Atlanta Plastic & Reconstructive Specialists

Posted on May 22, 2015

Atlanta Plastic & Reconstructive Specialists

This week I featured 3 of the physicians from Atlanta Plastic & Reconstructive Specialists. They are known for providing expert care for patients in need of reconstructive surgery after cancer treatment or trauma as well as for those who are seeking aesthetic procedures.

Dr. Donald Nunn is a triple-boarded surgeon and unique in the fact that he completed residencies and board certification in 3 specialties, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Ear, Nose, & Throat, and Plastic surgery. He is able to bring this range of training and experience to bear for his patients who need facial surgery as well as the full scope of plastic surgery procedures.

Dr. Bahair Ghazi shared how he benefited from spending several months training in Belgiam, learning some subtle differences in approach that he’s able to apply in his work when it can enhance the final outcome of his surgeries. It’s clear talking with Dr. Ghazi he is passionate about plastic surgery and how it can have such a positive impact on quality of life for the patients he sees. He shared some great information on the tummy tuck and pandectomy procedures for patients who have lost significant amounts of weight or that are wanting to become more active but excess body fat inhibits doing so.

Dr. Susann Bedford talked about how she feels a special relationship with the women she’s treating with breast surgery, whether reconstructive after cancer treatment, or aesthetic for women wanting to change their look for improved body image. She shared how she was able to spend time during her training with some of the world’s highly-regarded specialists in breast and plastic surgery, helping her provide some of the best techniques available to achieve the best aesthetic result possible for a given case.

Special Guests:

Dr. Donald Nunn, MD, of Atlanta Plastic & Reconstructive Specialists

Doctor of Dental Surgery, Medical College of Virginia
Residency, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, University of North Carolina
American Board of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
Doctor of Medicine, Medical College of Virginia
Residency, Neck and Head Surgery, Medical College of Virginia
Residency, Plastic Surgery, University of California
American Board of Plastic Surgery
American Board of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery

Dr. Bahair Ghazi, MD, of Atlanta Plastic & Reconstructive Specialists

Surgical Training
Emory University Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
Emory University General Surgery
West Virginia University, M.D.
Externships
Cosmetic Surgery Sint Martens Latem, Belgium
Cosmetic & Breast Reconstruction Brussels, Belgium
Microsurgical Breast Reconstruction Ghent, Belgium
Board Certifications
American Board of Plastic Surgery
American Board of Surgery

Dr. Susann Beford, MD, of Atlanta Plastic & Reconstructive Specialists

Doctor of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine
Residency, Plastic Surgery, Barnes-Jewish Hospital of Washington University Hospital
Fellowship, Breast & Aesthetic Surgery, Georgetown University
American Board of Surgery
American Board of Plastic Surgery

Cholesterol Isn’t The Bad Guy In Heart Disease

Posted on May 11, 2015

Podcast: Download

Cholesterol Isn’t The Bad Guy In Heart Disease

I recently read an article by a former heart surgeon that talked about the fact that cholesterol isn’t the bad guy in heart disease. Instead, he argued that inflammation of the lining of the blood vessels caused by sugars and even the “healthy” oils we eat such as corn, canola (Omega-6 oils) is the real cause of what is still the #1 cause of death in America today.

I sat down with Dr. Ellie Campbell of Campbell Family Medicine in Cumming, GA to talk about the article and she was eager to discuss it. She completely agrees with the premise of the article and shared how the ratio of Omega-3 oils to Omega-6 oils has grown from ~1:1 or 1:2 to as much as 25:1 Omega-6 to Omega-3.

She also talked about the fact that higher levels of cholesterol in the blood don’t necessarily equate to plaque and heart disease/stroke. It’s when cholesterol molecules are oxidized and corrupted by inflammatory substances we eat that they become “sticky” and attach to the irritated walls of the blood vessels.

Dr. Campbell shared numerous suggestions for basic changes we can make that will not only serve to reduce our risk for heart disease but in some cases can actually reverse damage already done.

I also brought back Leana Kart, a chiropractor whose practice, Northwest Chiropractic and a member of the Georgia Chiropractic Association to talk about the fact that May is National Posture Awareness Month. She shared several tips on how to avoid “tech neck”, damage to the spine and neck caused by long periods of chin-down angles to look at a device in our lap. She also talked about why good posture contributes to keeping us healthy.

Special Guests:

Special Guests:

Dr. Ellie Campbell, DO, Family Practice & Integrative Medicine at Campbell Family Medicine

Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine
Family Medicine Residency, Medical College of Georgia
Board Certified Family Medicine

Dr. Leana Kart, DC, of NW Chiropractic

Doctor of Chiropractic, Life University
Owner of NW Chiropractic for over 26 years
Board Member, Georgia Chiropractic Association

Chronic Lyme Disease

Posted on April 24, 2015June 13, 2015

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Chronic Lyme Disease

This week, on Dr. Andrew Pugliese’s monthly special edition of Top Docs Radio we talked about chronic lyme disease. Also known as post-treatment lyme disease syndrome, this chronic, debilitating condition is frequently overlooked outside of the Northeast, where it’s known to be prevalent.

As we learned from David Baird, a patient experiencing chronic lyme disease, and Karen Huppert, the mother of a college-age student who dealt with the illness, its severe symptoms, and treatment for several years as well. They both shared their poignant stories and described how they moved from specialist to specialist trying to find a diagnosis. And they shared how they were told that, “Lyme disease doesn’t exist in Georgia,” leading to a significant delay in the diagnosis that allowed them to seek appropriate care.

David brought his wife, a local veterinarian, also talked about how comparatively easy it is to diagnose a canine, for whom there are straight-forward tests that identifies the infection, and treatment is also effective and readily available. She talked about how frequently she treats pets for Lyme disease here in her local Atlanta office.

We strongly encourage patients to seek second opinions and to seek to learn all they can about their symptoms and diseases to facilitate timely treatment, which can affect outcomes.

I was also pleased to host Dr. Leanna Kart, DC, a chiropractor whose practice is located on Howell Mill Road in west Atlanta. May is National Posture Awareness Month. We talked about how technology has affected neck/back health through creating a tendency to sit with the head in a chin-down orientation for long periods of time. This causes an increased strain on the connective tissues and muscles in the neck, which can lead to headaches, neck and back pain, and neurologic symptoms.

Special Guests:

Andrew Pugliese, MD, Infectious Disease Consultants

Doctorate in Medicine, St. George University School of Medicine
Fellowship, Infectious Disease, Winthrop University Hospital
Triple Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Infectious Disease
Pioneer in non-surgical treatment of acute and chronic sinusitis
President of Sinus Solutions

David Baird, Chronic Lyme Disease Patient

Karen Huppert, Parent of a young Chronic Lyme Disease patient

Dr. Leanna Kart, DC, of NW Chiropractic

Doctor of Chiropractic, Life University
Owner of NW Chiropractic for over 26 years
Board Member, Georgia Chiropractic Association

Senate Bill 158

Posted on April 20, 2015

Podcast: Download

Senate Bill 158

On this week’s show we continued our monthly series with the Medical Association of Georgia. MAG’s CEO/Executive Director, Donald J. Palmisano, Jr. stopped by for a discussion on the state of Senate Bill 158, changes in the insurance contracting arena, and other topics on the MAG agenda. Donald also shared how he and a colleague were able to raise over $40,000 to support the Think About It campaign to raise awareness and fight prescription drug abuse/addiction in Georgia, participating in a 100 mile race and completing it in under 24 hours. In the days since Donald joined us on the show, Senate Bill 158 was passed.

MAG continues to take steps to enhance the relationship between health insurer Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia, Inc. (BCBSGa) and physicians in the state.

At the end of 2014, Georgia Insurance Commissioner Ralph Hudgens rescinded physician contract amendments that BCBSGa had put into place in Georgia following “numerous complaints from physicians (and their practices).”

First MAG/BCBSGa “Physician Advisory Group” meeting took place on February 12. It is forum for physicians to express their concerns, it will give Blue Cross the opportunity to disseminate information about new payer initiatives, it will be a venue for improving communications, and it will serve as a mechanism for physicians to weigh in on Blue Cross’ clinical policies, operations and contracting practices.

The advisory group consists of four MAG member physicians as well as MAG Health Policy and Third Party Payer Advocacy Department Director Susan Moore and BCBSGa Senior Clinical Officer Mark Kishel, M.D., and BCBSGa Director of Network Management/Georgia Provider Solutions Hayden Mathieson. They will meet a minimum of three times a year.

Rental Networks

MAG supports legislation that would limit rental networks in Georgia. A rental network involves a health insurer that rents or sells its network of physicians to another health insurer. These second-level insurers then include the physicians in their health insurance plans – and pay the physicians an even deeper discount – even though they don’t have a contract with the physicians.

It’s not uncommon for physicians to offer their services to a health insurer at a discounted rate because the higher patient volume offsets the costs. However, the aforementioned insurers rent or sell their networks without the physician’s knowledge – so the physicians often aren’t aware that they are in a given network or that they are contractually obligated to deliver patient care at a greater discount.

Rental networks result in mass confusion and higher administrative costs (e.g., the additional staff time that is required to verify a patient’s health insurance coverage and/or confirm the proper payment). Rental networks can also reduce the accessibility of care because physicians are forced to accept the lower (i.e., “re-priced” or “re-rented”) payment or refuse to see the patient for any follow-up or future care.

Rental networks are an inappropriate, profit-driven tactic that undermines the practice environment in Georgia that will exacerbate the physician shortage in the state. Sixteen states have now adopted laws that regulate or limit or prohibit rental networks.

Insurers are prohibited from using rental networks in federal employee health benefits plan contracts.

All-Products Clauses

Insurance companies use ‘all-products or all-or-nothing’ clauses as a cost-control tactic to force physicians to participate in every health insurance product that they offer or be blocked from caring for patients in the insurer’s plan altogether.

By forcing physicians and their practices to agree to all-products clauses, health insurers are undermining the economic viability of the medical profession in Georgia – keeping in mind that a report that was prepared by IMS Health for the American Medical Association determined that physicians in Georgia “created a total of $29.7 billion in direct and indirect economic output (i.e., sales revenues) in 2012… [and] each physician supported $1,559,494 in [economic] output.” It is also worth noting that the report found that “…physicians supported 205,869 jobs (including their own)…[and] $1,089.6 million in local and state tax revenues in 2012.”

Because physicians are constantly wrestling with these manipulative contract provisions, they have less time to spend with their patients.

All-products clauses violate several individual rights, including the right to contract and an owner’s right to operate a business in a free and autonomous way.

Physicians and medical practices in Georgia should be free to accept the health insurance products of their choice versus the ones that’s imposed on them by profit-driven insurance companies.

Eleven states have enacted prohibitions on all-products clauses, including Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Ohio, and Virginia – as well as Washington, D.C.

Special Guest

Donald Palmisano, CEO, Executive Director of Medical Association of Georgia

JD Law, Loyola School of Law
Board of Directors, Physician Advocacy Institute
Medical Payment Subcommitte Member, State Board of Workers’ Compensation
Treasurer, Board of Directors, Physicians’ Institute for Excellence in Medicine
Former Director, Government Relations/General Counsel/Director, GAMPAC

Mindfulness

Posted on April 4, 2015August 19, 2015

Podcast: Download

Peter North talks Mindfulness on Top Docs Radio

Mindfulness

This week I sat down with Peter Vajda. He’s a Certified Professional Coach and PhD in Education and Cognitive Psychology. We talked about how we can apply the practice of meditation and mindfulness to bring about a more centered “You”, becoming better able to handle conflict and reduce one’s over-all level of anxiety. Peter is an astute observer of the human condition and is a passionate pioneer in the field of mind-body-spirit integrative functioning and development. Dr. Vajda is dedicated to supporting individuals and groups to enhance their understanding of how to live consciously – from the inside out – which deeply supports an individual’s ability to change, grow and evolve.

Peter brings a diversified base of professional expertise – as an entrepreneur, an educator, a facilitator, and a manager. He is sensitive to the diverse perspectives, demands and dynamics of relationships. Since 1981, he has facilitated individuals, couples, groups and organizations.

His life and the orientation he brings to coaching, consulting, facilitating and writing are deeply influenced by his understanding of, and his experience in, the psychology of personal growth and development.

For over thirty years, Peter’s has been committed to his own personal and spiritual development. His experience in working with the “whole body” is based on his studies of psychodynamics, ego development, bioenergetics as well as energy healing.

Peter earned his Ph.D. in Education and Cognitive Psychology from Fordham University. His post-graduate work is in organizational behavior at NYU’s Stern School of Business.

For six years, Dr. Vajda has written a weekly column – “Know Thyself” – for the widely-acclaimed international Management-Issues website.

His book– Becoming a Better You, Who You Are vs. Who You Think You Are – was published in October, 2013.

Special Guest:

Peter Vajda, Phd, CPC, True North Partnering

PhD, Education-Cognitive Psychology, Fordham University
Former Director, Academic Services, Information Technology Institute, New York University
Previous Manager, Instructional Design Dept. , Gulliver Ritchie Associates
Published Author

Start Exercise Fitness Training Without Injury

Posted on March 20, 2015March 21, 2015

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Start Exercise Fitness Training Without Injury

This week, our new monthly partner, Dr. Andrew Pugliese stopped by to introduce us to Randy Nicholson, of Fitness Firm Studio. He’s a certified trainer who shared some very helpful information on how folks who have not previously trained or former athletes who haven’t trained in a while start exercise fitness training without injury.

As a former athlete who has experience in high intensity and high volume cardiovascular and weight/resistance training, I know too well what it’s like to resume working out after a prolonged layoff and experience overuse injuries. These come from a burst of activity with or without heavy weight/resistance. Too much exercise too soon can easily result in a incapacitating measure of pain or even injury that prevents continuing without another break to recover.

Randy shared what a person who’s motivated to start or resume training should ask a prospective personal trainer to determine what their philosophy is regarding the initial training phase. He also shared the value of using a roller to help facilitate muscle recovery as well as releasing trigger points that can cause muscle spasm.

We talked about the best way to approach beginning training in a step-wise fashion to insure that muscular imbalances, postural weaknesses, and flexibility have been improved upon before moving on to more intense training moves/activities. If you or someone you care about is thinking about resuming or wants to start exercise fitness training without injury they need to check out this week’s episode.

Special Guests:

Randy Nicholson Fitness Firm Studio

NASM
EGOUSE
4th Degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do
BS Engineering, University of Chattanooga

Andrew Pugliese, MD, Infectious Disease Consultants

Doctorate in Medicine, St. George University School of Medicine
Fellowship, Infectious Disease, Winthrop University Hospital
Triple Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Infectious Disease
Pioneer in non-surgical treatment of acute and chronic sinusitis
President of Sinus Solutions

Medical Reserve Corps

Posted on March 12, 2015March 21, 2015

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Medical Reserve Corps

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has approved MAG’s request to form the nation’s first medical society-sponsored statewide volunteer medical reserve corps (MRC). MAG and the Georgia Department of Public Health would oversee MAG’s MRC. MAG is now eligible for limited federal capacity building funds and has in fact received a 2015 grant for $2,500 – though the MAG MRC will require funding from private sources to fully maximize its vision.

The MAG MRC will train physicians to respond to declared emergencies in Georgia, and it will establish a system to coordinate the deployment of those physicians during any such emergencies. The MAG MRC will supplement the official medical and public health and emergency services resources that are available in the state. MAG MRC units will be capable of setting up mobile hospital systems. And under extreme circumstances (e.g., a shortage of health care providers in a given area), MAG MRC units can be called upon to perform some of the functions that would otherwise be performed by the full-time emergency medical response personnel in the state. MAG formed the MRC as a result of 2013 House of Delegates meeting action.

The MRC is a national network of volunteers, organized locally to improve the health and safety of their communities. The MRC network comprises 993 community-based units and 207,783 volunteers located throughout the United States and its territories. Georgia has 19 approved MRCs.

MRC volunteers include medical and public health professionals, as well as other community members without healthcare backgrounds. MRC units engage these volunteers to strengthen public health, improve emergency response capabilities and build community resiliency. They prepare for and respond to natural disasters, such as wildfires, hurricanes, tornados, blizzards, and floods, as well as other emergencies affecting public health, such as disease outbreaks. They frequently contribute to community health activities that promote healthy habits.

The designated point of contact is the Director of Health Protection with DPH. The MAG MRC may also be activated by MAG MRC leadership team as necessary. The MAG MRC Unit will supplement the State of Georgia Public Health Emergency Preparedness’ and Response Unit. The unit will not replace or supplant the existing emergency medical response system or its resources including locally based MRC units.

Special Guests:

John S. Harvey, M.D.

Chief of Surgery, Gwinnett Medical Center
Acting Colonel and Command Surgeon, Georgia State Defense Force
MAG’s President-elect.
Missions have included the Katrina/Rita hurricane and Haiti earthquake victim airlifts. He dealt with the Centennial Park bombing that took place during the 1996 Olympics as a medical command officer.
Doctor of Medicine, Medical College of Georgia

Susan Moore

Susan Moore has been MAG’s Director of Health Policy and Third Party Payer Advocacy since 2013. She helps MAG members resolve third party payer claim disputes and grievances. She has spent 30 years in the health care industry – more than half of those focused on patient safety and health care quality. Moore has a degree in nursing from the Emory University School of Nursing and a Master’s Degree in Public Health from the Yale School of Public Health at Yale University.

Paul Hildreth

Paul Hildreth is the emergency management coordinator/grant coordinator for REMS for the Fulton County School District. He has 14 years of experience in emergency response and crisis management. He is a certified emergency manager and master certified emergency manager. He has been an integral part of the Georgia State Defense Force for 10 years. He has a degree in business operations from DeVry University and an MBA from the University of Phoenix.

Peripheral Arterial Disease

Posted on March 6, 2015March 21, 2015

Podcast: Download

Peripheral Arterial Disease

As many as 12 million Americans are dealing with peripheral arterial disease (PAD), a progressive blockage of the blood vessels that carry blood to the lower extremities. For many of these patients, amputation is the outcome, leaving them without a foot, or in others, half or more of their leg. Medical literature has shown that in these patients, their risk of death within 1 to 5 years of their amputation they have a 40% likelihood of amputation of the remaining leg and a significant risk of death. It’s clearly a serious problem.

But we can reduce the rate of amputation among these patients and we can also reduce the severity of intervention required to address the problem if we catch it early. Dr. Joseph Ricotta, vascular surgeon and director of the Northside Hearth & Vascular program, stopped by the studio to talk about what can be done to improve patient outcomes for those with PAD. We talked about the troublesome statistics around peripheral arterial disease, including the fact that among diabetics with PAD who develop a non-healing wound resulting in amputation, as many as 50% of them never receive a non-invasive study that could prevent the loss of their leg.

That means we need our partners in primary care and foot/ankle surgery to take an aggressive stance when presented with patients who are at risk for PAD or who have a poorly-healing wound on their leg or foot. There are numerous non-invasive studies that take only minutes in the vascular surgeon’s office that can readily identify patients who have blockage affecting blood flow to their feet. In these cases, if caught early, surgeons like Dr. Ricotta have more options and greater probability they can reestablish adequate blood flow that helps a wound to heal, preventing or mitigating extent of amputation.

We talked about the fact that Northside offers access to 2 of the country’s 10 robotic devices that significantly improves the effectiveness of minimally-invasive procedures by allowing the vascular surgeons to access and treat previously-inaccessible locations. Additionally, with the assistance of the robot, the surgeons are able to reduce damage that can occur on the inside of the vessel being treated, which reduces the likelihood that scarring after the procedure will block the vessel off again (a leading cause of reocclusion in PAD lesions).

I also spoke with foot and ankle surgeon, Dr. Michael Bednarz of Ankle & Foot Centers of Georgia, whose office is located in Woodstock, just north of Marietta. He talked about treating PAD patients with wounds from the perspective of the specialist who is tasked with managing the wound and ultimately, treating it surgically as necessary (including amputation when efforts to heal the wound fail and serious infection is a risk).

We talked about the fact that amputation should be viewed as a last-ditch option. And Mike shared that no patient should face amputation without having had a vascular study to determine if poor flow is contributing to the wound not healing. He talked about the fact that when he’s presented with a poorly-healing wound, particularly in a patient with PAD risk factors such as diabetes, one of the first things he does is request a vascular study to assess blood flow. He also utilizes Transcutaneous Oximetry, a non-invasive test that shows how well the tissue at the surface where a wound is located is getting oxygen.

With the results of those studies, he is able to address poor blow flow by referral to a vascular surgeon and/or to hyperbaric medicine (readily available in Atlanta and surrounding suburbs) to address poor oxygen levels in the skin. He also evaluates other risk factors such as glucose levels and presence of infection, often resulting in consults with infectious disease and/or endocrine specialists to help heal the limb-threatening wound. We talked about the fact that a multi-specialty approach insures that more patients can avoid amputation and the resultant high mortality rates that come with them.

Early involvement with an experienced wound specialist, vascular diagnostics/intervention, infection control, and endocrinology are all vital in helping patients avoid an amputation that might also cost them their life.

Special Guests:

Joseph Ricotta, MD, Medical Director, Heart & Vascular Institute, Northside Hospital

Doctor of Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University School of Medicine
Surgical Residency, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Fellowship, Vascular Surgery, Mayo Clinic
Fellowship, Advanced Endovascular Surgery, Cleveland Clinic Foundation
Associate Professor of Surgery, Georgia Regents University, University of Georgia School of Medicine

Michael Bednarz, DPM, Ankle & Foot Centers of Georgia

Doctor of Podiatric Medicine, Kent State University School of Podiatric Medicine
Residency, Department of Veteran Affairs Medical Center, Miami
Board Certified, American Board of Foot/Ankle Surgery
Recognized as a “Top Doc” in the WellStar Health System

Patient Engagement

Posted on February 25, 2015March 21, 2015

Podcast: Download

Patient Engagement

This week I caught up with our friend, Frank Martin, of The Medical Consultants Group. We talked about how his consulting firm can help a wide range of medical practices, from solo offices to multi-site large groups. Frank talked about the variety of facets of a business that is a medical practice improve operations.

Frank talked about strategies for helping patients related to managing their out-of-pocket obligation, including deductible and co-payment. We also discussed how the ACA has placed new emphasis on patient satisfaction and outcomes relating to how the practice (or isn’t) reimbursed. Another requirement is to provide an electronic portal that allows remote access to patient data BY the patient, coupled with a means to transmit/receive relevant information to/from patients.

We discussed the difference between legacy EMR systems (where software was installed on hardware in the office) and cloud-based applications where data and the software exist on a remote cloud-computing-based architecture. The decision-making capability of the cloud-based applications, coupled with security and rapid access to important data, make modern cloud-based EMR applications the wise choice for practices to convert to today. These modern applications do not require on-site updates of the application on every device. Now, the application is updated where it lives, meaning the user’s experience is not interrupted or inconvenienced.

Frank places great emphasis on helping his client practices become better-running businesses. To that end he works with the group to be able to change processes, or software, business plan, and/or other key facets such as office location and office space leasing to operate more efficiently and profitably.

Special Guest

Frank Martin / Medical Consultants Group

Past recipient, “Volunteer of the Year, Big Brothers Big Sisters”
Published author
Successful entrepreneur in the healthcare sector

The 4 R’s of Gut Health

Posted on February 18, 2015March 21, 2015

Podcast: Download

The 4 R’s of Gut Health

Did you know that as much as 80% of your body’s immune capacity comes from your gut? Neither did we. That’s why we’re glad Dr. Ellie Campbell of Campbell Family Medicine came by to blow our minds(again) with information (The 4 R’s of Gut Health) about ways we can dramatically improve our health. She shared how she progressed from her traditional primary care practice to a Direct Pay model to get away from the pressure to see more patients, faster, in order to make a respectable physician’s income. In her office she doesn’t work with insurance companies. Instead, her patients simply pay a monthly membership fee to have access to her 24 hours a day, 7 days per week (sometimes even when on vacation!). She also wanted to be able to provide care to her patients that is based on best practices and evidence rather than being simply limited to what an insurance company will or won’t pay for.

We talked about the fact that, with limited time per patient, prescribing a medication and moving on to the next patient is often the way physicians must conduct their practice. She shared how allergic responses to foods and other environmental sources are behind many of our illnesses (or mirror many illnesses). We also talked about how important what we eat and drink is in our overall health. Dr. Campbell described how food and beverages have such dramatic impacts on our hormone levels and cellular health that we need to look at what we consume much like drugs one can take in a pill.

Dr. Campbell discussed The 4 R’s of Gut Health, going over foods we should eliminate (or at a minimum significantly reduce) from our diets because they cause inflammatory responses in the gut and vascular system (and elsewhere). Things like wheat and plants from the nightshade family such as tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, and eggplant can, for many, create allergic reactions. The challenge is, many of these allergic responses don’t manifest in immediately-recognizable ways. It could be a general feeling of malaise, skin problems, GI problems that can emulate reflux, and more.

The 4 R’s of Gut Health (Explained in greater detail in the interview):

Remove offending substances from the diet.
Replace digestive enzymes, bile salts, immunoglobulins, DAO, and stomach acid where necessary
Re-inoculate the bowel with pre- and probiotics
Repair gastroentestinal mucosa through proper nutritional support

Special Guests:

Dr. Ellie Campbell, DO, Family Practice & Integrative Medicine at Campbell Family Medicine

Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine
Family Medicine Residency, Medical College of Georgia
Board Certified Family Medicine

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Atlanta Plastic & Reconstructive Specialists

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Cholesterol Isn’t The Bad Guy In Heart Disease

Cholesterol Isn’t The Bad Guy In Heart Disease