The Checkup with Doctor Mike

Buy Dr. K's new book "How To Raise A Heathy Gamer" here: https://www.healthygamer.gg/how-to-ra... Follow Dr. K and the rest of @HealthyGamerGG here: Twitter/X:   / dr_alokkanojia   IG: https://www.instagram.com/healthygame... 00:00 Intro 01:30 Risks Of YouTube Medicine / Mental Health Stigma 27:25 Mindfulness and Enlightenment 32:30 Ayurvedic Medical Tests 54:45 The Weaknesses Of Ayurveda 01:11:10 Why Ayurveda Is So Popular 01:21:26 Why I Don’t Like Ayurveda 1:39:00 The Advantage of Ayurveda / Placebos 1:56:32 How Much Time Matters 2:07:26 How Do We Know “Thought” Exists?

Bryan Johnson began his life as an entrepreneur, buying, selling, and growing companies like Venmo to build a healthy living for himself. Several years ago, he became fascinated with the idea of maximizing human technology to extend the length and quality of one's life as far as possible. Today, he lives as the most tested man in the world at the center of "Project Blueprint", where drawing on his access to wealth and resources, he pushes the boundaries of human existence to see if he can become the oldest person of all time. As someone who has pushed back quite strongly against biohacking and "optimizing" one's health beyond homeostasis, I was fascinated to ask Bryan about his approach to life and fact-check him on a few of his theories. 00:00 Intro 01:42 Baby Steps From Superintelligence 14:33 Tracking Your Life 21:28 Overpopulation 24:55 Colonoscopy / Testing 30:08 Lessons For Normal People 36:32 Plasma Transfusions From His Son 42:11 HGH Harms 44:50 Sleep Tracking / Sleep Score 50:30 Harms Of "Don't Die" Executive Producer and Host: Doctor Mike Varsahvski Produced by Dan Owens and Sam Bowers Art by Caroline Weigum

Dr. Paul Offit is the Director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and a member of the FDA Vaccine Advisory Committee. He's also the author of a new book called "Tell Me When It's Over" that audits the United States' response during the COVID-19 pandemic. His unbiased and expert point of view is essential to help us understand what mistakes were made, by both the Trump and Biden administrations, so we can be better prepared for disasters in the future. Buy Dr. Offit's book here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/739432/tell-me-when-its-over-by-paul-a-offit-md/ Subscribe to Dr. Offit's substack here: https://pauloffit.substack.com/ 00:00 Intro 01:20 Not Trusting Our Institutions 11:33 Boosters 23:16 Supreme Court / “Shutdowns” 35:20 Trump’s Mistakes 38:22 Biden’s Mistakes 41:29 Myocarditis 46:10 Gurus and Confidence 49:50 Inaccurate Reporting 52:22 Disinformation Dozen 1:06:30 Debates On Social Media 1:16:50 Strep Throat 1:22:48 RFK Jr. 1:36:49 Lab Leak Theory 1:45:00 The Future 1:47:25 Long COVID / Paxlovid Executive Producer and Host: Doctor Mike Varshavski Produced by Dan Owens and Sam Bowers Art by Caroline Weigum

David Rush is an electrical engineer from MIT, but that's not what he's known for. Instead of his impressive scientific achievements, David is in pursuit of becoming the Guinness World Record holder for... holding the most Guinness World Records. He's pushed his body to extreme lengths in his journey to now hold over 160 world records with more coming all the time. I invited him on the show to share his story and detail exactly how he's managed to stay healthy despite the constant physical toll record-breaking has on his body. Follow Guinness World Record holder and world-class juggler  @RecordBreakerRush  here: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RecordBreakerRush TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@recordbreakerrush Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/recordbreakerrush/ Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/davidwrush?lang=en Executive Producer and Host: Doctor Mike Varshavski Produced by Dan Owens and Sam Bowers Art by Caroline Weigum

Bea Amma went to a med spa a few years ago to receive a Vitamin B12 injection, and it nearly took her life. Since that fateful day, Bea has been battling a debilitating case of mycobacterium which has been eating her skin. It's forced Bea out of jobs and caused her to build up millions of dollars of medical debt. Today Bea is here to tell her story, but not just to garner sympathy, rather Bea is an advocate for systemic change, saying we must hold the currently unregulated med spa industry accountable for their spread of misinformation and dangerous, unproven health treatments that can ruin the lives of people they claim to treat. Follow Bea: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf6G6HMFtsms0cmTsQg6KSw Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beatriz.amma/?hl=en TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@beatriz.amma 00:00 Intro01:25 How Vitamin B12 Shots Ruined Her Life09:50 Brazilian Butt Lift12:35 The Injection Responsible18:07 The Hospital29:35 Replacing Her Doctor35:57 Posting On TikTok40:30 Mycobacterium / Antibiotics45:07 How Is This Legal? / The Cost57:40 IV Drips / Recurring Infections1:01:45 Her Scars / Dating1:06:00 Faith / Happiness1:14:52 Talking About It With Me1:22:45 Botched and Treatments1:25:00 Bad Advice She's Received1:35:00 What Advice Would You Give Yourself?1:40:43 My Opinion1:44:42 Call To Action Executive Producer and Host: Doctor Mike Varshavski Produced by Dan Owens and Sam Bowers Art by Caroline Weigum

Supervisory Special Agent Brenda Born leads the FBI's operation behind battling Online Blackmail, otherwise known as "Sextortion". This is a horrible practice with predators on the internet will target children, pretend they are friendly, convince them to share explicit images, and then hold those images ransom in exchange for money. This not only results is significant financial loss for children and families, but can destroy the mental health of a child or even lead to death. The FBI contacted me about doing a piece on Online Blackmail, and I agreed it was a very serious problem affecting young people that we need to discuss openly and often. Information on Online Blackmail:https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/sextortion Here is a link to where people can submit tips or information to the FBI:https://tips.fbi.gov/home 00:00 Intro 01:28 What Is Online Blackmail? 07:50 Thoughts For Parents 10:56 Online Gaming 11:45 How Predators Use Social Media 13:50 The Internet Is Like Driving 14:39 Who Are These Predators? 16:20 What Patterns Are There? 22:50 How To Fix Things 26:16 Worst Case She's Seen 36:55 Life In The FBI Executive Producer and Host: Doctor Mike Varshavski Produced by Dan Owens and Sam Bowers Art by Caroline Weigum

Layne Norton is scientist, author, and record-setting weight lifter specializing in nutrition. One of my favorite things about Layne is his commitment to debunking misinformation, whether it come from snake oil salesman... or me, which is actually the basis of our relationship. Layne called me out for some comments I had made in the past, and despite our initial adversity, I assured him we had more in common than he realized. So, I invited Layne onto the show to dive deep into the ozempification of weight loss, snake oil salesman, and the problem with modern day health podcasts. Follow Layne Norton of Biolayne here: Website: https://biolayne.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@biolayne1 IG: https://www.instagram.com/biolayne/?hl=en Twitter: https://twitter.com/BioLayne?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@biolayne 00:00 Intro 00:50 Weight Loss Medications 21:00 Why Misinformation Sells 31:00 Where Are The Experts? 39:00 The Problem With Podcasts 43:40 Health “Fads” 51:00 Mass Media Hypocrisy 58:28 French Fries / Reading Studies 01:12:35 Gameifying Healthcare 01:20:50 Distrust In Science 01:26:00 Nobel Prize Syndrome 01:30:50 Number Needed To Treat 01:37:00 Researchers vs. Clinicians 01:54:00 Dana Whte / Gary Brecka / Recommendations Executive Producer and Host: Doctor Mike Varshavski Produced by Dan Owens and Sam Bowers Art by Caroline Weigum

Ginny Kaltenbach is not just any nurse, but my nurse, having working alongside me for the last 10 years in New Jersey. Ginny and I are great friends and coworkers, but we developed a new type of relationship this last year where Ginny actually became one of my patients. You see, Ginny was suffering from debilitating pain in her back, and after hearing her side of the story, I realized I wasn't happy with her treatment plan. So, I made Ginny book an appointment with me so we could get to the bottom of her pain. This turned out to be an excellent decision for many reasons detailed in this episode. We don't just talk about Ginny's health though, but also do a deep dive into our relationship and Ginny's opinions on the healthcare system as a nurse who has seen it all, and then some, in over 40 years on the front lines. 00:00 Intro01:10 Our First Meeting / Fight04:50 How Ginny Started14:05 What Makes Doctors Special19:31 What Nurses Actually Do24:36 Memories Of Me31:30 Flirting With Doctors33:25 Ginny Going Viral35:18 Ginny’s Injury52:10 Ginny’s Retirement / My Boxing54:48 Advice For Nurses Executive Producer and Host: Doctor Mike Varshavski Produced by Dan Owens and Sam Bowers Artwork by Caroline Weigum

Professor George Bonanno is a world-renowned expert on Trauma and has spent decades teaching at Columbia University in NYC. His opinions on the subject have gotten him in some hot water online too, as he believes our cultural understanding of trauma is incomplete and often incorrect. Buy Professor George Bonanno's book "The End Of Trauma" here: https://www.amazon.com/End-Trauma-Science-Resilience-Changing/dp/1541674367 Follow Professor Bonanno here: Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/giorgiobee Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/giorgiobee/ Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-bonanno-610a0a22a/ 00:00 Intro 1:20 Are You Really Traumatized? 16:37 What’s Wrong WIth Psychology Today? 20:44 How To Overcome Trauma 26:00 Repressing Memories 29:05 Emotional Trauma Causing Physical Symptoms / Psychosomatic Stress 47:52 Getting Over Breakups / Coping Mechanisms 54:23 Addressing His Controversy 57:55 Resiliency 1:05:20 Post-Traumatic Growth 1:11:30 Addressing His Controversy Pt. 2 1:15:27 PTSD 1:20:15 Fixing Modern Psychology 1:25:03 My Trauma 1:28:25 Social Media Executive Producer and Host: Doctor Mike Varshavski Produced by Dan Owens and Sam Bowers Art by Caroline Weigum

Watch the full video interview here: https://go.doctormikemedia.com/youtube/c2m9 Cristo Fernandez was a start soccer player in Mexico, well on his way to playing for the national team, when a horrific knee injury sidelined him for the rest of his life... or so he thought. The life-altering injury sent Cristo down a new path, eventually taking him the the UK where he studied acting, and eventually landed himself the role of Danny Rojas on the hit Apple+ series, Ted Lasso. Now Cristo is starring in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, and shows no signs of slowing down, knee injury and all. Follow Cristo here: https://www.instagram.com/cristofernandez.mx/ 00:00 Intro 00:55 Acting vs. Futbol 03:22 Knee Injury 07:31 Life Outside Futbol 10:50 Hardest Acting/Futbol Exercises 15:17 Life Advice 16:39 Transformers 18:26 Relationship with Health 19:36 Mexican Food Executive Producer and Host: Doctor Mike Varshavski Produced by Dan Owens and Sam Bowers Art by Caroline Weigum CONTACT: DoctorMikeMedia@gmail.com

Watch the full video interview here: https://go.doctormikemedia.com/youtube/GundryVOD Dr. Steven Gundry began his career as a highly-successful cardiologist and heart surgeon. In more recent years, he has pivoted away from surgery and more into preventive medicine at his clinic in souther California. Dr. Gundry is a highly vocal advocate for a wide variety of highly controversial health claims, often centered on the gut microbiome and "lectins", which are found inside foods like tomatoes and bell peppers that he claims have disastrous effects on your health. Over the years, I've had issues with many of the things Dr. Gundry has said, so when his team reached out about having him come on the show to promote his new book "Gut Check", I was eager at the oppurtunity. That being said, I was quickly to communicate to Dr. Gundry's team that not only would this be a contentious discussion, but that I would also bring in my friend Dr. Danielle Belardo, a heart and diet expert in her own right, to join the discussion and get down to the truth about a number of Dr. Gundry's most extreme claims. To his credit, Dr. Gundry accept, and this conversation is what followed. Follow  Dr. Gundry here: Website and pre-orders for Gut Check: https://drgundry.com/ YouTube Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@DrGundry YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GundryMDYT Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GundryMD/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gundrymd Follow Dr. Danielle Belardo here: IG: https://www.instagram.com/daniellebelardomd/ Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-belardo-366369241/ Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/DBelardoMD 00:00 Intro 02:02 Smoking / Blue Zones 17:50 Dr. Gundry's Studies / The Data 37:07 Lyon Heart Study / Autoimmune Disease 45:40 Gut Microbiome 53:30 Are Fruits Unhealthy? 1:05:07 Specific Claims 1:27:27 My Problem With The System 1:31:43 "I Can Eliminate All Disease" Host and Executive Producer: Doctor Mike Produced by Dan Owens and Sam Bowers Art by Caroline Weigum

Watch the full video interview here: https://go.doctormikemedia.com/youtube/RSWOzempic Dr. Rocio Salas-Whalen is a double board-certified physician with broad experience across all facets of endocrinology, with a particular emphasis on obesity, diabetes and thyroid disorders. She has been an outspoken proponent of Ozempic injections to help patients navigate diet and weight. I've been a bit skeptical about the emergence of Ozempic, so I wanted to dive in with an expert who can really discuss the nuts and bolts of the science to get to the bottom of who exactly should be taking these medications and what impacts they can actually have. Follow Dr. Rocio Salas-Whalen here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drsalaswhalen/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/newyorkendocrinology/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@newyorkendocrinology 00:00 Intro 01:00 Ozempic overview 03:44 BMI, Diabetes, Skinny Fat 06:44 Who Needs Ozempic? 09:13 Fat Bias 17:20 Every obese patient should be on Ozempic? 20:55 Big Food vs. Big Pharma 23:02 Celebrity Use 25:55 Side Effects 27:30 Professional Athletes 29:26 Quick Fix 32:28 Getting Off Ozempic 38:49 Ozempic Shortages 44:18 Snake Oil 47:17 Advice for patients Host and Executive Producer: Doctor Mike Produced by Dan Owens and Sam Bowers Art by Caroline Weigum

Rebooting psychotherapy: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26162113/ Mental health for all by involving all: https://youtu.be/yzm4gpAKrBk?si=cTioab_Bzcj9YzL7 81 words episode of This American Life: https://www.thisamericanlife.org/204/81-words BetterHelp: https://www.thecut.com/article/mental-health-therapy-apps.html Kaiser mental health strike: https://www.kqed.org/news/11929713/kaiser-mental-health-workers-appove-new-contract-ending-10-week-strike Myers Briggs: https://youtu.be/Q5pggDCnt5M?si=z0vxswUuD-Enc9ga Follow Dr. Ali Mattu, clinical psychologist from Columbia University and YouTuber, here: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClIZqOLqUCro7bKztUjYCNA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alimattu/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/AliMattu 00:00 Intro 01:09 Social Media Doctors 07:16 When To Start Talking About Therapy 11:30 Triggering Language 22:57 Medical Turf Wars 49:00 Thought's Don't Matter 56:19 Life Coaches / School Curriculums 1:14:24 Affirmations / Manifestations / Ice Baths 1:26:20 Punishment 1:38:00 BetterHelp 1:58:14 Hacks / Meyers-Briggs / Astrology 2:10:35 The Quesadilla Story 2:25:35 Doctors As President / Pokemon Go 2:33:44 Perks Of Being A Psychologist Host and Executive Producer: Doctor Mike Produced by Dan Owens and Sam Bowers Art by Caroline Weigum

**This interview was recorded prior to the SAG-AFTRA strikes** Watch my full interview with Zach Kornfeld here: https://go.doctormikemedia.com/youtube/ZachKornfeld Follow Zach here: https://www.instagram.com/korndiddy/?hl=en Check out The Try Guys on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/tryguys Zach Kornfeld is one of the founders of The Try Guys, internet royalty who try everything under the sun. Over the last few years, Zach has been on a personal journey where he has tried navigating the US healthcare industry... with mixed results. In invited Zach on The Checkup to go into detail about his experienced in healthcare, from living with Ankylosing spondylitis, to nearly dying after a treadmill accident weeks before his wedding earlier this year. Hosted and Executive Producer: Doctor Mike Produced by Dan Owens and Sam Bowers Art by Caroline Weigum

Watch the full video interview with Harry Jowsey here: https://go.doctormikemedia.com/youtube/HarryJowseyVOD Follow Harry on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harryjowsey/ Executive Producer and Host: Doctor Mike Varshavski Produced by Dan Owens and Sam Bowers Art by Caroline Weigum

Howie Mandel is one of the biggest media stars in America, especially impressive considering he's Canadian. Howie is known for being a judge of America's Got Talent, the host of Deal or No Deal, and played an ER physician on the 80's medical drama, St. Elsewhere, amongst over 20 Tonight Show appearances and countless other opportunities in film and tv. With all that being said, something else people know about Howie is that he struggles with OCD, anxiety, depression, and germaphobia, amongst many other things. Today we dove deep on the medical side of Howie Mandel, a conversation I'm grateful he was so open to having. Host and Executive Producer: Doctor Mike Varshavski Produced by Dan Owens and Sam Bowers Art by Caroline Weigum

Watch the full video interview here: https://go.doctormikemedia.com/youtube/CarliLloyf Carli Lloyd is one of, if not the greatest soccer player of all time. She's a 2 time Olympic gold medalist, 2 time FIFA World Cup Champion, and 2 time FIFA player of the year, amongst countless other accolades. Now in retirement from her professional soccer career, Carli is pivoting to new ventures in life, including her recent appearance and victory on Fox's "Special Forces: World's Toughest Test", where she outlasted other world-class athletes to complete US Special Forces military training. She came on my show to talk about her experience on Special Forces, the grueling injuries she sustained in her decades-long soccer career, and her strong opinions on the soccer world of today. Follow Carli IG: https://www.instagram.com/carlilloyd/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/CarliLloyd Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarliLloydOfficial/ Executive Producer and Host: Dr. Mike Varshavski Produced by Dan Owens and Sam Bowers Art by Caroline Weigum CONTACT: DoctorMikeMedia@gmail.com

Watch the full video interview here: https://go.doctormikemedia.com/youtube/TonyHawk Follow Tony Hawk here: IG: https://www.instagram.com/tonyhawk/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonyhawk Follow Jason Ellis here: IG: https://www.instagram.com/wolfmate/?hl=en Listen To Hawk vs. Wolf here: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HawkvsWolf Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ZcNADIeqlXXCCLm1MJny7?si=6894e70626634751 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hawk-vs-wolf/id1553164725 IG: https://www.instagram.com/hawkvswolf/?hl=en Executive Producer and Host: Doctor Mike Varshavski Produced by Dan Owens and Sam Bowers Art by Caroline Weigum

Watch the full video interview here: https://go.doctormikemedia.com/youtube/DarylSabara Daryl Sabara is an actor you may remember as Agent Juni Cortez in the Spy Kids franchise. Of course, Daryl has accomplished a ton after that burst of fame as a child actor, including most recently becoming a father to 2 children with his wife, Meghan Trainor. I invited Daryl on the show to discuss the variety of wellness efforts Daryl has made in his personal life, from ice baths to waking up very early in the morning and so much more. Follow Daryl here: https://www.instagram.com/darylsabara/ Executive Producer and Host: Doctor Mike Varshavski Produced by Dan Owens and Sam Bowers Art by Caroline Weigum CONTACT: DoctorMikeMedia@gmail.com

Watch the full video interview here: https://go.doctormikemedia.com/youtube/RyanMarinoVOD Dr. Ryan Marino is an Emergency Rom Toxicologist. That gives him unique insight into one of America's most complicated topics: drug overdoses. I invited Dr. Marino on the Checkup to discuss America's drug "problem", specifically about where the problems actually lie or if there is a problem at all. We also touched on the viral instances of police officers falling victim to fentanyl "overdoses" and whether or not those cases are actually real. This was a juicy interview about a fascinating and complex subject matter, so I'd love to read your nuanced takes down in the comments! Follow Dr. Marino here: Twitter: https://twitter.com/RyanMarino Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drryanmarino/?hl=en Executive Producer and Host: Doctor Mike Varshavski Produced by Dan Owens and Sam Bowers Art by Caroline Weigum CONTACT: DoctorMikeMedia@gmail.com