Advertise on podcast: Redefining Medicine

What if prescribing the medication was only the beginning?   In this episode of Redefining Medicine, Dr. Sanjay Bhojraj, MD, cardiologist and self-described an "ex-conventional cardiologist," explores the importance of looking beyond traditional treatment approaches to prioritize mitochondrial health, metabolic optimization, and comprehensive patient care.   While GLP-1 medications offer significant benefits across multiple areas of health, Dr. Bhojraj emphasizes that their potential is best supported by an integrated approach that addresses nutrition, lifestyle, and the individual needs of each patient. Prescribing the medication is not the finish line; clinicians must also equip patients with the knowledge and guidance needed to support their long-term health.   Drawing on conversations with surgical colleagues who observed increased bleeding concerns and delayed wound healing in some patients early in their GLP-1 treatment journeys, Dr. Bhojraj discusses why clinicians should remain attentive to patient nutrition and overall health throughout treatment.   He also introduces GLP Rescue, a program designed to help individuals who began GLP-1 therapy without adequate dietary counseling gain the lifestyle and nutrition knowledge needed to better support their treatment journey.   Tune in to discover why a prescription alone may not be enough, how lifestyle considerations can complement GLP-1 therapy, and why a more comprehensive approach to metabolic health is essential to redefining patient care.

What happens when a doctor is told, over and over again, that her labs are "normal" while she knows something is very wrong?   On this episode of Redefining Medicine, we welcome Dr. Kyrin Dunston, MD, OBGYN, for a candid conversation about insulin resistance, weight gain, and the often-overlooked physiological changes women experience during menopause.   In her 40s, Dr. Dunston's own health took a dramatic turn. She reached 243 pounds while dealing with IBS, gastritis, severe anxiety and depression, five psychoactive medications, hair loss, and a complete loss of sex drive. She felt and looked decades older than she was. As a physician, she also carried a deep sense of shame that she couldn't seem to fix what was happening to her. Despite having her labs checked at least 10 times, she was repeatedly told everything was normal and that she simply needed to eat less and exercise more - advice countless women have heard themselves.   Then she began to recognize something uncomfortable: she had been giving some of her own patients the same advice.   When one patient returned a year later looking and feeling completely transformed, Dr. Dunston asked what she had done differently. The answer came in the form of a book written by an author she initially didn't take seriously. But when she finally opened it, she discovered a perspective that changed the way she understood her own symptoms and ultimately, the way she practiced medicine.   One unexpected book changed the entire game. Dr. Dunston shares how that discovery led her to look more closely at hormones, metabolic health, and the clinical approach needed to help women move forward through menopause.

What happens when the doctor caring for everyone else realizes she has forgotten to care for herself? On this episode of Redefining Medicine, we welcome Dr. Tanya Beaubrun, MD, Certified Wellness and Lifestyle Empowerment Coach, who shares her deeply personal experience with physician burnout and the journey that helped her find her way back.   After enrolling in the A4M Fellowship in 2015, Dr. Beaubrun experienced what she describes as a meltdown and began questioning whether she was capable of completing the program. What she didn't realize at the time was that she was in the midst of burnout. By returning to the basics and applying the functional medicine principles and tools she learned throughout the fellowship, she began to heal herself and ultimately found a renewed sense of purpose in caring for her patients.   Dr. Beaubrun also discusses the stigma and shame that can surround physician burnout, the pressure doctors feel to maintain an image of perfection, and how the lessons she learned through functional medicine and A4M eventually allowed her to bring a new approach to patient care back to her home of St. Lucia.   How can we truly care for others if we aren't taking care of ourselves first? This honest conversation explores why physician wellness matters and what can happen when doctors give themselves permission to be patients, too.

Why are men encouraged to monitor their testosterone levels while women are often told not to bother checking theirs?   On this episode of Redefining Medicine, OB/GYN Dr. Tara Scott, MD, takes on the double standard surrounding testosterone treatment for women and why it's time for the conversation to change.   From cognition and mood to libido and vaginal health, testosterone can play an important role in women's health. Yet women often face significant barriers when it comes to testing, treatment, and access to appropriate dosing. Dr. Scott explores the history of testosterone research for women, including a promising 300-microgram patch that never received FDA approval despite positive data and no major safety concerns identified in the research discussed.   So, what needs to change?   Dr. Scott dives into the knowledge gap surrounding testosterone in women's health and the importance of helping more OB/GYNs gain the education and confidence to appropriately evaluate and address their patients' hormone needs.   Could greater education and research finally help close the gap in women's hormone care?   Tune in for a thought-provoking conversation that challenges the status quo and asks why women are still being left out of the testosterone conversation.

On this episode of Redefining Medicine, we welcome Dr. David Barzilai, MD, PhD, a longevity medicine physician known as "The Aging Doc" and founder and CEO of Bars Island Juvie. With a focus on helping patients optimize healthspan, Dr. Barzilai explores the connection between longevity, neuroprotection, cardiovascular health, and metabolic health.   Dr. Barzilai discusses how lifestyle choices - including nutrition and physical activity - can play an important role in supporting healthy aging. He explores dietary approaches such as the Mediterranean and ketogenic diets, along with the importance of developing an optimal physical routine to support metabolic health and help prevent insulin resistance.   The conversation also examines the relationship between insulin resistance and age-associated decline, including concerns surrounding cognitive impairment, mild cognitive decline, and dementia. By focusing on the factors we can influence today, Dr. Barzilai offers a practical perspective on how clinicians can approach longevity with an emphasis on protecting both the brain and the heart.   Tune in for an insightful conversation on building a foundation for healthier aging and understanding how the choices we make today can influence our health and longevity for years to come.

On this episode of Redefining Medicine, we are joined by Dr. Suzanne Gilberg-Lenz, a board-certified OB/GYN, educator, and author of Menopause Bootcamp, who has dedicated her career to advancing women's health through an integrative and evidence-informed approach.   Dr. Gilberg-Lenz introduces the concept of epistemic humility - the recognition that medicine is constantly evolving and that clinicians must remain open to new perspectives while understanding the origins and limitations of current medical frameworks. She explains why this mindset is essential to delivering more personalized, patient-centered care.   A passionate advocate for botanical medicine, Dr. Gilberg-Lenz discusses the importance of understanding the safety, efficacy, and quality of herbal therapies. She emphasizes why healthcare providers should be knowledgeable about clinically validated botanicals, trusted manufacturers, and how to confidently incorporate these therapies into patient care.   The conversation also explores several of the top herbs used to support women's health, highlighting their potential benefits and the growing role of botanical medicine in modern clinical practice. Don't miss this insightful discussion on blending scientific rigor with holistic care to better support patients through every stage of life.

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Denise Furness, PhD, a geneticist from Australia who has spent nearly 20 years pioneering the field of nutrigenomics — the study of how our genes interact with diet and lifestyle.   Dr. Furness shares insights from a real-world study she ran with 60 participants using epigenetic clocks to measure biological age, with testing at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months. Of the 60 participants, 41 completed the protocol properly and saw remarkable results.   We dig into what these tests actually measure - including the concept of "pace of aging" - and how different biological age tests can answer different questions depending on what you're looking to learn about your health. Dr. Furness also makes the case for why practitioners in particular should consider testing their own biological age, not just for the data, but as a personal reminder to stay accountable to their own health in everyday life.

On the next episode of Redefining Medicine, we are pleased to welcome Dr. Aimee Duffy - physician, entrepreneur, and founder of Carolina Integrative Medicine. With a background in OBGYN, family medicine, and integrative healthcare, Dr. Duffy has spent her career challenging conventional approaches to patient care and building a practice centered on lasting wellness and meaningful relationships.   In this episode, Dr. Duffy shares her professional journey reflecting on how her early experiences caring for women revealed gaps in her understanding of women's health and inspired her to seek deeper knowledge beyond traditional medical training. That pursuit ultimately led her to establish her own practice that developed a more patient-centered model of care. That practice will celebrate its 15th anniversary in 2026.   Dr. Duffy also discusses the realities of entrepreneurship in medicine, emphasizing the critical role that strong teams play in building a successful practice. From incorporating health coaches as trusted extensions of patient care to mentoring nurse practitioners and future healthcare leaders, she shares valuable insights on creating a collaborative environment that supports both patients and providers.   Don't miss this inspiring conversation as Dr. Duffy explores leadership, innovation, and why physicians can successfully embrace both medicine and entrepreneurship to create a greater impact in healthcare.

On the next episode of Redefining Medicine, we are joined by Dr. Melissa Sundermann, also known as "Dr. Outdoors," a board-certified physician in Internal Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine with nearly 30 years of clinical experience. Trained in integrative medicine at the University of Michigan and currently serving as the Medical Director of Lifestyle Medicine for Corewell Health, Dr. Sundermann is passionate about helping patients reconnect with the healing power of nature and lifestyle-based care. In this episode, Dr. Sundermann reflects on why she stepped away from what she calls "factory medicine" - a healthcare model focused on volume, rushed appointments, and symptom-based prescribing. Wanting to build deeper partnerships with her patients, she shifted toward a more personalized, root-cause approach centered on prevention, lifestyle medicine, and long-term wellness. Dr. Sundermann also explores the fascinating science behind phytoncides which are natural compounds emitted by trees and other living green plants. She explains how spending time in nature and inhaling these compounds may help increase natural killer cell activity, strengthen immune function, reduce stress, and support overall health. Don't miss this insightful conversation as Dr. Sundermann shares how lifestyle medicine, nature exposure, and patient-centered care may hold the key to a healthier and more connected future of medicine.

On the next episode of Redefining Medicine, we are honored to feature Dr. Jeffrey Bland, internationally recognized scientist, entrepreneur, and co-founder of the Institute for Functional Medicine and Metagenics. Widely regarded as the "father of functional medicine," Dr. Bland has spent decades reshaping the future of healthcare through a more personalized, root-cause approach to chronic illness.   In this episode, Dr. Bland reflects on the early questions that sparked his lifelong pursuit to better understand why people become chronically ill. At a time when little research existed around the biology of chronic disease, he became determined to uncover answers that could transform medicine into a more proactive, health-focused model of care.   Dr. Bland also shares how these ideas ultimately led to the formation of the Institute for Functional Medicine in the early 1990s, built on the belief that chronic illness could be addressed through lifestyle, nutrition, and environmental interventions - not just pharmaceuticals. His work helped pioneer a teachable framework that continues to influence the evolution of integrative and longevity medicine today.   Don't miss this inspiring conversation as Dr. Bland explores the origins of functional medicine, the future of personalized healthcare, and why shifting from disease-focused medicine to health-focused care may be one of the most important transformations in modern medicine.

On the next episode of Redefining Medicine, we are excited to feature Dr. Diane Ginsberg, a leading voice in pre- and perimenopause care and a strong advocate for rethinking how we approach women's hormonal health.   IIn this episode, Dr. Ginsberg challenges the traditional reliance on standard blood testing, explaining how hormone levels - particularly estrogen - can fluctuate significantly and still appear "normal" on conventional lab results. She highlights how these fluctuations can profoundly impact the brain and overall well-being, often leaving women misdiagnosed or overlooked within rigid clinical labels.   Looking ahead, Dr. Ginsberg shares her work in developing innovative, AI-driven solutions that integrate genetics and symptom tracking to better assess individual estrogen sensitivity. This forward-thinking approach aims to move beyond outdated frameworks and provide a more personalized, accurate understanding of where a woman falls within the pre-, peri-, or postmenopausal spectrum.   Don't miss this compelling conversation where innovation meets advocacy, and the future of women's health is reimagined through precision, personalization, and a deeper understanding of hormonal complexity.

In this episode of Innovations in Clinical Implementation, recorded live at LongevityFest 2025, hosts Laurie Hofmann and Dr. Lexi Gonzales explore one of the most pressing challenges in metabolic and weight care: how to support meaningful weight loss without compromising lean muscle mass.   They are joined by Dr. Myles Spar, a double board-certified physician specializing in integrative internal medicine, and Dr. Edward Walker, researcher at New Zealand's Plant and Food Research and lead scientist behind Amarasate, the bitter hops extract at the center of Calocurb's appetite control formula.   Together, they discuss how triple satiety hormone activation may offer practitioners a valuable tool for supporting metabolic health, preserving muscle, and improving continuity of care before, during, and after GLP-1 therapy. The conversation also covers body composition monitoring, dosing considerations, endogenous GLP-1 support, and how Calocurb Clinical may fit into more comprehensive, lifestyle-forward care models. For access to episode resources, click HERE.

In this episode of the Innovations and Clinical Implementation podcast, Dr. Lexi Gonzales and Dr. Sunjya Schweig discuss the shift for clinicians from passively consuming AI to actively building custom tools to improve patient outcomes and reduce clinical friction. Key topics include the use of custom GPTs created by uploading specific data, the potential of "vibe coding" for building apps with natural language, and the evolution of AI scribes like Heidi as a "second brain." The conversation also addresses challenges in integrating AI with legacy EMRs, the push for "health record equity," and actionable advice for practitioners to start experimenting with AI tools like NotebookLM for knowledge management and AI dictation like Whisper.   For access to episode resources, click HERE.

In this episode of the Innovations and Clinical Implementation podcast recorded at LongevityFest 2025, host Dr. Lexi Gonzales explores how AI is revolutionizing functional medicine workflows with guests Sunita Mohanty and Crystal Brust. Sunita Mohanty is the CEO and co-founder of Ultralight (formerly Vibrant Practice) and. Crystal Brust is a Stanford-trained functional medicine Physician Assistant and founder of Farm to Functional Medicine. The conversation highlights how the Vibrant Practice platform addresses clinician burnout by integrating AI directly into the electronic health record (EHR) to automate documentation and synthesize complex patient data—such as genetics and timelines—into actionable insights. The guests emphasize that this "full stack" approach not only saves time but transforms the medical record from a static repository into an interactive tool that restores joy, creativity, and confidence to the provider-patient relationship.   For access to episode resources, click HERE.

On the next episode of Redefining Medicine, we are thrilled to feature Dr. Tom O'Bryan, a globally recognized expert in functional medicine and a passionate advocate for improving health outcomes through education and awareness. Dr. O'Bryan is renowned for his dedication to uncovering the root causes of chronic illness and empowering individuals to take control of their health.   In this episode, Dr. O'Bryan delves into the critical role of inflammation as a key mechanism underlying many of the leading causes of death identified by the CDC. He explains how inflammation acts as a common thread in the development of various chronic conditions, offering insights into how addressing this mechanism can lead to better health and longevity.   With a deep commitment to advancing the field of medicine, Dr. O'Bryan has spent decades researching and educating on the connections between lifestyle, environmental factors, and disease. His passion for helping others achieve optimal health shines through as he shares actionable strategies to reduce inflammation and improve overall well-being.   Don't miss this enlightening conversation with Dr. Tom O'Bryan, where science meets compassion, and the path to better health becomes clearer.