Alter Life

We talk about "balance" so often in our Healing Community meetings and with our 1-on-1 clients. We wanted to expand the conversation to fully address this topic in our "balance-seeking" society! In this conversation we are really talking about the "balance" between STRUCTURE and FLUIDITY with regard to life. I (Dr. Benjamin) have tended to be more structured in my lif...

Dr. Cropley is an amazing naturopathic doctor, and I feel honored to also call him a friend.    I was introduced to Charley and his work at the Revitalization Retreat, a weekend immersion in nature and natural medicine for naturopathic doctors and students. At the time I was just about to start my first year of med school, Charley gave me a vision and role model to look up to.   In this conversati...

It’s hard to talk about stress. We all have a unique understanding and relationship with this formless invisible energy. But stress is powerful! In fact, we see it as truly the most powerful predictor of health and disease in our clinical practice. In this episode we share how stress has influenced Dr. Susanna and her symptoms in the past week. We also share how our unique relationship with stress...

Josh is pure fire - passion and inspiration embodied. His transformational journey has inspired countless people around the world, including me. What intrigues me most about his story is not his transformation, but his consistent connection with his culture, traditions, work, friends, and family despite the major changes that have transpired in his life. As he shares, the juxtaposition of the vari...

This might sound silly, but so many people actually are NOT eating enough. Most people are overfed and undernourished. Eating the wrong foods that are not efficiently metabolized by the cells of your body. The result is the storage of energy in the form of fat, and a deficiency of energy production. Think overweight and fatigued... a very common scenario. In this episode we dive into the reasons w...

I came across the Osmia Organics ( https://www.instagram.com/osmiaorganics/ ) instagram account right when we moved to Carbondale. The beautiful Instagram page displays the health and vitality of Sarah Villafranco, MD. Fast forward just a couple of months, and we move into our new home situated directly above one of Osmia's places of production. After enjoying the delicious wafts of natural s...

Your body heals itself, always. Therefore, the first and most important step towards health and healing is removing any obstacles that may be in the way of your body healing itself. In this episode we cover some of the most significant obstacles to health that so many of us often overlook. Toxic household products might be marketed as "green," "clean," or "natural," b...

My mom is a guest on the podcast! Ellen Friedman is my mother and physical therapist turned spiritual life coach. She's a special human being. Our relationship has been such a source of growth and learning... it feels like a big leap in healing and connecting to share this conversation with her. We talk about many things, from form to formless. We didn't get so much time to talk about wh...

Somehow we went 125 episodes of this podcast without talking about POOP! Well that streak comes to an end today... In this episode we cover all things from diarrhea to constipation and everything in between. Some highlights include... Healthy transit time - how long should it take for food to come out the other end!? The number one cause of constipation The number one cause of diarrhea What color...

I found Robbie on the day he started his 75-day, 3,175 mile run across America through a post that Rich Roll made on Instagram. From then forward, I followed his Plant Powered mission as he traversed the entire country, covering an average of 43 miles daily for 75 consecutive days. A large feat, to say the least! I was so pleased to have this conversation and dive deeper to understand the passion...

Dr. Susanna has some real direct experience with today's topic of joint pain. In this episode we're not talking so much about osteoarthritis (degenerative joint disease) or acute joint injuries - although this material is definitely applicable to these cases as well! We emphasize the importance of knowing WHAT is going on to CAUSE the joint pain rather than simply taking anti-inflammator...

Dr. Goldner has a powerful story, reversing her severe Lupus using nutrition and leveraging the power of mindset - the two things I am most passionate about! In this conversation we talked about that diagnosis she received at age 16, the chronic symptoms she experienced throughout medical school , and the healing protocol she discovered that allowed her to fully heal. She was told she wouldn'...

As is the case with any condition, it's important to understand the ROOT CAUSE of a symptom in order to truly heal.  AND, as is the case so many times, there are so many potential root causes when considering the condition of ACID REFLUX. SO many people experience burning in the esophagus, a dry cough, or some other flavor of indigestion. The conventional treatment is to SUPPRESS the producti...

I've respected Julieanna's work for a long time, and have also appreciated her energy and enthusiasm when it comes to plant-based nutrition! We talked about A LOT in this hour-long conversation - Julieanna's nutritional journey, the Vegiterranean Diet, keys for increasing healthspan, and social relationships with food. Some highlights include...  Mediterranean diet misconceptions Wh...

For some reason we haven't talk about stress that much on this podcast. Stress is in fact the primary driving force behind all chronic disease, and the main topic of conversation in our private practice, aside from nutrition.   In this episode we talk about "root cause" of stress, which lies in our misunderstanding of where stress comes from.   Stress doesn't come from finances...

This episode was not your typical podcast interview... In this episode Dr. Susanna and I give an extended teaser to our online course, MEDICINAL LIVING ( https://alter.health/course ) We talk about the determinants of health and the hierarchy of healing - some of the most essential and fundamental concepts that point us to understanding how the body heals itself. Takeaways: The body heals itself,...

We have been going at this podcast for over a year now, and we have yet to talk about EXERCISE! I think the reason being that exercise is certainly not the most important determinant of health. That being said, it is still powerful medicine! We talk about... THE all time best workout for health Various other types of exercise and why you should do them also How exercise is more powerful than antid...

So many struggle with IRON DEFICIENCY, including Dr. Susanna... or at least she has in the past! We are told that we need to eat meat, liver, or take some supplement to fix this issue. In this episode we talk about how that is actually NOT the way to go about things. This approach may in fact exacerbate the underlying cause of the problem! Some take aways include... Different types of anemia - iro...

I deeply resonate with Adam's message and am so pleased to have him share it through this podcast episode.  He has struggled with addiction at points in his life, but he is not an addict. He used junk food and drugs to try and fix some issues in his life, but then he discovered what the real problem was. He saw his self-hatred and transcended to self-love. Adam's story is touching and in...

We've all followed the teachings of someone else at points in our lives. That's how we grow, evolve, and expand our perspective in the world. In this conversation we share the inherent limitations of "gurufying" anyone, whether in the health/nutrition industry or anywhere else.   Some take aways include... Being a devotee of a teacher disconnects us from our inherent wisdom The...

I recently had the pleasure of joining Howard for a conversation on his Plant Yourself Podcast. He returned the favor... and I'm so grateful he did! I appreciated learning about his story - going from a school teacher to business marketing expert to a proclaimed plant based health advocate and educator... largely through a series of synchronicities that led him into an incredible opportunity...

While we tend to focus on big picture holistic health and reversing chronic disease, I (Dr. Benjamin) have also had my fair share of experience with healing acute injuries. In this episode we talk about some natural tips and tricks to supercharge your physical healing - all of these things blow the socks off of what conventional medicine has to offer in terms of bone, joint, and wound healing. Som...

Jason is a buddy from my studies in Spiritual Psychology at the University of Santa Monica. I was happy to bring him on the show to share his new calling as a Soul Coach. In addition to sharing his story, Jason shares some tips and inspiration on thriving in this life and connecting with your calling.   Some highlights include...  The power of shifting perspectives from destination focused to jour...

Last week we busted COLLAGEN ( www.alter.health/episode107 ) and this week, it's time to tackle ANTINUTRIENTS.   Specifically, we busted some myths around lectins, phytates, and oxalates.    Some take aways include... These nutrients ARE in fact health promoting Lectins have potent anti-cancer and immune stimulating properties Oxalates only cause kidney issues in the context of high (animal)...

Dr. Jeremy popped into my world when I saw his name on a flyer advertising a workshop here in Carbondale just a few weeks ago.  While I wasn't able to make it to his workshop or connect with him in person, a seed was planted . I have since resonated with his work, his words, and his mission. It was great to connect and hear his story of creating Long Distance Love Bombs . Some highlights incl...