The Empowering Neurologist Podcast

Multiple sclerosis (MS), is an auto-immune condition affecting more than 1 million Americans. And like other autoimmune conditions, it it's becoming more prevalent. The role of genetics in MS is not significant. Lifestyle choices however may play important roles in regulating the immune system, and therefore should certainly be looked at as it relates to this and other autoimmune conditions.   My guest today, Dr. Terry Wahls, is herself a multiple sclerosis patient. On the podcast she describes how aggressive her multiple sclerosis became, how she herself did not seem to realize any dramatic improvement from pharmaceutical intervention, and how she ultimately discovered the important role of nutrition in terms of regulating her immune system and as such, the disease course of her multiple sclerosis situation.   Dr. Wahls then took these observations and created programs for other  MS patients, applying rigorous scientific principles to study the effects of nutritional interventions.   Her latest study compares her nutritional protocol with a long-standing nutritional approach to multiple sclerosis called the Swank diet that actually began being utilized in the late 1940s. I will say that the results she has obtained, which we discussed today, are extremely impressive.    There is certainly good reason to consider the use of pharmaceutical intervention in multiple sclerosis. Nonetheless, that's one intervention that, in my opinion, should certainly be coupled with other proven therapies, like nutrition. Dr. Wahls makes it very clear that there are multiple mechanisms by which this dietary change may prove helpful in the MS patient;  by targeting things like inflammation, the functionality of the gut bacteria, and even the function of mitochondria.   I am certain you will enjoy today's interview. I do want to indicate that you can learn more about Dr. Wahls by reading her book, The Wahls Protocol.   ==== TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 Intro 2:20 Dr. Wahls Struggle with MS 14:46 Her Successful Treatment  27:00 Study of Impact of Diet on MS 47:10 The Wahls Protocol 54:00 Conclusion ====   Dr. Terry Wahls is an Institute for Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner and a clinical professor of medicine at the University of Iowa where she conducts clinical trials.  In 2018 she was awarded the Institute for Functional Medicine’s Linus Pauling Award for her contributions in research, clinical care and patient advocacy. She is also a patient with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis, which confined her to a tilt-recline wheelchair for four years. Dr. Wahls restored her health using a diet and lifestyle program she designed specifically for her brain and now pedals her bike to work each day. She is the author of The Wahls Protocol: A Radical New Way to Treat All Chronic Autoimmune Conditions Using Paleo Principles, and the cookbook, The Wahls Protocol Cooking for Life. Learn more about her MS clinical trials https://wahls.lab.uiowa.edu/. Pick up a one-page handout for the Wahls™ Diet at https://terrywahls.com/diet/   https://www.facebook.com/TerryWahls/  https://www.instagram.com/drterrywahls/  https://twitter.com/terrywahls  https://youtube.com/c/terrywahlsmd    Wahls Research Lab (to learn about current clinical research studies that Dr. Wahls is conducting) https://wahls.lab.uiowa.edu/    Defying All Odds Movie (documentary about Dr. Wahls' healing journey and research) http://defyingalloddsmovie.com/    5 Day Challenge: Conquer your autoimmune condition Creating your healing journey A free five day challenge that is conducted periodically for the public. https://terrywahls.com/5daychallenge/   ___________________________ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidperlmutter/   Website: https://www.drperlmutter.com/   Subscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDRl_UAXxbHyOOjklnA0dxQ/?sub_confirmation=1See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We are hearing so much these days about the benefit of a ketogenic diet. But while there may be benefits, it's not necessarily the easiest diet for everyone to engage. Further, staying in ketosis for an extended period of time may actually be associated with some fairly significant threats to our health.   Today I'm speaking with Dr. Steven Gundry about his new book, Unlocking the Keto Code. I have to admit that at first, I thought this was going to be another way of engaging the ketogenic diet. But I soon learned that what this book is actually focused on is first, unraveling why a ketogenic diet is beneficial, and secondly, after the reader understands the importance of the mechanisms underlying the ketogenic diet, it provides them the tools for bringing these mechanisms online without specifically going into ketosis.   That certainly sounds like a home run. The book focuses on the notion of "uncoupling mitochondria." This basically means that fuel is wasted as opposed to being utilized. It's a way of actually reducing the efficiency of mitochondrial function to bring about positive health benefits. I know this sounds challenging, and I agree that it is. Nonetheless, Dr. Gundry has done an exceptional job in terms of making this information clear and understandable.    This is a wonderful new book and I believe it's certainly going to dramatically change the playing field moving forward as it brings to our attention not just the benefits of the ketogenic diet, but the value of things like cold exposure, heat exposure, consuming polyphenols, and a variety of other health supportive modalities   ==== TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 Intro 4:00 Unlocking the Keto Code 14:40 Achieving Keto without the Keto 27:07 7 Keys to Ketones 55:00 Conclusion ====   Dr. Gundry is one of the world’s top cardiothoracic surgeons and a pioneer in nutrition, as well as medical director at The International Heart and Lung Institute Center for Restorative Medicine.  He is author of many New York times bestselling books including The Plant Paradox, and The Plant Paradox Cookbook, and The Longevity Paradox: How to Die Young at a Ripe Old Age and The Energy Paradox: What to Do When Your Get-Up-and-Go  Has Got Up and Gone. His new book Unlocking the Keto Code was recently published, and offers a new take on the keto diet that debunks common myths and shows readers how to reap the rewards of keto with less restriction.  https://drgundry.com/ ___________________________ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidperlmutter/   Website: https://www.drperlmutter.com/   Subscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDRl_UAXxbHyOOjklnA0dxQ/?sub_confirmation=1See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the most important levers we can pull as it relates to improving our brain function currently as well as paving the way for a healthier brain in the years to come is choose to eat foods that nurture the brain. My guest today on the Empowering Neurologist, Max Lugavere, has been deeply involved in exploring food as brain medicine for many years. Let me tell you a little bit more about him. Max Lugavere is a filmmaker, health and science journalist and the author of the New York Times best-seller Genius Foods: Become Smarter, Happier, and More Productive While Protecting Your Brain for Life, published in 8 languages around the globe. He is also the host of the #1 iTunes health podcast The Genius Life. Lugavere appears regularly on nationally syndicated programs Rachael Ray Show, and The Doctors. He has contributed to Medscape, Vice, Fast Company, CNN, and the Daily Beast, has been featured on NBC Nightly News, The Today Show, and in The New York Times and People Magazine. He is an internationally sought-after speaker and has given talks at South by Southwest, TEDx, the New York Academy of Sciences, the Biohacker Summit in Stockholm, Sweden, and many others. Max is a thought leader and citizen scientist doing a terrific job exploring how lifestyle choices play out in terms of charting the brain’s destiny. And today we discuss his wonderful new book, The Genius Kitchen. ==== 0:00 Intro 3:50 Max’s Journey to Brain Health 11:10 Foods that Support the Brain 20:30 Foods & Satiation 30:33 Sodium 37:44 Eggs: A Cognitive Multivitamin 43:05 Prescribing Diet & Exercise  59:00 Conclusion ==== Max Lugavere is a filmmaker, health and science journalist and the author of the New York Times best-seller Genius Foods: Become Smarter, Happier, and More Productive While Protecting Your Brain for Life, published in 8 languages around the globe. He is also the host of the #1 iTunes health podcast The Genius Life. Lugavere appears regularly on the Dr. Oz Show, the Rachael Ray Show, and The Doctors. He has contributed to Medscape, Vice, Fast Company, CNN, and the Daily Beast, has been featured on NBC Nightly News, The Today Show, and in The New York Times and People Magazine. He is an internationally sought-after speaker and has given talks at South by Southwest, TEDx, the New York Academy of Sciences, the Biohacker Summit in Stockholm, Sweden, and many others. https://geniuskitchenbook.com/ ___________________________ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidperlmutter/ Website: https://www.drperlmutter.com/ Subscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDRl_UAXxbHyOOjklnA0dxQ/?sub_confirmation=1See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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