Functional Medicine Institute

Cardiovascular Disease Explained: What It Does to Your Entire Body (Part 2)

Episode 85 Part 2/2.Cardiovascular disease is often thought of as a heart problem, but its effects reach far beyond the cardiovascular system. In this episode, Dr. Gavin Guard explores the root causes of cardiovascular disease through a functional medicine lens, breaking down how chronic inflammation, metabolic dysfunction, nutrition, and lifestyle choices influence long-term heart health.
You'll learn how cardiovascular disease develops, the warning signs to watch for, and the connection between factors like high blood pressure, cholesterol imbalances, insulin resistance, and overall wellness. Dr. Holthouse also discusses evidence-based strategies for reducing risk and improving healthspan through personalized care and preventive medicine.
Whether you're looking to better understand your cardiovascular risk, support a loved one, or take proactive steps toward a healthier future, this episode provides practical insights and actionable takeaways grounded in current science.
In this episode, you'll learn:
What cardiovascular disease is and why it's so common
How inflammation contributes to heart disease
The relationship between cholesterol, blood pressure, and cardiovascular risk
Why metabolic health plays a major role in heart health
Functional medicine approaches to prevention and treatment
Lifestyle strategies that support a healthy cardiovascular system
Steps you can take today to reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke
Stay tuned in for more conversations on functional medicine, preventive healthcare, longevity, and optimizing your health from the inside out!

Cardiovascular Disease Explained: What It Does to Your Entire Body (Part 1)

Cardiovascular disease is often thought of as a heart problem, but its effects reach far beyond the cardiovascular system. In this episode, Dr. Gavin Guard explores the root causes of cardiovascular disease through a functional medicine lens, breaking down how chronic inflammation, metabolic dysfunction, nutrition, and lifestyle choices influence long-term heart health.
You'll learn how cardiovascular disease develops, the warning signs to watch for, and the connection between factors like high blood pressure, cholesterol imbalances, insulin resistance, and overall wellness. Dr. Holthouse also discusses evidence-based strategies for reducing risk and improving healthspan through personalized care and preventive medicine.
Whether you're looking to better understand your cardiovascular risk, support a loved one, or take proactive steps toward a healthier future, this episode provides practical insights and actionable takeaways grounded in current science.
In this episode, you'll learn:
What cardiovascular disease is and why it's so common
How inflammation contributes to heart disease
The relationship between cholesterol, blood pressure, and cardiovascular risk
Why metabolic health plays a major role in heart health
Functional medicine approaches to prevention and treatment
Lifestyle strategies that support a healthy cardiovascular system
Steps you can take today to reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke
Stay tuned in for more conversations on functional medicine, preventive healthcare, longevity, and optimizing your health from the inside out!

The Brain-Body Connection: How the Autism Protocol Transforms Neurological Health

In this episode, Amber Warren, PA-C, sits down with Dr. Brian Hauser, MD, a board certified functional and integrative family medicine physician specializing in autism spectrum disorder, to explore what a root-cause approach to autism actually looks like. They discuss why autism is not a purely genetic condition, how environmental factors, diet, gut health, and mitochondrial dysfunction play a central role in its development, and what emerging research on folate receptor antibodies, folinic acid, and targeted supplementation is revealing about reversible pathways in autism care. This conversation offers practical, hope-filled strategies for families navigating an autism diagnosis and for anyone looking to understand the biology behind neurodevelopmental health.

Can Weight-Loss Meds Fight Cancer? The New Frontier of GLP-1s

Could the "weight-loss shots" everyone is talking about actually be the next big breakthrough in cancer prevention?
In this week’s episode of the FMI podcast, I’m joined once again by our Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Mark Holthouse. While Dr. H is a world-renowned expert in hormone health and cardiometabolic medicine, today we are diving into a topic that is reshaping the future of longevity: the direct link between obesity-related cancers and GLP-1 medications.
We recently learned that colon cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death for men and women under 50. It’s a sobering statistic, but there is hope in the evolving science of metabolic medicine.
In this episode, we discuss:
The "Four Horsemen" of Aging: Why cardiovascular disease, cancer, dementia, and insulin resistance are all driven by the same cellular pathways.
GLP-1s Beyond Weight Loss: How medications like Semaglutide and Tirzepatide work at the cellular level to potentially reduce tumor volume and progression.
The "New Kid on the Block": A deep dive into Retatrutide, the experimental triple-agonist showing even more dramatic results in preclinical models.
Obesity-Related Cancers: Why fatty liver, chronic inflammation, and nutrient-sensing pathways (like mTOR) create a "pro-cancer milieu."
The "Foundational Four": Why, despite all the medical breakthroughs, sleep, clean eating, stress management, and exercise remain the ultimate levers for health.
Dr. Holthouse also shares his "minimalist" approach to detoxification and why he’s more interested in "reining patients in" from expensive gadgets to focus on what actually moves the needle.
Whether you are interested in the latest longevity science or simply looking for ways to lower your family's risk of chronic disease, this conversation is packed with "root cause" insights you won't want to miss.

Leadership Starts with Health: A Functional Medicine Approach

Leaders often underestimate how much their health drives performance. Amber Warren, PA-C, sits down with Matthew Tucker to explore how migraines, sleep, and nutrition affect energy, focus, and leadership capacity. Learn practical strategies to align your health with work, family, and long-term impact.
Listen now to discover how functional medicine can help you lead at your best.

Perimenopause Explained: Symptoms, Hormones, and How to Take Back Control

Perimenopause is often overlooked, yet it can significantly impact sleep, mood, metabolism, and overall well-being. Amber Warren, FNP-C sits down with Dr. Carrie Jones, ND, FABNE, MPH, MSCP to break down the hormonal changes driving this transition and why symptoms can vary so widely.
Learn how shifts in progesterone and estrogen, along with stress and the nervous system, influence how you feel and what you can do to support your body through it.
Listen now to better understand perimenopause and take a more proactive, informed approach to your hormone health.

Built Different: Bioidentical Hormones and the Future of Men's Health

Most men don't realize their hormones are gone until everything else starts falling apart. Andrew Baukol, PA-C, learned that firsthand after lymphoma and 12 rounds of chemo, and now he's helping other men find the missing piece.

Testosterone Uncovered: New FDA Guidance and What It Means for You

Hormone Replacement Therapy for Women: Estrogen, Brain Health, and Longevity

Amber Warren, PA-C breaks down perimenopause and hormone imbalances, covering weight gain, brain fog, fatigue, and sleep changes.
Discover how bioidentical hormone therapy, gut and liver health, and stress management can support estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone for long-term wellness.

The New Food Pyramid Explained: A Functional Medicine Take on the 2025 - 2030 Dietary Guidelines

In this episode, Amber Warren, PA-C explains the 2025 to 2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and what the flipped food pyramid means for metabolic health.She explores increased protein needs, whole foods, healthy fats, and why reducing refined carbohydrates is critical for insulin resistance, inflammation, and gut health. Amber also discusses nutrition for children, food quality, alcohol intake, and how personalized tools like continuous glucose monitoring can guide smarter dietary choices.This episode connects the latest dietary guidelines with a functional medicine, root-cause approach to long-term health and prevention.