Inside VagusFest

In this episode, Dr. Achina Stein and Silvia Covelli share their experience leading the Healing Depression Project, a holistic approach to treating depression that integrates functional medicine, lifestyle changes, and community support. Drawing from their personal experiences with conventional psychiatry, they discuss the frustrations with traditional treatments and the need to address both physical and mental health simultaneously.  The project challenges the conventional narrative around mental health treatment, offering a comprehensive recovery program built on evidence-based practices and a supportive community. Tune into this episode to learn: Why we need alternative approaches to traditional psychiatry How the project integrates functional medicine with metabolic psychiatry to enhance mental health outcomes. How a holistic approach may be especially helpful for those who don’t benefit from medication. How community support is leveraged to support the recovery process. Future goals include expanding the program and making it accessible to a broader audience. And much more! This episode offers insight into how functional medicine and community-based support can reshape mental health care and foster long-term recovery. Please download and share with someone who would like to hear about this opportunity.  

Business of Functional Medicine: Four Entrepreneurial Mindsets for Practice Owners [OM1]   Guest: Ari Meisel Host: Kristen Brokaw Episode # 349 October 2, 2024   In this Business of Functional Medicine podcast episode hosted by Kristen Brokaw, Ari Meisel, a business coach, discusses the importance of productivity and scalability for healthcare providers. He emphasizes the need for providers to shift their mindset from being indispensable to creating systems that allow for growth and delegation. The discussion covers the impact of technology on business practices, the four entrepreneurial mindsets, and strategies for improving patient experiences and communication within practices. Ari also shares insights on effective delegation and the importance of overcoming overwhelm to find hope and success in practice management. Tune into this episode to learn about: How Ari’s "Less Doing" system can help providers become more replaceable in their businesses How technology amplifies existing habits, good or bad Planning for an “exit strategy” to have an eventual option of selling one’s business or stepping into less hands-on, time-intensive role Using delegation to empower team members, not just offload work Improving communication to improve your business and clinical practice

In this week’s episode of the Evolution of Medicine Podcast, we dive deep into the groundbreaking work of Beth Lambert, executive director at Documenting Hope, and Dr. Heather Tallman Ruhm, medical director at Documenting Hope. This powerful conversation centers on reversing autism, addressing chronic pediatric illnesses, and how integrative medicine is playing a critical role in improving children's health. Lambert and Dr. Tallman Ruhm share their personal journeys and the transformative impact of their research on families dealing with autism. They discuss the importance of understanding autism as a spectrum and the various factors—from environmental toxins to total body load—that contribute to chronic illness in children. You’ll also hear about their ongoing research studies and the vital role of community support in helping families navigate these complex challenges. Lambert and Dr. Tallman Ruhm emphasize the power of integrative medicine, and the growing network of practitioners dedicated to addressing autism and chronic illness in children through a holistic lens. Their work is pushing the boundaries of pediatric health and providing new hope for families. Tune in now to learn more about the future of pediatric health and the essential role of community support. When you listen to this episode, you’ll learn:  That in some cases, autism can be reversed Early intervention leads to better outcomes Each child’s health journey is unique and care must be individualized Environmental factors play a key role in the development of autism Genetics are important but not the sole cause—understanding the total load on a child’s system is crucial Community support is essential for families facing autism Documenting cases is critical for scientific validation and future treatment models And much more https://documentinghope.com/

In this inspiring episode, Erin and Gene share their powerful journey from the world of conventional medicine to founding their thriving functional medicine practice, Rising Tide Wellness, in Charleston, SC. Through personal health challenges and professional growth, they discovered the potential of functional medicine to provide the answers they were searching for—not just for themselves, but for their community. This conversation delves into how their partnership fueled their transition, the importance of accountability, and how the support of their local community has been integral to their success. From navigating the challenges of building a practice to embracing personal transformation, Erin and Gene offer a roadmap for practitioners looking to balance heart, structure, and innovation in the evolving world of healthcare. Tune in to learn about: Solutions that functional medicine offers where conventional approaches may fall short How to build a supportive partnership to drive personal and professional growth How a successful practice demands both community integration and personal development How workshops, group coaching, and virtual care can provide flexibility and deeper patient engagement How personal and professional transformations are continuous and impactful Tune in to hear how Erin and Gene are forging new paths in medicine and empowering their community to take charge of their wellness.   Rising Tide Wellness The Business of Functional Medicine: Proactive Business Solutions for a Healthy Practice with Seth Conger

In this episode of the Evolution of Medicine podcast, James Maskell speaks with Emily Kaplan of the Broken Science Initiative. They dive deep into the flaws of modern science, particularly in the context of medicine, and discuss how these issues contribute to the chronic disease epidemic. Emily Kaplan and Greg Glassman of CrossFit co-founded the Broken Science Initiative to address these deep-rooted problems and promote true scientific inquiry. During this episode, you will hear an argument that the modern scientific method, especially in medicine, has become corrupted by political and financial interests, leading to a replication crisis and widespread statistical manipulation. Emily Kaplan also differentiates medicine and public health, criticizing the latter as being more about political consensus than clinical significance, leading to flawed public health policies. Tune in for a conversation that explores: Why there has been a decline in moral obligation to patients in hospital settings The loss of physician authority and how that impacts patients Flawed research and corruption in science Critiques of public health How CrossFit can help reverse the chronic disease epidemic. And much more! This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in understanding the deep issues within the scientific community and how they impact public health and medicine. Episode resources:  The Broken Science Initiative and The Journal Club.

Rob Kress, with a background in pharmacy and herbology, joins James for a compelling discussion on the critical need for men’s health-focused medical practices. This episode is meant to inspire practitioners to create successful, holistic men’s health practices that can effectively address the current men’s health crisis. The conversation stems from the recognition that many existing practices are primarily geared toward women, leaving a gap in addressing men’s specific health needs. Rob Kress shares with listeners his program, Man Unmedicated, which is a 30+ hour training program designed to equip practitioners with both clinical knowledge and coaching skills. Man Unmedicated offers a dual approach to men's health: Functional Medicine Training: Focuses on labs, hormones, medications, and other clinical aspects related to men’s health. Holistic Wellness Training: Covers the "seven peaks of wellness," including physical health, movement, exercise, and emotional/mental well-being, providing a more comprehensive approach to men's health. Listen to the episode to hear more about: Opportunities that come with building men’s health-focused practices The importance of creating relatability and trust with male patients by sharing personal health journeys Strategies for building referral-based, community-centered practices around men's health groups and coaching Ongoing mentorship and support to help practitioners implement this model in their communities And much more The State of Men’s Health Functional Forum, August 2024 Man Unmedicated

Julia Hotz is a journalist and author, who wrote a book called The Connection Cure: The Prescriptive Power of Movement, Nature, Art, Service and Belonging. James and Julia connected because her new book is strikingly synergistic in topic and title to James’ second book, The Community Cure: Transforming Health Outcomes Together, which calls for readers to adopt group care principles to make lifestyle medicine more widely accessible and sustainable. This is an enlivening conversation, where you’ll hear about the data backing social prescribing as an antidote to the most prevalent chronic health issues of this generation: illnesses exacerbated by the loneliness epidemic, such as attention and mood issues and a slew of chronic illnesses. Tune in to learn about: Financial benefits of social prescribing Business solutions for supporting community-based solutions to chronic health issues How science backs social prescribing as an effective solution to ailments like chronic pain, trauma, dementia, diabetes and loneliness Potential for insurance companies to incentivize social prescriptions The benefits of art and nature on health And much more

VagusFest launched in spring 2024, and Dr. Kelly Livingston took the concept and ran with it, creating a sucessful event that engaged her local community members. Dr. Livingston joins this podcast episode to share her experience applying James Maskell’s VagusFest model in Darien, Connecticut. The VagusFest model enables local practitioners to host local community events that demonstrate to local attendees the power of vagal toning, and indirectly, the benefits of lifestyle, functional, or integrative medicine. Functioning as a promotional event for local clinics, VagusFest addresses a public relations issue for functional medicine, which is that the general perception that patients must invest significant time into their health journey before seeing results. VagusFest hosts can showcase how their approach to medicine offers immediate benefits through direct experience at the event. Download and listen to the episode to hear more about: Reasons for practitioners to prioritize nervous system regulation in their practices. Dr. Livingston’s favorite resources on vagal toning, including books by Deb Dana and Stanley Rosenberg. Challenges and successes of previous VagusFest events. The value of group medicine and community engagement. This podcast episode is brought to you by Pulsetto. Pulsetto is a leader in the vagus nerve revolution. Their vagus nerve stimulator is extremely easy to use, great for addressing pain and sleep issues.  Order your first one at goevomed.com/Pulsetto. If you like it and want to order for your patients, you can also order wholesale much like you would do with supplements. This is potentially a powerful tool to use in your practice.   

Expanding upon the July 2024 Functional Forum about reversing cognitive decline, this podcast episode offers the full conversation between Dr. Heather Sandison and James Maskell.  Dr. Sandison is the author of Reversing Alzheimer’s: The New Toolkit to Improve Cognition and Protect Brain Health. In this episode, the guest delves deeper into the potential for functional medicine to reverse dementia, and Dr. Sandison shares her success in using a comprehensive approach to improving cognitive function for patients.  She also discusses challenges and controversies surrounding this approach, including the role of mold and toxins in brain health This is a hopeful discussion that offers listeners: An overview of the factors that clinicans want to consider addressing with dementia patients Findings from clinical trials that use lifestyle and personalized medicine An understanding of cost saving benefits of a functional medicine approach The potential for AI to assist in supporting decision-making protocols And much more!

Kirkland Newman is the founder of MindHealth360, host of the London Functional Forum Community, and is organizing the Integrative Medicine for Mental Health Conference, occurring October 10-13, 2024 just outside of  Washington, DC. The conference aims to bring together various practitioners and professionals in the mental health field to discuss concrete solutions and advancements in mental health care. The conference will address topics such as brain health, technology addiction, gut-brain connection, trauma therapy, genomics, and more. The goal is to bridge the gap between research and clinical practice and provide practitioners with a wider toolbox to address mental health issues. The conference is open to medical and mental health professionals, as well as passionate individuals interested in mental health transformation. This episode offers a preview of cutting-edge perspectives on mental health, including cognitive decline. When you listen, you’ll learn about: Kirkland’s vision to integrate functional medicine into mainstream mental health practices. The epidemic of mental health issues, especially among young people, is a concern, and conventional medical practices seem ill-equipped to address the problem. An introduction to some IMMH speakers, including Dr. Daniel Amen, who focuses on brain health rather than mental health; Dr. Robert Lustig, who discusses technology addiction and the impact of the amygdala on mental health; Dr. Georgia Ede, Dr. Dale Bredesen, and more.  The gut-brain connection, trauma's impact on biochemistry and the gut, and the importance of safe connection and social engagement in healing are also highlighted in the conversation. And much more!