The Doctor's Farmacy With Mark Hyman, M.d.

The impact the gut has on the entire body should not be underestimated, but unfortunately in conventional medicine it often is. We are shuttling pounds and pounds of food into this tube we have called the digestive system several times a day and we don’t give it a second thought—it’s pretty crazy when you think about it. The gut is responsible for our ability to turn food into fuel; to absorb and even create certain nutrients; to rid the body of harmful toxins on a daily basis. We rely on it to do so much for us.  It’s also one of my favorite topics as a Functional Medicine doctor—poop, the microbiome, the gut-immune and gut-brain connections—there are so many angles we need to look at with gut health and they can tell us an amazing amount of information about the rest of the body. That’s why I’m so excited for this week’s episode of The Doctor’s Farmacy, where I sit down with my friend and colleague Dr. Todd LePine to take a deeper look at digestive health and the fascinating collection of life forms we carr

Currently, psychedelics are getting renewed interest from the medical community. From anxiety and depression to addiction and even overcoming fear of death, research is showing psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy has a lot to offer. And science is showing us that the same part of the brain that is suppressed with psychedelics—the default mode network— is also suppressed in very experienced meditators. In this minisode, Dr. Hyman explores this topic in his conversations with Michael Pollan, Anthony Bossis and Daniel Goleman.  Michael Pollan is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Cooked, Food Rules, In Defense of Food, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, The Botany of Desire, and his latest book How to Change Your Mind, which is all about the new science of psychedelics. A longtime contributor to the New York Times Magazine, he also teaches writing at Harvard and the University of California, Berkeley where he is the John S. and James L. Knight Professor of Science Journalism. In 2010, Time magazine named him one o

Eating unhealthy food and trying to improve your health is like mopping up the floor while the sink is still overflowing—it just doesn’t work! But it can be hard to decide what we really should be eating for optimal health, considering the diet wars (Paleo or vegan?), the non-stop exposure to sugary foods in every market isle, and clever marketing by Big Food to make us think things are good for us when they really aren’t. Instead of getting overwhelmed and defeated, I like to take a lighter look at food and focus on solutions. That’s what this week’s episode of The Doctor’s Farmacy is all about, where I’m actually the guest. My talented and funny wife Mia Lux interviews me on her show, The Conscious-ish Show, and we focus on taking the many confusing ideas about food with a grain of salt and approaching wellness with humor and action. Mia merges the playful and the profound, drawing on her experience as a stand-up comedian, personal growth junkie, and recovering lawyer. For over 5 years, Mia has been an inte

With deliberate attention, we can create the physical, mental, and emotional health we desire at any age. The first step is identifying where we want to be at “X” age. In this mini-episode, Dr. Hyman speaks with Dr. Peter Attia about his personal action plan for longevity, and as he likes to put it, training for the Centenarian Olympics. Dr. Peter Attia is the founder of Attia Medical, PC, a medical practice with offices in San Diego and New York City, focusing on the applied science of longevity. His approach focuses on increasing lifespan by delaying the onset of chronic disease, while simultaneously improving “healthspan,” or quality of life. To do this, his practice applies nutritional biochemistry, exercise physiology, sleep physiology, techniques to increase distress tolerance, lipidology, pharmacology, and endocrinology. Find Dr. Hyman’s full-length interview with Dr. Peter Attia here: https://DrMarkHyman.lnk.to/DrPeterAttia

Success comes from support. We are actually more strongly impacted by our peers and social networks than by our genetics—this is huge when it comes to changing our health. That’s why I’m such an advocate for community-based healthcare. Putting people in groups, where they can be heard by others in similar situations, supported, and held accountable is an incredible tool for creating long-lasting change. I’ve seen this thousands of times at the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine, where we provide a Functioning for Life program using this model, and it’s revolutionizing healthcare. I’m really excited to talk more about this on my latest episode of The Doctor’s Farmacy, with James Maskell and Tawny Jones.  James Maskell has spent the past decade innovating at the cross-section of Functional Medicine and community and created the Functional Forum, the world’s largest Functional Medicine conference with record-setting participation. His organization and first book of the same name, Evolution of Medici

Many of us grew up believing that vegetable oils were good and butter was bad. We were told, even by government and medical associations, to use more vegetable, seed and bean oils (like soybean, corn, safflower, canola). Now we know this advice was completely wrong. In this mini-episode, Dr. Hyman explores the origin story of how Americans began embracing vegetable oil with his guest, Nina Teicholz, and we consider what the best oils actually are. Nina Teicholz is an investigative science journalist and author. Her international bestseller, “The Big Fat Surprise,” has upended the conventional wisdom on dietary fat–especially saturated fat. It was named a 2014 *Best Book* by The Economist, the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Mother Jones, and Library Journal. Teicholz is also the Executive Director of The Nutrition Coalition, a non-profit group that promotes evidence-based nutrition policy.  Find Dr. Hyman’s full-length conversation with Nina Teicholz: https://drmarkhyman.lnk.to/NinaTeicholz

There’s a certain stigma around mental illness, one that can, unfortunately, keep people from feeling empowered that they can change their brain health and get the care they truly need. But think about it—would we ever shame someone with cancer, autoimmunity, or dementia for needing help? Of course not. Unfortunately, the past methods of treating mental health disorders didn’t actually look at what was happening inside the brain. It was a guessing game based on symptoms without knowing the real cause, location, or severity of the imbalance. The good news is that now, with technology like brain scans, we can get a clear picture of what is happening in the brain to get real solutions.  My guest on this week’s episode of The Doctor’s Farmacy, Dr. Daniel Amen, has been paving the way for a new type of psychiatry, looking at the actual brain and using an integrative approach to prevent disease and successfully treat it. The Washington Post called Dr. Daniel Amen the most popular psychiatrist in America and Discove

There is an exciting shift happening in the relationship between consumers and companies—consumers are driving industry change through a higher level of awareness when it comes to where they spend their money. A new generation of consumers, entrepreneurs, and business leaders is focused on transparency, sourcing, production practices, and company values, forcing industries like Big Food and Big Ag to get with the times. In this mini-episode, Dr. Hyman explores this topic with Walter Robb and Daniel Goleman.  Walter Robb is the former CEO of Whole Foods Market. He has a long and varied entrepreneurial history ranging from natural food retailer to farmer to consultant. Walter is a mentor and advisor to the next generation of American food companies and he is dedicated to transforming our food system. Daniel Goleman is best known for his worldwide bestseller Emotional Intelligence and most recently co-authored the book Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain and Body. Goleman has

So many Functional Medicine practitioners like myself have gone through their own healing crisis. For me, it was a total brain and body breakdown 30 years ago due to mercury poisoning from when I lived in China. For my good friend and fellow Functional Medicine doctor Elizabeth Boham, it was triple-negative breast cancer diagnosed at the young age of 30, despite already embracing many principles of a healthy life. Going through these experiences has led us to want to help others heal on the deepest level, which is what brought us both to the power using Functional Medicine and food and lifestyle choices to truly heal.  This week on The Doctor’s Farmacy, Dr. Boham joins me to discuss what it means to get to the root cause of disease and how the principles we practice do exactly that. Dr. Boham is a physician and nutritionist who practices Functional Medicine as part of my team at The UltraWellness Center in Lenox, MA. Through her practice and lecturing, she has helped thousands of people achieve their wellness

You might be surprised to learn that there is a major monopoly when it comes to seeds. Globally, 68% of seeds are in the hands of just three companies. This has major implications for our food system at every level. In this mini-episode Dr. Hyman talks with Dan Barber about how seeds are the blueprint for better food, better soil, and a better food system. Dan explains why seeds are the foundation for a new food system and why making food taste great opens the doorway for healthier people and a healthier planet. Dan Barber is the chef and co-owner of Blue Hill and Blue Hill at Stone Barns and the author of The Third Plate. He also co-founded Row 7 Seed Company, a seed company bringing together chefs and plant breeders in the development of new varieties of vegetables and grains. Dan has received multiple James Beard awards including Best Chef: New York City (2006) and the country’s Outstanding Chef (2009). Listen to Dr. Hyman’s full-length conversation with Dan Barber here https://drmarkhyman.lnk.to/DanBarber

It might sound too good to be true, but there are tools waiting within all of us, that can improve everything from depression to addiction, anxiety, discontent, or numerous other unbeneficial feelings or states of dis-ease. We just have to open ourselves up to them and be willing to dig deeper. Tapping into creativity and passion is one key component; another is slowing down and taking the time to meditate, reflect, and practice self-care. So many of these tools are at our disposal, any time of day, any day of the week—but we have to realize their potential and prioritize their practice before the magic can happen. This week on The Doctor’s Farmacy, I’m joined by Dr. Andrea Pennington to talk about how we can begin this process, and so much more. Dr. Pennington is an integrative physician, acupuncturist, meditation teacher, and #1 international bestselling author. She received her Doctor of Medicine from Washington University School of Medicine, trained at Georgetown University Hospital, and received certific

Having a coach or community to support your health journey can be instrumental in creating and sustaining lifestyle and behavioral change. In this mini-episode, Dr. Hyman talks with Functional Medicine practitioner, Chris Kresser, about the challenges involved in altering behaviors that affect your health, and how external support can be the key to making lasting change. He also talks with Dr. Sean Lucan about the power of shared medical visits in overall health outcomes. Chris Kresser M.S., L.Ac is the co-director of the California Center for Functional Medicine, founder of Kresser Institute, creator of ChrisKresser.com, and the New York Times bestselling author of The Paleo Cure and Unconventional Medicine. He is one of the most respected clinicians and educators in the fields of Functional Medicine and ancestral health and has trained over 1,500 clinicians and health coaches in his unique approach. Dr. Sean Lucan is a practicing family physician in the Bronx treating children and adults. He is an award-win

Imagine getting the freshest basil, lettuce, and tomatoes for your favorite salad, right in your own neighborhood, no matter where you live or what time of year it is. With urban farming, this is the future we can all look forward to. It’s changing our food system for the better by reducing transportation (a leading cause of climate change) and allowing us to access fresher, more nutritious food. It’s also disrupting social issues by making fresh produce available in areas called food deserts, where convenience stores were previously the only place within many miles to shop.  This week on The Doctor’s Farmacy, I’m joined by Tobias Peggs to talk about the amazing impacts urban farming is already having and what we can expect to see as this practice grows. Tobias is co-founder and CEO of Square Roots, the Brooklyn-based urban farming company known for changing the way people think about growing local food and training the country’s future generations of farmers. Previously, he led Aviary, a mobile photo editing

You may be surprised to learn that we see genetic crosstalk between the bacteria we harbor in our bodies and the bacteria or microbes within our soil. In fact, food acts as a language helping the two communicate. In this minisode, Dr. Hyman speaks to Drs. Daphne Miller and Jeffrey Bland about the evolving understanding of soil’s incredibly important role in creating, and maintaining a healthy ecosystem—for both the environment and our bodies. Dr. Daphne Miller is a practicing family physician, Clinical Professor at the University of California San Francisco, and Founder of the Health from the Soil Up Initiative. She is the author of two books: The Jungle Effect: Healthiest Diets from Around the World and Farmacology: Total Health from the Soil Up. Dr. Jeffrey Bland is the father of the Functional Medicine movement. With his wife, Dr. Bland founded The Institute for Functional Medicine in 1991, a nonprofit organization focused on educating healthcare practitioners on effective approaches to treating and preven

Getting older is inevitable, but aging is not. What society thinks of as aging—wrinkly skin, poor memory, weight gain, aches and pains—is actually abnormal aging, and it doesn’t have to be this way. There are reasons for these symptoms, and when we tap into the root cause we can prevent and even reverse them and feel youthful despite our age. We can do that using the principles of Functional Medicine, as well as the power of biohacking our biology.  My guest on this week’s episode of The Doctor’s Farmacy is an expert in biohacking and reversing the aging process. My good friend Dave Asprey is the founder and CEO of Bulletproof 360, creator of the global phenomenon Bulletproof Coffee, a two-time New York Times bestselling author, the host of the Webby award-winning podcast Bulletproof Radio, serial entrepreneur, and global change agent. By employing the principles of biohacking (a term added to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary in September of 2018 with Dave’s influence) Dave has lost over 100 pounds, upgraded hi

We all want to know what it takes to live a long, healthy, and happy life. In this mini-episode of the podcast, Dr. Hyman speaks with longevity expert and bestselling author of, “Blue Zones,” Dan Buettner, about the commonalities amongst several geographic regions around the world where high percentages of centenarians are enjoying remarkably long, full lives. Specifically, Dan shares the pillars of all longevity diets in the world and how Americans can apply this information to their own diets.. Dan Buettner is an explorer, National Geographic Fellow, award-winning journalist and producer, and New York Times bestselling author. He discovered the five places in the world –dubbed Blue Zones – where people live the longest, healthiest lives. Buettner now works in partnership with municipal governments, large employers, and health insurance companies to implement Blue Zones Projects in communities, workplaces, and universities. Blue Zones Projects are well-being initiatives that apply lessons from the BlueZones

Think about how different our medical system would be if all doctors were required to have an extreme health crisis before practicing medicine. It’s through those toughest times with our own health that many of us turn to Functional Medicine, as we realize conventional care isn’t getting us what we need. But sometimes, being so involved in treating others’ diseases makes it difficult for doctors to even see our own symptoms for what they really are. This week’s guest on The Doctor’s Farmacy, Dr. Cynthia Li, is here to share her personal journey through autoimmunity and realizing her symptoms had deeper meaning. Dr. Li received her medical degree from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. She’s practiced as an internist in many settings, including Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, San Francisco General Hospital, and St. Anthony Medical Clinic serving the homeless. She currently has a private practice in Berkeley, CA and recently published her first book which I highly recommend, Brave

The health of our digestive system greatly impacts the health of our whole body. This is because our gut is designed to help us digest food, absorb nutrients, keep invaders out, and even produce helpful compounds like the neurotransmitter serotonin, among so many other powerful functions. This is why the whole body will suffer when the gut is out of balance. In this mini-episode, Dr. Hyman speaks with Dr. Stanley Hazen about how the microbiome can influence disease risk and why this is an essential piece to the future of medicine. He also talks to Dr. David Perlmutter about how what we eat influences everything from our mood to our tiniest gut friends—microbes—and how well they function and fight off invaders.  Dr. Stanley Hazen is both the chair of the Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine at the Lerner Research Institute and section head of Preventive Cardiology & Rehabilitation at the Heart and Vascular Institute of the Cleveland Clinic. He’s published more than 400 peer-reviewed articles and has ove

Soil is the most important answer to climate change, and also one of the most underappreciated. Without soil, we have no food, and I don’t think I need to elaborate on how catastrophic that would be. The positive news is that we can work on our soil integrity right now to preserve it for many future generations to come—you might be surprised that using regeneratively raised cattle is part of that solution. There is still hope for our children and grandchildren to inherit a balanced and beautiful planet with abundant food production.  Because we rely on soil for food production, big companies are starting to pay attention to the work that needs to be done to preserve it. My guest on this week’s episode of The Doctor’s Farmacy, Tom Newmark, is helping them understand what they can do and how to get involved in saving our soils. Tom was CEO of the dietary supplement brand New Chapter, which was acquired by Proctor & Gamble about seven years ago. Since that time Tom has focused on environmental activism with spec

As a society, we have been brainwashed into thinking that cooking real food costs too much, is too hard, and takes too long. Fast food manufacturers and grocers lure us into convenient, heavily processed meals that take a toll on our health and our wallet. In this mini-episode, Dr. Hyman speaks with Marco Canora and Ocean Robbins about reframing our relationship to cooking and how it can save us time and money, improve our health, and even combat food waste. As a chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author, Marco Canora promotes delicious, simple, and healthful food. In 2003, he opened Hearth in Manhattan, which has a positive two-star review from The New York Times and a prestigious “Outstanding Restaurant" nomination from the James Beard Foundation. In 2017 Marco won the James Beard Foundation award for Best Chef NYC. Marco is also the founder of Brodo, a popular to-go window serving coffee cups of hot, nourishing bone broths.  Ocean Robbins is the author of 31-Day Food Revolution: Heal Your Body, Feel Great, &