Episodes

  • Peptides: Signals, Safety, and Why the Foundation Matters for Clinical Success

    Peptides: Signals, Safety, and Why the Foundation Matters for Clinical Success
    Jul 1 2026

    Peptides are everywhere: fat loss, tissue healing, gut repair, sleep, hormones, inflammation, brain health, anti-aging, and recovery. The real question isn’t whether peptides influence physiology. They do. The question is: can the body respond?

    In this episode, Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo unpacks the hype versus the science behind peptides. You’ll learn why peptides are signaling molecules, why foundational health matters more than the newest intervention, and how to use peptides responsibly for lasting, predictable results.

    This episode is for practitioners ready to move beyond trends, integrate interventions with metabolic readiness, and apply clinical reasoning at every step.

    What’s Inside This Episode
    • Why peptides are signals, not magic bullets
    • When advanced interventions fail because the foundation is missing
    • How metabolic terrain determines response to peptide therapy
    • Separating promise, hype, and clinical evidence
    • A practical framework for evaluating peptide use safely
    • How to counsel clients who are curious about peptides without overselling or dismissing
    • The risks of replacing foundational support with trendy interventions
    • Integrating peptides with labs, genetics, nutrition, and lifestyle

    Resources and Links:
    • Download the full transcript
    • Get your FREE guide: Beyond Protocols: A Practitioner's Guide to Root Cause Pattern Recognition for a structured framework to integrate symptoms, systems, and sequence in complex cases
    • Join the Next-Level Health Practitioner Facebook group here for free resources and community support
    • Visit INEMethod.com for advanced health practitioner training and tools to elevate your clinical skills and grow your practice by getting life-changing results.
    • Check out other podcast episodes here
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    26 mins
  • GLP-1 Medications: Muscle Preservation, Metabolic Resilience, and What Every Practitioner Must Know

    GLP-1 Medications: Muscle Preservation, Metabolic Resilience, and What Every Practitioner Must Know
    Jun 24 2026

    GLP-1 medications are everywhere in metabolic health conversations, but weight loss doesn’t equal metabolic restoration. Appetite suppression without strategy can compromise muscle, nutrient status, digestion, and long-term resilience.

    In this episode, Dr. Ritamarie walks through a functional practitioner’s approach to GLP-1s, including how to protect lean mass, maintain nutrient density, optimize metabolic flexibility, and support digestion while using these medications. Learn why context matters more than the number on the scale and how to create a sustainable, clinically precise plan.

    What’s Inside This Episode
    • Why weight loss is not the same as metabolic restoration
    • How GLP-1s affect appetite, digestion, and nutrient intake
    • Protecting muscle and functional strength while on these medications
    • Key labs and markers to track metabolic resilience
    • How diet, protein, fiber, phytonutrients, and exercise fit in
    • Risks of nutrient depletion, slowed digestion, and functional decline
    • How to help clients transition off GLP-1s without losing metabolic gains
    • Practical steps for integrating GLP-1s into a systems-based metabolic strategy

    Resources and Links
    • Download the full transcript here
    • Get your FREE guide: Beyond Protocols: A Practitioner's Guide to Root Cause Pattern Recognition for a structured framework to integrate symptoms, systems, and sequence in complex cases
    • Access the Genetic Pathway Mapping Workshop Replay to learn a clinical framework for identifying genetic patterns and applying targeted epigenetic strategies. Approximately 2 hours of training.
    • Join the Next-Level Health Practitioner Facebook group here for free resources and community support
    • Visit INEMethod.com for advanced health practitioner training and tools to elevate your clinical skills and grow your practice by getting life-changing results.
    • Check out other podcast episodes here
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    29 mins
  • Seed Oils: Why Both Sides Are Missing the Real Problem

    Seed Oils: Why Both Sides Are Missing the Real Problem
    Jun 17 2026

    The conversation around seed oils is confusing. Some claim they are toxic, while others insist omega-6 fats are harmless. The truth lies elsewhere. The important factors are what the oil contains, how it is processed, and the metabolic health of the person consuming it.

    In this episode, Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo cuts through the confusion, unpacking: fatty acid balance, omega-6 to omega-3 ratios, oxidation, cell membrane signaling, inflammation, insulin resistance, and practical strategies to navigate modern dietary fats. If you work with clients who struggle with inflammation, metabolic dysfunction, or cardiovascular risk, this episode will help you move from dogma to clinical precision.

    What’s Inside This Episode:
    • Why “seed oils” is a misleading category
    • How refined oils differ from whole seeds
    • The metabolic consequences of excess omega-6
    • The role of oxidation and processing in health outcomes
    • How fatty acid balance influences inflammation and insulin signaling
    • Why individual metabolic health changes oil tolerance
    • Key questions practitioners should ask before recommending oils
    • A framework for evaluating oils without fear or hype

    Resources and Links:
    • Download the Full Transcript here
    • Download our FREE Beyond Protocols: A Practitioner's Guide to Root-Cause Pattern Recognition to learn how to identify underlying patterns, connect symptoms with root-cause mechanisms, and make more strategic clinical decisions.
    • Access the Genetic Pathway Mapping Workshop Replay to learn a clinical framework for identifying genetic patterns and applying targeted epigenetic strategies. Approximately 2 hours of training.
    • Join the Next-Level Health Practitioner Facebook group here for free resources and community support
    • Visit INEMethod.com for advanced health practitioner training and tools to elevate your clinical skills and grow your practice by getting life-changing results.
    • Check out other podcast episodes here
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    45 mins
  • The Vaginal Microbiome: Why Hormones Aren’t Working and What You’re Missing

    The Vaginal Microbiome: Why Hormones Aren’t Working and What You’re Missing
    Jun 10 2026
    You’ve increased estrogen.You’ve supported the gut.You’ve cleaned up the protocol.And… she’s still dealing with dryness. recurrent UTIs., and discomfort that keeps coming back.At some point, it stops being a hormone conversation.When labs look “fine” and symptoms persist, adding more support doesn’t fix the problem. It just exposes it.In this episode, Dr. Ritamarie sits down with Dr. Anna Cabeca to look at a pattern that gets missed in conventional and functional care: the vaginal microbiome.This is NOT a side topic but a primary driver.They walk through what happens when Lactobacillus balance is disrupted, why vaginal pH shifts matter more than most practitioners realize, and how these changes can create symptoms that look hormonal but don’t respond to hormone-based approaches.You’ll start to see why some cases don’t resolve…and what to look at next when they don’t.What’s Inside This Episode?Normal estrogen… but persistent drynessWhy UTIs keep coming backWhen pH—not hormones—is the issueThe key Lactobacillus strains that matterHow antibiotics and HRT disrupt the ecosystemUrgency and leakage that aren’t a bladder problemThe link to fertility, aging, and tissue healthWhy systemic protocols fail when the issue is localResources and LinksDownload the Full TranscriptDownload our FREE Metabolic Health Guide here. Join the Next-Level Health Practitioner Facebook group here for free resources and community supportVisit INEMethod.com for advanced health practitioner training and tools to elevate your clinical skills and grow your practice by getting life-changing results. Check out other podcast episodes hereDr Anna’s Resources and LinksDr Anna’s Website: https://drannacabeca.comCheck out Dr Anna’s productsFind her on Social Media FacebookYouTube: The Girlfriend Doctor: TikTokPodcast Labs & Testing Mentioned in This EpisodeThese tools go beyond traditional testing (HPV, chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomonas) and help assess overall vaginal microbiome balance, including beneficial Lactobacillus species.MDL (Medical Diagnostic Laboratories) - Vaginal testing that includes both pathogenic organisms and beneficial bacteriaBiomeFX Vaginal Microbiome Kit - Advanced microbiome analysis to assess vaginal bacterial balanceTiny Health Vaginal Microbiome Test - At-home testing option for evaluating vaginal microbial healthGuest BioAnna Cabeca, DO, OBGYN, FACOG, is best selling author of The Hormone Fix and Keto-Green 16 and MenuPause. Dr. Anna is triple-board certified and a fellow of gynecology and obstetrics, integrative medicine, and anti-aging and regenerative medicine. She holds special certifications in functional medicine, sexual health, and bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. She lectures frequently on those topics and shares the secret behind the ebb and flow of intimacy as she demystifies the fascinating hormonal changes over time. She will help you discover how the “love hormone”, Oxytocin can breathe life into your relationship, and how Cortisol can take it away - and how the delicate balancing act of those hormones can reignite your libido and support a healthy relationship, most importantly the one you have with yourself.She is sassy, blunt, speaks from the heart and has a wonderful sense of humor, and this is why we call her The Girlfriend Doctor, because everyone needs a friend like her! She has personally developed natural products to help women balance hormones and thrive through menopause including the highly acclaimed Julva® cream for the vulva and MightyMaca® Plus, a powerful superfood blend. She lives in Dallas with her daughters, horses and dogs.
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    43 mins
  • Food Sensitivities and Genetics: Why Restrictive Diets Make You More Reactive

    Food Sensitivities and Genetics: Why Restrictive Diets Make You More Reactive
    Jun 3 2026

    What happens when food elimination starts making things worse?

    You remove the obvious triggers. You follow the labs and the genetics. The plan becomes more precise.

    Yet… the client becomes more reactive, the range of tolerated foods narrows, and overall resilience declines.

    This is not a lack of effort. It is a pattern.

    Food sensitivity reflects the state of the system, not just the food. When stress, blood sugar instability, microbiome disruption, or inflammation are present, even a well-designed approach can backfire.

    Layer genetics on top without context, and each variant becomes a reason for further restriction.

    At that point, the question is no longer what to remove. It is whether the system can tolerate anything at all.

    In this episode, Dr. Ritamarie explains why this occurs and how to shift from progressive elimination to restoring resilience.

    What’s Inside This Episode?
    • When food elimination increases reactivity
    • Why “safe foods” stop being tolerated
    • Allergy vs intolerance vs sensitivity and why it matters
    • Why food reactions reflect system stress
    • How genetics gets misapplied as restriction
    • The hidden cost of over-restriction
    • The role of cortisol in worsening sensitivity
    • The question to ask before removing another food
    • How to rebuild resilience and expand the diet

    Resources and Links:
    • Download the full transcript here.
    • Download our FREE Guide to Using Genetic Testing to Optimize Patient Outcomes
    • Access the Genetic Pathway Mapping Workshop Replay to learn a clinical framework for identifying genetic patterns and applying targeted epigenetic strategies. Approximately 2 hours of training.
    • Join the Next-Level Health Practitioner Facebook group here for free resources and community support
    • Visit INEMethod.com for advanced health practitioner training and tools to elevate your clinical skills and grow your practice by getting life-changing results.
    • Check out other podcast episodes here
    Show More Show Less
    7 mins
  • Metabolic Readiness: Why Your Labs and Genetics Aren’t Matching Your Results

    Metabolic Readiness: Why Your Labs and Genetics Aren’t Matching Your Results
    May 27 2026

    You’ve seen cases where everything appears to line up, yet nothing changes.

    The labs are acceptable.

    The genetics make sense.

    The plan is solid, and progress stalls.

    At that point, most practitioners begin adjusting. When a case stalls like this, the issue is rarely the intervention itself.

    It is the timing.

    Genetics suggests what may be needed.

    Labs show where the system is under strain.

    Symptoms reflect how the body is compensating.

    When these are not interpreted together, support is often introduced into a system that is not ready to respond.

    In this episode, Dr. Ritamarie breaks down metabolic readiness and how to determine when the body can actually use what you are introducing.

    If your cases look correct on paper but fail to move clinically, this is the shift.

    What’s Inside This Episode?
    • Why your “right” call can stall a case
    • The risk of acting on data too quickly
    • When fixing one marker worsens the system
    • Why insulin is the problem you’re not prioritizing
    • The unintended consequences of pushing methylation
    • What low ferritin is costing you
    • How genetics can point you in the wrong direction
    • When more intervention creates more imbalance
    • The difference between correction and overcorrection
    • The question that tells you to wait, not act

    Resources and Links:
    • Download the full transcript
    • Download our FREE Guide to Using Genetic Testing to Optimize Patient Outcomes
    • Access the Genetic Pathway Mapping Workshop Replay to learn a clinical framework for identifying genetic patterns and applying targeted epigenetic strategies. Approximately 2 hours of training.
    • Join the Next-Level Health Practitioner Facebook group here for free resources and community support
    • Visit INEMethod.com for advanced health practitioner training and tools to elevate your clinical skills and grow your practice by getting life-changing results.
    • Check out other podcast episodes here
    Show More Show Less
    5 mins
  • Oxytocin and Hormones: The Missing Link to Metabolism, Mood, and Longevity

    Oxytocin and Hormones: The Missing Link to Metabolism, Mood, and Longevity
    May 20 2026
    What’s Inside This Episode?Why oxytocin is more than a “love hormone”• The hidden link between oxytocin and digestion, gut motility, and metabolism• How oxytocin influences blood sugar and pancreatic function• Why environmental toxins disrupt oxytocin more than other hormones• The connection between oxytocin, mood, bonding, and emotional resilience• How hormone imbalances contribute to disconnection and chronic illness• The truth about hormone replacement and long-standing misconceptions• Practical ways to support oxytocin naturally and clinicallyResources and Links:Download the full transcript hereDownload our FREE Metabolic Health Guide here.Join the Next-Level Health Practitioner Facebook group here for free resources and community supportVisit INEMethod.com for advanced health practitioner training and tools to elevate your clinical skills and grow your practice by getting life-changing results.Check out other podcast episodes hereGuest Resources and LinksCheck out Dr. Devaki Lindsey Berkson’s Website: https://drlindseyberkson.comSocial Media:Find Dr. Devaki Lindsey Berkson on FacebookFind Dr. Devaki Lindsey Berkson on Instagram Books & Resources:Oxytocin MedicineHormones: Vilified to Vindicated Everything Hormones (CME Course) Membership & Ongoing Learning:Membership – https://drlindseyberkson.com/membershipAgile Thinking Substack – https://drlindseyberkson.substack.com/Guest BioDr. Devaki Lindsey Berkson: Where Audacity Meets ScienceAs a Distinguished Hormone Scholar from the highly praised Center for Bioenvironmental Research at Tulane and Xavier Universities, Dr. Berkson worked shoulder-to-shoulder with pioneering scientists who discovered the first hormone receptors. Her breakthrough book, Hormone Deception (McGraw-Hill 2002,Awakened Medicine Press 2016), earned her this prestigious invitation, as she exposed the public health emergency of environmental toxins assaulting our hormones and provided the original guidelines for reducing exposure.Her impact on medical literature continues to grow. Dr. Berkson’s book Healthy Digestion the Natural Way (Wiley & Sons, 2000) was the first gut, nutrition, and mindfulness book to sell over 1 million copies. Her work Sexy Brain (Awakened Medicine Press 2017) further explored endocrine disruption and gender-bending, while her latest book, Oxytocin Medicine, reveals how the “hormone of connection, empathy and calm” is under attack – and what we can do about it.
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    1 hr and 12 mins
  • Stop Chasing SNPs: What MTHFR and APOE Actually Mean in Practice

    Stop Chasing SNPs: What MTHFR and APOE Actually Mean in Practice
    May 13 2026

    You’ve seen this before. A genetic report comes back loaded with red SNPs.

    MTHFR. APOE. COMT, and suddenly everything feels more complicated. More supplements. More restrictions. More second-guessing.

    That creates overwhelm.

    In this episode, Dr. Ritamarie breaks down how to actually use genetics in practice without turning it into a list of problems to fix. SNPs aren’t diagnoses, and they don’t tell you what to do on their own.

    What matters is how those variants show up in the body.

    You’ll learn how to step back, look at pathways instead of individual SNPs, and connect genetics with labs, symptoms, and physiology, so your decisions actually make sense.

    If genetic testing has ever made things harder instead of clearer, this will change how you approach it.

    What’s Inside This Episode?

    • Why genetic testing often creates overwhelm instead of clarity

    • The problem with focusing on individual SNPs like MTHFR and APOE

    • Why SNPs are variants, not diagnoses or mutations

    • The shift from “red flags” to pathway-based thinking

    • How to integrate genetics with labs, symptoms, and physiology

    • What to look at instead of reacting to every variant

    • How to prioritize interventions using systems thinking

    • Why sequencing matters more than stacking protocols

    Resources and Links:
    • Download the full transcript here
    • Download our FREE Smart Supplementation Matrix
    • Join the Next-Level Health Practitioner Facebook group here for free resources and community support
    • Visit INEMethod.com for advanced health practitioner training and tools to elevate your clinical skills and grow your practice by getting life-changing results.
    • Check out our other podcast episodes here
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    11 mins