When stress, chronic pain or illness, a sleep disorder, or an imbalance in gut bacteria are present, a good night’s sleep can be difficult to achieve. Knowing that sleep is imperative for our emotional and physical wellbeing, it’s crucially important to uncover what can help those experiencing poor sleep. In this podcast, I speak with neurologist Dr. Stasha Gominak about her research about the connections between gut health, vitamin intake, and sleep. Listen in now.
https://www.drruscio.com/vitamins-for-sleep-does-it-work
My book Healthy Gut, Healthy You is available at https://drruscio.com/getgutbook
If you're in need of clinical support, please visit https://ruscioinstitute.com
Looking for more? Check out https://drruscio.com/resources
When Julie came into the clinic, she was doing many things right - like cutting out certain inflammatory foods and managing stress levels. However, her symptoms of diarrhea, abdominal pain, and distention were disrupting her life.
Dr. Joe Mather, medical director of The Ruscio Institute for Functional Medicine, focused on finding the root causes of her symptoms to help formulate a treatment plan and help her feel better.
Some of these treatments included eating an anti-inflammatory diet, incorporating a gut-healing supplement powder, and beginning a binder protocol to detox from mercury and mold exposure.
If you’re trying everything to heal and are still not feeling better, you may, like Julie, need to trust what your gut is telling you and dig deeper to find the root cause of your symptoms.
Watch Julie’s story and learn how the specific dietary, supplemental, and environmental changes we recommended improved her digestion and overall well-being.
https://www.drruscio.com/unexplained-gut-symptoms
My book Healthy Gut, Healthy You is available at https://drruscio.com/getgutbook
If you're in need of clinical support, please visit https://ruscioinstitute.com
Looking for more? Check out https://drruscio.com/resources
Advances in epigenetics show exciting potential for helping to treat disease and slow the aging process.
Podcast guest Dr. Kara Fitzgerald has made an important contribution to this field with a new study of epigenetics and aging. Her groundbreaking clinical trial found that biological age can be reversed by more than 3 years by introducing simple diet and lifestyle modifications. In short, genetics do not necessarily determine our health destiny.
Listen to our discussion and prepare to have your assumptions about aging and disease challenged.
https://drruscio.com/epigenetics-and-aging-study
My book Healthy Gut, Healthy You is available at https://drruscio.com/getgutbook
If you're in need of clinical support, please visit https://ruscioinstitute.com
Looking for more? Check out https://drruscio.com/resources
Recent clinical trials on the use of probiotics with children found evidence of effectiveness for colic, intestinal infection, atopic dermatitis, and upper respiratory infection. New benefits were identified for adults, as well.
The studies include a look at the benefits of dead vs. live probiotics, which should be of interest to anyone who has ever forgotten to put the bottle back in the fridge.
Evidence continues to mount for the potential of probiotic supplements to address a wide variety of health conditions in people of all ages.
https://drruscio.com/probiotics-respiratory-infection-studies
My book Healthy Gut, Healthy You is available at https://drruscio.com/getgutbook
If you're in need of clinical support, please visit https://ruscioinstitute.com
Looking for more? Check out https://drruscio.com/resources
If you’re facing a diagnosis of autoimmune skin disease, like psoriasis or scleroderma, you may want to start paying attention to your gut and take action. One of the first steps you can take is to switch to an anti-inflammatory diet and make simple lifestyle changes. Studies show that steering clear of gluten, getting exercise or movement, and being outside in the sun absorbing Vitamin D can reduce inflammation and intestinal permeability. This can also reduce symptoms like lesions, rashes, and blisters that are commonly associated with autoimmune skin diseases. Continue reading to find out more about the surprising autoimmune skin disease-gut health connection.
https://drruscio.com/autoimmune-skin-disease/
My book Healthy Gut, Healthy You is available at https://drruscio.com/getgutbook
If you're in need of clinical support, please visit https://ruscioinstitute.com
Looking for more? Check out https://drruscio.com/resources
While there are a few ways to assess the presence of Hashimoto’s, thyroglobulin (Tg) antibody tests, in particular, can suffer from false positives. This may mislead patients into thinking they have Hashimoto’s. It's crucially important to move over to a model of treating patients and not treating only labs. In this podcast, I speak about a patient who was told he had Hashimoto's disease, but his symptoms, health history, and response to treatment were telling a different story. Listen in now to hear the outcome.
https://drruscio.com/hashimotos-disease-testing-treating
My book Healthy Gut, Healthy You is available at https://drruscio.com/getgutbook
If you're in need of clinical support, please visit https://ruscioinstitute.com
Looking for more? Check out https://drruscio.com/resources
There are many symptoms associated with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). Some directly affect the digestive system, such as diarrhea, bloating, and indigestion, while others like fatigue, brain fog, and joint pain can seem vague with no evident cause. Here’s an overview of why SIBO causes so many symptoms, what the treatment is, and how poor gut health may be the root cause of your fatigue and other non-digestive symptoms.
https://drruscio.com/sibo-fatigue/
My book Healthy Gut, Healthy You is available at https://drruscio.com/getgutbook
If you're in need of clinical support, please visit https://ruscioinstitute.com
Looking for more? Check out https://drruscio.com/resources
When Jeff came into the clinic, his primary symptom was chronic, non-responsive brain fog. The strategies we used to finally clear this fog included improving Jeff’s breathing, modifying his fitness program, and making his diet LESS restrictive by increasing his carb intake.
This case study is a great example of a personalized diet making a huge difference. If you’ve been following a strict low FODMAP or low carb diet and you’re not noticing an improvement in symptoms, you may, like Jeff, be someone who actually feels better with more carbs in your diet.
We also integrated a few key supplements which were NOT “brain supplements,” but which helped to regulate some of the imbalances that were likely leading to Jeff’s brain fog and digestive symptoms.
Watch Jeff’s story and learn exactly how we were able to improve his sleep, energy, digestion, and cognition without restrictive diets or brain boosting supplements.
https://drruscio.com/restrictive-diet-pitfalls
My book Healthy Gut, Healthy You is available at https://drruscio.com/getgutbook
If you're in need of clinical support, please visit https://ruscioinstitute.com
Looking for more? Check out https://drruscio.com/resources
Developed by a pair of researchers in Norway, the GA-map® test enables clinicians to quantify a diagnosis of IBS or IBD based on lab markers rather than relying on symptom reporting. This makes it possible to determine appropriate treatment for gut issues with a greater degree of specificity and accuracy than ever before.
https://drruscio.com/ga-map-test-for-dysbiosis
My book Healthy Gut, Healthy You is available at https://drruscio.com/getgutbook
If you're in need of clinical support, please visit https://ruscioinstitute.com
Looking for more? Check out https://drruscio.com/resources
It’s an all-too-common experience in healthcare for patients to feel unheard and unseen by healthcare providers, who can sometimes prioritize lab results over their patient’s experience. And this isn’t limited to conventional medical doctors or specialists. It happens in functional medicine, too.
And when it happens, the patient is profoundly underserved.
In this video, I speak with Danielle, a former patient who explains how her gut symptoms resolved when all the pieces (including the psychological one) came together in her treatment. It’s an eloquent example of how treating the whole patient leads to optimal results.
https://drruscio.com/limbic-retraining-helps-resolve-gut-symptoms
My book Healthy Gut, Healthy You is available at https://drruscio.com/getgutbook
If you're in need of clinical support, please visit https://ruscioinstitute.com
Looking for more? Check out https://drruscio.com/resources
At the Ruscio Institute for Functional Medicine, we personalize care based upon a four-part order of operations:
In the third and final video of my patient education series, I explain how our process ensures a science-driven, patient-centered model that results in better outcomes than a model based upon emotion, algorithms, and marketing.
My book Healthy Gut, Healthy You is available at https://drruscio.com/getgutbook
If you're in need of clinical support, please visit https://ruscioinstitute.com
Looking for more? Check out https://drruscio.com/resources
One of the core principles guiding our work at the clinic is the idea that treating the patient - rather than just lab numbers - leads to better outcomes and at less cost.
In the second video of my 3-part patient education series, I explain how relying on lab work - from allergy testing, SIBO tests, and adrenal cortisol tests - rather than treating the symptoms, is less likely to result in benefits to the patient - and may even cause harm.
https://drruscio.com/food-allergy-lab-testing-vs-diet-change-video-2
My book Healthy Gut, Healthy You is available at https://drruscio.com/getgutbook
If you're in need of clinical support, please visit https://ruscioinstitute.com
Looking for more? Check out https://drruscio.com/resources
Scientific research tells us that treatment approaches in functional medicine are best decided by looking at patients and their symptoms rather than allowing lab results to dictate those decisions.
In this video series, I provide a short checklist to help educate patients and clinicians about best practices.
Video 1 discusses why weeding out unnecessary tests reduces costs and improves health outcomes.
My book Healthy Gut, Healthy You is available at https://drruscio.com/getgutbook
If you're in need of clinical support, please visit https://ruscioinstitute.com
Looking for more? Check out https://drruscio.com/resources
Today we answer listener questions, including:
https://drruscio.com/listener-questions-nmn-for-ibs-is-leaky-gut-real
My book Healthy Gut, Healthy You is available at https://drruscio.com/getgutbook
If you're in need of clinical support, please visit https://ruscioinstitute.com
Looking for more? Check out https://drruscio.com/resources
The latest batch of clinical research into probiotics therapy includes findings about the effectiveness of probiotics for children with IBS and other conditions, respiratory tract infections, atopic dermatitis, athletic performance, C. difficile, chronic diarrhea, and more.
I also discuss the importance of moving away from strain-specific and species-specific bias in probiotics use, the pitfalls of an overly cautious approach to probiotics dosing, why we at the clinic address gut health before attempting to optimize micronutrient levels, and the value of probiotics for preventive health.
https://drruscio.com/probiotics-research-updates-3/
My book Healthy Gut, Healthy You is available at https://drruscio.com/getgutbook
If you're in need of clinical support, please visit https://ruscioinstitute.com
Looking for more? Check out https://drruscio.com/resources
The first installment of our monthly patient support call covers a lot of ground. We discuss:
Questions from patients allow us to showcase the clinic’s research arm, put progressively more resources into making sure that our diagnostic and treatment process is sound, and ensure that science is thoroughly integrated into our clinical model.
Join us every second Friday with your questions, or just listen in.
https://drruscio.com/clinic-podcast-probiotics-emotional-work-suicidal-thoughts
My book Healthy Gut, Healthy You is available at https://drruscio.com/getgutbook
If you're in need of clinical support, please visit https://ruscioinstitute.com
Looking for more? Check out https://drruscio.com/resources
Today’s podcast episode features the latest gut health research, my thoughts on how these studies fit into what we’re doing at the clinic, and how I use the information in the studies to consider whether we’re practicing in accordance with current science or if we need to consider modifying our approach.
This latest batch of studies examines:
…and more. Listen and learn.
https://drruscio.com/gut-health-updates-leaky-gut-low-fodmap-sibo-gluten-free
My book Healthy Gut, Healthy You is available at https://drruscio.com/getgutbook
If you're in need of clinical support, please visit https://ruscioinstitute.com
Looking for more? Check out https://drruscio.com/resources
Health technology tools such as the Continuous Glucose Monitoring Device can help you improve your metabolic health by providing a picture of how your lifestyle factors – including diet, exercise, alcohol consumption, and sleep – affect your blood glucose levels.
However, these tools are only as good as the user’s mindset and basic understanding of the science behind the numbers.
Dr. Ronesh Sinha explains how to regard the CGM as an opportunity to learn about your body rather than getting stressed about single data points, and how to cultivate healthy glucose levels through a balanced lifestyle.
https://drruscio.com/glucose-levels-and-lifestyle-factors
My book Healthy Gut, Healthy You is available at https://drruscio.com/getgutbook
If you're in need of clinical support, please visit https://ruscioinstitute.com
Looking for more? Check out https://drruscio.com/resources
There are a lot of incentives in the functional health marketplace to rely on lab testing to make treatment decisions. Unfortunately, this model often serves the bottom lines of lab companies better than it serves patients.
At the clinic, we use a science-guided framework that is oriented to improving clinical outcomes rather than just focusing on lab results.
Our patient-centered approach speaks for itself. Listen in as Dr. Joe, Gavin and I discuss.
https://drruscio.com/which-functional-medicine-tests-to-avoid
My book Healthy Gut, Healthy You is available at https://drruscio.com/getgutbook
If you're in need of clinical support, please visit https://ruscioinstitute.com
Looking for more? Check out https://drruscio.com/resources
Today we will cover listener questions including:
https://drruscio.com/listener-questions-hunger-pea-protein-probiotics-dhea
My book Healthy Gut, Healthy You is available at https://drruscio.com/getgutbook
If you're in need of clinical support, please visit https://ruscioinstitute.com
Looking for more? Check out https://drruscio.com/resources
Anyone who’s dealt with symptoms of mold toxicity such as brain fog, insomnia, fatigue and digestive disturbances has likely also experienced the fear and worry that often arises in response. These psychological symptoms can make an already distressing situation even more stressful.
In this podcast episode, I provide an update for listeners about what happened after mold was discovered in a second home in Austin. I describe how I navigated my way through a variety of related concerns and how this process mirrors the diligence and analytic scrutiny that I bring to helping patients at the clinic.
https://drruscio.com/personal-mold-updates
My book Healthy Gut, Healthy You is available at https://drruscio.com/getgutbook
If you're in need of clinical support, please visit https://ruscioinstitute.com
Looking for more? Check out https://drruscio.com/resources
High quality health research provides evidence that is robust, ethical, and can be used to support good healthcare decision-making. It improves the lives of patients by enabling healthcare providers to effectively determine the root of problems, make informed decisions about patient care, and avoid the guessing games that can plague attempts to diagnose complex health issues.
However, when a study (such as the one we discuss here) is plagued with methodological flaws, it adds little to the existing scientific knowledge base, and has scant value to offer patients trying to get better and clinicians who are trying to help them.
This podcast episode is a look into our clinical evaluation process that tells us what’s actually going on with patients and how we can best help them, rather than cherry-picking data that supports an already-decided conclusion.
https://drruscio.com/food-allergy-vs-low-fodmap-study
My book Healthy Gut, Healthy You is available at https://drruscio.com/getgutbook
If you're in need of clinical support, please visit https://ruscioinstitute.com
Looking for more? Check out https://drruscio.com/resources
When a group of researchers looked at 1800 patients to see which condition was most strongly associated with SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), they were surprised to find hypothyroidism at the top of the list. A number of other studies over the last few years have pointed to a significant connection between bacterial overgrowths in the gut and thyroid health. Most importantly (and shockingly for many), research has now shown that probiotics, which improve gut health, SIBO, inflammation, and absorption of medication, can also help to normalize TSH levels, improve persistent hypothyroid symptoms like fatigue, and reduce the need for levothyroxine and other thyroid meds. Watch this quick video to learn more about the SIBO-thyroid connection and how you can use this information to improve your health.
My book Healthy Gut, Healthy You is available at https://drruscio.com/getgutbook
If you're in need of clinical support, please visit https://ruscioinstitute.com
Looking for more? Check out https://drruscio.com/resources
Sleep is a cornerstone of health, and the field of sleep medicine encompasses a variety of devices, therapies, products, and lifestyle modifications to help those with sleep disorders.
However, it can be difficult to navigate your way through all of the research and content on sleep health.
On this podcast, physical therapist Zac Cupples and I break down the approaches in a hierarchical fashion from simple, inexpensive, and easily accessible to more complex, making it simpler to identify the ones appropriate for your needs.
https://drruscio.com/personalizing-sleep-medicine
My book Healthy Gut, Healthy You is available at https://drruscio.com/getgutbook
If you're in need of clinical support, please visit https://ruscioinstitute.com
Looking for more? Check out https://drruscio.com/resources
This podcast episode is one in a series that reviews the current state of research on various aspects of gut health. I delve into recent studies on Crohns’ disease and elemental diet, the relationship between H. pylori and GERD, Aloe extract for IBS, the association of SIBO and heart failure, and much more.
https://drruscio.com/gut-health-research-updates-1
My book Healthy Gut, Healthy You is available at https://drruscio.com/getgutbook
If you're in need of clinical support, please visit https://ruscioinstitute.com
Looking for more? Check out https://drruscio.com/resources