Alter Your Health

If you've never heard of sulforaphane, you aren't alone. But in the world of nutritional science, it is celebrated for its superpowers! Sulforaphane is a phytonutrient found in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, and Brussel sprouts. By far the highest amount is found in broccoli sprouts - not the full grown vegetable. Sulforaphane has been extensively studied and found to have protective effects against many diseases, including multiple types of cancer, heart...

The first time I drank ayahuasca, about 10 years ago now, I recall people talking about purging, i.e. vomiting, as a way of "getting well." At that point in time, I always equated throwing up with being sick, not "getting well!" Fast forward through the years of naturopathic medical school where I gained a deeper understanding of the self-healing human body. Since the body always moves towards health given the environment and resources at hand in a moment, the symptoms we experience,...

In our previous episode on Bone Health (episode #315) we covered some important bone health basics including: ⁃How plants actually contain plenty of Calcium ⁃How eating plants creates an alkaline environment to allow more calcium to be deposited where it need to be in the bone ⁃Why increased dairy consumption actually raises the risk of bone fracture ⁃The essential role of Vitamin D is for calcium absorption ⁃Why we need to get plenty of Vitamin K to guide calcium properly in the...

The topic of RAW vs COOKED food is commonly brought up in the plant-based world. Which is superior? Should I be eating more raw food? What if I don't like to eat raw food, is eating mostly cooked okay? Are there any benefits or risks to eating strictly raw? It's good to be asking these questions! As you probably know, eating a plant-based diet is not entirely fool proof. In fact we work with people everyday, most of whom are "all in" on the plant-based lifestyle, but aren't yet achieving...

This episode was inspired by Dr. Ben’s Recent Episode, 11 Reasons Why I’m Plant-Based. This was my first live podcast appearance since the birth of our daughter Grace. The whole experience of being pregnant, giving birth, and moving through the postpartum phase has made me reflect with so much gratitude on all the health that the Whole Food Plant-Based lifestyle has brought me. I was not always in such great health. In fact, I went through an extremely difficult period of chronic illness...

It's that time of year again - the end, and the beginning! Are New Year's Resolutions still a thing? According to some statistics, about 50% of people set a New Year's resolution and more than 50% of those resolutions are health related. I can certainly appreciate how the symbology of turning a page to start a fresh year invites self-reflection, and as a result inspiration for self-improvement. BUT, we all know that these resolutions never really stick! Of those who make a New Year’s...

This is a little follow up on the last episode, #357 - Why I'm No Longer Vegan. That episode was intended to share my perspective on Veganism and the reasons why I don't identify as part of the "vegan movement." Long story short, while most of the foods I eat and encourage others to as well are indeed vegan (with the exception of honey!), veganism is so much more than just a way of eating, as many have rightfully pointed out to me throughout my life. Generally speaking, I think it's...

This may come as a big surprise for you... or maybe you saw it coming. There are still a bunch of vegan doctors in the world, but now one fewer. I've personally experienced more health than I knew was possible. I've had better endurance, physical performance, and recovery. I've optimized my digestion and created a level of superb resilience to disease and immunity to infection. I've also witnessed countless similar wins in the clients and members of Thrive on Plants. A vegan diet has...

This is about my experience with Tony Robins 7-Day Positivity Challenge. As I wrote about in a Substack article, I scrolled upon a video of Tony talking about this positivity challenge - going 7 days straight while just "being positive." I was resistant, apprehensive, and doubtful I could complete such a simple feat. Spoiler alert - I did complete the challenge, and am actually still going strong with "being positive!" (You can read the article to hear more about the details and...

It's me, Dr. Ben this time. I'm struggling with some TMS symptoms. Dr. Susanna shared her journey and insight with it nearly a year ago back in Episode #267. And for those totally new to the concept or idea of TMS, my conversation during Episode #76 with Michael Galinsky, the filmmaker of All The Rage: Saved by Sarno, is a great place to start. Or you can watch that awesome documentary film! So, my right knee flared up on a short run. It's so easy (and tempting!) to just blame it on the...

Okay, Okay... I did NOT give birth to a beautiful baby girl. That was ALL Dr. Susanna's doing! However, I was indeed part of the process, and even though a human being didn't emerge from between my legs, it was an incredible transformative experience! One could say that things "didn't go as planned." We were all set up for a beautiful home birth with our amazing midwife. When Susanna's water broke early, before any signs of labor, we did everything we could to get labor moving! (I share...

We're complete with the Alter Your Health from Head to Toe Series! Did you catch the last 44 episodes of the Podcast where we talked about nutritional and lifestyle keys to optimize each of your organs and systems? This is a pretty good little database of quick facts to support your healing and longevity. Now what's next...!? This week on the podcast we hit the "pause" button and share some updates, announcements, and future visions for the Alter Your Health Podcast. In a nutshell,...

The balance of reproductive hormones and health is reflected through the energy of the second chakra - divine creativity. What do these subtle energies of masculinity and femininity have to do with fertility, hormonal balance, and general reproductive health? Well... lots. The subtle nuances of hormonal health are not only influenced by nutritional deficiencies and environmental toxicities, but also the burden of stress and emotion we hold in the body/mind. In today's conversation on the...

We're talking about reproductive hormones and the endocrine system in this finale episode of our "Head to Toe" series on the podcast - a conversation relevant to men and women! This is another HUGE topic. We've covered a lot of huge topics on the podcast in hopes of distilling lots of complexity into some easy to digest simple concepts. When it comes to hormones and the endocrine system, the super cool thing is that the interconnected hormonal systems balances itself! Micromanaging...

Rather than better managing stress, wouldn't you prefer to better understand the source of stress? It sure can feel like stress is all-encompassing and omnipresent - something that we could never escape from. However, when we understand the true source of stress we can instantly see how close we are to peace. Addressing Stress at its Source is far and away the best thing that you can do to support your adrenal glands in healing and balancing, which in turn supports the body's healing and...

When suffering with low energy, sleep issues, or any sort of fatigue, it's common to look at the adrenal glands as being a source of the symptoms. Yes - the adrenal glands are responsible for maintaining healthy energy levels day in and day out... but they do SO MUCH MORE. The adrenal glands are integral to general hormonal balance and also establishing your body's circadian rhythm. So... what causes the adrenal glands to get stressed, fatigued, burnt out, or dysregulated??? In today's...

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the kidneys are the powerhouse of vitality. Low "Kidney Xi" means that the body may be generally deficient, worn down, and lacking health. When we consider the physiologic role of the kidneys in filtering the blood, the body's life energy, the importance of kidney energetics becomes clear. In the psycho spiritual world, the kidneys represent stress and control - the universal issues for mankind. The bladder and urinary system, parts more vulnerable to...

Your kidneys filter about 45 gallons of blood per day. About ~1-2% of that makes it's way into the toilet as urine. Maintaining the health and function of kidneys filtration and urinary excretion is essential for health! While it's common for kidney function to decline with age (just like it's common for blood pressure and/or cholesterol to rise) it is by no means HEALTHY. In today's Medicinal Monday episode we bring you information to support you in creating and maintaining balance and...

The podcast took a brief hiatus as we welcomed our Baby Girl into the world! What a wild and wonderful week it's been. We are so in love... The podcast resumes with some pre-recorded episodes as we finish our "Head to Toe" series. While the gallbladder helps with digestion and detoxification with its storage and release of bile, we can pause and consider what else besides the fatty foods and accumulated toxins can we allow ourselves to let go of... Gallstones are one of the most common...

Most people don't consider the health and function of their gall bladder until there's a sharp pain in the upper-right abdomen! What generally happens is sludge and stones form in the gall bladder that can cause a blockage of the bile duct leading to inflammation and infection - cholecystitis. At this point, surgical removal of the gall bladder (cholecystectomy) may be medically necessary. Preventing and reversing gall bladder issues can be a simple and powerful process! Also, since over...