Happy Gut - happy life
Bloating, heartburn, constipation, diarrhea, Crohn's, SIBO, IBS, Colitis all the way to diabetes, brain fog, obesity, depression and heart disease - gut problems come in many forms and are often misdiagnosed...
Repair
Understand the root cause and the roadmap to healing your gut
74 percent of Americans are living with digestive symptoms like diarrhea, gas, bloating and abdominal pain but that's just the start...
From lethargy, brain fog to chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes and even depression - gut problems are often the undiagnosed root cause...
You'll discover what disrupts your gut and proven protocols to repair and protect your GI tract at any age. And the best part: if you know how, there is so much you can do even without medication!
Prevent
Gut problems often indicate more serious conditions
Researchers have found that many diseases are related to our gut health, such as inflammatory bowel diseases, obesity, diabetes, liver diseases, chronic heart diseases and cancers...
Whether your gut works for you - or against you - depends on how well you treat it...
You'll discover what to eat (and what not to eat), circuit breakers to reset your gut, simple lifestyle choices to improve your well-being and so much more.
Thrive
Improve your quality of life
Serotonin is our happiness hormone. And guess what?
It is estimated that 90 percent of the body's serotonin is made in the digestive tract!
Not only that. Depressed people show a different profile of gut microbiota than healthy people...
That's why during this summit you'll learn all about the gut-brain connection. Discover strategies to reduce stress (even if you have little time), steps to naturally boost serotonin, and insights into maintaining healthy habits so you can take massive action right away.
Join This FREE Online Event
Join us and 37 of the world's most renowned GI experts. Each day we'll focus on a new topic and you'll get all the practical advice and scientific insights you need to repair, prevent and thrive...
9 Days You Don't Want To Miss
Regardless of whether you're suffering from discomfort, GI issues or just want to feel great, you'll enjoy learning the latest, cutting-edge insights from 37 renowned GI and health experts - many of which are the leading scientists in their fields, hold patents, teach at universities and do not appear in any other online events
DAY 1
The causes and consequences of gut problems
Dr. Mark Pimentel
Why gut problems are not "in your head" - solving the root cause of IBS and SIBO
Learn MoreDr. Mark Pimentel
Why gut problems are not "in your head" - solving the root cause of IBS and SIBO
Learn MoreWhy gut problems are not "in your head" - solving the root cause of IBS and SIBO
Dr. Mark Pimentel
Mark Pimentel, MD, is currently the head of the Pimentel Laboratory and executive director of the Medically Associated Science and Technology (MAST) Program at Cedars-Sinai. This program focuses on the development of drugs, diagnostic tests and devices related to conditions of the microbiome.
The Pimentel Lab researches irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), one of the most prevalent gastrointestinal (GI) conditions effecting about 10 percent of the population worldwide and about 10 to 15 percent of people in the U.S. In the past, there was no definitive test to diagnose IBS. For a time, IBS was thought to be a psychological disease; however, the Pimentel Lab discovered a blood test to provide a definitive diagnosis showing that IBS is an organic disease. Having a definitive diagnosis for IBS paved the way for additional research in the Pimentel Lab to treat the condition.
The Pimentel Laboratory, in collaboration with Ruchi Mathur, MD, whose work focuses on links between metabolic disease and gut microbiome, and Ali Rezaie, MD, whose innovative work in GI motility improves the well-being of patients, work together in the MAST program to find better treatments for the conditions related to the microbiome. The areas of greatest interest and work in the MAST program include motility disorders of the GI tract, SIBO, IBS, metabolic diseases (such as obesity) and many others, as they relate to the microbiome.
Dr. Leigh Frame
All about the microbiome: how it works, why it matters and how to feed it right
Learn MoreDr. Leigh Frame
All about the microbiome: how it works, why it matters and how to feed it right
Learn MoreAll about the microbiome: how it works, why it matters and how to feed it right
Dr. Leigh Frame
Dr. Leigh Frame earned a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry with Distinction in the Major from Mary Baldwin College (now Mary Baldwin University) in Staunton, Va. She is a double graduate of the prestigious Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, Md., where she earned a Master of Health Science in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology and a Doctor of Philosophy in International Health: Human Nutrition.
Dr. Frame brings nutrition and immunity together through clinical/translational research. Her interests include the role of the microbiome and nutrition in health, the consequences of malnutrition in obesity, vitamin D as an immune modulatory hormone, research ethics, and social media. Dr. Frame is working to build a GW Integrative Medicine research program.
Dr. Frame has used her wide-ranging experience in biomedical research (from wet bench to clinical research) to oversee research programs, including the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) Parkinson’s Disease Biomarkers Program (PDBP). She has extensive experience in the design of studies of all sizes and phases of research including secure, accurate data collection, and data safety and management.
Along with strengthening and cultivating the footprint of evidence-based Integrative Medicine at GW, Dr. Frame is broadening the foundation used to prepare students for professional certifications with an emphasis on expanding nutrition education.
Dr. Vanessa Mendez
Avoiding inflammatory agents in our food and which medication affects our gut
Learn MoreDr. Vanessa Mendez
Avoiding inflammatory agents in our food and which medication affects our gut
Learn MoreAvoiding inflammatory agents in our food and which medication affects our gut
Dr. Vanessa Mendez
Doctor Méndez is a double board certified gastroenterologist and internist. She specializes in digestive disorders, which include liver disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and nutrition based-disorders, such as obesity and constipation. Her approach to patients and their diseases is holistic and comprehensive; her goal is not just to treat the symptoms, but to get to the root cause of an ailment and provide lasting relief. All her methods are evidence-based and she is a proponent of lifestyle changes first to promote wellness.
Dr. Méndez attended Harvard University, where she obtained a B.A. in Latin American Studies, with a minor in pre-medicine. From there, she began her medical training at the ACGME accredited Universidad Central del Caribe in Puerto Rico, completed her Residency in Internal Medicine at University of Miami/ Jackson Memorial Hospital, and her Fellowship in Gastroenterology at Tulane Medical Center in New Orleans. She has also trained in Epidemiology through Florida International University, and in Plant-Based Nutrition through Cornell University. She was awarded a visiting fellowship at the Mayo Clinic through the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation where she received special training in inflammatory bowel diseases. She has also helped lead multiple fund-raising walks to raise awareness for Crohn’s and Colitis in the Miami area. She was awarded Physician Champion at the Takes Steps Walk 2019 for the GastroHealth Team.
Dr. Mendez is a bilingual internationally speaker in the area of Digestive diseases, gut microbiome development and Inflammatory bowel diseases.
She is available nationally and internationally for virtual consultations with a team of registered dietitian, autoimmune experts and primary care providers.
Dr. Michael Greger
How not to destroy your gut health (and why low Fodmap is not a permanent solution)
Learn MoreDr. Michael Greger
How not to destroy your gut health (and why low Fodmap is not a permanent solution)
Learn MoreHow not to destroy your gut health (and why low Fodmap is not a permanent solution)
Dr. Michael Greger
Dr. Greger is a physician, New York Times bestselling author, and internationally recognized speaker on nutrition, food safety, and public health issues.
A founding member and Fellow of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, Dr. Greger is licensed as a general practitioner specializing in clinical nutrition. He is a graduate of the Cornell University School of Agriculture and Tufts University School of Medicine. In 2017, Dr. Greger was honored with the ACLM Lifestyle Medicine Trailblazer Award and became a diplomat of the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine.
Both his latest books, How Not to Die and the How Not to Die Cookbook, became instant New York Times Best Sellers. 100% of all proceeds he has ever received from his books, DVDs, and speaking engagements have always and will always be donated to charity.
DAY 2
Gut brain connection – the new frontier of health
Dr. Lin Chang
Building resilience to the effects of stress, genes and hormones on our gut
Learn MoreDr. Lin Chang
Building resilience to the effects of stress, genes and hormones on our gut
Learn MoreBuilding resilience to the effects of stress, genes and hormones on our gut
Dr. Lin Chang
Dr. Chang earned her medical degree from the UCLA School of Medicine and completed her internship and residency in internal medicine at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. She completed her gastroenterology fellowship training at the UCLA affiliated training program in gastroenterology. Dr. Chang’s clinical expertise is in functional gastrointestinal disorders which include irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), chronic constipation and functional dyspepsia. Her research is focused on the pathophysiology of IBS related to stress, sex differences, genetic and epigenetic factors, neuroendocrine alterations, and gut microbiome and the treatment of IBS. She is the co-director of the G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience. She is vice-chief of the Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases at UCLA. She is also the program director of the UCLA Gastroenterology Fellowship Program. Dr. Chang is a recipient of the Janssen Award in Gastroenterology for Basic or Clinical Research and the AGA Distinguished Clinician Award. She has authored more than 120 original research articles, 55 review articles, and 20 book chapters on her specialty interests and is a frequent speaker at national and international meetings. Active in professional organizations, she is a member of the Rome Foundation Board of Directors, serves as clinical research councilor of the AGA Governing Board, previously served as president of the American Neurogastroenterology and Motility Society (ANMS), and is a fellow of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) and American College of Gastroenterology (ACG).
Dr. Uma Naidoo
Is the gut really our second brain and what are the implications?
Learn MoreIs the gut really our second brain and what are the implications?
Dr. Uma Naidoo
Dr. Uma Naidoo is a nutritional psychiatrist and serves as the director of nutritional & lifestyle psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital. She is on the faculty at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Naidoo trained at the Harvard Longwood Psychiatry Residency Training Program, and completed a consultation liaison fellowship at Brigham & Women’s Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Dr. Naidoo studied nutrition, and she also graduated from the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts as a professional chef. She was awarded her culinary school’s most coveted award, the MFK Fisher Award for Innovation. Dr. Naidoo is regarded nationally and internationally as a pioneer in the field of nutritional psychiatry, having founded the first US hospital-based clinical service in this area. She is the author of the book “This is Your Brain on Food”. With her passion for food and nutritional psychiatry, she will share her expertise on the integration of food, mental health, and medicine.
Dr. Kirsten Tillisch
Using yoga, meditation, acupuncture and other gentle practices for GI health
Learn MoreDr. Kirsten Tillisch
Using yoga, meditation, acupuncture and other gentle practices for GI health
Learn MoreUsing yoga, meditation, acupuncture and other gentle practices for GI health
Dr. Kirsten Tillisch
Dr. Kirsten Tillisch is Professor of Medicine in the Division of Digestive Diseases at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and is the Chief of Integrative Medicine at the Greater Los Angeles VA. Her clinical and scientific work focuses on increasing our understanding of brain-body interactions, with particular interest in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and chronic pain. She has utilized functional and structural neuroimaging to identify disease relevant central abnormalities in pain syndromes, also applying pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions to identify treatment effects. She has demonstrated microbiome-gut-brain interactions in humans, showing the effects of probiotic administration on brain function in healthy women, and continues to evaluate the role of the microbiota in health and disease. Clinically she is a gastroenterologist and medical acupuncturist. Her main clinical interest is in advancing the use of evidence based dietary, movement-based, and mind-body interventions to improve health and wellbeing.
She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their 2 kids who inspire and amaze her daily. She loves reading, doing yoga, and spending time outdoors, enjoying the healing power of nature.
Dr. Lawson, Dr. Del Pozo, Dr. Latifat
Gut health at any age - from child to senior
Learn MoreGut health at any age - from child to senior
Dr. Lawson, Dr. Del Pozo, Dr. Latifat
Dr. Michael Lawson is a gastroenterologist with more than three decades of experience. After spending several years in academic medicine, including two and a half with UC Davis, Dr. Lawson joined Kaiser Permanente, an integrated managed care consortium, based in Oakland, California. He is particularly interested in colon cancer prevention and detection and the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome. Dr. Lawson also serves as a clinical professor with UCD and volunteers overseas in Nicaragua, Dominican Republic and Cambodia.
In 2011 he was honored with the prestigious Morris F. Collen Award for his research at Kaiser Permanente. He obtained an MD degree from the University of New South Wales, Australia, completed his residency at St. George Hospital in Sydney, and earned board certification in gastroenterology from the American Board of Internal Medicine. He also received a Fulbright Scholarship and a travel grant from the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, completed a gastroenterology fellowship at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and earned a PhD from the University of Adelaide.
Dr. Lawson was later awarded fellowship from the Royal Australasian College and the American Gastroenterological Association. Dr. Lawson has been and is a member of several professional organizations including the American Association for Cancer Research and the American College of Physicians.
Dr. Del Pozo is a licensed clinical psychologist who has worked in a variety of medical settings to help people achieve their best health as they manage chronic medical conditions. Some of her areas of expertise include irritable bowel syndrome, cardiovascular disease, chronic musculoskeletal pain, and preventative health care. She currently leads workshops, and teaches continuing education courses for health care providers while maintaining a small psychotherapy and biofeedback practice near Auburn, CA.
Dr. Del Pozo previously collaborated with Dr. Lawson on a grant-funded Adolescent Irritable Bowel Syndrome Project. She also worked at Kaiser Permanente’s largest comprehensive chronic pain management program and was part of the chronic pain team at Sharp Hospital in San Diego, CA and Chapa-De Indian Health in Auburn, CA.
Dr. Del Pozo spent several years doing cardiovascular clinical research at Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine and the University of Miami, with a publication in the American Heart Journal. Her passion is helping her patients understand the many pathways of stress to disease to then help them gain control over their health to live full and satisfying lives.
Dr. Latifat Alli-Akintade is a gastroenterologist who helps patients to manage their general gastrointestinal illnesses with the goal of improving their overall health and quality of life. Specific interest include the management of colorectal cancer and inflammatory bowel diseases- specifically crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
Dr. Latifat received her bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Los Angeles in microbiology, immunology and molecular diseases and received my medical degree (MD) from the University of California, San Francisco, where she developed her interest in adult medicine, specifically internal medicine. She completed a three-year residency training in internal medicine at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York and, subsequently, a three-year fellowship training in gastroenterology and hepatology at the University of California, Davis. Dr. Latifat joined the Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Kaiser Permanente South Sacramento in 2016.
As a certified Life Coach, she uses both her coaching and clinical skills to manage patients with complex GI diseases. Her mantra is that your GI illness should be part of your story and not all of your story. She is currently a member of The Permanente Medical Group Crohn’s and Colitis Advisory Board in Northern California, where she partners with other leaders in her field to provide expert level, evidenced based care for patients with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.
Dr. Emeran A Mayer
How the gut-brain connection affects our cognitive abilities and disease risks
Learn MoreDr. Emeran A Mayer
How the gut-brain connection affects our cognitive abilities and disease risks
Learn MoreHow the gut-brain connection affects our cognitive abilities and disease risks
Dr. Emeran A Mayer
Emeran A Mayer is a Distinguished Research Professor in the Departments of Medicine, Physiology and Psychiatry at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. He is the Executive Director of the G Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress & Resilience and the co-director of the CURE: Digestive Diseases Research Center at UCLA. He has made major scientific contributions to the area of basic and translational enteric neurobiology with wide-ranging applications in clinical GI diseases and disorders. He has published more than 370 scientific papers (h-factor 113) and co edited 3 scientific books.
Mayer has a longstanding interest in ancient healing traditions and affords them a level of respect rarely found in Western Medicine. He has been involved in documentary film productions about the Yanomami people in the Orinoco region of Venezuela, and the Asmat people in Irian Jaya. He has recently co produced the award winning documentary “In Search of Balance” and is working on a new documentary “Interconnected Planet”. He is a strong believer in Buddhist philosophy, was a member of the UCLA Zen Center for several years, and got married in a Tibetan monastery by Choekyi Nyima Rinpoche in Kathmandu. He regularly pursues meditative practices.
Dr. Mayer has spoken at UCLA TEDx on the Mysterious Origins of Gut Feelings in 2015 and has been interviewed on National Public Radio, PBS and by many national and international media outlets including the Los Angeles and New YorkTimes, Atlantic magazine and Stern and Spiegel Online. He is the author of the bestselling book The Mind Gut Connection (2016) and the upcoming Gut Disease Connection (2021), both published by Harper&Collins.
DAY 3
When GI problems turn into diseases
Dr. Michael Klaper
Leaky gut: What causes this often undiagnosed problem and what does it mean for you?
Learn MoreDr. Michael Klaper
Leaky gut: What causes this often undiagnosed problem and what does it mean for you?
Learn MoreLeaky gut: What causes this often undiagnosed problem and what does it mean for you?
Dr. Michael Klaper
Dr. Michael Klaper, is a practicing doctor, internationally recognized teacher, and sought-after speaker on diet and health. He has practiced medicine for more than 40 years and is a leading educator in applied plant-based nutrition and integrative medicine. He is also the author, has appeared in numerous documentaries, videos and contributed to the making of two PBS television programs Food for Thought and the award-winning Diet for a New America movie based on the book of the same name.
Dr. Michael Klaper served as the Director of the non-profit Institute of Nutrition Education and Research from 1992 through 2015, hosted a medical information radio program for ten years and was also a member of the Nutrition Task Force of the American Medical Student Association, and served as an advisor to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) project on nutrition for long-term space colonists on the moon and Mars.
Dr. Michael Klaper teaches that “Health Comes From Healthy Living” and is dedicated to the healing and flourishing of all living beings and our planet. From 2009 through 2018 Dr. Klaper served on staff at the TrueNorth Health Center, North America’s premier nutritionally-based medical clinic that specializes in therapeutic fasting and health improvement through a whole food, plant-based diet.
For over 10 years, Dr. Klaper hosted a popular medical information radio program “Sounds of Healing” on WPFW in Washington, DC and KAOI on Maui, Hawaii.
Lori Welstead, RD
Gluten and Celiac disease - what you need to know and why it's so common (it sneaks up on us)
Learn MoreLori Welstead, RD
Gluten and Celiac disease - what you need to know and why it's so common (it sneaks up on us)
Learn MoreGluten and Celiac disease - what you need to know and why it's so common (it sneaks up on us)
Lori Welstead, RD
Lori Welstead is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with over 15 years of experience with digestive diseases and weight management. She is part of the adult Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition team at the University of Chicago Medicine. She aims to educate and empower patients to adopt dietary and behavioral changes to minimize symptoms and improve quality of life. Lori is the senior nutrition advisor for the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center.
Lori educates and provides nutritional counseling to optimize Celiac disease, Inflammatory bowel Disease, Irritable bowel syndrome, Eosinophilic esophagitis, Nonalcoholic fatty liver and other gastrointestinal disorders. She works alongside Gastroenterologist and chef Dr. Edwin McDonald at University of Chicago Medicine in an adult multidisciplinary weight management clinic. Lori is a member of the upper GI and Celiac gastrointestinal disorders workgroups for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Dietitians in Gastrointestinal Disorders (DIGID) Practice Group.
Shamiz Kachwalla
The truth about carbs and a dietary protocol to promote recovery from Ulcerative Colitis
Learn MoreShamiz Kachwalla
The truth about carbs and a dietary protocol to promote recovery from Ulcerative Colitis
Learn MoreThe truth about carbs and a dietary protocol to promote recovery from Ulcerative Colitis
Shamiz Kachwalla
Shamiz Kachwalla (Co-founder of High Carb Health) suffered from this condition in 2012 and was told he would be on medications for life. When he found out how a plant based diet can help with the healing of Ulcerative Colitis, he implemented it as soon as possible. Shamiz has not taken a single pill since he was released from hospital and all his symptoms are now history.
Shamiz and his brother Shukul founded High Carb Health to share the knowledge they have learned from Shamiz’s experience as well as their studies at the Vibrant Health & Wealth Academy run by Dr. David Klein. Shukul and Shamiz are both Certified Wholistic Health & Natural Healing Counsellors.
They offer personalised education and coaching programs online, and face to face in Auckland, New Zealand, to help you prevent and reverse chronic disease as well as reach all your health and fitness goals.
Dr. Ron Weiss
The hidden link: how our environment and food sources change our microbiome
Learn MoreDr. Ron Weiss
The hidden link: how our environment and food sources change our microbiome
Learn MoreThe hidden link: how our environment and food sources change our microbiome
Dr. Ron Weiss
Ron Weiss, M.D. is dual board-certified in internal medicine and lifestyle medicine, and a primary care physician in New Jersey and New York. He is the founder of Ethos Primary Care and Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. He offers an evidence-based, food-as-medicine
approach to healing from chronic illness and optimizing wellness.
Dr. Weiss is the founder of Ethos Farm Project, a semifinalist in the Rockefeller Foundation 2050 Food System Vision Prize competition. He has been featured in top media, including The New York Times, The New York Post, The Today Show, New Jersey Monthly, and the feature-length documentary, “Eating You Alive.”
His primary care practice in New Jersey is located on a 342-acre farm which employs conscientious, chemical-free farming methods to restore the vitality of the land. The farm’s bounty is available to patients and the local community, through The Doctor’s Farm Market. Dr. Weiss is also available by appointment in Midtown Manhattan.
DAY 4
The link between our gut and overall health and longevity
Dr. Joel Fuhrman
How a standard diet - and even proclaimed "health foods" - can damage our gut flora
Learn MoreDr. Joel Fuhrman
How a standard diet - and even proclaimed "health foods" - can damage our gut flora
Learn MoreHow a standard diet - and even proclaimed "health foods" - can damage our gut flora
Dr. Joel Fuhrman
Joel Fuhrman, M.D. is a board-certified family physician, seven-time New York Times best-selling author and internationally recognized expert on nutrition and natural healing, who specializes in preventing and reversing disease through nutritional methods. In addition to his medical practice in New Jersey, Dr. Fuhrman operates the Eat To Live Retreat in San Diego. He is the President of the Nutritional Research Foundation and on the faculty of Northern Arizona University, Health Sciences division. Dr. Fuhrman coined the term “Nutritarian” to describe a nutrient-dense eating style, designed to prevent cancer, slow aging, and extend lifespan.
For over 25 years, Dr. Fuhrman has shown that it is possible to achieve sustainable weight loss and reverse heart disease, diabetes and many other illnesses using smart nutrition. In his medical practice, and through his books and television specials, he continues to bring this life-saving message to hundreds of thousands of people around the world.
Dr. Fuhrman is a former world-class figure skater, who placed second in the United States National Pairs Championships in 1973 and third in the 1976 World Professional Pairs Skating Championship in Jaca, Spain. Along with his nutritional expertise, Dr. Fuhrman has been involved professionally with sports medical committees, advised professional and Olympic athletes, and has lectured to athletic trainers and world-class athletes about maximizing performance and preventing injury.
Dr. Rosane Oliveira
The surprising connection between gut health and weight loss
Learn MoreThe surprising connection between gut health and weight loss
Dr. Rosane Oliveira
Dr. Rosane Oliveira is Founding Director of the Integrative Medicine program and Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Department of Public Health Sciences at the School of Medicine at the University of California Davis.
Blending a life-long passion for food and nutrition with over 20 years of scientific experience in genetic research, Dr. Oliveira is devoted to educating people about how food and lifestyle choices can affect genetic expression – i.e. how genes are turned on and off to promote health and wellness or cause disease.
She is involved in the Quantified Self international collaboration and is conducting a groundbreaking study comparing the nutrition and lifestyle choices of herself and her identical twin sister.
A passionate spokesperson about her area of specialty, Dr. Oliveira is a national speaker and has shared the stage with world-renowned health and wellness experts like Dr. Michael Roizen, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr., Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Dr. John McDougall, and many others.
Dr. Jessica Krant
The surprising link between our gut and healthy skin
Learn MoreThe surprising link between our gut and healthy skin
Dr. Jessica Krant
Dr. Jessica Krant, MD, MPH, is a board-certified cosmetic, medical, and surgical dermatologist in New York City. 100% plant based, Dr. Krant is also certified in Lifestyle Medicine by the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine and proudly serves on the Medical Advisory board of Plant Powered Metro New York. Recipient of the coveted New York Magazine and Castle Connolly Top Doctor awards as well as the Dermatology Teaching Award in her role as Assistant Clinical Professor of Dermatology at SUNY Downstate Medical Center, she enjoys teaching colleagues, dermatology residents, and her patients about the power of plants in skin health.
After graduating from Harvard College magna cum laude and going on to Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons where she received both her M.D. (with Alpha Omega Alpha National Medical Honors Society recognition) and her Master’s Degree in Public Health, Dr. Krant went on to complete internship at Lenox Hill Hospital, dermatology residency at SUNY Downstate Medical Center, and a formal American College of Mohs Surgery fellowship in advanced skin cancer surgery.
Outside the clinical setting, Dr. Krant is highly involved in public health education, having served as the only dermatologist on Consumer Reports’ Medical Advisory Board and as an educator for the Skin Cancer Foundation, as well as through her work as Delegate to the American Medical Association and Secretary of the Board of the New York County Medical Society. In recent years, Dr. Krant has been studying integrative dermatology as well as nutrition and lifestyle practices and how they impact our whole well-being from the inside parts to our skin in terms of disease, health, and anti-aging. But above all, Dr. Krant is most proud of being a caring, comprehensive physician who takes the time to listen and sends her patients home with a smile.
Dr. Alan Goldhamer
Optimizing your gut health and restoring vitality with smart food choices
Learn MoreDr. Alan Goldhamer
Optimizing your gut health and restoring vitality with smart food choices
Learn MoreOptimizing your gut health and restoring vitality with smart food choices
Dr. Alan Goldhamer
For over 30 years Dr. Alan Goldhamer has been the director of the True North Health Center and the TrueNorth Health Foundation in Santa Rosa CA. TrueNorth Health is an integrative medical facility combining medicine, osteopathy, naturopathy, chiropractic and psychology as well as a research center on the application of fasting to the treatment of high blood pressure, diabetes, autoimmune disorders and lymphoma.
Dr. Goldhamer is the author of the Health Promoting Cookbook and co-author of The Pleasure Trap. He was the principal investigator in a number of studies that have appeared in the peer reviewed literature including 2 papers on the use of fasting in the treatment of high blood pressure and a recent report that appeared in the British Medical Journal on the treatment of Lymphoma cancer with fasting and an exclusively plant-based diet.
DAY 5
Nutritional protocols for recovery
Dr. Alan Desmond
Prevention and treatment of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis
Learn MorePrevention and treatment of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis
Dr. Alan Desmond
Dr Alan Desmond is a Consultant Gastroenterologist based in Devon. Board Certified in both Gastroenterology and General Internal Medicine, he completed his specialist training in Cork, Dublin and Oxford. Dr Desmond is his hospital’s Clinical Lead for the treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, a topic on which he has published numerous research papers. Dr Desmond actively promotes a Whole Food Plant-Based Diet, particularly for patients with chronic digestive disorders. He is a founding Advisory Board member of Plant Based Professionals UK and is currently engaged in Clinical Research evaluating a Whole Food Plant-based Dietary Intervention as a treatment for patients with Crohn’s disease.
James Marin, RD and Dahlia Marin, RD
Food as medicine - what to eat to promote natural healing
Learn MoreJames Marin, RD and Dahlia Marin, RD
Food as medicine - what to eat to promote natural healing
Learn MoreFood as medicine - what to eat to promote natural healing
James Marin, RD and Dahlia Marin, RD
Dahlia Marin is a certified Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. She uses her own health story and clinical experience in Medical Nutrition Therapy working with clients of a multitude of backgrounds and health conditions to get to the root of what ails them, helping them find optimal health and well-being. She specializes in gut health and microbiome optimization for adults and children. Dahlia is passionate about helping patients and clients use whole plant food as medicine and work with their care team to identify the root cause of their gut issues to resolve issues once and for all. She has personally used food as medicine on a whole food plant based diet for over 8 years to overcome pre-diabetes, PCOS, GI issues, hyperlipidemia, obesity, and uncontrolled Hashimoto’s Hypothyroidism, and have a healthy plant-based pregnancy. Dahlia combines her academic background in evidence-based data, training in functional nutrition, and real world experience to help patients and clients Heal With Each Meal. TM
James is a Holistic Registered Dietitian who specializes in using whole plant-foods as a form of medical nutrition therapy. James has used his knowledge of food and the environment to help hundreds of his patients prevent and reverse diseases like SIBO, IBS, Ulcerative Colitis, Reflux, and more. His approach takes into account family dynamic, stress, nutrition habits, environment, and work life to come up with a tailored approach for each of his patients. James believes that a body is only as healthy as it’s environment.
James is an avid trail runner, he loves the outdoors, loves to grow food for his family, and has been fully plant-based for 9 years, but does not expect that from his patients.
Dr. Hana Kahleova
What happens when our microbiome changes? (three states and their health impacts)
Learn MoreDr. Hana Kahleova
What happens when our microbiome changes? (three states and their health impacts)
Learn MoreWhat happens when our microbiome changes? (three states and their health impacts)
Dr. Hana Kahleova
Hana Kahleova, M.D., Ph.D., is the director of clinical research at the Physicians Committee and directs research studies analyzing the effect food choices have on insulin resistance and the regulation of a healthy body weight. Her current research includes analyzing the thermic effect of food in response to a 16-week dietary intervention.
Dr. Kahleova has published more than a dozen nutrition studies. She is the author of Vegetarian Diet in the Treatment of Diabetes (Maxdorf, 2013). She also wrote the chapter about using a plant-based diet to treat diabetes in Vegetarian and Plant-Based Diets in Health and Disease Prevention (Academic Press, 2017).
Her favorite research topics include testing the effect a plant-based diet has on metabolism, insulin function, fitness, and mental health, as well as studying the impact meal timing and meal frequency have on metabolism and body weight.
Dr. Kahleova earned her doctorate in nutrition and diabetes and her medical degree from Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic. As a postdoctoral research fellow at Loma Linda University in California, Dr. Kahleova analyzed data from 50,000 Adventist Health Study-2 participants. She analyzed data on meal frequency and timing in relationship to changes in body weight. She finds two to three meals a day, without snacks, are optimal for body weight control. This led to her recommendation to eat breakfast regularly and to make it the largest meal of the day.
Nancee Jaffe, RD
Creating a customized nutrition program to repair gut issues
Learn MoreCreating a customized nutrition program to repair gut issues
Nancee Jaffe, RD
Nancee is the chief dietitian for the UCLA Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases. Given that the digestive tract is intimately involved with many of the processes which govern nutritional health, she was recruited in 2012 to help develop a comprehensive GI nutrition program to enhance patient care with specific nutritional issues and to provide on-going nutritional education to UCLA GI fellows, gastroenterologists and other healthcare professionals. The GI nutrition program is now an integral part of, and a catalyst for, the division’s Integrative Digestive Health and Wellness Program.
In addition to her chief role, Nancee continues to provide direct patient interaction during individual nutrition counseling sessions for diagnoses such as irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, short bowel syndrome and idiopathic or functional bowel. She also leads the functional gastrointestinal disorders workgroup for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Dietitians in Gastrointestinal Disorders (DIGID) Practice Group. Nancee’s expertise draws invitations to speak on nutrition and digestive disorders at national conferences. Her current research includes the reintroduction phase of the low FODMAP diet with Lin Chang, MD, co-director of the UCLA G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, and she was a former reviewer for the American Gastroenterological Association patient initiatives for short bowel syndrome and the low FODMAP diet in 2016.
Nancee graduated from California State University, Los Angeles, where she earned her masters of science in nutrition. She completed her dietetic internship at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and at the University of California, Los Angeles, where she was mentored by Dr. Lin Chang.
DAY 6
Behavioral and mindfulness practices as the missing piece
Dr. Douglas Drossman
The latest developments in GI Health and why it matters to everyone
Learn MoreThe latest developments in GI Health and why it matters to everyone
Dr. Douglas Drossman
Dr. Drossman received his M.D. degree at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and obtained his medical residency at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and NYU – Bellevue Medical Center. He subspecialized in psychosocial (psychosomatic) medicine at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and in Gastroenterology at the University of North Carolina.
In 2012, Dr. Drossman founded the Drossman Center for the Education and Practice of Integrated, LLC care as an entity to help train physicians in relationship centered biopsychosocial care with emphasis on communication skills and enhancing the patient doctor relationship. Some focus is on the care of difficult to diagnose and manage patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders such as IBS.
Dr. Drossman is Professor Emeritus of Medicine and Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine where he was on staff from 1977 through 2011. He was founder and co-director of the UNC Center for Functional Gastrointestinal and Motility Disorders (since 1993). He was founder, past chair (1989-1993) and newsletter editor of the Functional Brain-Gut Research Group of the AGA, Chair (since 1989) of the Rome Committees (Rome I, II, III and IV) and President of the Board of the Rome Foundation (since 2004), past Chair of the Functional GI American Digestive Health Foundation’s Digestive Health Initiative (1999-2001) and of the Motility and Nerve-Gut Section of the AGA Council (2003-2005). He is Past-President of the American Psychosomatic Society (1997), a Fellow of the American College of Physicians, a Master of the American College of Gastroenterology, and is on the Board of Directors and Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of the International Foundation for Functional GI Disorders (IFFGD). He has served on three committees of the Institute of Medicine Committee on Gulf War and Health, has been an Ad Hoc member of NIHNCCAM Advisory board, and is on the NIH-National Commission on Digestive Diseases.
Dr. Drossman has written over 500 articles and book chapters, has edited four books, a GI Procedure Manual, and textbook of Functional GI disorders (Rome I, II, III Rome IV, Primary Care Book, Understanding the Irritable Gut, and The Multi-Dimensional Clinical Profile), and serves on six editorial and advisory boards in Gastroenterology, psychosomatic medicine, behavioral medicine, and patient health. He served 5-years as Associate Editor of the journal Gastroenterology and was the Gastroenterology Section Editor of the Merck Manual for 17 years.
Dr. Drossman’s research relates to the clinical, epidemiological, psychosocial and treatment aspects of gastrointestinal disorders. He has developed and validated several assessment measures (e.g., illness severity and quality of life questionnaires for IBD and IBS, a physician-patient relationship questionnaire, and an abuse severity scale) for clinical research, is involved in psychosocial outcomes research, and has also studied brain imaging in IBS and abuse. He was principal investigator on several NIH sponsored research grants with over $15,000,000 in funding. This included a multi-center grant for treatment (antidepressant and cognitive behavioral treatment) of the functional bowel disorders. He also consults with regulatory and pharmaceutical agencies regarding the design and evaluation of treatment trials. He is a recipient of the Janssen Award for Clinical Research (1999), the American Psychosomatic Society President’s Award (2003), the AGA Joseph B. Kirsner – Fiterman Award in Clinical Research (2005) the AGA Mentors Research Scholar Award (2007), and the American Journal of Gastroenterology Lectureship (2011).He has also received several “Who’s Who”, “Patient Choice” and “Best Doctors” citations over the past 15 years.
Dr. Drossman’s educational and clinical interests relate to the psychosocial and behavioral aspects of patient care. He has produced numerous articles and videotapes on the biopsychosocial aspects of medical care, medical interviewing and the patient-doctor relationship, and received second prize at the 1997 AMA International Film Festival. As a Charter Fellow of the American Academy of Communication in Health Care, he facilitates workshops to develop clinical skills in patient-physician communication. He received the AGA Distinguished Educator Award (2004), received the American College of Gastroenterology David Sun Lecturer Award (2012), was identified as a “Best Gastroenterologist” in Men’s Health (2007) and in Woman’s Health (2008) and is featured as one of 12 gastroenterologists in a book “Best Gastroenterology Practices” (2007). With regard to the Rome Foundation, Dr. Drossman was founder and currently serves as President of the Board. He has been editor in chief of Rome I, II and III books and currently of Rome IV published in 2016. The Rome IV project consists of 6 books available in print and e-book form and by subscription.
In June 2019, and after 29 years, Dr. Drossman stepped down as President and became President Emeritus and Chief of Operations of the Rome Foundation. His activities now include creative development, educational and communication programs, fund raising and marketing. He will also remain on the Executive Committee of the Rome Foundation Research Institute.
Dr. Drossman, in collaboration with Johannah Ruddy, a patient advocate just published a book “Gut Feelings: Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction and the Patient-Doctor Relationship.
Dr. Jeffrey Lackner
Reducing abdominal pain with behavioral techniques instead of medication or interventions
Learn MoreDr. Jeffrey Lackner
Reducing abdominal pain with behavioral techniques instead of medication or interventions
Learn MoreReducing abdominal pain with behavioral techniques instead of medication or interventions
Dr. Jeffrey Lackner
Dr. Lackner is Professor and Chief of the Division of Behavioral Medicine in the Dept of Medicine at the University at Buffalo School of Medicine, SUNY. The Behavioral Medicine Division is a nationally known clinical research program devoted to understanding and treating persistent painful medical disorders as low back pain, non-cardiac chest pain, irritable bowel syndrome, and headache. Dr Lackner’s primary research interests include biobehavioral aspects of IBS and other centralized pain disorders. His research, which has received NIH funding, focuses on identifying psychosocial mechanisms that explain treatment effects; utilizing this information to develop behavioral treatment using innovative delivery systems; testing the efficacy of these treatments in randomized controlled trials; and specifying how these treatments work and the conditions under which they are most efficacious. He has also been a PI of a number of industry funded clinical trials featuring innovative pharmacological agents for persistent pain disorders. He has published numerous articles in prestigious academic journals including Spine, Pain, Gastroenterology, Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Pain, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, and Behaviour Research and Therapy. He lectures extensively about painful medical disorders and assists various health care organizations in establishing outcomes assessment programs to assess clinical benefit.
Suzanne R. Smith MSN, NP
Mindfulness - harnessing the power of the mind to calm the gut
Learn MoreMindfulness - harnessing the power of the mind to calm the gut
Suzanne R. Smith MSN, NP
Suzanne is a nurse practitioner with extensive experience in clinical care and research of digestive disorders and the brain-gut connection. She graduated with a master of science in nursing from UCLA in 2004. She has been with the UCLA G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience since 2005, where she is involved in chronic pain research and investigating the microbiota-gut-brain axis.
Suzanne is a certified mindfulness teacher by the International Mindfulness Teachers Association and trained to teach Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) and mindfulness facilitation. She facilitates MBSR for brain imaging research as an approach to chronic pain disorders. She completed the UCLA integrative therapist program in 2012 where she received training in yoga, breath awareness, Reiki and essential oils. She trained in the neurosciences, philosophy, and psychology of stress and wellbeing with Amit Sood, MD at Mayo clinic.
Suzanne’s background in patient care, research and mindfulness drives her passion to empower patients, to move beyond coping and to thrive.
She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing and the California Association of Nurse Practitioners.
Dr. Laurie Keefer
Psychosocial factors in inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn's or ulcerative colitis
Learn MoreDr. Laurie Keefer
Psychosocial factors in inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn's or ulcerative colitis
Learn MorePsychosocial factors in inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn's or ulcerative colitis
Dr. Laurie Keefer
Dr Laurie Keefer is an academic health psychologist and the Director for Psychobehavioral Research within the Division of Gastroenterology. She specializes in the psychosocial care of patients with chronic digestive diseases, specifically inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis. Dr. Keefer came to Mount Sinai in January 2016 from Chicago, IL to lead a subspecialty medical home for inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD).
The Mount Sinai IBD medical home, known as GRITT-IBD(TM) focuses on gaining resilience through transitions as they occur across the lifespan of patients living with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Dr Keefer’s clinical and research interests are in the area of IBD disease self-management, gut-directed hypnotherapy, resilience, the psychosocial care needs of emerging adults with chronic disease and cognitive-behavior therapy. She is a sought after speaker and mentor. She chairs the Division of Psychogastroenterology within the Rome Foundation and is on the Council of the American Neurogastroenterology and Motility Society.
DAY 7
Complementary strategies to recovery
Dr. Edwin McDonald
Cooking demo - implementing the science of gut health in the kitchen
Learn MoreCooking demo - implementing the science of gut health in the kitchen
Dr. Edwin McDonald
Edwin K. McDonald IV, MD, is dedicated to improving the health of individuals and communities through nutrition education. He works with patients with small bowel diseases, obesity and other conditions affecting the digestive system.
Dr. McDonald’s interest in the effects of nutrition on health and disease stem from his experience with Project Brotherhood — an innovative clinic dedicated to providing accessible, affordable care for black men on Chicago’s South Side. While training barbers to serve as health educators, he became keenly aware of the impact of social determinants of health, including the role of nutrition. In 2012, Dr. McDonald received a certificate in professional cookery from Kendall College School of Culinary Arts.
Dr. McDonald also is an active researcher. He recently investigated the effects of vitamin deficiency in patients requiring parenteral nutrition (intravenous feeding) and studied the usefulness of fecal calprotectin in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. He also created a web-based mobile program to assess the utility of applications in managing inpatient hepatology patients. Dr. McDonald’s work has been funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).
Dr. Stephanie Berg
Naturopathic solutions to gut health problems
Learn MoreNaturopathic solutions to gut health problems
Dr. Stephanie Berg
Dr. Stephanie Berg, ND, JD is a California-licensed Naturopathic Doctor and Attorney as well as Certified Nutrition Specialist. She received her undergraduate degree from Princeton University, her law degree from Stanford Law School, her Naturopathic Medicine degree from Bastyr University California and her CNS certificate from the Board for Certification of Nutrition Specialists under the American Nutrition Association. She practiced business law for six years prior to attending naturopathic medical school.
Her naturopathic focus and passions include gastrointestinal health, personalized plant-based nutrition and women’s health. Currently she is combining her skills and background in the law with her love of naturopathic medicine and providing legal services to naturopathic doctors and integrative health practitioners to help them grow their businesses with confidence and security knowing that they have the right legal foundations in place.
Dr. Julie Sarton & Dr. Mandy Mannino
Pelvic floor: Training the muscle that helps with regular bowel movement and constipation
Learn MoreDr. Julie Sarton & Dr. Mandy Mannino
Pelvic floor: Training the muscle that helps with regular bowel movement and constipation
Learn MorePelvic floor: Training the muscle that helps with regular bowel movement and constipation
Dr. Julie Sarton & Dr. Mandy Mannino
Dr. Julie Sarton is among the nation’s foremost experts on the pelvic floor. She founded Sarton Physical Therapy in 2011 with the vision to provide hope and healing to her patients, with the best possible staff and evidence-based treatment. The clinic has grown rapidly expanding to 3 offices throughout Orange County treating patients from across the country and even internationally.
Dr. Sarton earned her bachelor’s degree from Northern Arizona University and was awarded her doctorate from Creighton University in 1996 as part of the nation’s first doctorate program in physical therapy. She went on to become part of the nation’s first class of physical therapists to achieve advanced board-certification in pelvic health. Julie has more than 20 years of experience in the field, successfully treating thousands of complex patients.
Through the years, Julie has had the opportunity to work closely with many of the nation’s prominent physicians and physical therapists in pelvic floor dysfunction. She has lectured professionally at The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Society for Urodynamics and Urology and The American Urogynecologic Society.
A published author, Julie’s work has appeared in prestigious peer-reviewed journals such as The Journal of Sexual Medicine, The Female Patient, and Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology. In 2006, she was honored with the “Rising Star in Medicine” Award from Women Sage. Considered an expert in pelvic pain, she has been featured on The Discovery Health Channel and in the Orange County Register.
Julie lives in Orange County with her husband Kyle (also a physical therapist) and their two teenagers, Noah and Kylie. You can often find them on a hiking trail, cooking together and enjoying family time.
Dr. Mandy Mannino earned her bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from the University of Findlay and went on to earn her doctorate degree from Temple University. Mandy furthered her education to become an APTA Board Certified Orthopedic Specialist.
Mandy’s journey into pelvic health began following the birth of her daughter. Pelvic floor physical therapy was physically, mentally, and emotionally life changing for Mandy which inspired her to make the transition as she found her true calling as a physical therapist. Mandy quickly realized the lack of support available to postpartum women and individuals with pelvic floor dysfunction resulting in a strong desire to speak up and advocate for these individuals. Mandy feels strongly that there needs to be increased education and awareness within our communities to allow individuals to get the help they both need and deserve. Together, we can end the stigma surrounding pelvic health and help individuals return to the life they want to live.
Mandy was a college athlete and continues to live a very active lifestyle. In her free time, Mandy enjoys Ohio State football, beach days, and adventures with her husband and two small children, Van and Lucy. Mandy is also passionate and involved at The Ronald McDonald House, a charity very dear to her heart.
Mandy’s journey into pelvic health began following the birth of her daughter. Pelvic floor physical therapy was physically, mentally, and emotionally life changing for Mandy which inspired her to make the transition as she found her true calling as a physical therapist. Mandy quickly realized the lack of support available to postpartum women and individuals with pelvic floor dysfunction resulting in a strong desire to speak up and advocate for these individuals. Mandy feels strongly that there needs to be increased education and awareness within our communities to allow individuals to get the help they both need and deserve. Together, we can end the stigma surrounding pelvic health and help individuals return to the life they want to live.
Mandy was a college athlete and continues to live a very active lifestyle. In her free time, Mandy enjoys Ohio State football, beach days, and adventures with her husband and two small children, Van and Lucy. Mandy is also passionate and involved at The Ronald McDonald House, a charity very dear to her heart.
Chef Darshana Thacker
Delicious recipes for a healthy, happy gut and how to make your own recipes GI friendly
Learn MoreChef Darshana Thacker
Delicious recipes for a healthy, happy gut and how to make your own recipes GI friendly
Learn MoreDelicious recipes for a healthy, happy gut and how to make your own recipes GI friendly
Chef Darshana Thacker
Chef Darshana Thacker is a vegan chef who specializes in whole-food, plant-based cuisine. A graduate of the Natural Gourmet Institute, she’s known for her hearty and distinctly flavorful creations, which draw inspiration from a wide range of ethnic traditions.
Chef Darshana was the recipe author of Forks Over Knives Family and a lead recipe contributor for the New York Times bestseller The Forks Over Knives Plan. Her recipes have been published in The Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook, Forks Over Knives—The Cookbook, Forks Over Knives: The Plant-Based Way to Health, Forks Over Knives: Flavor! Delicious Whole-Food, Plant-Based Food to Cook Every Day and LA Yoga magazine online.
DAY 8
Transitioning to a gut-friendly diet
Dr. Will Bulsiewicz
Nature's prebiotic: Why we need fiber for a healthy gut and microbiome
Learn MoreDr. Will Bulsiewicz
Nature's prebiotic: Why we need fiber for a healthy gut and microbiome
Learn MoreNature's prebiotic: Why we need fiber for a healthy gut and microbiome
Dr. Will Bulsiewicz
Will Bulsiewicz, MD, MSCI, or Dr. B. as he likes to be called, went to med school at Georgetown School of Medicine, trained in medicine at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and gastroenterology at The University of North Carolina Hospitals, got his Master of Science in Clinical Investigation (MSCI) from Northwestern University and a certificate in nutrition from Cornell University.
Dr. B. is board-certified in internal medicine and gastroenterology and an expert in digestive diseases and the gut.
Dr. B. has won multiple awards and distinctions for his work as a clinician, and conducted research for/contributed to 20+ published scientific articles and 40+ presentations at national meetings. He has been featured in Shape, Women’s Health, Men’s Health, and on HuffPost.
In 2020 he published Fiber Fueled which instantly became a New York Times, USA Today, and Publisher’s Weekly bestseller.
Dr. Angie Sadeghi
How to smoothly transition to a gut-friendly diet
Learn MoreHow to smoothly transition to a gut-friendly diet
Dr. Angie Sadeghi
Dr. Angie Sadeghi is a diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine and a diplomate of the American Board of Gastroenterology. She is a member of the American Society of Bariatric Physicians and an avid fitness competitor.
Dr. Angie offers a complete range of services including treatments for digestive, stomach, esophagus, liver, and colon-related illnesses. She has extensive training from the prestigious University of Southern California (USC), and demonstrates exceptional commitment to excellence in treating diseases of digestive tract.
Combining evidence based medicine, her expertise in the digestive system and her passion for physical fitness and nutrition, Dr. Angie has developed a comprehensive approach to helping patients live a healthy life. Dr. Angie is passionate about disease prevention.
Dr. Milton Mills
What food were we meant to digest based on our biology?
Learn MoreWhat food were we meant to digest based on our biology?
Dr. Milton Mills
Dr. Milton Mills practices Critical Care Hospital-based Medicine and Outpatient Internal Medicine in the Washington DC area, including treating many patients with COVID-19. In the past he had severed as the Associate Director of Preventive Medicine for Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM). He was a major contributor to position papers presented by PCRM to the United States Department of Agriculture regarding Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and was the lead plaintiff in PCRM’s class action lawsuit that asks for warning labels on milk.
Dr. Mills earned his medical degree at Stanford University School of Medicine, and completed an Internal Medicine residency at Georgetown University Hospital. He has published several research journal articles dealing with racial bias in federal nutrition policy. He frequently donates his time via practicing at free medical clinics, and travels widely, speaking at hospitals, churches and community centers throughout the country. He was featured in the films “What the Health,” and “The Invisible Vegan,” among others. Dr. Mills is also on the advisory board of the Coalition for Healthy School Food, and we very much appreciate the work that he does to bring forth the issue of Meat, Dairy, and Racism, which we will be talking about today.
https://healthyschoolfood.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Racial-Bias-in-Federal-Nutrition-Policy-II.pdf
https://healthyschoolfood.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Racial-Bias-in-Federal-Nutrition-Policy-I.pdf
Dr. Janese Laster
The path to creating a healthy lifestyle starts with your gut
Learn MoreThe path to creating a healthy lifestyle starts with your gut
Dr. Janese Laster
Janese Laster, MD completed her medical training at the University of Texas Medical Branch, and both Internal Medicine residency and Gastroenterology fellowship training at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, DC. She then became interested in nutrition and bariatric endoscopy and sought out additional training. She completed the Nestle Clinical Nutrition fellowship program and then an advanced endoscopic bariatric training fellowship with an international expert in Madrid, Spain.
She is quadruple board certified in Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology, Obesity Medicine and Nutrition. She has utilized her training to open a niche practice, Gut Theory Total Digestive Care, to address nutrition and lifestyle changes to battle the overwhelming struggle of excess weight head on. Her gut theory encompasses a multifaceted approach to care to include comprehensive medical history review, evidence based customized dietary treatment plans, along with adjunct therapy with pharmacologic weight loss medications and minimally invasive endoscopic weight loss procedures.
DAY 9
The latest in GI Health for any age
Dr. John McDougall
Fine tune your GI tract for health and vitality with food
Learn MoreFine tune your GI tract for health and vitality with food
Dr. John McDougall
A physician and nutrition expert who teaches better health through vegetarian cuisine, John A. McDougall, MD has been studying, writing, and speaking out about the effects of nutrition on disease for over 50 years.
A graduate of Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine, Dr. McDougall performed his internship at Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, and his medical residency at the University of Hawaii. He is certified as an internist by the Board of Internal Medicine and the National Board of Medical Examiners.
In 1965, at age 18, McDougall suffered a massive stroke, which he attributed to his high animal product diet.[4]
Between 1973 and 1976, McDougall worked as a physician at the Hamakua Sugar Plantation on Hawaii Island. Between 1986 and 2002, he launched a vegetarian dietary program at St. Helena Hospital in the Napa Valley, California. Between 1999 and 2001, he ran a dietary program for the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Dr. Sarina Pasricha
What might be missing? An overview of the key habits and practices for gut health
Learn MoreDr. Sarina Pasricha
What might be missing? An overview of the key habits and practices for gut health
Learn MoreWhat might be missing? An overview of the key habits and practices for gut health
Dr. Sarina Pasricha
Dr. Sarina graduated cum laude from Harvard University in biological anthropology with a focus on nutrition. She then attended Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine for medical school. She received a prestigious Howard Hughes Medical Institute award where she spent an additional year conducting basic science research to determine genetic risk factors for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
She then completed her internal medicine residency and gastroenterology fellowship at the University of North Carolina where she also received a Masters of Science in Clinical Research from the Gillings School of Public Health. Dr. Pasricha has completed additional training in motility disorders with an emphasis on constipation, fecal incontinence, irritable bowel syndrome, the brain-gut axis, and gut health. She has published extensively in the most respected gastroenterology journals and has given more than 40 national presentations. She has received numerous teaching awards including best mentor award as an internal medicine resident. She has also received the IFAB Women of the World award and was voted as a Delaware Today’s Top Doctor 2019. She is a Presidential Scholar and has been honored by President Clinton at the White House twice.
Dr. Pasricha’s research background allows her to best use evidence-based medicine to treat her patients. She takes a holistic approach toward managing gastrointestinal diseases. Dr. Pasricha is a phenomenal speaker and has been an invited speaker for multiple talks and podcasts on the gut microbiome, the brain-gut connection, pregnancy and gut health, and the role of food as medicine.
She is a mom to two young girls and is passionate about educating people about the importance of a healthy lifestyle. Dr. Pasricha believes that the key to a healthy and happier life starts with good gut health.
Dr. Irminne Van Dyken
Are GI surgeries necessary and how to avoid them?
Learn MoreAre GI surgeries necessary and how to avoid them?
Dr. Irminne Van Dyken
Irminne Van Dyken MD is a general and trauma surgeon who lives on Maui and works for the Hawaii Permanente Medical Group. She thoroughly enjoys her busy practice. It is especially rewarding for her to see her patients do a 180 and completely restructure their lives around plant based living – the changes are unprecedented.
Dr. Van Dyken is board certified by the American College of Surgeons. She is also the first physician on Maui (and first surgeon in Hawaii) to be board certified by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, which she obtained in October 2018. She is also a member of the American Society of Breast Surgeons, the Society for Endoscopic and Gastrointestinal Surgeons, and the Southwestern Surgical Society.
In her spare time Dr. Van Dyken loves yoga, photography, sailing, cycling and playing various musical instruments. She has been vegetarian since she was 9 years old and strictly plant based since 2010. She is a board member of the Vegetarian Society of Hawaii and has a passion for educating others and sharing the benefits of healthy plant based living. She and her husband Russell created “Out of the Doldrums” – a YouTube Channel and online presence promoting healthy, active, plant based living.
Dr. Edwin McDonald
Foods that harm and foods that heal the gut
Learn MoreFoods that harm and foods that heal the gut
Dr. Edwin McDonald
Edwin K. McDonald IV, MD, is dedicated to improving the health of individuals and communities through nutrition education. He works with patients with small bowel diseases, obesity and other conditions affecting the digestive system.
Dr. McDonald’s interest in the effects of nutrition on health and disease stem from his experience with Project Brotherhood — an innovative clinic dedicated to providing accessible, affordable care for black men on Chicago’s South Side. While training barbers to serve as health educators, he became keenly aware of the impact of social determinants of health, including the role of nutrition. In 2012, Dr. McDonald received a certificate in professional cookery from Kendall College School of Culinary Arts.
Dr. McDonald also is an active researcher. He recently investigated the effects of vitamin deficiency in patients requiring parenteral nutrition (intravenous feeding) and studied the usefulness of fecal calprotectin in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. He also created a web-based mobile program to assess the utility of applications in managing inpatient hepatology patients. Dr. McDonald’s work has been funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).
This summit is for you if:
Why this is so urgent
Toxins
The American Chemical Society has registered 150 million substances with unknown consequences. Researchers concluded: "The human gut microbiome can be easily disturbed upon exposure to a range of toxic environmental agents. Environmentally induced perturbation in the gut microbiome is strongly associated with human disease risk." Did you know that scientists found hundreds of toxins in polar bear blood? There is no hiding from toxins so we need simple strategies to detox every day!
Stress
Our gut microbiota influences our stress response and cortisol release (a stress hormone). In a world where 70 to 80% report feeling overwhelmed and only 6% report not feeling stressed at work, we need a healthy gut to cope with the stress. Without a healthy gut, we may release even more stress hormones and push us over the edge... (did you know that stress can lead to systemic inflammation which is one of the underlying drivers for all chronic disease?).
Antibiotics
The CDS says: "at least 47 million antibiotic prescriptions each year are unnecessary". Those antibiotic prescriptions kill both the bad and good bacteria - including the microbiome in our gut. Researchers concluded that "antibiotics can result in microbial dysbiosis, and the disruption contributes to numerous diseases, including diabetes, obesity, inflammatory bowel disease, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, depression, autism, and superinfection in critically ill patients".
Inflammation
Few know that our gut is our first line of defense against inflammation. The gut lining is designed to prevent harmful substances from circulating into the body. When the gut becomes “leaky” (e.g. from eating the wrong foods) chronic inflammation can occur due to an increased production of inflammatory cytokines. These inflammatory cytokines are linked to asthma, arthritis, multiple sclerosis and other diseases.
Anxiety & Depression
90% of our happiness hormone Serotonin is produced in our gut but only if your gut is happy. Other research links gut imbalances to decreased levels of GABA, a brain chemical involved in calming anxiety. So with any sign of sadness, anxiety, brain fog or depression it's advisable to have a look at our gut health as well. (Did you know that our brain affects our gut AND our gut affects our brain?)
Processed food
60% of calories consumed in America come form highly processed foods. And only 5% of Americans get enough fiber. This not only changes the gut microbiome, fiber is linked to reduced risks of developing various conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, diverticular disease, and constipation. (did you know that fiber helps with a healthy cholesterol level, regular bowel movements and weight management?)
Allergens
It's estimated that over 80% of people suffering from Celiac disease don't know it or have been misdiagnosed. Experts further estimate that about 68 percent of the world’s population has lactose malabsorption. Knowing what the common allergens are, where they are hiding and how to test for them is one of the first steps. Did you know that only eight common allergenic foods account for 90 percent of food allergic reactions?
Left unattended, these factors can have devastating effects on our lives - but there ARE solutions and our world-renowned experts are here to share them!
Get the latest strategies and proven protocols from the world's top GI experts in this FREE 9-day online event
Your host
Chef AJ
Throughout her life, Chef AJ has suffered from nearly all gut disorders: IBS, SIBO, bloating. She's gone to countless doctors and being a chef didn't help...
All this changed when she started following the advice from the experts on this summit. Some of the speakers actually treated Chef AJ in person and you'll learn from them first hand.
Chef AJ holds a certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition from eCornell University, is the host of the TV series Healthy Living, has made appearances on shows with Johnny Carson, Jay Leno, David Letterman and more. She is the author of the popular book Unprocessed: How to Achieve Vibrant Health and Your Ideal Weight, which chronicles her journey from an obese junk-food vegan faced with a diagnosis of pre-cancerous polyps, to learning how to create foods that nourish and heal the body. Her latest bestselling book The Secrets to Ultimate Weight Loss has received glowing endorsements by many doctors and dietitians. She hosts live seminars, YouTube shows and online summits.
She has become famous for making sugar, oil, salt and gluten-free desserts that are just as delicious as their sinful counterparts and good for your gut...
"All Disease Begins in The Gut." - Hippocrates
Over 2,000 years ago Hippocrates said that all disease begins in the gut. And while there are no guarantees in life, we wish we would have known the information you're about to receive earlier. Join us and 37 experts so you can feel inspired and empowered for your health journey...