Functional Medicine for Real-World Impact

• EP06: Weight Loss through the Functional Medicine Lens

  Weight gain isn’t always a result of overconsumption; it’s often the body’s natural response to imbalances that go undetected for years.   In this episode, Tracy Harrison breaks down four functional imbalances commonly at the root of overweight and obesity, starting with insulin resistance that often hides behind “normal” labs. How many patients are told they’re fine when their metabolism is anything but?   Tracy explains how stress, subclinical hypothyroidism, hormone disruption, and environmental toxins can all push the body to hold onto weight, even when someone is doing everything “right.” Could that daily fatigue or bloating be tied to something deeper?   This episode leaves practitioners with a challenge: stop chasing symptoms and start identifying the early signs of imbalance. Because when we address the real root causes, weight loss becomes a natural outcome, and patients finally feel seen, supported, and in control.   Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Four Functional Imbalances Behind Weight Gain   03:27 Hidden Early Stages of Insulin Resistance   12:06 Why Standard Labs Miss Metabolic Dysfunction   15:10 Gut Health and Its Role in Metabolism   18:12 The Clinical Cost of Over-Relying on GLP-1 Medications   26:06 Subclinical Hypothyroidism and Overlooked Thyroid Markers   38:06 Estrogen Dominance and Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals   43:06 Adiposity, Hormone Synthesis, and Toxin Storage   48:00 Constipation, Retoxification, and Hormone Clearance   54:03 Sympathetic Dominance and Chronic Stress   52:00 Building Sustainable Weight Loss Through Root-Cause Care   Links Get weekly Clinical Tips in your inbox: https://schoolafm.com/clinical-tips  Learn more about SAFM's practitioner training: https://schoolafm.com/our-program Subscribe to our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@safmchannel Access daily quick tips on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AppliedFunctionalMedicine/  Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

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• EP05: Gut-Brain-Chronic Pain Connections

  Chronic pain isn’t just a nuisance. It’s often a gut-driven signal that something deeper is out of balance.   In this episode, Tracy Harrison takes a practical look at how gut health shapes our experience of pain. She questions the default approach of reaching for medications and instead encourages practitioners to ask: what’s really driving the discomfort? Pain isn’t random. It often points to deeper issues like inflammation, nutrient deficiencies, and microbial imbalances, all of which are rooted in the gut.   Tracy breaks down how over-the-counter drugs like NSAIDs can quietly erode the gut lining, interfere with nutrient absorption, and set off a chain reaction that worsens the very symptoms they’re meant to relieve. She also shares why it’s worth paying closer attention to factors like sleep apnea, chronic stress, and low-grade infections that keep the body in a state of physiological alarm, and make pain more intense.   The conversation turns toward the gut-brain connection, where neurotransmitters like serotonin and GABA play a powerful role in pain perception. What happens when dysbiosis disrupts their production? How do nutrient shortfalls, especially in B12, magnesium, and tryptophan, shift the nervous system’s response to pain?   For practitioners, this is a clear reminder: if you’re not looking at gut health, you may be missing the source of your patient’s pain. Tracy lays out the case for why functional medicine must go beyond managing symptoms to uncovering the systems at play. It starts in the gut, and it can change everything.   Episode Breakdown: 00:00 The Gut-Brain-Pain Connection 02:30 Why Reframing Pain Matters 03:50 How NSAIDs and Common Medications Affect Gut Health 08:30 The Impact of Physiological Stress on Pain Perception 11:00 Dysbiosis, Inflammation, and Neurotransmitter Imbalance 18:30 The Role of Digestion, Nutrient Absorption, and Deficiencies in Chronic Pain 34:00 Food Sensitivities, Immune Complexes, and Joint Pain 37:00 Serotonin, GABA, and the Gut’s Influence on the Nervous System 40:30 Why Gut Health Is Central to Functional Medicine and Long-Term Pain Relief   Links Get weekly Clinical Tips in your inbox: https://schoolafm.com/clinical-tips  Learn more about SAFM's practitioner training: https://schoolafm.com/our-program Subscribe to our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@safmchannel Access daily quick tips on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AppliedFunctionalMedicine/  Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

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• EP04: GLP-1 Gotchas for Practitioners

  GLP-1 medications are everywhere right now and for good reason. They suppress appetite, support weight loss, and help manage type 2 diabetes. But what happens when we overlook the ripple effects they can have on the body?   In this first episode of Functional Medicine for Real-World Impact, host Tracy Harrison walks through four clinical “gotchas” every practitioner should keep in mind when patients are using GLP-1 agonists. She starts with one of the most common and disruptive complaints: nausea. For many patients, it’s not just the medication. It’s an underlying issue like histamine overload, subclinical hypothyroidism, or nutrient insufficiency that makes the symptoms worse.   Tracy also raises a critical question: Are we giving GLP-1s to patients who are already insulin resistant... or already hyperinsulinemic? If so, we may be increasing their risk for hypoglycemia, emotional reactivity, and unintended shifts in body composition.   Then there’s the issue of gallbladder health. Slowed motility may reduce appetite, but it can also make existing hepatic biliary congestion worse, especially for those with fatty liver or metabolic disease. Are we screening for this before starting treatment?   This episode challenges practitioners to look closer, ask better questions, and avoid assuming that symptom reduction equals success. Medications can be helpful, but only when paired with a deeper clinical lens and a commitment to long-term, real-world health.   Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Understanding GLP-1 Medications 01:02 Nausea and Dysmotility 05:01 Histamine Overload 08:04 Hypothyroidism and Dysmotility 10:01 Vitamin B6 and Magnesium Deficiency 11:27 Malnutrition Risks 17:00 Hypoglycemia Concerns 20:41 Hepatic Biliary Congestion 25:10 Responsible Use and Dosage 27:00 Importance of Empowering Patients    Links Get weekly Clinical Tips in your inbox: https://schoolafm.com/clinical-tips  Learn more about SAFM's practitioner training: https://schoolafm.com/our-program Subscribe to our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@safmchannel Access daily quick tips on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AppliedFunctionalMedicine/  Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

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• EP03: Practitioner Missteps in Resolving Metabolic Dysfunction

  Most cases of type 2 diabetes could be predicted—and prevented—if we knew how to recognize the earliest metabolic red flags hiding in plain sight.   What if your patient’s “normal” labs are quietly pointing to dysfunction—and no one’s looking closely enough to catch it? In this episode, Tracy Harrison shares the story of Jane, a woman in her 40s who feels fine today but is on a predictable path to type 2 diabetes within the next decade. Her fasting glucose and A1C may look great now, but behind the scenes, rising insulin or C-peptide levels are already telling a different story.   Tracy walks through the subtle signs of early metabolic dysfunction and why standard lab markers often lull both patients and practitioners into a false sense of security. She pushes for a shift in perspective: What do we make of “optimal” labs when the patient’s diet, stress, or symptoms tell a different story? What can we catch early if we pay closer attention to things like reactive hypoglycemia, eating hygiene, and even overlooked contributors like toxin exposure and gut motility?   From the pancreas to the microbiome, Tracy connects the dots in a way that’s practical and actionable for real-world clinical practice. She also shares key tools that can support earlier intervention, from smarter lab assessments to supplements like inositol and berberine.   This episode is packed with clinical insights and reminders that prevention starts long before blood sugar goes up, and that patients like Jane are counting on us to see what others miss.   Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Introduction to Jane and the Roots of Metabolic Dysfunction 02:30 Why Fasting Insulin and C-Peptide Matter 05:10 Hypoglycemia as an Early Warning Sign 09:05 Glucose vs. A1C: What Labs Really Tell You 12:10 The Hidden Impact of Stress and Poor Eating Hygiene 15:10 Gut Motility and Its Role in Metabolic Health 22:10 Pancreatic, Thyroid, and Liver Function in Early Dysfunction 27:15 The Microbiome’s Influence on Insulin and GLP-1 32:05 Diet, Prebiotics, and Feeding the Microbiome 36:30 Supplements That Support Insulin Sensitivity   Links Get weekly Clinical Tips in your inbox: https://schoolafm.com/clinical-tips  Learn more about SAFM's practitioner training: https://schoolafm.com/our-program Subscribe to our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@safmchannel Access daily quick tips on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AppliedFunctionalMedicine/  Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

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• EP02: What IS Functional Medicine?

  Functional medicine rejects symptom-chasing and asks a better question: why did the body stop working the way it’s designed to?   In this episode, Tracy Harrison explains what functional medicine really is through the lens of systems engineering. What if we approached the human body like a complex system, where every piece plays a role in either promoting health or driving dysfunction?   Using the image of a bonsai tree, Tracy illustrates how we miss the bigger picture when we focus only on the problem we can see. She then takes it a step further with three real-world examples of people who all have hypertension, but for completely different reasons. One person is dealing with blood sugar issues. Another is struggling with nutrient metabolism. A third is unknowingly affected by toxic exposure from decades ago.   So how do we help someone heal if we don’t first understand why they’re sick? This episode is an invitation to think differently. It challenges listeners to stop asking what to fix and start asking what’s interfering with the body’s ability to function. Through a systems engineering lens, Tracy shows how personalized assessment and targeted intervention can help restore balance without relying solely on symptom management.   Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Introduction to Functional Medicine 01:57 Systems Engineering Approach 03:01 Functional Medicine Lens 04:06 Hypertension Example 06:05 Case Study: Mary and Blood Sugar 08:05 Case Study: Bill and Homocysteine 10:17 Case Study: Sue and Lead Exposure 13:20 Customizing Interventional Plans 14:38 Exploring Diagnoses and Root Causes   Links Get weekly Clinical Tips in your inbox: https://schoolafm.com/clinical-tips  Learn more about SAFM's practitioner training: https://schoolafm.com/our-program Subscribe to our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@safmchannel Access daily quick tips on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AppliedFunctionalMedicine/  Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

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