Tag Archives: maternal health

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 39

Maternal Nutrition and the Microbiome – Part I

This was a tricky topic to drill down into one article – so I split it into two. Bear with me on this topic as it is so important in the grander scheme of maternal and child health.
The microbiome by definition: the microorganisms that reside in a particular environment.
Pregnancy is a dynamic event where a woman’s body changes radically, including epigenetically, hormonally, immunologically and physiologically in order to conceive and carry a baby to term. Pregnancy has always been a scientific fascination because of these changes. Now, we add the microbiome to the list, as it is the latest area of research that is shedding light on how pregnancy outcomes are determined.
Part I
This was a tricky topic to drill down into one article – so I split it into two. Bear with me on this topic as it is so important in the grander scheme of maternal and child health. The microbiome by definition: the microorganisms that reside in a particular environment. Pregnancy is a dynamic event where a woman’s body changes radically, including epigenetically, hormonally, immunologically and physiologically in order to conceive and carry a baby to term. Pregnancy has always been a scientific fascination because of these changes. Now, we add the microbiome to the list, as it is the latest area of research that is shedding light on how pregnancy outcomes are determined…… also two sections on covid vaccines and disease…
Enjoy,
Dr. M

Dr. M’s Women and Children First Podcast #50 – Richard Johnson, MD – Fructose and Perinatal Issues

This weeks guest is my favorite researcher, Dr. Richard Johnson.
He is the Tomas Berl Professor of Medicine and the Chief of the Renal Division and Hypertension at the University of Colorado since 2008. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, with a major in Anthropology, and a graduate of the University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, he is a physician and nephrologist whose research has focused on the role of sugar, and especially fructose, in driving obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and kidney disease. Much of this work has explored the role of fructose metabolism, especially the generation of uric acid, in driving this phenotype, and his work has included studies ranging from molecular biology, integrative physiology, and evolutionary biology. He is the author of The Sugar Fix which introduced the first low fructose diet, and also The Fat Switch which explores the role of fructose in driving the obesity epidemic. His newest book, Nature Wants Us To Be Fat, is a tour de force of the entire pathway of survival via metabolic events in the body related to fructose and the polyol pathway. This is a must read book.
This podcast will follow up on the original conversation, podcast #14, and the exceptional work of Dr. Johnson this time looking at how we are mismatched metabolically for the environment of modern America and our food systems from the maternal health and perinatal perspective.
Enjoy,
Dr. M

Dr. M’s Women and Children First Podcast #29 – Dr. Tieraona Low Dog – Mother’s Health

A mother, wife, herbalist, educator, author, researcher, and medical doctor, Tieraona has trained hundreds of medical professionals as the Fellowship Director at the University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, chaired dietary supplement expert panels for the United States Pharmacopeia, and has been appointed to numerous scientific advisory boards. In addition, she has authored best-selling books (including 4 published by National Geographic) and written over 50 peer-reviewed articles and 25 book chapters. Tieraona was appointed by the President of the United States to serve on a White House policy commission, has received many awards from academia, public health, and industry, and has lectured at over 600 conferences.

She is an incredible teacher with an equally incredible life story. In this episode, we discuss the world of maternal health as it relates to preparing for a healthy life and pregnancy setting the stage for a healthy child’s life.

I hope that you enjoy my conversation with Dr. Low Dog,

Dr. M

Dr. M’s Women and Children First Podcast – Putting It All Together #1

This week on the show, I sit down to put the first three maternal/child health podcasts into perspective. We take a more nuanced view of how these three experts are tied together. We examine the basic underpinnings of maternal health risks through the eyes of these thought leaders in preparation for the next three experts who will take us on a tour of human health from a microbiome and environmental perspective. This show is also a way for the folks that are on the go to get a summary of the podcasts for their benefit.

 

Be well,

Dr. M

Dr. M’s Women and Children First Podcast #5 – Dr. Victoria Maizes, Fertility and Optimal Woman’s Health

Dr. Victoria Maizes is executive director of the University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, chief of the UA Division of Integrative Medicine and a professor of medicine, family medicine and public health. Internationally recognized as a leader in integrative medicine, she stewarded the growth of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine from a small program educating four residential fellows per year to a designated “Center of Excellence” that trains more than 500 residents and fellows annually.

Dr. Maizes has pioneered multiple innovative educational programs including the Integrative Family Medicine Program, and Integrative Medicine in Residency, two national models for educating primary care physicians. As founding co-chair of the education committee of the Consortium of Academic Health Centers for Integrative Medicine—the mission of which is to promote integrative medicine, she has led a team of educators in developing objectives for medical students in integrative medicine.

Her passion for women’s health makes her ideal for a discussion on fertility and the best path forward for a woman wanting to become a mother. Her book, Be Fruitful, is a road map leading to the best pregnancy and child outcomes. We discuss the root causes of infertility and maternal disease. Dr. Maizes teaches us the pathway to be followed for a mother to be in order to unwind the antecedent risk factors for infertility and disease.

I hope that you enjoy my conversation with Dr. Maizes,

Dr. M