FX Medicine Podcast Central

There is a growing body of research supporting a range of clinical benefits for intermittent fasting (IF). For those of us who aren't early adopters - what is it and when is it a clinically relevant choice for patients? In today's podcast, we're joined once again by Natalie Bourke, who shares her own clinical rationale for determining if intermittent fasting is the right choice for her patients. N...

We are entering an age where technology and convenience are driving patients to favour online consultations. Practitioners must therefore, adapt and innovate to meet this growing market and what may be overlooked in the process is the ethical and legal aspects of protecting patient data. Today we are joined by dietitian, Robbie Clark who, like many others, started to explore the possibilities of t...

The term 'polypharmacy' is usually defined as the use of five or more drugs, which can include both prescribed and over-the-counter medicines but what is often overlooked is the concomitant use of complementary medicines. Here in Australia, it's becoming more commonplace for pharmacists to intervene in patients with polypharmacy by conducting a medication review and working with their GP to determ...

What can we uncover with hair mineral analysis? In today's podcast, we are joined by clinical nutritionist, Maria Shaflender, who uses hair mineral analysis as part of her standard consultation and assessment process. Maria shares with us the value she finds in using hair mineral analysis as a clinical tool to craft her individualised treatment plans for a range of conditions from thyroid disorder...

Are your breast implants making you sick? This niggling little question arises for many women (and men) months, even years after breast augmentation surgery. Despite being controversial and no clear link has yet been found, more and more women are connecting the dots with their long term, chronic inflammatory and immunological conditions that they have been suffering since undertaking implant surg...

The true value of preventative medicine lies somewhere between a patient's own self care activities and their proactive practitioner's screening processes. Today we are joined by integrative GP, Dr Penny Caldicott who is long-term champion of team-based, multidisciplinary healthcare, having founded her practice on these principles. Dr Caldicott joins us today to take us through her views on some o...

Sometimes clinical intervention is necessary to help your patients achieve a good night sleep. There's an art to deciding which interventions are most appropriate for each individual patient and which herbs or nutrients need to be included in the prescription to address a client's specific needs. Should you choose valerian or kava, magnesium or B6? In this episode Norelle Hentschel shares her own...

What is sleep hygiene? Most of us know we feel better after a good nights sleep, but how can we maximise patient wellbeing through sleep? Today we are joined by naturopath and sleep expert, Norelle Hentschel from Your Sleep Remedy to take us through the vital components of attaining restful, rejuvenating sleep for ourselves and our patients. With so much to cover in a single podcast, we've broken...

Imagine collaborative research initiatives that are simultaneously taking place in several international locations, all of which are aimed to not just validate singular natural medicines, but are looking at the bigger picture of validating naturopathy as a system of medicine and a professional that can contribute meaningfully to the health system. Does this sound too good to be true? Well, in toda...

It was Einstein who said; "Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds." This quote resonates with the story of today's guest, pioneering orthopaedic surgeon, Dr Gary Fettke. Tune in to discover why Dr Fettke describes himself as a "committed sardine," and why he was targeted by his professional peers for daring to question the status quo. Dr Fettke shares his awak...

What do you do when your skills as a mentor are in such demand that there are not enough hours in the day to help them all? Today we're joined by Geraldine Headley to talk about how her career grew organically to develop her own mentoring system. Faced with the realisation that she would need to diversify her business model so she could reach more people, Geraldine had to innovate. And innovate, s...

With an estimated 1 in 10 women suffering from endometriosis, this condition is a major health and economic drain, not to mention the mental health aspects, which can be devastating. For too long, women with endometriosis have had to suffer in silence, regularly dismissed by their medical professionals, family and peers who often don't appreciate how debilitating this condition can be. Now, the ti...

Cardiovascular and metabolic disease account for a large number of deaths in Australians, and we're not getting any healthier. As clinicians we're tasked everyday with making therapeutic decisions based on the best available science for a patient's individual health circumstances. There is an art to interpreting scientific conclusions drawn from nutritional and lifestyle modifications, which can o...

Is mentorship the most overlooked element for driving a clinician to a pathway of success? In the Australian naturopathic profession, seeking a mentor is becoming more commonplace, but it hasn't always been the case. Mentoring has the capacity to fill knowledge gaps that may be missed through standard, didactic continuing professional development (CPD) approaches. Fostering a collegiate atmosphere...

Collectively cardiometabolic syndrome(s) account for more deaths in Australia than any other single disease. In today's podcast we're joined by Dr Bradley McEwen who, through his own research and clinical practice, is an expert in treating cardiometabolic disease with natural medicines, diet and lifestyle interventions. Today Dr McEwen takes us through the complexities of working with cardiometabo...

Geomedicine. Sounds like a futuristic medical term…and maybe it is. We're now learning that our geographical environment can have dramatic impacts on our health, particularly when dealing with chronic, insidious and recalcitrant conditions. To truly understand what geomedicine is, we are joined once again today by leading Australian building biologist, Nicole Bijlsma. From putting on her detective...

As research continues to grow and evolve, it's becoming clear that the vagus nerve is far more complex than just simply being 'the longest cranial nerve in the body.' It is proving to be multi-talented, with sensory fibres crossing into many tissues making it a useful target for modification of internal physiology using external stimuli. Today we're joined once again by Emrys Goldsworthy to contin...

When we think of enzymes, we can often compartmentalise them as being purely for digestive support. However, they have so much more therapeutic potential. Today we are joined by Bec Guild to discuss the plethora of clinical uses for proteolytic, or protein-digesting enzymes, that are not connected to digestion. Bec shares how we can use enzymes for inflammation, pain, infection resistance, sinusit...

Have you heard of eosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE)? This condition is thought to affect 1/100 adults and 1/10,000 children and it appears to be on the rise. Moreover, it is challenging to diagnose and may be misdiagnosed, or simply overlooked altogether. Navigating the world of EoE with her own daughter, naturopath, sports scientist and former Olympian, Nicole Hannan has become a crusader to raise...

"Endometriosis was first microscopically identified in 1860 and the term itself coined in 1927," both in time periods when naturopathic medicine was very commonplace. So, what is the history of the naturopathic interventions in Endometriosis versus what we know now? Today we are joined by Rebecca Reid, naturopath and researcher who has been delving through historical texts to uncover some of the k...

Eating disorders are varied and complex in their presentation, so how can we identify and support these patients? Today we are joined by holistic dietician and nutritionist Natalie Bourke, who takes us through her professional and personal expertise on eating disorders. Natalie takes us through the many different types of eating disorders, how to recognise them, and how to connect with patients wh...

What factors influence the terrain of the vaginal environment and its associated microbiota? Today we are joined by Dr Jessica Younes, nutritionist, scientist and researcher in the areas of gynecology, urology, and women’s health. Jessica has a special interest and a wealth of expertise on the vaginal and urogenital microbiome. Today she shares with us the key influencers on these microbial commun...

Is polycystic ovarian syndrome being over-diagnosed? Today we are joined by Leah Hechtman to share some insight into new biomarkers with a stronger association to ovarian function that are now in early stages of research, and so far the results look promising. Both from a diagnostic perspective, but also for predicting fertility outcomes, these new biomarkers could mean less fear and uncertainty a...

Menopause heralds the conclusion of a women's reproductive years. For some, this is a welcomed change, for others it’s a cruel harbinger of change that brings with it a new phase of aggravating health complaints. Ranging from hot flushes, to anxiety, sleep disturbances, depression, heart palpitations, anger and mood swings as well as a number of other physical changes, many women menopause is an u...

How do our genes influence our hormones? We often view our genetic make-up as static and unchangeable, but in actual fact they are dynamic and constantly evolving in direct response to our environment, diet and lifestyles. For instance, hormonal secretion, metabolism and excretion are all swayed by both our nutritional status and the many enzymes systems that may be up, or down-regulated as a resu...