Get to the Root of It

So many of you have asked me about Lyme disease and mold, and today I'm bringing you someone who has studied - and lived - them both. Tricia Soderstrom spent two years chasing a diagnosis while her joint pain, fatigue, and cognitive fog got dismissed as "normal pregnancy stuff" and then "just getting older." When she finally tested positive for Lyme, her doctor gave her the...

Your bloodwork came back normal. Your doctor says you're fine. But the brain fog, the joint pain, the fatigue that won't lift — something is off, and no one can tell you what. It might be in your house. In this episode, functional medicine practitioner Laurel Brennan tells the story of her own mold exposure — what it did to her health and her family's, how long it went undetected, and...

Summary In this episode, Dr. Jen Belew shares her journey from traditional pharmacy to functional medicine, focusing on hormone health, stress management, and cardiovascular wellness for high-performing women. Discover practical insights on testing, hormone therapy, and lifestyle strategies to optimize health and prevent chronic disease. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Functional Medicine and Hormo...

I'm back. And if you've ever hit your capacity and something had to give, you already understand why I was gone. Season three of Get to the Root of It starts here, with a quick, honest explanation of where I've been, what the last year-plus taught me, and what's coming. Environmental illness, two moves, and a TED talk I almost couldn't deliver. That's the short version. We&...

SUMMARY Dr. Jaquel Patterson, a naturopathic physician, discusses her journey into naturopathic medicine and her focus on Lyme disease and autoimmune conditions. She shares her personal experience with Lyme disease and the challenges of diagnosing and treating it. Dr. Patterson emphasizes the importance of prevention, early detection, and proper testing for Lyme disease and its co-infections. She...

Summary Dr. Mark Davis discusses the difference between irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), specifically ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. He explains that IBS is a functional disease with no detectable organic changes, while IBD is an autoimmune disease with detectable changes in the tissues. Dr. Davis also explores the impact of the gut on the rest of t...

Summary Marly Jones, a doctor of naturopathy, shares her personal journey of overcoming chronic illness and focusing on brain and nervous system health. She emphasizes the importance of calming the central nervous system and getting out of the cell danger response to promote healing. Marly discusses the benefits of Neuroptimal brain training systems, which help regulate the brain and promote relax...

Over 212 million Americans say their biggest fear about growing older is developing Alzheimer’s. Part of why we’re so afraid is that we believe it’s untreatable. But what if we could not only prevent cognitive decline, but actually reverse it? In REVERSING ALZHEIMER’S: The New Toolkit to Improve Cognition and Protect Brain Health (HarperCollins, June 11, 2024), Dr. Heather Sandison, a leading expe...

Summary Brain health coach Ryan Glatt shares his insights on the importance of collaboration between rehabilitation clinicians and the use of motivational interviewing in promoting meaningful and purposeful exercise routines for brain health. He recommends a minimum of 150 minutes of varied exercise per week, emphasizing that the total amount of exercise is more important than the type. Glatt also...

Summary Meagan Hughes, a licensed professional music therapist and music imagery therapist, discusses the difference between music therapy and music imagery therapy. She explains that music therapy uses music to achieve therapeutic goals within a therapeutic relationship, while music imagery therapy uses music as a container and stimulus to activate an individual's creative imagination. Meagan...

Summary Ashley Malik shares her personal journey with weight loss and how she developed an anti-inflammatory nutrition strategy. She discusses the roadblocks and challenges she faced along the way and emphasizes the importance of mindset in achieving health goals. Ashley explains what anti-inflammatory eating entails and how it has positively impacted her gut health and hypothyroidism. She also hi...

Summary In this conversation, Lori Graham, an occupational therapist and functional medicine practitioner, shares her journey and insights into the importance of nutrition and lifestyle in promoting health and preventing disease. She discusses the challenges of promoting healthy eating and the power of group support in making lasting changes. Lori also highlights the influence of her occupational...

Summary Dr. Sakinah Bunch shares her journey of healing her daughter's severe food allergies and her husband's chromosome deficiency through alternative medicine. This led her to become a naturopathic doctor and open Clean Good Eats, a farm-to-table cooking studio that specializes in allergy-friendly cooking. Dr. Bunch emphasizes the importance of advocating for your child's health and...

Summary May Fekete, a family nurse practitioner and health coach, shares her journey into health and wellness, including her personal experience with breast cancer and how she discovered the benefits of fasting. She explains the different types of fasting and how to start, emphasizing the importance of breaking a fast properly and maintaining electrolyte balance. May discusses who can benefit from...

Summary In this conversation, Laurel Brennan interviews Joni Rampolla, a registered dietitian, about the importance of nutrition for overall health and brain health. Joni shares her personal journey to becoming a dietitian and how a simple change in her breakfast routine transformed her life. They discuss the effects of blood sugar and insulin on the body, the nutrients necessary for brain health,...

Summary Laura Brennan, a gut health consultant, shares her personal journey and the creation of Etoile Wellness. She emphasizes the importance of gut health and its impact on overall well-being. Laura explains the process of healthy digestion and the signs that indicate gut health issues. She also discusses the relationship between gut health and the immune system, highlighting the role of nutriti...

Summary Deanna Minich, a nutrition scientist, educator, and author, discusses her personal journey and influences that led her to her current role. She shares her experience working with Dr. Jeffrey Bland and the valuable lessons she learned. Deanna also talks about her book, Whole Detox, and how it helps people diversify their diets and enjoy being in the kitchen again. She emphasizes the importa...

Summary In this conversation, Laurel Brennan interviews Gary Stapleton, the president and CEO of Aerodiagnostics, a company that provides SIBO breath tests. They discuss the background and prevalence of SIBO, the symptoms associated with it, and the various treatment options available. They also touch on the link between SIBO and brain health, as well as the importance of retesting after treatment...

In the first part of "Gratitude Journeys," Laurel Brennan introduces her father, Dr. Richard Krebs, a retired psychologist and Lutheran pastor, who embarked on a transformative "Year of Gratitude." Recorded just before Thanksgiving, Dr. Krebs shares the inspiration behind his gratitude journey, which commenced on his 85th birthday in August. Motivated by the realization that time with loved ones i...

Dr. Perry Nickelston shares his journey from chiropractic, to illness, to addressing the immune system to recover from autoimmunity via the lymphatic system. He looks beyond the musculoskeletal system into the whole body as a whole system. "No system in the body ever works alone. They never get injured alone. They never heal alone. There's no such thing as an isolated injury in the body. There's n...

In this podcast, I share my story and why I do what I do. We go through my timeline identifying triggers and mediators that likely contributed to the development of Multiple Sclerosis, a diagnosis I received in 2006. When seeking root causes for current symptoms or dis-ease, this type of storytelling and evidence-gathering is invaluable. Hopefully, my storytelling encourages you to look at your ow...

Dr. Tom Ingegno, DACM, has more than 22 years of experience in the integrative and functional medicine space. He owns and operates Charm City Integrative Health, a multifaceted clinic that NYT bestseller and futurist David Houle called the "Future of Medicine" in Baltimore, Maryland. This clinic provides a multidimensional approach to reducing inflammation, improving circulation, and regulating th...

Carrie Baquie is a Wellbeing Empowerment Coach who specializes in helping ambitious women who have been knocked down by long-term health challenges shift from illness to wellness so that they can get their groove back and reclaim a life they love. Whether they are navigating challenges like Lyme Disease, Brain Injury, Mold Sickness or Autoimmune Disease, Carrie helps these women rediscover their p...

Brian Karr is a second-generation indoor environmental consultant who specializes in working with hypersensitive individuals with complex chronic medical conditions. He helps individuals and families to understand if mold, mycotoxins, or other indoor pathogens exist in their homes that may be contributing to their health conditions, and how to remedy those issues. Brian has become a mold & bio...

This conversation is with Cheng Ruan, M.D. He is a board-certified internal medicine physician and is the founder and CEO of the Texas Center for Lifestyle Medicine, host of the Reverse Brain Disorders Summit, Founder of Integrative Practice Builder, and Host of the Physician Practice Automation Summit. You can find him on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Youtube. https://www.instagram.com/cheng_...