Why Quitting Sugar Could Save Your Life

This episode is brought to you by Rupa Health, Eight Sleep, and ButcherBox. You might have heard the word “epigenetics” and wondered what the heck it means. Well to sum it up shorthand, epigenetics is how everything you’re exposed to throughout your life—your environment, your social relationships, your diet, etc.—impacts how your genes are expressed. Think of it like this: genes are our hardware and epigenetics are like software. Our software is something that can be changed and upgraded, it doesn’t have to be static. If you want to learn more about understanding, demystifying, and harnessing epigenetics, then this is the podcast episode for you.  Today’s guest on The Doctor’s Farmacy is my good friend and mentor, Dr. Jeffrey Bland. We talk all about epigenetics and unpack what can be a complicated topic in terms you can actually understand. Dr. Bland’s career in health spans more than 40 years. A lifelong educator, Jeff has traveled the world many times over in his role as the “father of Functional Medicine.” In 1991, he and his wife, Susan, founded The Institute for Functional Medicine. In 2012, Jeff founded another educational nonprofit called the Personalized Lifestyle Medicine Institute. He is the author of The Disease Delusion: Conquering the Causes of Chronic Illness for a Healthier, Longer, and Happier Life, as well as countless additional books and research papers. This episode is brought to you by Rupa Health, Eight Sleep, and ButcherBox. Rupa Health is a place for Functional Medicine practitioners to access more than 2,000 specialty lab tests from over 20 labs like DUTCH, Vibrant America, Genova, Great Plains, and more. You can check out a free live demo with a Q&A or create an account here. Eight Sleep’s Pod Pro mattress is so smart that it adjusts your temperature and also gives you individualized recommendations on how to sleep better the next night. Save $150 at checkout and get yours here. When you sign up today, ButcherBox will send you 2 lbs of 100% grass-fed, grass-finished beef free in every box for the life of your subscription. Just click here. Here are more of the details from our interview (audio version / Apple Subscriber version):  The paradigm shift away from siloed medicine towards systems biology (7:42 / 4:26)  New understandings about how our genes can be modified to reverse disease and aging (10:02 / 7:24)  Early research that led to our understanding of how epigenetics works (12:02 / 10:00)  Genes that can be imprinted and modified even into adulthood (19:27 / 16:02)  Reversing our biological age (21:35 / 18:18)  The influence of our external environment and experiences over our genes (27:03 / 24:10)  How what we eat, how we love, how much stress we’re under, and more impacts our genes, our health, and the process of aging (35:08 / 30:32)  The amazing benefits of phytochemicals in plants for human health (38:38 / 34:29)  Trauma, PTSD, and our genes (51:05 / 45:45)  Our ability to control the operating system of our biology (56:13 / 48:17)  Learn more about Dr. Bland’s work with Big Bold Health here.

26 Jan 20221h 1min

Hey podcast community, Dr. Mark here. My team and I are so excited to offer you a 7 Day Free trial of the Dr. Hyman+ subscription for Apple Podcast. For 7 days, you get access to all this and more entirely for free!  It's so easy to sign up. Just go click the Try Free button on the Doctor’s Farmacy Podcast page in Apple Podcast.  In this teaser episode, you’ll hear a preview of our monthly Ask Mark Anything episode. Want to hear the full episode? Subscribe now. With your 7 day free trial to Apple Podcast, you’ll gain access to audio versions of: - Ad-Free Doctor’s Farmacy Podcast episodes - Exclusive monthly Functional Medicine Deep Dives - Monthly Ask Mark Anything Episodes  - Bonus audio content exclusive to Dr. Hyman+ Trying to decide if the Dr. Hyman+ subscription for Apple Podcast is right for you?  Email my team at plus@drhyman.com with any questions you have.   Please note, Dr. Hyman+ subscription for Apple Podcast does not include access to the Dr. Hyman+ site and only includes Dr. Hyman+ in audio content.

25 Jan 202219min

This episode is brought to you by Rupa Health and Mitopure.   The average American consumes 133 pounds of flour per year. Let that sink in. What we may not realize is that every time we eat white flour, we are harming ourselves. The starch in common wheat, typically known as modern dwarf wheat, raises your blood sugar more than table sugar! Eating a diet high in carbohydrates may affect not just your waistline, but also your brain function, energy, immune system, healthspan, and more. In this episode of my new Masterclass series, I am interviewed by my good friend and podcast host, Dhru Purohit, about how and why to consider giving up bread for 30 days. We discuss why our modern wheat is not a good food choice on a daily basis, how to pause on eating bread for a month or more, why certain kinds of bread may be a better choice than others, questions from our community, and so much more. Dhru Purohit is a podcast host, serial entrepreneur, and investor in the health and wellness industry. His podcast, The Dhru Purohit Podcast, is a top 50 global health podcast with over 30+ million unique downloads. His interviews focus on the inner workings of the brain and the body and feature the brightest minds in wellness, medicine, and mindset. This episode is brought to you by Rupa Health and Mitopure.   Rupa Health is a place for Functional Medicine practitioners to access more than 2,000 specialty lab tests from over 20 labs like DUTCH, Vibrant America, Genova, Great Plains, and more. You can check out a free live demo with a Q&A or create an account at RupaHealth.com.   Mitopure is the first and only clinically tested pure form of a natural gut metabolite called Urolithin A that clears damaged mitochondria away from our cells and supports the growth of new healthy mitochondria. Get 10% off at timelinenutrition.com/drhyman and use code DRHYMAN10.   In this episode, we discuss (audio version / Apple Subscriber version): Three reasons to stop eating bread for 30 days (1:04 / 00:54)  Bread’s effect on insulin and blood sugar (5:40 / 5:28)  Can bread and/or flour cause leaky gut? (10:13 / 7:50)  What to expect when stopping bread for 30 days (13:55 / 13:31) Different kinds of bread and how they impact the body (16:13 / 16:05)  Case study of a woman with multiple conditions who healed on an elimination diet  (20:27 / 20:18)  Questions from our community including eating gluten in other countries, Roundup in wheat, hunger when not eating carbs, and more (23:29 / 23:22)  What kinds of bread I eat (28:35 / 28:26)  Steps to take now to go bread-free (33:24 / 33:13)   Mentioned in this episode: Lynn’s Life Breads

24 Jan 202241min

This episode is brought to you by Rupa Health, Athletic Greens, and Eight Sleep. Feeling tired during the day may not just be due to a poor night’s sleep. Most of us can relate to feeling run-down and tired, even when we’re getting enough sleep. There are many reasons why your body might not be functioning well during the day. In this compilation episode, I talk to Dr. Steven Gundry and Dr. Elizabeth Boham about the many factors that can impact energy production such as diet, circadian rhythm, movement, gut health, and more. We also get into dietary recommendations, fixing nutritional deficiencies and hormonal imbalances, and much more.  Dr. Steven Gundry is one of the world’s top cardiothoracic surgeons and a pioneer in nutrition, as well as medical director at The International Heart and Lung Institute Center for Restorative Medicine. He has spent the last two decades studying the microbiome and now helps patients use diet and nutrition as a key form of treatment. He is author of many New York Times bestselling books including The Plant Paradox, and The Plant Paradox Cookbook, and The Longevity Paradox: How to Die Young at a Ripe Old Age, and just released The Energy Paradox: What to Do When Your Get-Up-and-Go Has Got Up and Gone. He also is the founder of GundryMD, a line of wellness products and supplements, and host of The Dr. Gundry Podcast. Dr. Elizabeth Boham is Board Certified in Family Medicine from Albany Medical School, and she is an Institute for Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner and the Medical Director of The UltraWellness Center. Dr. Boham lectures on a variety of topics, including Women’s Health and Breast Cancer Prevention, insulin resistance, heart health, weight control and allergies. She is on the faculty for the Institute for Functional Medicine. This episode is brought to you by Rupa Health, Athletic Greens, and Eight Sleep. Rupa Health is a place for Functional Medicine practitioners to access more than 2,000 specialty lab tests from over 20 labs like DUTCH, Vibrant America, Genova, Great Plains, and more. You can check out a free live demo with a Q&A or create an account at RupaHealth.com.  AG1 contains 75 high-quality vitamins, minerals, whole-food sourced superfoods, probiotics, and adaptogens to support your entire body. Right now when you purchase AG1 from Athletic Greens, you will receive 10 FREE travel packs with your first purchase by visiting athleticgreens.com/hyman. Eight Sleep’s Pod Pro mattress is so smart that it adjusts your temperature and also gives you individualized recommendations on how to sleep better the next night. To get yours, go to eightsleep.com/mark to check out the Pod Pro mattress or mattress cover and save $150 at checkout.

21 Jan 20221h 8min

This episode is brought to you by Rupa Health, BiOptimizers, and Thrive Market. What if I told you it was possible to reverse your age by three years, in just eight weeks? Well, it is, and today you can learn how. Perhaps the greatest part of this exciting news is that the changes we can make to reverse biological aging are pretty simple and very accessible. The amazing doctor behind this groundbreaking research is my good friend, colleague, and long-time collaborator Dr. Kara Fitzgerald.  Dr. Fitzgerald is on the faculty of the Institute for Functional Medicine, is an IFM Certified Practitioner, and lectures globally on Functional Medicine. She runs a Functional Medicine Clinic Immersion program for professionals and hosts a podcast series, New Frontiers in Functional Medicine, and an active blog on her website. Her clinical practice is in Sandy Hook, Connecticut. With the Helfgott Research Institute, Dr. Fitzgerald is actively engaged in clinical research on the DNA methylome using a diet and lifestyle intervention developed in her practice. The first publication from the study focuses on the reversal of biological aging and was published this past April in the journal Aging. Her new book, Younger You, as well as her 3 Years Younger Program, have just been released.  This episode is brought to you by Rupa Health, BiOptimizers, and Thrive Market. Rupa Health is a place for Functional Medicine practitioners to access more than 2,000 specialty lab tests from over 20 labs. You can check out a free live demo with a Q&A or create an account here.  Bioptimizers Magnesium Breakthrough formula contains 7 different forms which all have different functions in the body. For 10% off, use code HYMAN10 at checkout here.  Join Thrive Market today to receive an extra 40% off your first order and a free gift here. Here are more of the details from our interview (audio version / Apple Subscriber version):  Reversing your biological age through epigenetics (6:36 / 3:08)  Initial scientific studies that have shown biological age reversal (9:22 / 5:25)  Dr. Fitzgerald’s 8-week age reversal study design (11:14 / 7:46)  Seminal research around influencing and regulating gene expression through nutritional interventions (25:41 / 20:39)  Using food as medicine (30:35 / 27:19)  How exercise, sleep, and meditation were factored into Dr. Fitzgerald’s study (40:40 / 35:16) Primary findings from Dr. Fitzgerald’s research (47:12 / 41:57)  Practical ways to reverse your biological age (1:01:43 / 56:32)  Influencing gene expression before conception and during pregnancy and infancy (1:04:29 / 59:48)  Aging without declining in health (1:08:06 / 1:04:25)  Get a copy of Dr. Fitzgerald's book Younger You: Reverse Your Bio Age―and Live Longer here. Learn more about Dr. Kara Fitzgerald at www.drkarafitzgerald.com and take her Biological Age Self-Assessment here.

19 Jan 20221h 19min

This episode is brought to you by Rupa Health and Paleovalley.   Protecting your brain and cognitive function is not just for the elderly. It’s never too early to start protecting your brain, which is something we should all think more about as Alzheimer’s and dementia rates continue to rise. We can start with healthy lifestyle choices that affect diet, sleep, stress management, and more. The bonus of brain-healthy lifestyle choices like these is that they protect the health of your entire body as well.   In this episode of my new Masterclass series, I am interviewed by my good friend and podcast host, Dhru Purohit, about Alzheimer’s and dementia. We talk about early detection, contributors to cognitive dysfunction, foods that fuel the brain, and so much more. We also discuss how other factors, such as toxicity, sleep apnea, and even lack of community, affect brain health. Dhru Purohit is a podcast host, serial entrepreneur, and investor in the health and wellness industry. His podcast, The Dhru Purohit Podcast, is a top 50 global health podcast with over 30+ million unique downloads. His interviews focus on the inner workings of the brain and the body and feature the brightest minds in wellness, medicine, and mindset. This episode is brought to you by Rupa Health and Paleovalley.   Rupa Health is a place for Functional Medicine practitioners to access more than 2,000 specialty lab tests from over 20 labs like DUTCH, Vibrant America, Genova, Great Plains, and more. You can check out a free live demo with a Q&A or create an account at RupaHealth.com.   Right now, Paleovalley is offering my listeners 15% off their entire first order. Just go to paleovalley.com/hyman to check out all their clean Paleo products and take advantage of this deal.   In this episode, we discuss (audio version / Apple Subscriber version):   Things to do in your 20s, 30s, and 40s to reduce your risk of cognitive decline (4:23 / 1:15) Using brain scans to detect Alzheimer’s and dementia (10:37 / 7:26)  Contributors to cognitive dysfunction (13:30 / 10:00)  Fueling your brain with a healthy diet (18:16 / 15:07)  The importance of movement to reduce your risk of cognitive decline (28:34 / 25:10)  Ineffective pharmaceutical interventions for Alzheimer’s (31:51 / 28:08)  Why sleep apnea increases your risk of cognitive decline (38:24 / 34:48)  The effects of chronic toxicity on the brain (49:34 / 46:14)   5 things everyone can do to improve brain health (54:01 / 50:24)  Significant signs of cognitive decline (1:05:57 / 1:02:49)

17 Jan 20221h 12min

This episode is brought to you by Rupa Health, Athletic Greens, and InsideTracker. Wellness is more than just eating right and exercising; it’s also much more than just feeling “okay.” Feeling well means feeling whole, balanced, vibrant, and alive. And there are many moving pieces that we can tap into to feel empowered in our own wellness journey. Functional Medicine looks at the body with a systems-based approach, understanding how all our different parts work together and looking at a symptom as a sign of dysfunction that we need to get to the root cause of, not just tame.  I sat down with Dr. Elizabeth Boham to discuss what it means to get to the root cause of disease and how the principles we practice do exactly that. We talk about the many different parts of healing the whole body, like enhancing detoxification pathways, correcting nutrient deficiencies, supporting the microbiome, and so much more. Dr. Boham is a physician and nutritionist who practices Functional Medicine as part of my team at The UltraWellness Center in Lenox, MA. Through her practice and lecturing, she has helped thousands of people achieve their wellness goals. She is part of the faculty of the Institute for Functional Medicine and has been featured on the Dr. Oz show and in a variety of publications and media including Huffington Post, The Chalkboard Magazine, and Experience Life. Her DVD Breast Wellness: Tools to Prevent and Heal from Breast Cancer explores the Functional Medicine approach to keeping your breasts and whole body well, a topic she is passionate about as a breast cancer survivor. This episode is brought to you by Rupa Health, Athletic Greens, and InsideTracker. Rupa Health is a place for Functional Medicine practitioners to access more than 2,000 specialty lab tests from over 20 labs like DUTCH, Vibrant America, Genova, Great Plains, and more. You can check out a free live demo with a Q&A or create an account at RupaHealth.com. Right now, when you purchase AG1 from Athletic Greens, you will receive 10 free travel packs with your first purchase. All you have to do is visit athleticgreens.com/hyman. InsideTracker is a personalized health and wellness platform like no other. Right now they’re offering my community 25% off at insidetracker.com/drhyman.

14 Jan 20221h 57min

This episode is brought to you by Eight Sleep, Athletic Greens, and Mitopure. I recently spent time in Sardinia, Italy, which is known for having one of the world’s longest-lived populations. It simply blew me away. After getting to know the people, their day-to-day activities, their diets, and their sense of community I can totally see why they live such long and happy lives. So, how can we embrace these same aspects of Sardinian life in our own busy Western world? Blue Zones pioneer Dan Buettner joins me on this episode to talk about that and so much more. Dan Buettner is an explorer, National Geographic Fellow, award-winning journalist and producer, and New York Times bestselling author. He discovered the five places in the world— dubbed Blue Zones hotspots—where people live the longest, healthiest lives. Dan now works in partnership with municipal governments, large employers, and health insurance companies to implement Blue Zones Projects in communities, workplaces, and universities. Blue Zones Projects are well-being initiatives that apply lessons from the Blue Zones to entire communities by focusing on changes to the local environment, public policy, and social networks. The program has dramatically improved the health of more than 5 million Americans to date. His new book, The Blue Zones Challenge: A 4-Week Plan for a Longer Better Life is a four-week guide and year-long sustainability program to jump-start your longevity journey. This episode is brought to you by Eight Sleep, Athletic Greens, and Mitopure. Head over to eightsleep.com/mark to check out the Pod Pro and save $150 at checkout. Right now, when you purchase AG1 from Athletic Greens, you will receive 10 FREE travel packs with your first purchase athleticgreens.com/hyman. Timeline Nutrition is offering my community 10% off MitoPure, which you can get in a capsule, powder, or protein blend, at timelinenutrition.com/drhyman. Here are more of the details from our interview (audio version / Apple Subscriber version):  Challenging our preconceived notions of aging (6:49 / 3:38)  9 lifestyle habits of the world’s healthiest, longest-lived people (10:32 / 7:24)  How our built environment influences our health (17:31 / 14:23) Teachings on happiness from the Blue Zones (26:30 / 21:39)  Community, relationships, loneliness, and longevity (29:17 / 25:56) What’s driving our decreasing life expectancy? (40:34 / 36:20)  Obesity rates in neighborhoods that allow billboard advertising and other environmental influences on health (45:49 / 40:53)  Foods to never have in your kitchen, and foods to always have on hand (54:06 / 49:16)  Is bread healthy, and if so, what kind? (58:32 / 53:50)  Get a copy of Dan’s book The Blue Zones Challenge: A 4-Week Plan for a Longer Better Life here. Learn more about Dan’s work at https://www.bluezones.com/.

12 Jan 20221h 11min