Where are the blind spots in our current standard of care, and what happens when a physician decides to search beyond them? This week on Health Coach Talk, Dr. Sandi welcomes family physician, clinical researcher, and author Dr. Aaron Hartman to explore how truly personalized medicine takes shape when curiosity, compassion, and evidence align. Dr. Hartman shares how his daughter’s early challenges became the catalyst for a new approach to care that honors biology, context, and the body’s capacity to heal.
Show notes: https://functionalmedicinecoaching.org/podcast/aaron-hartman-155/
What if recovery didn’t stop at sobriety? This week on Health Coach Talk, Dr. Sandi welcomes Dr. Amy de la Garza and Linnea Offerman from Nosis Health to discuss how functional medicine and health coaching are transforming addiction treatment. Together, they share a groundbreaking model of care that integrates medical treatment, therapy, and coaching to support lasting recovery and whole-person healing.
Full show notes: https://functionalmedicinecoaching.org/podcast/amy-de-la-garza-linnea-offerman-154/
Can what you eat shape how you feel and think? This week on Health Coach Talk, Dr. Sandi welcomes licensed clinical psychologist and FMCA-certified health coach Dr. Andrea Cook to explore nutritional psychology, the bi-directional relationship between food and mental health. Dr. Cook shares how this lens is reshaping psychotherapy training, clinical practice, and even college psychology curricula.Show notes: https://functionalmedicinecoaching.org/podcast/andrea-cook-153/
What if the secret to aging well isn’t found in a pill or a protocol, but in your mindset and your community? This week on Health Coach Talk, Dr. Sandi welcomes Sally Duplantier, gerontologist, public health educator, and founder of Zing. At 70, she’s pursuing her doctorate in public health while helping older adults around the world embrace vitality, connection, and lifelong learning through her organization and Wellness Wednesdays webinar series.
Full show notes: https://functionalmedicinecoaching.org/podcast/sally-duplantier-152/
What if trauma isn’t just in your mind, but in your cells? This week on Health Coach Talk, Dr. Sandi welcomes double board-certified physician and trauma expert Dr. Amy to explore the biology of trauma and how it impacts both mental and physical health. Dr. Amy shares groundbreaking insights from her new book The Biology of Trauma, which reveals how the body stores fear, pain, and overwhelm, and how we can begin to heal.
Full show notes: https://functionalmedicinecoaching.org/podcast/aimee-apigian-151/
What does it really mean when food is “grass-fed” or “regenerative”? This week on Health Coach Talk, Dr. Sandi welcomes regenerative farmer Joe Wanda, founder of Wanda Farms in Harvard, Illinois. Together they explore how farming practices impact the nutrient density of food, the health of our soil, and ultimately, the well-being of our families and communities.
Full show notes: https://functionalmedicinecoaching.org/podcast/joe-wanda-150/
What if the path to healing and growth started not with reinvention, but with radical self-acceptance? In this episode of Health Coach Talk, Dr. Sandi sits down with motivational speaker, author, and emotional fitness advocate Hakeem Bourne McFarlane to explore the power of choosing yourself: embracing your story, owning your identity, and doing the internal work that leads to external impact. Full show notes: https://functionalmedicinecoaching.org/podcast/hakeem-bourne-mcfarlane-149/
What happens to healthcare when artificial intelligence gets faster, smarter, and more accessible? In this episode of Health Coach Talk, Dr. Sandi speaks with Stanford professor and AI pioneer Dr. Ronjon Nag about the future of AI in medicine, why human connection still matters, and how coaches can embrace technology without losing their impact. With decades of experience building AI systems and now leading longevity science initiatives, Dr. Ronjon offers a unique perspective on where we’re headed and what it means for personalized care.
Show notes: https://functionalmedicinecoaching.org/podcast/ronjon-nag-148/
What if treating heart disease meant going beyond prescriptions and procedures to ask what truly matters? In this episode of Health Coach Talk, Dr. Sandi welcomes Dr. Sanjay Bhojraj, a board-certified interventional cardiologist who found new purpose through functional medicine and personalized, lifestyle-based care.Show notes: https://functionalmedicinecoaching.org/podcast/sanjay-bhojraj-147/
What role can health coaches play in addressing today’s mental health crisis? On this episode of Health Coach Talk, Dr. Sandi welcomes FMCA graduate Shelby Garay, Senior Manager of Coaching at the Headspace Training Institute, to talk about her journey from FMCA’s inaugural class to shaping the future of mental health coaching. Shelby shares her passion for dismantling health inequities, training new coaches, and integrating functional medicine principles into mental health care.Show notes: https://functionalmedicinecoaching.org/podcast/shelby-garay-146/
What does it really mean to “stay in your lane” as a health coach? In this week’s episode of Health Coach Talk, Dr. Sandi welcomes attorney and certified health coach Lisa Fraley to shed light on the legal side of coaching. Lisa blends her experience as a former healthcare lawyer with her background as a coach to help professionals understand scope of practice, protect their businesses, and feel confident about how they serve clients.Show notes: https://functionalmedicinecoaching.org/podcast/lisa-fraley-145/
What does it take to be at the forefront of a profession that is transforming healthcare? This week on Health Coach Talk, Dr. Sandi welcomes Karen Malkin, one of the first National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coaches in the United States. Karen has spent years weaving together nutrition, environmental health, and brain health into her coaching practice, helping clients create sustainable lifestyle changes and even guiding those working to prevent or reverse cognitive decline.Show notes: https://functionalmedicinecoaching.org/podcast/karen-malkin-144/
Can cognitive decline be prevented or even reversed with the right approach? This week on Health Coach Talk, Dr. Sandi speaks with FMCA graduate and ReCODE 2.0 health coach Julie Luby and Apollo Health’s VP of Coaching Services, Chris Coward, about the groundbreaking work being done in brain health coaching. Together, they explore the ReCODE program developed from Dr. Dale Bredesen’s research, share inspiring client success stories, and discuss how health coaches can specialize in supporting clients facing Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of cognitive decline.Show notes: https://functionalmedicinecoaching.org/podcast/julie-luby-chris-coward-143/
What would it mean to truly explore your limits, physically, emotionally, and spiritually? This week on Health Coach Talk, Dr. Sandi sits down with Akshay Nanavati, a speaker, author, and former Marine whose journey through trauma, addiction, and war led him to a life of intentional suffering, deep self-exploration, and global impact. From ultramarathons to solitude in Antarctica, Akshay shares what it means to live at the edge of human potential and how facing discomfort can lead to profound transformation.Show notes: https://functionalmedicinecoaching.org/podcast/akshay-nanavati-142/
What if your best years weren’t behind you but ahead? In this episode of Health Coach Talk, Dr. Sandi is joined by midlife fat loss expert and bestselling author Natalie Jill to challenge cultural narratives around aging, strength, and what is truly possible for women over 40. With an empowering message rooted in resilience, mindset, and science-backed strategies, Natalie shares how women can feel stronger and more in control of their health, even in the face of pain, diagnoses, or discouragement.Show notes: https://functionalmedicinecoaching.org/podcast/natalie-jill-141/
We often think of skin in terms of appearance, but what if it also reflects our internal health and serves as a predictor of chronic disease? In this fascinating episode of Health Coach Talk, Dr. Sandi is joined by Kiran Krishnan, a research microbiologist and co-founder of Microbiome Labs, to uncover what most people are missing about the skin microbiome, joint health, and how artificial intelligence is advancing functional medicine.
Show notes: https://functionalmedicinecoaching.org/podcast/kiran-krishnan-140/
What makes a health coaching relationship truly transformative? This week on Health Coach Talk, Dr. Sandi welcomes board-certified functional health coach and author Anu Simh to explore how coaching that centers the client’s voice and lived experience can lead to powerful, lasting change. Anu is the founder of 9 Arms of Wellness, where she helps busy women heal their gut, reclaim their health, and stay off the diet roller coaster for good.
Show notes: https://functionalmedicinecoaching.org/podcast/anu-simh-139/
Is cognitive decline an inevitable part of aging? Not according to renowned neurologist and bestselling author Dr. Dale Bredesen. In this week’s episode of Health Coach Talk, Dr. Sandi sits down with Dr. Bredesen to talk about his latest book, The Ageless Brain, and how his groundbreaking work is changing the conversation around Alzheimer’s prevention, brain span, and the power of lifestyle medicine.Show notes: https://functionalmedicinecoaching.org/podcast/dale-bredesen-138/
What happens when an Olympic champion faces life’s hardest loss—and uses that pain to help others heal? In this episode of Health Coach Talk, Dr. Sandi sits down with FMCA graduate Kate Slatter, a gold medalist turned functional medicine health coach, to talk about grief, resilience, and how coaching became her way forward.Show notes: https://functionalmedicinecoaching.org/podcast/kate-slatter-137/
Why do so many women struggle with food—and why does dieting often make it worse? In this week’s episode of Health Coach Talk, Dr. Sandi welcomes Lydia Knight, founder of The She Center and an expert in helping women end disordered eating. Together, they explore how our relationships with food are shaped by thought patterns, not willpower, and how healing begins when we ditch the shame and break the cycle. Full show notes: https://functionalmedicinecoaching.org/podcast/lydia-knight-136/