In this week’s episode of Healthspan Academy, we venture into Naturopathic Medicine together with Dr. Laura Brown. We chatted about the nature of alternative medicine as a distinctive method of healing, the importance of a balanced diet in a healthy lifestyle, elimination diets, and how gut health connects to the mind, body, and soul.

Named as Miss Teen Ontario at the age of sixteen, Dr. Brown overcame several health issues of her own, ultimately triumphing through naturopathic therapy. Her interests in gut health and emotional management fueled with the passion to awaken the healing potential within led her to become a naturopathic physician, HeartMath® Certified Practitioner, and a Gluten-Free Level 2 Practitioner. Holding the designation of ADAPT Trained Practitioner from Kresser Institute, she is also an author of the #1 Amazon bestseller “Beyond Digestion”. Personally, she writes, gardens, hikes, and entertains on 20 beautiful acres in the heart of Ontario, Canada.

Find out more about her services via www.SOUTHENDguelph.ca.

You can pick up Beyond Digestion on Amazon here.

*** Please note that the content discussed in this podcast is intended for self-education and is not to be interpreted as medical advice.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 44:20 — 41.1MB)

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In this week’s episode of Healthspan Academy, we dive into the world of functional medicine as our guest, Emily Epsten, discusses with us the importance of building foundational habits on improving health and slowing the aging process. We discuss the positive effects of a healthy lifestyle, and the roles of a functional health coach as a means to improving healthspan.

Emily is an ADAPT-Certified Functional Health Coach (A-CFHC) whose passion has always centered around health. She studied global health at the University of Washington before proceeding to receive her Master’s Degree in Public Health at the University of California, Los Angeles. Her dedication to helping people led her to work with the San Francisco Department of Public Health and a non-profit organization in international development focusing on HIV/AIDS, women empowerment, anti-human trafficking, maternal and child health, and chronic disease.

The common thread of her journey has been to support people and communities to live better lives. Emily believes that a client-centered, tailored approach to behavior change is the most effective way to integrate long-term health-promoting change into a person’s life.

You learn more from Emily and her services at emilyespten.com

*** Please note that the content discussed in this podcast is intended for self-education and is not to be interpreted as medical advice.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:41 — 24.9MB)

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In this episode of Healthspan Academy, our guest was Robert Taylor, who shared his knowledge on sleep medicine and the importance of sleep health. We discussed the connection of physical and mental performance to quality sleep, the negative effects of sleep deprivation and sleeping disorders, and biohacking tips for better and improved sleep health.

Robert Taylor is a Registered Polysomnographic Technologist who received his education from the Texas of School of Sleep Medicine. Since completing his education, he has been a technical director, marketer for sleep services, regional director, travel neurodiagnostic specialist, and sleep educator. Taylor’s passion for sleep therapy and education inspired him to launch Taylormade Sleep with his 12 years of experience in the field. His mission is to improve the patient’s quality of life and he believes that they are entitled to affordable, convenient, and specialized care.

You can learn more about sleep medicine and Robert’s services by visiting Taylormade Sleep.

*** Please note that the content discussed in this podcast is intended for self-education and is not to be interpreted as medical advice.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 52:12 — 48.3MB)

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In this week’s episode of Healthspan Academy, we delve into the wonders of the Pilates exercise as Caitlin Bovếe discusses its history, healing practices, and role in developing balanced strength, flexibility, and range of motion.

Caitlin Bovếe is a Pilates success story with nearly 23 years of experience in the fitness industry. Her interest in Pilates grew when her sister launched a Pilates studio in Guelph, and she became a fully qualified Pilates practitioner by 2003. In 2007, she took over the studio and began teaching for Body Harmonics. She also had the privilege of working with Margot McKinnon, Eric Franklin, Brent Anderson, Marie Jose Blow, Nora St John, and plenty of other experts in the movement field. Caitlin continues to practice and teach Pilates while integrating other movement modalities and empowering everyone to enjoy a life of body awareness, free movement, and restorative practices.

In this episode, Caitlin details her incredible story of how she was able to use the principles of her practice to recover from a stroke. We also tapped into Caitlin’s approach to resolving her clients’ pain, improving their function, and reversing signs of aging.

You can learn more about Caitlin’s practice by visiting Pilates in Guelph.

*** Please note that the content discussed in this podcast is intended for self-education and is not to be interpreted as medical advice.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:57 — 27.9MB)

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In this week’s episode of Healthspan Academy, our guest was Danielle Henry who shared with us her expertise in the field of Osteopathy. We discussed the holistic approach of osteopathic treatment, its medical benefits, and the preventative measures in maintaining body function on its optimal level.

Danielle is a Certified Osteopath and a Registered Massage Therapist who studied Kinesiology at the University of Guelph and continued her journey by taking Osteopathy at the Southern Ontario College of Osteopathy. Since completing her education, she has continued to train by taking additional courses in advanced cranial and visceral osteopathy. Danielle is also passionate about pregnancy and fertility and is working to develop course material on how to support Osteopaths in addressing this with their patients.

In our interview, Danielle helps us de-mystify the interaction of the visceral, musculoskeletal, and neurological systems. She also reveals how she is able to use this interaction to discover the root causes of pain and dysfunction.

You can learn more about Osteopathy and Danielle’s practice by visiting Maple Shores Health Centre.

*** Please note that the content discussed in this podcast is intended for self-education and is not to be interpreted as medical advice

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:21 — 27.3MB)

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On this week’s episode of Healthspan Academy, we discussed the world of functional strength. We talked about the core principles of training for elite athletes and how these same principles can be applied to reducing joint pain and functioning at a high level as we age. Our guest was former professional strongman, Ryan Green. For three years, Ryan competed across the world representing Canada in dozens of international competitions. At his strongest, Ryan pulled a 100,000lb tractor 30m!

Ryan’s career came to an unfortunate end in 2004 when he was sprinting with nearly 1000lbs on his back, got tripped up in a pothole, and broke his back. Since then his mentality has shifted towards training for longevity and coaching others to do the same.

In our chat, Ryan revealed some of his training and nutrition strategies while he was competing and how those strategies look today in pursuit of his new goal of living to 150.

Here is the full list of Ryan’s impressive career achievements…

2004

8th WSC Championship, Edmonton
6th Canada’s Strongest Man
27th All Strength World Cup, Riga Latvia
1st Belleville Waterfront Festival
2nd 2004 Ontario Strongest Man – Provincials

2003

2nd 2003 Ontario Strongest Man – Provincials
4th 2003 Canadian Strongest Man – Nationals
11th 2003 Super Series – North Bay, Ontario
7th 2003 Gatineau Balloon Festival Strongman (Pro)
3rd 2003 All Strength Nations Challenge (Team Canada) – St. Maarten, Caribbean
8th (inj.) 2003 North American Solid Strength Classic – Regina, Saskatchewan

2002

1st 2002 Met-Rx Midwest Strongman Challenge (Amateur Heavyweight)
14th 2002 Ohio Valley Strongman (Open Pro division – t 13th)
6th 2002 All Strength Challenge – Halifax
4th 2002 Clinton Invitational
2nd 2002 Ontario Strongest Man – Provincials
2nd 2002 All Strength Challenge – Wasaga Beach
5th 2002 All Strength Nations Challenge (Team Canada White)
4th 2002 All Strength Challenge – Canadian Final (t 3rd)
7th 2002 Canadian Strongest Man – Nationals
6th 2002 Gatineau Balloon Festival Strongman (Pro)

2001

6th 2001 Ontario Strongest Man Provincials
2nd 2001 All Strength Challenge – Trenton
3rd 2001 All Strength Challenge – Port Colborn
8th 2001 All Strength Challenge – Canadian Final

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 38:22 — 35.1MB)

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In this episode of Healthspan Academy we explore mobility through the lens of slowing and reversing aging. We discuss the fundamentals of improving range of motion and the key principles of attaining better joint stability and reducing the chances of injury.

Craig chatted about the Five Pillars of Mobility and their role in optimizing joint function. Kyle discussed his biggest breakthroughs in managing countless hours of sitting in the cockpit. We also touched on our most important life failures and the lessons we took from them.

*** Please note that the content discussed in this podcast is intended for self education and is not to be interpreted as medical advice

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 36:31 — 33.4MB)

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In this episode of Healthspan Academy, we chatted about physical therapy and self care. Our guest was Dr. Monique Muller, who is a licensed Physical Therapist at South City Physiotherapy and a former professor at McMaster University. Monique is very bright and an excellent problem solver. We discussed the importance of stress management as it relates to self care and physical therapy. We also picked Monique’s brain on how to develop strategies to reduce stress and pain, while improving movement and the prospect for increasing healthspan.

Monique considers the patient and the physiotherapist as a team, striving to maximize recovery and aims to integrate rehabilitation and life changes to enhance patient wellbeing. She has taken a large number and variety of courses in order to expand her practitioner toolbox, helping to fit the best approach with each individual patient. In our interview we chatted about how this applies to self-care in optimizing health and function.

Here is a link to book a session with Monique in Guelph…

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*** Please note that the content discussed in this podcast is intended for self education and is not to be interpreted as medical advice

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 33:13 — 30.4MB)

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In this episode of Healthspan Academy we discuss the pharmaceutical industry and the role of healthcare providers from an anti-aging and longevity perspective. Our guest was Dr. Wade Thompson, who is a post-doctoral researcher at Women’s College Hospital in Toronto. Wade is also active as a pharmacist and his main area of research is de-prescription in older populations. Yes you read that right! He is a pharmacist who specializes in how to get people off of medication.

Wade offered his unique perspective on how to approach medication prescriptions and how to develop a collaborative working relationship with pharmacists and other health care providers. He shared with us some of the alarming statistics related to the burdens of being unhealthy and over-medicated in later stages of life. We discussed some of the most effective preventative habits for avoiding chronic disease, medications, and health decline typically seen in aging populations.

*** Please note that the content discussed in this podcast is intended for self education and is not to be interpreted as medical advice

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 34:53 — 31.9MB)

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