The Mind Gut Conversation Podcast

In this episode of the MGC podcast, I talk to Matthew Lancor, the founder of the startup company, Kombuchade. Matt combines his background in material science engineering and a passion for rugby into his entrepreneurial venture. With a keen understanding of the science behind fermentation and a personal commitment to fitness and health, nurtured through years of playing rugby he has successfully created a kombucha brand tailored for athletes and fitness enthusiasts. Under his leadership, Kombuchade has quickly grown from a home-brew project into a popular wellness brand, emphasizing organic ingredients, sustainability, and community involvement. His journey from an engineer and rugby player to a health-focused entrepreneur embodies a fusion of science, sports, and sustainable business. In this podcast, I talk to him about Kombuchade, the benefits of fermented drinks for elite athletes, and the following: What is unique about Kambuchade? You are a startup family business competing with a lot of big companies in the space of kombucha and fermented drinks. A fermented carbonate drink is not the first thing you would think about as a beneficial beverage for elite athletes. What are the functional benefits of fermented beverages like Kombucha for "Peak Performers"? What are quantifiable/measurable differences that someone could expect from drinking Kombucha and exercising on gut health/overall health? How would someone know that their gut health might be inhibiting them from "Peak Performance"? How many days does it take to balance the microbiome if you were to start a new routine of fermented foods and exercise ... 30 days or more? Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with nor receiving compensation from Kombuchade.

In this episode of the MGC podcast, I talk to Larissa Trinder, Assistant Vice President of Arts in Medicine at New York City Health + Hospitals who is responsible for stewarding a collection of more than 4000 works of art, the largest such collection in New York City. In addition, she has been creating and implementing programs for patients, staff and the community that utilize the arts as a tool in healing. Larissa is a staunch advocate for the importance of the arts and humanities within a healthcare system to advance patient health outcomes, enhance staff engagement, morale and retention and to empower communities. In this podcast, I talk to Larissa about the emerging role of art as an important component of healing environments. Here are just some of the topics we address: 1. What is the new Department of Arts in Medicine at New York City Health + Hospitals? 2. How did it develop in the 1930s, and how has it been able to survive economic downturns and financial crises? 3. What is the role of art in an effective healing environment? 4. How does art affect patient health outcomes, staff engagement and morale, and entire communities? Follow Dr. Mayer: https://linktr.ee/emayer

In this episode of the MGC podcast, I talk to Shawn Stevenson, creator and host of The Model Health Show, featured as the number #1 health podcast in the U.S. with millions of listener downloads each year. Shawn recently published the The Eat Smarter Family Cookbook, a companion cookbook to his acclaimed Eat Smarter book. Here are just some of the topics we address: 1. Can you describe the most important steps in your transformation from growing up with your grandparents in Ferguson, Mo to becoming a nutrition expert, #1 podcast host and bestselling author of two very important books? 2. Some of your early experiences make you some kind of “wounded healer”, in particular your health issues. It seems your own experiences stimulated your interest in science about food. Can you expand on this? 3. You call yourself a “nutritionist who no longer believes in food in the conventional sense”. And you make a key point that you no longer make the mistake that many people make, considering food primarily as fuel. 4. You write about how eating with others can have profound benefits on overall health. On the other hand, eating with others during celebrations and holidays is a major cause of weight gain for many people. 5. Can you expand on the relationship between stress and unhealthy eating patterns. You write that 1/3 of people make unhealthy food choices because of stress.

Welcome to the latest edition of the Mind Gut Conversation Podcast, a place to learn about the latest ideas from thought leaders in the area of optimal health, the science of mind gut microbiome interactions, food and the environment. Today I have the great pleasure to speak to Leo Grady, AI expert and CEO of the microbiome company Jona. Leo earned a Ph.D. in Cognitive and Neural Systems from BU and is the Founder and CEO of Jona and CEO in Residence with Breyer Capital. Leo is internationally recognized for his work to deliver AI in healthcare for 20 years at pioneering bay area startups, multinational medical companies, including Siemens and, most recently, as CEO of Paige.ai. As CEO of Paige, he led the company to become an industry leader, internationally launching groundbreaking products and receiving the first-ever FDA approval for an AI product in pathology. Leo authored two books on AI, over 100 peer-reviewed scientific papers and is an inventor on over 300 patents. Winner of the Edison Patent Award, he was inducted as Fellow in the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering. As Founder and CEO of Jona, he has developed a stool microbiome analysis platform which not only uses state of the art analysis approaches to study the structure and function of from individual stool samples, but also provides users with an AI assisted interpretation of the results. Follow Dr. Mayer: https://linktr.ee/emayer

Nancy Zucker, PhD, is a clinician, researcher, and teacher at Duke University School of Medicine, where she founded and directs the Duke Center for Eating Disorders. Dr. Zucker is a Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Psychology and Neuroscience. She is the author of 131 professional publications, an author of the revised practice guidelines for the treatment of eating disorders from the American Psychiatric Association, and most recently her new book Treating Functional Abdominal Pain in Children. Dr. Zucker’s major clinical and research interest is in understanding how to help young people develop a healthy awareness of their bodies’ signals and learn how to match these to actions that allow them to flourish. In her new book, she Her research and clinical work has been featured on ABC’s “Nightline,” the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Time, and other major news outlets. The topics we address in this episode include: • What is the new approach you take in teaching young children about their body signals? • How does such early “body education” affect the prevalence of chronic abdominal pain and IBS in adults? • Does your approach benefit both the young patients and their parents? • What would the impact on our current healthcare system be if your approach were adopted widely?

Welcome to the latest episode of the Mind Gut Conversation Podcast, a place to learn from thought leaders in the area of health, food, the science of mind-body interactions and the environment. Today, I have the great pleasure to speak to Sonu Shivdasani, a visionary Indian wellness resort entrepreneur who is the CEO and founder of Soneva Fushi and Soneva Jani, as well as other luxury wellness resorts in Southeast Asia. Having just spent 10 days at the SOUL Festival on Soneva Fushi, I am still amazed at the scope and uniqueness of the experience, touching every aspect of human life from the physical, emotional, spiritual and planetary. By speaking with him, it became clear that this unique experience was a reflection of Sonu’s own beliefs and core values in synergy with his wife Eva. In this episode, I ask Sonu several questions, including: - How did you become this unique individual? What were the key life experiences that made you that person? - You have achieved some amazing accomplishment, despite having to overcome several serious challenges to your own well-being, your health and your business success, demonstrating a remarkable resilience. What has been your secret? - You make no secret out of your successful battle with cancer. What have you learned from this life threatening situation? - Which are the accomplishments you are most proud of? - You have had a fairly conservative education at Eaton and Oxford. How has this education shaped who you are today? - Running several luxury resorts you must come in contact with many well to do individuals many of whom believe that happiness comes from the accumulation of material wealth and luxury. As we talked about at the recent festival, there is another form of happiness called Eudaimonia, doing meaningful things and things that benefit others. Is Eudaimonia your guiding principle in making decisions? - You have had personal experiences with the Western healthcare system but also with many alternative healing practices which are being offered at your resorts. What is your view of the benefits of either one of these approaches to human health? - Speakers at the SOUL festival addressed many aspects of our current world of polycrises, from personal wellness to climate change and planetary health. Are you an optimist or pessimist regarding the direction the world is moving in, and how does your view affect your decision making? - The SOUL festival certainly had a big impact on many participants. How many participants do you believe will change their behaviors after this experience? Thanks for listening! Follow Dr. Mayer: https://linktr.ee/emayer⁠

In this episode of the MGC podcast, I talk to to Dr. Pedro Bastos, a world renowned nutritionist and researcher from Portugal, affiliated with Lund University in Sweden and the European University of Madrid, in Spain. He co-founded CEAN, a Spanish institution providing advanced education in Nutritional Sciences for health professionals. Dr. Bastos lectures globally on nutrition, lifestyle, and health in four languages, and has co-authored several scientific papers in the field in high profile journals, including Nature Medicine and Nature Reviews in Cardiology. Here are just some of the topics we address: - What is an inflammatory diet? - Chronic inflammation in the etiology of disease across the lifespan. - Pros and cons of the Mediterranean diet. - What can we learn from traditional societies. Follow Dr. Mayer: https://linktr.ee/emayer⁠

In this episode of the MGC podcast, I talk to Dr. Elissa Epel, an international expert on stress, well-being, and optimal aging. Dr. Epel is the co-author of the New York Times best-seller “The Telomere Effect: A revolutionary approach to living younger, longer” with Nobel Laureate Elizabeth Blackburn, and the author of the new “Stress Prescription,” an independent bookstore best seller. She is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, at the University of California, San Francisco, where she is Vice Chair of Psychology and directs the Aging Metabolism Emotions Center. She studies the environmental, psychological, behavioral, and social factors that impact cellular aging such as telomeres, inflammation, and mitochondria. Her research interests include how self-care practices such as meditation and positive stress can promote psychological and physiological thriving and is interested in large-scale interventions for communal well-being and health equity. Here are some of the topics we address in this episode: 1) Why chronic stress is toxic to the body 2) The relationship between chronic stress, telomer shortening and aging 3) The different physiological stages of stress 4) How to become stress resilient 5) What are lifespan, health span and disease span Follow Dr. Mayer: https://linktr.ee/emayer⁠

In this episode of the MGC podcast, I talk to Dr. Tracy Bale. Dr. Bale’s research focuses on understanding the role of stress dysregulation in the development of the nervous system and in neuropsychiatric diseases, as well as the sex differences that underlie disease vulnerability in humans. Her extensive body of work provides a new revolutionary understanding of the effects of adverse life experiences across the lifespan, starting at the preconception level. Dr Bale is the Anschutz Foundation Endowed Chair in Women's Integrated Mental and Physical Health Research at the Ludeman Center, in the School of Medicine at the University of Colorado. She is also Professor and Director for Intergenerational Stress and Health, and the Director for Sex Differences Research in the Department of Psychiatry. In this episode, we speak about a wide range of topics which are profoundly influenced by Social Genomics, including: 1) The multiple ways by which stressful environments that a woman experiences preconception, during pregnancy and during early development can influence the behavior and health of the offspring. 2) The novel signaling mechanisms that play a role in individuals experiencing trauma that can modify not only their behavior but also certain organs, like the skin for example. 3) The biological and behavioral ways of transmitting parental experiences to the offspring, behavioral ways including maternal-infant interactions, attachment styles, etc. which are the most important biological mechanisms. 4) What is germ cell mediated transmission? 5) What role do transgenerational transmission mechanisms play in populations that have been exposed to severe trauma (e.g. Holocaust) or persistent severe trauma (e.g. Afghanistan, Palestine). 6) How does resilience counteract the biological mechanisms discussed here? Follow Dr. Mayer here! Watch The Mind Gut Conversation on YouTube here!

In this episode of the MGC podcast, I talk to Emilie Berner, MA a chef educator and integrative health coach in Los Angeles. Emilie received her master’s degree in food studies from New York University, and her health coaching certification from Duke Integrative Medicine. She trained at The Natural Gourmet Institute for Health Supportive Culinary Arts, and is the Chef & Coordinator at New York Presbyterian Hudson Valley Hospital’s Teaching Kitchen, where she also manages the organic garden. Currently, she teaches at the Institute of Culinary Education in Pasadena, and leads the Mental Fitness Kitchen and coaching program at Dr. Drew Ramsey’s Integrative Psychiatry clinic. In this episode, I talk to Emily about a wide range of topics related to the food, about the nutritional, emotional, cognitive, social and spiritual dimensions of eating. Rather watch this episode? Check it out here on YouTube: https://youtu.be/E1PgLWcAj2A Follow Dr. Mayer here: https://linktr.ee/emayer

In this episode of the MGC podcast, I talk to Dr. Gloria Dominguez, a world-renowned microbiome expert who has studied the pre- and postnatal influences on the developing gut microbiome, and the implications of this early development for health and disease. Dr. Dominguez is the Henry Rutgers Professor of Microbiome and Health at Rutgers University. She is the Director of the Institute for Food Nutrition and Health and a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology, and of the Infectious Disease Society of America. Her work centers and impacts exerted on the microbiome by urban practices, including practices that impair early life microbiota transmission and colonization -such as C-sections- and studying changes on microbiomes across urbanization gradients. Together with her husband Martin Blaser, she stars in the new, award winning documentary The Invisible Extinction, which is streaming on Amazon. In this podcast I talk to Dr. Dominguez about several fascinating topics, including: • The effect of mode of delivery on infant microbiome and health • Maternal-child microbial seeding interventions. • Early-life microbiome restoration • Influence of maternal diet on offspring • Gut microbiome and COVID-19 • The Microbiome Vault project Rather listen to this episode? Check it out here on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Ah30Mu8XN4Q Follow Dr. Mayer here: https://linktr.ee/emayer

Welcome to episode 56 of the Mind Gut Conversation Podcast, a place to learn about groundbreaking ideas from thought leaders in the area of health, food, the science of mind body interactions and the environment. Today’s guest is Dr. Martin Blaser, a pioneer and global thought leader in the area of the gut microbiome, author of over 650 original scientific articles, of the best selling book, Missing Microbes, a book targeted to general audiences, now translated into 20 languages. Together with his wife Gloria Dominguez, he stars in the new, award winning documentary The Silent Extinction. In this episode, I speak with Dr. Blaser about the following: 1. Since the publication of your best selling book Missing Microbes, what has been the most important breakthrough in microbiome science? 2. The extinction of micro- and macro-organisms are being driven by different mechanisms. Why are the two trends happening roughly on the same time course?. 3. Of the many possible disease mechanisms that could be involved in microbiome changes and increased risk of chronic diseases, which ones do you think are the most important ones? 4. What is your view of the mismatch hypothesis between a microbiome rapidly adapting to environmental/dietary changes and slowly evolving changes in the human immune system, leading to a maladaptive response of the immune system leading to systemic inflammation? In other words, are microbes better in adaptation to different lifestyles and environments than our immune system? 5. Looking into the future, do you believe that humans will dramatically change their lifestyles and their interactions with the environment to prevent catastrophic consequences on our health? A scenario you have referred to as “Antibiotic Winter”. 6. Do you see enough changes worldwide in the inappropriate and excessive use of antibiotics, C-section deliveries, diet, encroachment of wild habitats, etc. that suggest we will be able to dodge the bullet? 7. If there is one intervention that you think would have the biggest impact on our current situation, what would that be? Rather watch this episode? Check it out on YouTube: https://youtu.be/eibJT0iI5nw Follow Dr. Mayer here: https://linktr.ee/emayer

In this episode of the Mind Gut Conversation Podcast, I have the great pleasure to talk to Dr. Douglas Drossman, a board-certified gastroenterologist, pioneer of the IBS field, and author of several seminal books about disorders of gut brain interactions: 1) Gut Feelings - Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction 2) Patient - Doctor Relationship: A Guide for Patients and Doctors Dr. Drossman is a board-certified gastroenterologist and his name is synonymous with the Rome Foundation, an organization which has brought international recognition to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and a list of closely related so-called functional GI disorders, a long neglected field in Medicine and Gastroenterology, which are now part of the new subspecialty called Neurogastroenterology. The Rome Foundation has created a thriving community of healthcare providers interested in different aspects of altered gut-brain interaction, including dietary and psychological treatments. As the Founder and long time President of the Rome Foundation, author of some 280 scientific manuscripts, and passionate promoter of the importance of therapeutic physician-patient interactions, Dr. Drossman was not only a pioneer, but has also had a major long-lasting influence on the field. Amongst many other topics, in this interview we address several important questions, including the following: 1. With the creation of the Rome Foundation process, you have revolutionized the entire field of IBS. Which component (patient education, physician education, disease classification) has been most important in this accomplishment? 2. What is your view on a unifying model of the entire spectrum of brain-gut disorders which manifest in different forms depending on environmental influences, the so-called “exposome” (psychosocial, diet, early life experiences, infections)? 3. Looking back, I am still amazed that it has taken some 40 years from the original view of IBS as a gut and motility disorder (many still share this view) to a disorder of gut brain interactions. Your comment? 4. Looking at a crystal ball, how do you think the view will evolve during the next decade? I hope you enjoy it...and if you'd rather watch this episode, check it out on my YouTube channel here! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Check out my website: http://www.emeranmayer.com Find all my links here: https://linktr.ee/emayer Thank you!

Welcome to the latest edition of the Mind Gut Conversation podcast. In this episode, I talk with Dr. Sharon Horesh Bergquist, a Harvard-trained, nationally recognized lifestyle medicine pioneer. Dr. Bergquist is the Pam R. Rollins Professor of Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine, as well as founder and director of Emory Lifestyle Medicine & Wellness. She is an advocate for advancing healthcare by integrating lifestyle medicine, resiliency, and prevention-based science into clinical care. She has contributed to numerous health segments, is the host of The Whole Health Cure podcast, and author of the upcoming book Plantology: a cookbook based on the science of plant-based eating. In this conversation, we discuss a wide range of topics related to her holistic approach to health and disease, including: • Her unusual career path from mainstream medicine to a new way of healthcare emphasizing prevention and lifestyle changes. • Her particular interest in the role of nutrition in health. • Her new book, Plantology. Enjoy! Rather watch this episode? Check it out on YouTube here! Follow Dr. Mayer: https://linktr.ee/emayer

In this latest episode of the MGC podcast, I talk to Dr. Steve Cole, a senior faculty member at UCLA who has created one of the most fascinating approaches to study mind body interactions at the molecular level. He has authored more than 200 scientific publications in high impact journals and is considered the father of a new scientific discipline called Social Genomics. His extensive body of work provides a new revolutionary understanding of the bidirectional interactions between our genome, our body and the environment we live in. Dr. Cole is a Professor of Medicine and Psychiatry in the UCLA School of Medicine where he studies the molecular pathways by which social environments influence gene expression by viral, cancer, and immune cell genomes. In this podcast, I talk to him about a wide range of topics which are profoundly influenced by Social Genomics, including: • How our bodies are continuously influenced by the influence of our social interactions. • How our genes are influenced by our state of mind. • Which strategies we can use to take advantage of the plasticity of gene expression to improve our health. • The two different forms of happiness. • The future of healthcare. Enjoy! Rather watch this episode? Check it out on YouTube: https://youtu.be/_UjkZq7_TIc Follow Dr. Mayer: https://linktr.ee/emayer

In this latest episode of the Mind Gut Conversation podcast, I talk to Dr. Kerry Wangen, a psychiatrist in clinical practice, with a longtime experience in working with trauma patients in the VA Healthcare system. Dr. Wangen is an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of California in Irvine and UC Riverside and currently provides psychiatric care via telehealth. Her approach to patients is based on a unique holistic view of mind and body, incorporating biological, pharmaceutical, contemplative, and spiritual dimensions. In this podcast, I talk to her about here integrative approach to psychiatry and what impact it has on the treatment of common psychiatric conditions, like depression and anxiety. Here are just some of the topics we address: 1. How her career path to become a psychiatrist was influenced by an interest in the role of brain gut interactions. 2. How she has incorporated contemplative practices and Buddhist principles in particular different forms of meditation, empathy, and compassion in her treatment approach to psychiatric disorders. 3. What role will psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy play in clinical psychiatry in the future? 4. Her view of the intriguing analogy between ancient healing traditions, like Ayurvedic Medicine and the Chakra system and the emerging new concepts about the interconnectedness of different organs with the brain. Rather watch this episode? Check it out on YouTube here! Follow Dr. Mayer here!

In this latest edition of the MGC podcast, I talk to Dr. Aviva Romm. Physician, midwife, herbalist, and prolific author. Dr Romm has published 7 books, and offers online courses for both healthcare professionals and patients on a variety of topics, including functional and integrative medicine, gut health and herbal medicine. In this podcast, I talk to her about her unique career path, the main lessons from her latest book Hormone Intelligence and about her emphasis on women’s health. Here are just some of the topics we address: 1. Her remarkable career path from midwife, herbalist, physician, and bestselling author. 2. Why a better understanding of hormonal imbalances is essential for more effective treatments for women’s health problems. 3. How she incorporates the influences of the external and internal ecosystems on the body and mind in her treatments. 4. How the traditional medical system ignores some of the most important aspects of women’s health. 5. In which way she sees health and medicine in a different way than a lot of doctors. 6. What role the gut microbiome plays in the regulation of estrogen levels in our body. Rather watch this episode? Check it out on YouTube here! Follow Dr. Mayer by clicking here!

Welcome to Episode 50 of the Mind Gut Conversation! In this episode of the MGC podcast, I talk to Drew Ramsey, MD. Dr. Ramsey is a psychiatrist, author, and farmer. He is one of psychiatry's leading proponents of using nutritional interventions. He is an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, and currently provides psychiatric care via telehealth. He has authored 3 books and offers online courses to both healthcare professionals and patients about healthy eating and its therapeutic effect in depression and anxiety. I sit down and talk with him about his emerging field within psychiatry and what impact it has on the treatment of common psychiatric conditions, like depression and anxiety. Here are just some of the topics we address: 1. What is Nutritional psychiatry and how did you get interested in this new field in psychiatry? 2. In one of your podcast appearances, you ask the question: nutritional psychiatry, scam or not? How do you answer this question? 3. Does the evidence support a benefit from various supplements, including so called psychobiotics for psychiatric disorders? 4. Considering the multiple factors that play a role in the pathophysiology of psychiatric diseases (from genetics, epigenetics, adverse life events etc.) how important a role do you think diet plays? 5. What are foods that are key to brain health and why are they more important than others, like fiber and polyphenols? Rather watch this episode? Check it out on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/Y7Mwi1o8amQ Follow Dr. Mayer: https://linktr.ee/emayer

In this latest edition of the Mind Gut Conversation Podcast, I have the great pleasure to talk to Dr. Miguel Freitas, Vice President of Scientific Affairs at Danone, as well as expert in microbiology, nutrition, and cell biology. Dr. Freitas has had a career long interest in scientific and practical aspects on the complex interaction between probiotics, the gut, and the microbiota. Through his work at Danone, he has helped the global food and beverage company to translate the growing body of evidence on different probiotic strains into a range of popular consumer products. Amongst many other topics we discuss in this interview such questions as: 1. With so many products on the market related to fermented foods or supplements of probiotics, how can the average consumer decide which products have a true health benefit? 2. Some products make claims that they improve “gut health”, “general wellness” or “digestive wellness”, others make even claims about “improving cognitive function”, or “slowing of cognitive decline”. How credible are these claims? 3. For products such as yogurts, drinks, and snacks, taste may be most important to the consumer, rather than the scientific evidence for a health benefit. In your opinion, what are the 3 main criteria that influence consumers’ selection of a particular product? Rather watch this episode? Check it out on YouTube here. Follow Dr. Mayer: https://linktr.ee/emayer

In this episode of the Mind Gut Conversation Podcast, I had the great pleasure to talk to Dr. Uma Naidoo, a board-certified psychiatrist at the Mass General Hospital at Harvard, professional chef, and nutrition specialist, who amongst many other accomplishments is the author of the recent book: This Is Your Brain On Food, an amazing look into the new world of nutritional psychiatry. Dr. Naidoo is currently the Director of Nutritional and Metabolic Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital, where she consults on nutritional interventions for the psychiatrically and medically ill. She is also Director of Nutritional Psychiatry at the Massachusetts General Hospital Academy, in private practice and teaches at The Cambridge School of Culinary Arts. Dr. Naidoo blogs for Harvard Health and Psychology Today and has just completed a unique video cooking series for the MGH Academy, which teaches nutritional psychiatry using culinary techniques in the kitchen. If you haven't heard or seen her speak in several recent podcasts, the current MGC podcast is a must see/hear piece of information of the new and rapidly growing field of nutritional psychiatry. Amongst many other topics, we discuss the following questions: 1. Can food really influence our mental health? 2. Is the Standard American Diet really contributing to our current mental health crisis, including the increase in suicide rates? 3. Is it the SAD in general, or are there specific items that are responsible for the reported bad effects on our health? 4. How much do lifestyle factors associated with health eating patterns, like the traditional Mediterranean diet, such as social interactions and mindfulness contribute to the health benefits of such diets? Rather watch this episode? Check it out on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/oM78bUS3Lq4 Check out Dr. Naidoo's website here: https://umanaidoomd.com/ Follow Dr. Mayer: https://linktr.ee/emayer