February 28, 2019
“The good physician treats the disease. The great physician treats the patient.”
– Sir William Osler
You deserve better than the broken, assembly-line medical system. The world deserves the optimized version of you. We can get you there.
So claim my guests on today's show, Dr. Matt Dawson and Dr. Mike Mallin of Wild Health, with locations in Versailles, KY, and Bend, OR.
Dr. Matt Dawson is a precision medicine physician in Lexington, KY, co-host of the Wild Health podcast and has been obsessed with performance optimization as long as he can remember. He received scholarships to play two sports in college even with “minimal talent” because of his voracious reading and implementation of any fitness or nutritional techniques that would give him an edge. Dr. Dawson continued that obsession in medical school and, as a physician, he has won national awards for education, innovation, and leadership. He has lectured in over 20 countries and trained thousands of other physicians through live lecture, online education, two textbooks, and an educational app.
Dr. Dawson combines his training in genomics and functional medicine to give personalized, precise medical guidance. His obsession with performance optimization has morphed from initially athletic to now mental performance and longevity. Whether it's a professional athlete or a grandparent optimizing their mental clarity and mobility to keep up with their grandkids, Dr. Dawson is passionate about helping everyone perform at their absolute peak.
Dr. Mike Mallin is a physician in Bend, OR who is obsessed with health performance and precision medicine and is co-founder of the Wild Health podcast. He completed medical school in South Carolina and trained in Emergency Medicine in Salt Lake City, UT where he competed in several ultramarathons and found his love for the mountains and performance.
Mike currently practices in Bend, OR and Lexington, KY in his precision medicine clinics. He is also co-founder of the Ultrasound Podcast, an educational podcast that has taught thousands of physicians all over the world how to use ultrasound, as well as Wild Health, his newest podcast focusing on health performance and longevity.
During our discussion, you'll discover:
-How Dr. Dawson played two sports in college despite possessing “minimal talent”…8:55
- Received two scholarships: tennis and soccer
- Became obsessed with performance; autodidactism
- Focused on helping others optimize their fitness and performance goals
- Ben had to figure out ways to train to overcome physical limitations in college – first foray into biohacking
-The story behind the founding of Wild Health…13:05
- Met 12 years ago, residency in Salt Lake City
- Interested in personal health for performance; competed with each other
- Became interested in genomics trying to fix Dr. Mallin's cholesterol numbers, which were very high
- Extremely high LDL; over 300
- Used epidemiology; lots of guesswork.
- Frustrated with conventional methods
- Saw need for adding genomic and microbiome data into the treatment
- Began studying “precision medicine”
- Treat patients primarily in person, in their respective clinics
- Data is important, but focus on a relationship, know patient's lifestyle, etc.
-What the heck is “precision medicine”…17:45
- First and foremost: not treating a patient as a statistic
- What may be true for a “population” may not necessarily be true for an individual
- Two individuals with the same problem (ex. insufficient Vitamin D) may require completely different treatments
-Machine learning algorithms and artificial intelligence used in precision medicine…20:10
- Closest we can come to that at the moment is the human brain
- Difficulty in obtaining accurate data is in lifestyle factors
- Great potential; Onegevity (listen to my podcast) has great potential but too many variables
- Is there a “gold standard” test that Drs. Mallin and Dawson use on their patients
- Varies with each individual according to their needs and specific situation/lifestyle
-Strategies Drs. Mallin and Dawson recommend in terms of athletic performance optimization…24:15
- Depends on the individual
- Some need more recovery time than others
- Genetic tests to determine power vs. endurance
- Focus on doing what people like to do
- Optimize sleep: Oura ring
- Elite athletes, exercise enthusiasts
- Won't change based on genetic data
- Focus on overtraining by using data to educate them appropriately
- Can better identify a power vs. endurance approach with someone who is more passive in their regimen
- What Matt's daily exercise regimen looks like:
- Sauna: near-infrared light, meditation (20 minutes)
- 90 lb. kettlebell; short sets (20 minutes)
- Reading (20 minutes)
- Short, compressed exercise much more efficacious than a long run, long sets of strenuous activity
- HRV, breath work
-How Drs. Mallin and Dawson approach cognitive performance, as well as dementia and Alzheimers…36:50
- Start with genetic testing
- Alzheimers easier to treat before symptoms start
- If you have apoe4 gene, you're 3-15x more likely to have Alzheimer's; earlier onset
- There are ways to treat Alzheimer's with the right data at hand
- Healthy diet, sleep, detoxification
- Book: The End of Alzheimer's by Dr. Dale Bredesen
- P Gingivalis
- The Fortune magazine article on BMAA
-How Drs. Mallin and Dawson approach longevity and anti-aging…43:30
- Ultimate hack: find an ancient practice (like fasting) that simulates a modern day compound like rapamycin or metformin
- Spermidine
- Results from studies on athletes who take compounds like metformin?
- What about stem cells…
- Proceed with caution. Possible if a patient has major health issues.
- Educate them and let them make the decision they believe is best
- PulseCenter PEMF
-Drs. Mallin and Dawson's personal nutrition regimen…50:15
- TianChi for Ashwagandha
- Reduces blood sugar level
- Increasing testosterone and fertility
- KSM 66
- How do you measure for testosterone?
- 5 days of taking a supplement to getting to a “steady state”
- Test once per month
- Joovv Light
- Multi-modal approach
- First step: test for imbalance; then adjust lifestyle before supplementation
- DUTCH test: Key for women, not as much for men
- So much fluctuation of estrogen during the cycle
- More efficacious than single-serum test
- Listen to my podcast on the DUTCH test
-What about cardiovascular health…59:11
- Primary interventions – diet, lifestyle – help with 80% of cure
- 3 areas to focus on:
- Inflammation
- Endothelial dysfunction
- High LDL particle count
- Treat based on the reason for the problem; not because there's a problem
- The Insulin Of The Heart: A Little-Known Seed Extract That May Be The Future Panacea For Heart Disease.
-How Drs. Mallin and Dawson go about identifying the perfect diet for people…
- They're both on very different diets
- Use genomics to figure out predispositions
- Weston A. Price
- Start with what the person likes; the “perfect diet” is useless if people don't adhere to it.
-About the Kentucky Castle, an upcoming event where Ben will be speaking…1:09:13
-And much more!
Special Announcements:
–Kentucky Castle Event: On April 6, 2019, Drs. Dawson and Mallin will show you the science of how to look at your genetics and personalize every life decision to what your body will respond best to. Ben Greenfield will share his vast knowledge of nutrition and exercise science to help you figure out how to hack your biology and get the most out of the genetics you were born with. This will happen at the amazing Kentucky Castle. Interactive discussions and presentations will take place from 9am – 1pm on April 6th. Then everyone will take a field trip to Keeneland to watch the sport of kings, thoroughbred horse racing, at the most beautiful race track in the world.
After the festivities, we'll return to the castle for a feast in the evening and dinner with Ben Greenfield and Drs. Dawson and Mallin. There they'll answer your specific questions about genomics, personalized medicine, the microbiome, or any other questions you have.
Registrati
–Retreat in the Swiss Alps: Join Ben Greenfield and Robyn Openshaw, aka The Green Smoothie Girl, for an immersive health retreat in the Swiss Alps!
At this 2019 liver detox and R&R at the beautiful Swiss Mountain Clinic (formerly Paracelsus al Ronc) in the Italian quarter of Switzerland, you will stay on-site and receive diagnostics and treatments from the best doctors of biological medicine to detox your liver and your soul.
Plus you're going to have a wonderful time hiking, sightseeing and enjoying one of the most beautiful places in the world. Click here for more information. Spots are extremely limited!
–Runga in Napa Valley: In September and October this year, people from all over the world will come together at a pristine property nestled on the ridge between Napa and Sonoma Valley, for one of the most immersive wellness experiences in the world. Guests spend four days connecting with each other and themselves while learning and applying practices that are at the forefront of wellness and longevity.
This is the RUNGA Immersion. Click here for more information.
To keep up with all of Ben's upcoming public events, just visit the official Ben Greenfield Fitness Calendar.
Click here for the full written transcript of this podcast episode.
Resources from this episode:
–My podcast on Onegevity Health
-Book: End Of Alzheimer's by Dale Bredesen
–The Fortune magazine article on BMAA
–Reversal of Cognitive Decline: 100 Patients
–TianChi for Ashwagandha
–JOOVV light
Episode Sponsors:
–Kion: The Daily Life Bundle contains Ben and Team Kion's go to, everyday essentials: Kion Bars, Coffee, Aminos and Kion Lean. Use discount code: BGF10 and receive 10% off your order.
–Zip Recruiter: The smartest way to hire. Use my link and try Zip Recruiter for FREE!
–Marc Pro: Helps you recover right and keep your body healthy, so you can do the things you love now without paying for it later. Use discount code: BEN to receive 10% off your order.
As I was running yesterday, I was listening to the episode regarding DNA testing with Dr Matt Dawson and Dr Mike Mallin. I’m 65, but I’m very active and still workout a lot and run many races a year and several marathons. Yes I have done 23 and Me testing, but realize there are many pitfalls with it. I’m really interested in the type of testing that DRs Dawson and Mallin do. You mentioned on the podcast about a doctor directory for more in-depth testing and I’d like to find one locally in Memphis, Tennessee. I couldn’t find the reference to the directory on your show notes. Help please. Thanks in advance.
Mentioned in this episode was using genomic testing to determine compatible exercise style and recovery capability. Could you or the Wild Health guys point out some resources we could reference to learn more about that topic? Thanks
Is there any way to get the info that was taught at the even April 6th? It sounds like exactly what I’m looking for and unfortunately just listened to the pod cast announcing it.
I will have a future podcast going over much of it… Stay tuned ;)
Any recommendations for precision medicine doctor in the Salt Lake City area?
Here's a good resource: http://bit.ly/2X0w4pz
I am a female who is turning 40 this year. I train in the gym 4-5 times a week and run or bike 3-4 times a week. I eat a mostly organic real whole food diet, hydrate and supplement well and avoid toxic household products. I track my sleep with whoop and it is fantastic. In my opinion something is still not quite right. I do not have the resources to order every test under the sun so when it comes to body composition optimization what are the best three biometric tests for me to get.
Thanks!
Chelsea
I’d recommend a really comprehensive blood test like the Longevity Panel I worked on with WellnessFX: https://goo.gl/9fy5R9 A good gut test (I like Onegevity and Viome) and here is a great hormone test: https://goo.gl/bXP7dL
Any recommendations for a precision medicine doctor in Florida.., preferably Orlando? That said, I’m willing to travel in Florida!
I recommend posting this to the Kion Community. It’s a completely free online community of like-minded people who both have advice and are seeking advice. Facebook.com/groups/GetKion/
Hi Mr. Greenfield,
I’m also curious about BMAA in spirulina. Are there any sources we should stay away from? Are you still consuming energybits?
Thank you.
Awesome podcast gentlemen! Looking forward to learning more from you
chimera stem cells?
Any recommendation for a precision medicine doctor in Los Angeles?
Check out Dr Darshan Shah with NextHealth: https://www.next-health.com/
Hmmmmm…. BMAA and Alzheimer’s. What does this mean for chlorella and spirulina “super foods”. Might they be “super bad”?