The Whole Health Cure

Latest Episodes:

"Whole Health: A Comprehensive Approach to Veterans' Wellness" with Javier Valle, MD May 30, 2019

Show notes

Dr. Javier Valle is an Assistant Professor in the Emory Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, a medical officer in the United States Navy Reserve, and a senior VA Quality Scholar Fellow--a 2-year healthcare quality improvement fellowship at the Atlanta VA Health Care System. Board certified in preventive medicine with a Master’s degree in Public Health in epidemiology, he practices lifestyle medicine at the Emory Lifestyle Medicine Clinic in Dunwoody and teaches lifestyle medicine to second and third-year medical students at the Emory School of Medicine. At the Atlanta VA Health Care System, he is the lead for implementation and evaluation activities of the Whole Health System. Whole Health is a national VA healthcare delivery system that is transforming the model of care from a disease-centered to a Veteran-centered approach to health.

Dr. Valle talks about the new VA initiative - Whole Health. As VA shifts from a health-care system focused primarily on treating disease to one guided by a personalized health plan that considers the physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and environmental needs of Veterans, the Whole Health System acknowledges that health care involves more than the physical human body. The whole health model is a holistic look at the many areas of life that can affect someone's health — work environment, relationships, diet, sleep patterns, and more.

To learn more, please visit:
https://www.va.gov/PATIENTCENTEREDCARE/explore/about-whole-health.asp

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of Dr. Valle and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of either the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or Emory University.

"Lifestyle Habits and Brain Health" with Karima Benameur, MD May 23, 2019

Show notes

Dr. Benameur graduated from the University of Oran in Algeria where she received her MD degree. She subsequently trained at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, then at the National Institutes of Health where she was awarded the excellence in research award. She moved to Atlanta to complete her residency and fellowship at Emory, and was selected as Chief resident of education. She was appointed to current position on the Emory faculty as Assistant Professor of Neurology in 2014, and has been part of the Neurohospitalist team ever since.
Her daily work consists of taking care of hospitalized patients with neurological diseases, and educating residents and medical students. She sees first-hand the effects of poor nutrition and a sedentary lifestyle on brain health, as it presents in a myriad of neurological diseases, the most common of which is stroke.
Her passion is teaching not only her patients and their families, but also other physicians and medical students about the importance that proper nutrition, exercise, sleep, and other lifestyle changes can have on brain health.

Dr. Benameur talks about the influence our lifestyle choices have on brain health. What is the effect of nutrition, exercise and sleep? What is the effect of chronic inflammation and stress? Is memory loss a normal part of aging? And finally, what actions and choices can we make to maintain optimal brain heath and good memory long-term? Tune in to learn more!

Dr. Benameur has a course on Coursera called Biohacking Your Brain's Health. You can find it here:
https://www.coursera.org/learn/biohacking-your-brains-health

"Lifestyle Design for Long-term Health" with Dan Witkowski, MD, FACOG, FACLM May 17, 2019

Show notes

Daniel Witkowski, MD, FACOG, FACLM is double board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Lifestyle Medicine. He is one of 30 Fellows of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine in the world.
Since August 2018 he has been employed as an Obstetrician/Gynecologist with Tufts Medical Center Community Care in Melrose, Massachusetts. Prior to that he was in private practice, since 1993, at Women’s Healthcare Associates, in Melrose, Massachusetts. He also serves as Chair of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department at MelroseWakefield Healthcare.
Dr. Witkowski is a Certified Nutritionist and has been a Lifestyle Medicine Physician since 2011. He is the co-creator, with his wife Pamela, of Lifestyle Design MD™, a program where they educate individuals, families, and health practitioners on how to obtain optimal health and prevent and reverse chronic disease through nutrition, fitness, stress management, and lifestyle design. They are nationally recognized public speakers and trainers.
Dr. Witkowski received his medical degree from Tufts University in Boston, MA in 1989. He completed his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, MD. He received his Certification in Plant Based Nutrition from the T. Colin Campbell Foundation, Cornell University.
Daniel and Pamela are high school sweethearts and have been married since 1984. They are the parents of 6 children and grandparents to Ella and Brody.

For more resources, please visit:

Website: https://www.danielwitkowskimd.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/danielwitkowskimd

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danielwitkowski_md/

Twitter: @danwitkowskimd

"Nutrition and Optimal Performance" with Stephan Esser, MD May 09, 2019

Show notes

Stephan Esser, MD is a physician, author and motivational speaker specializing in sports medicine and lifestyle modification. He is dedicated to empowering individuals to achieve their best health and maximize fitness, fun and function.

Dr. Esser completed a Bachelor of Science at Palm Beach Atlantic University, Medical School at the University of South Florida College of Medicine, a residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School/Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, and a Fellowship in Sports Medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, FL. He currently works as a Sports & Spine Physician with Southeast Orthopedic Specialists in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL. where he offers detailed clinical evaluations, lifestyle counseling, acupuncture and regenerative PRP and Stem cell injections. Prior to his career in medicine he was a competitive tennis player, achieving a ranking of #1 in the US in Men’s Open Doubles (2002).

This is a conversation about nutrition, its effect on muscles and joints, and optimal performance. Dr. Esser talks about mind-body connection, importance of sleep and recovery, and overall lifestyle. He discussed the orthopedics issues that he sees on daily basis, his comprehensive approach of treating the whole patient, and how plant-based diet plays into the process of healing. How to decrease inflammation in joints? What are the differences between different kinds of fat, and how abdominal fat specifically can disrupt hormonal balance? What can we do on daily basis to significantly alleviate chronic pain and even reverse some chronic conditions? Dr. Esser answers all those questions on this episode.

To learn more about Dr. Esser's work please visit:

Website: http://esserhealth.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/esserhealth/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EsserHealth/

"Finding Your Health Zone" with Douglas Amis, Ed.D. May 03, 2019

Show notes

Douglas Amis, Ed.D. is a Co-Founder of Health Zone Life and creator of the Health Zone Life Model along with Dr. Pankaj Vij.
Dr. Amis set out on this project with the objective of providing an open source model that medical professionals could freely use both as and educational tool and in their practice. The website’s goal is to provide platform for professionals who are leading the efforts to improve the health of individuals in the face of epidemic levels of diabetes and related diseases.

Previously Founder and President of Amisco Consulting Group, to provide management consulting services for start up through mid-sized companies. With over 25 years of experience in the electronics industry, Dr. Amis brings a comprehensive background in management, human resources, communications, media, compliance issues and organizational development to his roles as consultant and advisor with companies in the San Francisco Bay Area and the Silicon Valley.

As one of the principals of Semiconductor Systems Inc., Dr. Amis was instrumental in the achievement of a successful leveraged buy out of SSI from General Signal Corporation in December 1990. The results of this team was to create a company which would reinvent itself as a leading and innovative supplier of capital equipment for the Semiconductor, Flat Panel Display and Multi Chip Module industries. Growing the company from $14 million to $32 million before merging the company with FSI International in 1996.
He holds four masters degrees from the University of San Francisco in Educational Administration, Educational Psychology, Marriage and Family Counseling, Life Transition Counseling, an M.F.A. from the School of the Arts at New York University, and doctorates in Business Administration from Western Colorado University in Organizational Behavior and Management, Educational Psychology/Counseling from the University of San Francisco. Dr. Amis is a Life Clinical Member of the California Association for Marriage and Family Therapists and has been a licensed to practice in California since 1981, a Life member in with the American College of Forensic Examiners. He is a Life Diplomate in Counseling Psychology from the American Psychotherapy Association and is a Diplomate of the American Board of Forensic Counseling.

Early in his career Dr. Amis was both a professor and administrator at the University of San Francisco founding both the Mass Media Studies Program and the Gerontology program. He has provided consulting services internationally to multiple public and private sector organizations including high growth startup operations and Fortune 100.

For more resources, please visit:

Healthzonelife Model: http://healthzonelife.com/health-zone-life-model/

Healthzonelife on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/healthzonelife/

Healthzonelife on Twitter:https://twitter.com/amisco12

"Musing Together: Finding the Intersection between Art and Health" with Virginia Shearer Apr 25, 2019

Show notes

Virginia Shearer, the Eleanor McDonald Storza Director of Education at the High Museum of Art, has more than 20 years of experience in museum education. Ms. Shearer oversees all areas of the High’s Department of Education, where she focuses on creating a platform for engagement and connectivity that extends the museum’s reach and deepens the High’s relationships with the Atlanta community through experimental, collaborative, and research-based practice. Since joining the High in 2005, she has initiated, led, and participated in cross-institutional initiatives that are key to the museum’s future, including such innovative projects as the High’s summer piazza activation commission series, the newly designed Greene Family Learning Gallery, and a series of popular exhibitions focused on children’s picture book art.
From 2005 to 2012, Ms. Shearer served as the High’s Associate Director of Education, leading the Museum’s public programs team during a period of significant growth that included opening the Greene Family Education Center as a part of the Renzo Piano–designed expansion project, the Louvre Atlanta partnership, and the development of successful young audience initiatives, including the inaugural Teen Team program. She previously served as the Deputy Director for Education and Public Programs at the Tampa Museum of Art and as the Director of Education at the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. Early in her career, Ms. Shearer coordinated the ImaginAsia family program for the Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution.
Ms. Shearer served as the Southeastern Regional Director for the Museum Education Division of the National Art Education Association from 2004 through 2006. In 2012, Ms. Shearer was selected as one of 25 museum professionals from around the world to participate in the prestigious Getty Leadership Institute program Museum Leaders: The Next Generation. She also participated in the Getty Leadership Institute’s Executive Education Program for Museum Leaders in 2014 and returned to the program as a mentor in 2016.
Ms. Shearer holds a B.A. (1992) in Humanities from Florida State University and a M.A.T. (1997) in Museum Education from The George Washington University.

This week we talk about the intersection between art and health and the program called "Musing Together". "Musing Together" is a High Museum of Art program in partnership with the Alzheimer's Association, Georgia Chapter, that lets those in early stage Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias and their care partners enjoy a free visit to the High, discuss and experience art in its fullness, and connect with their family and friends. Virginia talks about how the program was created, the principles it is based on, and shares the wonderful stories of the participants whose lives were deeply impacted and enriched through these efforts. Tune in to learn more!

High Museum of Art: https://high.org

Musing Together: https://www.high.org/Program/musing-together/

Credit: CatMax Photography, LLC.

"Insomnia and Sleep Hygiene" with Heather Prayor-Patterson, PhD Apr 18, 2019

Show notes

Dr. Heather Prayor-Patterson is a clinical psychologist with an emphasis in health psychology. Over the last 8 years of practice, her focus has been on using cognitive-behavioral interventions to treat psychological concerns related of chronic medical conditions including insomnia, obesity, diabetes and chronic pain, as well as, using evidence-based treatments for depression and anxiety disorders. She completed her graduate training at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and additional health-focused trainings at the Salem Veteran Affairs Medical Center and the Cleveland Clinic. She has been an Assistant Professor of the Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences department at Emory University since 2017 engaging in clinical practice and supervision of medical residents.

In this conversation Dr. Prayor-Patterson talks about sleep issues that unfortunately have become so prevalent in today's society. She discuss the root causes, different kinds of sleep issues, including insomnia, and the ways we can help these conditions and retrain our bodies enabling them to finally get some rest. Tune in to learn more!

"Reversing Cardiovascular Disease" with Brian Asbill, MD Apr 11, 2019

Show notes

Brian Asbill, M.D., is a cardiologist at Asheville Cardiology Associates and Medical Director of Preventative Cardiology for Mission Health CHIP (Complete Health Improvement Program), an intensive therapeutic lifestyle change program offered through Lifestyle Medicine Institute for the prevention, management, and reversal of vascular disease. He serves on the Board of Directors for ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project).

Dr. Asbill believes the foundation of good health is based on good habits, including eating the right foods, moving more and managing chronic stress. He most enjoy seeing patients take ownership of their health by incorporating lifestyle changes.

In this conversation Dr. Asbill shares a story about the patient who changed the course of his career. Dr. Asbill explains in detail the mechanism of cardiovascular disease, and speaks extensively and the concept of its reversal through lifestyle change.

Helpful links:

https://www.ornish.com

https://www.chiphealth.com

"Transformation through Plant-Based Lifestyle" with Steven Lawenda, MD Apr 04, 2019

Show notes

Steven Lawenda, MD is a board-certified Family Medicine physician in Southern California Kaiser Permanente. Dr. Lawenda graduated from UC Davis School of Medicine in 2001 with Honors in Family Medicine and Preventive Medicine. He completed his Family Medicine Residency at Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island / Brown University in 2004 where he was awarded Resident Teacher of the Year. In 2013, Dr. Lawenda transformed his own health with plant-based nutrition and has since co-created Lifestyle Medicine programs that have transformed both the lives of patients and the way in which health care is delivered at his medical center. Dr. Lawenda recently co-authored a review of Lifestyle Medicine with several esteemed colleagues that was published in the Permanente Journal. He is a two-time recipient of the Southern California Permanente Medical Group Everyday Hero award.

In this conversation Dr. Lawenda shares hist story of transitioning to whole food plant-based lifestyle and the profound difference it made in his life. He discusses food addiction, calorie density, and reversal of common chronic conditions that is possible and well-documented in research.

"What is Cognitively-Based Compassion Training" with Tim Harrison Mar 28, 2019

Show notes

Timothy Harrison is Associate Director for CBCT® (Cognitively- Based Compassion Training) at the Emory University Center for Contemplative Science and Compassion-Based Ethics. He oversees the many CBCT programs, including multiple research initiatives and the rigorous teacher certification process. Tim regularly teaches CBCT nationally and internationally in academic institutions and healthcare settings, and he advises on the tailoring of CBCT for research with unique populations including cancer survivors, veterans with PTSD, HIV+ patients, and Emory medical students. Tim has a master’s degree in architecture from Harvard University has most enjoyed offering CBCT in outreach programs such as prisons and foster care homes and to teachers in the Atlanta Public School system.

In this conversation Tim talks about the practice and science of CBCT.
CBCT® is a cognitively-based compassion training that deliberately and systematically works to cultivate compassion. Through progressive exercises (beginning with the development of attentional stability and progressing through various analytical meditations), one gains insight into how one's attitudes and behaviors support or hinder compassionate response. The practice of CBCT intensifies the desire to help others, allowing compassion to become more natural and spontaneous in one's everyday life. It also helps increase personal resiliency by grounding one in realistic expectations of self and others.

To learn more, please visit:

CBCT Overview: http://compassion.emory.edu/cbct-compassion-training/index.html

CBCT Courses: http://compassion.emory.edu/cbct-compassion-training/cbct-courses/index.html

CBCT Research: http://compassion.emory.edu/cbct-compassion-training/research.html

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