05: Beyond the Pill: Redefining Chronic Disease with Dr. Olivia Lesslar

The Global Affair with Nicole Gibson

Today on The Global Affair, we speak to Dr Olivia Ly Lesslar, an Australian medical practitioner who has interest in preventative medicine and psychoneuroimmunology. Her expertise is in biochacking and non-pharmaceutical interventions for complex conditions like neurodegeneration, cancer, the emerging pentad of MCAS-Dysautonomia-Hypermobility-GI dysmotility-Autoimmunity, and non-IgE driven allergies. In this episode, she joins us to discuss her views on global health.

The health system is not set up to deal with the growing number of patients that have multiple issues. People are collecting diseases like Pokemon cards and the current solution of just using drugs to dampen symptoms is no longer effective. Dr. Lesslar argues that this approach is not doing anyone any favors, and that there needs to be a different way of treating chronic diseases.

The conversation focuses on the importance of food and exercise in the domain of health and wellness. It is argued that the knowledge and expertise of exercise physiologists, personal trainers, and nutritionists have been undervalued and that many people do not believe in their ability to heal themselves. It is noted that patients often need something tangible, such as a pill or injection, to believe that their treatment plan is real. It is suggested that people have become obsessed with diagnoses instead of healthspans, and that they need to take back control of their health.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

[06:16] Exploring global health

[08:28] The challenges of reactive healthcare systems

[10:11] The impact of western medicine on health and wellness

[15:37] The history of conventional medicine and its impact on healthcare

[19:48] Exploring the disconnect between traditional medicine and holistic health care

[30:02] Benefits of discomfort

[38:29] Symptoms of chronic illness

[48:35] Safety signaling

[57:28] Benefits of mindfulness, forgiveness, and self-compassion

RESOURCES

https://www.drolivialesslar.com/

https://www.cingulumhealth.com/

MEMORABLE QUOTES

That's why mindfulness is so important because there are some things that we cannot avoid. There are some stressors that we cannot avoid. But mindfulness allows your mind and brain to observe it, to understand it, to lean into it. But this disconnection that we have, this is the major problem for most people, which is why resilience has gone down. So safety signaling is anything that's going to make your cells and your ancient brain believe that you are not. - Dr. Olivia Lesslar

So you need to be eating in a parasympathetic state. Eating on the run, grabbing a burrito, heading back to your desk at the office, is not eating in a parasympathetic state. Parasympathetic state, like a lot of religious communities, have it right. They sit down at a table with community, they give thanks and gratitude before they eat, and they eat with pleasure and joy. That's eating in a parasympathetic state. - Dr. Olivia Lesslar

Support the Show.