The DNA Talks Podcast

"Your doctor doesn't live inside your body. AI doesn't live in your body. Influencers don't live in your body. Only you live there." What if the future of medicine isn't about treating disease, but empowering people to take ownership of their health long before illness appears? In this compelling conversation, Dr. Lara Varden sits down with renowned physician, author,...

What if aging isn’t decline but a powerful opportunity for growth? In this inspiring episode of DNA Talks , Dr. Lara Varden sits down with Michele Hughes, an entrepreneur, longevity expert, and media personality. She is the founder and CEO of the Ageless & Timeless Podcast and a contributor to Top Doctor Magazine . Through her work, she educates and empowers individuals to take control of thei...

What if the biggest lie you’ve ever been told about your health is that your brain is destined to decline? Justin Harris is joined by Dr. Tommy Wood, who currently works as an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Neuroscience at the University of Washington, where my laboratory focuses on brain health across the lifespan — conducting research that focuses on ways to treat a range of brain injurie...

What if your sex life was one of the most powerful drivers of longevity? In this episode, Dr. Tracey Steady Hardcastle is joined by intimacy expert Susan Bratton to explore the science-backed connection between sex and longevity , and why she calls it the missing pillar of health. Together, they unpack the concept of ageless intimacy - how pleasure, connection, and “orgasmic intimacy” support ever...

What if everything you believed about aging was incomplete? In this engaging and refreshingly honest episode of The DNA Talks Podcast , we welcome Doreen Wendt-Weir , author of Sex in Your Seventies and its spirited sequel, Gardening in Your Nineties . Doreen challenges cultural narratives around aging by asking bold, often humorous questions about vitality, intimacy, creativity, and identity late...

If the body is designed to heal, what happens when we finally create the conditions that allow it to do so? In this deeply moving and empowering episode of The DNA Talks Podcast , Dr. Tracey Steady‑Hardcastle sits down with Dr. Zelina Medina, founder of Acuvida Acupuncture, to explore the powerful intersections of autoimmune disease, trauma, nervous system regulation, functional genomics, and root...

In this deeply honest and empowering episode of The DNA Talks Podcast , Dr. Tracey Steady-Hardcastle sits down with Dr. Lisa Olszewski , chiropractor, naturopath, founder of the American Institute of Healthy Living, and host of Healthy Living Simple with Dr. Lisa . Dr. Lisa shares her personal health crisis—despite “doing everything right”—and how it reshaped her approach to nutrition, women’s hor...

The immune system plays a central role in how we age—but what if we could train it to work better over time? In this episode of The DNA Talks Podcast , Dr. Lara Varden welcomes Dr. Chris D’Adamo, PhD , epidemiologist and integrative medicine researcher, for an in‑depth conversation on beta‑glucans, trained immunity, and longevity‑focused health strategies . Dr. D’Adamo explains the critical differ...

Have you been told your thyroid labs are “normal,” yet you’re exhausted, gaining weight, foggy‑headed, or losing your hair? In this episode of The DNA Talks Podcast , Dr. Tracey Steady‑Hardcastle is joined by Dr. Amie Hornaman, “The Thyroid Fixer”, for a deep, empowering conversation on why conventional thyroid care fails so many women and what truly optimized, personalized treatment looks like. D...

In this powerful and deeply insightful episode, Dr. Tracey Steady‑Hardcastle sits down with Dominique D’Vita—registered nurse, certified Tantra educator, and trauma‑informed master coach—to explore the intersection of Tantra, nervous system healing, genetics, and soulful intimacy. Drawing from more than three decades in critical‑care nursing and her own powerful heart‑opening awakening, Dominique...

How do the clothes we wear shape not only our comfort, but also our healing, identity, and empowerment as women? In this inspiring conversation, Krista sits down with Keira Kotler, founder of Everviolet , a company dedicated to creating intimate apparel that supports women through the many changing seasons of life. From breast cancer recovery to pregnancy, menopause, and beyond, Keira shares how g...

  “Every time we visited my grandmother in India, she went to the kitchen first before the pharmacy. Nine out of ten times, she came back with something that made us feel better.” -Gita Vellanki In this episode of DNA Talks, host Krista Kostroman sits down with Gita Vellanki , founder of Neeshi , a food-based wellness brand inspired by Ayurvedic traditions. Gita shares her personal journey from wo...

What if the very behaviors you judge in yourself and others are not flaws at all, but echoes of subconscious programming and unresolved trauma waiting to be understood? In this thought-provoking conversation, Dr. Tracey Steady-Hardcastle sits down with Kelley Oswin and Laura Slinn of New Avalon to explore their unique approach to Evolved Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) . Together, they unpack h...

In this deep‑dive conversation, Dr. Krista Kostroman and Dr. Richard Horowitz explore what may be one of the most comprehensive frameworks for understanding chronic disease today: Dr. Horowitz’s 16‑point MSIDS model (Multiple Systemic Infectious Disease Syndrome) . Dr. Richard Horowitz is an internationally recognized physician practicing in Hyde Park, NY. He is an award-winning author of two best...

Menopause and perimenopause affect women greatly, yet they remain shrouded in stigma and misinformation. With that, how do we become equipped to embrace these stages of life without being overwhelmed with how to take care of ourselves whilst knowing our medical needs? In this episode of DNA Talks , Dr. Tracey Steady-Hardcastle sits down with Amy Alkon — award-winning writer, syndicated columnist,...

What if the key to supporting autism lies in understanding the body’s environment as much as the brain itself?  In this episode, we explore the powerful intersection of biohacking and autism based on the experience and study of Jackie McMillan as she joins Dr. Tracey Steady Hardcastle for our interview today. Jackie McMillan has autism, and has spent the years since 1976 - a period of dramatic fun...

Artificial Intelligence, or more commonly called and shortened as “A.I.” has become a household term during the past couple of months. In fact, from the simplest of tasks to the most complicated, a huge population of the world would consult AI applications such as ChatGPT, Grok, Gemini, Meta AI, and several more that can also be found integrated into different software and hardware today.  In this...

Is affordable healthcare still possible to attain in this day and age? In this episode of WTF, Tracy, Dr. Krista, and Dr. Betty discuss the reality of healthcare in the US. From insurance companies, to the overall cost of healthcare treatments, and how the medical system is less for the people and more for profit - how can people survive their medical conditions but also stay away from bankruptcy?...

Have you started your health journey this year? With that in mind, taking care of and ensuring that your thyroid is in good condition is one thing you should not overlook as it regulates several of your bodily functions. In this episode, Dr. Tracey Steady Hardcastle is joined by Dr. Eric Osansky, a chiropractor, clinical nutritionist, and a certified functional medicine practitioner who has over 2...

Happy New Year! This time of the year, most declare their resolutions - a huge majority including diet and weight loss, but what is the best way to do it? In this episode, our Chief Science Officer, Dr. Krista Kostroman, N.D., is joined by Ashley Koff, R.D., the founder of The Better Nutrition Program (BNP) , the nutrition course director for UC Irvine’s Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute’...

We are currently living in an epidemic of a sedentary lifestyle. As we live through our screens whether it be glued to our phones, tablets, or laptops, we tend to miss out on the benefits of movement in our day to day lives - how does movement benefit us? In this episode, Dr. Krista Kostroman, Chief Science Officer of the DNA Company, is joined by Dr. Emily Splichal. She is a functional podiatrist...

New trending diet? Crashing down your calorie levels? What does the ideal diet even look like? In this episode, Justin is joined by Ben Brown , founder of Body Systems — a program designed to boost your energy and support a healthy weight by helping you discover your unique body system blueprint.  Ben once had extreme fatigue and an immune crash. He knew something was wrong, but chalked it up to h...

Are you interested in learning more about intermittent fasting?   Join our expert clinicians, Dr. Lara Varden and Justin Harris, as we look at the science-backed benefits of intermittent fasting, from improved metabolic health to enhanced cognitive function, as our expert hosts delve into the latest research and practical applications. Gain valuable insights into how intermittent fasting can be a...

How does the diagnosis affect the disease? In this 2-part episode, Dr. Lara Varden interviews Dr. Jacob Liberman. Dr. Jacob Israel Liberman is a pioneer in the fields of light, vision and consciousness, and the author of Luminous Life: How The Science Of Light Unlocks The Art Of Living , Light: Medicine Of The Future, Take Off Your Glasses And See , and Wisdom From An Empty Mind. Originally traine...

How does the diagnosis affect the disease? In this 2-part episode, Dr. Lara Varden interviews Dr. Jacob Liberman. Dr. Jacob Israel Liberman is a pioneer in the fields of light, vision and consciousness, and the author of Luminous Life: How The Science Of Light Unlocks The Art Of Living , Light: Medicine Of The Future, Take Off Your Glasses And See , and Wisdom From An Empty Mind. Originally traine...