Causes Or Cures

Send us a textIn this episode of Causes or Cures, host Dr. Eeks discusses intermittent fasting with Dr. Mark Mattson. Dr. Mattson talks about his paper on the potential health benefits of intermittent fasting, recently published in The New England Journal of Medicine. Potential health benefits include Alzheimer's Disease prevention, reduced memory and cognitive decline as we age, improved balance and coordination, prevention of Type 2 Diabetes and obesity and improved prognosis for other diseases, like Multiple Sclerosis. Dr. Mattson also discusses how intermittent fasting may be an effective lifestyle intervention for children with autism. In addition, Dr. Mattson gives his opinion on how intermittent fasting compares to the Keto diet ( discussed on a previous Causes or Cures episode) and how it compares to calorie reduction. Dr. Mattson is a neuroscientist at Johns Hopkins University and founding editor of NeuroMolecular Medicine and Ageing Research Reviews. He is the former Chief of the Laboratory of

Send us a textThis is a  podcast for diligent, dedicated dog and cat parents on topics that have been in the news lately.Recently, the FDA issued a report citing 16 dog food brands linked to cases of dilated cardiomyopathy ( DCM), essentially a form of heart failure. Specifically, the FDA linked grain-free products and "exotic" foods to DCM. The proposed mechanism of action is that grain-free diets lead to a depletion of taurine, a non-essential amino acid made from cysteine and methionine in the liver, which then leads to cardiomyopathy. As one can imagine, the FDA's report caused massive panic amongst dog parents who worried that their dogs, if on a grain-free or exotic diet, may be at risk for DCM. In the second half of this podcast, Dr. Dodds discusses the FDA report, the data for and against the notion that grain-free diets cause DCM, benefits vs risks of a grain-free diet for dogs, and what dog parents can do if they are worried about their dog having DCM. Vaccines are always in the news.

Send us a textThe Keto diet is incredibly popular. Passionate followers say they feel significantly better on the Keto diet, lose weight and even have better lab values. Keto recipes and tips are all over the internet, as it's a favorite diet of many wellness proponents. Yet others claim there is more hype than health benefits to the Keto diet, and that it doesn't really live up to its many claims. Who's right? What does the evidence say? How does it compare long-term to other well-studied diets, such as the Mediterranean Diet? In this Causes or Cures podcast, Dr. Shivam Joshi will discuss these issues, his published paper and more with Dr. Eeks. Dr. Joshi is a board-certified physician who earned his medical degree at the University of Miami and completed his residency in internal medicine at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital. He completed his nephrology (kidney) fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania and currently works as a clinician and clinical assistant professor at

Send us a textAlzheimer's disease is frightening, heartbreaking and tragic. To some it seems like an unavoidable disease of aging, but others are more hopeful and believe there are things we can do to prevent it and/or slow its progression. One of those people is Dr. Douglas Watt, who happens to be today's guest on Causes or Cures. Dr. Watt took time out of his busy day to talk to Dr. Eeks about all the latest research on Alzheimer's Disease, what really causes it, who is at risk and what you should do if you think you are at risk. Most importantly, he talks about evidence-based things we all can do to significantly lower our risk of getting Alzheimer's disease. As heartbreaking as Alzheimer's Disease is, this podcast should leave you hopeful. Dr. Douglas Watt is a repeat guest on Causes or Cures. In a past episode he discussed the social brain hypothesis of depression, also worth listening to since depression is an independent risk factor for Alzheimer's Disease. Dr. Watt is a c

Send us a textMost people think that it's impossible to survive a nuclear bomb. It is if you're stuck in the fallout plume or come outside before it's safe and get a lethal dose of radiation. But.., is it possible to increase your chances of surviving a nuclear bomb? Dr. Andrew Karam, a world-wide nuclear radiation expert says it absolutely is. In this episode, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Andrew Karam. He will talk about where you should go once you hear a nuclear bomb is launched, how much time you have to prepare, what you should eat, drink, what you should do for your kids and pets, and he even talks about when it's okay to use hair conditioner again. And, since Iran was in the news recently, he talks about their nuclear capabilities, which might listen folks from an international relations perspective. Dr. Karam  has a doctorate degree in environmental sciences and a masters degree in geological sciences. He's a graduate of the Naval Chemistry and Radiological Controls School and the

Send us a textIn this episode, Dr. Eeks chats with Amber Romaniuk, an Emotional Eating, Digestive and Hormone Expert who now helps women achieve optimal health through mindful eating and teaching them how to overcome their struggles with food. Amber describes her own struggle with emotional eating that involved her gaining and losing a total of 1000 pounds and spending 50,000 dollars on binge foods. She discusses how to identify if you are struggling with emotional eating, how it may be affecting your relationships, how she overcame it and how you can overcome it. She also talks about her Body Freedom program and how it's helping women all over the world. To learn more about Amber, visit amberapproved.ca.You can contact Dr. Eeks at bloomingwellness.com.Follow Dr. Eeks on Instagram here.Or Facebook here.Or Twitter.Read Manic Kingdom here.Listen to her short audio parody on the wellness industry here.Subcribe to her newsletter here!Support the show

Send us a text Society loves to shame people for their weight. It's called fat-shaming, and even though it doesn't do anything beneficial for physical or mental health on a societal or individual level, it happens all of the time. It's a form of bullying that often gets a pass under the guise of concern, small-talk or encouragement to lose weight.  Celebrities face constant scrutiny over their looks and weight and when they are fat-shamed, it's in a very public way: a viral social media post, a magazine article, a TV show, etc. And while we can imagine that this is a painful experience for the person being fat-shamed, does it impact the rest of us, and if so, how? Today's Causes or Cures podcast features Amanda Ravary, a clinical psychologist and researcher at McGill University that researched this topic. Specifically, she analyzed high-profile incidents of celebrity fat-shaming and studied the effects they had on a large sample of women.  Click to listen, subscribe to the podcast! :)

Send us a textWhat is Comedic Meditation? Listen to find out, and we promise you'll want to try it. In this episode of Causes Or Cures, Dr. Eeks (Erin) chats with Carla Collins and Katie Reese, co-founders of Comedic Meditation. Carla Collins is an award-winning comedian who performs all over the country. She's also the bestselling author of Angels, Vampires and Douche Bags. You can watch her reality show Carlawood on Amazon Prime. Katie Reese is a former comedian and co-founder of Elements of Wellness, a LA-based functional medicine and wellness center. You can contact Dr. Eeks at bloomingwellness.com.Follow Dr. Eeks on Instagram here.Or Facebook here.Or Twitter.Read Manic Kingdom here.Listen to her short audio parody on the wellness industry here.Subcribe to her newsletter here!Support the show

Send us a textThe world has an obsession with selfies, and while there are many elements to analyze from a health and wellness perspective, this episode of Causes or Cures focuses on selfies that kill people. In this episode, Dr. Roger Byard discusses the forensic elements of killer selfies, or when people die taking selfies. Listen to find out who's most at risk, the countries with the highest rate of selfie deaths and how they are responding, and some of the more dramatic examples of selfie deaths. Dr. Byard dives into other interesting topics as well. Dr. Byard is a forensic pathologist and Professor of Pathology at The University of Adelaide. He has written over 700 papers in peer-reviewed journals and is the Editor-in-Chief of Forensic Science Medicine and Pathology. If you watch The History Channel, you might have seen him recently featured in Lawless: The Real Bushrangers. He also has a book coming out called The Pathology of Old Age. You can contact Dr. Eeks at bloomingwellness.com.Follow Dr. Eek

Send us a textIn this episode, Dr. Paul Heroux chats with Dr. Eeks about electromagnetism ( EMF exposure from things like cellphones, wireless, Bluetooth, and the up and coming 5G...) and why the popular EMF shields are not effective and may actually be worsening your EMF exposure. Dr. Heroux has his PhD in physics and is a researcher who focusses on EMF exposure and biological effects. He is highly published in this area and runs InVitro Plus, a toxicology laboratory out of McGill University Health Center, dedicated to studying the therapeutic and pathological effects of electromagnetism. You can contact Dr. Eeks at bloomingwellness.com.Follow Dr. Eeks on Instagram here.Or Facebook here.Or Twitter.Read Manic Kingdom here.Listen to her short audio parody on the wellness industry here.Subcribe to her newsletter here!Support the show

Send us a textAlkaline ( High pH) water is a very popular wellness product,and one you'll see in natural stores across the country.The alkaline diet is also trendy, with many websites and books dedicated to it. Both alkaline water and the alkaline diet are linked to various health benefits, but is there any solid evidence to support these claims? In this Causes or Cures episode, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Tanis Fenton via a phone call. She is a researcher who studied the alkaline diet, alkaline water and potential health effects.Through her research, she discovered that health claims made about alkaline water and the alkaline diet are unfounded and make no sense on a basic scientific level. Dr. Fenton is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Calgary, a Registered Dietitian, Epidemiologist and Evidence Analyst for Dietitians of Canada. She is the Nutrition Research Lead for Alberta Health Sciences. You can contact Dr. Eeks at bloomingwellness.com.Follow Dr. Eeks on Instagram here.Or Facebook here.Or Twit

Send us a textIn the world of wellness, skepticism around commercial sunscreen is at an all-time high. Wellness bloggers, moms, influencers and others have taken to creating their own sunscreen with various SPF claims. But are these "natural", homemade sunscreens effective at all? What's in them? How is their SPF value being determined? In this podcast, Dr. Eeks has a conversation with Dr. Julie Merten about her recently published research, "Pinterest Homemade Sunscreens: A Recipe for a Sunburn." Dr. Merten answers the above questions and in general, discusses the widespread dissemination of wellness advice from "wellness advocates" on social media and what that means for consumers. Dr. Eeks asks Dr. Merten about concerns over some of the chemicals in certain sunscreens, and Dr. Merten offers her advice on how to avoid them and still protect your skin from sun damage and skin cancer. Dr. Merten is an associate professor of public health at the University of North Florida. Sh

Send us a textAnyone who struggles with depression or knows someone who struggles with depression should listen to this podcast.  Dr. Douglas Watt is a forensic neuropsychologist with over 30 years of clinical practice. He has degrees from Harvard and Boston College, has served as the director of clinical psychology in two Boston teaching hospitals and has been on the faculty of the Boston University School of Medicine for 15 years. He teaches classes on affective neuroscience and its implications. In this podcast, Dr. Watt joins Dr. Eeks  to discuss his theory for depression, The Social Brain Hypothesis, and why he believes depression is an evolutionary shut-down mechanism, the chemical imbalance theory is reductive and why conventional antidepressants fall short. He discusses what social rejection and loss of relationships does to us neurologically and why folks with an impaired capacity to make meaningful social attachments can become addicted to social media as a failed replacement for real-life intimate

Send us a textDo you think the current political climate is impacting our mental health..., or are you living under a rock? If you are living under a rock, do you have room for a few more?  Just kidding, sort of. There's been a surge of requests for therapists due to stress, anxiety and relationship troubles due to the current political situation. Social media sites are saturated with tribal and reductive back-and-forths that only increase our individual and collective sense of angst. Long-term friendships have dissolved, marriages have ended, Twitter is a battlefield and toxic stress is the name of the game. In short, we've come a long way, baby. In this episode, Dr. Eeks chats with Gabriel Nathan, chief editor of OC87 Recovery Stories, about the state of our mental health in the current political climate, why our interactions are toxic and broken, and what can be done to move us towards recovery.    Be mindful that specific people and events are mentioned in this podcast, and though not the intent

Send us a textBenzodiazepines (Benzos) are some of the most commonly prescribed drugs in the world for anxiety. Despite how common they are, most people, including doctors and pharmacists, don't know the extent of benzodiazepine withdrawal, including the vast array of symptoms, nor do they know how to treat it. Many doctors and stakeholders confuse addiction with chemical dependence, which can be extremely frustrating for the person going through withdrawal, who took the medication as prescribed. Folks afflicted often turn to online forums and seek out others with similar withdrawal symptoms for advice. They are part of the "prescribed harm" community. Between searching for answers and managing symptoms, many people become so frustrated and exhausted that they resort to taking their own lives. As Dr. Huff mentions in the podcast, in the past year alone, she knows of at least 30 people who were going through benzo withdrawal and ended up killing themselves.  In this podcast, Dr. Huff opens up ab

Send us a textIn this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks interviews Dr. Fiorella Belpoggi about the potential health risks of wireless technology and radiation from EMFs (electromagnetic fields). The safety of EMFs is in the news due to the rollout of 5G and because of a recently resurfaced petition to the World Health Organization that was signed by 250 scientists warning about EMF exposure and health effects. That said, there have been no randomized controlled animal trials involving 5g. The 2 largest animal trials to date did not evaluate 5g. There has been no formal guidance to minimize exposure and no regulatory body has stated that there needs to be such guidance. Dr. Belpoggi is the head of research at the Ramazzini Institute in Italy and Director of the Cesare Mal-toni Cancer Research Center, where she has worked since 1981. She has published over 100 peer-reviewed papers and has done research on a variety of environmental exposures, including pesticides, plastics, food additives and hormones. To da

Send us a textIn this episode of Causes Or Cures, Dr. Nicole LePera talks about her own personal journey and health struggles, her approach to overcoming them and how that experience, plus her experience with others as a professionally trained psychologist, guided her approach to healing the mind and body. With Dr. Eeks, Dr. LePera talks about whether the holistic lifestyle is accessible to everyone, how aging affects mindset, how to handle the challenges of social media and use it in a way that's beneficial for the mind and body, and the steps anyone can take, right now, to enhance his/her mind-body wellness journey. She's also very candid about facing obstacles and what keeps her motivated.   Dr. LePera was trained at Cornell University and The New School as a traditional psychologist and went on to find the Mindful Healing Center in Philadelphia, where she focuses on relationships, gut health, sleep, cellular health, belief and mindfulness. She has close to 1 million followers on Instagram, and y

Send us a textTalks about climate change are heated and ongoing. You often hear, especially from fans of The Green New Deal,  "We literally only have 12 years to fix the problem!"  Is that hyperbolic, or is that the truth? While there are various governmental committees working on solutions to reduce carbon emissions, one thing we don't hear a lot about is nuclear power. No one really dives into the details of nuclear power. Nuclear power sounds scary and turns a lot of people off. But what exactly is it and how does it compare to oil and coal? What are the risks and the benefits? Should nuclear power be part of the cure for man-made global warming or will it cause a host of problems? In this episode of Causes Or Cures, Dr. Andy Karam discusses nuclear power in detail and its potential role in reducing carbon emissions. Andy has a doctorate degree in environmental sciences and a masters degree in geological sciences. He's a graduate of the Naval Chemistry and Radiological Controls School a

Send us a text In this episode of Causes Or Cures, Dr. Eek talks with Dr. Marcelo Gleiser about atheism, agnosticism, belief in God and the intersection of science and the spiritual dimension. He explains why he believes radical atheism goes against the scientific method. What's a rational position to take? What about theism vs radical theism? What are the limitations of science, if any, when it comes to explaining how we got here and other "big questions"? These questions and more are addressed in the podcast.   Dr. Gleiser is a theoretical physicist, author of several popular science books and over a hundred papers in peer-reviewed journals, professor of physics and astronomy at Dartmouth College, and recipient of the prestigious Templeton Prize.  Take a listen.  You can contact Dr. Eeks at bloomingwellness.com.Follow Dr. Eeks on Instagram here.Or Facebook here.Or Twitter.Subcribe to her newsletter here!Support the show

Send us a textSome people call it the "War On Antidepressants" and others call it the "War Over Antidepressants."  Either way, antidepressants are in the news a lot, most recently related to the topic of withdrawal. Many doctors and stakeholders believe that antidepressant withdrawal ( symptoms that occur when you stop taking the drug) lasts, on average, up to 2 weeks. Others say that isn't true, and that symptoms can last much longer. Some say antidepressants are very effective for clinical depression. Others say that just isn't true. Strong opinions are at the heart of the debate over antidepressants, which has escalated to a heated social media exchange and what some call a "Twitter War."  Today's guest is Dr. Michael Hengartner, a highly published senior researcher and lecturer at Zurich University of Applied Sciences whose area of expertise includes psychiatric epidemiology, public mental health, psychosomatics, health services research, social psychiatry and