In this latest episode of Functional Medicine Bitesized I enjoyed a fascinating conversation with Rob Verkerk whom I first made a connection with through the IFM and have now known for 20 years.  We discuss a lot in this conversation including the evolution of functional medicine and the importance of integrating physical and ecological aspects of health. 

Rob, a health ecologist with a background in ecology and agricultural sustainability, emphasizes the need for a holistic approach to health, including diet, exercise, and stress management. We discuss the over-reliance on patented pharmaceuticals and the suppression of natural health solutions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rob highlights the importance of self-healing and reconnecting with natural systems and we also delve into the impact of corporate and government influence on healthcare policies and the need for transparency and informed consent.

In 2002 Rob established the Alliance for Natural Health as a non-profit organisation to essentially do his life's work. 

This is another conversation not to be missed. 

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Welcome back to another episode of Functional Medicine Bitesized. 

This time I welcome a LinkedIn friend of mine Elena Panzeri. Elena is a Naturopath and a Nutritional Therapist with an MSc in Nutrition and Genetics. She has a specific interest in the microbiome which led to her current collaboration with Intus Bio, a US biotech start-up. 

Our conversation delves into the world of the mircobiome, the good and the bad bacteria and how these can be tested for with the latest advances in mircobiome testing.  How exactly do diet and lifestyle affect our mircobiome, how can our bacteria affect the way we age and how do we know what to take when it comes to probiotics? Listen in to find out. 

Links mentioned in this episode:

IntusBio 

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In this episode I chat with Nikolina Lauc, CEO and co-founder of Glycanage. 

Glycanage is a biological age test paired with expert advice to help guide your wellness. It is a test that I am starting to use more and more in my patients' long term health strategy.

 The Glycange test measures Glycans, important structural molecules (made up of sugars) that play a variety of cellular and protective roles. Glycans are directly involved in the pathophysiology of every major disease and are well recognised in the scientific literature to be part of the ageing process of your immune system. 

For those interested in longevity and preventative health, this is a podcast episode not to be missed. 

Links mentioned in this episode:

Glycanage 

Olshanskey 

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In this episode Pete speaks with yet another old colleague of his, Tracey Randell, who he fondly refers to as the "SIBO Queen"

Recent evidence suggests that two thirds of people who are diagnosed with IBS, have IBS because they have SIBO.

Given that possibly 20% of the general population are thought to have IBS (meaning it affects roughly 1 in 10 people globally), this is a podcast that could help a huge amount of people. 

Here are some links mentioned in this episode:

https://www.ibsclinics.co.uk/about-us/

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53851892-the-devil-in-the-garlic

https://www.siboinfo.com/

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If you want to understand body fat and what it means for your health, then this is the podcast for you. In this episode I chat with Rob Webster from BodyScan UK  which is a company that provides my patients with gold standard measurements of body fat and muscle mass that can be used to monitor body composition and overall health. 

Of particular interest is the measurement of VAT or visceral adipose fat - this is the 'bad' fat around your organs which increases your risk of diabetes and other diseases. If you want to find out more, listen in and enjoy this latest episode. 

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In this episode I welcome back my old mate Aaron Deere for the second instalment of our Living Longer and Better series. Aaron is the Health and Performance Director at Hooke - a longevity/healthspan focused medical clinic in central London.
During this episode we delve into the topic of supplementation. What works and what doesn't, in regards to health span/longevity? The team at Hooke undertook a huge literature review on this topic in the process of trying to understand which dietary supplements can potentially have a beneficial impact on health span and lifespan. I have no doubt you will find this a really interesting and helpful listen.

Links mentioned in this episode:
Hooke
Olshansky
Omega 3 Index 

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In this episode I have a fascinating chat with Lucinda Miller, Naturopath and Functional Medicine Practitioner who specialises in health approaches to help neurodiverse kids. Lucinda is the founder and clinical lead of Nature Doc, a UK wide team if Naturopaths, Nutritionists and Nutritional Therapists. 

Lucinda talks about how she got into this area as a result of her experience with her own children. The crucial role of diet in neurodiverse children is discussed at length. This episode provides invaluable information and golden nuggets of easily actionable steps to support parents with neurodiverse children. 


We hope you enjoy this episode. 

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In this episode I chat with another of my old mates Aaron Deere. Aaron is the Health and Performance Director at Hooke - a longevity/healthspan focused medical clinic in central London.
Aaron discusses the approach they use at Hooke for improving the longevity of their clients - what are the base line markers which give a good indication or predictor of longer life span or in other words that may help us to continue to function optimally well into our later years.
We touch on cognition, nutrition, fitness and genetics as we begin the discussion about what you can do to now to ensure that you age well.
This podcast episode will be part of an ongoing series with Aaron so stay tuned for more!

Links mentioned in this podcast:
https://www.hooke.london
Firefighter Study 

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This month on our podcast I chat to Rachel Jessey, MSc DipNT, of BeNourished. We have a fascinating conversation all about the role of the microbiomes in relation to long covid recovery. Rachel is a Long Covid and MCAS/HIT nutritionist and quantum biologist. In her Hampshire based clinic she offers a fresh perspective to her clients on health optimisation using the power of nutrition, gut restoration and circadian retraining and connecting your biology back to how nature intended it.  
As with all of my guests I never have enough time to discuss all aspects of the subject that could be helpful for the audience, maybe longer versions should be done?
I really hope you enjoy this episode. 

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Pete interviews Dr Armine Zorgani for the second time to get his expert view on all things microbiome. 

Stress is a part of the human condition and some stress is beneficial for health whilst chronic long term stress creates dysfunction and leads to disease. This episode explores the role of stress on the microbiome and how the microbiome mitigate or exaggerates the stress response. As a side note we spend a good amount of time chatting about the vaginal microbiome and giving women some great pearls of wisdom of how to control bacterial issues such as bacterial vaginosis and other vaginal disorders.

Links from this episode:
ISALA
Microbiome Mavericks

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In this episode I chat with my long time friend and colleague Gary Stebbing.  Like myself, Gary is an exercise scientist, with a particular focus on strength and conditioning as well as sports performance psychology. 

Myself and Gary always wanted to do a podcast together around the subject of exercise and general health. This is the first part of a series of conversations we will be having on this topic. 

Gary is as passionate as I am about movement and exercise  and during this episode we delve into the 30 + years of experience in the field of exercise science and the message we are really trying to get over to our listeners is the fundamental importance of 'movement' to the human body and how sedentary lifestyles and lack of basic daily movement can accelerate ageing and neurodegeneration. 

With plenty of tips and takeaways we really hope you enjoy this episode. 

Thanks for listening to our podcast and please feel free to get in touch:

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In this episode I chat with Reed Davis. Reed is a Board Certified Holistic Health Practitioner (BCHH) and Certified Nutritional Therapist (CNT). He is the founder of Functional Diagnostic Nutrition and has decades of experience working in the field of holistic health and functional medicine.

Reed and I discuss the importance of addressing the whole person, rather than just treating individual parts or symptoms, in order to achieve optimal health, emphasizing the limitations of traditional medicine and the need for a more comprehensive understanding of the human body.

We touch on the difficulties in diagnosing and treating chronic illnesses, and the importance of tailoring nutrition and supplementation to individual needs rather than a one-size-fits-all approach

Links mentioned in this episode:
Functional Diagnostic Nutrition
MTDiet.com 

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In this episode I welcome back Dr Ghazala Aziz-Scott, Clinical Director at the Marion Gluck Clinic. We continue our conversation around perimenopause, menopause and HRT and also expand the conversation into women's brain health.
Dr Aziz-Scott helps clarify the information around the risks and benefits of HRT, what hormones apart from oestrogen and progesterone might be needed and the different methods of delivery available.
Ghazala does an excellent job of explaining the differences in how HRT is given in the conventional space compared to how it's offered  at the Marion Gluck clinic .
However you choose to get your HRT, this is an invaluable listen to help you answer your questions around HRT. 

Links mentioned in this episode:

Marion Gluck Clinic
EPIC Trial
American Academy of Anti-Ageing (A4M)
Food for the Brain

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Peri-menopause and menopause are significant stages in a woman's life. In this first of two episodes on this subject, I speak with Dr Ghazala Aziz-Scott, Clinical Director of the Marion Gluck Clinic. As an expert in a Functional Medicine approach to HRT and Bio-Identical HRT she expertly outlines what is currently available and possible for women during this time.

If you are confused about HRT then this is an accurate and up to date explanation on the subject. 

Links mentioned in this episode:

Marion Gluck Clinic
Oestrogen Matters by Avrum Bluming MD
DUTCH Test 

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In this episode we talk to Alex Kirchin who eloquently discusses the concept of Hormesis. 
Alex is a Nutritionist who is also a product formulator for the supplement company NORDIQ Nutrition. He has a particular expertise in phytochemistry and the concept of Hormesis. As a consequence of this expertise he has produced supplement formulations which stimulate a hormetic response.
In simple terms, Hormesis is the concept of how low level stressors whether from exercise, stressful situations and foods etc, challenge your body to defend itself against the stressor. 
By doing this it creates a beneficial effect on the body, making you healthier over time.  

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In this episode I had the pleasure of speaking with an old pal of mine Robyn Puglia who is a recognised Functional Medicine expert in Autoimmunity. 

Robyn does an incredible job of simplifying the subject of autoimmunity so that we can better understand it. What is most valuable with Robyn's advice is that as a practicing clinician, she not only has a vast knowledge of autoimmunity, she has had many years of applying this knowledge with her patients. 

Autoimmunity is more prevalent amongst female than males and Robyn gives us an understanding of why and also gives many practical clinical pearls for us all to reduce our risk.  

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In this first podcast episode of 2024 Pete chats with his favourite Immunologist Dr Jenna Macciochi.  

January is one of the most challenging times for our immune system and overall health.  In this episode, Pete and Jenna chat about the fundamental basics of great immunity.  

Jenna has a unique capacity to make immunology simple to understand. Throughout this episode you will be given nuggets of advice that can be easily applied on a daily basis. 

A key podcast for your health at this time of the year. 

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In this episode I welcome back Yuwa from Activated Probiotics to discuss specific probiotic use at various stages of a woman's life. In particular we talk about how specific probiotic strains can help with pre-conceptual health, iron status and in particular mood and bone health especially when in peri and menopause.

Not to be missed if you're a female.

Click here to see my Probiotic recommendations. 

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In this episode I interview Caroline Smith, who is one of the co-founders of The British Society Of Myofunctional Therapy. You may not have heard of this society and nor had I until quite recently. When I did discover them I was really excited by the potential of this work and how it can help a number of our patients. 

Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (OMT) is the “neuromuscular re-education or re-patterning of the orofacial muscles.” This therapy includes facial and tongue exercises and behavior modification techniques to promote proper tongue position, improved breathing, chewing, and swallowing. You may not be aware that most orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMD)  originate with insufficient habitual nasal breathing or with oral (mouth) breathing. 

Caroline provides lot's of tips to help both locally in the mouth and systemically for the body. This is a really important podcast for anyone who may be suffering from airway and breathing issues.

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In this episode, I am very privileged to have the opportunity to speak with one of Europe's most forward thinking Microbiome Scientists, Dr Amine Zorgani. 

Dr Zorgani, who refers to himself as a "microbiome maestro"  has over a decade of experience in microbiome research and development and is passionate about furthering the understanding of the role that the microbiome plays in overall health.  In his own words, he is "on a mission to prevent the extinction of the human microbiome" 

During this podcast episode, Amine and myself have an updated conversation about the importance of how the bacteria we carry and come into contact with on a daily basis affects our health. We explore the basic facts around the gut microbiome and expand to lesser known areas such as the skin microbiome. This is a really exciting area and I'm sure you will enjoy this fascinating conversation. 

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In my latest podcast episode I again have the pleasure of chatting with our resident dental expert Dr John Roberts. This time we are also joined by our resident dental hygienist Annalea Staples.  Once more we delve into the fascinating subject of oral health and its relationship with systemic health. We'll cover dental implants, fluoride, children's teeth, biofilms and lot's more. 

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Can we meet all of our nutritional requirements through diet alone? Should we be using supplements? What is the difference between standard nutrient reference values and optimal nutrient reference values?  How do we distinguish between a good quality and a not so good quality product/company?

All these questions and more will be addressed in our latest podcast episode in which Pete discusses the in's and out's of nutrient availability in the diet with Ben Brown, Director of the Nutritional Medicine Institute and Editor of the Nutritional Medicine Journal.

Click here to see my supplement recommendations. 

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In this episode I chat once more with our resident genetics expert Helen Gauche. This episode is dedicated to a discussion of the APOE gene. In particular we will discussing the APOE4 variant of this gene - this variant is most highly associated with increased Alzheimer's and Cardiovascular risk. It has a powerful effect over many processes within the body. This episode is a must for people who want more understanding of genetic predisposition to Alzheimer's and cardiovascular disease but importantly what lifestyle changes you would want to make if you discover that you have an E4 variation of the APOE gene. 

Thanks for listening to our podcast and please feel free to get in touch:

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In this episode, Pete chats with Yuwa Astar. Yuwa is a Naturopath and is also a consultant for Australian supplement company, Activated Probiotics. During this episode, you can hear Pete and Yuwa discuss the fascinating topic of probiotics and their application not only in treating a wide range of conditions but also during different life stages. 

Research in the field of probiotics is now identifying the importance of specific strains of probiotics in treating certain conditions. Pete and Yuwa discuss how this knowledge and the wider range of strain specific products available can help practitioners when treating patients.

Click here to see my probiotic recommendations. 

Thanks for listening to our podcast and please feel free to get in touch:

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In this episode I chat with my long term colleague and friend Richard Moat, the Functional Thinking Psychologist.  Rich has helped myself and my colleagues on numerous occasions to overcome difficulties in the clinician/patient relationship. During the podcast Richard and I spend time discussing these relationships and how destructive habits can interfere with our long term health gains.

Most of us are at some point in our lives guilty of sabotaging our health by continuing to hold on to bad habits. Why do we do this though? Well, if you want to understand the complexities behind this behaviour then I urge you to take a listen to this podcast episode and hear Rich break it down and explain it in a way that we can all understand and relate to. 

Whether you are a patient and especially if you are a practitioner,  I guarantee you will benefit from listening to this insightful conversation with Rich.

Are you looking to improve your overall health for the long term? Head over to our website to find out how we can help!

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