For a long time, genetic conditions were treated as a verdict. As if a diagnosis, a family history, or a lab result quietly closes the door on what’s possible.

I see it every day. People sitting across from me asking, “Is this just how my body is? Is my family history my future? If this is genetic, does anything I do actually matter?”

And the truth is, the answer isn’t a simple yes or no. Genetics matter, and inflammatory and allergic conditions really are part of how we’re wired.

But here’s what often gets missed. Genetics may load the risk, but they don’t automatically determine how life plays out.

I’ve cared for patients with the same diagnosis, similar histories, and even similar genetic risk, and their day-to-day reality can look completely different. And it’s not because one tried harder or had “better” genes.

It usually comes down to one thing - lifestyle intervention.

Lifestyle doesn’t change DNA, but it does influence how the body responds to a genetic risk. So the real question isn’t “Are genetics destiny?” It’s “How much room is there to work with what I’ve been given?”

In this episode, I reflect on what it actually means to live with a genetically driven condition, how to stop chasing cures, and start working with your body for better long-term results.

Things You’ll Learn In This Episode

Genetics explains risk, not destiny

Many immune and inflammatory conditions are genetically driven, but why do people with the same diagnosis experience vastly different severity and stability?

Lifestyle doesn’t cure disease, but it regulates expression

Sleep, stress, food, and movement don’t change DNA, but how do they influence which inflammatory pathways get turned up or quieted?

Stability is not failure; it’s progress

Why do we chase cures in conditions that require management, and what happens when we redefine success as fewer flares, better control, and improved quality of life?

Precision beats perfection in chronic immune health

If moderation doesn’t work for everyone, how do we learn to set boundaries that respect our unique biology instead of fighting it?

About Your Host

Hosted by Dr. Deepa Grandon, MD, MBA, a triple board-certified physician with over 23 years of experience working as a Physician Consultant for influential organizations worldwide. Dr. Grandon is the founder of Transformational Life Consulting (TLC) and an outspoken faith-based leader in evidence-based lifestyle medicine.

Disclaimer

​​TLC presents this podcast as a means of information sharing only. This information is not intended to be medical advice or to replace the judgment of a licensed physician. TLC is not responsible for any claims related to procedures, professionals, products, or methods discussed in the podcast, and it does not approve or endorse any products, professionals, services, or methods that might be referenced.

For years, we’ve treated chronic inflammation, allergies, autoimmune disease, and immune dysfunction as separate problems. But it’s becoming clearer that many of these conditions share a common root hiding in plain sight: the gut microbiome.

We now understand that the microbes living inside us shape immune tolerance, inflammation, and long-term disease risk, and even how well medications work.

But despite hundreds of thousands of microbiome studies, most clinicians and patients are still operating in the dark. Because the microbiome isn’t just complex; it’s too complex for the human brain alone.

No clinician can synthesize hundreds of thousands of studies, track millions of microbial data points, and simultaneously account for diet, fiber, sleep, stress, exercise, antibiotics, and immune signaling. That’s where AI-driven platforms like Jona come in.

It can now analyze massive microbiome datasets across hundreds of thousands of studies, and translate that complexity into individualized, actionable insight. We can use it to detect immune-risk patterns early and model lifestyle interventions before they’re ever implemented.

How can we use AI to detect immune-risk patterns early and model lifestyle interventions before they’re ever implemented? How might AI change the way we diagnose and test for immune dysfunction, long before disease becomes obvious?

What happens when microbiome data and AI-guided lifestyle interventions start working together, instead of in isolation?

In this episode, I’m joined by medical AI pioneer and founder of Jona Health, Dr. Leo Grady. He has spent decades building machine-learning systems for medicine and is now applying that same rigor to the gut microbiome.

We talk about how his platform reads the entire body of microbiome science, detects immune-risk signatures before symptoms ever appear, and simulates lifestyle interventions before a person makes a single change.

Things You’ll Learn In This Episode

The microbiome may shape immune destiny

Most immune-related conditions show distinct microbial patterns long before symptoms appear. If we can see immune risk early, why are we still waiting to intervene?

AI turns lifestyle advice into precision medicine

Diet, fiber, exercise, sleep, stress, and supplements all change the microbiome, but not in the same way for everyone. How does Jona allow people to test interventions virtually before trying them in real life?

More probiotics aren’t always better

Some microbes have a “sweet spot,” not a simple more-is-better rule. How often are well-meaning supplements pushing people in the wrong direction?

The future of prevention may start in the gut, not the clinic

From allergies to biologics to chronic disease management, the microbiome may soon guide treatment selection itself. Will AI-powered gut testing become as routine as blood work?

Guest Bio

Leo Grady, PhD, is the founder and CEO of Jona, a health technology company that utilizes artificial intelligence to analyze the gut microbiome and provide personalized health insights. Leo is an internationally recognized AI and healthcare innovator with over 20 years of experience, known for leading the development of FDA-approved AI technologies in pathology, cardiology, radiology, and now spearheading microbiome-based health solutions at Jona. To learn more, visit jona.health and follow @jonahealth.

About Your Host

Hosted by Dr. Deepa Grandon, MD, MBA, a triple board-certified physician with over 23 years of experience working as a Physician Consultant for influential...

Christmas is a magical, busy season of joy and celebration. It's so easy to get caught up in all the festivities and excitement that we don't pause long enough to consider what the Christmas story is actually about.

Because if you look closely, the story of Christ's birth challenges our assumptions about power, generosity, status, and what it actually means to reflect the heart of God.

The nativity isn't merely a sentimental moment; it is God intentionally choosing the margins, stepping into human vulnerability, and redefining what greatness looks like.

And if we let it, that truth forces us to ask harder questions about the way we show up for others, especially the overlooked, the lonely, and the forgotten.

The first Christmas wasn't designed around abundance, convenience, or comfort. It unfolded in obscurity, among shepherds no one valued, in a manger no one wanted, to a young woman no one expected.

And the people who recognized Jesus first weren't the powerful. They were the poor, the humble, the ones most longing for God to break into their story.

Christmas, then, isn't about what we receive; it's about what we can give. How do we let the generosity of God shape the generosity we extend? Beyond celebrating Emmanuel, how do we embody Emmanuel for others?

In this episode, I'm joined by Rev. Dr. Emily Gierer, a pastor, educator, and spiritual leader who has spent nearly two decades guiding students, families, and faith communities.

Together, we explore why the true meaning of Christmas has far less to do with tradition…and far more to do with transformation.

Things You'll Learn In This Episode

God's Upside-Down Kingdom God chooses shepherds, not kings, to receive the first announcement of Christ's birth. What does that tell us about the kind of people God notices first?

Generosity Was Never Meant to Be Comfortable The incarnation is the ultimate act of sacrificial giving. How does Jesus' costly example redefine the way we think about giving our time, resources, and talents?

Why Loneliness Intensifies During Christmas "God with us" is not poetic language; it's God stepping into human fear, abandonment, and suffering. What would it look like to embody that same presence for someone who feels unseen this season?

How to Teach Children a Different Kind of Christmas Kids are shaped more by what we model than what we say. How do families train children to value compassion over accumulation in a culture obsessed with getting?

About the Guest

Rev. Dr. Emily Gierer serves as the co-Lead Pastor of St. Timothy's Church in Storrs, Connecticut, where she guides worship, preaches regularly, disciples students, and develops spiritual formation initiatives. With a Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut, a Master of Divinity from Yale Divinity School, and a Doctor of Ministry from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Emily has almost two decades of pastoral leadership and campus ministry experience at the University of Connecticut. In addition to her pastoral work, Emily teaches in the English Department at the University of Connecticut, offering courses in American literature, women's literature, and Biblical literature. Together with Dr. Jana Holiday, she will also launch and co-lead Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary's new Doctor of Ministry track, Women in Leadership, beginning in July 2027. Emily and her husband, Vince, live and minister in Connecticut with their two young daughters.

Ways to give this Christmas

https://www.st-timothys-storrs.org/

Grief is universal. It touches every person, every family, every age, and every season of life. When it arrives, it has a way of knocking the wind out of us. It doesn't matter whether the loss is sudden or expected, physical or emotional, recent or decades old.

Grief interrupts our rhythm, destabilizes our identity, and confronts us with a version of life we never thought we'd have to live. And while we often talk about "moving on," the truth is that grief reshapes us long before it ever releases us.

But here's the paradox we don't talk about enough: grief is heavy, painful, and often disorienting… and yet, it's not something we're meant to carry alone. The same God who meets us in worship, in joy, and in celebration also meets us in sorrow; not to erase our pain, but to walk with us through it.

Scripture shows us again and again that sorrow and joy are not opposites; they're companions. You can mourn deeply and still encounter peace. You can lose someone you love and still find your way back to meaning. You can feel shattered and still be held.

What complicates this journey is that the body of Christ often shines in the immediate moments of loss; the meals, the prayers, the presence, but falters in the long stretch that comes afterward, when grief becomes daily life instead of an event.

And here's another truth we often overlook: how do children and teenagers make sense of grief when their emotional world is still being formed, and when their losses arrive before they have the language to describe that kind of pain?

And for all of us walking through seasons of sorrow, how do we move from simply surviving loss to allowing God to weave meaning, healing, and even testimony through it?

In this episode, I'm joined by grief advocate, educator, speaker, and author of Joy Overcame Sorrow, Dr. Jerry Woodbridge. We explore not only the depth of grief, but the process of walking through it with God. We talk about why grief is so emotionally and spiritually challenging, and why children and teens often struggle in ways adults overlook.

Things You'll Learn In This Episode

Grief is universal Loss disrupts our identity, our emotions, and our spiritual grounding. What actually makes grief so overwhelming, and why do people experience it so differently?

Sorrow and joy are not opposites Biblical joy doesn't replace sorrow; it grows alongside it. How does God help us hold both at the same time without feeling like one cancels out the other?

Why young people struggle uniquely with grief Children and teens feel loss deeply but lack the emotional language adults have. What practical tools help young people process grief before it turns into lifelong wounds?

How grief becomes testimony Pain can be redeemed for healing, clarity, and service to others. What does it look like to let God transform your sorrow into something that brings hope to someone else?

About the Guest

Dr. Jerry Woodbridge is a grief advocate, educator, speaker, and author of "Joy Overcame Sorrow". She has extensive hands-on experience helping children grieve the loss of a loved one. She published her book "Joy Overcame Sorrow" in June 2025. The book is told through the eyes of a 10-year-old girl navigating the loss of her father, inspired by the grieving students Dr. Woodbridge has worked with. She created an accompanying journal to help children experiencing the grief process record their memories, thoughts, and beliefs. To learn more, visit https://www.drjerrylwoodbridge.com/.

About Your Host

Hosted by Dr. Deepa Grandon, MD, MBA, a triple board-certified physician with over 23 years of experience working as a Physician Consultant for...

Unlike any generation before them, today's children are growing up in a world where screens, social media, and constant connectivity are woven into everyday life. Their friendships, self-image, and sense of belonging are being shaped not in classrooms or playgrounds, but in the curated feeds and endless notifications of their screens.

And while parents have become vigilant about supervising their children in the real world, few realize how unprotected they are in the digital one, where the boundaries are invisible and the influence relentless.

Behind the statistics on rising anxiety, sleep loss, and attention struggles lies a deeper shift: the way technology is rewiring childhood itself.

We're not just seeing more anxious or distracted kids; we're witnessing a fundamental change in how they experience the world. The line between real and virtual life has blurred, and with it, the natural rhythms of play, rest, and connection.

What happens when the very tools designed to connect us start reshaping how children think, feel, and relate to others? Are we raising a generation more informed, or more isolated, than ever before? If technology is rewiring childhood itself, how do we begin to rewrite the story?

In this episode, I talk with Dr. Carol Vidal, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at Johns Hopkins University. From TikTok "self-diagnoses" to the illusion of online friendships, Dr. Vidal helps us understand what's really happening inside the minds of today's youth, and how families can begin to take back control.

Things You'll Learn In This Episode

The hidden cost of "connection" Social media was designed to keep kids engaged, not safe. What happens when algorithms built for profit start shaping a generation's mental health?

The new face of attention problems It's not always ADHD. Constant overstimulation from screens is raising the brain's threshold for focus, but can that attention be retrained?

Sleep: the first casualty of late-night scrolling Blue light isn't the only culprit. How does nighttime screen use quietly unravel mood, behavior, and emotional stability?

When identity goes digital Likes and followers have replaced real-world feedback. How does this reshape self-esteem, social development, and the ability to form real relationships?

About the Guest

Dr. Carol Vidal is double-board certified in general and child and adolescent psychiatry. She is an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) School of Medicine and holds an adjunct appointment in the Department of Mental Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She completed her M.D. and PhD at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and MPH at Drexel University in Philadelphia, and residency in general psychiatry and fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Maryland. She provides clinical services through the JHU Bayview expanded school-based mental health program, evaluating and treating adolescents with behavioral and depressive disorders, and co-directs the SMART (School Mental Health Advice and Response Team) program, funded by the Maryland Department of Health to conduct a suicide prevention program in Baltimore City Schools. Dr. Vidal is the recipient of the NIDA/AACAP K12 (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Physician Scientist Program in Substance Abuse Award) and studies the associations between cannabis use and suicide in adolescents using ecological momentary assessment methods. She has recently published a book called "Status and Social Comparisons Among Adolescents, Popularity in the Age of Social Media." Her research and clinical interests are around problematic...

Many of us know about someone who seemed perfectly healthy, and then one day, without warning, they had a cardiac event. No symptoms on the surface, and no sign their heart was struggling behind the scenes.

We've been taught to think of sudden cardiac death as something random and unstoppable: a tragic event with no warning and no chance of prevention. But the truth is: up to 63% of sudden cardiac deaths could be avoided with simple, consistent lifestyle choices. Not pills or high-tech devices, just the way we live every day.

That's the message buried inside the latest data that most people, including doctors, aren't talking about. Better cardiorespiratory fitness can outweigh the risk posed by obesity. A handful of nuts and a walk might protect you more than a statin ever could. Even your attitude, your sense of connection, your stress response, and your sleep can shift the odds in your favor.

Yet most people still believe sudden cardiac events are just "bad luck" or genetics. They don't realize how much control they actually have. And when lifestyle is this powerful, the real question isn't "What's my risk?" It's "What can I do today to lower it?"

In this episode, I'm joined by Dr. Ronney Shantouf, a preventive cardiologist who bridges both sides of medicine: procedures that save lives in the moment, and lifestyle changes that prevent the crisis from ever happening.

We get into what actually lowers the risk of sudden cardiac death, and what most people get wrong about it.

Things You'll Learn In This Episode

Lifestyle can beat the odds Up to 40–63% of sudden cardiac deaths are preventable through behavior, not medication. So if genetics isn't destiny, what daily choices create the biggest impact?

Not all exercise is equal Consistent, moderate activity dramatically lowers SCD risk. But sudden bursts of vigorous exercise? They can temporarily increase it. How do you train smarter, not just harder?

Food isn't fuel, it's a signal Whether you're low-carb, plant-forward, or Mediterranean, one pattern wins: real, minimally processed food. What are the dietary patterns that protect your heart, and the ones that quietly push risk higher?

Stress and sleep don't just affect heart health; they can trigger it Emotional stress can provoke dangerous spasms and arrhythmias. Poor sleep creates inflammatory conditions the heart can't hide from. How can we stop treating stress and sleep as "soft" lifestyle advice and see them as medical priorities?

About our Guest

Dr. Ronney Shantouf, MD, is a Staff Physician at the Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, where he serves in multiple leadership roles, including Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Lab, co-Director of the Complex Coronary Program, and co-Director of the Invasive Coronary Spasm and Microvascular Dysfunction Program. In addition to performing advanced interventional procedures, he oversees the Cardiac Wellness Program and specializes in cardiac prevention and advanced lipid management. Before joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Shantouf was a Health Sciences Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. There, he served as Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Lab at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center and chaired the Cardiology Education Course for the Internal Medicine Residency Program. Dr. Shantouf is triple-board certified in Internal Medicine, General Cardiology, and Interventional Cardiology. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and his Medical Degree from UCLA, graduating summa cum laude. He completed his Internal Medicine training at UCLA Medical Center, followed by a General Cardiology fellowship at Harbor-UCLA and an Interventional Cardiology fellowship at USC....

When cancer treatment ends, the world expects celebration. The bell is rung, and everyone around breathes a sigh of relief. But for many survivors, that moment marks not an ending, but a new, confusing beginning.

The medical team steps back, the appointments stop, and a quiet question creeps in: now what?

Survivorship is more than the absence of disease. It's the long, often lonely process of learning how to live again, in a body, mind, and identity forever changed. Fatigue lingers. Treatment dulls memory and focus. Sleep becomes elusive. And beneath it all is the fear: what if it comes back?

But what if recovery after cancer isn't just about waiting for the next scan; it's about reclaiming control? Through lifestyle medicine, survivors can begin to rebuild their strength, calm their nervous system, and lower their risk of recurrence.

What measures are important for the survivor phase of cancer care? Why is connection and community so important?

In this episode, the Medical Director of the Mass General Cancer Center in Waltham, Dr. Amy Comander, returns. The pioneer in lifestyle medicine for survivorship joins us to share what true recovery looks like. She shares insights from her groundbreaking Paving the Path to Wellness program, and we talk about how to have a healthy life after the end of cancer treatment.

Things You'll Learn In This Episode

-Survivorship isn't just surviving Finishing treatment is only the beginning of recovery. How do survivors move from merely existing to truly thriving?

-Movement as medicine Exercise doesn't just build strength; it improves outcomes and lowers recurrence risk. What type of movement makes the biggest impact after cancer?

-Food over fear The right diet can reduce inflammation, support immunity, and ease anxiety about recurrence. What does the research actually say about the best foods for survivors, and which supplements to avoid?

-The overlooked healing power of connection Support groups and social bonds can dramatically improve the quality of life and survival. Why is community one of the most potent yet underused forms of medicine?

Guest Bio

Dr. Amy Comander specializes in the care of women with breast cancer. Dr. Comander is Medical Director of the Mass General Cancer Center in Waltham, where she also serves as Director of Breast Oncology and Cancer Survivorship at the Mass General Cancer Center in Waltham and at Newton Wellesley Hospital. She is the director of Lifestyle Medicine at the Mass General Cancer Center and an Instructor in Medicine at Harvard Medical School. She received her undergraduate degree and a master's degree in Neuroscience at Harvard University. She received her medical degree from Yale University School of Medicine. She completed her Internal Medicine residency training and Hematology-Oncology fellowship training at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School. She is board-certified in Hematology and Medical Oncology, and she is a Diplomat of the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine. Dr. Comander has a strong interest in improving the quality of life and outcome of cancer survivors through important lifestyle interventions, including physical activity, diet, and mind/body interventions. She promotes healthy lifestyles for both her active treatment patients as well as those in the survivorship phase of care. She has launched PAVING the Path to Wellness, a 12-week lifestyle medicine-based survivorship program for women with breast cancer. Connect with Dr. Comander on LinkedIn.

Resources

The MGH Cancer Center is...

Most of us think of medicine as something that comes in a pill bottle or a hospital setting. But what if one of the most powerful prescriptions for lowering blood pressure, calming anxiety, and even boosting immunity doesn't come from a pharmacy at all?

What if it comes from the forest and elements of nature?

Spending intentional time in nature doesn't just feel good; it rewires the nervous system, lowers stress hormones like cortisol, and even enhances immune defenses against disease.

Forest therapy taps into this ancient truth with modern scientific validation: our bodies, minds, and spirits were designed to thrive in connection with the natural world.

Yet in our overstimulated, urbanized lives, that connection is fraying. We scroll endlessly, jump from task to task, and fill every quiet moment with noise.

Nature isn't just a backdrop for relaxation; it's an active participant in our healing.

Even a short walk among greenery reduces inflammation markers linked to chronic disease.

How do we tap into nature's healing abilities? How do we use forest therapy to quiet our inner chatter?

In this episode, I'm joined by healthcare leader, educator, certified executive coach, and certified Forest Therapy guide, Dr. Susan Abookire.

We explore the physiological, emotional, mental, and spiritual power of reconnecting with nature, and how to make it a habit.

We also talk about overlooked yet transformative interventions for stress, chronic disease, and emotional well-being.

Things You'll Learn In This Episode

-Stress isn't the root problem; disconnection is Chronic stress hormones drive disease, but is our real issue a loss of connection to nature and each other?

-Why trees boost immunity What happens in your body when you inhale phytoncides, the compounds released by trees? How do they supercharge natural killer cells that fight infection and even cancer?

-The attention restoration effect How does stepping into green space rebuild cognitive resources drained by digital overload and constant problem-solving?

-The healing power of stillness From "sit spots" to slowing down your senses, how can simple daily practices in nature recalibrate your nervous system and deepen resilience?

Guest Bio

Dr. Susan Abookire is a healthcare leader, educator, certified executive coach, and certified Forest Therapy guide. She started her career as an electrical engineer, designing aviation systems for aviation safety. Her journey then took her to Harvard Medical School, where she entered healthcare with a deep passion for designing healthy, thriving systems in healthcare delivery. After over 20+ years as a healthcare executive designing healthcare delivery systems, Dr. Abookire began teaching systems and relying on nature as our model and teacher. One day, she saw an article about Forest Bathing and becoming a Certified Forest Therapy Guide. I immediately connected with the knowledge that I was going to do this. One year later, in 2020, she began incorporating Forest Bathing and Forest Therapy in all her work. Dr. Abookire has dedicated her life to connecting us with ourselves, with nature, and with each other.

Her programs include 1:1 coaching for women physician leaders, group coaching programs, and Nature as Medicine Practitioner training and certification. To learn more about Dr. Abookire's program, visit https://www.naturesystemsinstitute.com/.

About Your Host

Hosted by Dr. Deepa Grandon, MD, MBA, a triple board-certified physician with over 23 years of experience working as a Physician Consultant for influential organizations...