Real Integrative Medicine with Dr. Jordan Robertson ND

Is it about lack of trust? Is it about misinformation? Is it part of our human flaws?  These were the very questions I asked today’s podcast guest, David Robert Grimes, Physicist, cancer scientist, and author on the very question of why conspiracy theories are part of our world (especially in the last 2 years). We talk about the basics of critical thinking, how to spot the difference between “just asking questions” and “conspiracy tendencies” and why we are sometimes drawn towards radical explanations of the world around us.  David has authored a book titled Good Thinking (North America) and The Irrational Ape (UK) that unravels the complexities of human thoughts, why we are so damn emotional when presented with new data and how to help yourself be a better thinker and learner.  We cover brave topics like vaccines, the pandemic and health information online. Even though these topics are sure to stir up emotions, come listen with an open mind and be ready to give your brain muscles a solid flex.  Follow David on Twitter: @drg1985, Instagram @david_robert_grimes and through his website: www.davidrobertgrimes.com

In today’s episode, I’m joined by my friend and brilliant colleague Dr. Stephanie Bayliss, a Naturopathic Doctor who focuses on mental health in women. In this episode, we help you understand if your mood deserves some attention and how to be assessed.  Many women feel their mood isn’t “bad enough” to be flagged or treated, because their picture of depression in their mind is a different woman than what they see in themselves. Women imagine a person who needs mental health support is debilitated, on stress leave, or can’t get out of bed at all. They have a hard time seeing the impact of low mood on their fatigue, nutrition, ability to feel joy and

When I was in university, my first-year facilitator handed me a book on perfectionism and told me I should read it. I didn’t understand. How on earth could a student who couldn’t spell, barely paid attention in class, and struggled to care about assignments she didn’t like be a perfectionist? Perfectionism might be showing up in your life differently than the “gets it all perfect all the time” definition we often think of. it's not about having a manicured lawn and perfectly curled hair (although you might do those things too if you’re a perfectionist). Perfectionism is also about how you feel about action - and whether or not you can take action - even if the outcome might be less than perfect.  I didn’t speak up enough, write enough (because I was afraid of my own spelling), or take enough risks in my work because I was afraid of failing at the expectations placed on me. I wasn’t showing up as my full self because I knew she was far from perfect - and yet that inaction was also perfectionism getting in the way of me achieving my goals.  This was a pinnacle moment for me. So what if my Ps and my Bs were confused on every assignment I handed in - what I was trying to say was intelligent and well thought out. NOT participating and NOT leaning in was letting my groups down and myself down.  When I work with women long enough, their perfectionism fades. They adopt the “all or something” mentality to their health and actually get somewhere. They stop expecting the world of themselves and deeply learn how to take care of their imperfect selves. And you know what? They do better than the women who are trying to hold it all together and pretend everything is fine.  The opportunity to get a ticket for Bulletproof Your 40s is almost gone. The doors close the day this episode airs (Thursday, January 27th). We’re changing the way women feel about their health and themselves. Recovering perfectionists invited.   

There isn’t really an area of medicine that has led to as much self-proclaimed expertise than nutrition. If someone knows how to make a great smoothie they seem to have the credentials to give other people smoothie advice. But why with that same logic, do we never see someone who owns a beating heart claim to be a cardiologist or someone who owns a brain to be a neurosurgeon. And yet, for some reason, if you own a blender, you could be nutrition’s next big thing. Nutrition as a science has struggled to fit the research mould that we study pharmaceuticals in, which hasn’t done nutrition any favours. In this episode, I invite one of my own mentors, Alan Flannigan, to the podcast to talk about myths in nutrition, and how nutrition might just be turning the evidence-corner in the world of science and research.  We talk about how women in particular are vulnerable to crappy science, and why it’s important for the average reader to understand why nutrition is so hard to study. If you struggle to tell what’s real and what’s fake online, this episode will give you insight (and a few laughs) on how to navigate online nutrition conversations.  Alan is currently a PhD candidate in nutrition at the University of Surrey, having completed his Masters degree in nutrition science at the same institution. Alan is the founder of Alinea Nutrition, an online education hub dedicated to providing impartial, science-based nutrition analysis. Alan is also Research Communication Officer for Sigma Nutrition, creating educational resources for nutrition science. Originally a lawyer by background in Dublin, Ireland, Alan spent a decade practicing as a barrister before moving into science.  Find Alan hanging out here: @thenutritional_advocate https://www.instagram.com/thenutritional_advocate/ www.alineanutrition.com  

Amanda Thebe embodies everything I want for women in menopause: strength, resiliency and a healthy dose of swearing.  Amanda’s journey from a horrible personal experience to the menopause advocate she is today is a gift to all women, and she shares her knowledge, wit and the tips you need in today’s episode.  If you’ve ever found yourself dreading menopause - this episode is for you. We love Amanda so much we have given away many copies of her book to our participants of Bulletproof Your 40s, our online course happening January 29th. There’s still a chance to win copies of her book by joining us live on the day. You can grab your ticket here. Amanda can be found busting myths on menopause on Instagram and her programs and book can be purchased through her website.    AMANDA THEBE is a personal trainer and nutrition coach with nearly thirty years of experience in the fitness industry. Author of the Amazon best-selling book, Menopocalypse: How I Learned to Thrive During Menopause and How You Can Too! She is a popular guest on podcasts and online summits, and her health and fitness tips have been featured in media outlets like Shape, Prevention, Health Line, CBC Radio, Global News Canada, The Doctors, Lifehacker, Breaking Muscle, Girls Gone Strong, and Ultimate Sandbag Training. She lives in Toronto, Ontario.  

Why am I not scared to turn 40? Because I’ve spent the last 10 years getting ready for this moment.  Our health is built on habits and daily practices, and as women slide into their 40s as exhausted, kid-taxi-driving shells of themselves they are caught off guard when their hormones start to change.  The hormone changes in perimenopause are natural, but what isn’t natural is how depleted women are when they get there. In today’s episode, I’m joined by Dr. Leigha Saunders, ND, my best friend and the hormone-sleep-queen and we break down the 5 things we want you to know as you enter your 40s and beyond.  This episode is brought to you by my birthday celebration! Bulletproof your 40s. Tickets for this full-day event are on sale now at the early bird price of $40 off up until my REAL birthday on January 11th. Grab your ticket to join us live, or grab the recordings if you can’t make the entire day. We’re covering the 5 modules of perimenopause that we discussed in today’s episode in-depth, to give you the bulletproof vest you need to navigate this decade and beyond!  

I freaking love social media BUT have had to ask myself some big questions in 2021 about the role, amount of time, and the use of social media in both my business and my personal life. In this “New Years” episode I give you the questions I reflected on about my own relationship with social, and how I’m moving forward in 2022 with intention and positivity.  I break down some of the “triggering” content I used to engage in, how to spot confirmation bias in your own feed and the type of content I think is moving us forward as evolving humans (and yes, memes are part of this!).  If you don’t already follow me on social media, you can find me most often over on Instagram @drjordannd where I share a ton of information on women’s health, weight lifting, and coffee memes.  This episode is brought to you by my Birthday Celebration workshop called “Bulletproof Your 40s”. I’m throwing a full-day workshop with my colleague and best buddy Dr. Leigha Saunders and we’re sharing everything you need to know about hormones, sleep, mindset, and your metabolism. Register for the workshop here. If you join before December 31, we’re gifting you an amazing book on Menopause, and you can take advantage of our early bird pricing (which is $40 in savings - see what we did there?). Register here.

I love researching PMS. It’s a huge area of focus in my clinical practice and something I’ve spent thousands of hours on. Part of what I love about PMS is the integrative solutions that look at the impact of nutrition and stress on how resilient the brain feels during this (otherwise simple) hormone fluctuation.    Calcium has emerged as a “nutrient of interest” in PMS because it fluctuates widely through the cycle (especially in the brain), impacts serotonin and mood-related chemicals in the brain, and is lower in people with PMS than in people without.  In this episode, I give you the tools you need to think more critically about your PMS, your diet and give you the answers to take to your health care provider to talk about the role of calcium on your mood. Enjoy, share and be sure to join us for my 40th birthday party. Bulletproof your 40s is a full-day online event for women over the age of 35 who want to take their 40s and 50s by storm. We’ll be giving you an entire framework for supporting yourself as you age. Hop on the waitlist here!

When Dr. Laura Von Hagen sat down to write her book, she had A LOT to work with. Not only did she experience PCOS herself but she had spent years supporting many women with PCOS to achieve better health, more regular cycles, and the family they dreamed of.  In this personal episode, Laura shares how she shifted her mindset around her own PCOS, stopped blaming herself for her symptoms, and took control of her own fertility journey. This episode is for you if you: Have been diagnosed with PCOS and aren’t sure how it impacts your future fertility.  Have been told PCOS is an “infertility” diagnosis.  If you feel like having fertility treatment is a “failure” (we’ll share why it isn’t)  If you’re confused about where to start. Start here.  Laura’s book, My PCOS Pregnancy is available online or on her website. She works with patients through all aspects of their PCOS journey in person or online in Ontario Canada.  Follow her on Instagram at @drvonhagen https://www.instagram.com/drvonhagen/ This episode of the podcast is brought to you by the Bulletproof your 40s workshop. We’re celebrating my 40th birthday by giving you all of the knowledge, tips, and strategies for feeling your best after 40. You can join the waitlist here.