Health Trip Podcast with Jill Foos

Many people are struggling with their gut health, due to diet, lifestyle, genetics, and chronic stress. Women transitioning through menopause will experience changes going on in the gut microbiome as well. Stool testing has been gaining traction to help people reach their health goals by working on their gut health and overall well-being. Stool testing looks inside your gut microbiome and identifies pathogens, parasites, keystone species, nutrients, genetic material, and more. Using this data supports one’s personalized approach to gut health. Kara Seidman, RDN and clinical liaison to Microbiome Labs joins the Health Trip Podcast to share her expertise on stool testing, microbiome health, and lifestyle and supplements interventions.

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Inside most of our cells, as well as plants, fungi, and animals, are the mitochondria, or power plants of cells. These little organelles make chemical energy, called ATP, or Adenosine Triphosphate, which is our body’s energy currency. About hair growth, for example, the cells that make up our hair follicles need a lot of energy to grow hair. About our skin cells, if we don’t have healthy mitochondria making enough ATP, we won’t have healthy, youthful-looking skin. This is true for our kidneys, liver, heart, brain, and muscle cells. They all need optimal amounts of healthy mitochondria to produce optimal amounts of ATP. As women age and transition through menopause, their mitochondrial health has declined. You can see how this topic is a priority when thinking about your longevity plan. Jennifer Scheinman is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with a master’s degree in integrative and functional nutrition, shares her expertise on mitochondrial health and Urolithin A on the Health Trip Podcast, episode #64.

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Poor gut health can now be scientifically tied to poor mental health, low libido, weight gain, hair loss, disrupted sleep, and so much more. Layer on top of that the menopause transition that all women will go through. The menopause transition opens up the doors to chronic disease states, and so much more. One of the first lines of defense is getting your gut health in order. Science is now showing how the microbiome changes during menopause, causing gut dysbiosis, inflammation, weight gain, skin and hair issues, and more. Kiran Krishnan, a research microbiologist and co-founder of Microbiome Labs, joins the Health Trip Podcast to share his expertise about the gut microbiome, steps to take to heal your gut health, and how hormonal fluctuations, stress, and poor lifestyle choices affect overall gut health.

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Our current healthcare model is set up for sick care and acute care- so if you are already sick with cancer and receiving treatment, or cut your hand with a kitchen knife by accident, our healthcare system is helpful. What it isn’t set up for is preventive care. Lifestyle interventions are your first lines of defense- think about how nutrition, sleep, stress management, and exercise impact your life. Beyond that, what else could you be doing to prevent chronic disease states, such as Alzheimer’s Disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease? Early detection and prevention tools are important to use before any of the big 4 horsemen of chronic disease states show up in your life.

Dr. Savage MD is the founder and CEO of MDLifespan and has been a leader in longevity medicine since the late 1990s. Over the last 25 years of his medical career, he has focused on anti-aging and longevity therapies. He has developed a 3-step process to build one’s longevity blueprint, including detection, prevention, and intervention. He joined the Health Trip Podcast for a second time to discuss what early detection means, how to implement the options available, and why it's a crucial step in your longevity plan.

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Menopause and fat loss- will they ever be friends? Women are not small men and the art of fat loss for menopausal and post-menopausal women can be challenging. Hormonal changes, especially with a decline in estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone levels during menopause often lead to a slower metabolism, loss of lean muscle mass, increased visceral fat level, decrease in bone mineral density, increased anxiety, poor sleep, and loss of overall strength. Sarcopenia, or muscle wasting, is a disease of the elderly and is now being seen in much younger populations. Dr. Bill Campbell PhD, shares his expertise in obesity, exercise science, and performance on the Health Trip Podcast, episode 61.

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Longevity refers to how long you can live in a healthy state, void of chronic disease. The big 4 horsemen of chronic disease are Alzheimer’s Disease, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. As we age, the mitochondria inside our cells, begin to weaken in strength and numbers. Remember, mitochondria are the powerhouses of our cells and use the nutrients you bring in through your diet and supplementation to produce ATP, your body’s energy source. When they are not working well, your body isn’t working well. Our genes also have a lot to do with our longevity. You’re born with a deck of genes, but it’s how you live your life or the epigenetics, that influence how your genes are expressed. Dr. Paul Savage MD, founder of MDLifespan, joins the Health Trip Podcast to share his unique 3-part approach to building your longevity plan: detection, prevention, and intervention.

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Social determinants of health are nonmedical factors that influence health outcomes. Think of healthcare access and quality, economic stability, neighborhood, and built environments, such as parks, community fitness centers, and access to nutritious food. Women's health has long been affected by social determinants of health, especially in the areas of preventive healthcare and education surrounding cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. Dr. Bernard Toney Jr. joins the Health Trip Podcast to share his expertise and knowledge on prioritizing global, and national, efforts to make sure that all humankind has access to opportunities that lead to positive health outcomes.

Dr. Bernard Toney Jr. is a former White House Medical Officer, and global & public health professional, who has developed medical plans, infectious disease mitigation strategies, and public health preparedness at the highest level of government. He is passionate about clinical medicine, research, education, and working with internal and external stakeholders to advance initiatives to improve global health security. Since May 2022, Dr. Toney has been with the NIH full-time as an associate investigator.

He is a decorated Army combat veteran who served three (3) tours in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, and has earned numerous awards, medals, and honors- it’s a very long list. Join our conversation in episode 59.

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Hair loss affects over 52% of women over 50 years old, and 80% of women by the time they are 60 years old. During the menopause transition, women's hormones fluctuate, decline, and cause chronic hair shedding, thinning, and hair loss in many women. During women's midlife years, there are other hormonal changes going on causing weight gain, leading to yo-yo dieting, increased stress, disrupted sleep, and challenges with exercising. Add in genetics, poor nutrient absorption, and other health issues and you have the perfect storm for hair loss.

There are solutions for reversing hair loss. Lifestyle interventions are the first lines of defense (optimizing nutrition, sleep, stress management, and exercise). Making sure you are absorbing nutrients properly, and have good gut health is also essential. Comprehensive lab testing dictates supplementation, and possible medication, and then looking at the array of hair growth therapies to create a personalized approach to growing healthy hair.

Dr. Lady Dy is double board certified in Dermatology and Dermatopathology and has clinical expertise in hair loss and pigmentation disorders, including ethnic skin and hair disorders. Dr. Dy is viewed as a leader in her field. She has conducted clinical trials for hair loss and presented at many national, international, and local community meetings. She joins me on the Health Trip Podcast, episode 58, to discuss hair loss options, including lifestyle interventions, lab testing, medications, supplements, and the latest technology available to grow healthy hair.

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Many midlife women fear getting breast cancer more than heart disease. The focus on women’s cardiovascular health, and their unique risk factors, is not talked about enough. Did you know that heart disease is the #1 cause of death for both women and men? Over 60M women in the U.S. live with some form of heart disease. Women present differently with heart disease, often ignoring symptoms. Women also have different risk factors than men when it comes to heart disease, menopause being one of them, and are often not screened early enough, or supported with a healthy, preventive lifestyle approach. Dr Garima Sharma MD, is a cardiologist who specializes in cardiovascular disease in Women and Preventive Cardiology and is the Director of Women’s CV Health and Cardio-Obstetrics, INOVA Health System. She shares her passion and expertise on heart health in midlife women on episode #57 of the Health Trip Podcast.

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Hair loss can be caused by micronutrient deficiencies. Nutrients, such as vitamins D, C, and E, and minerals such as zinc, selenium, and iron, are all important for hair growth. Micronutrients are the nutrients our body needs in lesser amounts to grow and develop. One of the best ways to look inside your cells to see what your nutrient status is is by taking a micronutrient test. This test tells you if your cells are stable, borderline deficient, or functionally deficient in a wide range of nutrients. You then want to correct these intracellular micronutrient deficiencies so that your cells are optimally working. If you go back to biology class, you remember that the mitochondria inside your cells are the powerhouses of energy produced for your body. Without functioning mitochondria, you don’t have optimal energy being produced. Without optimal energy, you won’t have healthy hair growth. After all, you don’t need hair to survive. The only way to correct these deficiencies is through diet and supplementation. Learn more about this connection in episode #56 on The Health Trip Podcast, with my guest, Dr. Ronald Grabowski, a practicing Doctor of Chiropractic with over 40 years of clinical nutrition experience, who’s presented over 1500 seminars and lectures on nutrition throughout the United States and in Europe, publishing several articles and a textbook on clinical nutrition. In addition, he is a Registered Dietitian and his dietetic experience includes tenure at some of the leading hospitals in the nation: The New York Hospital, Memorial Sloan-Kettering in New York City (affiliated with Cornell Medical Center), Memorial Care System, and the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.

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Women are feeling confused and frustrated as to why they are gaining weight when all other variables haven’t changed. They are still eating the same diet, and attending their usual exercise classes, yet, the weight is coming on. Metabolic flexibility is the body’s ability to utilize different sources of fuel for energy - either glucose and fat, stored body fat or fuel from food. Signs that one is metabolically inflexible are weight gain, cravings between meals, and low energy. Knowing what metabolic flexibility is and how it pertains to your overall health is important to your longevity plan. Listen to episode #55 on the Health Trip Podcast with me and JJ Virgin, a triple-board certified nutrition expert.

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Another AMA episode on women’s health. My guest, Dr. Carla DiGirolamo, is a double Board-Certified Obstetrician/Gynecologist and Reproductive Endocrinologist who specializes in the care of reproductive-age and mid-life women. She is a North American Menopause Society Certified Menopause Practitioner (NAMS). What really sets her apart, is that she’s also an athlete, fitness trainer, and nutrition coach. We dive into midlife weight loss, hormone replacement therapy, body composition, workout nutrition, and what the best form of exercise is for menopausal women. Tune into the Health Trip Podcast, episode #54 to optimize your health and fitness goals.

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What does it take to feel your best? Midlife is defined as being between the ages of 35-60 yrs old. This is when we start to see and feel changes, and not in the direction we want. Brain fog, forgetting where we left our keys, more trips to get Botox, belly fat, dreaded hair thinning, chronic fatigue, horrible sleep, and, sadly, low to no libido – the list goes on. As we age, the doors to chronic disease open up: heart disease, Alzheimer’s, type 2 diabetes, and cancer all become real possibilities for most of us. My guest today is going to help break down the science of aging, what we need to pay attention to, and how to execute it all so that we can be optimized, midlife, human performance machines. Dr. Bryan Stepanenko MD, is a board-certified Family Physician and Functional Medicine practitioner certified by the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFMCP). He works alongside Dr. Gabrielle Lyon and serves as her lead physician and educator for her clinical practice (Young Medical PC) and the Institute for Muscle-Centric Medicine.

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A PubMed publication stated that women are most likely to be diagnosed with osteoporosis 10-15 years post-menopause, which would make them about 65. At that point, treatment will be a band-aid. It certainly won’t be preventive. Today I am focusing on osteoporosis and midlife women. It’s called the “silent disease” because you can’t feel your bones getting weaker. The National Osteoporosis Foundation offers these facts:

-1 in 2 women will break a bone due to osteoporosis after the age of 50.

-A woman’s risk of fracture is equal to her combined risk of breast, uterine, and ovarian cancer.

-24% of hip fracture patients age 50 and over die in the year following the fracture.

-A bone density test is the best way to diagnose osteoporosis and determine a treatment plan.

-They recommend you get this test at age 65- which is when most health insurance companies will pay for it.

My guest today is a bone health and menopause expert who’d going to break it all down for us today. It’s definitely a topic not talked about enough until it has to be, which is often too late. Dr. Kristi Tough DeSapri is a board-certified internist specializing in midlife women’s health. After fellowship training at the Cleveland Clinic, she has worked in private practice and academic medicine for over 13 years, including being the director of the Northwestern Women’s Bone Health program at the Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago.

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Have you ever wanted to ask your primary care physician, or OBGYN, certain questions about your vagina or sexual health and bailed out? Or asked them questions only to have them tell you it’s in your head or dismiss you altogether? Dr. Kelly Casperson, MD, and I sit down for my first Ask Me Anything episode on women’s health. Dr. Casperson is a board-certified urologic surgeon practicing in Washington State, author, sex educator, and top international podcaster whose mission is empowering women to live their best love lives. We dive into topics on hormone replacement therapy, menopausal sex, chronic UTI’s, and pelvic floor health. Listen in on the Health Trip podcast, episode #51.

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PCOS, or Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, is one of the most common causes of female infertility, affecting 6% to 12% (as many as 5 million) of US women of reproductive age. There’s no known cause of PCOS, but several mechanisms have been linked to this syndrome, such as hormonal imbalance, insulin resistance, and genetics. Women with PCOS can develop serious health issues, especially if they are overweight. Most women that I work with who have PCOS are in their childbearing years. Episode #50 on the Health Trip Podcast focuses on PCOS and menopausal women. PCOS never goes away. Once properly diagnosed, it’s yours to keep your whole life. Menopause is challenging enough. Adding PCOS to the equation is even more challenging for women.

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Did you know that having regular sex positively influences your overall health and longevity? Studies have shown that both men and women who engage in regular sexual activity have stronger immune systems, reduced anxiety, feel happier, and protect the health of a man's prostate. Sexual activity and orgasms release beneficial chemicals in our body that supports bonding with others and a feeling of self-worth. Regular sex may also support a woman's transition into menopause and beyond by minimizing adverse side effects, such as vaginal atrophy and dryness. Susan Bratton, a sexpert and advocate for all those who desire intimacy and passion their whole life long, joined me on The Health Trip Podcast, episode #48, to talk about midlife lovemaking techniques.

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