Body of Wonder

Latest Episodes:

Episode #37 Recommending Medical Cannabis with Rebecca Abraham, RN, BSN Feb 27, 2023

Show notes

Cannabis has been used as a medicinal substance for more than 5,000 years. And, for good reason. Cannabinoids, the active compounds found inside cannabis, offer potential solutions and symptom relief for a wide range of ailments including chronic pain, neuropathy, muscle spasms, and anxiety. Until the 19thcentury, cannabis was part of the United States Pharmacopoeia and widely used by doctors. But, in 1942 the U.S prohibited the substance and all forms of use.Today, cannabis is still a Schedule 1 Substance, which is defined as a drug having a high potential for abuse and no accepted medicinal use. And yet, acceptance and attitudes toward cannabis are rapidly evolving.

In the U.S., 37 states have approved medical cannabis and more than 3.2 million people report using the substance for wide range of conditions. As acceptance of cannabis grows and demand increases, more health care providers are seeking guidance on prescribing methods. Our guest today is Rebecca Abraham, a critical care nurse, medical cannabis expert, and founder of Acute on Chronic – a medical cannabis clinic working to help patients navigate the safe and effective use of cannabis for hard-to-treat medical conditions.

In this episode, Rebecca discusses how nurses are leading the charge in prescribing medical cannabis. She describes how nurses assess patients for cannabis use. Dr. Victoria Maizes and Dr. Andrew Weil ask important questions about dosing recommendations and ingestion methods for safe and effective treatment, and the challenges cannabis faces within our healthcare system. Rebecca describes common conditions and symptoms that respond well to cannabis and also shares common drug interactions to look out for.

Episode #36 Exploring Energy Medicine with Ann Marie Chiasson, MD Jan 30, 2023

Show notes

Known as qi in ancient China and prana in ancient India, energy has long been recognized by traditional cultures for its influence on the body's vitality and healing. Energy healing seeks to balance and promote the innate flow for optimal health, and it attributes illness to disturbances in the flow.
In recent decades, researchers have measured the body's subtle electromagnetic signals, known as the biofield, leading to new theories and applications. As interest in biofield and energy modalities continues to grow, it raises questions about where and how this practice can be applied.
In this episode, we sit with Dr. Ann Marie Chiasson, the Director of the Fellowship at the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine to discuss the energy body.
Dr. Chiasson has a life-long interest in the healing capacity of meditation, consciousness, and energy healing, and studied extensively with indigenous healers. She has authored Energy Healing - The Essentials of Self Care and co-authored Self-Healing with Energy Medicine with Dr. Andrew Weil.
This conversation explores the principles of energy medicine, including how traditional cultures first recognized the body's energy flow, how energy points work, and how we can assess blockages. Dr. Weil tells us about the influence indigenous healers had on his own practice. Dr. Maizes discusses government supported research that examined pain and energy healing. Dr. Chiasson shares how energy medicine works, what it is, and how to find a qualified practitioner.

Episode #35 The Power of Language in Healing with Steve Bierman, MD Dec 19, 2022

Show notes

Would you consider communication a key factor in the healing process? According to our guest, words matter, and language can reach beyond the conscious mind to activate the body’s healing response.
Emergency medicine physician, Dr. Steve Bierman joins Dr. Andrew Weil and Dr. Victoria Maizes to discuss how language, and the power of suggestion can serve as positive or negative influences on our health.
Dr. Bierman challenges caregivers to choose words wisely and harness the power of communication when treating patients.
Using examples from his practice, Bierman demonstrates how carefully chosen language can ease pain and yield lasting health outcomes.
His approach blends humanism, hypnosis, and neurolinguistics with conventional medicine.
In this conversation, Drs. Weil, Maizes, and Bierman discuss hypnosis, the placebo effect, proper informed consent, patients’ belief systems, and why communication should be taught in medical schools.

Episode #34 Nutritious and Delicious with Diana Weil Nov 21, 2022

Show notes

A healthy lifestyle begins with the foods we put on our plate. According to our guest, integrative nutritionist Diana Weil, a daily practice of eating well can be both delicious and rewarding.
Diana is a nutritionist, certified integrative and holistic health coach, and yoga instructor who works with clients to optimize their well-being through their relationships with food.
Diana joins us on this episode to discuss creating healthy relationships with food and understanding what your body needs.
Her philosophy is, "food doesn’t just taste good, it does good."
In this conversation, Diana tackles common food misconceptions and makes suggestions on how to surround yourself with healthy options. She offers strategies to address anxiety and stress around eating. Dr. Weil addresses widespread myths about diet trends, including meat-exclusive diets and fear of vegetables. Dr. Maizes discusses how feasting has been a source of social connection and pleasure for humans throughout history, and why it continues to be practiced today.
Let’s enjoy!

Episode #33 An Anthropological Perspective on Plant Medicine with Wade Davis, PhD Oct 26, 2022

Show notes

On today’s episode Dr. Andrew Weil and Dr. Victoria Maizes sit down with Wade Davis PhD, an explorer, ethnographer, writer, and filmmaker on this episode to discuss humans and the natural world. Wade spent years living among 15 indigenous groups while collecting 6,000 botanical specimens in Amazonia and the Andes. He’s traveled around the world studying traditional herbal medicine preparations and indigenous beliefs.

In this conversation, Wade examines how societal values shape our individual and collective perspective. According to Dr. Weil, there are problems arising from the separation of medicine and spirituality. Dr. Maizes suggests that our senses influence the way we perceive the world. By exploring the history of psychedelics through a cultural lens, Wade describes how indigenous use of the substance elevated consciousness.

Wade, once hailed as “a rare combination of scientist, scholar, poet and passionate defender of all of life’s diversity”, draws on messages and lessons from his time with traditional healers, including the oldest of them all – nature.

Episode #32 Choosing a Healthy Cooking Oil - An Important Part of an Anti-Inflammatory Diet with Jeff Nobbs Aug 30, 2022

Show notes

Vegetable oils are the most consumed food in the world second only to rice and wheat. Cooking oil now accounts for 20% of our daily calories, representing the greatest increase in the sources of calories since the globalization era.

Today, cooking oils are a staple in our diets, with canola, sunflower, soy, peanut, and palm oil being the most consumed. A growing number of studies demonstrate that many vegetable oils are pro-inflammatory and linked to disease. Research has shown that they are particularly harmful when heated or consumed in large quantities.

Our guest this episode is Jeff Nobbs a food and technology entrepreneur. Jeff is the co-founder and CEO of Zero Acre Farms, a company producing cooking oils made by fermentation, called “cultured oil.”

In this episode, we explore the best and worst oils for health, as well as other important considerations like taste, smoke-point, and sustainability.

Jeff discusses the challenges of conventional oils and the exciting possibilities of cultured oils. Dr. Weil explains why certain oils are pro-inflammatory and carcinogenic. Dr. Maizes points to food policy to understand why these vegetable oils dominates commercial food production. We discuss the good oils, the emerging world of cultured oils, and which oils to avoid.

Episode #31 The Role of Nitric Oxide in the Body with Dr. Louis Ignarro Jul 21, 2022

Show notes

Your body naturally produces nitric oxide, a small gaseous molecule; while it exists for mere seconds, it is vitally important for your health. The main function of nitric oxide is vasodilation. Nitric oxide also improves brain cognition, stabilizes blood pressure, and supports exercise performance.

Today we welcome, Dr. Louis Ignarro, who won the Nobel Prize in Medicine for his discovery that nitric oxide acts as a signaling molecule in the cardiovascular system. His research led him to the development of one of the most popular pharmaceuticals in the world, sildenafil, known widely by its brand name, Viagra. Yet, Dr. Ignarro has devoted his life to unlocking nitric oxide’s larger potential in advancing heart health.

In this episode Dr. Ignarro shares the history of the scientific discovery of nitric oxide and its use in medical settings around the world. Dr. Weil asks what’s responsible for the rise in nitric oxide deficiencies. Dr. Maizes asks about natural mechanisms to increases nitric oxide levels, such as breathwork.

Join us on a journey through the science of nitric oxide, the small molecule with a large impact.

Episode #30 Raising Healthy Children with Sanford Newmark, MD Jun 28, 2022

Show notes

Every parent wants to raise a healthy child. Yet, this goal is becoming more difficult as chronic pediatric diseases are becoming increasingly common. An integrative pediatrics approach emphasizes preventive care and uses a personalized approach which includes diet, environmental exposures, and healthy relationships.

On this episode, we talk with integrative pediatrician Dr. Sanford "Sandy" Newmark. He is a clinical professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of California and head of the Pediatric Integrative Neurodevelopmental Program at the Osher Center, specializing in the treatment of Autism, ADHD, and other developmental or chronic childhood conditions.

In this conversation, Dr. Maizes asks, “What are the best first steps parents can take to raising a healthy child?” Dr. Newmark describes how integrative medicine offers several compelling, evidence-based approaches to support the development of children. He explains the connection between nutrient deficiencies and behavior, and safe, effective steps to take before a child develops a problem. Dr. Weil discusses the work of his mentor, Dr. Robert Fulford, in addressing childhood conditions with manual treatments such as craniosacral therapy.

Drs. Newmark, Maizes, and Weil reflect on the changes in society and call for stronger advocacy to improve childhood health today, including reducing inequities and pushing for better nutrition standards for all.

Episode #29 Rheumatology Getting to the Root of Autoimmune Conditions with Aly Cohen, MD May 31, 2022

Show notes

Autoimmune diseases result when the body's immune system attacks healthy cells of the body. The tissue damage leads in the development of chronic conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and type 1 diabetes.

Our guest today is rheumatologist and integrative medicine specialist, Dr. Aly Cohen. Dr. Cohen specializes in treating arthritis, immune system disorders, and women’s health. She has lectured nationally on integrative environmental medicine and recently gave a TEDx talk, “How to Protect Your Kids from Toxic Chemicals.”

In this episode, Dr. Cohen helps to explain the complex puzzle of autoimmune diseases. Who gets autoimmune diseases? What are the causes? And what precautions we can take to avoid triggers of autoimmune conditions? Dr. Weil suggests that low level chronic inflammation may be a culprit in the disease’s development. Dr. Maizes discusses how an integrative lens may be helpful in discerning which patients need medication right away and which may begin with lifestyle approaches.

Episode #2 Deepak Chopra - Consciousness: (The Self) Experience of A Lifetime Mar 16, 2020

Show notes

What is consciousness? Are "you" your body or your mind...or something else entirely? Is it possible to quiet the mind and free it from wondering thoughts? Can psychedelics and cannabis help you reach higher states of consciousness?

In this episode of Body of Wonder, Dr. Andrew Weil and Dr. Deepak Chopra, two of the most well-known integrative health advocates, are interviewed by Dr. Victoria Maizes for a conversation that explores the experience of human consciousness and perception.

Hear how Dr. Weil and Dr. Deepak personally define consciousness, their recommendations for healthy aging of the mind and the body, and how death is an important part of one's own "self" experience. Dr. Chopra's new book Metahuman: Unleashing Your Potential is out now.

Body of Wonder is hosted by Dr. Victoria Maizes and Dr. Weil and produced by the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona. Learn more about this and other topics by going to www.azcim.org/podcast. Connect with us on Twitter: @BodyofWonder, Instagram: BodyofWonderPodcast, or Facebook/BodyofWonder

Please note, the show will not advise, diagnose, or treat medical conditions. Always seek the advice of your physician or healthcare provider for questions regarding your health.

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