Should you be treating the “root cause” or treat your symptoms with bandaids?

In this compelling episode of the Real Integrative Medicine podcast, host Dr. Jordan Robertson dives into her personal battle with a mysterious skin condition that eluded diagnosis for weeks. Dr. Robertson recounts experiencing severe allergic reactions characterized by hives, welts, and blistering rashes on her forearms. When traditional treatments like antihistamines, prednisone, and cortisone creams failed to provide relief, Dr. Robertson's journey took a complex turn. Amid diagnoses ranging from hives to severe poison ivy, she found herself at a frustrating standstill. Highlighting the complexities of diagnosing skin conditions (or any medical condition) and the mental toll it can take, Dr. Robertson eventually adopted a "wait and see" approach. But against initial advice, her persistence led to comprehensive lab testing, resulting in a surprising diagnosis: celiac disease presenting as dermatitis herpetiformis. This episode provides an insightful look into the diagnostic challenges in healthcare, the importance of self-advocacy, and the delicate balance integrative medicine practitioners must maintain between patient expectations and clinical evidence. Dr. Robertson’s story underscores the significance of patience, follow-up, and adopting a broad yet evidence-based approach to uncover the root causes of elusive medical conditions. Listeners will gain a deeper understanding of the strategies behind watchful waiting, the value of reassessment, and the consumer-driven aspects of integrative healthcare. Tune in for an inspiring journey from uncertainty to resolution and get a unique perspective on the interconnections between skin reactions and systemic health issues like celiac disease.

Welcome to Real Integrative Medicine, formerly known as Women's Health Unplugged, hosted by Dr. Jordan Robertson. This podcast delves into the intricate intersection of behavior change, mindset, and traditional medical therapies, providing both patients and clinicians with the tools they need for healthcare success. In a world crowded with conflicting health information, Real Integrative Medicine aims to demystify and deconstruct these complexities, offering evidence-based insights and practical strategies. Each episode explores pivotal themes such as behavioral modification, mindset shifts, goal setting, and compliance in medicine. We tackle the toughest questions, confront cognitive biases, and discuss the real-world challenges faced by both practitioners and patients. Our rebranding to Real Integrative Medicine reflects a broader focus on holistic health management, moving beyond hormonal health to address a wider array of medical topics. Dr. Robertson brings her expertise in integrative medicine to the forefront, critiquing the lack of standardized care and advocating for a universal playbook to guide practitioners in delivering consistent, patient-centered treatment. Listeners are invited to join Dr. Robertson in an intimate and motivational dialogue that covers innovative health strategies, the latest trends in medical literature, and personal wellness practices such as gratitude and journaling. By integrating behavior change, mindset, and medical therapy, Real Integrative Medicine provides a comprehensive approach to achieve optimal health outcomes. Tune in to Real Integrative Medicine to stay informed, inspired, and empowered on your health journey. Join us in both audio and video formats as we share valuable insights and engage in meaningful conversations over the coming weeks.

I promise. You need to get your picture taken.  In this episode I share the mic with my photographer, Laura Benn. We share an intimate conversation about how to get comfortable getting your picture taken and why it’s so important that you do.  Whether you’re in business and need photos for your branding, you’ve avoid family photography or you just need to create more memories, this episode will help you reframe how to think about each picture.  I share my own personal journey with professional photography and how I felt getting my picture taken years ago compared to now and how I’ve changed my perspective. We give you real tips on how to have a great picture taken and how to think about this snapshot in time in your life (and why you’ll want to capture it).  Laura works with women who are looking for professional and branding photography, and I can say, she’s amazing. You can find her on Instagram (@gooseberrystudios) and at her website (https://lauralbenn.com/) PS: I tell a story of a “kids say the darndest things” moment that does include some swearing in this episode. Just an FYI.  

There are a few things that would happen in a one-to-one appointment with patients that change how successful they are. Your health hinges on your ability to execute your habits, and yet we have such difficulty making change.  Here are some new ideas.  In this episode, we talk about my first course, The Pillars of Perimenopause, which is a habit change challenge slash educational program to help you actually change and equip you to have a better health experience in your 40s and 50s.  You can register before May 1, and then we can all start together as a group.  My takeaways for habit change? You need to have a new conversation in your head about your habits and I'll give you the script that will turn everything around.  You need to understand the MVP (minimum viable products) for your habits.  You need to eliminate tension and move the "line" you've drawn around your self-investment.  I hope you join us for the course. It's currently 50% off and has a few fun bonus offers for our first cohort. 

In this week’s episode, we discuss where ‘root cause’ medicine comes from and where things have gone wrong.  I share my insights for how treating the root cause can look like Addressing the risk factors that set you up for a chronic condition  Treating co-morbidities to help improve your health status  Making changes to your lifestyle to reduce your future need for medication or the need for increased medication  Co-supporting long term medication prescriptions to help you get the most out of your prescription.  What root cause medicine isn’t is the relentless pursuit of the one thing that’s gone wrong in your life and health that, if you reverse it, will cause all your health problems to go away.  The inspiration for this episode came after a national news article about how Naturopathic Doctors in Canada are “not” a solution to the healthcare crisis. One of the things the article pointed out is that we search for the root cause, which is harmful. We break down that phrase, and when root cause medicine is important and valuable, and when to let the goal go.

As the youngest of 8 kids, Dr. Sharon Malone watched her mother navigate the world with good old common sense. When she became a gynecologist, author and the health-advocate for thousands of women she took the exact same approach.  Cited as the “first person I turn to for a whole host of issues, especially my health” by Michelle Obama, Sharon has a mission of taking information that used to “belong” to doctors and make it accessible and available to every woman.  In her book, Grown Woman Talk, she covers conditions from fibroids to endometriosis and how to navigate midlife with confidence and health.  In this podcast episode, we talk about how women have more choices than ever in their health care journey and how to be a good “buyer” in the world of health. She shares her advice on how to get a second opinion, and why you are the person with the greatest continuity in your own health journey (and thus should be listened to!).  You can get a copy of Sharon’s book here.   

If we ask a room full of women what their greatest health risk is they either can’t answer, or answer breast cancer.  If we ask people what a typical heart patient looks like, they often have an immediate vision of a man.  If we cram women’s health into a 7-minute health appointment, we probably aren’t asking her about her pregnancy history.  This, is the bad news of women’s heart health.  The good news is, we can change your path. If you listen to this conversation.  Heart health is a woman’s number one health risk, and oftentimes, she’s carrying around sex-specific risk factors (like pregnancy history) that influence her status. In this episode, I’m joined by Cardiac Nurse and Naturopathic Doctor, Dr. Olivia Greenspan who shares her experience on both ends of the spectrum, and why she’s so passionate about teaching you the basics about heart health.  We cover the risk factors nobody has asked you about, how to approach your health care appointments and why you need to start making changes today.  Olivia practices in Ontario and you can find her on her website or on Instagram where she shares practical and pragmatic advice about women’s heart health, especially around menopause. www.oliviagreenspan.ca www.facebook.com/oliviagreenspannd/ IG - @droliviand  

We’ve had a lot of opportunities to do an episode on biohacking. We probably get asked 4-5 times per week to host someone on the show who has a product, supplement, lab test or wearable that they want to talk about.  We’ve pretty much always said no.  Why? Biohacking falls into this weird category of health and wellness that isn’t really evidence-based. It’s so “cutting edge” and so “ahead of the curve” that we don’t know if it works.  In this episode, I share how to think about biohacking from wearables to supplements and the questions to ask yourself (good and bad) before you consider biohacking.  If you’re ready for a more pragmatic approach to your hormonal health, you can still get a free ticket to our menopause summit called Modern Menopause. Get your ticket here.  

If you’ve ever been told you have heartburn, have been medicated for heartburn (and maybe still are) or have wondered if you have heartburn - this episode was recorded just for you.    I’m joined by my colleague and friend, Dr. Dominique Vanier, ND who has been an instrumental part of the education team at The Confident Clinician in the last year, educating more than 700 clinicians about reflux, heartburn and other digestive conditions that feel a lot like heartburn (but might not be!).    In this episode, we’re sharing  Heartburn myths and realities GERD diagnostic challenges Diet's impact on reflux Gut-brain interaction complexities Misdiagnosis and treatment issues Proton pump inhibitors and alternatives What individualized health care looks like (you can improve your symptoms!) If you’re ready for a new perspective on your digestive health, Dr. Vanier is accepting new patients at Clarity Health in Burlington servicing patients in person and virtually all across Ontario. You can find Dr. Dominique Vanier here and follow her on Instagram here.   

In today’s episode, we talk about an important phrase in women’s health   “Listen to your body”   We’re going to break down when you should actually listen to your body and when listening to your body is actually getting in your way of progress.    Exercise is an amazing example, given that when we study exercise, we actually make the participants do the exercise. We don’t ask them if they are too tired or if they “feel like it”. The benefits they get come from the doing. Not from doing it if they want to.    Before you listen to your body, we need to ask a few questions (and we cover them all in the episode).