Discover with Dr. Dan | Proactive Health

William W. Li, MD, is an internationally renowned physician, scientist, and author of the New York Times best seller “Eat to Beat Disease: The New Science of How Your Body Can Heal Itself.” His groundbreaking work has led to the development of more than 30 new medical treatments and impacts care for more than 70 diseases, including cancer, diabetes, blindness, heart disease, and obesity. His TED talk, “Can We Eat to Starve Cancer?” has garnered more than 11 million views, and he has appeared on: Good Morning America, CNN, CNBC, and The Dr. Oz Show, and he has been featured in USA Today, Time Magazine, The Atlantic, and O, Magazine. He is president and medical director of the Angiogenesis Foundation, and is leading research into Covid-19.What makes food so good to fight disease 1:59Macronutrients vs phytonutrients 5:53Refortifying different foods and the benefits of legumes 9:49Antinutrients and lectins 18:31Glymphatic system 27:17The gut microbiome is an ecosystem 35:41Can vegetables or fruits be unhealthy? 39:57“What’s something we can feed our gut that’s really good? That might be in the middle aisle. It turns out legumes, beans are actually incredibly important. In fact, beans are one of the foods that are commonly in the so-called blue zones where people live long and prosper at the same time. There’s like 5 of them around the world. Legumes are one of the core things.” 15:19https://drwilliamli.com/https://feelbrilliant.com/

Sea moss gel and powdered supplements are really hot right now—but is there good science behind it? In this episode Dr. Dan compares the marketing claims made about sea moss with what is actually known in the scientific literature so you can make a wise decision if you want to give it a try.0:50 Introduction3:48 Carrageenan/potential dangers5:08 Potential benefits 6:28 Marketing angle7:15 Potential for heavy metal toxicity8:50 Scientific verdict on sea moss 9:53 What to take instead 10:22 Health Benefits of spirulina11:30 Summary and outlook References:PMIDs: 25874922, 26492254, 31606930, 31775255, 34560989, 11890047, 26817952, 32803579, 30467628, 29236516

On the show with us today is Heather Johnson. Over the past 10 years, Heather has dedicated her life to yoga and Ayurveda. She has delivered Ayurveda workshops across the United States and founded the Ayurveda Life School and Podcast that helps students to learn and apply the ancient health practices of Ayurveda. Heather tells me about something called doshas. Combining physical, psychological, and spiritual health, Ayurveda focuses on whole-body healing and states that a person’s dosha, a type of bodily humor, determines their personality and health. About her health journey and getting into this field of study 1:41Core tenets of Ayurvedic medicine 7:15Finding those elements that makes you unique 10:03Figuring out your dosha 15:41Designing a treatment regimen 17:56Drawing principles from the Ayurvedic diet 24:02How people ought to start 27:22Getting into meditation and mindfulness 32:40Common mistakes people make 38:49“[Dosha] translates to that which is at fault. So it’s what creates our tendencies, like that tendency towards anger that I talked about, it’s the dosha. So sometimes my kids will say, ‘It’s my dosha’s fault.’ I’m like, it’s not your dosha’s fault! You have free will and free choice right now!” 16:02Ayurvedalifeschool.comhttps://feelbrilliant.com/

Dr. Alyssa Kuhn is a physical therapist and osteoarthritis specialist, is based in Sandy, UT, and loves playing in the mountains. She founded Keep the Adventure Alive to break through the doom and gloom of arthritis and bring a motivating perspective with a possibility of adventure. She helps people all across the world find pain relief, regain confidence, and live very active lives. She has helped hundreds of people find their own arthritis adventures, and now it’s your turn. Alyssa and I talk about how she got into what she’s doing, osteoarthritis, myths, and things that we can do to help. Dispelling some myths 3:57Nutrition 8:46Why aren’t doctors trained holistically? 14:21Getting started with arthritis 20:31Swimming 29:35Running 32:48Muscle strength 36:02Resources for understanding the right movements 39:44“I honestly harp on so many different people that just simply cutting out sugar or maybe cutting out alcohol, or you know doing some of those things can be really helpful and can change pain significantly, but I also think it’s kind of frustrating that food is never really talked about like in doctor’s offices and things, and that’s usually the first point of contact for somebody that’s having pain.” 12:26keeptheadventurealive.com

Today we’re going to be talking about Ginkgo biloba, which is an amazing herb that has some really cool bioactive compounds, and it’s a great thing to use for your supplement regimen. I tell you about the clinical studies involving Ginkgo, what it is, and then the latest science behind this herb. They have found that chewing on a Ginkgo leaf can improve memory and both the leaf and the nuts can be used to help treat respiratory tract infections, fevers, toothache, gonorrhea, and a multitude of skin issues. Studying the genes of Ginkgo 1:14Phytonutrients and bioactive compounds 3:05Double blind scientific studies 4:48Diabetes 8:38Reducing symptoms of PMS 12:49Tinnitus and hearing issues 16:00ADHD 18:13“They found that in cognitive impairment, 240 mg once daily of Ginkgo for 24 weeks, they saw huge improvements in cognition, in quality of life, and just everything related to cognitive function. Focus, memory, recall, reaction time was all improved significantly in taking Ginkgo.” 8:15https://feelbrilliant.com/

Nathaniel Jewell is a seasoned entrepreneur at the intersection of technology and wellness. He is the founder of wellness platform Recess.tv, a first in category solution that promotes wellness while empowering creators to run and grow their business with technology built for omnichannel engagement. Nathaniel has 8+ years in the tech and fitness industries and was an executive at Apple before starting his first company, Drift, and has applied a wealth of passion, operational, and business expertise to pivot during the pandemic and build a trainer first solution missing from the marketplace. “Start small. Maybe just getting up and walking around your living room for 10 minutes. Just very small, walk around the block. I think the key is how to start small to create some kind of habit.” Nathaniel’s wellness journey 1:26Why he jumped into the wellness industry 8:53Helping fitness instructors and trainers 13:43How Recess compares to other companies 21:53Advice for people that really want to get going in fitness 27:45The future of the wellness industry 32:15“The global health and wellness industry is over 4 trillion dollars. The global pharmaceutical industry is 1.3 trillion dollars. So just put that in perspective of where the focus goes for money and investment, and pharmaceutical. Massive, massive companies, and a lot of the time people think about health and wellness and you’ll hear sometimes, ‘Can you build a billion dollar company in health and wellness?’ Well, if health and wellness is almost 4 times as big as pharmaceutical, I actually think there’s gonna be a few multi billion dollar companies in health and wellness.” 22:25Find out more:recess.tv

Dr. Matt Dawson with his co-founder, Dr. Mike Mallin, founded Wild Health in response to a broken medical system, one focused on sick care instead of health care. After working as ER doctors, they knew there was a better way to impact people’s health, ones that would stop preventable health complications from ending in emergency room visits. With a foundation in precision medicine and a passion for preventative health, they developed Clarity, the world’s first true precision medicine platform. Clarity enables Wild Health to know our patients from the inside out, and then build customized plans based on their unique genetic makeup and goals. Through advanced machine learning, they combine DNA analysis, biometrics, microbiome testing, and phenotypic data to give patients a blueprint for truly optimized health and a maximized health span. Matt’s journey in medicine and about precision medicine 1:36Precision medicine 3:25Lifespan 9:50The lab work 13:07Helping People who just can’t change their health 15:35Diabetes 20:46Where we may be in 5 years 25:02“Precision medicine is actually looking at the level of genomics and saying what is gonna work for this specific person based on DNA, blood work, lifestyle, questionnaires, phenotypic data, bringing it all together and saying what is gonna work for you, not what is gonna work for most people. So that’s how we define precision medicine.” 3:55​​https://www.wildhealth.com/https://feelbrilliant.com/

Dr. Gary Shlifer is a Board Certified Internal Medicine Physician, specializing in preventative care, nutrition, and anti-aging medicine. Dr. Gary is the founder of Evolve Healthcare in Los Angeles, a multi-specialty integrative medicine clinic focused on disease prevention and lifestyle optimization. He’s also co-founder of Sapien Institute, an organization focused on promoting health education, and advancing health information technology. After immigrating from Russia to America at the age of 3, Dr. Gary grew up in Los Angeles where he returned after medical training to build his practice. Through his companies and community outreach, he continues to promote healthy living, eating and lifestyle practices, while displaying leadership in the San Fernando Valley and communities across LA county. About his background and getting to where he is in preventative wellcare 1:48Why doctors aren’t focused on prevention 7:35Do patients just want the quick fix? 13:37Where to get started in taking care of the body 19:21Companies just want to make money 27:23Understanding your own food needs 31:48“I always tell people, ‘What I eat and what you will eat when you get your education and your experience, and go on your journey to understand your body and the food system, will look different than mine.’ There are certain principles that I’ll teach them right away, but I don’t think that you have to be a carnivore or whatever. It’s not so black and white and I really hate that the food space is so polarized and it’s so manipulated.” 20:53https://feelbrilliant.com/

Scott Lynch is the founder of Legacy Divisions, a company whose sole mission is to encourage others to look inward for elevation in order to see the best in themselves. Legacy Divisions offers multiple services to help others realize their super powers, impacting thousands of people across 125 countries. There is a lot of negativity surrounding social media and just media in general and Scott tells about when his best friend committed suicide, which led him on a journey of mastering his mindset. He gives some awesome tips and advice on how you can navigate your emotions and stay on a more positive mental path.Perspective 4:56How to stay positive 11:24Comparing the bad and the good 17:57Self care practices 25:19Hormesis and the power of opposing forces 33:14Optimizing the body 38:32“I think that it’s very, very important that we’re very thoughtful about our ecosystem. The people we choose to be around, joining and having deep dialogue with people such as yourself. These are the important things that in the context of just a day may not seem very impactful, but to some extent, five days, five years from now, those things have a huge influence in the way that we look at the world and the way that we care for ourselves, or the way that we treat other people.” 24:53https://www.scottmlynch.com/

Andrew Carter is CEO and co-founder of Smallhold, a commercial mushroom farm in Brooklyn, Austin, and soon California that leverages technology to distribute its growing footprint into retail grocery and hospitality settings. In addition to his work building the first and only USDA certified organic farm in New York City, Andrew has been a pioneer in the agriculture, technology, and indoor farming industries. An early employee for companies like Bright Farms, Window Farms, and Agritecture, he has designed, built, and operated technologically innovative growing systems that are still impacting the world of agriculture today. Andrew is widely regarded as a thought leader in indoor agriculture with focus on mushrooms, commercial hydroponics, and greenhouse production. How Andrew got into indoor agriculture and what he’s doing 1:38Why haven’t mushrooms caught on? 6:31Is there a difference on how mushrooms are grown and cultivated? 10:42Why it’s called local 17:07Does the quality of the plant change when grown inside? 22:24Sustainability and having a big impact on the Earth 28:13Why are mushrooms always packaged the same? 33:14Where Andrew sees the mushroom and food industry in the future 34:46“I don’t even think we really, truly even understand how much plastic is out there. So it’s up to companies to fix it. Consumers have been told that it’s their fault and it’s their problem for a long time, and I think people should still recycle, but I think that’s been kind of a cop out from a lot of big corporations. So I think it’s important for them to take on responsibility.” 32:00www.smallhold.comhttps://feelbrilliant.com/

Shane is the founder and CEO of MUD/WTR, a company that creates products and experiences to optimize one’s mind, body, and ritual. Their flagship product is an elixir consisting of masala chai, cacao, turmeric, cinnamon, seasalt, and 4 mushrooms, chaga, reishi, lion's mane, and cordyceps. With one 7th the caffeine of coffee, when combined you get energy focused and immune benefits without the jitters, crash, and dependency. Since launching in May of 2018, MUD/WTR has reached tens of thousands of customers across every state in the US, garnered capital from high profile angel investors and surpassed $1 million in revenue in their first year of business. We discuss his amazing product, functional mushrooms, habits/routines, disruption, and innovation. How he got into what he’s doing now 1:40Sleep and mental health 10:39Going to India 14:33Mushrooms 21:23Routine and being creative 28:37Functional mushrooms are powerhouses for bringing the body back into balance 35:11“I think a lot of people are understanding that what they really value in this world is creativity, and having this daily dose of ambient stress and poor sleep is just not conducive to that. And so if people had the alternative or the information and maybe the culture started to shift to accommodate that, people would simply just start feeling better.” 7:31@somanypossibilities @drinkmudwtr http://www.somanypossibilities.com/https://mudwtr.com/https://feelbrilliant.com/

Today we’re going to be talking about foods and the bioactive phytonutrients in these foods that can help to lower blood sugar levels, which is one of the vital things for supporting metabolic health. Higher blood sugar levels are at the root of heart health, obviously type 2 diabetes, and there has been really interesting research showing that neurodegenerative diseases are actually now known as type 3 diabetes. I give multiple examples of foods, such as pomegranate, strawberries, oranges, and other healthy options that will help regulate your blood sugar levels and keep you in a healthier state. Different drinks and rooibos tea 1:59Fruits that regulate blood sugar and help with PCOS 2:51Honey and its ability to regulate 8:24Vegetables for regulation 11:21Spices 13:04Olives 14:54Buckwheat 17:45Apples 19:43“You might say, ‘Well, when we eat fruit, fruit has sugar, and so that’s going to spike my blood sugar in general.’ The answer to that is actually no. These phytonutrients in these fruits actually are amazing at opening the floodgates in each cell to move the sugar from the bloodstream into the cell. So it doesn’t matter if a fruit has sugar. That’s actually good because it provides a quick fuel, a quick hit to the cells in the body to give us energy, the energy we need. The important thing is we don’t want the sugar staying in the bloodstream.” 2:57https://feelbrilliant.com/

Dr. Cori Cooper is a pharmacist, diabetes care and education specialist, integrative nutrition and nutritious life certified health coach and founder and creative director of Prescriptive Nutrition LLC Do Diabetes Differently, and Diabetes International. She is also a registered yoga teacher and public health expert, with an emphasis in health and behavior change. For 17 plus years Dr. Cori has practiced pharmacy, specializing in chronic disease prevention and management. With a Doctor of Pharmacy degree and a Master of Public Health degree, she has extensive experience across diabetes and cardiovascular disease. How she came to do what she does today 1:33The importance of insulin resistance 8:36Accurately educating people through this process 10:19Chronic stressors vs diet 17:11What to do and figure out where you’re at 22:36Why alternate treatments aren’t talked about 35:50“We confuse the body all the time because we’re so used to just feeding it, and so if you just constantly feed it and you never actually pay attention to what it really needs, then you have to learn that before you can even change what types of foods you feed the body.” 21:30https://coricooper.com/@drcoricooper

Dr. Joel Warsh is a board-certified pediatrician in Los Angeles, California who specializes in Integrative Medicine. He grew up in Toronto, Canada and completed a Master’s Degree in Epidemiology and Community Health before earning his medical degree from Thomas Jefferson Medical College. He completed his pediatric residency at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles and has worked in private medicine in Beverly Hills before founding his current practice, Integrative Pediatrics and Medicine in 2018. Dr. Gator has published research and journals on topics including childhood injuries, obesity, and physical activity. He has been featured in numerous documentaries, films, podcasts, and articles, including Broken Brain, The Dr. Nandi Show, CBS, LA Parent, Mind Body Green, and many others. He is also the owner of integrativepediatrics.com and the host of the Raising Amazing Podcast. He is the author of the children’s book, Love Dad, featuring multiple celebrities, which is currently in press with Penguin Publishing and set to release in 2024. Dr. Warsh is a consultant for high profile brands in the Health and Wellness space.How he got into what he’s doing 1:57Parents can pass on their illnesses 12:04Get kids involved in the preparation process 21:32Is it OK for kids to go hungry sometimes? 26:14Worrying about percentiles 29:08When should a parent be worried? 36:51It’s OK to experience sadness from time to time 44:37“You buy the food. Don’t buy the crappy food. If you have options that are healthier, they will eat it. They’re not gonna be happy for like 2 weeks or whatever, but they’ll get over it and they’ll eat a clementine and they’ll eat a celery stick, and they’ll eat whatever if they’re hungry, but they’re gonna grab the sugary snack if that’s what’s there because you’re addicted to it.” 25:36https://raisingamazingplus.com/https://integrativepediatricsandmedicine.com/@drjoelgator https://integrativepediatrics.com/

Dr. Erik Won is the President and Chief Medical Officer of Wave Neuroscience, a biotechnology company developing innovative solutions like mental disorders like PTSD. Dr. Won served as a US Navy flight surgeon for Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 268 and became CTO of Medical at Boeing, a fortune 50 company for nearly a decade before joining Wave Neuroscience. He holds an MBA from USC Marshall School at Business and an MPH from Harvard T.H. Chan, School of Public Health. Dr. Won has been published in numerous peer reviewed journals. We discuss the science behind an innovative therapy for treating PTSD called magnetic e-resonance therapy (MeRT), a non-invasive type of transcranial magnetic stimulation procedure to stimulate specific areas of the brain for therapeutic purposes.How Erik got into studying brain health 1:33Magnetic e-resonance therapy 3:40After you have the quantitative EEG 12:36Some people are worried this will change their personality or characteristics 19:34Can this have similar benefits to smart drugs (like Adderall)? 21:49Can reaction times be improved? 27:11Sleep quality 30:23Nutrition 37:33“I still remember famously or infamously, Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher talked about, ‘I don’t need sleep. I’ll sleep when I die.’ and sadly they passed from Alzheimer's disease. So yeah we’re starting to learn more and more about this. I guess the exciting part is we’re learning exponentially, every day, every week, the different facets and importance of sleep.” 36:48https://waveneuro.com/https://feelbrilliant.com/

Today we’re going to be talking about the health benefits of nuts and we’re going to dispel some things here. A lot of people think that because nuts have fat, they make you fat, or that nuts are bad because they contain mycotoxins and defense compounds that can damage your health, and that’s absolutely not true. Nuts are one of Nature’s gifts to us. They contain amazing amounts of bioactive compounds and they’re really good for health. Pine nuts 1:11Cashew 2:26Pecans 4:28Macadamia nuts 5:25Hazel nuts 6:39Almonds 8:57Brazil nut 9:44Walnuts and the antidiabetic properties of honey 11:44Pistachios 14:14“The chemical structure of phytosterols are a little more soluble in the bloodstream, and so they’re preferentially taken up. It’s like standing in a line and you have the fast pass and the normal line. Phytosterols are in the fast pass line, and so when we eat phytosterols and we have them in our gut, phytosterols continually move in the bloodstream and cholesterol stays put. That’s one reason why nuts are really good at lowering cholesterol.” 3:41https://feelbrilliant.com/

Dr. Mindy Pelz is a bestselling author, keynote speaker, nutrition, and functional health expert who has spent over two decades helping thousands of people successfully reclaim their health. She is a recognized leader in the alternative health field and a pioneer in the fasting movement, teaching the principles of a fasting lifestyle, diet variation, detox hormones, and more. Her popular YouTube channel, which just celebrated 20 million lifetime views, regularly updates followers on the latest science backed tools and techniques to help them reset their health. She is a host of one of the leading science podcasts, the resetter podcast, and the author of 3 bestselling books: The Menopause Reset, The Reset Factor, and The Reset Kitchen. Dr. Mindy has appeared on national shows like Extra TV and The Doctors, and has been featured in Muscle and Fitness, Well and Good, She Knows, Health Line, and more. For more information, visit: www.drmindypelz.com “Don’t eat less. Eat less often.”Mindy’s path 1:56Insulin and fasting 4:45How to fast 10:02Caloric restriction, protein, and fat 11:42Does fasting help the microbiome to settle down? 18:58How to break your fast 22:46What does the science say about intermittent fasting for women? 30:35Fast mimicking diet 39:23“When you feed these bacteria, there is a bacterial connection from the small intestine to the liver, via the hepatic arteries and veins that actually will send these bacteria up into the liver and make sure that the liver functions normally. While the liver is your number one fat burning organ, it’s the number one organ that breaks down estrogen for women, and you just need to add in some more of these bitter foods so you can feed those bacteria, so they can go to the liver and do what the liver is meant to do.” 18:06Instagram:@dr.mindypelzTwitter:@drmindypelzhttps://feelbrilliant.com/

Today we’re going to be talking about the different health benefits of spices. Spices are phytonutrient powerhouses, which are the medicinal components of plants. These have been found to help with various health issues people deal with, such as metabolic syndrome, PCOS, diabetes, pain, cholesterol, Acne, and many others. Heart health can be greatly improved by consuming ginger, which is great at lowering blood pressure, blood sugar, preventing migraine, and nausea. Turmeric 1:02Basil 2:22Thyme and Rosemary 7:21Poppy seeds and Clove 10:20Coriander, parsley, and cardamom 12:09Mace and bayleaf 13:10Black cumin seed 15:25Tarragon 17:23Chicory, ginger, and Sumac 17:50Licorice, nutmeg, and cinnamon 20:54Marjoram and saffron 23:08Dill and Caraway 26:15“Black cumin seed is a really good one. Black cumin seed oil is being sold where the seeds have been pressed, so it’s more concentrated. The bioactive compound there is thymoquinone, and black cumin seed is really good for diabetes, really good for cholesterol. It’s really good for weight loss, it’s good for asthma, and it’s good for blood pressure.” 15:25https://feelbrilliant.com/

Cynthia Thurlow is a nurse practitioner, CEO, and founder of the Everyday Wellness Project, and international speaker with over 10 million views for her 2nd TEDx talk Intermittent Fasting Transformational Technique. With over 20 years of experience in health and wellness, Cynthia is a globally recognized expert in intermittent fasting and nutritional health, and has been featured on ABC, Fox 5, ATLA, CW, Medium Entrepreneur, and the Megyn Kelly Show. She was listed in Yahoo Finance as one of the 21 founders changing the way we do business. Cynthia hosts the Everyday Wellness podcast, considered one of the 21 podcasts to expand your mind in 2021 by Business Insider. Her mission is to educate women on the benefits of intermittent fasting and overall holistic health and wellness, so they feel empowered to live their most optimal lives. How she got into intermittent fasting 1:51What is considered as intermittent fasting 6:54Eating less vs eating less frequently 12:15The gut microbiome 22:02Insulin resistance and its importance 26:44Doing the hard thing to be healthy 35:32The driver for disease 41:29How to start on the path to change and be healthy 46:11“It is not normal to be middle aged and to have to be on 15 medications, but that became the norm in clinic. So you think about the fact that that’s cardiology, so most of the time by the time I saw people they had already established risk factors for cardiovascular disease or already had cardiovascular disease, and the patients were getting younger, and younger, and younger. So I said, ‘What is wrong with this paradigm? We’re waiting for people to get sick instead of being really prevention focused.’” 33:21www.cynthiathurlow.com@cynthia_thurlow_https://feelbrilliant.com/

Today I will talk about phytonutrients and that if we can understand them, their importance, and learn how to get them in our food, it’s going to make a world of difference in our health. No one is focused on phytonutrients, but tend to discuss mainly macronutrients, but I think focusing on phytonutrients is one of the number one things that we can do to take our health to the next level. In this episode I talk about what they are, the basic premise, how they work in the body, why plants use them, and then I mention a few case studies and pick out certain phytonutrients from certain foods that can really help take our health to the next level. The basic components of plants and what phytonutrients are used for 1:39One of the biggest reasons for the breakdown of human health 6:58What to eat 9:12Certain phytonutrients: grains 12:22Soy 16:06Pumpkin and squash 20:21Nuts 22:58Spices 27:14“For us, for humans, phytonutrients are the medicinal components of plants. We’ve heard that good food is medicine and we’re not referring to macro or micronutrients, we are referring to phytonutrients. 60% of all pharma drugs are phytonutrients from plants.” 4:18