We are moving all episodes of The Health Bridge to the Urban Monk! If you're a fan of Pedram Shojai, you might already know he has another podcast titled The Urban Monk! If you're already subscribed to both shows, you don't have to do anything. But if you aren't subscribed to The Urban Monk, just search for the show in iTunes! It will be the same Health Bridge show, still released on Mondays, but with the added bonus of Urban Monk episodes on Thursdays! We were having trouble trying to separate Pedram across two separate shows and decided to focus on just one feed so that we can just bring you the best content without trying to split it up across two feeds. Just search "The Urban Monk" in iTunes!

You may have heard that a big part being in shape is the role of genetics. It might be easy enough for Chris Evans to be in shape, he's born with those good genes. For the rest of us, are we just stuck fighting our genetics to get that flat belly? Today's guest, Dr. Sharon Moalem, suggests that there's a way to work WITH our DNA even if we weren't born to get the biceps of Captain America. How can we get in touch with our genetics? How do we know what kind of genes we might have? Once we know what actions will help us work with our genes? What effects can result if we follow Dr. Moalem's model? Subscribe to our YouTube channel: http://well.org/subscribe Subscribe to The Urban Monk Podcast on iTunes: http://theurbanmonk.com/ Subscribe to the Health Bridge Podcast on iTunes: http://well.org/healthbridgepodcast Connect with us: http://well.org/ Facebook - http://well.org/facebook Twitter - http://well.org/twitter Pinterest - http://well.org/pinterest YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/user/wellchannel

We have heard of people having all sorts of various out-of-body experiences when having near-death experiences. Today Pedram welcomes a guest to The Health Bridge who has had an experience of his own, but is also a doctor with over thirty years of experience as a cardio anesthesiologist. How did his experience of leaving his body change him? What did he experience and see when his consciousness left his body? How did his background in the medical field frame his understanding of what his consciousness went through? Subscribe to our YouTube channel: http://well.org/subscribe Subscribe to The Urban Monk Podcast on iTunes: http://theurbanmonk.com/ Subscribe to the Health Bridge Podcast on iTunes: http://well.org/healthbridgepodcast Connect with us: http://well.org/ Facebook - http://well.org/facebook Twitter - http://well.org/twitter Pinterest - http://well.org/pinterest YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/user/wellchannel

Anyone with kids knows how hard it can be to get them to eat fruits and vegetables. It's an even harder battle when you have to fight the advertisements they may see for less nutritional choices. Today's guest on The Health Bridge is an assistant professor of Consumer Sciences at Ohio State University who has done a lot of research into food advertisements and how they affect children. Dr. Drew Hanks is a behavioral economist whose primary interests are in consumer food choices and the economic and psychological factors that influence these decisions. What role does advertisement play in the food choices we make? How does the branding we see in grocery stores affect what we eat at home? How does the food industry influence what food is available to children in their school lunch rooms? Subscribe to our YouTube channel: http://well.org/subscribe Subscribe to The Urban Monk Podcast on iTunes: http://theurbanmonk.com/ Subscribe to the Health Bridge Podcast on iTunes: http://well.org/healthbridgepodcast Connect with us: http://well.org/ Facebook - http://well.org/facebook Twitter - http://well.org/twitter Pinterest - http://well.org/pinterest YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/user/wellchannel

Today's guest on The Health Bridge is a man focused on solutions. Dr. Andrew Lustig volunteers his time, energy, and knowledge to people in need all over the globe. He is the founder and president of Global Outreach Doctors which gathers a team of dedicated medical professionals who volunteer their time and expertise. The difference though with Global Outreach Doctors is that they provide both western and eastern medical practitioners. Not only are there doctors, nurses, and paramedics, but also naturopaths, homeopaths, acupuncturists, and even psychologists. What does it mean to people to provide health services beyond the general medical care? Subscribe to our YouTube channel: http://well.org/subscribe Subscribe to The Urban Monk Podcast on iTunes: http://theurbanmonk.com/ Subscribe to the Health Bridge Podcast on iTunes: http://well.org/healthbridgepodcast Connect with us: http://well.org/ Facebook - http://well.org/facebook Twitter - http://well.org/twitter Pinterest - http://well.org/pinterest YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/user/wellchannel

With the rise of social media and all of its forms, between Facebook and Twitter and Instagram and Snapchat, it's hard to determine a post that seems like genuine sharing and one that is posted just to try to get as much attention as possible. How do we determine what is narcissistic behavior? To help Pedram with this issue, today's guest is a clinical psychologist and instructor of Psychology for Harvard Medical School, Dr. Craig Malkin. He has written articles providing advice and insight on relationships for publications such as Psychology Today, Time, Women's Health, Men's Health, and the Huffington Post. What makes a person a narcissist? Is narcissism more prevalent nowadays with the daily use of social media? Subscribe to our YouTube channel: http://well.org/subscribe Subscribe to The Urban Monk Podcast on iTunes: http://theurbanmonk.com/ Subscribe to the Health Bridge Podcast on iTunes: http://well.org/healthbridgepodcast Connect with us: http://well.org/ Facebook - http://well.org/facebook Twitter - http://well.org/twitter Pinterest - http://well.org/pinterest YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/user/wellchannel

For the past several years in health care, it seems like the "gut" has been on everyone's mind. Pedram has talked at length with various guests about the gut and its processes on this program, but in this episode, he welcomes Dr. Emeran Mayer, a professor of medicine at UCLA, to discuss how the gut isn't just a self-contained system doing its thing automatically. No, Dr. Mayer joins the program to discuss how the mind and its processes can also affect the gut. Dr. Mayer has been the go-to researcher on brain-gut interations for nearly 25 years. What is the mind-gut connection? What role does the mind play in gut health? In what ways can we improve mental and physical health when focusing on the mind-gut connection? 

Many of us who have struggled with our weight surely have tried a good variety of methods to reach our weight goals. There's the obvious "eat less, exercise more" that we start with before moving on to any variety of dieting plans. But what if there was a way to optimize our own hormones to help with the weight loss? Well today Pedram welcomes to the program Dr. Warren Willey. He's a board-certified osteopathic physician and the medical director of a hormone management and medical weight loss center. He believes the simple "eat less, exercise more" method doesn't cut it and weight loss is more about what you eat, how you eat, and when you eat. It's also a matter of using food to adjust and control your hormones. Why doesn't eating less and exercising more work for everyone? How can food be used to optimize our hormones? What hormones can even be regulated? Subscribe to our YouTube channel: http://well.org/subscribe Subscribe to The Urban Monk Podcast on iTunes: http://theurbanmonk.com/ Subscribe to the Health Bridge Podcast on iTunes: http://well.org/healthbridgepodcast Connect with us: http://well.org/ Facebook - http://well.org/facebook Twitter - http://well.org/twitter Pinterest - http://well.org/pinterest YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/user/wellchannel

Did you know that 70% of your immune system is located in your gut? So if your digestive system is off, it could possibly lead to some other serious health problems such as chronic inflammation, allergies, autoimmune disease, eczema, psoriasis, diabetes, and even arthritis. What does it mean to have an off system? What is leaky gut? Today's guest is an expert on diagnosing, treating, and preventing leaky gut. Dr. Josh Axe is a doctor of natural medicine and clinical nutritionist who specializes in teaching people how to use food as medicine. Leaky gut is a relatively new term, is it actually a new phenomenon or are we only recently beginning to understand the digestive system better? What is the cause of leaky gut? What are the symptoms and how common is it? Josh also talks about the importance of having a good relationship to dirt, but why? What will that do for our general health? Subscribe to our YouTube channel: http://well.org/subscribe Subscribe to The Urban Monk Podcast on iTunes: http://theurbanmonk.com/ Subscribe to the Health Bridge Podcast on iTunes: http://well.org/healthbridgepodcast Connect with us: http://well.org/ Facebook - http://well.org/facebook Twitter - http://well.org/twitter Pinterest - http://well.org/pinterest YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/user/wellchannel

Depression affects 14.8 million American adults and women experience it at twice the rate of men. According to the World Health Organization it is the leading cause of disability worldwide, but the National Institute of Health reports that 80% of those treated for depression show an improvement generally between 4 to 6 weeks. Today's guest joins the program to discuss another possible way to help lessen depression. Dr. Kelly Brogan, a holistic women's health psychiatrist, helps treat depression by not just focusing on the mind, but the whole body. For starters, what is the clinical definition of depression? What are the truths and misconceptions of depression? How does depression manifest itself in people? Dr. Brogan discusses the use of antidepressants and how she doesn't always think they're the best treatment. How do they work? What are the pros and cons of taking antidepressants? And what is the actual biology behind depression? Subscribe to our YouTube channel: http://well.org/subscribe Subscribe to The Urban Monk Podcast on iTunes: http://theurbanmonk.com/ Subscribe to the Health Bridge Podcast on iTunes: http://well.org/healthbridgepodcast Connect with us: http://well.org/ Facebook - http://well.org/facebook Twitter - http://well.org/twitter Pinterest - http://well.org/pinterest YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/user/wellchannel

Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death with an estimated 600,000 deaths annually in the U.S. alone. That means every 60 seconds someone in the U.S. dies from heart disease. To talk about these staggering numbers, Pedram Shojai welcomes Dr. Joel Fuhrman to The Health Bridge. Dr. Fuhrman is here to discuss the ways in which heart disease can actually be reversed and how it is not just a natural consequence of aging. Dr. Fuhrman is a board-certified family physician, a New York Times best-selling author, and an internationally recognized expert on nutrition and natural healing. What are ways to reverse heart disease? What are ways to prevent it in the first place? What role does food and diet play in affecting our chances of getting heart disease? In what ways has modern science and healthcare taken a handle on treating heart disease?

The human body's largest organ, our skin, covers an area of about 20 square feet and weighs about 8 pounds on its own. It protects us from the elements, from microbes, helps control body temperature and transmits the sensations of touch and temperature. It's also the first thing most people see of us. It also plays a significant role in how we see ourselves. This week Pedram Shojai welcomes Dr. Anthony Youn. He's the rare plastic surgeon who strongly believes in doing everything he possibly can to keep people OUT of the operating room. He's spent the last 16 years researching the secrets of dermatologists, dietitians, plastic surgeons, and makeup artists and put it all in a new book, The Age Fix. He's here to discuss why skin care is so important and how much of a difference it can make. Subscribe to our YouTube channel: http://well.org/subscribe Subscribe to The Urban Monk Podcast on iTunes: http://theurbanmonk.com/ Subscribe to the Health Bridge Podcast on iTunes: http://well.org/healthbridgepodcast Connect with us: http://well.org/ Facebook - http://well.org/facebook Twitter - http://well.org/twitter Pinterest - http://well.org/pinterest YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/user/wellchannel

You might know someone with an allergy if you don't suffer from one yourself. It's estimated that 30 percent of adults suffer from an allergy ranging from asthma to hay fever to eczema and food allergies. What's more alarming however is research that is revealing the rise of hidden allergies, that is, allergies that lead to weight gain, fatigue, brain fog, depression, ADHD and much more. To talk about the latest research in allergies, Pedram Shojai welcomes guest Dr. Leo Galland to The Health Bridge. He's a board-certified internist and leader in integrated medicine. He's here to help Pedram understand what allergies even are. Why do people have them while others don't? What causes them? What are symptoms of allergies? How do we treat them? Subscribe to our YouTube channel: http://well.org/subscribe Subscribe to The Urban Monk Podcast on iTunes: http://theurbanmonk.com/ Subscribe to the Health Bridge Podcast on iTunes: http://well.org/healthbridgepodcast Connect with us: http://well.org/ Facebook - http://well.org/facebook Twitter - http://well.org/twitter Pinterest - http://well.org/pinterest YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/user/wellchannel

It takes a lot of courage to admit to an addiction. But sometimes we can overlook the idea of being addicted to food. Some of us might just think we're chronic overeaters before we admit to ourselves that we're just plain addicted. For some it might just be a case of overeating from time to time, but for other people it's a serious addiction that needs to be controlled. Today Pedram Shojai welcomes Susan Peirce Thompson back to The Health Bridge. She's the founder and CEO of Bright Line Eating Solutions, a company offering a road map to success for those ready to take a hard look at their relationship to food in order to drop weight and keep it off for good. Susan herself has had struggles with her own weight and body image in addition to being addicted to much more than food. Are some people cursed with an addictive personality? Are all foods addictive? What makes foods addictive? Are they similar to drugs in that way? How does one approach treating food addiction?

This week on the Health Bridge, Pedram turns the focus on a huge mystery some of us may have to deal with on a daily basis: What exactly is going on in a teenager's brain? To help us decipher this mystery, Pedram welcomes Dr. Frances Jensen, a world renowned neurologist. She is a professor and chair of the neurology department at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. She also has a new book out aptly titled "The Teenage Brain: A Neurologist's Survival Guide to Raising Adolescents & Young Adults" which made the New York Times' bestseller list. What is it about teenagers that requires a survival guide? How is the teenage brain different from ones younger and older? Previously, very little research was dedicated to the brains of teenagers. Why is that? What do we now know thanks to the research of Dr. Jensen? Why do parents and adults perceive the teenage brain as being irrational? Is there any overall advice that can be given to a teenager and to the adults responsible for steering them towards adulthood? Subscribe to our YouTube channel: http://well.org/subscribe Subscribe to The Urban Monk Podcast on iTunes: http://theurbanmonk.com/ Subscribe to the Health Bridge Podcast on iTunes: http://well.org/healthbridgepodcast Connect with us: http://well.org/ Facebook - http://well.org/facebook Twitter - http://well.org/twitter Pinterest - http://well.org/pinterest YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/user/wellchannel

Here on The Health Bridge we've discussed how health care and the right things to do to be in better health can vary wildly from person to person. So while we on the show do our best to provide information that can help a large number, it's hard to say that something is right for every listener of the show. Well that's where this week's guest comes in to help. Pedram welcomes Matt Reimann of PH360 to the program to discuss software he's developed that can help determine the right healthcare plan for YOU. How does this program work? How detailed can a computer program be? What role will programs like these play in giving a doctor a complete look at your health? And how will so much information help in the action we take for ourselves? Subscribe to our YouTube channel: http://well.org/subscribe Subscribe to The Urban Monk Podcast on iTunes: http://theurbanmonk.com/ Subscribe to the Health Bridge Podcast on iTunes: http://well.org/healthbridgepodcast Connect with us: http://well.org/ Facebook - http://well.org/facebook Twitter - http://well.org/twitter Pinterest - http://well.org/pinterest YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/user/wellchannel

Chances are if you follow our podcast, you know the importance of nutrition, but what can easily be overlooked is the importance enzymes play in our digestion and absorption of nutrients. Today Pedram Shojai welcomes Wade Lightheart to The Health Bridge to talk about enzymes helped rebuild his body from the inside out. He's a 3-time All Natural National Bodybuilding Champion, advisor to the American Anti-Cancer Institute, and director of Education at BiOptimizers. He has also authored a best-selling book, "Staying Alive in a Toxic World." Wade combines the principles of high performance training and nutrition, eastern philosophy, and cutting edge scientific technology to help people achieve optimal levels of performance, health, and vitality. For more on Wade Lightheart's Enzyme program, visit http://well.org/enzymes Subscribe to our YouTube channel: http://well.org/subscribe Subscribe to The Urban Monk Podcast on iTunes: http://theurbanmonk.com/ Subscribe to the Health Bridge Podcast on iTunes: http://well.org/healthbridgepodcast Connect with us: http://well.org/ Facebook - http://well.org/facebook Twitter - http://well.org/twitter Pinterest - http://well.org/pinterest YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/user/wellchannel

Health insurance is now mandated by federal law. We all have to have it. But what are all the options out there? Are we all forced into high-cost plans with little actual benefits? What alternatives are out there? Well this week on The Health Bridge Pedram Shojai welcomes guest Tom Blue to talk about Medical Cost Sharing. Tom is the program director for Liberty Direct, which is leading the launch of a new program offering health conscious people freedom from the burden of high cost healthcare. To start, why is healthcare so expensive to begin with? And what is Medical Cost Sharing and how is it an alternative to expensive healthcare? What does it offer and how does it compare to traditional health coverage? From Tom's perspective, what does the future hold for medical healthcare insurance in the U.S.? For more on the Liberty Direct program, visit http://well.org/liberty Subscribe to our YouTube channel: http://well.org/subscribe Subscribe to The Urban Monk Podcast on iTunes: http://theurbanmonk.com/ Subscribe to the Health Bridge Podcast on iTunes: http://well.org/healthbridgepodcast Connect with us: http://well.org/ Facebook - http://well.org/facebook Twitter - http://well.org/twitter Pinterest - http://well.org/pinterest YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/user/wellchannel

What is the relationship between intimacy and connection between couples and that relationship in regards to God? What role does the spiritual play in a relationship? To help explore relationships on this unique level is Dr. Anna Cabeca. She's a gynecologist and obstetrician and board-certified in anti-aging and regenerative medicine. When dealing with health on such clinical terms, how does she feel about exploring spirituality with her patients? Back on a more human level, what sorts of issues does she see in relationships? Are there things men are doing wrong? Are there things women doing wrong? Or is it a combination? Is the issue agnostic against genders? Is there some sort of bio-chemical cause that can create rifts in a relationship? Subscribe to our YouTube channel: http://well.org/subscribe Subscribe to The Urban Monk Podcast on iTunes: http://theurbanmonk.com/ Subscribe to the Health Bridge Podcast on iTunes: http://well.org/healthbridgepodcast Connect with us: http://well.org/ Facebook - http://well.org/facebook Twitter - http://well.org/twitter Pinterest - http://well.org/pinterest YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/user/wellchannel

The United States is in the midst of a prescription drug overdose epidemic. Prescriptions and sales of opioids like Vicodin and Percocet have quadrupled since 1999. According to the CDC, more than 40 people die every day from prescription opioid overdoses. Joining Pedram Shojai today to talk about this epidemic and the new federal guidelines issued to primary care doctors treating adult patients for chronic pain is Dr. Debra Houry. She is the director of the CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. She is also a practicing ER doctor. What is the CDC's role in this epidemic? Under what conditions might a doctor prescribe an opioid? Are they always given in short supply with a recheck required for a refill? What is the doctor's role in checking to make sure the patient is not harmed by the prescription? Does the patient have any responsibility to know what they're taking? How will the new CDC guidelines affect the way doctors prescribe medicines to their patients? Subscribe to our YouTube channel: http://well.org/subscribe Subscribe to The Urban Monk Podcast on iTunes: http://theurbanmonk.com/ Subscribe to the Health Bridge Podcast on iTunes: http://well.org/healthbridgepodcast Connect with us:http://well.org/Facebook - http://well.org/facebookTwitter - http://well.org/twitterPinterest - http://well.org/pinterestYouTube – https://www.youtube.com/user/wellchannel

For years we were told fat was bad. We were told that if we didn't want fat on our bodies we shouldn't eat it and that it could lead to heart disease, obesity, and diabetes. But now years of research and studies have shown that fat has little, if any, connection to these health problems. More evidence is linking sugar, sweeteners, and refined carbohydrates as the cause of these issues. To help explain this change in understand is Dr. Mark Hyman, chairman of the Institute for Functional Medicine. He's the author of 12 books on health and diet and his newest deals with the very issue of eating fat. Dr. Hyman even says one of the best things you can do for your health and to manage weight is eating more fat! How has there been such a drastic change in understanding regarding fats? Does this open the floodgates to eat whatever fats we want? For more on Dr. Mark Hyman's book, "Eat Fat, Get Thin," visit http://www.eatfatgetthin.com/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: http://well.org/subscribe Subscribe to The Urban Monk Podcast on iTunes: http://theurbanmonk.com/ Subscribe to the Health Bridge Podcast on iTunes: http://well.org/healthbridgepodcast Connect with us:http://well.org/Facebook - http://well.org/facebookTwitter - http://well.org/twitterPinterest - http://well.org/pinterestYouTube – https://www.youtube.com/user/wellchannel

Veganism is the practice abstaining from using animal products, from meats to fish to eggs and milk, and living only on plant-based foods. Recently on The Health Bridge, Pedram welcomed Kevin Gianni who was a former vegan but had to re-introduce animal food products back into his diet, but this week Pedram Shojai welcomes Donovan Green to the program. Donovan is an integrative nutritionist, a certified ACE and IFA personal trainer, a black belt martial artist, author of the book, No Excuses Fitness, Dr. Oz's personal trainer, and happens to be a full vegan. Pedram asks Donovan about his experience as a vegan. How long has he been a vegan? What reasons did he have for not eating animal products? How is Donovan able to maintain muscle mass while avoiding animal proteins? Subscribe to our YouTube channel: http://well.org/subscribe Subscribe to the Health Bridge Podcast on iTunes: http://well.org/healthbridgepodcast Connect with us:http://well.org/Facebook – http://well.org/facebookTwitter – http://well.org/twitterPinterest – http://well.org/pinterestYouTube – https://www.youtube.com/user/wellchannel

It's not uncommon, even at a young age, to have injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system, that is, the system involving joints, muscles, and ligaments. Orthopedic complaints are among the most common reasons people seek medical care. Often, when someone goes to a doctor with an issue regarding their knees, shoulders, hips, or lower back, there's a tendency to push for surgery. Well this week on The Health Bridge Pedram Shojai welcomes an orthopedic surgeon who doesn't think surgery is always the best option. Dr. Ben Rubin specializes in sports medicine along with arthroscopic and reconstructive shoulder and knee surgery. What are common injuries that Dr. Rubin has seen throughout his years as a surgeon? Why isn't his initial reaction to injuries to go into surgery, especially as a surgeon? What sort of degenerative conditions occur even outside of an injury? How are diagnoses formed and when is surgery actually the best option? Subscribe to our YouTube channel: http://well.org/subscribe Subscribe to the Health Bridge Podcast on iTunes: http://well.org/healthbridgepodcast Connect with us:http://well.org/Facebook – http://well.org/facebookTwitter – http://well.org/twitterPinterest – http://well.org/pinterestYouTube – https://www.youtube.com/user/wellchannel

Today kicks off Brain Awareness Week! It's an annual global campaign to increase awareness on the progress and benefits of brain research. To help us better understand the brain, Pedram Shojai invited to The Health Bridge a man the Washington Post called "the most popular psychiatrist in America," Dr. Daniel Amen. He's a double board-certified psychiatrist and a ten-time best-selling author. If there are questions to be asked of the brain, Dr. Amen is definitely the one to ask. Is it possible to change your brain? Is it harder to change as we age? Is it possible to teach an old dog new tricks? What are ways we can care for our brains? What are ways we may be hurting our brains? How does sleep, exercise, and diet affect the brain? We have heard of alcohol being detrimental to brain health, but how bad is it? Is the brain something that can heal itself? Subscribe to our YouTube channel: http://well.org/subscribe Subscribe to the Health Bridge Podcast on iTunes: http://well.org/healthbridgepodcast Connect with us:http://well.org/Facebook – http://well.org/facebookTwitter – http://well.org/twitterPinterest – http://well.org/pinterestYouTube – https://www.youtube.com/user/wellchannel

Maybe you've thought about it, becoming a vegan. Removing all animal products from your diet may be okay depending on your nutritional needs. We of course would recommend you double check with a health professional on your specific case. On this episode of The Health Bridge, however, Pedram Shojai speaks with Kevin Gianni who tried his hand at being a vegan. What benefits did Kevin see when he became a vegan? How difficult was the transition from carnivore to herbivore? What role does diet play into identity as well? But for Kevin, being a vegan was also met with a lot of downsides. What factors led to Kevin stepping back into the world of eating animal products? How was the transition back? And how did he feel about what his friends and family might think about the change? Subscribe to our YouTube channel: http://well.org/subscribe Subscribe to the Health Bridge Podcast on iTunes: http://well.org/healthbridgepodcast Connect with us:http://well.org/Facebook – http://well.org/facebookTwitter – http://well.org/twitterPinterest – http://well.org/pinterestYouTube – https://www.youtube.com/user/wellchannel

We all know of the importance of getting the right nutrients. Often we might think of nutrients as coming from the foods we eat or the supplements we take, but did you know that you can also get nutrients delivered to your body intravenously? Dr. Katherine Zagone returns to The Health Bridge to discuss her practice of administering nutrients through an IV. What are the benefits of taking in nutrients through an IV rather than orally? Who should be treated in this manner? And what sorts of conditions and illnesses can IV nutrient therapy help? As a bonus, Dr. Zagone hooks Dr. Pedram Shojai and Dr. Tami to an IV so they can experience first-hand the benefits of IV nutrient therapy while recording this episode! Subscribe to our YouTube channel: http://well.org/subscribe Subscribe to the Health Bridge Podcast on iTunes: http://well.org/healthbridgepodcast Connect with us:http://well.org/Facebook – http://well.org/facebookTwitter – http://well.org/twitterPinterest – http://well.org/pinterestYouTube – https://www.youtube.com/user/wellchannel

Migraines affect about 38 million men, women, and children in the United States. They can last anywhere between 4 to 72 hours. What differentiates a migraine from a run-of-the-mill headache? To help explain how migraines affect the mind and body Dr. Tami and Dr. Pedram Shojai welcome Dr. Steven Graff-Radford to The Health Bridge! He's actually a doctor of dental surgery, so how is it that he is focused on the diagnosing and treatment of migraines? Who can be affected by migraines? Do they tend to affect certain types of people over another? What's causing them? Are there external factors and triggers? What kinds of treatments are available? Are the most effective treatments pharmacological? Or are other approaches available as well? Subscribe to our YouTube channel: http://well.org/subscribe Subscribe to the Health Bridge Podcast on iTunes: http://well.org/healthbridgepodcast Connect with us:http://well.org/Facebook – http://well.org/facebookTwitter – http://well.org/twitterPinterest – http://well.org/pinterestYouTube – https://www.youtube.com/user/wellchannel

Health insurance in the United States is still a point of confusion for some people despite the passage of the Affordable Care Act. Thankfully, Dr. Pedram Shojai and Dr. Tami have invited James Maskell of Revive Primary Care to help make some sense of it. What is medical insurance? What is it for? How does it work? What are the limitations of medical insurance? And how does one choose between private, corporate, or Obamacare insurance? Subscribe to our YouTube channel: http://well.org/subscribe Subscribe to the Health Bridge Podcast on iTunes: http://well.org/healthbridgepodcast Connect with us:http://well.org/Facebook – http://well.org/facebookTwitter – http://well.org/twitterPinterest – http://well.org/pinterestYouTube – https://www.youtube.com/user/wellchannel

Sleep is a favorite topic of ours to cover here at the Health Bridge as it seems we have trouble taking our own advice! About 62% of American adults experience some sort of problem a few nights a week and 30% suffer from some sort of insomnia in the course of a year. What is causing this? Is it diet? Lifestyle? Genetics? Age? Stress? How do we fix it? To help answer these questions Pedram Shojai welcomes board-certified sleep specialist Dr. Raj Dasgupta to the show. Dr. Dasgupta helps to explain what sleep apnea is and how that differs from generic snoring and the sort of harm apnea does on the body. He also provides a few behavioral changes we each can make to help our bodies get more out of the (hopefully) full eight hours of sleep we get each night!

On this episode of The Health Bridge, Dr. Tami and Dr. Pedram welcome Dr. Kulreet Chaudhary. She was a neurologist that has also studied Ayurvedic medicine. Dr. Kulreet used to suffer from migraine headaches which were not helped by the medicines she would prescribe to her patients. After a consultation with her mother, she discovered that her migraines were helped when she changed some of the foods she ate which aided her microbiome. What is the connection between the gut and the brain? How can what we eat have such a significant affect on what happens neurologically? What other affects may occur if we heal our gut? How does this affect our weight and how does this change our relationship with food? Is it possible to reset our normal? Subscribe to our YouTube channel: http://well.org/subscribe Subscribe to the Health Bridge Podcast on iTunes: http://well.org/healthbridgepodcast Connect with us:http://well.org/Facebook – http://well.org/facebookTwitter – http://well.org/twitterPinterest – http://well.org/pinterestYouTube – https://www.youtube.com/user/wellchannel

Robyn Youkilis returns to The Health Bridge to discuss the role of the foods we eat on our digestive health. Food is of course a very important part of a healthy lifestyle but does it go beyond just the types of food we eat? Does the manner in which we chew our food have an effect on how our bodies process the food? What other factors may contribute to digestive problems? What role does hydration play in digestion? The topic of digestion also leads Robyn and Pedram towards a discussion of poop. Get comfortable! It's only poop! Subscribe to our YouTube channel: http://well.org/subscribe Subscribe to the Health Bridge Podcast on iTunes: http://well.org/healthbridgepodcast Connect with us:http://well.org/Facebook – http://well.org/facebookTwitter – http://well.org/twitterPinterest – http://well.org/pinterestYouTube – https://www.youtube.com/user/wellchannel

It seems these days everyone is tired all the time! Trust us, you're not the only one looking to gain some extra energy every day. On this week's episode of The Health Bridge one of our favorite guests, Tom Malterre, joins Pedram Shojai to discuss the topic that seems to affect so many of us: being tired. In this episode they discuss the factors that are draining our energy and keeping us tired. They provide tips on how to overcome those issues and find our energy again.  Let us know how your life will be different with added daily energy!

Dr. Tami joins Pedram Shojai on this weeks episode of The Health Bridge to discuss why our medical bills can cost so much. When we experience such inflated costs at the doctor are they accurate? Why can it be so pricey? Is insurance to blame? Tune in to find out why those medical bills can cost so much and how you can cut them down

In this week's episode of The Health Bridge, the wonderful Katherine Zagone joins hosts Pedram Shojai and Dr. Tami to discuss fertility. Katherine is a naturopathic doctor with a practice focuses on women's health, but she does see patients of both genders. Katherine comes on the show and talks about various factors that are contributing to a recent decrease in fertility. Could it be the added stress levels that is leading to a decrease in fertility? Could it be an unbalanced modern diet as well? She talks about how we can make adjustments in our own lives to better increase the fertility of our bodies.

One of our favorite guests, the renowned functional medicine doctor Tom Malterre, joins us for another fascinating topic. Based on heavy research as well as personal experience, Tom discusses with Pedram and guest co-host Dr. Tami the wonderful benefits of plant medicine. His wonderful insights into utilization of plants for peak health will leave you inspired and ready to renew your eating habits. Let us know what you think :)

Kellyann Petrucci joins Pedram and Tami this week to discuss the immense power that bone broth can have on the body. Through personal experience, patients, and studies, Kellyann begins to paint a picture of the power of bone broth. If you're looking for a way to lose weight, eat healthier, and feel better this could be your answer. Tune in for these great healthy tips and let us know what you think!

Trying to get back to the East Meets West format that The Health Bridge was founded upon, Pedram Shojai welcomes back Dr. Tami as a guest co-host for this show! Together they chat with Dr. Mache Seibel who specializes in hormones and women's health. The three of them discuss the wild ways hormones can change our bodies in both short-term and long-term cycles. How can hormones affects a person's health, body weight, and even stress levels? Is there a way to regulate hormones during menopause? What kind of symptoms might a woman look for as they approach the age of menopause?

Wendy Myers joins Pedram Shojai on this week's episode of The Health Bridge. They discuss the factors that contribute to the build up of heavy metals in our bodies, the effects they can have on us, and how to detox them. Are you being affected by heavy metals? Are you taking the right steps to rid them from your body? Tune in and find out!

Trevor Cates joins Pedram Shojai in this weeks episode of the Health Bridge. As a naturopathic doctor, Trevor discusses in everyday life, what we ingest and apply externally has a profound effect on our overall health. Does the food we eat really affect our skin? Does different foods affect our skin differently? What outside factors influence our skin and how?  Tune in and find out!

We've all heard about the dangers of having high cholesterol, but what does that really mean? If having too much cholesterol is dangerous, why does our body have trouble clearing it out? On this episode of the Health Bridge, Pedram Shojai welcomes Dr. Tami Meraglia. She still runs a practice and deals with this issue quote often. She helps clarify what cholesterol does for the body and what happens when you have too much. They also discuss the importance of the liver and how it works to help clear out cholesterol. Dr. Tami also evaluates the pros and cons of statin drugs. How do statin drugs work? What are the pros and cons of statins? Is it wise to get off of statin drugs?

Summer Bock returns to the Health Bridge! In this discussion, naturally formed probiotics take center stage. She and Pedram Shojai discuss helpful tricks to try in the comfort of your home to acquire heightened health.

Can food be an addiction? On this episode of The Health Bridge, Pedram Shojai invites Susan Peirce Thompson as they discuss the psychology behind food cravings and how the mind can have trouble controlling them. Susan opens up to Pedram about the struggles she had with her own weight and addiction to other substances besides food. Are some people susceptible to becoming addicted to things in general more than other people? Is there a way to break a cycle of addiction?

We've talked about gluten on The Health Bridge previously. Pedram returns to the subject and invites Peter Osborne to expand on the how gluten can affect the human body. He helps explain why grains in particular can be harmful. Are grains meant to be eaten? Why are grains believed to be such an important part of a balanced diet? What sort of immune responses can be triggered by grains? And are all grains created equal?

For some of us, when we set a goal to become healthy by introducing exercise and exorcising bad foods, we REALLY stick to that goal. We might really stick to not eating excess fats and avoid gluten or dairy or both completely. Of course this might make living in the real world a little difficult. Choosing a place to meet a friend for lunch suddenly became much more tedious, but stick to it! You want to be healthy, right? But when does this become an obsession that affects us beyond our physical health? On this episode of The Health Bridge, Pedram Shojai welcomes Marc David back to the podcast to talk about orthorexia, an obsession with avoiding foods believed to be unhealthy. How can a strict focus on being healthy affect our relationships to other people and our overall enjoyment of life?

It's one of the more recent trend words when it comes to diets: gluten. You may know someone who is avoiding gluten. You yourself might be trying to avoid gluten. You've read about it and you've heard your friends and co-workers all talk about it, but what is gluten and why can it be harmful? On this episode of The Health Bridge, Pedram Shojai (still flying solo) welcomes Tom O'Bryan to the podcast. Tom explains to Pedram exactly what gluten is and how it may affect people that eat large amounts. How can you tell if it's affecting you? Should you think about avoiding gluten?

After a long break we're back with a new episode of The Health Bridge. Sara Gottfried wasn't able to attend this recording, but Robyn Youkilis visited Pedram Shojai at his offices in Orange County and of course we had to break out the equipment to record an episode for the podcast! Pedram and Robyn discuss the different ways food can help or hurt health. Robyn discusses ways she has found to keep food not only healthy but tasty. She talks in depth about her relationship to food. She talks about ways to keep healthy even when she's not in her own kitchen. How is she able to eat a healthy meal even if she visits a restaurant that might not have completely healthy options?

Abel James returns to The Health Bridge! Recently Abel and his wife sold their house and a large amount of their possessions, downsized to an RV and traveled the country. He shares with Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai the story of his experience cutting strong ties to email and other technology. What effects does declaring technology bankruptcy form? What sort of rejuvenation can be gained by declaring time wealth? So often we're looking to please others but do we stop to do something good for ourselves? The trio also move to the topic of food and they discuss the love that should exist for the ritual of eating.

How strong are our connections to food? For some people, food is just a necessity but for many others, food is an experience. For those without a strong connection to food, how can food be transformed to be enjoyed rather than just a thing we shovel into our mouths? This week on The Health Bridge, Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai welcome guest Rebecca Katz. She's a chef with formal training from the Natural Culinary Institute. To her food can be a transformative experience. She tells the story of cooking for her father who was fighting cancer and how food doesn't have to be a sullen experience and how food can be the highlight of a person's day. How can food be used to empower people? How can food help us operate at peak capacity?

Tom Malterre, friend of Pedram and Sara's, returns to the Health Bridge! In this episode he talks about elimination diets. Elimination diets have been around for decades, yet when we become sick we rarely think of the foods we eat as a suspect. In what different ways can the foods we eat make us sick? It's clear that some foods are healthy and others are unhealthy, but what exactly does that mean? Can foods affect the way our bodies function? And how can different foods have different effects on the body?

You may have noticed that our Health Bridge releases have been very sporadic over the last few weeks. There is in fact a reason for this. It's not that Pedram and Sara aren't prioritizing this show. No, in fact on January 31st Sara fell and hit her head and had to take it easy for some time. Sara has a very open discussion with Pedram on how this incident forced changes in her behavior and how it affected her family as well. How can brain injuries change the way people's brains work? And how can we best maintain balance in our lives before an injury forces us into balance?

"We're destined to be old," says guest Christiane Northrup. But does that mean we actually have to be old in spirit? Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai welcome Christiane Northrup as they discuss what it means to age and why a chronological age does NOT have to indicate our biological age. They also discuss the different mindsets people may have at different ages and ways we can derive pleasure from mindfulness. Why is it difficult for some people to love their own company? Why must we all try to conform to a herd? When we begin acting like an old person, are we allowing our bodies to age or can we delay aging by continuing to hold on to youthfulness?

The topic of vaccines is one that garnered a big reaction from our audience when The Health Bridge covered the measles outbreak at Disneyland. The response was so strong that Pedram Shojai and Sara Gottfried wanted to continue the conversation. Unfortunately, Sara fell sick right before this recording, so Pedram runs this one solo as he welcomed guests Jeff Hays and Louise Habakus. Jeff Hays is a filmmaker whose upcoming film, "Bought," deals with the topic of vaccine manufacturers and their practices. Louise Habakus appears in the film and is the founding director of Center for Personal Rights and lead radio host of Fearless Parent Radio. A lot of the responses we received conveyed opinion that Sara and Pedram were lacking information outside of CDC research. Jeff and Louise were invited to try to educate the hosts more on what you, the listeners, felt was lacking in the previous episode. What is most important to consider is that we must all be open to all the information is out there. Vaccination is a complicated topic that extends beyond just the aspect of public safety. Pedram, Jeff, and Louise discuss the various aspects that should weigh in a parent's decision.

It's an issue that many people have, but might feel somewhat embarrassed to talk about: Pelvic pain. This week on The Health Bridge, Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai welcome their friend Michael Yang. He dives into the topic of pelvic pain, discussing how chronic the pain can be as well as how underdiagnosed it can be. What sort of pain can be experienced in the pelvic region? How does pain affect women and men differently? Michael also dives into the connection between pain and the brain. How much of pain is psychological? How does a psychological mindset also affect other factors of our health? What role does it play in weight loss, for example?

With a full month having come and gone in January, many of us may have already fallen off of sticking with our New Year's Resolutions. What if the problem of sticking with a new diet or exercise regime isn't that we're having problems commiting, but that we have a spouse that is just completely unsupportive? This week on the Health Bridge Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai discuss the topic of toxic spouses. How can we overcome a spouse that won't adjust their diet to match one we're going on? Is it required that the spouse go on a diet if we're going on a diet? Could it be that we're not supporting their needs as well? Or is it a matter of convincing our spouse that changing a diet or adding in an exercise routine is for the best? Sara and Pedram discuss their experiences with their own spouses and what has happened when they try to introduce big changes.

100th episode! And boy do we have a good one! This week Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai welcome Jay Lombard to The Health Bridge. Jay co-founded Genomind which specializes in psychiatry and neurology. The three focus in on the biology of depression. What kind of genetic predispositions might lead to depression? What role does external factors play in determining mental health? Are there any ways to modulate the risk of depression? And what role does physical exercise have in the risk of depression?

We spend eight hours of our days, five days a week, week in and week out at work. It's a significant part of our lives. But while at work are we keeping the same strict standards on ourselves that we may keep at home? On this episode of The Health Bridge, Pedram Shojai and Sara Gottfried discuss different ways to stay healthy while at work. For some, we may be sitting at a desk all day in an office environment. How can we create new habits and make them stick in an environment that might be filled with lots of temptations, whether it's the candy at someone else's desk or unhealthy snack items offered in the lunch room?

Over the holiday break, Sara Gottfried and her husband heard a story on NPR regarding fasting and she was enthusiastic about talking about the topic on The Health Bridge with Pedram Shojai. Are there benefits to fasting? How often should someone fast? What are the possible positive outcomes for fasting? If you're thinking about fasting, what is a healthy way to fast? Just as important as fasting in a healthy manner is how you come out of a fast and Pedram and Sara discuss how to come out of a fast as well.

More than four dozen people have been diagnosed with measles in conjunction with recent trips to Disneyland or the adjacent Disneyland California Adventure Park. As Pedram lives in Orange County where the parks are located, this is a story that certainly hits close to home. This week on The Health Bridge, Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai discuss the measles virus, how it can spread, and how a virus that has been declared eradicated can suddenly have another outbreak. Does the rising number of parents wary of vaccinating their children have any correlation to this recent outbreak? How can parents let their kids enjoy life without smothering them too much when trying to shield them from dangers such as measles?

Sara Gottfried has been hard at work on a book and it's finally ready to be presented! Sara's new book, "The Hormone Reset," has led Sara on quite the journey of discovery. Pedram Shojai discusses with her the process of writing a book while working full time and managing the kids. Sara mentions how the book made her more aware of the different approaches that can exist to becoming a fitter person. Sara reflects on the changes she saw in her own body in her thirties and the importance of managing estrogen. How important is it to be proactive about our hormones as we grow older? This one's explicit just because Pedram calls Sara a "bad@$$" which we must admit is not untrue.

Happy New Year! The beginning of a new year can signify new beginnings. It's a chance to make changes in our lives and begin anew. But for some we make resolutions that are basically dropped and forgotten by January 2nd. How can we make 2015 different? Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai welcome 2015 on The Health Bridge and talk about how to lock in those goals and achieve them. How can the people around us affect the success rate of our goals? How can we turn a new action into a long-lasting habit? Let's make 2015 the best year yet!

Clothing and fashion holds different meaning and importance for everyone. For some, it's very important to put together a wardrobe while some others might not care one bit if a certain shirt goes with a certain pair of jeans. What we wear can convey a lot of information to others. In this episode of The Health Bridge, Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai welcome Melissa Kathryn and she discusses the connection between fashion and body image. Melissa comes from a fashion design background and discusses how the fashion industry fuels body image and how it can negatively affect younger children. How can we gain the right mindset to feel sexy and comfortable in our clothes even if we don't look like the models on a fashion runway?

In this holiday release of The Health Bridge, Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai welcome James Swanwick. James used to be a drinker of alcohol, though he wasn't a down and out alcoholic. However, a few years back he made the decision to avoid alcohol completely. How did that affect his social life going out? In many societies and cultures, drinking is almost a rite of passage signifying the change from a child to becoming an adult. For some it's a way to cut loose on a Friday night after a long work week. For some it's liquid courage and the way to loosen up to have fun. But is it possible to give ourselves the permission to have fun without the aid of alcohol? Why must we poison our bodies in order to have some fun?

The holidays are meant to be a time to relax with the ones we love. The kids are on winter break and other family you may not have seen for a while are flying in. Why then, between shopping for gifts and attending various holiday parties, can the holiday season be such a stressful time? Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai take a look at the original intentions of the holiday season, what it has become, and how we can take the time to relax during the winter season. From both Sara's and Pedram's team and everyone at The Health Bridge, we wish every listener a safe and happy holiday!

For some, pooping can be an issue. Of course we all do it, but how frequently do you go? In this episode, Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai talk all about constipation. It's important to pay attention to what we deposit into the toilet. Also important is noting the amount of time it takes between eating food and passing it in the restroom. What's considered normal? What if we don't have daily bowel movements? What if we pass food too quickly? And if we don't have movements often what can we do to become more regular?

Pedram Shojai and Sara Gottfried officially complete their 100-day gongs! They recently spoke about this as they were nearing the finish line but now they speak from the other side. What changes have occurred in 100 days? What challenges did they face? And now that the 100 days are done, what actions are taken now? How are the habits built up during the gong carried out into normal every day life out of a gong? They recorded this episode a few weeks ago, but plan to start another gong on Sunday, December 21st so there's plenty of time to prepare and join them! Tell us what you plan to do for your gong at Facebook.com/TheHealthBridge!

Various health experts and nutrition experts have written frequently over the past few years that grains are terribly unhealthy. Are grains really that bad? Humans have been eating grains for thousands of years. Why then suddenly should we try to avoid them? Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai try to make sense of all the grain data. They look at grains from a nutritional standpoint and compare its nutritional value to that of vegetables. They also discuss ways grains may affect a person even if they're not gluten sensitive. What is the role of grains in the standard diet and how can a person find out how they're affected by grains?

We live in a media and image driven world. We're often bombarded with images of men and women in top physical form and deride ourselves over the fact that we don't look like Ryan Gosling or have the body shape of Charlize Theron. Though we may not be in top physical shape, how can we still be satisfied with our own bodies? Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai this week take on the troubling issue of body image. For some people it's agony comparing themselves to others. It might lead to issues both physical and psychological. How can we accept the genetics we're given and appreciate ourselves for just being?

We've all been overwhelmed by life at some point. Whether it's trying to handle the kids or the work or the chores that need to be done or a combination of all of it, sometimes things just get out of hand. Pedram Shojai and Sara Gottfried in this episode talk all about the effects of being overwhelmed. In what ways can we be overwhelmed? How could we change our view on time and time management that could help alleviate some of the overwhelm? In what ways might we be contributing to our own feeling of overwhelm? And if the feeling of overwhelm can't be entirely alleviated, in what ways can we adapt to live with it? This one's explict for a few choice four-lettered words.

For many, eating is just a thing one does when hungry. But this week, Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai welcome guest Marc David who discusses our mentality and how it affects the way we eat. Marc goes even further to discuss how mentality can shape the perception of ourselves, how it can alter the perception of time, and how it can change our relationship with food. How can we fully nourish the body to give it what it wants? How can digestion be altered by our moods? When we eat too fast, what information are we missing by not taking the time to actually taste our food?

For those of you in the US, Happy Thanksgiving! If you've been listening to The Health Bridge for a while, you'll know that Pedram Shojai and Sara Gottfried have been on a Gong for the last 100 days. Well the 100 days means the gong is complete. Sara and Pedram discuss how their gongs went and what improvements they can see after 100 days. Sara is open and admits some of the difficulties she faced when the gong first began. Now that the gong is over, what are the next steps? How soon should one wait before starting the next gong?

Previously, Sara Gottfried asked Pedram Shojai about the process of making his new movie, "Origins." Now some time has passed and the movie has actually been released. Sara asks Pedram on the response to the movie and they discuss a few points made in the movie. Sara and Pedram discuss a point made in the movie of how bad fats should be avoided but how sugar is also just as bad. For more info on how to see "Origins," visit Facebook.com/TheHealthBridge.

This week on The Health Bridge, Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai answer a question that was posted on the Facebook page! We do actually read those! Lisa posted, "I'm wondering what role you see the nursing profession playing in the Functional Medicine movement." A very interesting question. As health care becomes more specialized and segmented, will the models that work in one area carry over into others? How important is it that everyone behind the pharmacy counter know as much as the doctor that prescribed the medication in the first place? Pedram and Sara explore the changing medical system and if every piece still has a part to play in the future.

In the last decade there has been a rise in the diagnosis of ADD and ADHD in both children and adults. Often, the remedy to this is to take prescription medicine. This week Pedram Shojai and Sara Gottfried discuss if there are any other ways to try and treat ADD and ADHD. Of course, if a physician recommends medicine, it's definitely recommended to listen to them, but what other factors could be contributing to the diagnosis? Could it be the food we eat? Could it be factors in the environment that contribute to ADD and ADHD?

There's no denying that women and men are biologically different from one another. How does that impact the health care a person receives? When a person is being examined by a health care professional is the gender of the person being taken into account? Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai discuss the different ways men and womens' bodies respond to stress. What differences can be seen in the microbiome between the two genders? It's important to note the differences so not to treat the genders differently but rather to better understand each gender.

Foods have a strong power. We might be aware of it, but all the same we might not fully understand the power. For some of us, it goes beyond a simple craving for pizza and brownies. For some of us, as hard as we may try, we must have the pizza. Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai in this episode of The Health Bridge discuss the power of food addictions. Food addiction could potentially be the barrier keeping some from reaching their full healthy potential. Is it real? What causes it? Why does our body crave certain foods? And how can we break the addiction?

Many of us have lost touch with nature. Maybe at most we'll go on a short walk and look at the trees, but we're still quite surrounded by urban structures. Pedram Shojai recently removed the lawn from his backyard and turned it into a home garden with six raised beds. Sara Gottfried asks him about the troubles of starting a home garden. Pedram immediately realized that for trying to be as natural as he can, he doesn't know a thing about growing food in his backyard. And so with the home garden, it is his chance to reconnect to the earth and get his hands into the dirt and see the process and time it takes to grow food.

When Pedram Shojai got his check-up before starting the 100-day gong he got some surprising news from Dr. Alan Christianson, his liver wasn't looking so great. This was a bit of a surprise as Pedram keeps alcohol and junk food consumption at minimum and there's little reason for his liver to have any issues. But the tests were very clear, Pedram needed to clean his liver. This week on The Health Bridge, he and Sara Gottfried talk about the importance of the liver and what happens when it's loaded with toxins. What can be done to detoxify the liver? Why is it important to detox? What is the process of detoxification?

Mind over matter. We've heard it all before. But what does that really entail? This week Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai welcome Michael Lovitch to The Health Bridge. They get into the topic of negative thinking and its effects. Is negative thinking something we should avoid? Could negative thinking lead us to try harder to avoid negative outcomes? Lovitch also brings up the concept of trying to live a full life and have fun even if it means not being so strict with the health stuff. This one's explicit for some language.

Continuing with the talk of genetics, Pedram Shojai and Sara Gottfried discuss calcium channels. What are calcium channels and how do they affect different systems of the body? How does the genetics we're given affect the calcium channels in our body? What can we do about that? How does Omega-3 affect the systems in our body? Who should and who should not take Omega-3 supplements? Pedram and Sara dive right in!

This week Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai take a look at genetics. It's important to know the genetic factors that may affect our personal health and make adjustments to our behaviors to fit. Sara and Pedram recently had their genetics charted before starting their gongs and they were surprised at what they found. How much control do we have over our genetics? What factors can genetics affect? What tests can be taken to discover exactly how our genetics may affect different factiors? And even if genetics have a hold over major factors, what can be done to offset the genetic control?

Sara Gottfried's and Pedram Shojai's actual personal physician is the guest this week on the Health Bridge. Dr. Alan Christianson joins in this week to talk in depth about the charts and lab results he saw from Pedram and Sara. The hosts talk about starting their gong and what Dr. Alan saw when they first started. They get into some pretty deep details about the different things Dr. Alan saw when they first were checked before starting the gongs.

We've got a bonus episode of The Health Bridge! We had a quick response from the last episode with David Bronner and so Pedram Shojai was able to speak with spokesperson Sandeep Kaushik of the OregonRightToKnow.org. Because we scheduled it so quickly, Sara Gottfried wasn't able to join in. But due to the time-sensitive nature of the subject, we figured we'd just present this as a bonus rather than wait until Monday. Pedram asked Sandeep more about Measure 92 in Oregon. What exactly would it do? How would labeling foods affect manufacturing? Would it affect production at all?

Coming up in these midterm elections, Oregon is set to vote on a GMO Right to Know Bill that if passed would require manufacturers, retailers and suppliers to label raw and packaged foods produced entirely or partially by genetic engineering. Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai wanted to know more about what is going on in Oregon and how this could affect the rest of the country. David Bronner reached out to our team and was happy to inform us about the bill and what affect it could have. He also mentions the tough opposition the bill faces. Would food products that clearly list GM origins change your eating habits?

We all know how important the food we eat is to our overall health. When we become ill do we look at what we eat rather than trying to find a pill to cure us? This week Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai welcome Dr. Mark Hyman. He's big on functional medicine. What is functional medicine? And now in medical schools, are future practictioners being taught about nutrition and its importance? The three also dive into the importance of avoiding sugar.

Pedram Shojai actually completed a second movie! It took four years but it's finally a real movie! Pedram could not be more excited to see four years of filming turn into an actual tangible movie. So Sara Gottfried asked Pedram about the process of filming "Origins." What did it take to make a movie with a very small team of filmmakers? The film explores the link between planetary health and personal health. What is this link and how does one affect the other?

"Be mindful of the future, but never at the expense of the present." Star Wars fans will remember this quote. How can we truly connect to the present moment? This week Pedram Shojai and Sara Gottfried welcome Dr. Jen Landa to the Health Bridge. They discuss the problem of energy deficits and what can be done to regain some energy. They also dive into how energy deficits can affect sex drive (and for that I'm throwing up an explicit tag). How can we better balance work life and home life so that we're not always falling behind on energy? How can we take better care of ourselves against hidden physical stressors? And how can we make sure we don't miss the here and now in the process?

Definitely a topic of dispute, Pedram Shojai and Sara Gottfried dive into the subject of vaccinations. There are claims that vaccinations are correlated to the rise in autism. But other data shows that diseases that have been dormant for the better part of a century are returning as people avoid vaccinations. What's the right answer? Pedram is a new father so these questions have been weighing heavy on him. He and Sara try their best to make sense of this complicated issue.

Last week Sara and Pedram were both unable to record but we didn't want to leave you empty-handed at the beginning of the week here! Here we have an interview Sara did with Pedram for her Entheos conference. They discuss the environmental drivers of health. How does our environment affect our health? How do all the factors add up? What burdens do they put on our bodies? Are all the factors negative? What factors are positive and how can we play into those to create better health for ourselves?

In this episode Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai catch up and discuss meditation practices they've incorporated into their gong. With our daily lives, how feasible is it to incorporate meditation into it? How long must we meditate to consider it effective? Sara brings up an app that can help clear your mind and Pedram mentions the effectiveness of changing your environment to help with that. They both discuss the importance of moving in new and different ways to work different parts of our body.

A lot of life can happen through the course of 100 days. Joe B on Facebook asked, "Have either Pedram or Sara had to restart their Gongs yet, or have they followed their intentions flawlessly?" Pedram and Sara respond and mention how they've carried through with the gong even when traveling for work. Sara also recently battled the flu and she discusses how that affected her gong. Sara and Pedram are just past the 30 day mark of their gong and they discuss if they have seen any improvements over the short 30 days.

How is planetary health affected by the food choices we make? This week Pedram Shojai and Sara Gottfried welcome Ocean Robbins to the podcast! Ocean discusses the ways eating meat not only affects our bodies and our health, but the health of the environment. How does eating grass-fed beef from corn-fed beef? Is grass-fed beef sustainable on a global level? How can we change our relationship to the things we eat and make health a priority?

Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai in this episode give updates on how the gong is going. Sara noticed that for Pedram's gong he wasn't going to ejaculate for the duration of the gong and asks him questions about that. What are the benefits of going on a self-imposed dry spell? Is there a difference between orgasms and ejaculations? Or is Pedram just crazy? The subject matter of this episode of course makes it explicit.

This week Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai welcome Bo Eason to the Health Bridge. Bo is a former NFL player, an actor, and a playwright. How was he able to transfer his NFL skills to the real world? Bo talks about humans as the ultimate predator and how we should be able to accept who we are. The three discuss connecting with our inner nature and the implications that could have. The three also get on a discussion of sexuality and being open about accepting sexuality as a human instinct. For that reason, even though the conversation never gets graphic by any means, this one's explicit.

Some of us may suffer from slight social anxiety when in a group of people. Some of us prefer conversing through text messages that allow us time to gather our thoughts before we respond. This week, Pedram Shojai and Sara Gottfried welcome Jordan Harbinger of the podcast The Art of Charm. Jordan discusses reasons why we should sharpen our skills at in-person social interactions. He tells a couple of stories on how he was kidnapped (twice!) and how knowing how to talk to people got him out of those situations. How can spotting non-verbal cues help make us better in social situations?

Happy Labor Day for our US listeners! This week Pedram Shojai and Sara Gottfried welcome Ben Greenfield to The Health Bridge! They discuss the No Pain No Gain mentality in fitness. Is pain really required to become fitter? What level of challenge is required to see results? And what about between workouts? Are we treating our bodies properly during rest and recovery cycles? Ben Greenfield lists other ways to improve our bodies that don't require raising our heart rates. How can we get out of the comfort zone and challenge ourselves to grow?

Pedram Shojai and Sara Gottfried this week give updates on the gongs they recently started. They then dive into a further discussion on Robin Williams which started in the episode with Shawn Stevenson. We received some messages that took concern with Shawn's statement that suicide is a "selfish" act. Pedram and Sara continue the conversation on this sensitive subject. Pedram discusses his experiences knowing people to have taken their own lives. Sara discusses how the news of Robin Williams affected her family. Most importantly, if you are suffering from depression and thinking of taking your own life, please seek help!

How can we create an army for change? Both for ourselves and the community in which we live? This week Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai welcome celebrity nutritionist Cynthia Pasquella to the Health Bridge. They discuss the idea that everyone should practice what they preach. Pedram and Sara talk about their 100-day gongs and Cynthia describes the 10-day challenge she has. They discuss the difficulties of diets and how to work them rather than having them work you.

This week Pedram Shojai and Sara Gottfried welcome Shawn Stevenson to The Health Bridge. Shawn as a youth had a very weak body. He broke a hip while running track and was told that he had the spine of an 80-year-old. He was told there wasn't anything to be done about it but the doctors went ahead and prescribed him pills to take. Shawn took it upon himself to make changes in his life. What changes did Shawn notice when he cut out fast food? What sort of improvements occurred? How did his overall quality of life change?

Some of us think we need that cup of coffee in the morning or the newest gadget, but is that really a need? This week Pedram Shojai and Sara Gottfried welcome Cliff Hodges of Adventure Out to The Health Bridge. Cliff runs a program of survival training that aims to re-acclimate the 21st century human back to our primal instincts. When we're worried about actual survival, how does the list of needs vs. wants shift? Is that coffee still a need to stay awake? Or does it become a need to sustain ourselves. Is the smartphone still important? Or should we worry more about staying warm after the sun sets? What can spending time disconnected from the 21st century out in the woods do for our perspective of the world?

This week Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai welcome gut expert Steve Wright to The Health Bridge. Steve was an electrical engineer that had so many problems with his gut that his family nicknamed him, "The Gas Man." He was even told be co-workers that he was "stinking up the cube farm." Steve tried a few different diets to varying effects for his leaky gut. He was then introduced to the Carbohydrate Diet. What is the Carbohydrate Diet and how did it affect the way Steve felt? How can we rebuild the gut through diet?