Dr. Ruscio Radio, DC: Health, Nutrition and Functional Healthcare

Rachel had tried probiotics from time to time but didn’t see any meaningful result. When her functional medicine doctor wanted to put her on antimicrobials for her IBS C symptoms, not her preference, she decided to give it one last try and took all three categories of probiotics together, as recommended in Healthy Gut Healthy You. She finally improved after years of suffering. While category two probiotics are known for helping IBS D symptoms, that does not mean they don’t help with IBS C. https://drruscio.com/best-probiotic-for-constipation My book Healthy Gut, Healthy You is available at https://drruscio.com/getgutbook/ Looking for more? Check out https://drruscio.com/resources

Dr. Tom Guilliams joins us to elaborate on his paper that was just published in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine about “Dysbiosis or Adaptation: How Stable Is the Gut Microbiome?” In the interview, we discuss how the changes we see on a stool test may not be the cause of problems, but may instead be a symptom of a deeper underlying dysfunction. We agreed that what makes you feel best is likely the best approach for your gut, especially when it comes to bowel motility. Because the gut changes rapidly in response to diet and lifestyle influences, we also discuss how to best nurture an adaptable gut microbiome. https://drruscio.com/?p=56683 My book Healthy Gut, Healthy You is available at https://drruscio.com/getgutbook/ Looking for more? Check out https://drruscio.com/resources

Fecal Microbiota Transplant (FMT) means taking the stool from a healthy donor and transplanting it into the colon of the host (a sick individual). There is excellent evidence to support the use of FMT for clostridium difficile and emerging evidence for the treatment of IBD. The data for IBS is still unclear. It’s best to try other therapies first. https://drruscio.com/?p=56682 My book Healthy Gut, Healthy You is available at https://drruscio.com/getgutbook/ Looking for more? Check out https://drruscio.com/resources

Aaron Alexander and I have a fascinating discussion about what happens to your mind and overall sense of being when your body is physically aligned. We touch on a few of the 5 movement principles from his book The Align Method that help develop a stronger body and sharper mind. Aaron does a great job of providing simple things that you can do, and actually framed in a quite attractive manner that can improve, as I'll share in the episode, hip mobility, shoulder mobility, and just keep your body more fluid, and also how that ties in with having a more fluid, flexible, present, and happy psyche. https://drruscio.com/?p=56582 My book Healthy Gut, Healthy You is available at https://drruscio.com/getgutbook/ Looking for more? Check out https://drruscio.com/resources

Dr. David Brady joins us to discuss some exciting developments in the way of testing for SARS CoV-2. Right now most testing for Coronavirus is occurring by way of major hospitals, Diagnostic Solutions Laboratory is changing that by offering serum testing to smaller institutions like general practitioners and alternative healthcare providers. In addition, at home stool testing kits will be made available for consumers. The more we know about who has the virus, who has had it, and who has developed immunity to it, the more quickly we can get people back to work and learn more about how this virus behaves in various individuals. We also discuss some natural agents, like vitamin C, melatonin, and quercetin, that may help to reduce the severity and duration of symptoms in some patients. https://drruscio.com/?p=56951 My book Healthy Gut, Healthy You is available at https://drruscio.com/getgutbook/ Looking for more? Check out https://drruscio.com/resources

The listener questions episodes have been really enjoyable and I hope you will continue to submit your questions. Chances are if you have the question, so do many more people in the audience. Keep them coming! In this episode, I discuss answers to your questions about: Sugar and the microbiota Why prokinetics are recommended only after antimicrobial treatment How long to try the Low Sulfur Diet before moving on to other therapies Feeling bloated from drinking water on an empty stomach Losing hope in functional medicine Pulsing probiotics The role of satiety and hunger with dysbiosis https://drruscio.com/?p=56272 My book Healthy Gut, Healthy You is available at https://drruscio.com/getgutbook/ Looking for more? Check out https://drruscio.com/resources

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Joe Pizzorno, who is, in short, a founding father of the movement of natural medicine. We’ll be discussing environmental toxins. There are a few, very interesting hypotheses Dr. Pizzorno puts forth. Environmental toxins have not really abated the way that there has been an improvement in sugar and calorie consumption, and this could be what's ultimately driving increases in a litany of diseases. In this one example, obesity and diabetes, which, according to his comments, are still going up, and what might be happening is these toxins are actually deranging the function of insulin receptors. So, a pretty interesting couple hypotheses, and some data to support it, that he puts forth. He also gives a few simple ways of screening for toxins and opens the door into a simple method for detox therapy and also references two books that he’s written to give more advice here on the topic, one for a lay audience, and one for clinicians. So, really, a very interesting conversation today with Dr. Pizzorno. https://drruscio.com/?p=56270 My book Healthy Gut, Healthy You is available at https://drruscio.com/getgutbook/ Looking for more? Check out https://drruscio.com/resources

Dr. Tommy Woods brings some practical and pragmatic analysis to something otherwise confusing. The utility of gene testing (or lack there of). He helps to pick apart and debunk the case for gene testing in an evidenced-based way. We talk about risk, size, effect size, MTHFR, weight, and cardiovascular genetic testing. The overall message is that gene testing does more harm than good. It causes worry and fear. And this has a negative impact because when you're told you have a bad gene or a bad polymorphism of a gene, this has a negative psychological ramification while offering no clinical or treatment benefit. I’ve come across many patients who have wasted a lot of time, energy, and money, chasing down genetic testing to try and feel better and in my experience, basing treatment on genetics just never ends up being successful. This discussion is not about pointing fingers at practitioners or patients, everyone is doing their best with what they have, but more to educate people that there is not strong enough evidence to support the utility of these tests. https://drruscio.com/?p=56101 My book Healthy Gut, Healthy You is available at https://drruscio.com/getgutbook/ Looking for more? Check out https://drruscio.com/resources

I like to think of red light therapy, these devices that you can buy and use in your home, as a way of replacing the long-term exposure we should be having to natural sunlight (but don’t because of our predominantly indoor, sedentary  lifestyle). Even when we were hunter-gatherers outside in the shade, we were getting this long-term exposure to natural light. And that actually has a hormetic effect on our mitochondria, making them better able to produce antioxidants. This might be one of the key mechanisms as to why there has been documented such a litany of benefits to using a red light therapy device. We’ll discuss best uses for red light therapy like anti-aging, exercise, inflammation, etc. and give you some protocol guidelines. Some of the research behind thyroid is absolutely staggering. https://drruscio.com/?p=56268 My book Healthy Gut, Healthy You is available at https://drruscio.com/getgutbook/ Looking for more? Check out https://drruscio.com/resources