Health Trip Podcast with Jill Foos

Women have a fourfold increase in risk of autoimmune disorders than men and 80% of the people who have autoimmune issues are women. Some autoimmune disorders are triggered during the perimenopausal through postmenopausal time frame (30-60 years of age). While more research is needed, it is proposed that sex hormones, the microbiome, environmental factors, and the X chromosome may be very much connected to autoimmune disorders in women. It is broadly known and accepted by many functional medical doctors, but not so much in the conventional healthcare model, that consuming gluten causes a leaky gut that leads to gut dysbiosis that can then lead to chronic inflammation and autoimmune disorders.

Should midlife women stop eating gluten during the menopause transition and beyond? Would doing that support better skin, brain health, gut health, weight loss, healthy hair growth, and heart health? Let’s find out.

My guest is Dr. Tom O’Bryan, who comes with many accolades- too many to list. Here are some highlights: He is a doctor of chiropractic and clinical nutritionist a member of and on the teaching faculty board of The Institute for Functional Medicine, the International & American Associations of Clinical Nutritionists, the American Chiropractic Association, and the International Academy of Preventive Medicine. He is a recognized world expert on gluten and its impact on health. He is an internationally recognized and sought-after speaker and workshop leader specializing in the complications of Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity, Celiac Disease, and the development of Autoimmune Diseases.

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Exercising during midlife is crucial to a woman's longevity plan. Fragility fractures are fractures resulting from a fall from standing height or less. These fractures, which most commonly occur at the hip, spine, or wrist, are an indication that the body's bones have been weakened by an underlying illness, mostly due to osteoporosis. Lean muscle mass keeps our bones strong and healthy. Menopause opens up the door to declining bone health, weight gain, cognitive issues, and anxiety and depression. While some women don’t love going to the gym, yoga, and Pilates are both beneficial ways of using your body weight to build lean muscle mass and protect your bones and independence as you age. Studies show that Pilates is beneficial and effective at reducing stress, supporting body composition goals, and preventing further bone density degradation.

My guest today is Lily Horowitz, a leading certified Pilates instructor with over 30 years of experience in the fitness industry. She was first exposed to Pilates 25 years ago as a student of the method. After personally realizing the benefits of the work, and seeing changes in her own body and physical ability, she was then trained and certified. Lily serves a diverse clientele but focuses on those 55 years and older and has many clients in their 80s feeling and looking great. She currently has three trademarked businesses: The Core Method, Stretch Strength and Stability, and Kidlates (a special program designed to bring movement and mental wellness to children). 

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If you’re a midlife woman, then your bone health should be at the top of your list to check. As we age and transition from peri-menopause, to menopause, to post-menopause, our bone health is at risk, for some more than others. Perimenopause can start for women in their 30’s, the average age of menopause is 51. There’s a possible 15-20 years that your bone health could be declining, in conjunction with declining and fluctuating hormones, let alone years of a sub-optimal lifestyle and diet choices. Join Jill Foos and Dr. DeSapri on the Health Trip Podcast episode #69 as they dive into Jill’s DXA scan and learn what these numbers may mean for your bone health.

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As women age and start the process of menopause, which includes perimenopause, the strength, efficacy, and quantity of our mitochondria start to decline. It’s crucial to support these cellular powerhouses with lifestyle interventions (sleep, nutrition, stress management, exercise, mindfulness) and personalized supplements. The science shows that a midlife woman’s gut microbiome changes during perimenopause, that optimal gut health is vital to overall health and longevity, and that poor gut health, and menopause, open the door to chronic disease states. During midlife, it’s very important to support cellular health and energy so that you can reach your health goals. If your cells are struggling, you will struggle. Hair loss, weight gain, skin issues, low energy, brain fog, and stress are all signs of declining cellular health. My guest today is an expert in cellular health, Dr. Monisha Bhanote, MD, FCAP, ABOIM. She is the best-selling author of The Anatomy of Wellbeing, is an esteemed physician with quintuple medical board certifications, distinguishing her among the nation's luminaries in integrative medicine, functional culinary medicine, cytopathology, and anatomic/clinical pathology. Her brainchild, WELLKULÅ, combines ancient wisdom with modern mind-body science to envision a path toward optimizing health and longevity.

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How can we take Ayurveda medicine, modernize it, and use it during a time in a woman’s life when she is vulnerable and wants to feel and look her very best? Some women are all in when it comes to taking hormone replacement therapy during the menopause transition, while others want a more holistic approach. How about combining the two? Is that possible?

Dr. Shivani Gupta, Ph.D., joins the Health Trip Podcast to share her expertise on Ayurvedic medicine and how it can fit into our modern society's need to feel and look great, mitigate menopausal symptoms, and live a life full of vibrancy. Dr. Gupta received her master's degree in Ayurvedic Sciences and her Ph.D. in turmeric. She has fused Eastern and Western medicine into a modern Ayurvedic approach making this ancient wisdom more accessible to the masses. We discuss how Ayurveda may play a role in reducing low-grade inflammation, optimizing gut health and mitochondrial function, and support weight loss. Listen to episode #66 on all podcast platforms and YouTube.

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When you have tried your very best to fix a health issue, such as constipation, hair loss, chronic fatigue, or weight loss and you just cannot reach your goal, you then seek intervention. Working with a medical provider, practitioner, or health coach is the intervention. Peptide therapy, hormone replacement therapy, exosomes, and TPE, or Therapeutic Plasma Exchange are all examples of interventions. Dr. Savage shares his expertise on each intervention, who are the best candidates, and when to use them during your health journey. In Parts 1 and 2, Dr. Savage and I dove deep into the early detection and prevention of chronic disease states. If you have not listened to those episodes yet, check out #60 and #62, where you will learn about the importance of discovering your unique health equation and how to support optimal health through labs and other tests. In this podcast, we dive deep into what intervention is, how to apply it in your anti-aging plan, and when to know it's time to intervene with a medical provider.

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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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