The Lab Report

In the last episode, we met Dr. Casey Means – a head & neck surgeon who became a functional medicine practitioner and key opinion leader in plant-based diets. She also happens to be the Chief Medical Officer and co-founder of Levels . Levels produces digital health products, such as continuous glucose monitors, to inspire healthy behavior change. Today, in Part 2 of our interview, Dr. Me...

Today we meet Dr. Casey Means - a head & neck surgeon who made a big leap from traditional to functional medicine. She specializes in metabolic health with a focus on the whole-food, plant-based approach to diet. Dr. Means is also co-founder and Chief Medical Officer for a company called Levels . Levels produces digital health products, such as continuous glucose monitors, to inspire healthy b...

Did you know that there is a connection between the brain and the GI tract? This gut-brain axis communicates information in both directions. The commensal bacteria in our gut and their metabolites can directly affect our memory and mood, while our brain can alter bacterial patterns and GI function. Today we discuss some of the mechanisms by which this axis sends and receives those signals. We also...

In functional medicine, we often focus on the GI tract to uncover and treat the root causes of many chronic diseases. But many clinicians just don’t know where to start. The “5R Protocol” is a helpful tool to guide treatment decision-making. The “5 R’s” are Remove, Replace, Re-inoculate, Repair, and Rebalance. What exactly does this mean? How do you translate th...

Drew Manning is a health and fitness expert who became a world-wide sensation with his Fit2Fat2Fit experiment years ago. He gained and lost 75 pounds on purpose to understand the psychology behind weight loss. This transformed the way the fitness industry approached helping clients. He recently announced he’s doing it again this year as he turns 40 (Fit2Fat2Forty) to bring awareness to the m...

Proteins are large molecules made up of smaller building blocks called amino acids. As a macronutrient, protein can be obtained in our diet from both plants and animals. Protein is metabolically critical and structurally necessary to keep us healthy. When protein is broken down into amino acids, each of them have their own function and importance as well. Are you getting enough protein in your die...

Multi-omics is the layering of genetic information (genomics) with laboratory biomarker results (metabolomics) to understand the root cause of disease and risk. This educational series focuses on genetic variants in specific enzymes and explains how to evaluate the systemic effects. Today’s episode revolves around the enzyme cystathionine-beta-synthase (CBS). This enzyme is important for hom...

Most of us in functional medicine understand the importance of nutrition in addressing chronic disease. Dr. Kasia Kines holds a doctorate degree in Clinical Nutrition and has helped thousands of patients get to the root cause of their illnesses. Dr. Kines also happens to be a key opinion leader on the Epstein-Barr virus and how reactivation of chronic EBV infection can impact health. In this episo...

In the last episode, we met Dr. Bryan Walsh, a naturopathic physician and well-renowned teacher with a unique way of approaching medicine. He challenged us to remain humbly skeptic and excitedly curious. He spends his time scouring the literature and redefining his approaches to learning, teaching, and practicing clinical medicine. Today he discusses the latest science on some tried and true tradi...

The history of medicine is riddled with shifting paradigms, disproven theories, and treatment protocols that may not be beneficial. Dr. Bryan Walsh is a naturopathic physician with a humble and deep curiosity which frames his unique approach to practicing medicine. By continually questioning the norm, he reminds us to dig deeper and follow the literature on topics that the medical community curren...

On our last episode, we introduced Dr. Brad Lichtenstein. Dr. Brad is a naturopathic physician who has spent his career teaching and practicing mind-body medicine, mindfulness, and meditation. This topic is crucial to optimal health, yet many patients find it intimidating and don’t know where to start. Today in part two of our interview, Dr. Brad dives into what mindfulness is, and how to cu...

We are often reminded to adopt mindful practices in an attempt to mitigate the stress response and promote optimal health. But the concept can seem lofty and, at times, intimidating. Where do you start? How do you become more mindful? Finally, we hit this topic straight on. Dr. Brad Lichtenstein has dedicated his career to the practice of mind-body medicine, mediation, and mindfulness. This episod...

On this podcast, we’ve discussed the benefits and shortcomings of many different diets. Today we finally delve into the concept of ‘fasting.’ Cynthia Thurlow, NP is a well-known expert in intermittent fasting, and became a viral sensation after her TEDx Talk on this subject. She is also passionate about optimizing women’s hormonal health. Today we discuss the benefits of in...

A parasite is an organism that lives in a host and takes its nourishment from that host. In the GI tract, their presence can manifest in many ways. The main classes of parasites include protozoa, roundworms, tapeworms, and flukes. Whenever Patti & Michael have questions about microbiology, they turn to Jim Kelton who has been part of the microbiology department at Genova for nearly 20 years. I...

Symptoms of hormonal imbalance can be highly variable - fatigue, weight gain, hot flashes, insomnia, and so much more. With that, it’s likely that hormonal imbalance is contributing to the root cause of many patient complaints. Often clinicians are confused about where to start when it comes to hormone testing. Which hormone do I look for? Which sample type is best? How does it all work toge...

Managing weight is more than calories in/calories out. There are many hidden factors that may be inhibiting weight loss such as hormonal influences, stress, toxic exposures, and maladaptive behaviors. One of the basic principles of functional medicine is that all patients are different and therefore, a personalized approach is needed. In this episode, we redefine some ideas around weight loss and...

Methylation is a very important enzymatic reaction responsible for so many crucial metabolic processes. In our last episode, we introduced the topic of methylation and the basics of the biochemical reaction.  However, there are many subtle nuances to consider when assessing whether a patient’s methylation cycle is out of balance. Today, we dive a bit deeper into the biochemistry and pee...

The word ‘methylation’ has become somewhat of a buzz word in functional medicine. We’ve mentioned it several times throughout many episodes of The Lab Report – hard to avoid since it’s involved in just about every biological process. In this episode, we finally hit the topic head on and dive into the methylation cycle itself. Although the biochemistry can be intimidat...

The basics of mobility often go unnoticed until nagging pain and discomfort arise. Musculoskeletal pain is a very common complaint of many patients. Rather than treating that pain with medication, what if a simple mobility technique could fix the mechanics that caused it? Dr. Kelly Starrett has revolutionized the way we assess and treat common aches and pains by developing a program called The Rea...

Movement and exercise are important when considering a lifestyle approach to chronic disease and health optimization. When we think of exercise as medicine, most people don’t realize the amount of research available to support the physiologic changes and benefits.  Dr. Andy Galpin is a professor and researcher in muscle physiology and bioenergetics at California State University, Fuller...

Many clinicians new to functional medicine feel overwhelmed by starting, or even changing their practices to accommodate their new skill set. Not only are there many functional medicine concepts to master, but there is also a wide array of functional labs to interpret. It can take time to understand how to use these labs and how to communicate these new concepts to patients. Dr. Dan Kalish has bee...

Mitochondria are the powerhouses of the cell which function to make ATP and energy. Their role in chronic disease is widely studied and often overlooked. Symptoms and root causes of mitochondrial dysfunction can be difficult to pinpoint in your patients. When it comes to relating this to brain fatigue or thyroid dysfunction, Dr. Datis Kharrazian is an expert. He has written several books and lectu...

Multi-omics is the layering of genetic information (genomics) with laboratory biomarker results (metabolomics) to understand the root cause of disease and risk. This educational series focuses on genetic variants in specific enzymes and explains how to evaluate the systemic effects. Today’s episode is a discussion of the cytochrome P450 enzyme CYP1B1. This enzyme is important in hormone deto...

In the last episode, we introduced Dr. Tom Guilliams, who is an author and researcher in the field of all things functional medicine. In fact, he’s written several books through the Point Institute which have changed the way many clinicians think about basic functional medicine topics.  His unique association with large supplement companies in conjunction with his vast knowledge of bioc...

Dr. Tom Guilliams has been reading and studying the literature for years regarding all things functional medicine. In fact, he’s written several books through the Point Institute which have changed the way many clinicians think about basic functional medicine topics. His extensive breadth of knowledge on the latest literature and his close association with major supplement companies has give...