The Trip Lab

In Part 5 of Detox in a Toxic World , we explore digital detox and the new age of toxins. From screens, social media, and overstimulation to light pollution, red light therapy, EMFs, grounding, and nature therapy, this episode looks at how modern life may be shaping the nervous system, sleep, circadian rhythm, inflammation, and overall health. This is a grounded, evidence-based look at what the re...

In Part 4 of Detox in a Toxic World , we take an evidence-based look at detox supplements, cleanses, binders, protocols, and some of the most common products being sold in the name of detox. From milk thistle, NAC, glutathione, and sulforaphane to activated charcoal, clay binders, detox teas, colon cleanses, and coffee enemas, this episode breaks down what may actually be supportive, what has limi...

In Part 3 of Detox in a Toxic World , we take a closer look at what “detox” actually means and how the body is already doing it every single day. This episode breaks down the body’s major detox and elimination pathways, including the liver, gut, kidneys, lungs, skin, lymphatic system, and glymphatic system, and explains how these beautifully coordinated processes help clear hormones, waste product...

In Part 2 of Detox in a Toxic World , we move from understanding the problem to actually doing something about it. This episode is all about reducing exposures to toxins, starting in the place where many of us have the most control: the home. We explore the idea of the home as a health ecosystem and walk through practical ways to lower your total toxic burden without falling into fear, perfectioni...

Today we’re kicking off a new series, Detox in a Toxic World , with a deep dive into environmental toxins and their impact on health. In this episode, we break down what environmental toxins actually are, how they affect the body, and why this topic is both real and often wildly misunderstood. We walk through the major categories of toxins in modern life, including microplastics, pesticides, mycot...

Longevity medicine is one of the most exciting frontiers in modern healthcare. With new technology, more advanced biomarker testing, deeper aging research, and emerging interventions that aim to help us better understand and potentially shape the biology of aging, the field is opening up an entirely new level of conversation about healthspan, vitality, and the future of medicine. Today, we dive de...

Women’s health is often approached through a hormonal lens, but hormones are only one part of the story. In this episode, we explore a broader framework for women’s health that includes the neuro-endocrine system, inflammation, metabolism, the gut, autoimmunity, and the mind-body connection. We talk about PMDD, perimenopause, PCOS, endometriosis, IBS, autoimmune disease and why so many conditions...

The modern psychedelic renaissance is teaching us something important, not just about psychedelic substances, but about how healing actually happens. Beyond the molecules, psychedelic science is revealing the conditions under which the human nervous system becomes capable of change. This episode explores the idea that psychedelics have long functioned as teachers, not only through ingestion, but b...

Psychedelic medicine is moving fast. Faster than regulation. Faster than standardization. And in many ways, faster than the data itself. In this episode, we explore what psychedelics are teaching us about practicing medicine under uncertainty. From the rapid rise of training programs and self-identified experts, to the tension between lived experience, emerging science, and clinical responsibility...

Our understanding of how psychedelics work has evolved in meaningful ways over the past several years. While earlier neuroscience frameworks helped move the field forward, newer research has added important nuance and depth to how we interpret brain imaging, network behavior, and subjective experience. In this episode of The Trip Lab , I offer a refresh on psychedelic neuroscience, focusing on key...

Microdosing has gone mainstream and is often described as a tool for creativity, mood, productivity, and emotional healing. But what does the science actually say? In this episode of The Trip Lab , I take an evidence-based look at microdosing psychedelics. We explore what microdosing is, how it differs from full-dose psychedelic therapy, and the proposed neurobiological mechanisms that have been s...

Functional medicine testing is everywhere. It is often marketed as “test, don’t guess,” and just as often dismissed as invalidated or unscientific. So what is the truth? In this episode of The Trip Lab , we take a deep dive into what functional medicine testing actually is, how it differs from traditional laboratory testing, and what clinicians really mean when they say these tests are not “valida...

Is modern medicine still evidence-based, or have we quietly mistaken rigor for certainty? Evidence-based medicine is essential. It’s why we save lives, advance care, and trust modern healthcare. But as medicine has become more specialized and disease more complex, something subtle has happened. Rigor has increasingly turned into reductionism, and evidence is often applied in ways that don’t fully...

Why do psychedelic experiences so often feel spiritual, sacred, or life-changing? Why are mystical-type experiences so closely linked to lasting therapeutic benefit? And why does medicine struggle to talk about them at all? In this episode, we explore the neuroscience and psychology behind mystical experiences in psychedelics. We examine how shifts in brain networks involved in meaning, identity,...

NAD has become one of the most talked-about molecules in longevity medicine—showing up in supplements, IV clinics, lab testing, and bold claims about aging and healthspan. But what does the science actually show? In this episode of The Trip Lab , we take a clear, evidence-based look at NAD and use it as a lens to explore the broader field of longevity medicine. We break down what NAD does in the h...

In this Deep Dive episode of The Trip Lab , we unpack hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol) beyond the oversimplified “LDL bad, HDL good” narrative. We also take a clear-eyed look at the most common concerns people have about statins, what the evidence actually shows, and where these medications fit—and don’t fit—within a thoughtful, individualized approach to cardiovascular risk. From there, we explo...

In this season 2 opening episode of The Trip Lab , I return from maternity leave with a deeply personal exploration of how psychedelic experiences mirror one of the most profound transitions in a woman’s life: motherhood. From the sudden crash of postpartum hormones to the full dissolution of identity and the slow reconstruction of self, I reflect on how becoming a mother felt strikingly similar t...

Osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) is a hands on diagnostic and treatment modality that DOs learn in medical school. You may have seen the DO (rather than MD) after your doctor's name and never really understood what that meant. We dive into the difference between MDs and DOs and talk all about what osteopathic medicine is in this episode. Many OMT treatments actually mirror what a yoga...

In this episode we will take a deep dive into one of the leading causes of the global burden of disease-- hypertension, or high blood pressure. We will go over the pathophysiology, learn how hypertension develops and why it is so bad for the body.  After understanding the root causes, we can then better understand how our traditional pharmaceuticals, lifestyle interventions, and holistic integrati...

Today I will be introducing a new 'deep dive series' on The Trip Lab. We are going to be looking into the most common medical conditions to really understand what is happening in the body and how they develop. With that understanding, we can better understand how our treatments work-- including pharmaceuticals and surgery as well as integrative therapies like herbal medicine and mind-bod...

This episode is going to be a high level overview over all of the primary causes of anxiety and depression, and integrative approaches to treat them. Anxiety and depression is a lot more complicated than just writing a script for sertraline or recommending therapy. These disorders definitely have a psychological component that can stem from chemical imbalances in the brain... but other causes incl...

Today we interview UCSF psychiatrist Emily Willow, MD. She has a robust career in psychedelic medicine and has worked on clinical trials using MDMA, psilocybin and ketamine. Currently, she has a private practice where she does ketamine assisted psychotherapy and psychedelic integration therapy. We chat all about her experience using these different psychedelic compounds, and the benefits and cauti...

A Trip Lab Thought Experiment : We will dive into an alternate reality where psychedelics can be used by anyone to explore their consciousness and place in the world (without having a mental health disorder like depression to make it legal). Find out how psychedelics can help you understand the complex topics of quantum physics, string theory, the illusion of time and parallel universes. We will a...

We chat with Dr. Mark Braunstein about how he pioneered a new path in psychiatric care using cannabis, ketamine and psilocybin... in addition to integrating wilderness programming, exercise, diet and spirituality to treat depression, addiction, anxiety and trauma. He dives deeper into how cannabis works in the mind and the different ways he prescribes this to his patients. We also chat about the f...

Chronic low levels of inflammation is linked to at 8 out of the 10 leading causes of death in the United States. This, along with chronic stress, causes premature aging, cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative disease, cancer and a lot more.  This episode dives deeper into how this process happens... and what you can change in your diet to combat it.  This episode rounds out our discussion on in...