Mindful Medicine

Much like we need to go to the gym and eat well to maintain healthy bodies, we need to work on keeping our minds healthy through mindful practices. Because we’re living in a more fast-paced, secular society than ever before, we lack rituals that are focused on the mind and soul. But, by creating rituals that revolve around music, we can become more mindful and find clarity. Mindful musician Murray Hidary has created Mind Travel, live music performances -- often out in nature -- that allow listeners to shift their perception of time and get lost in a slow, contemplative state. The music is meant to relax listeners and create a sense of community. When concert goers listen to music together, their brain waves operate on the same frequency, bringing audience members together for a shared experience. Listen as Murray joins Dr. Holly Lucille to discuss mindful music.

Functional medicine is a way of thinking. It asks doctors to look at the mind and body as a system, rather than a collection of parts. While conventional doctors may look at a symptom and assign a treatment to cover up the symptom, functional medicine practitioners will look at a symptom and try to determine the root cause. Dr. Sandra Scheinbaum is the founder of the Functional Medicine Coaching Academy, which trains medical professionals to become functional medicine coaches. These coaches work in collaboration with conventional doctors to help patients determine where to begin their treatment and how to achieve their desired results. Listen as Dr. Scheinbaum joins Dr. Holly Lucille to discuss functional medicine.

From an evolutionary perspective, we’re working against ourselves when it comes to getting a good night’s sleep. We’ve been disrupting our circadian rhythm by striving towards achieving homeostasis with air conditioning, heating, and artificial lighting. The natural sleep triggers such as the gradual darkening and cooling of our environment are gone, and we’re not sleeping as well as we should.To get the best night’s sleep our bodies need a cool environment. But with memory foam mattresses and heavy blankets, heat is trapped in our beds regardless of the room’s temperature.Tara Youngblood, a fusion scientist and a visionary leader in the future of sleep-driven health, and her husband have created the ChiliPad™, a mattress cover that actively cools your bed. The pad has tubing that acts like a radiator, keep your body at the right temperature all night long. Listen as Tara joins Dr. Holly Lucille to discuss the science of a good night’s sleep.

There is a lot of misinformation and confusion about supplements. Vitamins are found in the nutrients in our food. If we don’t get enough of something for proper function, we need to replenish the deficiency. Get your greens without the mess, Organifi Green Juice. Use code “mindful” at checkout and save 20%. - sponsor Vitamin B12 helps keep your nervous system and blood cells healthy. Low B12 causes symptoms right away. Tingling of fingers and toes, fatigue, anxiety and depression are common. Your B12 level may check out on your lab tests. That doesn’t prove that your cells are absorbing the vitamin. It’s a good idea to take a B12 supplement. It’s water soluble so your body can easily eliminate any excess. Your gut health may need to be improved in order to break down B12 in your digestive tract. A sublingual tablet absorbs directly into your body. Six Facts About Vitamin B12 Deficiency There aren’t many natural B12-rich foods. Vegetarians and vegans are at greater risk for B12 deficiency. Your body doesn’t s

These days, we spend a good portion of our day looking at screens, whether it’s the TV, our laptop or cell phone. And, that has a big effect on our mental health. The anonymity and distance created by the internet allows people to say hurtful things they might not say if face-to-face with someone. The curation of social media profiles creates a false image of perfection that becomes hard to attain in real life. Many children are so connected to their screens that having an in-person conversation or maintaining eye contact can be a challenge. Lauren Cook identifies the signs that you or a loved one is spending too much time in front of screens and shares tips for limiting screen time.She notes that the best way to overcome the anxiety and loneliness caused by technology is to become more mindful of your relationship with screens and focus on moderation.Listen as Lauren joins Dr. Holly Lucille to discuss how screen time affects mental health.

Much like alcoholism and drug use, food addiction is a very serious disease. It's an obsession with food and weight and occurs when someone loses control over how much and what they eat. It’s a lifetime chronic illness that only gets worse if left untreated.  Many food addicts struggle with foods high in sugar and flour, with pizza, ice cream, and chocolate topping the list of addictive foods. When it comes to symptoms, most food addicts:   Are obsessed with food Have dug food out of the garbage Hide food Lie about food and eating habits Eat in isolation Eat when they’re not hungry Think about food and weight all the time Want to stop eating but can’t  Exercise, vomit, or use laxatives to control weight For those struggling with food addiction, Jennifer Alembik, a Food Addiction Coach and recovering food addict, recommends staying away from foods that come in bags, boxes and cans. If you know which foods are the most triggering, she advises permanently cutting those foods out of your diet. Much like alcohol

Frustrations with diagnosis, treatment and results from conventional Western medicine may prompt you to search for alternatives. You want an alternative that is safe, effective and well-researched. One excellent resource where you can find research on the effectiveness of supplements is PubMed. Low dose naltrexone (LDN) is a drug that acts like a nutritional supplement. Initially intended to treat addiction, it is now used to treat autoimmune diseases by arresting their progression.Doses of 50mg to 100mg block opiod receptors in the brain, preventing patients from experiencing a high when they take drugs. Lower doses of 3mg can have a beneficial immune modulating effect.It's important to educate yourself about low dose naltrexone before speaking with your doctor about it.Listen as patient advocate Julia Schopick joins Dr. Holly Lucille to discuss the benefits of low dose naltrexone.**Email julia@honestmedicine.com for more information about LDN.

More than 60 percent of Americans have one chronic disease and 40 percent have two or more chronic diseases. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claims that most of these diseases are preventable and reversible in the early stages by making simple lifestyle changes. To avoid chronic disease later in life, it’s essential to make healthy choices early on and continue to make them as you age. Some people believe that after 50 their health is going downhill, so they stop making healthy choices. Dr. Sally LaMont notes that we have more control over our health than most people imagine. She shares how to listen to your body and adjust choices rather than taking medicine to cover up the signs that your body is struggling. In her program, Healthy Aging Reset, which begins on September 24th, participants will learn how the following can affect the way you age: Inflammation and the role of sugar in tilting our biochemistry out of balance Digestive dysfunction Toxic exposures in our air, food and water Hormon

Many parents make it through pregnancy and breastfeeding, carefully monitoring their own nutrition, but fail to understand the nutritional needs of their babies and toddlers once they begin eating solid foods. Quite a bit of research has surfaced in the last few years aimed at educating parents about early childhood nutrition, and Dr. Nicole Avena shares some of these findings with listeners in this episode of Mindful Medicine. A research neuroscientist and nutrition expert, Dr. Avena explains why the foods a baby eats in the first 1,000 days of life are so important and how they affect heath outcomes later on. She discusses the specific dietary needs of breastfed versus formula-fed babies as well as the needs of babies born naturally versus those born of a C-section. Learn when to start your baby on solid foods, common nutrient deficiencies to look out for, and how to instill a healthy attitude towards food early on.  Listen as Dr. Nicole Avena joins Dr. Holly Lucille to discuss what to feed your toddler or

Inflammation in the body causes chronic pain and poor sleep habits. But, if you take away inflammatory foods, inflammation decreases, as does the pain. When pain doesn’t keep you up at night, you sleep better. By removing toxic foods from your diet, everything runs more smoothly. Dr. Lynn Lipskis shares tips for how to make healthier food choices to reduce pain and improve sleep. She explains how certain foods can cause inflammation in your airways, making it harder to breathe when sleeping. Eating too much before bed will increase your body temperature, making it hard to fall asleep. She also covers the five food groups that cause inflammation -- gluten, dairy, processed carbohydrates, alcohol (specifically red wine) and refined sugars -- and what to eat to get the best night's sleep. Listen as Dr. Lynn joins Dr. Holly Lucille to discuss what and how to eat for a good night’s sleep.

Our medical system is generally focused on the physical aspects of a health issue. If you visit a physician with complaints of depression, you’ll probably leave his office with a prescription for medication.Organifi. Save 20% NOW!Use code MINDFUL. Click here to order. This doesn’t address the emotional, mental and spiritual aspects of the condition. These tips can help. The foundation of health is composed of diet, sleep, exercise and stress management. Examine your thoughts, emotions and how you react in the world. Consider the quality of air, food and water you consume. Toxins may be affecting your health, setting off genetic conditions. You have neuroplasticity and can change your thoughts. Spirituality embraces love and compassion for yourself. How do you feel about you? Lab tests and symptoms should both be considered to find the diagnosis. Listen as Dr. Christina Bjorndal joins Dr. Holly Lucille to share how other factors can contribute to depression.Sponsor:Visit organifi.com and use discount code “m

Chronic pain and anxiety are not diagnoses, but rather symptoms of stress. When you feel physically or mentally threatened, your body produces stress chemicals to increase your chances of survival. When your stress levels remain elevated for extended periods of time, the result is anxiety. Long periods of stress and anxiety can result in chronic pain and discomfort that can include chronic ringing in your ears, back pain, insomnia, migraines, and foot pain. However, using pharmaceuticals to treat the pain will be ineffective; you need to fix the anxiety that’s causing it.Dr. David Hanscom shares his story of working through his anxiety to relieve chronic pain. He offers up tools that reduce stress chemicals and rid the body of the physical symptoms of stress. By using mindfulness and meditation, you can work through the three steps of overcoming anxiety: awareness, separation, and redirection.Listen as Dr. David Hanscom joins Dr. Holly Lucille to discuss anxiety.

Deuterium is a naturally-occurring stable isotope of hydrogen that has an extra neutron. It’s present in all water on the planet, but has steadily increased in concentration. Most drinking water now has a deuterium concentration of 150 parts per million (ppm). When we ingest deuterium, the hydrogen molecules in our body are replaced by deuterium.When deuterium levels in the body rise above 130 ppm, it causes metabolic crowding and mitochondria dysfunction. Roughly 80-95 percent of all chronic disease are caused by mitochondria dysfunction.Dr. Petra Dorfsman explains the rise of deuterium, how it affects the body, and how to keep it in check. Listen in as Dr. Petra and Dr. Holly Lucille discuss deuterium depletion.

Though women have been experiencing menopause for thousands of years, there is still a lot of ambiguity and misinformation about what women can expect during this period of their life. There are a number of misconceptions that exist partially because menopause affects every woman differently, and partially because there have been significant changes in research and information recently. Dr. Mache Seibel, one of the foremost leading experts on women’s wellness and menopause, notes that many women dread menopause, but shouldn’t. Menopause is simply a stage in life, and women can have vibrant, fulfilling lives well beyond their menopause years. For any symptoms like hot flashes, mood swings, insomnia and brain fog, he explains that there are hormone treatments and prescription drugs available to treat those symptoms.Listen in as Dr. Seibel joins Dr. Holly Lucille to share what women can really expect during menopause and download Dr. Seibel's free magazine, The Hot Years at hotyearsmag.com.  

You have to be your own primary care provider. No one is a better advocate for your health than you. You have power over your choices. Learn about the medications that your provider prescribes. Make informed decisions about treatment. With the ever-changing Affordable Care Act and increasing prices of health insurance, it’s important to ask your provider all the questions you can. Taking the reins of your own health can be very cost-effective. Listen as Dr. Jade Wimberley joins Dr. Holly Lucille to share how you can take more control over your health.

As we age, our metabolism and cell production changes, as do the nutrients we need to support those systems. We also develop food preferences, which we stick to, meaning that we’re probably not getting all the nutrients we need through our diet. For instance, as women age, they need more calcium, iron and Vitamin D, some of which can be difficult to find in food. These vitamin deficiencies can cause a variety of diseases and health issues, including a general sense of fatigue. By speaking with a specialist who can address your individual nutrition needs and taking supplements to help bridge the gap, women can lead overall healthier lives.   Listen as Dr. Nicole Avena joins Dr. Holly Lucille to discuss how nutrition needs change as a woman ages.

No two people are the same which means that their cancer treatment shouldn’t be either. A person’s mind, microbiome, history and habits need to be considered when forming a cancer treatment plan.It’s also important to treat the whole person when fighting cancer. While cancer cells fight the body, an emotional battle is taking place in the mind. Finding the light at the end of the tunnel can be a challenge for many cancer patients, but Dr. Tom Incledon shares the importance of maintaining the right mental state. With a background in exercise science, he draws a comparison to athletes. Those who say, “I’m going to win,” win far more often than those who say, “I’m going to try.” Listen as Dr. Incledon joins Dr. Holly Lucille to discuss the connection between the mind and cancer, and how your mental health plays into treatment plans.

The food you choose to eat—and the way that food is made—can have a huge impact on your overall health. Food can be your medicine or your poison. Dr. William Li has compiled scientific evidence about more than 200 health-boosting foods, which he shares on this episode of Mindful Medicine. He breaks down how foods like tomatoes, soy, kiwi, broccoli, coffee, and tree nuts can reduce your risk of developing certain types of cancer, slow down the aging process, and help your body beat diseases.His book, Eat to Beat Disease: The New Science of How Your Body Can Heal Itself, is a guide to healing foods that support the body's defense systems.Listen as Dr. Li joins Dr. Holly Lucille to discuss which foods to eat in order to live a longer, healthier life.

We often associate the word diet with short-term weight loss programs, but the dictionary defines diet as habitual nourishment. This is the basis for Harvey Slater’s nutrition coaching practice. A diet is something you’re on for the entirety of your life, so Slater insists that you better like the foods you’re eating. A former chef and caterer, Slater became a Certified Nutrition Consultant, Applied Clinical Nutritionist, Certified Holistic Nutrition Consultant and Certified Weight Management Specialist who focuses on helping people lose weight through delicious, healthy recipes. His program has no hard and fast rules nor does it eliminate any food groups. Instead, he helps clients create small, achievable goals and meal plans specific to their bodies’ needs. Listen as Harvey Slater joins Dr. Holly Lucille to discuss how to stop “dieting” and start thriving.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most aggressive form of brain cancer. Chemotherapy and radiation give a median survival of 14.6 months. There are additional treatments that can improve a GBM patient’s quality of life and potentially extend the lifespan. Nutrition: Eliminate sugar from the diet, as cancer cells love sugar. Examine your diet. Use supplements as needed. Visit www.nutrition-solutions.net or www.oncanp.com for more information. Low-dose naltrexone: It can affect the tumor itself. Repurposed drugs: Some drugs were approved for other purposes but can have good results on GBM. Investigate Facebook groups for support and more recommendations. Listen as patient advocate Julia Schopick joins Dr. Holly Lucille to share some alternative therapies for GBM.**Email julia@honestmedicine.com for more information about LDN.