two children.

Dr. Brogan covers some pretty shocking information about the conventional approach to depression. She explains what the root cause of depression is  which is very different from what other psychiatrists are saying. And she discusses a more a holistic approach that is surprisingly similar to what I talk about with addressing skin issues.

Topics discussed today include:

• Dr. Brogan had a very traditional medical background and started specializing in women’s psychiatry
• While working with pregnant women, she realized she wouldn’t be comfortable taking some of the medications these women were prescribed
• After she had her own baby, she was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease and she realized there had to be a better way to deal with it
• She consulted a naturopath, and started supplementation and dietary changes
• Within six months, these changes helped her numbers go to a normal range
• The fact that these lifestyle changes put what would normally be a lifelong disease into remission raised some flags with Dr.Brogan
• She began diving into literature about nutrition and pharmaceutical products and psychiatric medications
• Long term use of antidepressants result in worse outcomes than never taking it
• Depression is the number one worldwide cause of disability
• Shouldn’t more treatment mean less disability?
• Dr. Brogan started wondering about the effectiveness of these treatments and started asking patients if they would like to wean off of the medication
• That is when she noticed how habit forming these medications are
• She believes people should have all of the information before they go on these drugs, if at all
• A Mind of Your Own is 10 years of Dr. Brogan’s research curated into one book
• We discuss SSRI’s, who takes them, and what they are supposed to do
• Depression as an inflammatory disorder, symptoms may be there for a reason
• Lifestyle interventions that can help with these issues
• Eliminate processed foods
• Eat organic produce and pastured meat products
• Cut out grains, legumes, and soy, especially at the beginning
• Meditation - Kundalini Yoga
• High Intensity Low Volume Exercise - Once a week
• Detox your environment, coffee enemas, skin brushing
• Coming off medicine needs to be done slow and strategically

Key Takeaways:

Our bodies are interconnected as a whole. Healthy lifestyle choices can as effective or more effective in treating an array of health issues including depression and inflammation. Dr. Brogan has curated information and evidence supporting this in her new book, A Mind of Your Own.

Mentioned on today’s show:

• A Mind of Your Own
• Integrative Therapies for Depression
• Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs, and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness in America
• SSRI Stories
• Antidepressants and the Placebo Effect by Irving Kirsch

Additional links to check out:

• TheSkinQuiz.com - Get your customized skin profile. It’s free, and based upon your answers, it will give you great tips for glowing skin and vibrant health.

Don't miss out on all of the latest tips to get glowing healthy skin from the inside and out. Be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter. Join the conversation!

If you enjoyed this show please leave a review on iTunes.

Living Your Best Life Before and After Prostate Cancer with Dr. Geo Espinosa

Today we’re talking about men’s health and the prostate. Whether you’re a man or a woman, it’s likely what we are talking about will impact your life.

My guest today is Dr. Geo Espinosa, a renowned naturopathic and functional medicine doctor recognized as an authority in urology and men’s health. Dr. Geo is the founder and director of the Integrative and Functional Urology Center at New York University Langone Medical Center (NYULMC) and lectures internationally on the application of integrative urology in clinical settings.

[bctt tweet="A diet that is good but sustainable is better than the perfect diet that is not sustainable. @drgeoespinosa"]

He has been recognized as one of the top 10 Health Makers for Men’s Health by sharecare.com which was created by Dr. Oz and WebMD. Dr. Geo is the author of the new book: Thrive, Don’t Only Survive: Dr. Geo’s Guide to Living Your Best Life Before & After Prostate Cancer.

Prostate cancer affects 1 in 7 men, so prostate cancer may impact your life more than you may realize. We discuss the similarities with breast cancer, and specific dietary factors, lifestyle factors, and supplements for prostate cancer prevention and co-management.

Topics discussed today include:

• Why women should care about prostate cancer even though they don’t have a prostate
• A male partner’s frequent urination and sexual dysfunction has an effect on both partners
• One out of every six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer
• Women are an integral part in helping a partner with dealing with a diagnosis
• The prostate is located underneath a man’s bladder
• The male urethra is located in the prostate, swelling can close the urethra
• The purpose of the prostate is for procreation
• Warning signs can be frequent urination, blood in urine, and erectile dysfunction
• The importance of seeing a naturopathic and functional medicine doctor
• Looking at the whole picture, and treating the cause instead of just the symptoms
• Prostate cancer is the most common and second most deadly in men
• Prostate cancer correlates with a first degree family member with prostate or breast cancer
• Earlier screening is a good idea if a family member has had one of the above cancers
• At age 50 bloodwork (Prostate Specific Antigen test) and an exam are a good idea
• If diagnosed, there is time to make the correct treatment procedure. Don’t rush it.
• See at least three doctors for treatment options and planning
• Lifestyle changes are important, because conventionally treated prostate cancer has a 40% to 50% chance of coming back within 5 years.
• Lifestyle changes need to happen within the family
• Cancer’s are similar, so lifestyle changes to prevent prostate cancer also work for breast cancer
• Eliminate refined carbs and simple sugars
• Catalyst eating program - low glycemic foods, no refined carbs, some whole grains, blueberries, meat (not overcooked) grass-fed is best, quality fish, and all vegetables especially cooked cruciferous
• No less than 3 hours a week of moderate intensity exercise
• Helpful supplements include: Grape seed extract, circumen, green tea extract, vitamin D3 boswellia, pomegranite extract and selenium
• Get adequate sleep 7-12 hours if possible
• Spend 10 minutes on meditation or some form of mindfulness

Key Takeaways:

Being successful at beating cancer requires a team. From a naturopathic and functional medicine doctor to supportive family members, having a well informed and thought out plan for treatment and lifestyle changes is the key to success. Diet, exercise, sleep and mental state all contribute to the effectiveness of cancer treatment and prevention.

Mentioned on today’s show:

• Thrive, Don’t Only Survive: Dr. Geo’s Guide to Living Your Best Life Before & After Prostate Cancer
• OncANP

Additional links to check out:

• TheSkinQuiz.com - Get your customized skin profile. It’s free, and based upon your answers, it will give you great tips for glowing skin and vibrant health.

Don't miss out on all of the latest tips to get glowing healthy skin from the inside and out. Be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter. Join the conversation!

If you enjoyed this show please leave a review on iTunes.

How to Be Bulletproof with Dave Asprey

"In order to be Bulletproof, the first thing you must do: stop doing things that make you weak!" - Dave Asprey

If you haven't heard of Bulletproof coffee and Dave Asprey, watch this super-short video first:

Today we’re talking about how to be bulletproof so you, too, can crush it in all areas of your life!

My guest today is Dave Asprey, founder of Bulletproof, creator of the widely popular Bulletproof Coffee, host of the #1 health podcast, Bulletproof Radio. and author of New York Times bestselling book The Bulletproof Diet.

Dave was a Silicon Valley investor and technology entrepreneur who spent two decades and over $300,000 to hack his own biology. How did he do this?

Well, Dave lost 100 pounds without counting calories or excessive exercise. He used techniques to boost his IQ by 20 points, and lowered his biological age while learning to sleep more efficiently. Learning to do this transformed him into a better entrepreneur, husband, and father.

And, today here's some of the awesome stuff he's going to share with you:

• How the Bulletproof diet can help you lose weight and change your health
• “Trigger” foods to look out for that can cause bad reactions in your body
• The inflammatory disease that’s triggered by nightshade vegetables in 1 out of 5 people(!)
• The precursor condition to insulin resistance you’ve never heard of...
• What the heck...can green peppers make you fat?
• How many hours a night does a “healthy” person need to sleep on average?
• The “innocuous” habit you’re doing before bed that’s keeping you from sleeping well
• Why conventionally made coffee causes you to crash (hint: it's not the caffeine!)
• Stop putting this common ingredient in your cup of coffee (it makes coffee antioxidants unavailable to your gut, which kind of defeats the purpose...)
• The amazing compound in Vanilla beans that can help you get to sleep
• How the Bulletproof diet differs from the Paleo diet

"What does the #Bulletproof diet give you? The ability to BRING IT!" - Dave Asprey

The ability to BRING it!

In a nutshell, Dave's philosophy boils down to a few simple but powerful points:

1. It's easier to remove the things that are making you sick than to add in the things that will make you healthy. This is the whole basis of The Bulletproof Diet. Try eliminating common trigger foods for a few weeks and see how you feel, then slowly add them back in one-by-one.
2. Exercising and fasting all the time puts your body in a state of chronic stress and is actually counterproductive to losing fat and getting healthy. Instead, try upping your healthy fats intake, reducing carbs, exercising less frequently, and sleeping more.
3. Being Bulletproof isn't just about bodily health. It's also about mastering your mind and emotions. That's why Dave traveled to Tibet to learn how to meditate (and discovered the precursor to his now-famous Bulletproof coffee!) "A healthy jerk is still a jerk."
4. What the Bulletproof diet and lifestyle gives you is, quite simply, the ability to BRING it!

Items mentioned on the show

• The Bulletproof Diet book
• [infographic] - The Bulletproof Diet Roadmap
• The Silicon Valley Health Institute
• The 4 Hour Body by Tim Ferriss
• Bulletproof Coffee
• Sleep study of 1.2 million people that Dave mentioned
• Zentech smartphone cover (scroll down a bit)
• Dave’s favorite grass fed butter, Kerry Gold (If you’re in the Asia Pacific region and can’t find Kerry Gold, go for Anchor butter!)
• The Specialty Coffee Association - According to Dave this is “the governing body of bad-ass coffee”
• Brain Octane oil
• Dave’s cacao tea
• What's the deal with "Bulletproof" dark chocolate?
• Using vanilla to increase mental performance and facilitate sleep
• The Bulletproof Cookbook

Additional links to check out

• Leptin Reset Easy Start guide - free article by Dr. Jack Kruse
• More info on mycotoxins (the kind found in conventionally produced coffee beans)
• How Ketosis helps you lose fat
• The Weston A. Price institute

Dr. Pedram Shojai on Embracing Nature and Waking Up To Your Full Potential

Today I have a very different kind a podcast interview to share with you.

As many of you know I live in Park city Utah which is a little ski town about 30 minutes from Salt Lake City.

I love skiing and I try to get outside as much as possible to enjoy the outdoors.

So for this weeks podcast my friend and colleague Dr. Pedram Shojai was visiting and we decided to do the podcast interview on the ski chairlift.

Pedram has been on my podcast before and the Glowing Skin Summit.

Dr. Pedram is a man with many titles.

He is the founder of Well.Org, has 2 podcasts, a film producer and director and the author of several books, including his new book The Urban Monk which is already a NYTimes bestseller.

He is also a taoist priest, a doctor of Oriental medicine, and a Qi Gong Master.

He’s here today to share how you can embrace the natural world and wake up to your full potential.

I'm really curious to hear what you thought of this format. Please post your comments below the podcast interview on my website or send me a message on social media. Would you like for me to do more interviews on the go outdoors or do you like the more traditional approach?

Some of what you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why most people have the wrong idea about the purpose of meditation
• How to be an “urban monk”
• Breathing with the mountain vs drinking Red Bull and listening to ACDC…
• How to apply mindfulness to everything you do for better results
• Skiing as a spiritual incubator
• Is it necessary to leave the world and become a monk to become spiritually fulfilled…?
• How Dr. Pedram goes in and fixes entire companies’ health
• How your brain literally detoxifies itself at night (this is a bit gross…)
• Why the saying “I can rest when I’m dead” is DEAD wrong!
• Why we NEED to have fun
• Why your digestive track (your gut) is at the front line of your health
• Simple meditation techniques you can do anywhere
• Why multitasking is total BS...

...and much more!

[su_quote]Some of the best stuff happens when we shut down. - Dr. Pedram Shojai[/su_quote]

Items mentioned on the show

• The Urban Monk - Pedram’s NYT best-selling book
• Pedram’s podcast
• Well.org - Pedram’s site
• Pedram’s films
• The Pomodoro Technique

Additional Links to Check Out

• The dangers of sitting - Dr. Pedram makes no bones about how harmful sitting is. Turns out there’s plenty of research to back up his assertion…
• Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation

Key Takeaways

1. At any given moment ask yourself: “what am I doing right now?” Whatever it is, stop doing it and relax.
2. If you get fit you then have access to more energy and that energy feeds your life it feeds your brain, it feeds your dreams.
3. Watch your breath and center yourself in your breathing
4. Take frequent breaks and keep your muscles engaged
5. Sleep, play, eat well!

Smart Fats for Optimal Health with Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS

There are so many myths about fats and oils. It's time to separate fact from fiction.

My guest today Jonny Bowden helps us sort through all the information. We discuss the healthy versus unhealthy fats, best oils to use for cooking and other foods to eat to ensure a balanced diet.

In this episode you’ll learn what makes a fat "good" or "bad" and which fats you should (and definitely should NOT) be eating.

Jonny has authored over a dozen books and his latest work, Smart Fat: Eat More Fat, Lose More Weight, Get Healthy Now, which he co-authored with Dr. Steven Masley, is incredibly enlightening and the topic of today's show.

Here’s some of what you’ll learn in this episode:

• The false “fat dichotomy” we’ve been sold by the government-agricultural complex that’s a flat-out lie
• Do good fats come from plants, seeds or animals?
• The one dimension that determines whether a fat is good or bad
• What defines “toxic” fats
• How sick cows create a nation of sick people
• What insulin and carbs have to do with losing weight
• Which types of fat you should definitely be eating
• The best fat to fight inflammation
• Is pork lard bad for you…?
• The correct ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats you should be consuming
• How much fish oil to take and how much fish to eat every week

...and much more!

Jonny is adamant that fats are an absolutely vital part of a healthy human diet and he (and I) are both glad to see that the prevailing low-fat sentiment is going the way of the dodo!

The Importance of Omega 3s

Jonny makes a point of mentioning the crucial role of omega 3 fatty acids. Specifically, we want to control the ratio of these fats so that they're at about 1:1.

Most people, however, are eating a 25:1 ratio of Omega-6 to omega-3 fats, and this is incredibly harmful!

This ratio acts as a sort of switch for the inflammatory process in the body and too much omega-6 actually encourages inflammation. Since just about every major degenerative disease is linked to and/or preceded by high levels of bodily inflammation, this is something you should pay attention to!

The best way to combat a high omega-6 diet and balance out the ratio is to take lots of high quality fish or krill oil, to avoid "dumb" fats, and to consume more "smart" fats in your food.

Links to Check Out

• Smart Fat: Eat More Fat, Lose More Weight, Get Healthy Now - Jonny's book
• National College of Natural Medicine
• Startling Findings About Vitamin D
• LabDoor.com Fish Oil ratings - LabDoor does independent analyses of popular supplements, including fish oil, and ranks them based on safety, value, and other criteria. Definitely consult with LabDoor when buying major supplements.
• Weston Price Foundation - research-backed information on the benefits of nutrient-dense foods, founded by Dr. Weston Price.
• Vital Choice - Jonny’s preferred fish producer

Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS

Jonny Bowden, PhD, aka “The Nutrition Myth Buster,” is a nationally-renowned, board- certified nutritionist and expert on diet and weight loss.

He has appeared on the Dr. Oz Show, Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, ABC, NBC, and CBS and has contributed to articles in The New York Times, Forbes, The Daily Beast, The Huffington Post, Vanity Fair Online, Men’s Heath, Prevention, and dozens of other print and online publications.

He is the best-selling author of 15 books, including The Great Cholesterol Myth (co-authored with Stephen Sinatra, MD). His latest, co-authored with Steven Masley, MD, is Smart Fat: Eat More Fat, Lose More Weight, Get More Healthy.

You can visit his website at www.jonnybowden.com

Natural Approaches to Treating Depression and Anxiety with Dr. Bradley Bush

On today’s episode of The Spa Dr. podcast you’ll be hearing from my esteemed colleague, Dr. Bradley Bush. 

In this episode you’ll learn about Dr. Bush’s naturopathic approach to getting a grip on the all-too-common problems of depression and anxiety. Dr. Bush and I studied together at The National College of Natural Medicine and since then, Dr. Bush has gone on to co-found and become clinic director at Natural Medicine of Stillwater. 

Here’s some of what you’ll learn in this episode: 

- How to find and address the ROOT causes of depression and anxiety 

- Why OTC meds may be making your problem worse by superfically masking symptoms 

- The number one cause of depression in America (you'll never guess what it is…) 

- The importance of measuring vital biomarkers 

- The crucial vitamin most people are deficient in that you should probably be taking if you feel anxious or depressed (hint: it isn't vitamin C…) 

What I really love about Dr. Bush’s approach is that unlike most conventional medical practitioners, he teaches you to think in terms of the root causes of your problems. This mindset shift is what makes the difference between a mediocre bill of health and a vibrant, glowing mind and body.

The Importance of Bloodwork

Dr. Bush and I agree that it's absolutely critical to get comprehensive bloodwork done if you feel anything short of 100%. Oftentimes you may not realize that the culmination of stress, poor diet, lack of quality sleep, lack of exercise and mismanagement of your emotions can have profound implications for your so-called 'biomarkers'. It's important to get baseline tests such as:

• Hormone panel
• Thyroid panel
• Liver function
• Kidney function
• Electrolytes
• Complete Blood Count
• Inflammatory Markers

This last item is vital because as Dr. Bush mentions on the show, the biggest (and least known) cause of depression is intimately related to these values.

Links to Check Out

• Still Water Natural
• National College of Natural Medicine
• Startling Findings About Vitamin D
• Order lab tests online (hint: if you're a male order the female hormone panel; it's cheaper but gives you essentially the same info)

Special Discount for Spa Dr. Listeners

www.StillWaterNatural.com

Mention this podcast and get 25% off first office visit (remote treating available).

Dr. Bradley Bush

"I help people who have fatigue, insomnia, & mood disorders find alternative health solutions to reclaim their lives."

Dr. Bradley Bush received his naturopathic doctor degree from National College of Naturopathic Medicine and is currently co-owner and clinic director of Natural Medicine of Stillwater. Dr. Bush’s practice focus is fatigue, insomnia, mood disorders, and Lyme disease. 

Previously, Dr. Bush was the co-founder and practitioner at New Hampshire Natural Health where he specialized in neuroendocrinology, intravenous therapies and lower Gi health for 8 years. Dr. Bush has over 14-years of industry business experience and is owner of Natural Health Insights, LLC providing consultant services to the natural products and laboratory testing industry. 

Dr. Bush speaks nationally and regularly publishes on the topics of neuroimmunology, brain-gut connections, neuroendocrinology and Lyme disease. Dr Bush sits on two non-profit boards; Naturopathic Education and Research Consortium and Compass Center for Health and is Co-Chairman for the American Association of Naturopathic Physician’s Curriculum Committee. 

He lives in Stillwater, MN with his naturopathic doctor wife and four daughters. He enjoys cooking wholesome food with his wife, biking with his children, swimming, and running. 

How Eating Grains Can Cause Inflammation with Dr. Peter Osborne

Our guest today is Dr. Peter Osborne, a Board Certified Clinical Nutritionist and functional medicine practitioner. Dr. Osborne is the author of the book “No Grain, No Pain” (released January 26th), and is an expert in the science behind grain, gluten and inflammation.

In today’s podcast Dr. Osborne shares with us:

• Which grains besides gluten may trigger problems.
• The difference between going gluten free and grain free.
• The best foods to eat for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Want to learn about what foods should you be eating in order to maintain long-term health? Find out at the 32 minute mark.

Grainflammation

America has seen a dramatic increase in autoimmune diseases, and this is largely due to leaky gut. One of the causes of leaky gut is gluten. For those with gluten sensitivities, ingesting gluten can cause a “cascade of inflammation” that has a detrimental impact on overall health.

The average person with celiac disease will develop 7 autoimmune conditions in their lifetime.

Cutting out gluten often helps relieve a number of chronic conditions, including arthritis, muscle and joint pain, tendinitis, restless leg syndrome, psoriasis, and eczema.

Grain Free vs. Gluten Free
Most celiac disease sufferers “go gluten free” by cutting out wheat, barley, and rye from their diet. This does not always solve the problem of leaky gut, because there are other grains that also contain different kinds of gluten that have been shown to cause similar types of inflammatory responses in people with gluten sensitivities. Some of these grains include corn, rice, and millet.

Oats and Quinoa
Studies on oats are mixed, but some celiac disease sufferers do react to oats. Quinoa is a pseudo grain that can cause problems when consumed as a staple food.

Testing for Gluten Sensitivity
Dr. Osborne is a strong proponent of genetic testing for sensitivities, including gluten. He has developed a quiz to help people determine if they may want to consider genetic testing for gluten sensitivity. This quiz is available at Gluten Free Society.

Foods for Maintaining Long Term Health

There is no single diet plan that works for everyone, but in general terms Dr. Osborne recommends a diet that includes the following components:

• Adequate protein in the form of meat or vegetarian-based protein formulas. Dr. Osborne strongly recommends wild and wild-caught meats.
• Organic fresh fruits and vegetables
• Nuts
• Intermittent fasting: gives time for your gut to rest.

Links to Check Out

• Gluten Free Society
• No Grain No Pain: A 30-Day Diet for Eliminating the Root Cause of Chronic Pain
• Dr. Osborne’s Live Q& A Webinar

Dr. Peter Osborne

Dr. Osborne is the clinical director of Origins Healthcare Center in Sugar Land, TX. He is a doctor of chiropractic medicine, Board Certified Clinical Nutritionist and functional medicine practitioner. His clinical focus is the holistic natural treatment of chronic degenerative diseases with a primary focus on gluten sensitivity and food allergies. Over the past 15 years he has helped thousands of patients recover from mysterious medical illnesses. In 2010 Dr. Osborne founded the Gluten Free Society to help educate patients and physicians on the far-reaching effects of gluten sensitivity. He is the author of the book “No Grain, No Pain”.

How a Green Smoothie Can Change Your Life with Robyn Openshaw

Our guest today is Robyn Openshaw, also known as the Green Smoothie Girl. Robyn’s story is remarkable. At 26 years old she was over 200 pounds, was diagnosed with 21 diseases, and suffered from infertility before turning her life around through simple changes to her diet.

Now 49, Robyn is the picture of good health, takes no medications, and is even a competitive athlete. During our chat she shares with us:

• Steps you can take to move away from processed foods and improve your life.
• Information about Breakthroughs Live, an event I am excited to be a part of!
• An exclusive Breakthroughs Live coupon code for Spa Dr. listeners good for $50 off your ticket. 

Want to learn how to start moving away from consuming processed foods? Find out at the 14 minute mark.

Steps to Transforming Your Health

Until her mid 20s Robyn fed herself and her family the typical American diet. She consumed a lot of processed sugar, flour, and meat. That all changed the day she whipped up her first smoothie.

“It was a real breakthrough moment for me where I realized I could feed my family healthy foods that would taste good.”

Robyn spent the next year pouring over nutrition research and coming up with new smoothie recipes. As she made the transition from eating mainly processed foods to a more plant-based diet, her health and the health of her family improved dramatically. Robyn’s health problems became a thing of the past and she lost 70 pounds. Her son, who was diagnosed with failure to thrive as a toddler, went on to become a state MVP baseball player in high school.

Step 1: Start with the Green Smoothie

Robyn’s first step to a healthier diet and healthier life is her green smoothie. The first step in the process is to get a blender. If possible, choose a high-powered blender that will last you a long time. The basic green smoothie contains the following ingredients:

• ⅓ raw green vegetables (e.g. kale, spinach, etc.)
• ⅓ filtered water
• ⅓ organic fruit that is in season
• 1 scoop of vegan organic raw protein (available at GreenSmoothieGirl.com)

Step 2: Make and Eat Cultured Foods

With the amount of processed foods we consume, Robyn believes most people in the United States have some type of gut disease or imbalance. To correct this, she is an advocate of eating and making probiotic and fermented foods to restore a healthy balance of gut bacteria.

Words of Encouragement

Regardless of your current weight or health situation, it’s never too late to make a change. Incorporating more whole foods and plants in your diet can have a massive impact on your health in a short period of time. There may be moments along the way where you slip up, but if you keep at it your health will move in a positive direction in the long term.

Breakthroughs Live Tour

Robyn is the organizer behind the Breakthroughs Live Tour, which will take 40 inspirational thought leaders to 40 cities across the country to share their messages on how to achieve health and happiness breakthroughs.

I am very excited to announce that I will be taking part in the tour, and I have a special coupon code for Dr. Spa readers!

Use the coupon code tcates to receive $50 off your Breakthroughs Live ticket.

Links to Check Out

• Green Smoothie Girl
• Breakthroughs Live

Robyn Openshaw

Robyn Openshaw is the dynamic personality behind Green Smoothie Girl, a website she started to share healthy smoothie recipes and nutrition tips. Her interest in healthy eating stems from her past struggles with weight and autoimmune diseases. After transforming her life through green smoothies and a lot of research, she now travels the country demonstrating her smoothies to thousands of people each year.