Modern Thyroid and Wellness

What if one of the simplest tools for supporting energy and recovery was something your body already depends on every second of the day—oxygen?

In this episode of Modern Thyroid & Wellness, McCall McPherson sits down with Brad Pizzelli, founder and CEO of 1000 Roads, to explore EWOT—Exercise With Oxygen Therapy—and the personal health journey that led Brad to build his own system.

Brad’s story began long before 1000 Roads. After years of dealing with psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, severe pain, fatigue, brain fog, melanoma, and eventually a Lyme disease diagnosis, he found himself trying treatment after treatment without getting the recovery he was looking for. Eventually, a functional medicine doctor suggested he investigate oxygen therapy.

When commercial options felt too expensive and impractical, Brad put his engineering background to work and built his own EWOT system. What started as a personal experiment ultimately became the foundation for 1000 Roads.

🔑 In This Episode:

• Brad’s journey with autoimmune arthritis, melanoma, Lyme disease, pain, fatigue, and brain fog
• Why conventional treatments eventually left him searching for another path
• How he discovered Exercise With Oxygen Therapy
• What EWOT actually is and how a typical session works
• Why exercise changes the body’s demand for oxygen
• Oxygen, cellular energy, mitochondria, and ATP production
• Brad’s perspective on oxygen, inflammation, and microcirculation
• How he gradually rebuilt his cardiovascular capacity
• Why some people notice improvements in energy, sleep, or exercise tolerance first
• How EWOT can be adapted for people with lower exercise capacity
• Why Brad pairs EWOT with red and near-infrared light
• His typical sequence: exercise with oxygen followed immediately by red light
• Using EWOT at home versus visiting a clinic
• Brad’s personal view on oxygen therapy, recovery, aging, and detoxification

What Is EWOT?

EWOT stands for Exercise With Oxygen Therapy.

Brad describes it as approximately 15 minutes of cardiovascular exercise while breathing concentrated oxygen through a mask. His system uses an oxygen concentrator to fill a reservoir so enough oxygen is available while someone is exercising and breathing at a much higher rate.

Brad says the idea is to combine the physiological changes of exercise—faster breathing, increased circulation, and greater oxygen demand—with higher oxygen availability.

From Barely Walking to Rebuilding His Capacity

One of the most striking parts of Brad’s story is how limited he had become physically.

At one point, foot pain was so severe that he needed heavily cushioned support simply to exercise. Over time, as his health improved, he says his endurance changed dramatically and he later measured a VO2 max that placed him near the top of his age group.

Brad presents this as his personal experience, not as a guarantee of what EWOT will do for another person.

Why Pair EWOT With Red Light?

Brad also combines EWOT with red and near-infrared light therapy.

His protocol is typically:

15 minutes of EWOT

followed immediately by

8–10 minutes of red light therapy

Brad believes the combination may support mitochondrial energy production by pairing increased oxygen availability with the cellular signaling effects associated with red and near-infrared light.

Connect With Brad Pizzelli & 1000 Roads

Website:

https://1000roads.com/

YouTube:

1000 Roads HQ

Brad also mentions a special offer for listeners through 1000 Roads, although the specific offer details are not stated in the episode transcript.

📖 Pre-Order Take Back Your Thyroid + Get a Free Bonus

Pre-order McCall McPherson’s new book, Take Back Your Thyroid, and choose one free bonus:

🎓 Thyroid Empowered Course — a $399 value

OR

🩺 $150 off a new patient visit at Modern Thyroid Clinic

👉https://book.modernthyroidclinic.com/

📲 Follow McCall McPherson & Modern Thyroid and Wellness

Modern Thyroid Clinic:

https://modernthyroidclinic.com/

McCall McPherson:

https://www.mccallmcpherson.com/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/mccallmcphersonpa/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0_JyQdBAJwYT3rMDsvyriw

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/McCallMcPhersonPAC/

X / Twitter:

https://x.com/thyroidexpert

This episode is for educational and informational purposes only. Statements about EWOT, red light therapy, Lyme disease, inflammation, cancer, detoxification, or other health conditions reflect the guest’s personal experience and discussion and should not be interpreted as medical advice or a substitute for individualized medical care.

GLP-1 medications have become synonymous with weight loss—but what if their impact on women’s health goes far beyond the number on the scale?

Recorded live at SXSW in Austin, this special panel brings together experts in thyroid and metabolic health, fertility, menopause, and strength training to explore what women should really understand about GLP-1 medications.

Moderated by Dr. Shannon Ritchey, PT, DPT, the conversation features McCall McPherson, PA-C, Dr. Natalie Crawford, MD, and Dr. Jessica Shepherd, MD. Together, they discuss appropriate use, microdosing, insulin resistance, inflammation, thyroid disease, PCOS, fertility, perimenopause, menopause, muscle preservation, side effects, long-term use, and the importance of individualized care.

🔑 In This Episode:

• What GLP-1 medications actually do beyond appetite suppression
• Why these medications were first used for diabetes and metabolic health
• Microdosing vs. traditional dosing
• Why individualized dosing may help some women better tolerate treatment
• GLP-1s, thyroid dysfunction, Hashimoto’s, and inflammation
• Separating thyroid-cancer concerns from what the panel says current human evidence shows
• Why adequate calories and protein matter while using a GLP-1
• The importance of preserving and building muscle
• GLP-1s, insulin resistance, PCOS, and fertility
• Why GLP-1 medications are not recommended while actively trying to conceive or during pregnancy
• Perimenopause, menopause, HRT, glucose regulation, and visceral fat
• When GLP-1 use may be short-term vs. longer-term
• Semaglutide, tirzepatide, and individualized prescribing
• DEXA scans, creatine, resistance training, and lean-mass preservation
• Fasting insulin, A1c, leptin, and other metabolic markers
• Sleep, HRV, hydration, and what wearables may reveal
• Food noise, body image, and why appropriate medical screening matters

Fertility, PCOS & GLP-1s

Dr. Natalie Crawford explains that fertility is more than simply the ability to become pregnant—it can also reflect hormonal and metabolic health.

For patients with PCOS and insulin resistance, improving metabolic health may help restore ovulation and support fertility. However, Dr. Crawford emphasizes that GLP-1 medications are not intended to be used while actively trying to conceive or during pregnancy and discusses stopping them before conception under medical guidance.

She also highlights resistance training and skeletal muscle as powerful tools for glucose utilization, insulin sensitivity, inflammation, and reproductive health.

Thyroid Health, Inflammation & Microdosing

McCall shares how her approach evolved toward lower, individualized doses after seeing patients struggle with nausea, inadequate nutrition, and difficulty consuming enough protein on standard dosing.

The goal, she explains, is not simply appetite suppression or rapid weight loss. It is finding a dose that allows patients to nourish themselves, preserve muscle, and improve metabolic health while minimizing side effects.

Menopause & Midlife Metabolic Health

Dr. Jessica Shepherd explores how declining estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone during perimenopause and menopause influence the entire body—not just reproductive health.

The panel discusses the relationship between hormone changes, glucose regulation, insulin, inflammation, visceral fat, joint symptoms, and the potential role GLP-1s may have alongside other individualized midlife interventions.

Protecting Muscle on a GLP-1

Dr. Shannon Ritchey emphasizes that simply “lifting weights” is not always enough to preserve or build muscle.

The panel discusses adequate protein and calories, monitoring body composition, potentially using tools such as DEXA scans, and performing resistance training with enough intensity to stimulate muscle adaptation.

📖 Pre-Order Take Back Your Thyroid + Get a Free Bonus

Pre-order McCall McPherson’s new book, Take Back Your Thyroid, and choose one free bonus:

🎓 Thyroid Empowered Course — a $399 value

OR

🩺 $150 off a new patient visit at Modern Thyroid Clinic

👉https://book.modernthyroidclinic.com/

Featured Panelists

McCall McPherson, PA-C

Founder, Modern Thyroid Clinic

Thyroid & metabolic health

Dr. Natalie Crawford, MD

Fertility specialist and co-founder of Fora Fertility

Author of The Fertility Formula

Dr. Jessica Shepherd, MD

OB-GYN and women’s health expert

Author of Generation M

Dr. Shannon Ritchey, PT, DPT

Founder of Evlo Fitness

Strength training and muscle-preservation expert

📲 Follow McCall McPherson & Modern Thyroid and Wellness

Modern Thyroid Clinic:

https://modernthyroidclinic.com/

McCall McPherson:

https://www.mccallmcpherson.com/

Instagram:

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YouTube:

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Facebook:

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X / Twitter:

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This episode is for educational purposes only. GLP-1 medications are prescription medications and treatment decisions should be made with a qualified healthcare professional based on individual history, risks, goals, and current evidence.

What if insulin resistance is quietly driving inflammation, weight gain, and thyroid dysfunction years before blood sugar ever looks abnormal?

In this episode of Modern Thyroid and Wellness, McCall McPherson sits down with endocrinologist Dr. Alessia Roehnelt for an in-depth conversation about insulin resistance and why it can be such an important marker of long-term metabolic health.

Dr. Roehnelt explains how insulin functions in the body, what happens when insulin resistance develops, and why chronically elevated insulin can contribute to inflammation, weight gain, metabolic dysfunction, and disease progression.

They also explore the bidirectional relationship between insulin resistance and hypothyroidism, including how thyroid dysfunction can worsen metabolic health and how insulin resistance can complicate thyroid function and treatment.

🔑 In This Episode:

• What insulin resistance is and how it develops
• Why insulin resistance may appear before prediabetes or type 2 diabetes
• Common physical and metabolic signs of insulin resistance
• Acanthosis nigricans, carb sensitivity, and rapid weight fluctuations
• The relationship between insulin resistance and hypothyroidism
• How insulin resistance may affect thyroid hormone absorption and conversion
• Why fasting insulin can provide useful information beyond A1c alone
• “Normal” vs. optimal fasting glucose, insulin, and A1c values
• Why population-based lab ranges do not always reflect optimal health
• The role of vitamin D in metabolic and hormonal health
• Fatty liver markers including AST and ALT

🏃‍♀️ Improving Insulin Sensitivity

Dr. Roehnelt and McCall discuss foundational strategies including:

• Consistent, restorative sleep
• Strength and resistance training
• Reducing refined carbohydrates
• Pairing carbohydrates with protein and fat
• Using continuous glucose monitors to better understand personal responses
• Strategic intermittent fasting when appropriate

💊 Medications Discussed

Metformin

• Improves insulin sensitivity
• Has a long history of clinical use
• Can be a cost-effective early intervention

GLP-1 receptor agonists

• Reduce appetite and slow gastric emptying
• Lower liver glucose production
• Improve insulin signaling
• May help reduce inflammation in appropriate patients

🌿 Key Takeaways

Insulin resistance can often be improved when identified early.

“Normal” lab values do not always tell the entire story, and weight gain is far more complex than calories in versus calories out.

One of the biggest themes in this episode is that inflammation connects metabolic dysfunction, thyroid disease, and autoimmunity, making individualized, whole-body evaluation incredibly important.

📖 Pre-Order Take Back Your Thyroid + Get a Free Bonus

Pre-order McCall McPherson’s new book, Take Back Your Thyroid, and choose one free bonus:

🎓 Thyroid Empowered Course — a $399 value

OR

🩺 $150 off a new patient visit at Modern Thyroid Clinic

👉https://book.modernthyroidclinic.com/

📍 Connect with Dr. Alessia Roehnelt

Website & Practice:

https://www.endohealthdoc.com/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/endohealthdoc/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/alessia.roehnelt

📲 Follow McCall McPherson & Modern Thyroid and Wellness

Modern Thyroid Clinic:

https://modernthyroidclinic.com/

McCall McPherson:

https://www.mccallmcpherson.com/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/mccallmcphersonpa/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0_JyQdBAJwYT3rMDsvyriw

Facebook:

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X / Twitter:

https://x.com/thyroidexpert

What if the brain fog, forgetfulness, emotional overwhelm, anxiety, or difficulty getting things done isn’t simply stress—or even your thyroid?

In this episode of Modern Thyroid & Wellness, McCall McPherson, PA-C sits down with Dr. Jolene Brighten, women’s health expert and bestselling author, to explore the often-overlooked connection between ADHD in women, thyroid function, hormones, perimenopause, inflammation, and brain health.

Dr. Brighten explains why so many women reach adulthood without an ADHD diagnosis and why hormonal transitions can suddenly make symptoms that were once manageable feel impossible to ignore.

She also explains an important overlap for thyroid patients: hypothyroidism itself can create ADHD-like symptoms, including brain fog, low mental energy, working-memory problems, changes in neurotransmitter function, and difficulty with executive function.

In This Episode:

• Why ADHD in women is often missed or misdiagnosed
• How female ADHD can look different from stereotypical hyperactivity
• Anxiety, depression, and undiagnosed ADHD
• How hypothyroidism can mimic ADHD symptoms
• Emotional dysregulation, time blindness, and executive dysfunction
• ADHD, Hashimoto’s, PMDD, endometriosis, POTS, histamine issues, and other co-occurring conditions
• Dr. Brighten’s brain-immune-hormone model
• Why puberty, postpartum, birth control, perimenopause, and postmenopause can change ADHD symptoms
• Estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, cortisol, insulin, and brain energy
• Why perimenopause can make ADHD much harder to manage
• Gut health, sleep, exercise, protein, omega-3s, fiber, and polyphenols
• How to work with your healthcare provider instead of trying to DIY everything

ADHD or Hypothyroidism?

One of the most important conversations in this episode is the overlap between ADHD and low thyroid function.

Dr. Brighten explains that hypothyroidism can affect brain energy, memory, attention, neurotransmitters, and executive function. Her approach is to address hypothyroidism first when it could be contributing to new ADHD-like symptoms.

If difficulties with planning, organization, emotional regulation, focus, or executive function persist—especially when similar patterns have existed since childhood—it may be worth investigating another layer.

Why Hormones Matter

Dr. Brighten discusses important hormonal windows when ADHD symptoms may change or become more obvious: puberty, postpartum, the pill, perimenopause, and postmenopause.

During perimenopause in particular, shifts in estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, cortisol, insulin regulation, mitochondrial function, and brain energy may make brain fog, sleep problems, emotional dysregulation, and executive dysfunction more difficult.

📖 AVAILABLE NOW: ADHD and Women

Dr. Brighten’s new book, ADHD and Women: A Guide to Optimizing Your Hormones and Thriving with ADHD, is available now.

The book explores female ADHD through a hormone-focused lens and includes guidance on gut health, sleep, exercise, nutrition, supplements, hormones, quizzes, and a 14-day reset.

👉https://drbrighten.com/adhd-and-women/

📖 Pre-Order Take Back Your Thyroid + Get a Free Bonus

Pre-order McCall McPherson’s new book, Take Back Your Thyroid, and choose one free bonus:

🎓 Thyroid Empowered Course — a $399 value

OR

🩺 $150 off a new patient visit at Modern Thyroid Clinic

👉https://book.modernthyroidclinic.com/

Connect with Dr. Jolene Brighten

Website:

https://drbrighten.com/

📲 Follow McCall McPherson & Modern Thyroid and Wellness

💻 Website:https://modernthyroidclinic.com/

🐦 X / Twitter:@thyroidexpert

🌐 Host Website:https://www.mccallmcpherson.com/

📺 YouTube:McCall McPherson Channel

📘 Facebook:McCall McPherson PAC

📸 Instagram:@mccallmcphersonpa

This episode is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease or replace individualized medical care.

What happens when you’re doing everything “right” for your health but still don’t feel like yourself?

In this episode of Modern Thyroid & Wellness, McCall McPherson sits down with Nicole Peterson Doran, co-founder of PUR-FORM, Humanaut Health franchisee, and host of The Healthspan Collective Podcast, to talk about her decades-long journey through PCOS, hypothyroidism, inflammation, fertility concerns, long COVID, mast cell activation symptoms, and ultimately finding a more personalized approach to health.

Nicole’s story began at just 16 years old when she rapidly gained weight, developed facial hair, experienced irregular periods, severe fatigue, and intense brain fog. She was diagnosed with PCOS and later hypothyroidism, but traditional treatment did little to resolve how she actually felt.

That experience eventually led her into integrative medicine, whole-food nutrition, mindfulness, and the concept of bio-individuality—the idea that what works for one person may not work for another.

In This Episode:

• Nicole’s experience with PCOS and hypothyroidism beginning in her teens
• Why whole foods and lifestyle changes became a turning point
• The importance of bio-individuality in thyroid and hormone health
• Why there is no single “best” diet, medication, or wellness plan for everyone
• How Nicole prepared her body for pregnancy after years of PCOS
• The supplements and lifestyle changes she personally used while preparing for fertility
• Her long-COVID journey and mast cell activation symptoms
• Her personal experience with microdosed tirzepatide
• Thymosin alpha-1 and larazotide
• Why gut health became an important piece of her recovery
• What EBO2 is and how PUR-FORM uses regenerative therapies
• The evolution from struggling patient to health entrepreneur

Fertility After PCOS

Nicole shares how being told as a teenager that getting pregnant could be difficult stayed with her for years.

When she decided she wanted to conceive, she worked intentionally with her practitioners, focused on reducing inflammation, prioritized rest, limited travel, reduced alcohol and sugar, and used supplements including CoQ10 and fish oil.

She became pregnant after approximately three months, while emphasizing that fertility is deeply individual and there is still an element of uncertainty that cannot always be controlled.

Long COVID, MCAS & Finding New Tools

After COVID, Nicole experienced months of intense histamine-type symptoms, inflammation, brain fog, irritability, and weight changes.

She describes working with practitioners and personally using several tools during her recovery, including microdosed tirzepatide, thymosin alpha-1, larazotide, nutritional support, and regenerative therapies. These are shared as Nicole’s personal experience and are not recommendations for every listener.

About Nicole Peterson Doran

Nicole Peterson Doran is a co-founder of PUR-FORM, a comprehensive health optimization clinic in Boca Raton, Florida. She is also involved with Humanaut Health and hosts The Healthspan Collective Podcast.

Her work focuses on personalized health, metabolic and hormonal wellness, regenerative medicine, and helping people find answers when conventional approaches have not been enough.

Connect with Nicole

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/nicolejdoran/

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolejpeterson/

PUR-FORM:

https://purformhealth.com/

Humanaut Health:

https://humanauthealth.com/

This episode is for educational purposes only and does not replace individualized medical advice.

📖 Pre-Order Take Back Your Thyroid + Get a Free Bonus

Pre-order McCall McPherson’s new book, Take Back Your Thyroid, and choose one free bonus:

🎓 Thyroid Empowered Course, a $399 value

OR

🩺 $150 off a new patient visit at Modern Thyroid Clinic

Pre-Order & Claim Your Free Bonus

📲 Follow McCall McPherson & Modern Thyroid and Wellness

💻 Website:https://modernthyroidclinic.com/

🐦 X / Twitter:@thyroidexpert

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📺 YouTube:McCall McPherson Channel

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In this episode of Modern Thyroid and Wellness, McCall McPherson, PA-C sits down with thyroid health expert and bestselling author Elle Russ to discuss why so many people with hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s continue experiencing symptoms even while taking thyroid medication—and what may be missing from conventional thyroid treatment.

They break down the limitations of relying on TSH alone, the difference between “normal” thyroid labs and actually feeling well, and why thyroid treatment may need to consider the bigger picture, including T4, T3, reverse T3, medication type, dosage, timing, symptoms, and the individual patient.

If you’ve ever been told your thyroid labs are normal while you still struggle with fatigue, brain fog, stubborn weight gain, mood changes, high cholesterol, fertility concerns, or other hypothyroid symptoms, this conversation will help you better understand the questions to ask about your thyroid care.

📖 PRE-ORDER TAKE BACK YOUR THYROID

McCall McPherson’s new book, Take Back Your Thyroid, is the science-based guide for people who are tired of being told everything looks “normal” when they still don’t feel well.

Pre-order the hardcover and receive the Thyroid Empowered Course ($399 value) FREE with your pre-order.

👉 Pre-order here:

https://book.modernthyroidclinic.com/

🔑 IN THIS EPISODE:

• Why you may still have hypothyroid symptoms while taking thyroid medication
• Why relying only on TSH can leave important information out of the picture
• “Normal” thyroid lab ranges vs. optimal thyroid function
• T4, T3, reverse T3, and thyroid hormone conversion
• T4-only medication vs. combination thyroid therapy
• Natural desiccated thyroid vs. synthetic thyroid hormones
• How medication dose and timing can affect thyroid treatment
• The connection between thyroid dysfunction, fatigue, weight, mood, cholesterol, and fertility
• Common misconceptions about thyroid hormone replacement
• Why understanding your own thyroid labs matters
• How to become a more informed advocate for your thyroid health

👩‍⚕️ ABOUT ELLE RUSS

Elle Russ is a bestselling author, thyroid health educator, and advocate.

After experiencing years of hypothyroidism, misdiagnosis, and unsuccessful treatment herself, she became dedicated to helping others better understand thyroid health and advocate for more individualized care.

She is the author of The Paleo Thyroid Solution and creator of The Ultimate Thyroid Course.

🔗 ELLE RUSS RESOURCES

Website:

https://elleruss.com/

Free Thyroid Guide:

https://freethyroidguide.com/

🌐 ABOUT MODERN THYROID CLINIC

Modern Thyroid Clinic specializes in helping patients understand and address persistent thyroid symptoms through individualized, comprehensive thyroid care.

https://www.modernthyroidclinic.com/

Subscribe for weekly conversations about thyroid health, Hashimoto’s, hypothyroidism, hormones, metabolism, functional medicine, women’s health, and longevity.

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or replace individualized medical advice from your healthcare provider.

#Hypothyroidism #Hashimotos #ThyroidHealth #ThyroidMedication #WomensHealth

Could a simple neck self-check help you notice a thyroid concern earlier?

September is Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month, and in this episode of Modern Thyroid & Wellness, McCall McPherson sits down with Dr. Rashmi Roy, a fellowship-trained, board-certified endocrine surgeon specializing in thyroid and parathyroid disorders.

Dr. Roy practices at the Hospital for Endocrine Surgery in Tampa and has performed thousands of thyroid and parathyroid procedures. Together, McCall and Dr. Roy have an important conversation about thyroid cancer risk, early detection, diagnosis, thyroid nodules, surgery, Hashimoto’s, and how patients can make more informed decisions about their thyroid health.

They discuss how to perform a neck self-check, potential signs and risk factors to be aware of, and when thyroid ultrasound or additional evaluation may be appropriate.

Dr. Roy also explains what patients should know before thyroid surgery, including common misconceptions, potential complications, and why the experience of your thyroid surgeon can matter when evaluating surgical options.

The conversation also explores Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, its relationship to overall thyroid health and thyroid cancer risk, evolving approaches to treatment and post-surgical management, and why learning to ask better questions can help you become a stronger advocate for your own care.

Whether you are navigating a thyroid nodule, Hashimoto’s, a possible thyroid cancer diagnosis, or an upcoming thyroid surgery, this episode offers practical information to help you approach the next step with greater clarity.

🔑 In This Episode:

• How to perform a neck self-check
• Signs, symptoms, and risk factors associated with thyroid cancer
• When thyroid ultrasound or additional screening may be considered
• What patients should know about thyroid nodules
• Why surgeon experience matters when choosing a thyroid surgeon
• Common myths about thyroid surgery
• Potential risks and complications of thyroid surgery
• Hashimoto’s and its relationship to thyroid health and thyroid cancer risk
• New and emerging approaches to treatment and post-surgical management
• How to advocate for yourself and ask better questions about your care

👩‍⚕️ About Dr. Rashmi Roy

Dr. Rashmi Roy is a fellowship-trained, board-certified endocrine surgeon specializing in thyroid and parathyroid disorders. She practices at the Hospital for Endocrine Surgery in Tampa and has performed thousands of thyroid and parathyroid procedures.

Her extensive surgical experience gives her a valuable perspective on thyroid cancer diagnosis, surgical decision-making, potential complications, and what patients should consider when selecting a thyroid surgeon.

If you know someone navigating thyroid nodules, thyroid cancer, Hashimoto’s, or an upcoming thyroid surgery, share this episode with them during Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month.

📘 Pre-Order Take Back Your Thyroid

McCall McPherson’s new book, Take Back Your Thyroid, is available for pre-order now.

Pre-order and receive FREE access to the Thyroid Empowered Course — a $399 value.

👉 Pre-order here:

https://book.modernthyroidclinic.com/

📲 Connect with McCall & Modern Thyroid Clinic

McCall McPherson, PA-C

Instagram: @mccallmcphersonpa

https://www.instagram.com/mccallmcphersonpa/

Modern Thyroid Clinic

Instagram: @modernthyroid

https://www.instagram.com/modernthyroid/

Learn more about Modern Thyroid Clinic:

https://www.modernthyroidclinic.com/

This content is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or replace individualized medical care.

#ThyroidCancerAwarenessMonth #ThyroidCancer #ThyroidHealth #ThyroidCancerAwareness #ThyroidSurgery #ThyroidNodules #Hashimotos #HashimotosDisease #Hypothyroidism #ThyroidDisease #EndocrineHealth #WomensHealth #ModernThyroidClinic #McCallMcPherson #TakeBackYourThyroid

What if thyroid dysfunction isn’t always an isolated thyroid problem, but a signal that the cells throughout your body are under too much stress?

In this episode of Modern Thyroid & Wellness, McCall McPherson sits down with Dr. Bill Rawls, physician, bestselling author, and co-founder of Vital Plan, for a fascinating conversation about cellular health, chronic illness, autophagy, microbes, stress, thyroid function, and the role herbs may play in supporting resilience.

Dr. Rawls’ perspective grew out of his own health crisis. After years of intense work and inadequate sleep as an OB-GYN, his health deteriorated dramatically. He experienced fatigue, neurological symptoms, joint problems, cardiac symptoms, and eventually discovered evidence of Lyme disease. After conventional approaches failed to restore his health, his experience with herbal therapy led him into decades of research on chronic illness and cellular wellness.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Why Dr. Rawls views cellular stress as a common thread in chronic illness
• Five major categories that can stress our cells
• Why nutrition, environmental toxins, sleep, movement, and microbes matter
• What autophagy is and why cellular repair is essential
• How fasting, exercise, and stress can influence autophagy
• The relationship between thyroid hormone and cellular metabolism
• Why Dr. Rawls views thyroid dysfunction as a possible signal of broader cellular stress
• His hypothesis about microbes, thyroid cells, and Hashimoto’s
• How chronic psychological stress and cortisol affect cellular recovery
• Why whole foods, plant diversity, sleep, movement, and reducing toxic exposures form the foundation of his approach
• How adaptogenic herbs may support cellular resilience
• Ashwagandha, rhodiola, reishi, cordyceps, Japanese knotweed, Chinese skullcap, dandelion, and milk thistle
• Why herbs became central to Dr. Rawls’ approach to chronic illness

The Five Drivers of Cellular Stress

Dr. Rawls encourages listeners to zoom out from individual diagnoses and look at the health of the cells themselves.

He organizes common sources of cellular stress into five broad areas: inadequate nutrition, toxic exposures, insufficient recovery and sleep, physical stress or inactivity, and microbes.

His goal is not simply to suppress symptoms, but to create an internal environment that gives cells the resources and recovery time they need to function well.

Autophagy: Your Cells’ Recycling and Repair System

A major part of the conversation focuses on autophagy, the ongoing process cells use to recycle damaged components and maintain themselves.

Dr. Rawls explains how fasting, movement, and other mild stressors may stimulate this process, while excessive stress can become counterproductive. He emphasizes balance between stress and recovery, rather than believing that more fasting or harder exercise is always better.

What Does This Mean for Thyroid Health?

Dr. Rawls describes thyroid hormone as an important metabolic signal that helps cells produce and use energy.

His central argument is that when cells are chronically stressed, thyroid function may become part of that larger picture. Rather than viewing fatigue or thyroid dysfunction completely in isolation, he encourages looking at sleep, nutrition, stress, environmental exposures, movement, and overall cellular health.

Connect with Dr. Bill Rawls

🌿Dr. Bill Rawls at RawlsMD

📖The Cellular Wellness Solution

📖Unlocking Lyme

🌱Explore Vital Plan

RESTORE180™

Dr. Rawls also shares RESTORE180, Vital Plan’s six-month program for people navigating complex chronic illness. The program progresses through stress regulation, gut and detoxification support, and concentrated botanical formulations.

Learn More About RESTORE180

📲 Follow McCall McPherson & Modern Thyroid and Wellness

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📺 YouTube:McCall McPherson Channel

📘 Facebook:McCall McPherson PAC

📸 Instagram:@mccallmcphersonpa

With thousands of supplements promising more energy, better hair, improved thyroid function, and healthier aging, how do you know what your body actually needs?

In this episode of Modern Thyroid & Wellness, McCall McPherson sits down with Melissa “Mel” Afflerbach, Clinical Director of Weight Loss & Supplement Programs, for a practical conversation about the supplements they use and recommend within their thyroid and metabolic health programs.

They break down some of the most common concerns women with hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s experience—from persistent fatigue and low energy to hair loss—and explain why supplementation should support the bigger picture rather than replace investigating the root cause of a symptom.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Why correcting thyroid function may not completely resolve fatigue
• How adrenal and mitochondrial health relate to energy production
• The difference between stimulant energy and supporting cellular energy
• Why thyroid dysfunction can contribute to hair shedding and changes in hair, skin, and nails
• Why ferritin and thyroid labs matter when investigating hair loss
• How collagen, micronutrients, and antioxidants may support hair, skin, and nails
• Why myo-inositol and selenium are used in ThyroShield™
• Why testing and understanding the cause of a symptom still matters
• How McCall and her clinical team choose supplements for MDRN Wellness
• A sneak peek at what they are developing specifically for the thyroid community

McCall also shares the deeply personal story behind the “Sol” found throughout the MDRN Health line. Her late brother, Solomon, had been working on the project before his unexpected passing, and the line now carries part of his legacy forward.

Supplements Discussed in This Episode

Adrena-Sol — adrenal and energy support

Shop Adrena-Sol

Mito-Sol — mitochondrial and cellular energy support

Shop Mito-Sol

Beauty Glow Collagen — collagen support for hair, skin, and nails

Shop Beauty Glow Collagen

Complete Beauty — micronutrient support for hair, skin, and nails

Shop Complete Beauty

Astaxanthin Antioxidant — antioxidant and skin support

Shop Astaxanthin

ThyroShield™ — myo-inositol + selenium thyroid support

Shop ThyroShield™

Shop MDRN Wellness

The MDRN Wellness store was created to make choosing supplements less overwhelming. Products are selected by McCall and the clinical team with the needs of people navigating thyroid dysfunction, hormone concerns, low energy, and related symptoms in mind.

Shop All MDRN Wellness Supplements

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What if your thyroid symptoms aren’t an isolated problem, but one signal from a body asking you to pay attention?

In this episode of Modern Thyroid & Wellness, McCall McPherson sits down with Kelly McKenna, CEO and Co-Founder of End Chronic Disease, to explore thyroid health, autoimmunity, chronic stress, environmental exposures, nutrition, and what it really means to focus on prevention.

Kelly’s health journey began with a celiac disease diagnosis in high school, followed by nearly two decades of autoimmune and chronic health challenges. In her early 30s, thyroid labs disrupted her plans to freeze her eggs and pushed her to ask a different question: instead of accepting hypothyroidism as inevitable, what might actually be driving it?

That curiosity eventually changed both her health and career.

Key Topics Covered

• Kelly’s experience with celiac disease, hypothyroidism, and Hashimoto’s
• How childhood stress may influence long-term health
• Why sleep, nutrition, movement, relationships, and environment matter
• Environmental exposures and thyroid health
• The conversation around paraquat and chronic disease
• Why prevention should begin in childhood
• Iodine, selenium, vitamin D, iron, and thyroid health
• Why Kelly calls her thyroid a “barometer” for her whole body
• Simple strategies for fatigue and autoimmune flares
• The importance of boundaries and emotional health
• Bringing preventive health education into schools
• Why chronic disease prevention requires both individual and systemic change

When Your Thyroid Becomes a Warning System

After being re-diagnosed with Hashimoto’s, Kelly began closely observing how changes in sleep, nutrition, nutrient status, stress, and other aspects of daily life corresponded with her symptoms and thyroid labs.

She focused on nutrients including iodine, selenium, vitamin D, and iron and experimented with dietary changes. As her thyroid markers improved, she noticed changes in her skin, digestion, fatigue, and overall wellbeing too.

Today, Kelly describes her thyroid as a “barometer for my whole body.” When fatigue and familiar symptoms return, she views them as signals that her body may need more support, rest, or recovery.

Stress, Environment, and Chronic Disease

Kelly also shares how growing up with a brother who experienced significant disabilities and frequent seizures created a chronic sense of uncertainty and stress, even within a loving family. Only later did she recognize how those experiences may have shaped her stress response.

The conversation expands into environmental health, including paraquat exposure, ultra-processed foods, school environments, movement, and why the places where we live, work, learn, and eat deserve a larger role in conversations about chronic disease prevention.

What If You’re Already Exhausted?

When someone is already depleted, complicated wellness routines can feel impossible.

Kelly recommends returning to basics. Her personal recovery toolbox has included restorative yoga, putting her legs up the wall, prioritizing sleep, simplifying food, gentle walking, acupuncture, positive experiences with people she loves, and examining emotional stress or boundaries that may be draining energy.

The goal is to learn your body’s signals and build a collection of tools you can return to when you need them.

About Kelly McKenna

Kelly McKenna is the CEO and Co-Founder of End Chronic Disease, an organization focused on chronic disease prevention, education, awareness, and policy change.

🌐End Chronic Disease

💼Kelly McKenna on LinkedIn

📸Kelly on Instagram @earth.to.kelly

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What if the foods, supplements, workouts, and hormone therapies that work beautifully for someone else are completely wrong for your biology?

In this episode of Modern Thyroid & Wellness, McCall McPherson sits down with Kashif Khan, bestselling author of The DNA Way, celebrity longevity coach, and two-time TEDx speaker, for a deep dive into functional genomics and personalized health. Kashif explains how DNA acts as an instruction manual for the body and why understanding those instructions may help explain why people respond so differently to the same foods, environmental exposures, exercise programs, supplements, and hormone therapies.

Drawing from his own experience with chronic illness and years of genetic research, Kashif explores the relationship between genetics and lifestyle, including thyroid health, Hashimoto’s, women’s hormones, detoxification, metabolism, gut health, sleep, cognitive function, inflammation, and longevity. The conversation offers a different way to think about personalized medicine: instead of simply asking what disease you may be genetically predisposed to, ask how your biology works and what choices may better support it.

Key Topics Covered

• What DNA actually tells us about everyday health
• Why genetics are not necessarily destiny
• Genetics versus epigenetics
• How lifestyle, environment, and nutrition interact with genetic predispositions
• Kashif’s personal journey from chronic illness to genetic research
• Why two people can make the same health choices and experience very different outcomes
• Genetic differences in detoxification
• Why DNA testing is different from repeatedly testing hormones, cholesterol, or the microbiome
• How genetics may influence sleep and circadian preferences
• Personalizing nutrition and carbohydrate intake
• Genetics, metabolism, and gut health
• Environmental exposures and individual detoxification capacity
• Women’s hormone health and estrogen metabolism
• Genetics, Hashimoto’s, autoimmunity, and thyroid health
• Why functional genomics goes beyond disease-risk scores
• Personalizing exercise according to individual biology
• Why nervous system regulation and gut health may need to come before advanced biohacking
• The future of personalized medicine and longevity
• Why understanding the biology underneath symptoms matters

DNA as Your Body’s Instruction Manual

Kashif describes DNA in practical terms as an instruction manual contained within the cells of the body.

Genes provide instructions for countless biological processes, including producing hormones, metabolizing food, detoxifying compounds, and supporting cognitive function.

The important difference is that everyone's instruction manual is slightly different.

That helps explain why two people can follow the same diet, take the same hormone prescription, or perform the same exercise routine and experience dramatically different outcomes.

Genetics Load the Gun, Environment Pulls the Trigger

One of the central ideas in the episode is the interaction between genetics and epigenetics.

Your DNA does not change every time you change your diet or lifestyle, but the choices you make interact with the biological instructions you inherited.

Kashif groups those choices into three broad areas:

• Environment
• Nutrition
• Lifestyle

Environment includes what you are exposed to. Nutrition includes food, supplements, and other nutritional interventions. Lifestyle encompasses factors such as exercise, work, and sleep.

Understanding genetics, therefore, is not simply about predicting disease. Kashif sees it as a way to understand how your individual body processes the choices you make every day.

Kashif’s Personal Health Journey

Kashif did not enter genomics through a traditional medical or scientific career path.

Around age 38, after previously considering himself healthy, he developed multiple chronic health problems, including severe eczema, psoriasis, gut issues, migraines, reflux, and inflammation.

He received diagnoses and prescriptions but remained focused on a different question:

Why did this happen?

His search took him through traditional Chinese medicine, homeopathy, naturopathy, functional medicine, hormone health, the microbiome, and eventually genetics.

Understanding genetic differences helped him begin connecting his individual biology with environmental and lifestyle exposures. His recovery ultimately inspired him to leave his previous technology consulting business and build a genetic research company.

Why Your Detoxification Genetics Matter

Kashif uses his own GSTM1 genetics as an example of how individual differences can influence detoxification.

He explains that glutathione plays an important role in neutralizing and removing unwanted compounds and that genetic differences can affect how those processes function in different areas of the body.

In Kashif’s case, he discovered a copy number variation involving GSTM1, which became one piece of understanding why exposures that did not seem to affect someone living an otherwise similar lifestyle could affect him differently.

This illustrates the broader problem with one-size-fits-all wellness advice: what is tolerated well by most people may not necessarily be optimal for every individual.

Why DNA Testing Is Different

Hormones change.

The gut microbiome changes.

Toxic burden changes.

Cholesterol changes.

DNA does not.

Kashif explains that this permanence is part of what makes genomic information valuable. Rather than repeatedly testing DNA, the goal is to understand what your genetic information means and then use that knowledge alongside changing health data throughout your life.

His current mission centers heavily on education and helping people better understand their own genetic information.

Start With the Foundation Before Biohacking

One of Kashif’s cautions is that people often enter the longevity and biohacking world by copying people who have already spent years optimizing their health.

That can quickly become overwhelming.

His suggested framework begins with identifying where you currently are.

If there is an acute health problem, address that first.

Then consider foundational areas such as:

• Nervous system regulation
• Gut health
• Toxic burden
• Health optimization
• Longevity and advanced biohacking

Trying to fix decades of accumulated problems in two weeks is unlikely to create the sustainable outcome people are looking for.

The goal is to work in the right order rather than doing everything at once.

Five Areas Functional Genomics Can Help Personalize

Kashif identifies several major areas where he believes functional genomics can provide useful insights.

Cognitive Function

Genetic differences may influence neurochemical pathways involved in behavior, reward, focus, and how people perceive and respond to their environment.

Sleep

Difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, feeling restored, or naturally functioning better earlier or later in the day may involve different biological pathways.

Metabolism

People do not necessarily respond identically to the same macronutrient balance.

Kashif shares an example involving female athletes who were struggling on a low-carbohydrate approach but performed better after carbohydrates were reintroduced based on their individual biology.

Gut and Environmental Health

Genetics may help provide context for how an individual responds to environmental exposures and how effectively certain detoxification processes function.

Hormones

This is one of the areas Kashif believes has enormous potential, particularly for women. Understanding how someone produces, binds, metabolizes, and clears hormones may provide a more personalized framework for women's health.

Genetics, Thyroid Health, and Hashimoto’s

McCall and Kashif take the conversation directly into thyroid health.

Kashif explains that people may arrive with symptoms such as fatigue without realizing that thyroid physiology could be part of the picture.

They discuss potential connections among detoxification pathways, environmental exposures, gut-brain signaling, autoimmunity, estrogen metabolism, and thyroid health.

The bigger takeaway is that there may not be one universal reason someone develops Hashimoto’s or another thyroid problem.

Kashif’s approach is to ask what biological pathways may be contributing in that particular individual so interventions can become more precise rather than simply adding more generalized recommendations.

Why Women’s Hormones Need More Personalization

Kashif describes women’s hormone health as one of the areas where his research revealed significant gaps in conventional approaches.

The conversation explores estrogen metabolism and why understanding what happens after estrogen is produced may matter.

Kashif discusses different estrogen metabolites and how genetics may influence their production and processing.

For McCall, this aligns with what she sees clinically: thyroid hormones and reproductive hormones cannot always be treated as isolated systems.

Understanding how an individual produces, converts, metabolizes, and clears hormones may provide another layer of personalization.

Can Exercise Be Personalized to Your DNA?

One surprisingly practical application discussed is exercise.

Kashif believes genetics can provide information about how an individual may respond to different training styles, including resistance training and cardiovascular exercise.

The goal is not simply determining whether exercise is "good" for you.

It is asking which type of exercise may provide the best return for your individual physiology, body composition, recovery, and health goals.

He shares an example involving an elite tennis player whose cardiovascular and mitochondrial genetics required a more individualized approach to supporting the demands of his sport.

The Future of Personalized Medicine

McCall and Kashif also explore whether genomics could eventually become part of everyday medicine.

Kashif believes that shift is already beginning.

Instead of personalizing only the treatment given after disease appears, he envisions a healthcare model that uses genetic, hormonal, microbiome, and other biological information to understand the individual earlier.

For patients, that could mean moving from generalized wellness advice toward more precise decisions about nutrition, exercise, environmental exposures, hormones, and long-term health optimization.

Final Takeaway

Your genes may influence your biology, but knowing your genetics does not have to be about fear.

For Kashif, the value of functional genomomics is understanding why your body behaves the way it does so you can make more informed decisions.

Instead of copying someone else's diet, workout, supplement routine, or longevity protocol, personalized medicine asks a different question:

What does my body actually need?

The goal is not to obsess over every genetic variant. It is to understand your individual strengths and vulnerabilities, strengthen the foundations of health, and use that information to make more precise choices about how you eat, move, sleep, manage your environment, and support your hormones throughout life.

About Kashif Khan

Kashif Khan is the bestselling author of The DNA Way, a celebrity longevity coach, and a two-time TEDx speaker known for his personalized approach to health integrating genetics with lifestyle, environment, and nutrition.

After experiencing multiple chronic health conditions himself, Kashif immersed himself in functional medicine and genetics and went on to build a genetic research company. Today, his work focuses heavily on education, functional genomics, personalized wellness, and helping people better understand how their unique biology may influence their health.

Resources & Special Offer

🧬 Save $50 on the DNA 360 Test Kit

Explore your individual genetics with Kashif Khan's DNA 360 Report.

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🌐Kashif Khan Official Website

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What if menopause wasn’t something to fear or simply endure, but a transition you could actively prepare for?

In this episode of Modern Thyroid and Wellness, McCall McPherson sits down with Lisa Jedan, creator and host of MenoPositive, to challenge the long-standing narrative that menopause automatically means decline. After a successful career in PR and marketing, where she helped build brands and shape stories, Lisa turned those same skills toward changing the conversation around women’s health and aging.

Lisa shares what she has learned from interviewing experts across conventional medicine, Chinese medicine, longevity, breathwork, nutrition, and women’s health. The message she hears repeatedly is clear: hormones do not operate in isolation, and the earlier women invest in their health, the more options they may have as they age.

Together, McCall and Lisa explore strength training, nutrition, metabolism, thyroid health, Hashimoto’s, mindset, digestion, protein, fiber, sustainable lifestyle changes, and why midlife may become one of the healthiest and most fulfilling chapters of a woman’s life.

Key Topics Covered

• Why Lisa created MenoPositive
• Changing the narrative around menopause and aging
• Why menopause preparation should begin before symptoms become overwhelming
• How thyroid health and reproductive hormones overlap
• Lisa’s personal experience with Hashimoto’s
• Why women often put themselves last
• Moving from perfection toward small, sustainable health changes
• Why strength training becomes increasingly important during midlife
• Building and preserving muscle for healthy aging
• Protein, fiber, metabolism, and digestive health
• Why regular bowel movements matter
• Simple ways Lisa adds flaxseed and sprouts to her diet
• How mindset may influence the menopause experience
• Building trust with yourself through consistent habits
• Moving beyond biohacking toward “bioharmony”
• Why wellness optimization can become exhausting
• The importance of sleep, movement, and nutrition before advanced optimization
• Why your best years do not have to be behind you

Changing the Menopause Narrative

Lisa began her career as a dancer and performer before moving into PR and marketing, where she built a career around storytelling and changing narratives.

When she entered perimenopause and menopause herself, she noticed that the cultural story surrounding this stage of life did not match her experience.

So much of the messaging centered on loss, decline, and everything women should expect to go wrong.

Lisa wanted a different conversation.

That desire became MenoPositive, a platform and philosophy built around educating women about hormone changes while showing them what they can actively do to support their health.

After interviewing experts from a wide range of disciplines, Lisa says one message consistently emerges: menopause does not have to equal decline.

Why We Should Prepare for Menopause

Lisa makes a compelling comparison: we prepare for pregnancy, retirement, and marathons, so why do so many women arrive at one of the biggest biological transitions of their lives without preparation?

Historically, women have often been taught to wait until symptoms appear and then figure out how to manage them.

Lisa wants to reverse that approach.

Instead of asking, “How can I manage these symptoms?” she encourages women to ask how they can prepare their bodies for a more positive menopause experience.

For Lisa, this is not about perfection. It is about preparation and beginning wherever you are.

Thyroid Health and Menopause Symptoms Can Overlap

Lisa also lives with Hashimoto’s, giving her firsthand experience with how difficult it can be to distinguish thyroid symptoms from hormonal changes during midlife.

Mood changes, libido concerns, fatigue, brain fog, and changes in how the body feels can appear across both thyroid dysfunction and perimenopause.

One of the biggest lessons Hashimoto’s taught Lisa was to become curious about what her body was communicating rather than automatically accepting symptoms as her new normal.

McCall emphasizes that thyroid hormones and reproductive hormones do not exist in isolation. Understanding both can be especially important as women move through their 30s, 40s, and beyond.

Why Women Need to Put Themselves Back on the List

Whether a woman is the CEO of a company or the CEO of her household, Lisa observes that women often place themselves third, fourth, or fifth on their own priority lists.

Midlife can offer an opportunity to change that.

Lisa encourages women to believe they deserve to be healthy and to recognize that investing in themselves does not require changing everything overnight.

Cooking one additional vegetable, adding a little movement, or making one sustainable change can begin shifting the trajectory.

McCall connects this idea to the power of small habits. Tiny actions may seem insignificant in isolation, but when repeated consistently, they compound.

Strength Training as a Midlife “Secret Weapon”

For Lisa, two changes significantly influenced her menopause experience: strength training and nutrition.

She had always been active because of her background as a dancer, but midlife encouraged her to change the way she exercised.

Strength training became a priority.

Lisa noticed changes not only in her body, but also in her mood, sleep, confidence, and mindset.

McCall emphasizes that building muscle becomes increasingly challenging as women move through perimenopause and menopause, making it valuable to establish that foundation earlier.

Lisa compares strength training to putting money in the bank. Building strength now creates reserves that may become increasingly valuable later in life.

Keep the Schedule, Change the Scope

One of Lisa’s favorite ideas comes from Atomic Habits by James Clear: “Keep the schedule, change the scope.”

If you planned to exercise but suddenly only have ten minutes, doing those ten minutes still allows you to keep the promise you made to yourself.

Lisa and McCall discuss how this consistency builds something even bigger than fitness: self-trust.

Every time you follow through, especially when you do not feel like it, you reinforce the belief that you can rely on yourself.

That mindset can make sustainable health changes much more achievable than an all-or-nothing approach.

From Biohacking to Bioharmony

Women today are surrounded by wellness advice.

Eat more protein. Take supplements. Strength train. Optimize your hormones. Track your sleep. Improve your metabolism.

Eventually, optimization itself can become exhausting.

Lisa believes the conversation is beginning to shift away from constant “biohacking” toward what she calls bioharmony, a more sustainable approach to working with the body rather than endlessly trying to optimize every variable.

The foundation remains surprisingly simple:

Eat well. Move your body. Sleep.

These habits are not always easy, but Lisa believes establishing them first creates a stronger foundation before adding more advanced interventions.

Protein, Fiber, and Digestion in Midlife

Nutrition is another major part of the conversation.

Across Lisa’s interviews with experts, protein repeatedly emerges as an important topic, particularly alongside strength training and maintaining muscle.

But protein is not the whole story.

Lisa also emphasizes fiber and digestive regularity.

She shares that many women assume having a bowel movement every two or three days is normal. Her own experience taught her how stress and rushed mornings could affect digestion.

Two simple foods she regularly incorporates are flaxseed and sprouts. She prepares flaxseed ahead of time and adds it to yogurt, while sprouts can easily be added to eggs, salads, or meals.

These small, affordable habits reflect Lisa’s larger philosophy: health does not always require expensive or complicated interventions.

You Have More Influence Than You Think

When McCall asks Lisa what mindset shift she wishes every woman could make, her answer is simple:

You have a choice.

Lisa believes women have more influence over how they approach and experience menopause than many have been led to believe.

That does not mean every symptom can be prevented or that every woman will have the same experience. It means women can become informed, seek appropriate care, strengthen their health foundations, and make choices that support the decades ahead.

Your Best Years Are Not Behind You

Perhaps the biggest myth Lisa wants to challenge is the idea that a woman’s best years are over once she reaches midlife.

She sees the opposite.

Women in their 40s, 50s, and 60s are starting businesses, stepping into leadership, pursuing new goals, and redefining what aging looks like.

Instead of treating menopause as an ending, Lisa sees it as an opportunity to enter the second half of life with greater wisdom, perspective, confidence, and purpose.

For her, menopause can be a powerful new beginning.

Final Takeaway

Preparing for menopause does not mean pursuing perfection.

It means starting where you are.

Build muscle.

Eat nourishing foods.

Prioritize protein and fiber.

Protect your sleep.

Pay attention to your thyroid and hormones.

Listen to your body.

Make small promises to yourself and keep them.

Most importantly, reject the assumption that midlife automatically means decline.

As Lisa and McCall discuss, women have more information, tools, and opportunities than ever before to become active participants in their health. The goal is not to obsessively optimize every aspect of life. It is to build a sustainable foundation that allows you to feel strong, capable, and empowered through menopause and the decades beyond.

About Lisa Jedan

Lisa Jedan is the creator and host of MenoPositive, a platform and philosophy dedicated to changing the narrative around menopause. After beginning her career as a dancer and performer, Lisa moved into PR and marketing, where she worked in storytelling and brand building.

Her own experience with perimenopause, menopause, and Hashimoto’s inspired her to bring those storytelling skills back to women’s health. Through MenoPositive, Lisa interviews experts from around the world about hormone shifts, health, longevity, nutrition, mindset, and practical strategies designed to educate and empower women.

Resources & Links

🌐 MenoPositive

https://www.menopositive.life/

📸 MenoPositive on Instagram

@menopositive.life

🎙️ Lisa Jedan / MenoPositive on Audible

Listen on Audible

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What if you've optimized your thyroid hormones, improved your nutrition, reduced inflammation, and addressed the underlying biochemistry, but you still don't feel fully well?

In this episode of Modern Thyroid and Wellness, McCall McPherson welcomes chronic illness recovery educator Faith Ashenden for a fascinating conversation about the neuroscience of healing and how the brain may continue reinforcing chronic symptoms long after the body has begun to recover. After overcoming Graves' disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, IBS, panic attacks, and years of debilitating illness, Faith now teaches women how to retrain subconscious patterns, regulate the nervous system, and rebuild confidence in their health.

Together, McCall and Faith explore why healing is about more than lab work alone, how chronic illness can shape identity, and why combining functional medicine with nervous system work may help people move from simply managing symptoms to truly thriving.

Key Topics Covered

• Faith's journey with Graves' disease and chronic illness
• The challenges of delayed diagnosis and years of debilitating symptoms
• Graves' disease versus Hashimoto's disease
• Why treating thyroid disease doesn't always resolve every symptom
• The role of functional medicine in Faith's recovery
• What neuroplasticity is and how the brain adapts to chronic illness
• How chronic symptoms can become learned neurological patterns
• The difference between biochemical healing and nervous system healing
• Chronic illness identity and fear of relapse
• Why trauma from chronic illness itself matters
• Common limiting beliefs that keep people feeling stuck
• Practical ways to begin retraining the brain
• Why healing is rarely linear
• Building resilience through new beliefs and daily habits
• Combining functional medicine with mindset and nervous system work

Faith's Story of Chronic Illness

Faith developed Graves' disease while attending college after experiencing severe anxiety, rapid weight loss, heart palpitations, overwhelming fatigue, and multiple unexplained symptoms. After months of searching for answers, she was finally diagnosed when an endocrinologist recognized the signs almost immediately.

Although treatment addressed her hyperthyroidism, Faith continued struggling for years with chronic fatigue, digestive issues, anxiety, and other persistent health challenges. Her experience eventually led her into functional medicine, where she began addressing the underlying physiological contributors to her symptoms before discovering the important role that neuroplasticity and the nervous system would play in her long-term recovery.

Why the Brain Matters in Chronic Illness

Faith explains that when symptoms persist for months or years, the brain naturally adapts.

Through neuroplasticity, the brain learns patterns that associate certain situations, environments, or activities with symptom responses. Even after many underlying physical issues have improved, these learned pathways may continue reinforcing chronic symptoms.

Rather than suggesting illness is "all in your head," Faith emphasizes that biochemical healing and nervous system healing often work together.

Healing Beyond the Lab Results

McCall shares that many patients improve dramatically after optimizing thyroid hormones, inflammation, nutrition, and metabolic health, yet some continue feeling as though they cannot fully regain their confidence or resilience.

Faith believes this is where subconscious beliefs, fear of relapse, and nervous system regulation become important.

Together, they discuss how healing often involves addressing both physiology and psychology instead of viewing them as competing explanations.

The Identity of Being Chronically Ill

One of the most powerful themes throughout the episode is identity.

After years of illness, many people begin organizing their lives around avoiding symptoms rather than building confidence in recovery.

Faith encourages listeners to recognize when the identity of being chronically ill has become part of their daily thinking and to intentionally begin creating a new vision of themselves beyond illness.

Trauma Doesn't End With the Diagnosis

The conversation also highlights an often-overlooked form of trauma: the experience of living with chronic illness itself.

Repeated medical appointments, unanswered questions, fear of relapse, canceled plans, and years of uncertainty can all shape subconscious beliefs about safety and health.

Faith explains that recognizing and working through those experiences may become an important part of long-term recovery.

Practical Steps to Retrain the Brain

Faith encourages listeners to become more intentional about where they place their attention.

Rather than constantly searching for evidence that reinforces illness, she recommends looking for evidence of healing, celebrating small improvements, and creating daily habits that reinforce resilience instead of fear.

She also discusses limiting exposure to online communities or content that continually reinforces hopelessness while seeking stories of recovery, possibility, and growth.

Healing Is a Journey

Both McCall and Faith agree that healing rarely happens in a perfectly straight line.

Setbacks and symptom flares do not necessarily erase progress. Instead, they can become opportunities to strengthen new patterns, build confidence, and continue developing trust in the body's ability to heal.

The goal is not perfection but creating a healthier relationship with both the body and the mind.

Final Takeaway

Faith Ashenden reminds us that healing is about more than simply eliminating symptoms.

Once the body's underlying physiology has been addressed, rebuilding confidence, changing limiting beliefs, regulating the nervous system, and creating new patterns of resilience may become the next layer of recovery.

By combining functional medicine with neuroscience and mindset work, many people may discover possibilities for healing they never thought were available.

About Faith Ashenden

Faith Ashenden is a chronic illness recovery educator, founder of That Healing Feeling, and host of the That Healing Feeling Podcast. After fully recovering from Graves' disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, IBS, panic attacks, and multiple chronic health conditions, she now helps women understand the neuroscience of healing, nervous system regulation, and subconscious pattern change through her educational programs and coaching.

Resources & Links

🌐 Faith Ashenden

https://faithashenden.com/

📸 Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/thathealingfeeling/

🎙️ That Healing Feeling Podcast

https://open.spotify.com/show/5bOaTuON429YbnFesShdxt

🎓 Free Masterclass

Available through Faith's website and Instagram.

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What if the key to better thyroid health, metabolism, and longevity starts at the cellular level?

In this episode of Modern Thyroid and Wellness, McCall McPherson is joined by David Roberts and Dr. John Gildea, the founders of Mara Labs, to explore the science behind chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, detoxification, and why bioavailability is one of the most overlooked factors in nutritional supplementation.

David shares the deeply personal story that inspired Mara Labs after his wife Mara's battle with breast cancer, while Dr. Gildea explains how his own scientific research led him to develop innovative ways to improve the absorption of powerful natural compounds like sulforaphane and curcumin. Together, they discuss how environmental toxins, poor nutrition, gut barrier dysfunction, and chronic inflammation may contribute to many of today's chronic health conditions—and why supporting the body's natural detoxification pathways is more important than ever.

Key Topics Covered

• The personal story behind the founding of Mara Labs
• Why bioavailability matters more than simply taking supplements
• What sulforaphane is and why it has become one of the most researched plant compounds
• The role of chronic inflammation in long-term health
• Oxidative stress and its relationship to chronic disease
• Understanding NRF2 and the body's natural antioxidant defenses
• Phase I, Phase II, and Phase III detoxification
• How gut barrier function influences toxin exposure
• Environmental toxins, microplastics, and endocrine disruption
• Practical ways to reduce your toxic burden
• The connection between inflammation and thyroid hormone function
• How sulforaphane and curcumin may support healthy cellular function
• Why personalized medicine matters
• The science behind GLPerfect™, BrocElite®, CurcuElite®, BerbElite®, and Microplast-X™

From Personal Tragedy to Purpose

Mara Labs was born from an incredibly personal journey.

After David Roberts' wife Mara was diagnosed with breast cancer, he partnered with scientist Dr. John Gildea to better understand natural compounds that could support cellular health. Their research led them to sulforaphane, a compound naturally found in broccoli sprouts, but they quickly discovered that creating a stable, bioavailable form was one of the biggest scientific challenges.

Following Mara's passing, David and John committed themselves to bringing scientifically formulated, highly bioavailable nutritional supplements to market in her honor.

Why Bioavailability Matters

One of the biggest themes throughout the conversation is that the quality of a supplement depends on much more than the ingredient listed on the label.

Many natural compounds show remarkable results in laboratory studies but are poorly absorbed by the human body.

David and Dr. Gildea explain how Mara Labs focuses on improving bioavailability so these compounds can actually reach the cells where they are intended to work.

Rather than simply increasing dosage, their research has centered on improving delivery.

Chronic Inflammation Starts Long Before Disease

The conversation explores how chronic disease often develops years before a formal diagnosis.

Dr. Gildea explains that declining nutrient density, increasing environmental toxin exposure, oxidative stress, and chronic low-grade inflammation gradually affect cellular function over time.

Whether those changes eventually appear as thyroid disease, metabolic dysfunction, autoimmune conditions, or another chronic illness often depends on an individual's genetics, lifestyle, and overall resilience.

Detoxification Is More Than a Trend

Detoxification is often misunderstood.

The guests explain that true detoxification involves multiple phases that occur throughout the body—not just in the liver—and depends on properly transforming, processing, and eliminating toxins.

They also emphasize that reducing exposure remains just as important as supporting the body's detoxification pathways.

Simple strategies discussed include improving indoor air quality with HEPA filtration, drinking filtered water, choosing less processed foods, and purchasing food from trusted local sources whenever possible.

NRF2: The Master Switch for Cellular Protection

A major focus of the episode is NRF2, one of the body's primary cellular defense pathways.

The guests explain how sulforaphane activates NRF2, supporting antioxidant production, Phase II detoxification, cellular resilience, and healthy inflammatory responses.

Curcumin is also discussed as another compound that complements these pathways while supporting a balanced inflammatory response.

Together, these compounds may help support overall cellular health through multiple biological mechanisms.

Environmental Toxins and Microplastics

David and Dr. Gildea discuss the growing concern surrounding microplastics and endocrine-disrupting chemicals.

They explain how microplastics may carry additional toxins into the body while potentially interfering with normal hormonal signaling.

The conversation also introduces Microplast-X™, a newer Mara Labs product designed to support the body's natural ability to remove accumulated microplastics.

Supporting Metabolic Health

The discussion also explores GLPerfect™, a supplement developed to support healthy metabolism using highly bioavailable natural compounds.

Rather than replacing prescription GLP-1 medications, the product was designed as a nutritional approach that supports several pathways involved in appetite regulation, blood sugar balance, fat metabolism, and muscle preservation.

The conversation highlights the importance of viewing metabolism through a broader lens than weight loss alone.

Thyroid Health and Cellular Function

McCall connects many of the concepts discussed back to thyroid health.

She explains that many patients produce adequate thyroid hormone but struggle with activation, conversion, or cellular utilization.

Reducing inflammation, supporting antioxidant defenses, and improving overall cellular health may help create a healthier environment for thyroid hormone function.

The discussion also explores the relationship between inflammation and Hashimoto's thyroiditis and why supporting the body's underlying physiology may benefit overall wellness.

Final Takeaway

David Roberts and Dr. John Gildea remind us that long-term health begins long before disease is diagnosed.

Supporting healthy cellular function, reducing chronic inflammation, minimizing toxic exposures, and improving nutrient bioavailability all contribute to building a stronger foundation for lifelong health.

Rather than searching for a single miracle solution, lasting wellness often comes from consistently supporting the body's natural systems and choosing interventions backed by thoughtful science.

About the Guests

David Roberts is the co-founder and Managing Partner of Mara Labs. Inspired by his wife Mara's battle with breast cancer, he helped establish the company to develop highly bioavailable nutritional supplements focused on supporting cellular health, detoxification, and longevity.

Dr. John Gildea is the co-founder and Chief Science Officer of Mara Labs. A molecular biologist and researcher, his work focuses on cellular biology, oxidative stress, nutrient bioavailability, inflammation, and the development of innovative nutritional compounds that support healthy aging.

Resources & Links

• 🌐Mara Labs
• 📸Mara Labs Instagram
• 🎙️Mara Labs Podcast

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Use code MCCALL for a special listener discount available after the episode release.

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What if PCOS, thyroid dysfunction, chronic inflammation, fertility concerns, and post-viral illness aren’t completely separate health problems, but connected chapters of a much bigger story?

In this episode of Modern Thyroid and Wellness, McCall McPherson sits down with Nicole Peterson Doran, co-founder of PUR-FORM and host of The Healthspan Collective podcast. Nicole shares her personal journey from being diagnosed with PCOS at just 16 and later hypothyroidism to discovering functional and integrative medicine, preparing for pregnancy, navigating long COVID and mast cell activation syndrome, and ultimately helping build businesses focused on personalized health optimization and regenerative medicine.

Together, McCall and Nicole explore why there is no one-size-fits-all approach to healing, how foundational habits and personalized care can work together, and how emerging tools such as GLP-1 medications, peptides, EBO2, and regenerative therapies are becoming part of a broader conversation around complex health challenges.

🔑 Key Topics Covered

• Nicole’s PCOS diagnosis at age 16
• Developing hypothyroidism after her PCOS diagnosis
• Weight gain, inflammation, fatigue, brain fog, and hormonal symptoms
• Why birth control and metformin did not address everything she was experiencing
• How functional and integrative medicine changed her health journey
• Moving beyond calorie counting toward whole-food nutrition
• Why bio-individuality matters in nutrition and treatment
• The importance of sleep, blood sugar balance, nutrition, and stress management
• Nicole’s fertility fears after being diagnosed with PCOS
• How she prepared her body before trying to conceive
• Her experience becoming pregnant after years of worrying about fertility
• How severe stress and COVID triggered another health crisis
• Long COVID and mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS)
• The relationship between gut health, immune regulation, stress, and inflammation
• Nicole’s personal experience with microdosed GLP-1 therapy
• Thymosin alpha-1 and larazotide discussed during her recovery
• EBO2 and its role in Nicole and McCall’s personal health journeys
• Regenerative medicine and stem cell therapies at PUR-FORM
• PUR-FORM’s newly launched MUSE cell offering
• Therapeutic plasma exchange and health optimization
• Why finding one practitioner who truly listens can change your health journey

Nicole’s Health Journey Started at 16

Nicole had been a healthy athlete when her health suddenly changed during her teenage years.

Within months, she gained approximately 30 pounds, developed facial hair and irregular periods, struggled with severe fatigue, and experienced significant brain fog.

After seeing multiple specialists, her mother took her to a trusted OB/GYN who decided to investigate her hormones and thyroid more deeply. Nicole was diagnosed with PCOS and, a year or two later, hypothyroidism.

She was prescribed birth control and metformin. While these treatments addressed certain aspects of her condition, Nicole still struggled with her weight, inflammation, and energy.

She knew she needed to look deeper.

Discovering a Different Approach to Health

A major turning point came after college when Nicole began working with a health coach.

Instead of obsessively tracking calories and macros, she shifted her attention toward whole foods and began exploring how nutrition, stress, mindfulness, and emotional wellbeing influenced her health.

She noticed her inflammation gradually improving.

The experience ultimately inspired Nicole to study at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, where she was introduced to a concept that became central to her approach to health: bio-individuality.

What works for one person may not work for another.

Nicole personally thrives living gluten-free, but she emphasizes that this does not mean everyone needs to eliminate gluten. Intermittent fasting may transform one person’s health while being completely wrong for someone else.

McCall sees the same principle in thyroid care. There is no universally “best” thyroid medication or diet because each person’s physiology and needs are different.

However, certain foundations remain important for almost everyone: whole-food nutrition, balanced blood sugar, quality sleep, movement, and stress management.

PCOS, Fertility, and Preparing for Pregnancy

When Nicole was diagnosed with PCOS as a teenager, she was told becoming pregnant might be difficult.

The message stayed with her because she had always wanted to become a mother.

Years later, when pregnancy became a priority, Nicole intentionally focused on creating the healthiest foundation she could.

Working with her practitioners, she focused on lowering inflammation and supporting her overall health through personalized nutrition and supplementation. She discusses CoQ10 and fish oil, reducing sugar, eliminating alcohol, continuing her gluten-free lifestyle, temporarily removing dairy, and significantly reducing travel and stress.

Perhaps most importantly, she gave herself permission to slow down.

Nicole became pregnant after approximately three months of trying.

She acknowledges that fertility is complex and that no lifestyle strategy can guarantee pregnancy. Still, her experience offers an encouraging perspective for women who fear that a PCOS diagnosis automatically means they will be unable to conceive.

When Long COVID Triggered a New Health Crisis

By 2023, Nicole felt healthier than she had in years.

Then she contracted COVID during an intensely stressful period surrounding the launch of her business and her wedding.

She became severely ill just days before getting married. After the acute infection passed, unusual symptoms remained.

Nicole began experiencing significant histamine reactions, inflammation, weight changes, brain fog, fatigue, and irritability.

Eventually, a practitioner recognized symptoms consistent with mast cell activation syndrome in the context of her post-viral health challenges.

This became another turning point in how Nicole understood her body.

Her immune system, gut health, inflammation, stress, and metabolic health were not operating independently. They were deeply interconnected.

GLP-1s, Peptides, and Personalized Medicine

Nicole worked with practitioners to explore different strategies during her recovery.

She shares her personal experience with microdosed tirzepatide, a GLP-1-based medication, which she describes as an important tool for her own inflammation and metabolic health.

She also discusses peptides, including thymosin alpha-1 in the context of immune support and larazotide in relation to gut barrier health.

Gut health has been a recurring theme throughout Nicole’s health journey. She describes how periods of intense stress seemed to coincide with worsening inflammation and digestive health, reinforcing her belief that the body must be viewed as an interconnected system.

The larger message is not that everyone needs the same medication, peptide, diet, or intervention.

Personalized medicine means selecting tools according to the individual.

What Is EBO2?

McCall and Nicole also discuss EBO2, short for extracorporeal blood oxygenation and ozonation.

Nicole explains that PUR-FORM offers EBO2 and trains other clinics in the protocol. The procedure involves circulating blood outside the body through a system involving filtration, oxygen, and ozone before returning it to the patient.

Nicole shares that EBO2 has been part of her own health strategy outside of pregnancy.

The topic is also deeply personal for McCall, who shares that she underwent EBO2 while struggling significantly with long COVID and credits the treatment as an important turning point in her own recovery.

Their experiences lead to a broader conversation about the evolving field of regenerative medicine and the need to evaluate advanced therapies based on each patient’s individual circumstances.

From Patient to Entrepreneur

Nicole’s difficult health experiences eventually became part of her professional mission.

She remembers working incredibly hard on her health while feeling as though her body simply would not respond.

Years of inflammation, fatigue, weight struggles, and frustration also contributed to an unhealthy relationship with food at different points in her journey.

Today, Nicole is running multiple businesses while preparing to become a mother.

Her transformation inspired a commitment: if she could better understand her own health, she wanted to help other people avoid some of the confusion and frustration she experienced.

That mission became part of the work behind PUR-FORM.

Regenerative Medicine at PUR-FORM

PUR-FORM is a comprehensive health optimization clinic based in Boca Raton, Florida.

Nicole discusses working with orthopedic surgeon Dr. Joseph Purita and her family to expand access to integrative and regenerative therapies.

Services discussed during the episode include:

• Stem cell and regenerative therapies
• EBO2
• Therapeutic plasma exchange
• IV therapies
• Red light therapy
• Infrared sauna
• Cold plunge
• Cryotherapy

Nicole also shares an important new development: PUR-FORM recently launched a MUSE cell offering as part of its regenerative medicine services.

She is also involved with Humanot Health, which combines in-person and telehealth health optimization. Nicole describes a comprehensive assessment model that can include VO2 max testing, DXA scans, carotid artery ultrasound, blood testing, and grip strength assessment to help create more individualized health strategies.

Finding One Practitioner Who Listens Can Change Everything

One of Nicole’s most powerful messages is that sometimes you only need one practitioner willing to listen and help you take the next step.

For years, she felt like she was working harder than everyone around her just to feel normal.

Her story eventually changed because she found people willing to look deeper.

For anyone struggling with PCOS, thyroid dysfunction, unexplained inflammation, post-viral symptoms, or another complex health condition, Nicole’s journey offers an important reminder:

Keep asking questions.

Your symptoms deserve to be investigated, and your treatment should reflect your individual biology rather than forcing you into a universal protocol.

Final Takeaway

Nicole Peterson Doran’s health journey has unfolded in chapters.

PCOS and hypothyroidism introduced her to hormonal and metabolic health.

Nutrition taught her about inflammation and bio-individuality.

Her fertility journey taught her the importance of preparation, rest, and reducing stress.

Long COVID and MCAS deepened her understanding of the connections between immunity, gut health, and inflammation.

Regenerative medicine introduced another set of tools that became part of both her personal journey and professional mission.

The biggest lesson is that healing rarely comes from one intervention.

It comes from understanding your individual body, strengthening the foundations of health, finding practitioners who listen, and using the right tools at the right time.

👤 About Nicole Peterson Doran

Nicole Peterson Doran is the co-founder of PUR-FORM, a comprehensive health optimization clinic in Boca Raton, Florida, and a franchisee of Humanot Health. With a background in business, marketing, holistic health coaching, and wellness entrepreneurship, her work focuses on personalized approaches to metabolic and hormonal health, integrative wellness, and regenerative medicine.

Her passion for helping others grew from her own experiences with PCOS, hypothyroidism, chronic inflammation, long COVID, and mast cell activation syndrome.

Nicole is also the host of The Healthspan Collective podcast, where she explores what it means to optimize health and live well through every stage of life.

🔗 Resources & Links

🌐 PUR-FORM:

https://purformhealth.com/

💼 Nicole Peterson Doran on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolejpeterson/

📸 Instagram:

@nicolejdoran

🎙️ Podcast:

The Healthspan Collective

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What if one of the most overlooked causes of fatigue, joint pain, thyroid dysfunction, and even heart disease wasn't iron deficiency, but iron overload?

In this episode of Modern Thyroid and Wellness, McCall McPherson welcomes Christy Sutton, chiropractor, functional medicine clinician, educator, and author of The Iron Curse. Inspired by her husband's diagnosis with hereditary hemochromatosis, Dr. Sutton has dedicated her work to helping patients recognize and address iron overload before it leads to serious long-term health complications.

Together, McCall and Dr. Sutton explore why hereditary hemochromatosis is far more common than many people realize, why millions of people may unknowingly carry high-risk genes, and how excess iron can silently damage the liver, heart, pancreas, brain, thyroid, and other organs. McCall also shares her own personal experience with iron overload, walking through her lab work live during the episode while Dr. Sutton explains what the results reveal and why early detection can make all the difference.

Whether you're experiencing unexplained fatigue, elevated ferritin, thyroid issues, or have a family history of iron overload, this episode offers practical guidance on testing, treatment, and understanding one of the most underdiagnosed conditions in modern medicine.

🔑 Key Topics Covered

• What hereditary hemochromatosis is and why it's commonly missed
• Why iron overload can be just as dangerous as iron deficiency
• The three HFE gene variants associated with hereditary hemochromatosis
• Why being told you're "just a carrier" may not tell the full story
• How excess iron creates oxidative stress throughout the body
• The connection between iron overload and liver disease
• How excess iron may contribute to cardiovascular disease and plaque formation
• Iron overload and its relationship with thyroid dysfunction
• Why iron can accumulate in the brain, pancreas, pituitary gland, and joints
• The impact of iron overload on hormone production and fertility
• Why women often develop iron overload after menopause or uterine ablation
• McCall's personal lab review and genetic results
• Understanding ferritin, transferrin saturation, and inflammatory markers
• Why ferritin should always be interpreted alongside CRP
• The role of therapeutic blood removal in treatment
• Blood donation versus therapeutic phlebotomy
• Dietary strategies to help manage iron overload
• Why vitamin C supplementation may increase iron absorption
• Foods and beverages that influence iron absorption
• Supplements that may support healthy iron regulation
• The relationship between celiac disease genes and iron metabolism
• Why family history plays an important role in early detection

🩸 Iron Overload Is More Common Than Most People Think

When most people think about iron, they think about deficiency.

But according to Dr. Sutton, hereditary hemochromatosis affects far more people than many realize, with a significant portion of the population carrying one or more HFE gene variants that can increase iron absorption.

Because the body has very limited ways to eliminate excess iron, levels can gradually increase over decades, especially after menstruation ends or blood loss decreases.

🧬 Why Excess Iron Can Damage the Entire Body

Iron is essential for life, but too much can become harmful.

Dr. Sutton explains that excess iron contributes to oxidative stress, allowing iron to accumulate within tissues where it may damage organs over time.

Areas commonly affected include:

• Liver
• Heart
• Pancreas
• Brain
• Thyroid
• Pituitary gland
• Joints

Because this process develops slowly, many people don't recognize the problem until significant health issues appear.

👩 Why Women Often Don't Develop Symptoms Until Midlife

Premenopausal women naturally lose iron through monthly menstrual cycles.

As a result, many women remain protected from iron accumulation for years.

However, after menopause, hysterectomy, uterine ablation, or other situations that reduce menstrual blood loss, iron levels may begin rising much more rapidly.

McCall shares her own experience of seeing her iron markers increase after uterine ablation, creating an opportunity to discuss how these laboratory changes may appear before significant symptoms develop.

🩺 Looking Beyond a Single Lab Value

One of the most educational moments of the episode comes when Dr. Sutton reviews McCall's laboratory results in real time.

She explains why evaluating multiple markers together provides a more complete picture, including:

• Ferritin
• Transferrin saturation
• Complete blood count
• Red blood cell markers
• C-reactive protein (CRP)

Because ferritin can rise with both inflammation and excess iron, understanding the broader laboratory context becomes essential when determining the underlying cause.

❤️ Iron Overload and Heart Health

The discussion also explores the relationship between excess iron and cardiovascular health.

According to Dr. Sutton, elevated iron may contribute to oxidative stress that damages blood vessels and promotes inflammation.

Over time, this process may play a role in plaque formation and increase cardiovascular risk in susceptible individuals.

McCall also shares the personal story of losing her brother unexpectedly to a heart attack, highlighting why this topic carries such deep personal significance for her family.

💉 Treatment Starts by Reducing Iron

The primary treatment for hereditary hemochromatosis involves removing excess iron through therapeutic phlebotomy or blood donation when medically appropriate.

By removing blood, the body uses stored iron to produce new red blood cells, gradually lowering overall iron stores.

Dr. Sutton explains that treatment plans should always be individualized and that blood removal is not appropriate for everyone.

🥩 Everyday Habits That Influence Iron Levels

In addition to therapeutic blood removal, lifestyle choices can influence iron absorption.

Dr. Sutton discusses strategies such as:

• Moderating red meat intake when iron levels are elevated
• Pairing iron-rich meals with tea or coffee, which may reduce iron absorption
• Avoiding unnecessary vitamin C supplements with iron-rich meals
• Supporting overall health through individualized nutrition and supplementation

She also discusses compounds such as curcumin, green tea extract, quercetin, and alpha-lipoic acid that are being studied for their role in supporting healthy iron regulation.

🌟 Final Takeaway

Iron deficiency deserves attention, but so does iron overload.

Because hereditary hemochromatosis often develops silently over many years, understanding your genetics, reviewing your laboratory markers, and paying attention to family history may help identify problems before long-term complications develop.

As Dr. Sutton explains throughout this conversation, awareness is one of the most powerful tools we have.

Early testing, thoughtful interpretation of laboratory results, and individualized treatment can help protect long-term health while preventing unnecessary organ damage.

👤 About the Guest

Christy Sutton is a chiropractor, functional medicine clinician, educator, and author specializing in genetics, iron metabolism, and chronic disease prevention. Inspired by her husband's diagnosis with hereditary hemochromatosis, she developed educational resources to help patients and practitioners better understand iron overload, genetic risk factors, and root-cause approaches to long-term health.

🔗 Resources & Links

📖 The Iron Curse by Dr. Christy Sutton

The Iron Curse Book

🎓 The Iron Curse Educational Workshop

The Iron Curse Workshop

🌐 Website:

Dr. Christy Sutton

📸 Instagram:

Dr. Christy Sutton Instagram

🎵 TikTok:

Dr. Christy Sutton TikTok

💼 LinkedIn:

Dr. Christy Sutton LinkedIn

📲 Follow McCall McPherson & Modern Thyroid and Wellness

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What if autoimmune disease isn't something you're destined to live with forever, but a signal that your body needs help addressing deeper root causes?

In this episode of Modern Thyroid and Wellness, McCall McPherson welcomes longtime mentor, friend, and functional medicine pioneer Amy Myers. A two-time New York Times bestselling author and internationally recognized functional medicine physician, Dr. Myers shares her personal journey from being diagnosed with Graves' disease during medical school to becoming one of the leading voices in autoimmune and thyroid health.

Together, they explore why autoimmune diseases continue to rise, why women are disproportionately affected, and why many patients spend years searching for answers before receiving a diagnosis. Dr. Myers explains the role of gut health, environmental toxins, infections, stress, trauma, and nutrition in autoimmune disease while sharing practical strategies for supporting immune health and addressing root causes. She also introduces the newly revised edition of The Autoimmune Solution, featuring updated research and expanded guidance for today's changing health landscape.

Whether you're living with Hashimoto's, Graves' disease, or another autoimmune condition, this conversation offers hope, practical tools, and a reminder that healing begins by understanding the "why" behind your symptoms.

🔑 Key Topics Covered

• Dr. Amy Myers' personal journey with Graves' disease
• Why autoimmune diseases continue to rise worldwide
• The connection between environmental toxins and autoimmune disease
• Why women are disproportionately affected by autoimmune conditions
• Common reasons autoimmune diseases are missed for years
• The impact of medical gaslighting on thyroid and autoimmune patients
• How long autoimmune disease can develop before diagnosis
• Why antibodies should be checked even before symptoms become severe
• The autoimmune spectrum and recognizing early warning signs
• Genetics versus environment: what really drives autoimmune disease
• The four pillars of autoimmune healing
• Why gut health is foundational for immune regulation
• The role of leaky gut in autoimmune disease
• Candida, SIBO, parasites, and hidden gut infections
• Food triggers including gluten and processed foods
• Environmental toxins, plastics, mold, and chemical exposure
• Supporting the body's natural detoxification pathways
• The relationship between chronic infections, stress, trauma, and autoimmunity
• Why Hashimoto's remission looks different than stopping thyroid hormone
• Monitoring thyroid antibodies over time
• Hope for reversing autoimmune disease through root-cause medicine

🌿 From Graves' Disease to Functional Medicine

Dr. Myers' journey into functional medicine began with her own health crisis.

While attending medical school, she developed severe anxiety, tremors, insomnia, weight loss, and other symptoms that were initially dismissed as stress.

After insisting on additional testing, she was diagnosed with Graves' disease.

Although conventional treatment successfully managed her thyroid, she realized no one had addressed why her immune system attacked her thyroid in the first place.

That experience ultimately led her to discover functional medicine and dedicate her career to helping patients identify and address the root causes of autoimmune disease.

🧬 Why Autoimmune Disease Is Becoming More Common

According to Dr. Myers, autoimmune disease isn't simply being diagnosed more often.

She believes multiple environmental factors are contributing to a true increase in autoimmune conditions.

Among the biggest contributors discussed are:

• Environmental toxins
• Chronic infections
• Processed foods
• Plastic exposure
• Chronic stress
• Gut dysfunction
• Modern lifestyle changes

She explains that while genetics influence susceptibility, environmental exposures often determine whether those genes become active.

👩 Why Women Are More Commonly Affected

Women account for the majority of autoimmune diagnoses.

Dr. Myers explains that significant hormonal transitions often coincide with the development or worsening of autoimmune disease.

Common life stages include:

• Pregnancy
• Postpartum
• Perimenopause
• Menopause

These hormonal shifts can influence immune regulation and may contribute to the onset of autoimmune symptoms in genetically susceptible individuals.

⏳ Autoimmunity Often Begins Years Before Diagnosis

One of the most important messages in this episode is that autoimmune disease develops long before many people receive a diagnosis.

Dr. Myers explains that antibodies may be present for years before symptoms become severe enough to trigger additional testing.

During this time, people often experience symptoms such as:

• Fatigue
• Brain fog
• Hair loss
• Joint pain
• Digestive problems
• Weight changes

Unfortunately, these symptoms are frequently attributed to stress, aging, or hormonal changes rather than early autoimmune disease.

🩺 The Four Pillars of Autoimmune Healing

Dr. Myers describes a comprehensive approach that focuses on identifying and addressing the underlying drivers of immune dysfunction.

Her four pillars include:

Heal the Gut

Supporting digestion and restoring the intestinal barrier through nutrition, digestive support, probiotics, and treatment of underlying gut infections.

Improve Nutrition

Removing inflammatory foods while emphasizing nutrient-dense whole foods that support immune balance.

Reduce Toxic Burden

Minimizing exposure to environmental toxins while supporting the body's natural detoxification pathways through hydration, sweating, regular bowel movements, and targeted nutritional support.

Address Hidden Triggers

Identifying chronic infections, reducing stress, and addressing unresolved trauma that may contribute to persistent immune activation.

Together, these pillars form the foundation of her functional medicine approach to autoimmune health.

🦠 Why Gut Health Comes First

Dr. Myers refers to the gut as "the gateway to health."

She explains that many people with autoimmune disease also experience:

• Leaky gut
• Candida overgrowth
• SIBO
• Parasites
• Poor digestion

Before attempting to rebuild the microbiome, she emphasizes identifying and treating these underlying issues while also removing inflammatory foods that may continue to drive immune dysfunction.

🧪 Monitoring Thyroid Antibodies

For thyroid patients, Dr. Myers emphasizes that antibody testing provides valuable information beyond standard thyroid hormone levels.

She recommends:

• Establishing baseline antibody levels
• Monitoring antibodies more frequently during active treatment
• Periodic long-term monitoring once antibodies remain stable

She also notes that patients who have undergone thyroid ablation or thyroid surgery may still produce thyroid antibodies and should continue monitoring when appropriate.

🌟 Final Takeaway

Autoimmune disease is not simply a matter of bad luck or genetics.

As Dr. Myers explains, our environment, nutrition, gut health, stress, infections, and daily habits all influence how our immune system functions.

While every autoimmune journey is unique, understanding and addressing these root causes can create meaningful opportunities for healing and improved quality of life.

Most importantly, a diagnosis doesn't have to mean giving up hope.

With the right approach, many people can reduce inflammation, improve symptoms, and support long-term immune health.

👤 About the Guest

Amy Myers is a physician, certified functional medicine practitioner, founder of Amy Myers MD®, and a two-time New York Times bestselling author. After overcoming her own battle with Graves' disease, she became a leading voice in autoimmune and thyroid health, helping thousands of people address root causes through functional medicine. She is the author of The Autoimmune Solution, The Thyroid Connection, and The Autoimmune Solution Cookbook.

🔗 Resources & Links

🌐 Official Website:

Amy Myers MD

🌐 Personal Website:

Dr. Amy Myers

📺 YouTube:

Amy Myers MD YouTube

📚 Books:

Dr. Amy Myers Amazon Author Page

🎙️ Podcast: Take Back Your Health

🎁 Free Gift for MTW Listeners:

Amy Myers MD / McCall Resource Page

📲 Follow McCall McPherson & Modern Thyroid and Wellness

💻 Website:https://modernthyroidclinic.com/

🐦 X / Twitter:@thyroidexpert

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📺 YouTube:McCall McPherson Channel

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What if one of the most powerful ways to support your thyroid, hormones, gut, and long-term health isn't another supplement or medication, but improving the air you breathe and the water you use every day?

In this episode of Modern Thyroid and Wellness, McCall McPherson welcomes Helen Christoni, Senior Vice President of Ideal Living, the parent company behind AirDoctor and AquaTru. Helen shares her personal health journey, including experiencing early menopause and severe osteoporosis in her early forties, and how that experience led her to become passionate about reducing environmental toxins in the home.

Together, McCall and Helen explore why clean air and clean water are foundational to health, how everyday environmental exposures contribute to toxic burden, and practical, affordable steps families can take to create a healthier home without feeling overwhelmed.

🔑 Key Topics Covered

• Helen's personal story of early menopause and severe osteoporosis
• How toxic burden can affect long-term health
• Why clean air and clean water are foundational to wellness
• How to check the quality of your local tap water
• Common contaminants found in municipal water
• Why boiling water can increase contaminant concentration
• Reverse osmosis vs. standard water filters
• Understanding chlorine and chloramine exposure
• Why shower water affects skin, lungs, and overall health
• The growing concern around microplastics and thyroid health
• Simple ways to reduce plastic exposure at home
• Why indoor air is often more polluted than outdoor air
• Wildfires, VOCs, mold, and hidden indoor air contaminants
• Why HEPA filtration alone isn't enough
• The importance of activated carbon in air purification
• How cooking, candles, and personal care products affect indoor air quality
• Creating a healthier bedroom for better sleep and recovery
• Practical healthy-home swaps anyone can start today

🌿 Helen's Journey to Environmental Wellness

Helen's passion for clean air and clean water grew out of her own health crisis.

While working in the beauty industry, she developed severe osteoporosis and entered menopause unexpectedly in her early forties. After multiple fractures and searching for answers, she was encouraged to look beyond conventional health advice and consider the role environmental toxins might be playing in her overall health.

That experience ultimately brought her back to Ideal Living, where she now focuses on educating families about simple, practical ways to reduce their everyday toxic burden.

💧 Your Water May Contain More Than You Think

Many people focus on eating organic foods but rarely consider the quality of the water they drink or cook with.

Helen explains that municipal water supplies can contain numerous contaminants, including naturally occurring heavy metals and chemical byproducts.

One of the biggest misconceptions is that boiling water makes it safer.

Instead, many contaminants become more concentrated as water evaporates during cooking, meaning foods like pasta, rice, soups, and vegetables may contain even higher concentrations than the original tap water.

She also explains why reverse osmosis filtration removes a broader range of contaminants than standard carbon filters, making it one of the most comprehensive options for drinking and cooking water.

🚿 Your Shower Is Another Source of Exposure

Water quality doesn't only matter when you drink it.

Every shower exposes your body to chlorine, chloramine, and other contaminants through both skin absorption and inhalation.

Because skin is the body's largest organ, these daily exposures may contribute to:

• Dry skin
• Eczema
• Psoriasis
• Skin irritation
• Increased overall toxic burden

Helen recommends shower filtration as another simple improvement that supports healthier skin while reducing everyday chemical exposure.

🌬️ Indoor Air Quality Deserves More Attention

Most people think about outdoor pollution.

But according to Helen, indoor air can often be even more polluted because contaminants become trapped inside modern, energy-efficient homes.

Indoor air may contain:

• Wildfire smoke
• Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
• Mold spores
• Pet dander
• Household cleaning chemicals
• Cooking emissions
• Personal care product chemicals

Since most people spend the majority of their day indoors, improving indoor air quality can significantly reduce overall environmental exposure.

Helen also explains why effective air purification requires both HEPA filtration and activated carbon, since many harmful gases and VOCs cannot be captured by HEPA filters alone.

🏡 Small Changes Add Up

One of the biggest messages throughout this conversation is that creating a healthier home doesn't require perfection.

Helen encourages listeners to focus on simple, repeatable habits like:

• Filtering drinking and cooking water
• Improving bedroom air quality
• Ventilating while cooking
• Choosing cleaner household products
• Reducing plastic use whenever possible
• Selecting organic bedding and textiles when practical

Rather than trying to change everything overnight, she recommends building healthier habits one step at a time.

🌟 Final Takeaway

The environment inside your home influences your health every single day.

The water you drink.

The air you breathe.

The products you use.

The choices you repeat.

As Helen explains, reducing toxic burden isn't about creating fear or chasing perfection. It's about making practical improvements that support your body's natural ability to thrive.

Sometimes the most powerful health interventions aren't found in a prescription bottle.

They're found in the everyday choices that quietly shape your health for years to come.

👤 About the Guest

Helen Christoni is the Senior Vice President of Ideal Living, the parent company of AirDoctor and AquaTru. She is passionate about educating families on environmental wellness, helping people reduce everyday toxic exposures through cleaner air, purified water, and practical healthy-home solutions. Helen is also the co-host of the Make Time Podcast, where she shares conversations focused on wellness, longevity, and intentional living.

🔗 Resources & Links

🌐 LinkedIn:Helen Christoni LinkedIn

📸 Instagram:Helen Christoni Instagram

🎙️ Podcast:Make Time Podcast with Emma and Helen

💧 Check Your Local Water Quality:

Is My Water Safe?

🌬️ Learn About Air Quality & Why AQI Matters:

Why Knowing Your AQI Is Essential in Today's Wildfire Era

📲 Follow McCall McPherson & Modern Thyroid and Wellness

💻 Website:https://modernthyroidclinic.com/

🐦 X / Twitter:@thyroidexpert

🌐 Host Website:https://www.mccallmcpherson.com/

📺 YouTube:McCall McPherson Channel

📘 Facebook:McCall McPherson PAC

📸 Instagram:@mccallmcphersonpa

What does it really take to build a thriving business while navigating personal loss, single motherhood, medical challenges, and starting over from scratch?

In this special episode of Modern Thyroid and Wellness, McCall McPherson steps away from her usual role as interviewer as she's joined by her longtime friend and Modern Thyroid Clinic's Weight Loss Program Director, Melissa Afflerbach. Together, they share the deeply personal story behind the creation of Modern Thyroid Clinic and the challenges, setbacks, and pivotal moments that transformed a tiny one-room practice into one of the nation's leading virtual thyroid clinics.

McCall opens up about building a business while navigating divorce, raising two young daughters, advocating for her medically complex child, and caring for patients who desperately needed answers. She reflects on the lessons she learned about resilience, entrepreneurship, leadership, and the importance of finding purpose even during life's hardest seasons.

Whether you're an entrepreneur, healthcare provider, working parent, or simply facing a difficult season of life, this conversation offers an honest look at perseverance, hope, and what it truly means to build something meaningful.

🔑 Key Topics Covered

• The origin story behind Modern Thyroid Clinic
• Building a medical practice from a single rented office
• Growing through word-of-mouth without a marketing budget
• Why changing patients' lives became the clinic's greatest source of growth
• Navigating divorce while building a business
• Raising a medically complex child while working full-time
• Learning to advocate when no one believes your concerns
• The emotional challenges of entrepreneurship and motherhood
• Why purpose becomes your greatest source of motivation
• Finding your "fuel" during difficult seasons
• The difference between hustle seasons and rest seasons
• Practical lessons for entrepreneurs building businesses from the ground up
• Why writing down your vision can change your future
• The importance of mentorship and surrounding yourself with supportive people
• How joining a wellness community accelerated business growth
• The unexpected opportunities that came from the COVID-19 pandemic
• Transitioning from an in-person clinic to a national telemedicine practice
• Leadership lessons learned while scaling a healthcare company
• Why helping others succeed is part of building lasting success
• Encouragement for anyone rebuilding after personal or professional setbacks

💙 Building a Practice One Patient at a Time

When McCall first opened what would eventually become Modern Thyroid Clinic, there was no large medical team, no marketing department, and no polished office.

Instead, there was:

• One small rented office
• One exam room
• A printed sign asking patients to wait
• One shared phone receptionist
• Countless hours of hard work

She managed nearly every aspect of the business herself, from answering patient questions and reviewing lab work to scheduling appointments and completing paperwork. Every new patient felt like a gift, and each success story naturally led to another through word of mouth.

🌱 Finding Purpose During Difficult Seasons

At the same time her practice was beginning to grow, McCall was facing enormous challenges in her personal life.

She shares openly about:

• Navigating a difficult marriage
• Becoming the primary financial provider
• Raising two young daughters
• Fighting for answers regarding her youngest daughter's rare genetic condition
• Feeling emotionally and physically stretched beyond her limits

Throughout these experiences, one thing continued to motivate her:

Helping patients regain their health.

She explains that finding purpose in changing people's lives became the fuel that carried her through some of life's darkest moments.

🚀 Growing Without Traditional Marketing

One of the most surprising parts of McCall's story is how Modern Thyroid Clinic expanded almost entirely through patient referrals.

As patients experienced meaningful improvements in their thyroid health, they naturally shared their experiences with friends and family.

That trust became the foundation for sustainable growth and eventually helped transform a small local practice into a nationally recognized virtual clinic.

🌸 Rebuilding After Rock Bottom

Following her divorce, McCall found herself starting over.

She moved into a small apartment with her daughters and began rebuilding every aspect of her life.

Rather than seeing this season only as loss, she began asking herself important questions:

• What kind of life do I want to create?
• What kind of business do I want to build?
• What kind of future do I want for my family?

She encourages listeners to become incredibly specific when defining their vision because clarity often becomes the blueprint for future success.

🤝 The Power of Community and Mentorship

As Modern Thyroid Clinic continued growing, opportunities began opening through relationships with people who believed in McCall's vision.

She reflects on how joining Austin's wellness community connected her with mentors and collaborators who helped elevate her business while encouraging her to do the same for others.

Her advice is simple:

As your success grows, bring other people with you.

Supporting others creates stronger communities and multiplies positive impact.

💻 How COVID Changed Everything

Like many healthcare practices, Modern Thyroid Clinic experienced significant changes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The practice rapidly transitioned from mostly in-person visits to a fully virtual model, allowing patients across the country to access specialized thyroid care.

While this period brought tremendous personal challenges, it also created opportunities for innovation and ultimately laid the foundation for the clinic's national expansion.

🌿 Success Requires Both Hustle and Rest

One of the most valuable lessons McCall shares is that sustainable success isn't built through constant hustle.

Instead, she describes entrepreneurship as a series of seasons.

Some seasons require intense focus, long hours, and perseverance.

Other seasons require intentional rest, recovery, and reflection.

Learning when to push forward and when to step back has become one of the most important leadership lessons she's learned throughout her journey.

🌟 Final Takeaway

Modern Thyroid Clinic didn't become what it is today overnight.

It was built one patient...

one challenge...

one difficult season...

and one small step at a time.

McCall's story is a reminder that success is rarely a straight line.

Life will bring setbacks.

Plans will change.

Unexpected challenges will arise.

But purpose, resilience, community, and the willingness to keep moving forward can create opportunities that once seemed impossible.

If you're in a season of rebuilding, this episode offers an encouraging reminder:

Your current circumstances do not define your future.

Sometimes the most meaningful journeys begin with nothing more than the courage to take the very next step.

👤 About the Guest

Melissa Afflerbach is the Weight Loss Program Director at Modern Thyroid Clinic and has more than 17 years of experience designing transformational wellness programs, luxury retreats, and community-centered health initiatives. She specializes in program development, strategic leadership, and creating meaningful experiences that empower lasting personal growth.

🔗 Resources & Links

🌐 Melissa Afflerbach:

Melissa Afflerbach | Modern Thyroid Clinic

📲 Follow McCall McPherson & Modern Thyroid and Wellness

💻 Website:https://modernthyroidclinic.com/

🐦 X / Twitter:@thyroidexpert

🌐 Host Website:https://www.mccallmcpherson.com/

📺 YouTube:McCall McPherson Channel

📘 Facebook:McCall McPherson PAC

📸 Instagram:@mccallmcphersonpa

What if the secret to looking younger isn't doing more treatments, but choosing the right treatments at the right time?

In this episode of Modern Thyroid and Wellness, McCall McPherson sits down with Prem Tripathi, double board-certified facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon and founder of Bay Hills Plastic Surgery, to discuss the rapidly evolving world of aesthetics. From filler migration and fat grafting to facelifts, lasers, skincare, and social media beauty trends, Dr. Tripathi shares his expert perspective on what works, what doesn't, and how to make informed decisions when it comes to facial rejuvenation.

Together, they explore the importance of choosing qualified providers, the growing shift toward natural-looking results, and why long-term planning matters more than chasing quick fixes. Whether you're considering your first cosmetic procedure or simply want healthier, younger-looking skin, this conversation is packed with practical insights and expert advice.

🔑 Key Topics Covered

• How social media has changed the aesthetics industry
• Why patient safety and regulation are becoming increasingly important
• What credentials to look for when choosing an aesthetic provider
• The dangers of unqualified injectors and poorly supervised aesthetic practices
• Why board certification matters when selecting a surgeon
• The shift away from overfilled faces and toward natural-looking results
• Filler migration and why many patients are dissolving old filler
• Fat grafting vs. filler: benefits, risks, and ideal candidates
• Common complications after lower blepharoplasty (lower eyelid surgery)
• How fat transfer can restore volume and improve skin quality
• The role of growth factors in facial rejuvenation
• Where filler still has an important place in modern aesthetics
• The most impactful in-office procedures for facial rejuvenation
• Why upper blepharoplasty remains one of the highest satisfaction procedures
• The truth about Sofwave, Ultherapy, Morpheus8, and other energy-based devices
• How repeated collagen stimulators and energy devices may affect future facelift surgery
• What to consider if a facelift is part of your long-term plan
• The best skincare strategies for healthy aging
• Why tretinoin remains one of the most effective anti-aging tools available
• The importance of sunscreen, vitamin C, moisturizers, and growth factors
• Emerging skincare technologies and the future of regenerative aesthetics

👤 About the Guest

Prem Tripathi is a double board-certified facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon and the founder of Bay Hills Plastic Surgery in the San Francisco Bay Area. He specializes in facial rejuvenation, eyelid surgery, facial fat grafting, skin resurfacing, and natural-looking aesthetic procedures. Through a combination of surgical expertise, advanced technology, and evidence-based skincare, Dr. Tripathi helps patients achieve refreshed, natural results while maintaining their unique appearance.

🔗 Resources & Links

🌐 About Dr. Tripathi:

Bay Hills MD Profile

💼 LinkedIn:

Philip Oubre, MD LinkedIn

📸 Instagram:

Dr. Prem Tripathi Instagram

📲 Follow McCall McPherson & Modern Thyroid and Wellness

💻 Website:https://modernthyroidclinic.com/

🐦 X / Twitter:@thyroidexpert

🌐 Host Website:https://www.mccallmcpherson.com/

📺 YouTube:McCall McPherson Channel

📘 Facebook:McCall McPherson PAC

📸 Instagram:@mccallmcphersonpa