The Power of Genetics

After a story of personal family tragedy, Andrea Nakayama left a successful career in publishing to start her own crusade: leading a movement that could transform the health industry into a system that works.   Today, Andrea trains and empowers over 2,000 practitioners a year with advanced tools and knowledge to make substantial effect on their own clients' and patients' lives. Tune into this great episode if you want to learn more about the science and the art of the Functional Nutrition practice. Topics discussed in this episode: Andrea's journey and background that led her to start a movement to transform the health industry. Why dietary change is difficult. How inclusiveness is crucial to advance in healthcare. How we can take our systems thinking forward to include different vantage points. Why nutrition isn't only about what you eat. The role critical thinking plays to fully serve our patients What is professional empathy? The difference between 'Building the bridge vs Being the bridge’. 3 Roots and branches we should always look at when evaluating patients with any chronic condition.

Functional medicine is helping bridge gaps in the healthcare realm and connecting disciplines that once seemed disconnected. When the ultimate goal is helping patients, integrating the multiple layers of medicine is what puts them at the center.  Today's guest is a firm believer in the power of integration and the way the Dempster Clinic works is a big proof of it.  Join us in today's episode for a great chat with Dr. John Dempster who has been able to see the value of functional medicine early on and make clever decisions since the beginnings of his career. Topics discussed in this episode: John's background and why he likes to call himself a health detective. How a story of family loss led him to discover the power of nutrition and food and ultimately go into naturopathic medicine. What optimal aging is and how it's different from anti-aging. The keys to a centered patient approach and the importance of  integrating the multiple layers of medicine. Advice to newly graduates: how having a clear niche can make a difference when you are just starting Why it's crucial to look out for your patients' genetic footprint Why John loves epigenetics and what you can do with it in your daily practice

Dr. Mark Hyman came into the world of functional medicine through a different door. The personal experience of what it is to be really ill and what it means to actually recover ​remains his number one motivator for being a functional medicine evangelist. He had to literally learn from the inside out how his body worked to bring it back to life. Dr. Hyman is an internationally recognized leader, best-selling author, speaker, educator and a practicing family physician. In today's episode we were lucky enough to have him share some of his wisdom, and to listen to deep reflections that make us dream on where the world of functional medicine is headed to. Topics discussed in this episode: Mark Hyman's work and how he discovered functional medicine Views on the complexity of human health The state of medicine: understanding the paradigm shift. How Mark has been able to translate the functional medicine message to the general public The power of testing and how Mark integrates it into patient assessment The ability of people to heal themselves What has motivated him to write and what his next projects are Where Mark sees the value of genetics How the convergence of five big trends is shaping the future of healthcare

Our environment has changed immensely in the past few decades. Proof of it is that we are seeing more and more patients with complex health issues. We often find ourselves doing everything we know and still, these patients don't get any better. In today's episode, Dr. Liz Lipski helps us understand the impact lifestyle and dietary habits have had over the years on our patients' overall health, and how integrating these concepts is fundamental to change the way medicine is practiced. Topics discussed in this episode: Liz Lipski’s journey and background. How you can change the world of nutrition without being an RD The power of learning from others  Why we are seeing people with more and more complex health issues  How nutrition heals and modulates body responses Why nobody can own the nutrition profession How the future of medicine is personalized and what we are learning from introducing gene testing

Dr. Tom O'Bryan came out into practice with the recognition that foods are a critical component of any chronic inflammatory disease. Beyond his impressive understanding of the human body,  the power of foods and how they can trigger body symptoms, what sets Tom apart is the amount of passion and conviction he has put into practice, every day, over the past 40+ years. He has one piece of advice for practitioners that summarizes all: “Explore the genetics of your soul”. Topics discussed in this episode: How antibodies react toward food antigens Betrayal: The Autoimmune Solution  Tom's road to his professional achievements How cognitive decline is growing and what practitioners can do in the future How Tom's mentor were essential to keep his passion intact, become a thought leader and make an impact on the lives of others The use of genetic testing in his everyday practice and why he considers them a second tier test What the role of genetics should be in the future.

This is an episode many practitioners can relate to. The journey of finding the place where you belong. Dr. Wendy Warner spent the first 14 years of her career in a conventional OB-GYN practice. In times where no one in suburban Philadelphia was doing botanical medicine, Wendy was already beginning to practice integrative medicine. She had to overcome the feeling of isolation to help others in their healing journey. In today's episode, you will discover Wendy's story and how she was able to find her tribe, the real value of educating others, the power of botanicals, and great tips that those starting their professional practice can't miss. Topics discussed: How her family's interest in botanicals shaped her path to functional medicine. What being an educator really means to her and why it’s been crucial to amplify her message. The importance of finding your tribe to overcome the feeling of isolation. Top advice for new practitioners: pick your expertise. Why functional medicine has seen the most resistance in OB-GYN.  The meaning of holistic, functional and integrative medicine. The risks of a routine use of hormones. How targeted supplementation can be more effective. Why she believes the future of genetics is already happening.

There are many different ways of looking at the human body. Pathology is just one... How do we support our patients? How can we be better and meet them where their concerns are? For Dr. Patrick Hanaway is all about being a teacher and a healer. It's about making patients understand how their lifestyle choices have a real impact on their health. It's about identifying genetic predispositions that have a modifiable quality to better advise them. It's about guiding patients and providing support to heal them body, mind and spirit. About 3 years ago Patrick was diagnosed with stage four laryngeal cancer and he started his own path to healing. In today's episode you will hear him speak as a doctor and as a patient. A powerful blend that has made his story and insights the most meaningful to any functional medicine practitioner. Topics discussed in this episode: What his experience approaching functional medicine for the first time was. What it means to be a healer and a teacher. How the work at Cleveland Clinic was really about how to create value around functional medicine. The importance of working alongside conventional medicine to make functional medicine grow. Patrick's journey after being diagnosed with laryngeal cancer: how what he learned shaped his professional career.  How Patrick applied functional medicine principles to his healing journey The need of understanding genomics risks to better advise patients.

Our inspiration for Sara Gottfried is double. On the one hand there is this extraordinary physician scientist who loves searching for the truth in everything she does and on the other hand, an outstanding communicator that has been able to connect deeply with practitioners and patients along the way. Sara Gottfried MD is a board-certified physician who graduated from Harvard and MIT. She is Clinical Assistant Professor in Dept. of Integrative Medicine and Nutritional Sciences at Thomas Jefferson University, and Director of Precision Medicine at the Marcus Institute of Integrative Health. She has authored three New York Times bestselling books including The Hormone Cure, The Hormone Reset Diet, and Younger; and her new book WOMEN, FOOD, AND HORMONES has been just released. If you ever found marketing difficult, challenging, and discomforting, in today's episode, Sara will help you have another vision of it and understand marketing as what ultimately all practitioners should be doing. Learn the what and why of amplifying your message. Topics discussed in this episode: Sara's journey in functional medicine and the influence of her great grandmother in the beginning. How an early connection with a program in bioengineering helped her have a systems-based look at the human body. How decades of listening to women and really understanding some of their challenges shaped her career path. The importance of understanding women's health differently for each patient. The role of genetics as a blueprint for health. Why you need platforms to amplify your message beyond your own patients. Her new book 'Women, Food and Hormones': what inspired her to write it and what we can expect. Follow on social #womenfoodhormones

When Robert (Bob) Rountree finished his residency, he spent a week with Jeff Bland, Leo Galland, and Sidney Baker studying their ideas.  Functional medicine grew on him as a different take on the science; one looking at the whole systems biology and context beyond isolated symptoms and events. In today's episode, Bob shares what he's learned along the way and we reflect on the role genetic testing should have in our daily practice. Topics discussed in this episode: Bob's background and beginnings in functional medicine. How the science of functional medicine is a different take on the science.  What he learned from his path through Medical School. Advice to practitioners who are beginning their journey. How to make a living as a functional medicine practitioner. An overview of the state of molecular biology and epigenetics. The role AI and machine learning will have on genetic testing. How genetic testing can be a clinical tool instead of a simple data collection exercise. What we can do to help change gene expression.

When functional medicine practitioners are starting out and get enamored by too many exotic things to do with a patient, they frequently miss out the most important one: delivering outcomes. Dr. Jim LaValle is an internationally recognized clinical pharmacist, author, and board-certified clinical nutritionist with over 38 years of experience.  In today's episode, Jim shares some unique advice and explains how smartly focusing your impact may be the most effective way to kickstart your practice, gain insight and confidence, and set yourself for word of mouth referrals. Topics discussed in this episode: How Jim gets excited every morning about discovering new ingredients, products and pathways that could change somebody's life. Why personalized care is not scalable. Jim's advice on how to build a successful and evolving practice. The lack of outcome data in the functional medicine space. Challenges practitioners need to overcome in spite of the notable growth and expansion functional medicine has experienced. The importance of pricing, data collection and cost-efficiency ratio to move the functional medicine practice forward. How to bring awareness about where patients need to go with their genetics. What the future of wellness and health looks like.