In this episode, we are joined by renowned grief expert and author, Dr David Kessler. David delves into the intricacies of grief, drawing upon his extensive experience and the wisdom gained from years of working with clients in the field and alongside the pioneering psychiatrist Dr Elizabeth K�bler-Ross. Throughout this compassionate conversation with hosts Dr. Andrew Weil and Dr. Victoria Maizes, David describes how grief shapes individuals and communities, offering invaluable guidance on how to navigate the complex nature of loss and finding meaning. He shares practical advice on what to say to someone experiencing grief and provides listeners with essential tools to support themselves and others during times of profound loss.

Dr Shauna Shapiro is a clinical psychologist and an internationally recognized expert in mindfulness and self-compassion. Her TEDx talk, The Power of Mindfulness, has been viewed almost 4 million times. In this episode, Drs. Andrew Weil, Victoria Maizes, and Shauna Shapiro explore mindfulness, its profound impact on our well-being, and practical techniques to cultivate daily practice. We discuss how it can help us manage emotions, foster healthy relationships, reduce stress, and enhance our overall quality of life. As a special treat for our listeners, Dr. Shapiro offers a brief, guided meditation within the episode. Tune in as we explore the mind and meditative states with Dr. Shapiro.

Dr. Andrew Weil and Dr. Victoria Maizes are joined by Seth Viddal, entrepreneur and leading voice in the word of green burials, as we explore conscious alternatives to common day burial practices. Viddal, who leads a green burial funeral home, sheds light on the growing popularity of green burials, the ecological benefits, and the cultural shift towards embracing this practice. He describes how "reverent body care" and a mindful approach to the end of life can contribute to a gentle passing and meaningful final resting place. Viddal guides listeners through the considerations and decision-making process when choosing green burials for oneself or a loved one, emphasizing the significance of this choice.

Discover ways to extend your pet's lifespan through diet, exercise, and essential lifestyle choices. On this episode, Drs. Andrew Weil and Victoria Maizes sit down with integrative veterinarian, Dr. Randy Aronson to discuss the world of integrative pet care. In this interview, Dr. Aronson offers listeners insights from his decades of experience improving the health of animals. He sheds light on the importance of a balanced, nutrient-rich diet and tailored exercise routines for pets, to ensure they live long and well. We discuss harmful food fillers, environmental toxins, medications, vaccinations, acupuncture, and other hot topics in the pet care community. Whether you're a longtime pet owner or a new pet parent, this conversation will leave you with a wealth of knowledge and actionable insights to enhance your pet’s quality of life.

Dr. Elizabeth Raskin is a trailblazing integrative surgeon who is combining nutritional guidance, mind-body techniques, and cutting-edge robotics to change surgical care. Dr. Raskin’s journey into medicine was marked by a deep curiosity about the interconnectedness of the human body, mind, and spirit. As a result, she has become a pioneer in the field of integrative surgery, a discipline that embraces a holistic approach to healing. In this conversation, Drs. Weil, Maizes, and Raskin discuss how inexpensive and widely-available mind-body techniques, such as breathwork and meditation, are being used to prepare patients mentally and emotionally for surgery, leading to faster recoveries. Dr. Raskin discusses how the foods we eat can play a pivotal role in both preventing and recovering from illness and surgery. We also delve into integrative medicine’s philosophy of patient-centered care, where the individual is seen as a whole, unique person rather than a collection of symptoms. You won't want to miss this insightful look at the future of surgical care.

Join us as we discuss the intricate connections between two seemingly opposing aspects of human experience, joy, and trauma. Dr. Tanmeet Sethi, an expert in integrative medicine and mental health, guides us through this complex terrain of our emotions. On this episode, Dr. Sethi shares insights on how to cultivate joy in our daily lives. As Dr. Sethi says, “Joy is the ability to sit with all that life has given us.” The conversation elicits thoughts from Drs. Weil, Maizes, and Sethi on why we should not aim to be happy all the time, and instead embrace the full range of the human experience.   Dr. Sethi expands on the potential for therapeutic psychedelics to facilitate deep emotional healing and transformation, which may offer hope to those who have struggled with treatment resistant depression. Finally, this episode includes skills to infuse more joy into your life.

Join us for an enlightening conversation with the esteemed Tibetan Medicine expert, Dr. Leslie Blackhall. Currently the Section Head for Palliative Care at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, Dr. Blackhall is a nationally recognized expert with pioneering work in bioethics, spirituality and medicine, and palliative care. Tibetan Medicine is an intricate practice that blends herbalism, spirituality, and holistic well-being. This ancient system was developed in Tibet and is based on Buddhist philosophy. On this episode, Dr. Blackhall sheds light on its core principles and their significance in the modern world including the interplay between mind, body, and spirit. Drs. Weil, Maizes, and Blackhall discuss how Tibetan Medicine practices align with the whole-person view of health and how they can contribute to a more harmonious life. This conversation promises to broaden your perspectives on what it means to live well.

In this episode, hosts Dr. Andrew Weil and Dr. Victoria Maizes dive into the world of culinary medicine with physician and food advocate, Dr. Geeta Maker-Clark. Dr. Maker-Clark shares insights on transforming the food landscape in hospitals and schools, revolutionizing nutrition education in medical schools across the United States, and empowering patients and healthcare providers with the knowledge and skills to prioritize their health through culinary practices. With her expertise in nutritional sciences, she discusses innovative strategies for introducing fresh, plant-based foods to enhance well-being. Dr. Maker-Clark also shares her experience teaching cooking classes to young adults and how they cultivate a sense of empowerment and ownership over their health journey. The episode wraps up with a focus on the importance of fostering positive relationships with food from an early age. Join Body of Wonder as we discuss the transformative power of culinary medicine!

In this thought-provoking conversation we explore the impact of compassion on health and spiritual wellbeing. Our guest today is Sensei Koshin Paley Ellison, Zen teacher, Jungian psychotherapist, and author, who brings a wealth of knowledge and personal experience to our discussion. Dr. Andrew Weil and Dr. Victoria Maizes discuss the impact of compassionate care with Sensei Ellison. Through Buddhist koans (traditional stories), meditative practices, and inspiring personal stories, he shares how compassion can transform patients' and their families' lives. In this conversation, we discuss the broader societal benefits of compassionate care, such as fostering a culture of empathy and improving quality of life. Weil, Maizes, and Ellison also highlight the challenges that healthcare providers often face in providing compassionate care, such as burnout and meeting the demands of our modern healthcare system. In this episode, we gain practical insights into how to develop an empathic and healing approach to our struggles and those around us.

Caring for an individual with a serious medical diagnosis can be difficult for patients, their families, and caregivers. For some, a palliative care professional can make a big difference. On this episode, we welcome Dr. Delia Chiaramonte, an integrative, palliative care physician and medical educator, who helps seriously ill patients live their best life. By going beyond symptom management, forward thinking palliative care professionals aim to develop a model of care that places the individual's physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing at the center. Integrative palliative care combines conventional and complementary approaches. It has been shown to provide significant benefits to patients, including improved symptom management, better relationships with healthcare providers, and increased satisfaction with care. In this episode, we discuss mind-body tools for symptom relief, experiencing joy while living with a serious condition, confronting the fear of mortality, the growing use of psychedelics in terminal care, the advantages of team-based care, and improving overall quality of care for individuals.

Dr. Bernard Beitman is a psychiatrist, author, and founder of the Coincidence Project. Throughout his life, he has observed and documented the patterns of meaningful coincidences. Coincidences, says Beitman, are an expression of the mind's relationship with the environment, and he offers ways to make use of them when they occur. According to Beitman, all individuals experience meaningful coincidences, and the frequency of those experiences grows with increased attention. Drawing on his career and the work of Carl Jung, he explains why he believes coincidences are more than statistical probabilities or acts of fate. Instead, he suggests that coincidences, “illuminate the hidden currents that connect and unite us.” On this episode, Dr. Weil, Dr. Maizes, and Dr. Beitman examine the differences and similarities between coincidences, synchronicity, and serendipity. They discuss common examples and draw from personal experiences.

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 19th century, 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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.