What Your Gut Needs Right Now to Reduce Cancer and other Chronic Disease Risk with special guest expert Dr. Robynne Chutkan

We know our gut microbiome is important -- but why? And how do we level up and make it even better to secure our health and reduce chances of cancer, diabetes, obesity and more?

How do we ensure we have the best gut bugs while reducing or eliminating harmful bacteria living inside us?

Esteemed gastroenterologist and gut expert Dr. Robynne Chutkan shares all this and more -- including what to shop for at the store and the farmer's market to increase the good gut bacteria, what to watch out for and why nature plays a role in lots of it, too!

In this episode, you'll learn about:

• Understanding the microbiome in ways we didn't know we needed.
• Why our microbiome is so significant.
• Differentiating between inherited factors and controllable factors.
• Microbiome's influence on overall health.
• Impact of the microbiome on health and health outcomes.
• Birth methods (vaginal vs. C-section) and early microbial colonization.
• Health outcomes based on microbiome composition.
• Influence of diet, nature exposure, and stress on the microbiome.
• Diet and microbiome health while exploring different diet methods and their effects
• Comparison of low-carb Atkins-type diet vs. plant-heavy diet.
• Rapid microbiome changes with dietary adjustments.
• Why 30 is the magic number and why you need to pay attention here
• Practical tips for increasing plant variety and emphasis on variety over quantity.
• One, two, three rule: 1 vegetable in the morning, 2 at lunch, 3 at dinner.

ABOUT DR. CHUTKAN:

Dr. Robynne Chutkan is the author of the digestive health books Gutbliss, The Microbiome Solution, The Bloat Cure, and The Anti-Viral Gut: Tackling Pathogens from the Inside Out.

Dr. Chutkan received her bachelor’s from Yale University and her medical degree from Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons, where she also did her internship and residency and served as chief resident. She completed her fellowship in gastroenterology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York and has been on the faculty at Georgetown University Hospital since 1997. In 2004 she founded the Digestive Center for Wellness, an integrative gastroenterology practice incorporating microbial optimization and nutritional therapy as part of the therapeutic approach to digestive disorders.

A former Board member of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE), Dr. Chutkan also chaired the ASGE Training Committee and Public Relations Committee. She has authored dozens of journal articles and book chapters and has been a featured lecturer throughout the United States and Europe.

Dr. Chutkan has her own PBS Special, entitled “Gutbliss”. She’s been a featured expert on The Today Show, CBS This Morning, The Dr Oz Show, The Doctors, The Megyn Kelly Show, and in numerous health publications, including the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and The Atlantic. She is an avid squash player, runner, and yogi, and is passionate about introducing more dirt, sweat and vegetables into people’s lives

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I've found few brands over the years that I trust, so when I do -- I love to share! Why do I share this one and these fave gut health-promoting supplements? Because they are effective and because the brand is not only transparent and 3rd-party lab tested but also clinically proven and clean!

Some of my go-to's?

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CGM's, BREATH & BIOLOGICAL AGE TESTING, SLEEP TRACKERS,

COOLING BED TOPPERS AND MORE!

Biohacking became a passion for me after my cancer journey in 2014 -- and I have ramped it up even more after my breast cancer recurrence in August 2024.

I've been exploring new devices flooding the market, testing them out, and giving honest feedback.

If you missed BIOHACKING: PART 1, try to catch up before diving into today's discussion on glucose monitors, sleep tracking, metabolic flexibility with breath testing (and more!).

Let's explore the transformative potential of these biohacking tools together!

In this episode, you will learn:

• Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs): Introduction, benefits, and comparison with traditional blood glucose monitoring methods.
• Tracking and Interpreting Data: How CGMs and other tools track health markers and analyze trends over time.
• Biohacking Tools: Description and comparison of CGM devices, including micro-needle function and wireless data transmission.
• Biohacking Subscriptions: Overview of CGM subscription services like Levels, NutriSense, Signos, and Zoe, including costs and features.
• Personal Experience -- sharing about pros/cons for different brands of CGMs and experiences with these different biohacking tools.
• Zoe and Personalized Nutrition: Use of Zoe for tracking blood sugar, fat, and gut microbiome, and its personalized scoring system.
• Health Measurement and Biological Age: Breaking down Tally Health, InsideTracker, and GlycanAge for measuring biological age and health biomarkers.
• Metabolic Flexibility: Why this matters, what the tools test and how to interpret the findings, and how it can benefit our longevity.
• Lifestyle Changes for Longevity: Effective ways to potentially reverse biological age and improve health, including diet, sleep, and exercise.
• Sleep Trackers: The benefits and challenges of using them, what they monitor and how we can utilize the insights to our best benefit.

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Get your own

with these two favorites:

NUTRISENSE -- Visit: https://bit.ly/NutrisenseCGM-SH25 -- for $25 off your CGM (or you can also use code: SAMANTHAHARRIS25)

ZOE -- Visit https://joinzoe.com/ and use code: SAMANTHA10 for 10% off!

What we eat matters and shapes the thousands of chemical reactions that impact everything from our metabolism to weight, energy, immune responses, and long-term health.

When you sign up for ZOE, you’re sent a kit that has everything you need to measure your body’s response to food. They identify the “good” and “bad” microbes in your gut, measure how fast your body processes fat, and if you join their study, you have the option to monitor how your blood sugar changes in real time.

You will then be provided with a database of thousands of foods and how they score for YOUR unique biology as well as with recipes and guidance on how to combine foods so you can achieve your goals....

In August 2024, after 10 years being deemed cancer-free, a breast cancer recurrence hit me like a sledgehammer. Sharing on social media each step in these first few weeks from recurrence diagnosis through the first of two new surgeries, many of you reached out with questions.

In this special BONUS EPISODE -- taken directly from the Instagram/Facebook LIVE (with my friend and special guest expert, integrative oncologist Dr. Jenn Simmons here to answer even more of your questions) -- I share my honest, very personal experiences from my primary cancer diagnosis in 2014 to how I found a lump myself for the second time around in 2024 that led to this latest shocking news.

In this episode, Dr. Jenn Simmons and I will cover:

• Personal Journey with Recurrence: Raw insights into managing breast cancer recurrence through regular self-monitoring, along with the need to sometimes push your doctors for screening as well as the importance of truly listening to your body.
• Our Inner Terrain and How it Can Breed Recurrence: What to pay attention to with regard to the environment our body is creating that can allow cancer to grow and what to do to tamper it.
• Mircoscopic Cells Left Behind After Surgery: When should recurrence be a worry and how can we manage our fears?
• H. Pylori and Our Overall Gut Health: Why it matters in the cancer game.
• The Surprising Reality About Mammography: Dr. Simmons discusses the over-treatment of most women due to mammogram results, and she offers a new option that will become more readily available without the potential downsides, such as radiation, that currently exist.
• PET/CT Scans & MRIs for Detection: What is useful and what is too much or too risky? And when should we actually use these tools.
• Functional Tests that Conventional Oncos Don't Do: Other lab and diagnostic tests to investigate.
• HRT and Breast Cancer: Can we actually use it?
• Thermography and other modalities: How effective are they to diagnose cancer early or find it at all?
• Endocrine Therapy: Dr. Jenn's thoughts on Tamoxifen, aromatase inhibitors and other options for hormone blocking after diagnosis.
• Prevention Tips from Dr. Simmons: Practical advice on essential lifestyle changes to reduce recurrence risk and boost overall health, including some of her nutritional must-haves.
• + SO Much More!

ABOUT our expert guest:

JENN SIMMONS, MD

Integrative Oncologist | Author | Podcast Host | founder of PerfeQTion Imaging

Dr. Jenn became Philadelphia's first fellowship-trained breast surgeon and spent 17 years leading the field. This personal journey led her to create Real Health MD in 2019, a practice dedicated to holistic healing for breast cancer. It integrates conventional wisdom with root cause medicine and the drivers of health: nutrition, lifestyle changes, detoxification, and stress management. Dr. Jenn's innovative approach doesn't stop there. As the founder of PerfeQTion Imaging, she is establishing safe imaging centers across the nation, armed with revolutionary technology that promises to redefine breast cancer screening. This technology is not only fast and safe but also comfortable, affordable, radiation-free, and boasts 40 times the resolution of MRI. It has received FDA clearance, signaling a new era in breast health and breast...