Dr. M’s SPA Newsletter Audiocast Volume 14 Issue 2

Christmas, Tradition and Holidays in General.
When I think about the holidays, I think about large family gatherings, fake birds chirping in the Christmas tree, my Babcia cooking pierogis in butter, bacon and onions and serving me a huge plate, my cousin tripping and falling into the tree trying to turn off the chirping bird. I think of Christmas eve singing Polish and English carols. I remember the long table with 30 people sitting around the room celebrating togetherness. Life was pure as a child. Being the youngest of the generation, I seemed to see everything from the lowest viewpoint. I heard everything that was said that may or may not have been appropriate…………………..plus a piece on genes and mental health. Recipe of the week is here as well.
Enjoy,
Dr. M

Dr. M’s Women and Children First Podcast #62 – Jeff Bland, Ph.D. – The Disease Delusion and Hope for Change

Podcast #62
Jeff Bland, Ph.D.
This week I have the absolute pleasure to introduce you to Dr. Jeff Bland. He is in a word, incredible.
Dr. Bland is supreme thinker in the field of medicine and biology. He is a teacher, product developer, thought leader, unifier of minds and so much more. He obtained his BS in Biology at the University of California at Irvine and then a PhD from the University of Oregon. Dr. Bland was thinking about medicine from a root cause perspective decades before it became more vogue to believe in Integrative medicine. He is the founder of the Institute for Functional Medicine as well as his new company Big Bold Health, a company on a mission to transform the way people think about one of nature’s greatest innovations — the immune system. With Big Bold Health, he is pushing for the power of cellular immuno-rejuvenation through food to enhance immunity at a human level. The key is the rediscovery of ancient food crops and superfoods that have these properties of health promotion.
We wander the landscape of human health through bramble and brook without a care in the world. It is a most enjoyable conversation to share.
Enjoy,
Dr. M

Dr. M’s SPA Newsletter Audiocast Volume 13 Issue 52

What have I learned over the last 13 years?
1) That medicine is an onion peel that never ends! We keep learning and evolving into newer and more mature ways to understand the physiology of balance in all things human. When in balance, disease is stymied. When not so balanced, disease has a chance to start and flourish. After interviewing 68 guests, one common theme has arisen – that we have a layer of control to prevent disease and strife that is huge when young and gets smaller and less nimble as we age. Thus, prevention remains the best source of therapy for the human species to overcome the current negative trajectory on human health. Starting at the individual level appears to be the best answer as the collective, especially in government, is not aligned with health. When many of the most wealthy companies are insurers, hospitals and pharmaceuticals, we have our incentives upside down. The wealth should pour into companies preventing illness…….

Dr. M’s SPA Newsletter Audiocast Volume 13 Issue 51

Literature Review
1) High resting cardiac vagal tone or control, CVC, is associated with more flexible emotional responding to external stressful stimuli. With regard to vagal changes the evidence shows us that stress will decrease CVC . (Balzarotti et. al. 2017)
Being relaxed and not stressed out is always associated with better cellular physiology. CVC is a marker of relaxation and thus emotional control. Whenever you find yourself emotionally dysregulated, there is a good chance that your vagal tone is off. Work to meditate, exercise and relax which will increase CVC and help you cope.
2) Continuing on the same theme….. plus a discussion on maternal neural hormonal rewiring, and a recipe of the week.

Dr. M’s Women and Children First Podcast #61 – Bridget Briggs, M.D. – Hope and Epigenetics Part 3

This is the third story of hope for us as a species. We have a level of control over our outcome that is baked into our DNA.
Bridget R. Briggs, M.D. and I sit down today to discuss the clinical approach to epigenetics in patients especially women. She is a physician who specializes in Women’s Health. Dr. Briggs received her undergraduate degree from the University of California Los Angeles in Psychobiology. She then completed her medical degree from University of California San Diego School of Medicine before completing her residency in family medicine as well as internship in Obstetrics and gynecology. She has been in practice for 25 years in Southern California. She is the owner of two family medicine practices in California where she specializes in functional medicine and womens health. She is a well known speaker and educator on the topics of epigenetics and methylation in humans.
Her story is personal regarding her deep dive into epigenetics and health based on her family’s history and experiences to date. We take a winding road looking at the clinical applications of epigenetic understandings as laid out by the experts and trailblazers of DNA methylation and phenotypic change in animals and humans. We get into some controversial topics including vaccination, preparation for, avoidance of and much more. The conversation is open, honest and thoughtful. We finish with a hard look at the pregnancy state and how to achieve optimal outcomes for our offspring. It is another story of hope for humanity.
Please enjoy my conversation with Dr. Bridget Briggs,
Dr. M

 

Dr. M’s SPA Newsletter Audiocast Volume 13 Issue 50

Literature Review
1) Pericytes are critical cells that sit around the tiny blood vessels called capillaries of the body especially in the brain. They are involved in regulating blood vessel activity. They communicate directly with the endothelial cells making them super important in the activity of the blood vessel and metabolism at the local tissue interface. From the journal Cell Death and Disease we see: “Crosstalk mechanisms….And some other discussions on Cancer detection at physicals as well as the recipe of the week.
Enjoy,
Dr. M

Dr. M’s SPA Newsletter Audiocast Volume 13 Issue 49

Respiratory Syncytial Virus
RSV is a 150 nanometer RNA virus that comes from a human orthopneumovirus that circulates in the winter primarily. Young children and infants infected with RSV mostly have upper respiratory tract symptoms where a subset develop lower respiratory tract disease known as bronchiolitis with the primary infection. It is the most common reason for hospitalization in infants between 0 and 6 months of age. Bronchiolitis appears as a wheezy, cough centric illness that rarely may progress to increased respiratory effort noted by wheezing, rales (lung crackles – sounds like stepping on leaves), chest wall rib retractions, grunting, fast breathing, nasal flaring and eventually respiratory hypoxia. If it persists, the event can rarely lead to respiratory collapse and death. Annually, 150 children under 5 years of age die from RSV in the US. Most of these children are premature births and have cardiopulmonary disease issues. Term healthy children rarely succumb to RSV in a serious way. A recent study of German infants and children hospitalized with RSV identified these risk factors: age <6 months, birth at 28–37 weeks gestational age, congenital defects, perinatal respiratory and cardiovascular disorders, and various other comorbidities as significant risk factors for ICU admission and death. ( Cai et. al. 2020) plus a mini lit review and a discussion on thanksgiving.
Enjoy
Dr. M