Episodios
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In this episode of the Mind Gut Conversation podcast, I sit down with Dr. Tim Spector, an internationally renowned expert in microbiome science and personalized nutrition, as well as an acclaimed author.
He is a professor of genetic epidemiology at Kingâs College London and honorary consultant physician at Guyâs and St. Thomasâ National Health System FoundationTrust.
He founded TwinsUK in 1992, one of the richest collections of clinical data in the world. He is the lead researcher behind the worldâs biggest citizen science health project â the Covid Symptom Study app, and is the scientific co-founder of the company ZOE.
Throughout his career, Dr. Spector has received many awards and prizes, and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology and the Academy of Medical Sciences. He has published over 900 scientific papers and is ranked by Google as being in the top 100 most cited scientists in the world.
In addition to his scientific publications, he has published four popular books, including the best-selling Diet Myth, Spoon-Fed, and more recently Food for Life â a Sunday Times bestseller.
During this episode, we talk about a wide range of topics, including precision nutrition, gut health and longevity. Some key questions & topics we discuss are:
⢠What is precision nutrition, and why do we need it?
⢠Gut microbes and metabolic health
⢠Does gut health play a causative role in longevity?
⢠What is ZOE, and what can ZOE do for me?
We hope you enjoy the episode! To learn more, check out the ZOE Science & Nutrition podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/zoe-science-nutrition/id1611216298
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In this episode of the Mind Gut Conversation podcast, I speak with Dr. Eric Verdin, one of the worldâs experts on healthy aging and longevity. Dr. Verdin is president and CEO of the Buck Institute for Research of Aging, the worldâs only research institution singularly focused on the biology of aging.During this episode, we talk about a number of fascinating topics, including:1) Besides lifestyle modifications, what are the most promising strategies to increase the health span in humans?2) What is the reason for the progressive increase in centenarians in different parts of the world?3) What role do genes play in longevity?Enjoying our podcast? Please leave us a review and any feedback to improve our show!
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In this episode of the Mind Gut Conversation podcast, I talk to Dr. Gerd Gigerenzer, an icon in the field of intuition research and gut-based decision making.
Dr. Gigerenzer is the long-time director at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin and the director of the Harding Center for Risk Literacy at the University of Potsdam. He is the author of the award-winning popular books Calculated Risks, Gut Feelings, Risk Savvy and How To Stay Smart In A Smart World, which have been translated into more than 20 languages.
He has trained U.S. federal judges, physicians and top managers in decision-making. The Swiss Duttweiler Institute has distinguished Gigerenzer as one of the top 100 Global Thought Leaders worldwide.
During this episode, we talk about a number of fascinating topics, including:
- What are the main differences between a rational and an intuitive decision?
- Are females better in making intuitive decisions, or is this idea a prejudice based on our paternalistic bias?
- Does the advantage of decisions based on intuition vs rational thinking depend on the context?
- Does AI make intuitive decisions?
Are you enjoying our podcast? Please leave us a review and any feedback to improve our show!
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In this episode of the MGC podcast, I speak with Dr. Laurie Keefer, a Health Psychologist and Professor of Medicine and Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. Dr Keeferâs scientific contributions include the development and implementation of self-management and behavioral intervention tools, known as brain-gut behavior therapies for conditions such as Crohnâs disease, ulcerative colitis, IBS and gastroesophageal reflux disease. Dr. Keefer is Founder and Chair of the Rome Foundationâs international GastroPsych organization and serves on the Board of Directors of the Rome Foundation. She has more than 250 peer-reviewed publications and is a sought-after speaker, mentor and collaborator. Among several other topics, we talk about:1) The importance of brain gut behavior therapies in inflammatory and functional GI disorders.2) The long term resistance of the medical community to accept such non pharmacological therapies.3) How she decides which behavioral approach to chose for individual patients.
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In this episode of the Mind Gut Conversation podcast, I talk to Dr. Barney Schlinger, a passionate naturalist, incredible scientist and author of the recently published book, The Wingsnapppers: Lessons from an exuberant tropical bird.
Dr. Schlinger is a Professor in the Departments of Integrative Biology and Physiology, in the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior and holds several prestigious positions at UCLA.
He has been funded by the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation for over 30 years and is the author of nearly 190 peer reviewed scientific articles in high impact journals.
During this episode, we talk about the fascinating story behind the unique courtship of tropical birds, including the unexpected roles of: diet, sex hormones, the digestive system and the brain, that lead to this fascinating behavior.
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In this episode of The Mind Gut Conversation, I speak with Dr. Jennifer Fulcher, an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases at UCLA, and a rising star in the Goodman Luskin Microbiome Center at UCLA.
Her research is supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institute on Drug Abuse, the Doris Duke Foundation, and the California HIV Research Program. Her current research focuses on the effects of HIV and substance use on the gut and oral microbiomes.
In our conversation, we addresses some intriguing questions, including:
1) Does the gut microbiome play a role in resilience and resistance to viral infections?
2) Does gut dysbiosis and inflammatory blood markers precede HIV infection?
3) What is the role of the microbiome in susceptibility and severity of COVID-19?
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In this episode of The Mind Gut Conversation, I speak with Dr. Rima Kaddurah-Daouk, Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Psychiatry at Duke University Medical School and internationally recognized thought-leader in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer disease.
Dr. Kaddurah currently leads and coordinates an international multi-center research consortium, the Alzheimerâs Disease Metabolomics Consortium or ADMC which consists of more than 120 scientists from over 30 academic institutions.
She has published over 140 peer reviewed scientific publications, leads a large number of active NIH grants and in 2018, she ranked as the highest funded researcher in departments of psychiatry nationally. Dr. Kaddurah has more than 60 patents or patent applications on use of metabolomics for the diagnosis and treatment of brain diseases.
Topics we discuss in this podcast include:
1) What are the major scientific breakthroughs in our understanding of AD that have come from the ongoing research of the NIH AD consortium?
2) The scientific approach on which the AD grant is based on is radically different from the classical reductionistic biomedical research strategy and is based on systems biology and the paradigm of interconnectedness. Based on the lack of progress in effective treatments for AD to date, do you believe this new approach has a better chance of success?
3) Are there any new therapeutic strategies emerging from this new research?
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In this episode of the MGC podcast, I talk to Dr. Wayne Jonas, a pioneer and world-renowned in integrative health and healthcare delivery. Dr. Jonas is President of the Healing Works Foundation, whose mission is to make whole person, integrative care regular and routine. He has published two paradigm-challenging books: How Healing Works: Get Well and Stay Well Using Your Hidden Power to Heal; and together with Dr. Alyssa McManamon, his most recent book: Healing and Cancer - a must read for anybody involved in the care of cancer patients.In this episode, we discuss a wide range of topics including:The purpose of Dr. Jonas' latest book, bringing the concepts of healing and whole person care further into oncology and healthcare so that people diagnosed with cancer feel better and live longer.Current cancer care focuses on killing the cancer cell, and in the process supports a major industry to do that more effectively. However, killing cancer cells isnât the whole story.According to the concept of salutogenesis, when all systems are working well, a person with cancer can actively heal. Like a computer program running in the background, healing of the person is a process occurring all the time.
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In this episode of the Mind Gut Conversation podcast, I speak to professor Joel Dore, an internationally known expert on the gut microbiome and Research Director at the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment, INRAE. Joelâs main research interest is the molecular assessment of the human intestinal microbiota in health and disease and investigation of the molecular cross-talk between intestinal bacteria and human cells. He has published more than 220 publications in peer reviewed scientific journals. We discuss a wide range of topics, including the following questions:1. Utility of currently available stool microbiome tests. 2. Are the unique characteristics of the gut microbiome adaptions to a rapidly changing environment including diet, medications, environmental chemicals like forever chemical, microplastics, other xenobiotics, causing a mismatch with our very slowly changing innate immune system which isnât able to keep up?3. Is there solid evidence to say that gut microbial diversity and richness plays a role in resilience to several diseases?4. What are the major clinical applications of microbiome science?
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In this episode of the MGC podcast, I talk to Dr. Robert Lufkin, author of the recent book âLIES I TAUGHT IN MEDICAL SCHOOL. How Conventional Medicine is Making you Sicker and What You Can Do to Save Your Lifeâ.Dr. Lufkin has been an academic radiologist who has taught at both UCLA and USC, and is an author of more than 200 scientific papers and 14 books.
In this episode, I ask Dr. Lufkin a range of provocative questions, including:
1. Which of the 10 chronic diseases you deal with in your book is the one where you feel the most misinformation has been transmitted in Medical School?
2. Staying with the subtitle of your book: How Conventional Medicine is Making You Sicker and What You can Do to Save your Life. Even though I agree with you that conventional medicine hasnât offered any solutions for the root cause of the current chronic epidemic of non-contagious diseases, and that the pharmaceutical industry is making billions of $$ keeping people alive without dealing with the underlying problem, it has been highly successful in increasing the life expectancy in most parts of the industrialized world, with an increasing percentage of the population living into their nineties and above. Letâs discuss.
3. With the important role of the medical pharmaceutical industrial complex, and the food agricultural industrial complex in the current chronic disease epidemic, why blame it all on the role of Conventional Medicine?
4. Bashing conventional medicine has become a popular topic for many internet celebrities, many of them MDs, only to recommend unsubstantiated treatments with no or little evidence with claims for longevity and miraculous solutions for obesity, metabolic syndrome and even Alzheimerâs disease. Would you include this misinformation under your book title as well?
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In this episode , I speak to Nathan Price, PhD, co-author with Leroy Hood of The Age of Scientific Wellness. Nathan is Chief Scientific Officer of Thorne and was previously CEO of Onegevity, an AI health intelligence company that merged with Thorne prior to its IPO in 2021.
We discuss a wide range of topics and questions, including:
There is a seeming contradiction between the dramatic success of the 20th century model of healthcare and the realization that it is ineffective in meeting the challenges of the 21st century. What has happened?
In your book, you state that the future of medicine is personalized, predictive, data rich and in your hands. Can you explain?
You make a bold prediction in your book: We are on the cusp of time when we will have the capacity to begin to eliminate most chronic diseases of our time, including cancer, neurodegenerative diseases and metabolic diseases. Is this realistic?
A growing number of self-declared health care providers take advantage of the situation by promoting quackery and snake oil approaches. What will it take to make an end to this proliferation of fake healthcare?
A major challenge of implementing the transition to a new personalized healthcare system is the successful business model of the current system (The Medical Pharmaceutical Industrial Complex), which makes billions of $$ in corporate and individual profits by keeping people alive without preventing or curing their diseases. How can we meet this challenge?
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In this episode of the MGC podcast, I talk to Dr. Rhonda Voskuhl, a Professor of Neurology at UCLA where she currently holds the Jack H. Skirball Chair.
Dr. Voskuhl is the Director of the UCLA Multiple Sclerosis Program, and is the faculty neurologist for the UCLA Comprehensive Menopause Care Program. She is an internationally recognized expert on womenâs health and the role of female sex hormones in cognitive decline and neurodegenerative disorders.
With over 20 years of numerous grants and continuous funding from the NIH and NMSS, her lab discovered a novel estrogen treatment strategy that can be neuroprotective through actions on estrogen receptor beta (ERď˘) in the central nervous system.
Dr. Voskuhl has been the Principle Investigator on three clinical trials showing neuroprotective effects of estriol treatment on cognition and cortical brain atrophy underscoring the translational nature of her research.
In this podcast, I talk to her about the following topics:
⢠The role of estrogen on specific receptors in the brain and its implications for the development of neurodegenerative disorders
⢠Why women are more likely to develop early cognitive decline and Alzheimerâs disease
⢠Why the earlier clinical trials with estrogen receptor replacement failed
⢠What women can do to slow cognitive decline after menopause
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In this episode of the MGC podcast, I talk to Matthew Lancor, the founder of the startup company, Kombuchade.
Matt combines his background in material science engineering and a passion for rugby into his entrepreneurial venture. With a keen understanding of the science behind fermentation and a personal commitment to fitness and health, nurtured through years of playing rugby he has successfully created a kombucha brand tailored for athletes and fitness enthusiasts.
Under his leadership, Kombuchade has quickly grown from a home-brew project into a popular wellness brand, emphasizing organic ingredients, sustainability, and community involvement. His journey from an engineer and rugby player to a health-focused entrepreneur embodies a fusion of science, sports, and sustainable business.
In this podcast, I talk to him about Kombuchade, the benefits of fermented drinks for elite athletes, and the following:
What is unique about Kambuchade? You are a startup family business competing with a lot of big companies in the space of kombucha and fermented drinks.
A fermented carbonate drink is not the first thing you would think about as a beneficial beverage for elite athletes. What are the functional benefits of fermented beverages like Kombucha for "Peak Performers"?
What are quantifiable/measurable differences that someone could expect from drinking Kombucha and exercising on gut health/overall health?
How would someone know that their gut health might be inhibiting them from "Peak Performance"?
How many days does it take to balance the microbiome if you were to start a new routine of fermented foods and exercise ... 30 days or more?
Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with nor receiving compensation from Kombuchade.
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In this episode of the MGC podcast, I talk to Larissa Trinder, Assistant Vice President of Arts in Medicine at New York City Health + Hospitals who is responsible for stewarding a collection of more than 4000 works of art, the largest such collection in New York City. In addition, she has been creating and implementing programs for patients, staff and the community that utilize the arts as a tool in healing. Larissa is a staunch advocate for the importance of the arts and humanities within a healthcare system to advance patient health outcomes, enhance staff engagement, morale and retention and to empower communities.In this podcast, I talk to Larissa about the emerging role of art as an important component of healing environments. Here are just some of the topics we address:1. What is the new Department of Arts in Medicine at New York City Health + Hospitals?2. How did it develop in the 1930s, and how has it been able to survive economic downturns and financial crises?3. What is the role of art in an effective healing environment?4. How does art affect patient health outcomes, staff engagement and morale, and entire communities?Follow Dr. Mayer: https://linktr.ee/emayer
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In this episode of the MGC podcast, I talk to Shawn Stevenson, creator and host of The Model Health Show, featured as the number #1 health podcast in the U.S. with millions of listener downloads each year. Shawn recently published the The Eat Smarter Family Cookbook, a companion cookbook to his acclaimed Eat Smarter book.
Here are just some of the topics we address:
1. Can you describe the most important steps in your transformation from growing up with your grandparents in Ferguson, Mo to becoming a nutrition expert, #1 podcast host and bestselling author of two very important books?
2. Some of your early experiences make you some kind of âwounded healerâ, in particular your health issues. It seems your own experiences stimulated your interest in science about food. Can you expand on this?
3. You call yourself a ânutritionist who no longer believes in food in the conventional senseâ. And you make a key point that you no longer make the mistake that many people make, considering food primarily as fuel.
4. You write about how eating with others can have profound benefits on overall health. On the other hand, eating with others during celebrations and holidays is a major cause of weight gain for many people.
5. Can you expand on the relationship between stress and unhealthy eating patterns. You write that 1/3 of people make unhealthy food choices because of stress.
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Welcome to the latest edition of the Mind Gut Conversation Podcast, a place to learn about the latest ideas from thought leaders in the area of optimal health, the science of mind gut microbiome interactions, food and the environment.
Today I have the great pleasure to speak to Leo Grady, AI expert and CEO of the microbiome company Jona. Leo earned a Ph.D. in Cognitive and Neural Systems from BU and is the Founder and CEO of Jona and CEO in Residence with Breyer Capital.
Leo is internationally recognized for his work to deliver AI in healthcare for 20 years at pioneering bay area startups, multinational medical companies, including Siemens and, most recently, as CEO of Paige.ai. As CEO of Paige, he led the company to become an industry leader, internationally launching groundbreaking products and receiving the first-ever FDA approval for an AI product in pathology.
Leo authored two books on AI, over 100 peer-reviewed scientific papers and is an inventor on over 300 patents. Winner of the Edison Patent Award, he was inducted as Fellow in the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.
As Founder and CEO of Jona, he has developed a stool microbiome analysis platform which not only uses state of the art analysis approaches to study the structure and function of from individual stool samples, but also provides users with an AI assisted interpretation of the results.
Follow Dr. Mayer: https://linktr.ee/emayer
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Nancy Zucker, PhD, is a clinician, researcher, and teacher at Duke University School of Medicine, where she founded and directs the Duke Center for Eating Disorders. Dr. Zucker is a Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Psychology and Neuroscience. She is the author of 131 professional publications, an author of the revised practice guidelines for the treatment of eating disorders from the American Psychiatric Association, and most recently her new book Treating Functional Abdominal Pain in Children. Dr. Zuckerâs major clinical and research interest is in understanding how to help young people develop a healthy awareness of their bodiesâ signals and learn how to match these to actions that allow them to flourish. In her new book, she Her research and clinical work has been featured on ABCâs âNightline,â the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Time, and other major news outlets.The topics we address in this episode include:⢠What is the new approach you take in teaching young children about their body signals?⢠How does such early âbody educationâ affect the prevalence of chronic abdominal pain and IBS in adults?⢠Does your approach benefit both the young patients and their parents?⢠What would the impact on our current healthcare system be if your approach were adopted widely?
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Welcome to the latest episode of the Mind Gut Conversation Podcast, a place to learn from thought leaders in the area of health, food, the science of mind-body interactions and the environment.Today, I have the great pleasure to speak to Sonu Shivdasani, a visionary Indian wellness resort entrepreneur who is the CEO and founder of Soneva Fushi and Soneva Jani, as well as other luxury wellness resorts in Southeast Asia.Having just spent 10 days at the SOUL Festival on Soneva Fushi, I am still amazed at the scope and uniqueness of the experience, touching every aspect of human life from the physical, emotional, spiritual and planetary. By speaking with him, it became clear that this unique experience was a reflection of Sonuâs own beliefs and core values in synergy with his wife Eva. In this episode, I ask Sonu several questions, including:- How did you become this unique individual? What were the key life experiences that made you that person?- You have achieved some amazing accomplishment, despite having to overcome several serious challenges to your own well-being, your health and your business success, demonstrating a remarkable resilience. What has been your secret?- You make no secret out of your successful battle with cancer. What have you learned from this life threatening situation?- Which are the accomplishments you are most proud of?- You have had a fairly conservative education at Eaton and Oxford. How has this education shaped who you are today?- Running several luxury resorts you must come in contact with many well to do individuals many of whom believe that happiness comes from the accumulation of material wealth and luxury. As we talked about at the recent festival, there is another form of happiness called Eudaimonia, doing meaningful things and things that benefit others. Is Eudaimonia your guiding principle in making decisions?- You have had personal experiences with the Western healthcare system but also with many alternative healing practices which are being offered at your resorts. What is your view of the benefits of either one of these approaches to human health?- Speakers at the SOUL festival addressed many aspects of our current world of polycrises, from personal wellness to climate change and planetary health. Are you an optimist or pessimist regarding the direction the world is moving in, and how does your view affect your decision making?- The SOUL festival certainly had a big impact on many participants. How many participants do you believe will change their behaviors after this experience?Thanks for listening!Follow Dr. Mayer: https://linktr.ee/emayerâ
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In this episode of the MGC podcast, I talk to to Dr. Pedro Bastos, a world renowned nutritionist and researcher from Portugal, affiliated with Lund University in Sweden and the European University of Madrid, in Spain. He co-founded CEAN, a Spanish institution providing advanced education in Nutritional Sciences for health professionals.
Dr. Bastos lectures globally on nutrition, lifestyle, and health in four languages, and has co-authored several scientific papers in the field in high profile journals, including Nature Medicine and Nature Reviews in Cardiology.
Here are just some of the topics we address:
- What is an inflammatory diet?
- Chronic inflammation in the etiology of disease across the lifespan.
- Pros and cons of the Mediterranean diet.
- What can we learn from traditional societies.
Follow Dr. Mayer: https://linktr.ee/emayerâ
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In this episode of the MGC podcast, I talk to Dr. Elissa Epel, an international expert on stress, well-being, and optimal aging.Dr. Epel is the co-author of the New York Times best-seller âThe Telomere Effect: A revolutionary approach to living younger, longerâ with Nobel Laureate Elizabeth Blackburn, and the author of the new âStress Prescription,â an independent bookstore best seller. She is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, at the University of California, San Francisco, where she is Vice Chair of Psychology and directs the Aging Metabolism Emotions Center. She studies the environmental, psychological, behavioral, and social factors that impact cellular aging such as telomeres, inflammation, and mitochondria.Her research interests include how self-care practices such as meditation and positive stress can promote psychological and physiological thriving and is interested in large-scale interventions for communal well-being and health equity. Here are some of the topics we address in this episode:1) Why chronic stress is toxic to the body2) The relationship between chronic stress, telomer shortening and aging3) The different physiological stages of stress4) How to become stress resilient5) What are lifespan, health span and disease spanFollow Dr. Mayer: https://linktr.ee/emayerâ
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