FX Medicine Podcast Central

Megan Bowness is full of life and she has good reason to be. She almost lost her life to Crohn's disease when a vital operation left her with a constantly draining fistula. In today's podcast, Megan takes us through her courageous journey and the role that complementary and integrative medicine has had in the successful management of her disease. Megan also talks about the joy she has gotten from giving back through her charity dedicated to helping seriously sick kids to get their very own personalised pair of "Dream Kicks"

Innovation is often borne out of necessity and Victus Health is no exception. Pauline O'Sullivan’s personal experience implementing elimination diets to identify and manage her daughter’s multiple food intolerances, gave her the idea for the Victus Health software.Teaming up with Michelle Ridgeway and capitalising on her IT expertise, Victus Health was born. Victus Health is a practical platform which aids practitioners to implement personalised nutrition plans. It bridges the gap between a practitioner identifying what you cant eat, and a patient implementing these dietary changes with a recipe system that can filter out key dietary concerns.

When it comes to media coverage of nutritional supplements and herbal medicines there is often a tendency towards sensationalism and a bias for negative outcomes. This distorted approach to health journalism is not only unnecessarily alarming and confusing to the public, it also unfairly damages our trust in complementary health care and can cloud our clinical judgement. In this podcast Andrew Whitfield-Cook and Dr Mark Donohoe discuss several papers covering a diverse range of clinical areas, including: the Low FODMAP diet in IBS, vitamin K2 and warfarin stability, the impact of food and exercise on the gut microbiome, as well as the CARET and ATBC trials which led to beta-carotene gaining a bad reputation.

Ligands are ions, molecules or a molecular group that bind to another chemical entity to form a larger complex. In this episode we're exploring the world of mineral ligands, the combinations of mineral complexes commonly found in nutritional supplementation and the many myths and misnomers perpetuated largely by marketing and hype. But what are the facts? What is the clinical opportunity or drawback to using say Calcium Sulphate vs. Citrate, or Magnesium Oxide vs. Magnesium Aspartate?. What is the evidence for amino-acid chelates and how they work in the body? How can you choose the right combination to yield the highest bioavailability or the best clinical outcome? Today we welcome back Dr Bob Buist arguably one of Australia's foremost leading experts in the field of nutritional biochemistry to dispel some myths and deliver some clinical pearls of wisdom about selecting the right combinations.

Dr Deanna Minich is a leading expert on nutrigenomics and personalised nutrition with a special interest in emotional eating; or the "food-mood connection". Dr Minich's true ambition for functional nutrition only presented itself when she was feeling unfulfilled as a pre-med student and decided to switch to a Masters Degree in Nutritional Biochemistry followed by a PhD in Nutrition. She professes to be "Switzerland" when it comes to diets, instead she takes a whole-self approach to nourishment.

Dr Robert Buist is a respected authority on whey, having extensively researched, formulated and used whey both commercially and clinically. He is a firm advocate of using whey to improve patient health. In this podcast, "Doctor Bob" will take us through the biochemistry of whey and how it exerts positive benefits at a cellular level. Learn from Dr Bob's decades of expertise on how the various constituents of whey can help manage conditions such as blood pressure, kidney disease and triglycerides, as well as helping to reduce hunger, lose weight and maintain muscle mass.

So you've tested a patient for MTHFR SNPs and for Mauve Factor/Kryptopyrroles. What now? Methylation and Pyrroles are hot topics in integrative medicine, yet controversy surrounds both their clinical significance and the best way to treat patients who have demonstrated aberrant biochemical results. In today's podcast, Belinda Reynolds takes us through the complexities, the realities and the traps which practitioners sometimes find themselves in when oversimplifying these seemingly simple biochemical "wheels"

Dr David Perlmutter is now a well-recognised champion of integrative medicine, being a board certified neurologist who embraces evidence-based natural therapies and the international best-selling author of Grain Brain. Dr Perlmutter's journey to integrative medicine started from a simple desire to seek for "MORE!" for his patients' health. This led to him exploring the dietary, lifestyle and supplementary regimes which importantly MODULATE (not block) inflammation which we know is a key driver in not just neurological disease, but is implicated in most modern diseases. Dr Perlmutter also describes his revelation of how many patients simply felt better when they eradicated gluten from their diet, whether they were diagnosed with Coeliac Disease or not.

Beth Bundy uses the analogy "The Three Legged Stool" to represent the triad of the adrenal, thyroid and sex hormones and their interplay. In this follow up podcast we dive deeper into appropriate & necessary use of functional pathology testing of the thyroid, adrenals and sex hormones . Beth expertly draws from her experience to paint a picture of the complex presentations patient's walk in with when one or all of these areas of their health are depleted.

In this podcast Dr Mark Donohoe shares his vast clinical knowledge of the functional aspects of low thyroid function. He coins the phrase a "hibernating thyroid" to explain why we shouldn't be so quick to stimulate the thyroid in those presenting with low metabolism, but rather seek to uncover the true cause of WHY thyroid levels plummet in patients. We explore the usefulness, cautions and paranoia of using such nutrients as iodine, selenium, tyrosine, and vitamin A in nourishing (rather than stimulating) the thyroid gland, as well as supporting both the adrenal glands and liver function to rejuvenate patients back to a normal metabolic rate.

Dr Lise Alschuler is best known for her expertise in supporting cancer patients on their journey through their therapy and how to thrive in their life afterwards. A core element in oncological care is supporting mental health, thus Dr Alschuler has amassed an impressive level of expertise in this area.In this podcast, Dr Alschuler will explore her evidence-based approaches to anxiety. She also takes an in depth look at some excellent integrative medicine interventions including phosphatidylserine, kava, lemon balm, magnesium and a specific phytopharmaceutical lavender product which is clinic-changing in its effectiveness.

Decades ago, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) was a rarely discussed condition. Now we know that 15-18% of women of reproductive age suffer from this condition, which carries its own infertility issues, plus increased risks to both mother and child, even upon successful pregnancy.In this podcast, Stacey (The BabyMaker) Roberts, takes us through the dysfunctional effects of excess and androgenised hormones upon fertility, and discusses the various options by which women with PCOS may emerge victorious using evidence-based natural therapies either alone or indeed in concert with drug therapy to maximise pharmaceutical management of fertility issues surrounding PCOS.

Today we're joined once again by the very knowledgeable Justin Sinclair for Part 2 in our series on the responsible clinical use of cannabis.Justin takes us on a journey through the complex phytochemistry and pharmacognosy of the various medicinal cannabis species. He talks about the merits and flaws in using isolated plant extracts with single active constituents versus using full, whole-herb extracts for their herbal synergy - or "The Entourage Effect". His knowledge of both the phytochemical aspects and the regulatory hurdles facing the medicinal cannabis industry is without equal.

Male infertility affects 20% of infertile couples, yet many ostensibly place "blame" on the female of the couple. In this 2nd podcast, Stacey (The BabyMaker) Roberts takes us through the physical and emotional rollercoaster facing infertile couples when trying to find "the reason" for their inability to have children. Stacey takes us on a journey to explore the causes, the nutritional treatments and the huge psychological burden placed on individuals by society, and even by friends and family. Stacey also discusses the various aspects of lowered male libido, the potential reasons and treatments available. Critically, Stacey reveals how practitioners can break the blame game of "who's fault it is", and coaches us through how to maximise the chances by which couples can conceive with the support of evidence-based natural medicines.

Moira's true clinical expertise shines in this enlightening podcast about her involvement in a multi-modality clinic treating complex eye disorders for which orthodox medicine has little to offer. This podcast will reveal how a multi-disciplinary, safety-orientated approach can offer real benefits for those with chronic visual disorders. Learn about the success and synergy of blending orthodox medicine, naturopathy and traditional Chinese medicine, including acupuncture.