

Neuroveda Podcast for Complex Health
Gillian Ehrlich
Certified in Ayurveda and Functional Medicine, Nurse Practitioner Gillian Ehrlich, DNP, ARNP, IFMCP interviews guests who dive deeply into the nuances of medicine with the goal of inspiring you to persistently heal in the face of inevitable challenge across the lifespan. This is about ancient & cutting-edge understanding of disease processes and treatments just as much as it is about food, lifestyle, nature, culture, and politics.
Episodes
Mentioned books

7 snips
Apr 7, 2025 • 1h 22min
#84 Dr Brianna Cardenas & Dr. Andrew Maxwell discuss Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) leaks
Dr. Brianna Cardenas, a Physician Assistant specializing in chronic illness and founder of Healed and Empowered, shares her insights on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks, informed by her experience with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. She and Dr. Andrew Maxwell, a Pediatric Cardiologist with expertise in environmental health, dive into the anatomy of CSF leaks, their symptoms, and why they often go undiagnosed. They discuss innovative treatments like blood patches and the role of fascial therapy, emphasizing the importance of patient advocacy in navigating complex health challenges.

Mar 25, 2025 • 58min
#83 Professor Prita Lal: Exploring the intersection Between Wellness & Justice
Professor Prita Lal Bio:Bio: Raised as a child of South Asian immigrants in theAmerican South, Professor Prita Lal became interested in social justice issues at a young age and now teaches at Evergreen State College at the intersectionsof food and environmental justice, social movements, Black studies, solidarity economics, cooperative education, healing justice and community-based learning.Dr Lal completed her BA in French & anthropology at Tulane, her Master’s & Doctorates in Sociology at Stony Brook University. Her teaching style focuses on education for transformation and liberation. She also has completedextensive training in yoga and Ayurveda (an ancient system of healing from South Asia), which she integrates through somatic and trauma-informed teaching practices. Her work analyzes the root causes of social problems, not intending to paralyze, but rather inform just alternatives to transform (rather than recreate) systemic injustices. Path AffiliationEnvironmentalStudies , Psychology,Health, and Community , PoliticalEconomy, Global Studies, and Environmental Justice , Foodand AgricultureFields of StudyAfricanAmerican Studies , Sociologyand Anthropology , PoliticalEconomy and Political Science , FoodSystems , FoodStudies , FoodJustice , EthnicStudies , CommunityStudies , Climateand Environmental Justice , AgricultureObjective today: explore the intersection betweenwellness & justice. 1. Tell us your story- what are you doing & howdid you get here? 2. What’s the problem here? Our perception is thatwellness requires resources that are often the realm of the rich. The problems created by a widening gap between rich & poor. What is the role of power? 3. The circles that we’ve been in for wellness& the circles we’ve been for justice. What are the ways that these overlap or don’t overlap or could or should overlap. 4. Let’s shift to talking about how our health hasbeen colonized- what does that mean? How do we define ‘decolonizing our health.’ Connecting to inner power. 5. Now let’s talk about Ayurveda- what is it &what is its power & potential to offer us wellness AND justice? What is spiritual by-passing & how is this used go maintain status quo. 6. What are the steps to address this? a. Finding our inner powerb. Connection to self & planetc. Connection to each other & then socialjustice movements – calling in vs calling out to challenge internalizedcolonialismd. Embracing mistakes vs being defined by mistakes,perfectionism is an element of white supremacy culture

Mar 11, 2025 • 59min
# 82 Dr Thomas Clausen: Understanding the new science of the glycocalyx
Thomas Mandel Clausen, PhD, is a glycobiologist whose research spans cancer, COVID-19, and malariavaccines. He discusses the endothelial glycocalyx, revealing it as a dynamic structure crucial for vascular health, inflammation, and signaling. The impact of glycans on diseases like arthritis is highlighted, along with their link to cellular communication. He also addresses heparin sulfate's role in COVID-19 treatment and the importance of maintaining glycocalyx health for overall well-being. Clausen emphasizes glycobiology's potential in enhancing patient outcomes.

Feb 18, 2025 • 1h 6min
#81 MD Danny Shouhed: All about MALS & SMAS: abdominal pain syndromes
Dr. Shouhed is a nationally renowned, board-certifiedminimally invasive weight loss surgeon with expertise in Robotic Bariatric, Gastrointestinal, and Complex General Surgery. He was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, and graduated summa cum laude from UCLA with adegree in Human Physiology. Dr. Shouhed earned early recognition, a Phi Beta Kappa induction, and a near-perfect MCAT score, which secured him a placeat UCSD School of Medicine with the highest merit-based scholarship. Dr. Shouhed completed his general surgery residency training at Cedars Sinai (#2Hospital in the country), where he graduated as Administrative Chief Resident. He completed his fellowship at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, the first fellowship in the country, where he focused on minimally invasive bariatric, foregut and complex general surgery. Dr. Shouhed is also Medical Director of the Bariatric Surgery and Metabolic Weight Loss Center, Providence Saint John’s Hospital. Our focus today is really about the vascularabdominal syndromes that we can see so prevalent in connective tissue disorders & complex conditions. Please get us started with a description of the anatomy of the abdomen, including the GI organs, but also the ligaments &connective tissue that holds these organs in place and the vasculature that feeds them oxygen & carries away metabolic wastes. Now, let’s get into the syndromes that we wantto focus on today & we’re going from the top down because that’s how they might be unlocked, meaning closest to the heart to the most distant to the heart and in the pelvis, that’s from chest to pelvis direction. a. MALS: median arcuate ligament syndromeb. SMAS: superior mesenteric artery syndrome(duodenal comp) (meat?)c. Nutcracker: renal vein compressiond. May Thurner: iliac vein compressione. Pelvic congestion syndromes including pelvicvenous insufficiency, vaginal/ labial varices For each we talk about: a. Symptomsb. Evaluation c. Treatment: ancillary tx? Visceral manipulation? What would a patient look for in a provider? Whois doing this care? How easy/ common are folks doing these treatments? Howoften can or do treatments go wrong? We end with discussing: where is research going with this? To find out more about our clinic (and request a call back): https://www.neurovedahealth.com/- Phone: 206-379-1213- Email Reception@neurovedahealth.com

Aug 1, 2024 • 1h 5min
#80: DC Kim Bruno: Review of Neurologic Antibody Testing
Chiropractor Kim Bruno furthered her training with the
Institute of Functional Medicine, ILADS, Horowitz Lyme Master Classes and holds a board-certification as a Certified Clinical Nutritionist. She owned a private
practice for 17 years and was the functional medicine medical director for the largest immunology clinic in Colorado. She comes to us today as the Senior Medical Science liaison for Vibrant Wellness Labs. Today we discuss their panel of 48 neurologically-oriented antibodies: the Neural Zoomer Plus.
We start by discussing the lab technology itself, which
is somewhat unique in the testing world- it’s an 'Immunochip’, also called a protein-peptide microarray as viewed through chemiluminescence which can be more sensitive than historical Eliza testing. The sensitivity (the ability to find the needle in the haystack) ranges from 95-98% and the specificity (it’s definitely a needle, and not a pin or nail or something similar that is not actually a needle) is 96-100%. The range is because each analyte has its own metrics. Here, we take a tangent into describing the limitations of Eliza & Western Blot testing,
especially in light of tick-borne testing for Lyme disease & co-infections. Then we touch on PCR- polymerase chain reaction testing and the use of glass beads
to break up biofilms in test samples for even more accurate results.
Our next chapter (around 14:30) focuses on the immune
system itself. Listen in for some helpful analogies for the immunoglobulins-IgM for ‘marines vs IgG for ‘ground troops’, IgA with affiliation with mucus membranes like the gut or respiratory linings, and IgE for anaphylactic allergic reaction. This gives the total pool from which the Neural Zoomer Plus antibodies are pulling from as a sort of clinical calibration to weigh the presence of the specific antibodies.
At 22:20, we dive into the Neural Zoomer Plus test itself.
Dr Bruno shares her brilliant ‘hierarchy of consideration’ for putting these antibodies into a context. While she states outright ‘this is not a diagnostic test’, the larger truth is that this test cannot be used for diagnosis by clinicians who don’t have the scope to make diagnostic conclusions, for example dieticians or health coaches. For our purposes at Neuroveda Health, we absolutely use this test for clinical decision making and diagnosis. Dr Bruno calls out molecular mimicry against pathogens or even foods or toxins that can confuse the immune system. We consider the Cunningham Panel (recently renamed the Autoimmune Brain Panel), which has been used longer for PANDAS evaluation. And we walk through each category of antibody included on this test.
We finish with a discussion about treatment approaches
based on results from this test, including the Neuroveda Health approach to evaluating and addressing neuroimmune disease.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
To look at a sample report of this test:
https://hello.vibrant-wellness.com/hubfs/Sample%20Reports/MK-0072-01NeuralZoomerPlusSampleReport.pdf
To find out more about the Neural Zoomer Plus test: https://www.vibrant-wellness.com/test/NeuralZoomerPlus
To get testing, contact us to schedule an appointment with a clinician at Neuroveda Health:
- Phone: 206-379-1213
- Email Reception@neurovedahealth.com
To find out more about our clinic (and request a call back): https://www.neurovedahealth.com/

Jul 16, 2024 • 57min
#75 MD Todd Levine: Skin biopsies: getting information about the central nervous system through the skin
Description:
Dr Todd Levine, with 20 years of experience as a clinical neurologist with specialty in disorders of the peripheral nervous system, shares with us about the Syn-One skin biopsy run by his company, CND Life Sciences.
Against a backdrop of clinical information about the divisions of the nervous system (central vs peripheral and sensory vs motor vs autonomic), we review the 3 tests in this procedure: small fiber nerve counts, synuclein and amyloid deposition.
Dr Levine notes that brain & skin both come from ectoderm tissue in the embryo, meaning they arise from similar roots soon after conception The skin, unlike the brain, is readily available for testing, and can offer insight to what’s potentially happening in the central nervous system without having to go there directly.
It’s also a fascinating conversation that one-half to one-third of all neuropathies end up classified as ‘idiopathic’,
meaning we can’t identify a trigger, like toxic chemical insult or injury. Most likely, these neurons are injured by ‘an accumulation of small insults” which can include low but recurrent or persistent viral illnesses and environmental chemical exposure all further complicated with and by metabolic syndromes. His most exciting area of research is looking at the potential of this test to give
predictive insights for diseases decades in the making (like Parkinson’s or Lewy Body Dementia), all work that we agree with & support at Neuroveda Health when we apply personalized medicine plans for your best health.
BIO:
Dr. Todd Levine has over 20 years of experience as a
clinical neurologist with a sub-specialty in disorders of the peripheral nervous system. He received his medical degree from Duke University and did his residency and fellowship at Washington University in St Louis. He has served as Chairman of the Neuromuscular Division of the American Academy of Neurology. In 2010, he founded his first medical diagnostics company called Corinthian
Reference Lab (CRL), and has processed over 50,000 skin biopsies, receiving specimens from over 4,000 different neurologists across the US and Canada. Dr Levine is one of the three founders of CND Life Sciences and serves as its Chief Medical Officer, playing a key role in the delivery of diagnostic services and ongoing technology development. Dr. Levine also serves currently as the Director of Neuroscience Research at the Honor Health Research Institute in Phoenix, AZ.
For more information about CND Life Sciences: https://cndlifesciences.com/

Jul 1, 2024 • 49min
#79: MD Ferdinand Hui: Neurointerventional Surgery- exploring the diseases and treatments of the blood vessels of the brain
Dr Ferdinand Hui is a rare gem of a surgeon- brilliant in his craft, able to communicate complicated concepts clearly, and caring and compassionate for the reality that disease can impart in the life of a person and their family. Here we get a chance to cruise around the blood vessels of the brain with a neurointerventional surgeon, who's focus is minimally invasive procedures to treat the blood vessels of the brain and spine. Although he thinks of himself as a plumber, rotor-rootering the pipes, these are live pipes and much of our discussion centers on the nature of the arteries and veins.
We discuss leaks (hemorrhage) and clogs (ischemic clots) as a starting point, with the associated diseases of stroke, heart attack and aneurysms.
Then we get deep with the 'gray zone' of reduced but not necessarily stopped oxygenation which can be a primary driver for brain fog. We discuss anatomical, functional and inflammatory interruptions to oxygenation and vessel flow, even down to the epithelial layer of the arterial vessel walls. Here is where we discuss COVID and the apparent epithelial shedding that the spike protein can instigate, which likely drove much of the cardiovascular events (heart attack, stroke) of the first COVID wave in 2019/ early 2020.
About prevention, Dr Hui says, "The American medical system might really reward surgery but what humanity really needs is prevention. Prevention starts at birth."
Resources:
Society of Neurointerventional Surgery: https://www.snisonline.org/
More about Dr Hui: https://www.queens.org/providers/2225/ferdinand-k-hui/

Jun 1, 2024 • 1h 10min
#78 MD Gary Stobbe: Complex Basics of Autism
Neurologist Gary Stobbe has been working with patients with autism since his residency in the early 1990's. Listen in to hear how this compassionate physician has been learning from his patients, their families and advocates. Dr Stobbe's perspective has evolved from the medical approach within which he was trained to now recognize the spectrum of stable neurodivergence to profoundly symptomatic patients who desperately need extensive support for living their daily lives.
We start with the DSM-V diagnostic criteria of impaired social communication + repetitive behaviors or interests, recognizing that the social communication network of the brain touches multiple structures and centers. This does not necessitate any intellectual disability, and in fact, many autistic people have both specialized skills and brilliance that initially can be lost in the communication difficulty (for example, the poetry that can come from a non-verbal patient only after they are able to access a device to type out their creative expression).
Dr Stobbe then reviews some of the more profound struggles that can co-exist with autism including expressive language impairment (aka non-verbal), co-occurring intellectual disability, required assistance for daily living and the presence of crises.
As we touch on the 'causes' of autism, he recognizes they are likely 'multifactorial, so many complex conditions, and end up being the total sum of genetics + environment'. He also emphasizes that the diagnosis of autism is based on development and behavior versus any biological function or cause.
The management approach for autism has evolved to be 'person-centered and strength-based' and there is no singular treatment. Dr Stobbe honors the collaborative team that can support the person with autism, including the patient themselves, thier family, patient advocates, state/ national organizations, in addition to their medical team.
Autism can be tricky to understand because it flies in the face of our conventional assumptions about one singular disease with one singular treatment. Join in & share widely as Dr Stobbe exemplifies the curiosity and thoughtfulness to support this amazing population of patients.

May 1, 2024 • 1h 10min
#77 Whitney Mack: Women's Holistic Health, Hormones & Movement
Description.
This is a power-packed episode in which Whitney Mack walks us through what women should have been taught since birth about how our bodies work and how we can care for them lifelong. Turns out, we have an infradian (vs circadian) rhythm that drives our cellular communication/ hormones systems over time. This means that we are in constant cycles of change, just like the moon that cycles through from new to full and back to new. To anchor into our holistic health, we can emphasis sleep, nutrition and movement in alignment with these cycles.
Whitney's training & deep personal understanding of these concepts brings them to clarity throughout this show. We start with a complete definition of 'fitness' including muscle strength, endurance, cardiovascular capacity, flexibility & body composition. Then we interweave the hormones, recognizing the 'Queen' hormones of cortisol & insulin as they serve for survival (vs estrogen, progesterone & testosterone which are for life quality). Next we dive into the four hormonal stages across the lifespan: menarche, cycling, perimenopause and post-menopause. With each, we review ways to attend to our movement patterns. And then we bring it back to the daily life.
This is an episode not to be missed & to be shared with every girl and woman we know!
BIO:
As a holistic health, hormones + movement coach, Whitney Mack helps busy, driven women thrive in their bodies, reawaken their aliveness, and create a more purposeful way of being. Through her hormone-informed approach, she blends the science of female physiology with the sacredness of the body to help women achieve optimal health and well-being throughout all hormone + life seasons. If you're ready to heal your relationship with your body and unleash your feminine power, her signature method uses hormones as a compass to guide you back to your inner-knowing and cultivate deeper self-awareness for sustainable transformation in less time and with lots of
love. Find Whitney through her website: WhitneyMack.com

Apr 23, 2024 • 58min
#76 Paul S. Malchesky, D.Eng., on Plasmapheresis: history, technology and potential benefit for deep disease & longevity
Dr Paul Malchesky, with a Master’s degree in Chemistry and a Doctorate in Engineering, has been working with apheresis since the 1970’s. This is a blood filtration or ‘cleaning’ therapy we offer at Neuroveda Health as plasmapheresis (also called plasma exchange, PLEX and TPE (total or therapeutic plasma exchange)). There’s been a lot of recent excitement regarding treatment of Long-COVID and as a ‘biohack’ for longevity, but the truth is that it’s been nearly half a century since the FDA approved this therapy for auto-immune and neurodegenerative conditions. The technology has come a long way and Dr Malchesky has been there the whole time. Of note, Ayurveda, the traditional medical system of India, also recognizes the value of detox and blood cleansing, making plasmapheresis a type of ‘rakta moksha’. This is a modern tool with ancient roots, our favorite kind of therapy. Today, we get into the history and mechanics to describe what this therapy is doing and how broad it’s use can be.
We discuss:
· 3:30 What is apheresis?
· 4:19 What is the history of apheresis?
· 11:56 What is in blood? What are the
components of blood?
· 13.20 About anti-coagulation
· 15:53 Ayurvedic use of blood cleansing
called ‘rakta moksa’
· 18:06 Dr Malchesky’s personal history with
apheresis starting with 1972; Reporting up to 40 diseases treated by 1981.
· 24:40 Comparison of dialysis vs plasmapheresis filtration
· 29:00 Late 70’s/ early 80’s, efforts
to identify the specific proteins associated with certain diseases; findings and curiosity about cryoproteins- precipitates triggered by cold.
· 36:57 Treatment to remove high cholesterol
to prevent atherosclerosis.
· 40:29 Description of the last 15 years
of apheresis: applications & guidelines have really diversified by geography (centripetal in US & German; membrane for Japan), technology and disease state
· 42:58 Safety of this procedure
· 43:52 Difficulties with this procedure are most typically associated with venous access and sometimes blood pressure changes and/or anti-coagulant use
· 44:40 Recognition that the macromolecules
produced as ‘toxic’ can present in every silo of medicine: oncology, rheumatology, neurology, and therefore, also make sense to use these treatments for longevity & anti-aging
· 49:43 In studying the toxins removed, it’s evident that these toxins removed impair cellular function, so removal can allow cells to perform more of their regular functions.
· 51:08 The goal at Neuroveda Health is
that plasmapheresis is part of a larger medical and wellness program to renovate the health from the ground up.
· 51:38 Discussion of Lp(a).
· 53:24 Designing clinical trials using
historical experience of the questions and initial clinical trial endeavors with rheumatoid arthritis patients
BIO: Dr. Paul Malchesky holds a B.S. Degree in Chemistry
from St. Francis University, M.S. degrees in Chemistry from Case Western Reserve University and in Chemical Engineering from Cleveland State University and a Doctorate in Engineering from Cleveland State University. He is President of the International Center for Artificial Organs and Transplantation (ICAOT) and consults for the chemical and medical industries.
He has published extensively nearly 500 publications, holds 35 patents, and was co-editor of four books on apheresis. He is active in various professional societies and is the former Editor-in-Chief of Artificial Organs and Managing Editor of Therapeutic Apheresis and Dialysis. He is a Past-President of the International Society for Apheresis. He is an Elected Fellow to the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering and The Ohio Academy of Science.
Recently he developed the web site icaot.org that discusses the history of the International Center for Artificial Organs & Transplantation and includes Milestones in the field and invites contributions to its Virtual Collection.