Advertise on podcast: The Autoimmune Doc Podcast w/ Dr. Taylor Krick

Genetics is one of the hottest topics in health—but it’s also one of the most misunderstood. In this episode of The Autoimmune Doc Podcast, Dr. Taylor Krick sits down with Dr. Tyler Panzner PhD to talk about how genetics can actually be used to optimize health—without falling into the trap of thinking genes replace the fundamentals (diet, movement, sleep, stress, and lifestyle). Dr. Tyler shares how his own 23andMe results sparked a deep dive into genetic pathways, why “one-size-fits-all” supplement advice can backfire (especially for sensitive nervous systems), and how to think in terms of biochemical bottlenecks and “big levers” instead of overwhelm-inducing data dumps. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: -Why genetics can be helpful… but never replaces lifestyle basics (eat well, move well, sleep well, breathe well) -The difference between SNPs/variants, alleles, and what heterozygous vs. homozygous really means -Why “having the MTHFR gene” isn’t the point—everyone has the gene, many have mutation(s), his question is - how well is it functioning? -Tyler’s practical framework: finding your biggest biochemical bottlenecks instead of chasing 300-page genetic reports -A nuanced take on precision supplementation (and why “TikTok Shop protocols” can create new problems) -The COMT gene explained: how it impacts dopamine, adrenaline/noradrenaline, estrogen, and even personality tendencies -Why some people feel amazing on certain supplements… and others get anxiety, insomnia, heart palpitations, or overstimulation -How popular flavonoids like quercetin can be a hidden issue for some (even when taken “for allergies” or “for inflammation”) -Why vitamin D status isn’t just about the blood level—receptors + conversion enzymes can change the whole story -A behind-the-scenes look at why genetics research isn’t always “clean” or easy to study (and why clinical pattern recognition matters) Guest Info: Dr. Tyler Panzner, PhD Website: https://drtylerpanzner.com/ If you’ve ever tried “the right supplement” and felt worse… or you’ve been told your genes are a “life sentence”… this conversation will give you a clearer, calmer, and more empowering way to think about genetics and healing.

This podcast is sponsored by Micro Balance Health Products. Use code AUTOIMMUNEDOC for 15% off your order at  www.microbalancehealthproducts.com Travel is great - you can see the world, see old friends, see new places, have an adventure.....I'm a big fan of all those things. I love traveling, but sometimes it comes at a cost.  I hear stories ALL THE TIME of people flaring during or after traveling, and in this episode I share plenty of those stories. Sometimes that's an autoimmune flare when someone has a known autoimmune disease like Hashimoto's, Rheumatoid Arthritis, MS, Lupus, or any other diagnosis. Sometimes it's just a symptom flare - you feel more anxious, more inflamed, more foggy, more histamine-y, more bloated, your gut and digestion are thrown off, whatever it may be - you flare.  In this podcast, I talk about flares while traveling in detail. I break it down into 3 sections to make it more digestible and actionable: 1. STORIES - stories of flares that you might relate to - I've heard hundreds! Hearing stories lets you know that it's not just you, and the hope is that you can relate to some of these stories because they are all unique and different.  2. MECHANISMS/REASONS - why would someone flare while traveling? When you know the mechanisms, you can try to get ahead of them. I give my Top 4 Reasons  for flares while traveling. 3. SOLUTIONS - what can you do about it? How can you protect yourself? I throw out a handful of ideas, options, and potential solutions to consider to AVOID the next flare and help you ENJOY your travels - whether it's diet and avoidance, traveling with certain supplements, or keeping your air quality clean while away - the options AWAY from home are not always the same as the options at HOME - so it's important to know how you can protect yourself.  Have you even flared while traveling? What do you think caused it? What did you do about it? Send this to someone you know who might value from this episode!

This podcast is sponsored by Micro Balance Health Products. Use code AUTOIMMUNEDOC for 15% off your order at  www.microbalancehealthproducts.com Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), Histamine Intolerance (HIT), and other mast-cell-mediated pathologies are becoming more and more well-recognized - -partially thanks to COVID and the changes we have seen in the world since 2020, partially thanks to new science and research, partially based on social media and educational platforms like mine - - but there is still a lot of misunderstanding, incorrect information and people suffering, even in the alternative wellness world, so today I wanted to TALK ABOUT IT. (The conventional world is about 10 years behind on this, so best of luck if you are looking for histamine answers there!)   Histamine and mast cell stuff is quite interesting once you learn to recognize and understand it, and in a functional wellness practice that helps complex or multi-system conditions it is RAMPANT - - I actually recorded this podcast earlier today then I started seeing people (I'm now writing these notes after work), and literally SINCE I RECORDED THE AUDIO, I've heard 3-4 more stories that could have easily made it into this episode!!  Mast cells and their expression, activation and release of histamine (and other inflammatory mediators) are associated with autoimmune diseases like Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn's, Ulcerative Colitis), but perhaps more importantly associated with everyday symptoms like congestion, runny nose, vertigo, bloating, abdominal pain, headaches/migraines, insomnia, heart palpitations, lightheadedness, nausea, diarrhea, reflux, brain fog, skin itching, anxiety, depression, fatigue, and more - the things people show up with in a functional practice, and the things that often look "fine" to the specialists, and this can make people feel like they are going crazy.  In this episode, I "talk about" everything I know about histamine. That's A LOT, too much to type it all out in the show notes, that's why I turn the mic on and talk into it, because I'm better at talking than typing, so please listen :) BUT, in this episode I cover a lot of stuff - my favorite mentors and books that I have learned from, the concept of the "histamine bucket", the basic understanding of mast cells and what they are, where they are (gut, sinus, skin, etc), what histamine is, how histamine is degraded or broken down, the common symptoms, the diagnostic criteria for these diseases, I'm sure I share some personal opinions besides just all the science and facts, and I talk about how I put this into a framework for people who are looking to get well, and WHAT and HOW I USE some of my favorite tools to help people, and some stories that I hear everyday about how these things are working, which is often really well. Check it out, and please leave a rating, a review, and send this episode to a friend! Anxiety, Mast Cell Activation, and LPS (Youtube video) Mast Cells in Pain, Neuroinflammation, and Alzheimer's (study review on Youtube)

This podcast is sponsored by Micro Balance Health Products. Use code AUTOIMMUNEDOC for 15% off your order at  www.microbalancehealthproducts.com This podcast is a perfect transition from my last podcast where I interviewed an ENT surgeon, because the people I'm speaking to and referring to in this episode - people with head "fullness", ear "pressure", or "head drainage issues" - have almost ALWAYS been to an ENT, but they are still left with very few answers, and that's the frustrating thing - they are often getting NO ANSWERS or HELP - and that's why they come to me.  I will admit that I'm recording this podcast just to "talk about" these mechanisms and symptoms that often run together, because I see these things really often and many times I'm able to help quite a bit, but no two people have the same story - and there are a lot of moving pieces when we look deeper into the mechanisms involved, root causes, and differential diagnoses - but there are a lot of things that overlap with these cases, and targets that we can look into or begin aiming at. Very often people present in my office complaining of some combination of: Head "fullness" - the head feels "full" or "heavy" or like it "doesn't drain"Dizziness, lightheadedness, vertigo, tinnitus, or other vestibular issues with motion, crowds, flashing lights, etc Ear "pressure" - there is some unresolving ear pressure, often one-sided, or the feeling that the ears won't "equalize"Pressure "changes" - with incoming storm fronts, airplanes, altitude changes, or with no rhyme or reasonLymph stagnation or swollen/tender lymph nodes - around the ear, neck, base of skullNeck pain - stiff neck, headaches, tight postural muscles, "coat-hanger" painHistamine responses - allergies, sensitivities, or other mast-cell mediated pathologies or symptomsDrainage or mucus production - nasal or post-nasal drip, or feel congestedAnxiety/Panic/Stress Response - this often leads to more "danger signals", fight-or-flight, anxiety, panic, overthinking, etc Is this mold? Is this biofilms? Is it viral? Is this from gut dysbiosis? Is this toxin accumulation? Is this the glymphatic system in the brain not draining? Is it TMJ or subluxation of the C1 atlas bone? Is this vagus nerve? Or - is this some combination?? In this podcast, I just "talk about" the people I see with these symptoms, the mechanisms that are often involved, the mysteries that are often involved, the tools available and the success that many can have. I talk about the different targets, like lymphatic drainage of the brain and Th2 inflammation, I talk about different strategies, like air quality control, nasal applications, supplements, chiropractic care, lymphatic drainage techniques, and much more. I just like to TALK ABOUT these things, but also give potential action steps, with the hope that it helps somebody out there who might have a similar problem - and I think this episode and the information given will end up helping SOMEONE - so send it to someone that you think needs to hear it!

This podcast is sponsored by Micro Balance Health Products. Use code AUTOIMMUNEDOC for 15% off your order at  www.microbalancehealthproducts.com I'm really excited about this episode! I spent a lot of my early life in ENT offices, so I've personally always been really intrigued by the science of sinus inflammation and sinusitis for understanding my own health problems, but I've also been very discouraged by the conventional treatments and (lack of) solutions offered by conventional Ear Nose and Throat doctors. Dr. Don Dennis MD FACS is different. As an ENT surgeon who was seeing chronic sinusitis every day, he started asking the question "WHY?" which led him to investigate the problems associated with air quality and specifically MOLD TOXICITY.  If you have listened to this podcast, you know I am passionate about air quality - whether it be molds, mycotoxins, allergens, particulates, VOCs, endotoxins, or whatever is in the air - we need to breathe clean air. I have interviewed clients,  pediatricians, MDs, DOs, PTs, Indoor Environmental Professionals about this topic. We KNOW that mold makes people sick - that info has been around since the Old Testament - but Dr. Dennis lets us know a little bit more about HOW and WHY this works.  Some of things I found the most interesting in our conversation: Molds like dark, warm, moist places and can colonize sinuses and noses. Cleaning out the sinuses with antifungals can be a GAME-CHANGER for some people! Dr. Dennis tells some amazing stories, and even plays audio from a patient herself.The immune system responds to molds in the environment with Eosinophils (white blood cells), and these eosinophils come into nasal mucosa and can form "pits", where mucus accumulates. The cilia can't effectively clear the mucus, so it becomes infected and inflamed, and the "microbial burden" grows, including Staph, Pseudomonas (normal residents of the nose) and MOLD, and these bugs can sometimes form biofilms which make them antibiotic resistant. Mayo clinic showed that over 90% of chronic sinus infections had a fungal component involved, and he discusses those studies. Molds release toxins called MYCOTOXINS. Mycotoxins ACCUMULATE in sinus tissue. When Dr. Dennis has biopsied and tested sinus mucosa, there are abundant mycotoxins stored in the mucosal tissue. The sinuses are RIGHT NEAR THE BRAIN. These tiny little airborne toxins can go right up the olfactory nerve into the brain and accumulate in the brain - they are fat-soluble neurotoxins - in areas like the pituitary that regulates our thyroid, adrenals, stress response, growth hormone (healing) and more.Someone might show 3 toxins on a toxin test (Dr. Dennis prefers urine mycotoxin testing), but when you biopsy their tissue, like the pituitary tissue in the brain for example, there might be MORE. It's hard to measure what all has accumulated in the tissue. In his words, it's a toxic soup up there. Because of his experience over the last nearly 40 years as an ENT, Dr. Dennis has a LOT of expertise on air quality and we discuss certain tools like ozone, ionizers, purifiers, mold testing plates, mold dogs, and more. Dr. Dennis has developed tools to help people - - both professionally as a sinus surgeon, but he also formulated all of the MicroBalance Health Products and EC3 products - they make mold neutralizing candles, cleaning wipes, fogging spray, laundry additives, and more. If you have an autoimmune disease, mold toxicity, or sinus issues, you will love this conversation! Please leave a rating, a review, or better yet - send this to someone you love or care about - or anyone with a nose and brain :)

OUR NEW, 4-MODULE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM - MAKING SENSE OF PANS/PANDAS!! Youtube video - Scientific Study Review - OCD and Autoimmunity Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder has been around for a long time. PANS - Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome, and PANDAS - Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Strep - are a little bit newer and trendier terms, but, it's because we are seeing more and more kids presenting with sudden behavioral shifts, motor tics, and OCD tendencies, and very often it's after Strep infections. Did you know that these are AUTOIMMUNE CONDITIONS??  Here is a brief explanation of how that works, using Strep infection as an example. Check out the podcast for much more detail, or better yet, check out our online educational program Making Sense of PANS/PANDAS where we go deeper and I show slides, pictures, I review studies, I explain lab testing options, supplements, support strategies, additional resources, but you ALSO learn about the mental health side of things from my good friend and counselor Alicia Howe LCPC, who specializes in treating OCD.  SO - a kid (or adult) gets Strep throat (or many other infections). The immune system produces ANTIBODIES to "flag" Strep and produces INFLAMMATION to go "kill" Strep. We want this to happen. The problem is, that the body can "mistakenly" flag (antibodies) and attack (inflammation) its self - - THAT'S WHAT AUTOIMMUNITY IS - - and in this case, antibodies and autoimmune inflammation can impact dopamine signaling in areas like the basal ganglia - - that's why another name for this is autoimmune encephalitis or basal ganglia encephalitis. This can drive different responses like FEARS, ANXIETY, EMOTIONAL OUTBURSTS, EATING DISORDERS, EMOTIONAL LABILITY, MOTOR TICS, OBSESSIONS, COMPULSIONS, and more.  As with ANY health condition or symptom, the key isn't some "miracle drug" to treat this condition, the key is to UNDERSTAND WHAT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING - - because understanding the mechanisms helps you understand the solutions, and helps you get actual results. The hope of this podcast, and our online educational program especially, is that we can help parents or others suffering to understand a bit more about what's going on and what they can do about it - - so share this with somebody who you think it could help!

According to Dr. Google, "Dysbiosis refers to an imbalance in the composition and function of the microbial community within a body, particularly the gut microbiome. This imbalance can lead to various health issues, including digestive problems, inflammatory conditions, and even neurological and mental health concerns." In the medical or scientific world, you would have to live in a cave to not know the word "dysbiosis" - - it's ALL OVER the scientific literature, it's a popular buzzword on the internet, and along with "leaky gut" it's REALLY, REALLY important for autoimmunity - - but what exactly does that MEAN?!?! It just means imbalance of living things in the body, but it is a MAJOR DRIVER of inflammation, permeability, immune imbalances, histamine, autoimmune progression, and SYMPTOMS.  Did you know you can have dysbiosis of the ear canal and that drives inner ear inflammation? Did you know you can have dysbiosis of the mouth and it drives gingivitis and cavities?  Did you know you can have dysbiosis of the sinus, lung, vaginal tract, or skin? Dysbiosis is bad, it drives inflammation, and the solutions are generally to "pull weeds and plant seeds" - - but still - - HOW DO YOU KNOW, HOW CAN YOU MEASURE IT, and WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT IT?!?! That's what this podcast breaks down - - (some of) the tools I use in an effort to suspect dysbiosis (symptoms), detect dysbiosis (labs), or address dysbiosis (action steps)  - - some of my favorite probiotics, antimicrobials, and more.

Bloating is one of the most common symptoms that I see, if not THE SINGLE MOST COMMON COMPLAINT I HEAR IN PRACTICE (but anxiety is up right there....).  Honestly, I see great results with bloating and feel confident that I can help improve this complaint, but over the years I have realized that there are different "types" of bloating - - there can be gas production, food reactivities, intestinal inflammation, uterine/ovarian inflammation, maldigestion, water retention, or all-of-the-above could be happening at the same time - and all these can lead to the feeling of abdominal distention and make someone say "I just feel BLOATED!" I used to think that almost all bloating was fermentation of foods from imbalanced gut bacteria (dysbiosis - my next podcast episode!!!), but as I've helped hundreds of cases of bloating throughout the years, I now realize that not all "bloating" is the same thing - there is fermentation and gas production yes, which can come from Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO), and this is STILL the single-most common driver, but what if it's NOT SIBO? What if it's SIFO (fungal overgrowth)? What if it's LOW bacteria in the gut? What if they have H. pylori or a parasite? What if it's not from gut dysbiosis? What are the MECHANISMS THAT MAY BE INVOLVED? How can we test for these things, and WHAT CAN WE DO?!?! In this podcast I discuss how I approach these cases, what the mechanisms might be, and how I differentiate bloating from foods vs. bloating from inflammation vs. bloating from histamine vs. bloating from water retention vs. bloating from hormone cycles - and how I might  address each of these differently so that someone comes back in and says "MY BLOATING IS GONE!", which is a great thing to hear :)

In this episode, I interview my friend and colleague Dr. Roberta Van Zant DO, a functional medicine expert in many areas, but especially Lyme disease and tick-borne infections.  Due to several reasons, including my background training as a chiropractor, scope of licensure (can't prescribe....), my practice style (cash-based consultations services - no insurance), and some other reasons that I discuss in the podcast, I personally don't dive as deep into infections as many other practitioners do - Lyme, Bartonella, EBV, CMV, HHV, HSV, Strep, Pseudomonas, Mycoplasma, etc - but that doesn't mean I don't think they matter in autoimmunity, they matter A LOT.  Everyone knows that infections drive inflammation.  Everyone knows when they have the flu they don't want to get out of bed. Everyone knows when they have strep throat they can't hardly swallow. Everyone remembers 2020. My kids even know this stuff. Fevers, coughs, lethargy, earaches, belly aches, headaches - that's an immune response, and it's a GOOD THING most of the time. BUT, then it can get confusing when you go deeper than surface-level!  There are a lot of different "types" of infection - acute, chronic, something you picked up from your kids vs. something that's been living inside of your body that has become imbalanced (yeast, SIBO, etc) vs. something that "reactivates" like a virus....then there are RNA viruses and DNA viruses, there are tick-borne infections that can lay dormant or be passed in utero to babies, there are biofilm colonies of bugs (which Dr. Van Zant describes as a "party" that we don't know who all is at at the party, but we know it's going on inside of us.....I love that!), and there are GOOD BUGS TOO - and it can be confusing.  SO, in this episode, Dr. Van Zant and I discuss all of these things and more, including testing, treatment, some clinical tools we use, some reasons for why we do what we do when we do it, while both having the same goal - trying to help people get better. 

In a recent podcast interview, a pediatrician friend of mine asked "Wait, who is this mold testing guy you keep talking about?" When I told him about Ben Kunze of Golden Environmental LLC, he was jealous, and rightfully so - there aren't many mold-testers out there who are as good as Ben, as honest as Ben, and who care about the people they serve as much as Ben. We REALLY, REALLY value having him here in Central Illinois, he has also become my friend and occasionally he kicks my butt on the mountain bike trails :) If you are local, you should call Ben. MOST of my podcast audience is not from Central Illinois, but I still think this episode will be helpful and educational to hear what a GOOD INSPECTOR LOOKS FOR. I just had someone in my practice who had Ben out to her house, he found some really, really important puzzle pieces that needed to be addressed - but her house had been previously inspected and remediated more than once, but she was still experiencing weird health symptoms. She was MAD at the previous inspectors, but she was so grateful for Ben!! Unfortunately, we hear that quite often. Ben Kunze has a great purpose-driven story. He was intrigued by mold and indoor air testing after a family member was experiencing health concerns that led them to discover mold, and he took on an apprenticeship under Martine Davis, a well-known mold/environmental inspector out of Wisconsin, then began his own testing business, which grew into a full-time job. Since then, Ben has tested over 1000 homes.  When you've inspected 1000 homes, you start to notice trends, patterns, common themes, mistakes, etc - and that is what this episode is all about - what Ben has seen and what YOU should be looking out for in your home. Ben's job is literally to snoop around your whole house - the roof, gutters, windows, plumbing, basement, attic, bathroom, etc. I am embarrassed to admit that Ben has been into places in my house that I have never even been! He spends several hours at each job visually inspecting, taking pictures, measuring humidity levels, and taking lab samples when indicated, and then he provides the results of course, but also gives an EXTENSIVE and DETAILED written report covering everything from lab values that were found to remediation considerations and priorities. I tell people that Ben has two questions he asks when he's looking at a home/building: 1. If I were water, where would I go? 2. If I were mold, where could I grow?  His knowledge and experience are amazing, his service is amazing, and I've personally seen him impact hundreds of people's lives and their health journeys, and that's the point of this episode - it's a great conversation that covers a lot of important topics, and my hope is that it can be really helpful for someone who is trying to navigate the sometimes-overwhelming world of mold, mold testing, mold remediation, air quality in general, and environmentally-acquired illnesses.  As always leave a rating, a (good) review, or send this to someone you care about!

Michael Rubino is a name I've heard a lot the past few years in the mold and indoor environmental air quality world, which if you've listened to this podcast you know this is something I am also very passionate about. He wrote a book a few years ago called The Mold Medic, an Expert's Guide on Mold Removal that we have on our shelves (someone actually has it checked out right now!), he hosts a podcast called Never Been Sicker, and he's heavily involved with a few great organizations, including: The Dust Test - one of the best available DIY lab tests for people who are suspicious of mold or want to test their home.....I actually reviewed Dust Test results with an out-of-state client this morning! Home Cleanse - a nationwide mold and indoor air quality remediation service that can help make this seem less overwhelming, guide the process, connect you with local contractors, but also help make sure that things get done right....which is the most important part! Change the Air Foundation - Michael is the chair of this foundation, along with a few key partners that we chat about in the podcast, and their mission is to make larger-scale impact on this problem of "air quality" and mold specifically by focusing on research, education and pushing for change from the top down (government) and from the bottom up (resources for YOU to clean YOUR ENVIRONMENT). They have a ton of free educational resources and downloads, and they even have helped push new legislation through improving "mold remediation" standards in my home state of Illinois! In this podcast we talk in more detail about some of these companies and the things moving and shaking in the mold world, from policy changes to action steps you can take TODAY at home, so listen to the episode and click the links to learn more.  The companies that Michael is involved with tell you a lot about his heart for helping people and his personal mission and purpose - to educate people about the problem(s) we are facing that are associated with our air quality and the various components like mold, mycotoxins, and other indoor environmental allergens, irritants, toxins....and offer people solutions. This aligns so well with my purpose and mission - to educate about the underlying causes, mechanisms, and potential solutions for autoimmunity, in an effort to help relieve suffering - and air quality is one of the most important and most overlooked topics. I hope you enjoy this conversation, I know I did! As always, please leave a rating, give a (good) review, or send this to someone you care about!

STRESS -  we all got it. Haha - - What can you do? Try to understand it more!  I see all kinds of "stress-related" cases - autoimmune disease flares, stress-related gut flares, "adrenal fatigue" symptoms, being "easily triggered by trivial stimuli" like noises, lights, motion, even toxins, viruses, food triggers - - it's all "stress" in some regard. In this episode I talk about stress, and more specifically, I go into deeper detail about the mechanisms of stress chemistry - - not just cortisol, the most famous stress hormone, but also other components of stress - the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system, the HPA axis and adrenals, other stress hormones like neurotensin, neurotransmitters like epinephrine aka adrenaline, dopamine beta hydroxylase and other genetics, and the available functional testing and natural solutions, the pros and cons, my clinical thought processes, and really just rant on about stress for 45 minutes. I hope this helps someone manage their "stress chemistry" better!

OK SO - - in 2025, I am starting to do a new thing on the podcast called "Dr. Taylor Talks About _____" in an effort to just make more content and share more of my opinions, views, and interpretations. I hate to say this, but I've developed a certain amount of expertise and when I share my viewpoint(s), people tend to value my opinion, so I want to share my thoughts more regularly on common topics. My opinion is not always right, it's usually open-minded and subject to change, but I like talking about my views, how I have come to those views, the evidence and the way that I see it, and people think it's very helpful, which is my only goal, and it helps them navigate their health journey. These episodes will not really be that much different than before, but this is the first "episode" of Dr. Taylor Talks About ____, and what a better topic than: SOCIAL MEDIA AND ONLINE HEALTH ADVICE - is it a gift, or is it a curse? Today's health and wellness landscape is seriously getting pretty crazy with Instagram, Youtube, TikTok, podcasts, etc. Everybody coming in to my office is basically regurgitating their newsfeed to me - - I think I have parasites! Can we test for heavy metals? I started taking Shilajit and Collagen and Zeolites and Hydrogen Water because they sound so amazing, but I still feel like crap! I looove having these super-educated people in my practice, but if you are coming to me for advice, why don't you ask ME what you should do instead of trying internet trends? ALL of these trends are things I know a lot about and tools that I sometimes use. But MOST OF IT is not what I would suggest you do for yourself, your symptoms, or your family. All of this increased "wellness" exposure through social media is great because it is shining a light on my profession, shining a light on the issues with environmental toxins or pharmaceuticals, and shining a light on natural options to support human physiology - but it also muddies the waters and makes it hard to know what YOU NEED - and that's all I care about. In this episode I rant on all of these things - marketing, miracle cures, big accounts, social media experts, podcast superstars, trendy supplements and hot topics, and how to navigate this and sift through the INFO to find what you actually need. 

This podcast is another GREAT conversation with my friend Pejman (the other doctor K, haha) that we recorded recently. I also put this on our Youtube channel, but here is the audio. It's a long conversation, but we could have easily kept going!!  I think Dr. Pejman Katiraei is an amazing doctor, educator, and he has become my friend who I love having discussions with. He is a pediatrician, and when you listen to him talk you can immediately hear how much he cares for these poor children and families that he sees suffering from ADHD, OCD, PANS/PANDAS, autism, anxiety/depression, failure to thrive, early puberty, etc - he obviously has a big heart for these kids. He is a great question-asker, always asking the question - "WHY?" Why are these kids' brains inflamed? Why are their guts a wreck? Why are they folate or D3 deficient? Why are their mitochondria dysfunctional?  The question of WHY often leads an inquiring mind upstream to root causes like MOLD TOXICITY and MYCOTOXIN EXPOSURE. Mold toxicity is so prevalent today and yet so often overlooked in these kids - and in adults too, which is more my client population, but I work with kids as well. Both of us have come to this conclusion separately - by asking WHY it has led both of us to spend the last decade plus learning more about the science, evidence, mechanisms, and strategies to understand, detect, and correct mold-related illness, which we have both applied in practice with great success, even though we don't always use the same strategies. In this video we talk about a TON of stuff, including labs, supplements, gut health, LPS, heavy metals, parasites, and many other important topics, and I think this will be really helpful especially for a parent trying to solve their child's (or their own) health puzzle.

Let's face it - being in pain sucks. That's kind of part of it, right?? So obviously people with pain, especially chronic pain, want some relief. That's why pain is a leading cause of disability, and pain management is a multi-billion dollar-per-year industry. But WHY WOULD SOMEONE BE IN PAIN IN THE FIRST PLACE??? That's what a functional medicine approach looks at! Pain has many mechanisms, and as a chiropractor I have seen and successfully treated a lot of pain. In fact, I probably saw more straight-up "pain" in my former practice doing more musculoskeletal work, and chiropractic care is great for pain relief and much more. Nowadays, I see pain from other causes like autoimmune diseases, and see great success by taking a functional medicine approach to pain. Pain can have many forms - it can be from wear-and-tear and old age, injuries, autoimmune inflammation, it can be exacerbated by overuse, stress, food sensitivities, anything that can drive inflammation - or it may be "unexplained". It can be called shooting pain, burning pain, stabbing pain, growing pains, osteoarthritis, "bone-on-bone", numbness, tingling, neuropathy, bone pain, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, muscle pain, soreness, mixed-connective tissue disease, fibromyalgia.....you may be told you have "degeneration", or "inflammation", a "pinched nerve", or you may be told "everything looks normal". There are a lot of possibilities! The point is that there are many mechanisms to pain, and a functional medicine approach considers all the possible root causes, then we look deeper to evaluate the mechanisms, then we develop strategies to control the root source of pain. That's what this podcast is all about - - how you can determine a bit more about your "pain" by evaluating the mechanisms, looking at lab tests, looking for and eliminating triggers, decreasing you inflammation by following different dietary and supplement protocols to not only get you out of pain in the short-term, but also decrease your pain in the LONG-TERM by addressing the real root cause(s).