Pathways to Well-Being

A new article published in Integrative Medicine: A Clinician’s Journal (IMCJ) expands on the connections between lifestyle, behavior, and disease, and proposes that a lack of connection to our authentic selves is a major obstacle on the journey towards healing. On this episode of Pathways to Well-Being, we welcome four of the article’s contributing authors, Drs. David Jones, Deanna Minich, Joseph Lamb, and Michael Stone, to discuss the importance of the therapeutic partnership and its role in helping patients sustain lifestyle change. To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/the-healing-journey-connecting-to-authentic-self/.

Pathways to Well-Being podcast edisode with Brandilyn Binstock, ND, and Briana Aspy, PA on utilitizing IFM’s clinical toolkit in practice. To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/streamlining-care-with-ifms-toolkit-resources/.

On this episode of Pathways to Well-Being, we welcome Dr. Mark Holthouse to discuss male hormone imbalances and how they affect men’s sexual health and function. We’ll explore the potential antecedents and mediators related to male infertility and erectile dysfunction and discuss how dietary interventions including fasting and aromatase-inhibiting foods can help naturally bring the body back into balance. To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/fasting-hormones-and-mens-sexual-health/.

On this episode of Pathways to Well-Being, Dr. Shilpa P. Saxena joins the conversation to explore the concept of evidence-based practice and how the functional medicine approach is designed to support innovations in clinical care. She’ll also discuss how we can collect practice data and leverage that knowledge to increase practice efficiency and streamline effective patient care. Dr. Saxena will be presenting at the upcoming Annual International Conference, where she will be speaking on the topic of practice data analytics. To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/utilizing-patient-data-in-your-functional-medicine-practice/.

Conducting research into the effectiveness of the functional medicine model requires overcoming some barriers, including the inherent difficulty of studying multimodal treatment strategies in randomized controlled studies. Even so, such research is critical to improving access to functional medicine care for all. On this episode of Pathways to Well-Being, we discuss the efforts undertaken by the research team at the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine to build a robust functional medicine evidence base. Michelle Beidelschies, PhD, and Nazleen Bharmal, MD, PhD, join us to discuss not only their most recent study on the benefits of shared medical appointments and lifestyle-related interventions in an under-resourced community, but also to share how their studies from the past, present, and future aim to highlight the feasibility, value, and effectiveness of the functional medicine model of care. To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/building-the-functional-medicine-evidence-base/ .

On this episode of Pathways to Well-Being, Leslie Stone, MD and Emily Rydbom CN, HN, CNP explore the intersection of functional medicine and pregnancy, from supporting fertility to optimizing fetal and maternal health through collaborative personalized care. To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/functional-fertility-pregnancy-and-fetal-health/.

On this episode of Pathways to Well-Being, Greg Plotnikoff, MD, will explore a topic that has been the subject of an increasing amount of research lately: mast cell activation. He’ll discuss how the functional medicine approach can help recognize when hyperactive mast cells may be contributing to a patient’s dysfunction and how we can begin to address this complex issue. To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/mast-cell-activation-syndrome-the-functional-medicine-approach/.

In this podcast, Elizabeth Boham, MD, MS, RD, discusses how to create sustainable dietary interventions for patients with cardiometabolic concerns, including fasting and time-restricted feeding. To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/fasting-sustainable-dietary-change-and-cardiometabolic-health/.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continued throughout 2021, the functional medicine approach offered help by providing a model that both optimizes health in the short-term and also maintains long-term well-being and prevents future disease. On this episode of Pathways to Well-Being, we’re recapping the functional medicine year in review with IFM’s Director of Medical Education Dan Lukaczer, ND, IFMCP and the Director of Medical Education Initiatives Robert Luby, MD, IFMCP. They cover the most prominent topics and takeaways from the 2021 medical research, highlight clinical advances, and present new opportunities for functional medicine care that practitioners should be considering as we head into the new year. To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/the-2021-functional-medicine-year-in-review/.

In the modern world, toxicant exposure is ubiquitous, with some studies reporting the average person is exposed to hundreds of environmental chemicals daily via air, water, soil, and food. While these exposures usually occur at a low-level, the bioaccumulation of toxins in the body can be a root cause of several types of dysfunction. On this episode of Pathways to Well-Being, Tom Malterre, MS, CN, clinical educator and cofounder of Whole Life Nutrition, explains the biochemical impacts of endocrine disrupting plastics such as Bisphenols like BPA and microplastics, and shares his insights on how nutrition and lifestyle can support the body’s biotransformation pathways and reduce total toxic burden. To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/endocrine-disrupting-plastics-minimizing-health-impacts-and-restoring-well-being/.

Stress and unresolved psychological trauma may cause dysbiotic patterns in the gut and conversely, gut dysbiosis may activate stress responses that upregulate inflammatory pathways. Chronic stress may impair communication along the gut-brain axis and is implicated in both psychiatric and GI-related comorbidities such as IBD. On this episode of Pathways to Well-Being, Keesha Ewers, PhD, MSN, ARNP, FNPc, founder of the Academy for Integrative Medicine and Functional Sexology, discusses how psychological trauma may exacerbate autoimmune processes and compromise the health and function of the gut microbiome. To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/stress-trauma-and-dysbiosis-connecting-the-gut-brain-axis-to-autoimmune-disease/

Collaborative care teams can enhance the quality and efficacy of care delivered to patients. Leveraging the expertise of multiple healthcare providers including nutritionists, pharmacists, psychiatrists, health coaches can improve long-term outcomes and keep patients engaged in the lifestyle modifications. Studies indicate that patients who work with health coaches in particular, demonstrate consistently higher rates of treatment adherence, improved self-efficacy skills, and a decreased recurrence of hospitalization. On today’s episode of Pathways to Well-Being, we welcome Monique Class, director of coaching development for the Functional Medicine Coaching Academy, to discuss the role of health coaching in improving both patient and practitioner outcomes. Working on a collaborative care team, with or as a health coach, has many benefits and can help reinforce several core concepts of functional medicine, including sustainable lifestyle change and facilitating the therapeutic partnership with patients. To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/optimizing-outcomes-the-benefits-of-health-coaching-for-patients-and-practitioners/

On this episode of Pathways to Well-Being, noted psychiatrist Robert Hedaya, MD, ABPN, DLFAPA, IFMCP discusses the innovative HYLANE technology for addressing neuropsychiatric conditions like PTSD or TBI. To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/targeted-healing-inside-the-brain-hylane-technology-for-neuropsychiatric-care/

On this episode of Pathways to Well-Being, James Maskell from the Functional Forum discusses his top takeaways from AIC and what they mean for functional medicine in the future. To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/where-does-functional-medicine-go-from-here-the-2021-aic-in-review/

Food insecurity and insufficient access to healthy foods have been associated with negative health outcomes, including an increased vulnerability for micronutrient deficiencies and a higher probability of developing chronic diseases. Nutrition interventions are essential therapeutic strategies for combatting many chronic diseases, yet food insecurity and limited access to affordable, varied, and nutritious foods may impede healthcare efforts. Clancy Harrison, a registered dietician with two decades of experience in nutrition and food insecurity, challenges the way food insecurity is approached in the US. In this episode of Pathways to Well-Being, she will discuss the ways in which she is working to demolish the stigma around healthy food access. To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/food-access-insecurity-with-clancy-harrison-ms-rdn/

Fasting can be an important clinical tool to promote patient health. There are various approaches to fasting, which allows for the use of the most appropriate therapeutic application for each patient. Intermittent fasting strategies such as periodic fasting mimicking diets have a range of potential health benefits and may improve physical and mental health through multiple pathways, from triggering autophagy to enhancing mitochondrial health. On this episode of Pathways to Well-Being, our guest Valter Longo, PhD, discusses the research into mechanisms behind the fasting mimicking diet and how fasting interventions impact disease risk factors and aging. Dr. Longo is also a plenary presenter at IFM’s AIC 2021 exploring new insights into fasting and the fasting-mimicking diet. To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/the-fasting-mimicking-diet-impacts-on-aging-and-chronic-disease/

Research suggests that the presence of atopy itself may be considered a risk factor for the development of autoimmune diseases in adulthood. Atopic conditions often manifest in the first years of life, so as a clinician treating pediatric patients, how might we intervene in this atopic march during childhood to change outcomes? In this episode of Pathways to Well-Being, our guest Dr. Julie Buckley will discuss the connection between early childhood development, the atopic triad of eczema, allergies, and asthma, and how these atopic conditions might influence autoimmune development later in life. To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/julie-buckley-md-pediatric-allergies-atopy-autoimmunity-influencing-the-atopic-march/

Susan Haddow, MD, IFMCP, board-certified in family medicineandintegrative medicine, who has worked primarily in underserved populations shares her clinical experiences in building immune resilience with all kinds of patients and how the environment around us can influence the potential of our immune systems. To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/immune-system-resilience-and-the-environment/

Crossfit Games athlete and family physician Julie Foucher, MD, MS, discusses the overall anti-inflammatory effect of regular, moderate bouts of exercise and how to get patients started on an exercise prescription. To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/overcoming-barriers-to-physical-fitness/

The year 2020 has been noteworthy in medicine for several reasons. In addition to the COVID-19 pandemic, there were several other clinical themes that impact functional medicine care. This episode of Pathways to Well-Being is a conversation with IFM Director of Medical Education Dan Lukaczer, ND, IFMCP and IFM Director of Medical Education Initiatives Robert Luby, MD, IFMCP about the top functional medicine clinical themes of 2020 and what they mean for your practice. To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/podcast-functional-medicine-hot-topics-of-2020/

Pharmacist Lara Zakaria, RPh, and physician Elizabeth Board, MD, both strong advocates for using food as medicine and substituting nutritional therapies for medication therapies for prevalent chronic conditions, discuss how pharmacists and primary care clinicians can work together to help their patients reduce their pharmaceutical burden. To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/safely-deprescribing-medications-for-your-chronic-disease-patients/

Now more than ever, clinicians are facing higher rates of burnout and reporting lower satisfaction scores with their careers. Under heightened challenges and increased pressures during the pandemic, burnout is a silent burden plaguing the health care community. On this episode of Pathways to Wellbeing, Georgia Tetlow, MD, and Riva Z. Robinson, MD, discuss how burnout manifests in all stages of practice and the critical steps clinicians can take to improve their mental health. Burnout inspired both doctors to find new ways of healing, for themselves and for their patients. To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/clinician-burnout-coping-from-a-personal-and-practice-standpoint/

Can a healthy pediatric microbiome help to slow the rising levels of chronic disease? Dr. Mumper discusses thelatest research and shares clinical insights on how to support the pediatric microbiome, from collaborating with parents and training taste buds to oral tolerance and clues that point to gut dysfunction. To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/pediatric-microbiome-building-healthy-adults-liz-mumper-md-faap/

To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/health-equity-focus-arti-chandra-md-mph/

Dan Lukaczer, ND, IFMCP, sits down with Joseph Pizzorno, ND, to discuss toxins, and the impact of toxic load on health. To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/toxins-drivers-disease/

Dr. Dan Lukaczer interviews Dr. Sam Yanuck To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/autoimmune-disorders-driving-forces-inflamed-brain-taking-high-road/

Dr. Lyn Patrick discusses the latest research and her insights on toxicants, inflammatory markers and methods for toxicant elimination. To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/addressing-body-burden-discussion-lyn-patrick-nd-toxicants/

Dr. Liz Mumper talks about ways to improve the health of a dysbiotic pediatric microbiome. To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/pediatric-intestinal-microbiome-conversation-liz-mumper-md-faap/

Predictive Biomarkers and Biological Aging Health Information To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/nathan-price-phd-predictive-biomarkers-biological-aging/

In this IFM interview, Jason Fung, MD, shares his knowledge and insights on the challenges, benefits, and misconceptions regarding intermittent fasting. To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/fasting-flexibility-interview-dr-jason-fung/

To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/functional-medicine-research-quality-life-iterative-health-therapeutic-partnership/

Dr. Kristi Hughes interviews Dr. David Perlmutter about clinical applications and treatments for neurodegenerative disease. To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/neuro-clinical-application-treatment-neurodegenerative-decline/

In this podcast, IFM's Director of Medical Education, Dan Lukaczer, ND, interviews researcher, educator, and clinician David Rakel, MD, on the power of empathy, compassion, the placebo effect, and the patient story. As Dr. Rakel unpacks, "Trust equals competency times intimacy, divided by degree of risk." Dr. Rakel is also the author of The Compassionate Connection. To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/power-process-creating-positive-outcomes-david-rakel-md/

Mylene Tran Huynh, MD, MPH, IFMCP, is an integrative pain specialist working at Walter Reed. She uses modifiable lifestyle factors and a range of integrative modalities to help patients suffering from chronic pain. Her approach is informed by Functional Medicine, and Dan Lukaczer, ND, Director of Medical Education at the Institute for Functional Medicine interviews her about pain treatment and the end states her patients reach. To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/video-podcast-integrated-pain-management-walter-reed/

IFM's Director of Medical Education Robert Luby, MD, interviews Sharad Kohli, MD, on the many ways that clinicians can work with the underserved in any setting. To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/podcast-wisdom-working-underserved/

For some women with cognitive decline, estradiol treatment may offer therapeutic options. In this 21-minute interview, IFM’s Dan Lukaczer speaks with Ann Hathaway, MD. Dr. Hathaway is a specialist in the use of bioidentical hormone replacement for menopausal women. To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/neuro-how-and-when-to-consider-estradiol-for-cognitive-decline/

In this interview, IFM's co-founder Jeffrey Bland, PhD, interviews the 2018 Linus Pauling award winner, Terry Wahls, MD. Dr. Wahls received this award for her work as a physician, researcher, teacher, and patient advocate. Her health journey led to the publication of her pioneering research in neurological disorders, and it serves as a beacon of inspiration to the Functional Medicine movement and community as a whole. “I am profoundly grateful to Functional Medicine, which has transformed me as a person, as a physician, and as a researcher,” says Dr. Wahls. For more info on Terry Wahls: https://www.ifm.org/about/profile/terry-wahls/ For more info on Jeffrey Bland: https://www.ifm.org/about/profile/jeffrey-bland/ To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/news-linus-pauling-award-winner-interview-drs-bland-wahls-dr-bland-interviews-dr-terry-wahls-journey/

In this interview, IFM's Director of Medical Education, Dan Lukaczer, speaks with Heather Tick, MD. Dr. Tick is a co-author on a white paper focused on non-pharmacologic approaches to treating chronic pain. She describes her perspective on patient education, the role of the primary care clinician in pain treatment, nutritional and lifestyle interventions for pain, and much more. To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/pain-menu-strategies-chronic-pain-treatment-primary-care/

Interview with Paul Thomas, MD on stress and addiction in young adults. To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/news-paul-thomas-md-addiction-stress-young-adults/

Stephen Loyd, MD, shares his personal and professional journey with addiction and addiction medicine. In his own words, "It's a day-to-day battle against the stigma of addictive disease." IFM's Dan Lukaczer, ND, interviews Dr. Loyd on topics ranging from the social determinants of addiction to health policy. Furthermore, they delve into why doctors and airline pilots have such high recovery rates from addiction. What's the role of early life trauma in addictive behaviors? What about underlying mental health conditions that contribute to addictive behavior? As a former opioid addict, Dr. Loyd has spent years of his life working on public health policies to reduce addiction and improve treatment. Dr. Loyd is one of the speakers at IFM's 2019 Annual International Conference. To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/news-addiction-treatment-personal-to-professional-stephen-loyd-md/

Dr. David Hagedorn is experienced in clinical health psychology and neuropsychology and serves as an international neuroscience and biofeedback research consultant and instructor. He is an assistant professor of military and emergency medicine and family medicine at Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences School of Medicine. Here, he speaks with Dr. Dan Lukaczer, IFM's director of medical education, about his upcoming presentation at the Annual International Conference, "Electrical Stimulation for Pain." To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/pain-dr-dave-hagedorn-chronic-pain-military-population/

IFM's Director of Medical Education Dan Lukaczer interviews Wayne Jonas, MD, author of How Healing Works. As a pioneer in integrative medicine, Dr. Jonas shares his perspective on salutogenesis, HOPE notes, and more. To successfully treat the many patients with stress, pain, and addiction, whole person approaches are needed. Dr. Jonas shares his experience working in military settings, in public health, with nonprofits, and in his clinic. IFM's 2019 Annual International Conference explores how to successfully treat stress, pain, and addiction with cutting-edge researchers as well as practical workshops with experts like Dr. Jonas. To view the transcript for this episode, click here: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/lifestyle-wayne-jonas-md-salutogenesis-pain-management/