Dr. Terry Wahls is a clinical professor of medicine at the University of Iowa where she conducts clinical trials. She graduated from the University of Iowa College of Medicine and completed her internal medicine residency at the University of Iowa and is board certified in internal medicine and is also a certified Institute for Functional Medicine Practitioner. She is also a patient with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis, which confined her to a tilt-recline wheelchair for four years. Dr. Wahls restored her health using a diet and lifestyle program she designed specifically for her brain and now pedals her bike to work each day. She is the author of The Wahls Protocol: How I Beat Progressive MS Using Paleo Principles and Functional Medicine, The Wahls Protocol: A Radical New Way to Treat All Chronic Autoimmune Conditions Using Paleo Principles (paperback), and the cookbook The Wahls Protocol Cooking for Life: The Revolutionary Modern Paleo Plan to Treat All Chronic Autoimmune Conditions.

She conducts clinical trials that test the effect of nutrition and lifestyle interventions to treat MS and other progressive health problems. She also teaches the public and medical community about the healing power of the Paleo diet and therapeutic lifestyle changes that restore health and vitality to our citizens.

Resiliency and Vitality

There is increased awareness that the mental, emotional, and spiritual components of a patient’s life are major determinants of the quality of life, health outcomes, and economic outcomes for that individual and their family. Unfortunately, many people have been taught by their medical team or others in their life that there is nothing they can do about the challenges they face. However, there are many individuals with “grit” who have achieved the impossible, overcoming critical hardships, severe health challenges, or disability. It is possible to improve one’s grit and have much greater resilience in the face of major health or other life challenges.  

Timeline Review

Today we have a deeper understanding of how the health of your parents and grandparents influences your health today. This lecture will help attendees complete their health timeline, starting with the health of their parents before they were conceived. Attendees will be guided through documenting their major health factors, including personal exposures that may have contributed to their unique birth and early childhood stress, disruptions of the microbiome, toxin exposures, stress, trauma, mitochondrial strain, hormonal imbalance, and genetic risk factors. The insights gained from completing this timeline as a group can provide significant insight into the diet, lifestyle, and environmental factors that may play a significant role in the current health challenges each attendee faces.

Creating Resiliency, Part 2 and Basic Detox (Essentials Track)

This a continuation of the Resiliency and Vitality lecture. It presents additional strategies for improving grit and resilience in the face of severe challenges and explores how to detox. Exposures to heavy metals, pesticides, insecticides, plastics, and solvents are associated with higher rates of mental health problems, neurological problems, autoimmune problems, and cancers. In this lecture, attendees will be guided through strategies to reduce exposure and improve the body’s ability to process and safely excrete more of these compounds.

Creating Resiliency, Part 3

This is a continuation of the Resilience and Vitality lecture. In this lecture participants are guided through the creation of a specific plan to address their diet, lifestyle, and environmental exposures. It also includes a discussion of how to assess when further evaluation or referrals are required.

Diet Plans (Essentials track), Elimination Diet, and Question and Answer (Essentials track)

The Wahls™ Diet plans are designed to improve nutrient density, reduce inflammation, and provide nutrients needed by mitochondria and brain cells to function optimally. The introductory Wahls™ Diet, Wahls Paleo™, and Wahls Paleo Plus™ (the ketogenic diet) are all reviewed. There will also be guidance for vegetarian and vegans who wish to follow the Wahls™ diet plans and those who need an elimination diet.  

Research Update, Parts 1 and 2

This reviews the research on food-based dietary research in the setting of autoimmunity and the latest from Dr. Wahls’ research lab. The second lecture discusses traumatic brain injury and neurodegeneration.

MS Research Update (Advanced)

This reviews the latest research on non-pharmacologic approaches to managing MS-related fatigue and pain, vitamin D, brain volume changes in the setting of MS (and how to reduce brain volume loss), and how to improve the brain’s ability to repair myelin.

Abstract:

The first time the words, “You have multiple sclerosis” is heard by anyone must be devastating news.  Perhaps second to hearing the diagnosis is the difficult to accept idea that conventional treatment means a life sentence of medications that are costly and can have serious, life-threatening, side effects.

Until recently, there has not been an examination of when disease-modifying therapy can be stopped.  Our presentation will explore the latest information on this subject, including a discussion of how The Wahls Protocol® offers a strategy to MS sufferers to take control, and increase the likelihood that they can stop their medication.

Ken Sharlin, M.D., M.P.H., IFMCP, is a board-certified neurologist and functional medicine practitioner.  He received his medical degrees from Emory University, and functional medicine education through The Institute for Functional Medicine.  He was the first physician to be recognized as a Wahls Protocol® Certified Health Professional.  In addition, Dr. Sharlin has trained in the Bredesen Protocol for Reversal of Cognitive Decline (ReCODE) in Alzheimer’s disease.

He practices general neurology, conducts clinical research in multiple sclerosis, and directs his functional medicine program, Brain Tune Up!, through his clinic, Sharlin Health and Neurology, located in Ozark, MO.

Learn more at http://functionalmedicine.doctor

Filmmaker Mathew Embry’s documentary Living Proof premiered to sold-out crowds at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival. Living Proof follows Mathew around the world looking for information to help patients with autoimmune diseases.

It was Mathew’s MS diagnosis that inspired his father, Dr. Ashton Embry, to research likely causes of MS and treatment options. The Embry family established Direct-MS, a charity that has helped fund studies by researchers such as Dr. Terry Wahls and Dr. George Ebers.

Today, Mathew is one of the most prolific producer/directors in Canada with credits for PBS, HBO Ca

Abstract:

What if everything messy and dirty in the world, the very things we thought we needed to control or eliminate to stay alive, are actually the very elements necessary for robust health? More people are chronically sick and medicated than ever before, suffering from conditions like ADHD, autism, food allergies, asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, and more. Yet the very things we are doing to keep them healthy may be contributing or even causing them to become sick. We’ve accepted chronic illness as the new normal. In her book The Dirt Cure, integrative pediatric neurologist and herbalist Dr. Maya Shetreat-Klein illustrates that we naturally have the capacity to be healthy and heal, and that our problem is that we have lost faith in the body’s own intelligence. Much of what we do to stay “healthy”—from medications like Tylenol and antibiotics, the bleach and Purell we use to sanitize, processed foods, to all the time spent trapped in offices or classrooms instead of exploring outdoors— are the very things that are making us sick. Yet it’s possible to reverse this process. The health of our inner terrain–our bodies– is a reflection of the health of our outer terrain, the world around us. In other words, our bodies and brains are only as healthy as the microbes we’re exposed to, our food and the soil in which our food is grows, and the parks, forests, and streams that surround us.

Maya Shetreat, MD is a neurologist, herbalist, urban farmer, and author of The Dirt Cure: Healthy Food, Healthy Gut, Happy Child (Simon and Schuster, 2016), which has been translated into ten languages. She has been featured in the New York Times, The Telegraph, NPR, Sky News, The Dr. Oz Show and more. Dr. Maya​ is the founder of the Terrain Institute, where she teaches Terrain Medicine™, earth-based programs​ for transformational healing. She works and studies with indigenous communities and healers in Ecuador, and is a lifelong student of ethnobotany, plant healing, and the sacred​.

Dr. Tami is a double board certified physician in Aesthetic Medicine, and Integrative & Natural Medicine. She is passionate about creating natural aesthetic results in her patients. Additionally, she can help discover and correct any medical conditions, hormonal deficiencies, or hormonal imbalances that help people feel and look more beautiful and energetic.

Dr. Tami is a national trainer for Medicis and has trained physicians in advanced injection techniques across North America. Dr. Tami is also on the faculty of the American Academy of Aesthetic Medicine, and lectures around the world on Aesthetics and Bio-identical hormones for men and women.

She is featured as the Health and Beauty Expert for King 5 Health Link regularly, has been the health expert for articles for Shape magazine and has hosted two radio shows about Aesthetic Medicine and cutting edge natural medicine.

Modern medicine has made great strides in improving patient symptoms and outcomes across numerous acute and chronic conditions. One contributor to these improvements is advancements in the understanding of disease mechanisms, allowing more informed and targeted biomedical interventions. Despite medical advances, countless patients continue to suffer greatly, with considerably decreased quality of life when traditional medicine does not work, perhaps even worsening symptoms. This shortcoming of some biological approaches, in addition to the undesirable side effects of biomedical treatments (e.g., medications, surgery), led to increased use of nonpharmacologic (not medicine) approaches to complement existing pharmacologic interventions. Empirical evidence indicates that nonpharmacologic approaches (e.g., physical activity, diet, acupuncture, TENS) benefit a number of health conditions, even some diseases that  are difficult to understand and/or traditionally do not respond well to pharmacologic therapies. Thus, the goal of this presentation is to review my recent empirical demonstrating the impact of nonpharmacologic approaches on pain, fatigue, function, and quality of life in patients with cancer, chronic pain, Multiple Sclerosis.

Dr. Lee received her Ph.D. in Behavioral Medicine from Iowa, then completed an NIH postdoc in Nursing/Anesthesia/Oncology. She is now an Associate Professor of Psychology at Mount Mercy, and Nursing at Iowa. Her research at The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics examines the psychology of health and illness. Specifically, she investigates non-pharmacologic approaches for pain, fatigue, function and quality of life in patients with cancer and chronic pain, particularly underserved and/or palliative patients. Her newest research studies the effects of physical activity and nutrition on physical and emotional well-being in people with Multiple Sclerosis, and lung and breast cancer.

In this heartfelt presentation, Jen Kardos shares her journey of healing through functional medicine, gardening and faith in the Universe. As a mother of three young children, Jen experienced a major health crisis as her body struggled to keep up with what she demanded of it. Symptoms manifested as chronic pain, fatigue, depression and anxiety. Things became much worse as she navigated the maze of traditional psychiatric medicine. Though conventional doctors told her she would be on drugs for life, her heart led her a difference direction.

Jen Kardos is a health coach for EPIC Functional Medicine Center and co-director for Backyard Abundance, an educational nonprofit.

Her passion is enhancing individual wellness by reconnecting people to healing food and the restorative power of nature. Jen healed herself through functional medicine and by growing and cooking healthy food. She enjoys passing that knowledge to others through fun, hands-on activities.

Jen holds BS in Chemical Engineering and a MA in Education. She has an accredited certificate in horticultural therapy and is pursuing a health coach certification through the Functional Medicine Coaching Academy.

I started my career as every other new dentist did. I was writing prescriptions for fluoride, I was placing mercury silver fillings, I was treating oral disease using pesticides we call oral hygiene products. I knew nothing of nutrition or the implications of oral disease on our health. I will explain how there were certain things that happen early in my career that challenged my thinking and what I was taught. I now look at dentistry in a whole different light or through different lens, perhaps a functional perspective. I now search for the root cause of disease and understand the use of a slash and burn philosophy is incorrect. I am no longer using pesticides to treat disease. I now understand that there are over 700 species of bacteria in our mouth that need to live in a symbiotic relationship beneficial with us. That those bacteria in our mouth and our gut protect, feed us, and even control our cognition. Please join me for an informative talk as well as an interactive conversation on oral health and systemic disease.

Dr. Ronald Girard began career in dentistry with the United States Army in the late 80s.  He then completed his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree with the University of Buffalo graduating with thesis honors. He obtained these Honors with his pioneering research on diabetes and its effect on bone loss of the jaw.

His work was instrumental as he was able to reproduce such pathology in the mouse model. During such time he continued to be active with the VA hospital and the Army Reserves and continued research in the field of dental implantology.
While continuing his surgical training as chief resident he mentored hospital residents. He continued his implant surgery training with the Medical College of Georgia.

He is a founding member with the Advanced Dental Implant Center for Advanced Implant Studies, in Atlanta of which he lectures regularly. He has completed his written board exam for the American Academy of Implant Dentistry.  He has held staff physician privileges with North Shore University Hospital, Roberrt Packer Hospital and St. Francis Hospital.  He also holds a associate researcher position with New York University and well an editorial reviewer for the Academy of General Dentistry.

The term ‘bioidentical hormone’ often confuses patients and providers, and thus it is essential everyone has a clear understanding of what bioidentical hormones are and the many differences they play in our bodies, especially for those with an autoimmune disease.  In her presentation, Dr. Stephanie Gray will help clearly define hormones and their various roles including: pregnenolone, DHEA, estrogens, progesterone, testosterone, and cortisol. She will explain hormone influences in autoimmune disease and the testing options for obtaining hormone baseline evaluations, in addition to monitoring hormone replacement therapy. Furthermore, she will analyze hormone metabolism and it’s integral relationship with autoimmunity. With so many available types of hormones and treatment options, this presentation will ultimately help providers gain an insight into how to obtain a firm assessment of hormone imbalances in order to help stabilize and improve their autoimmune patients through hormone optimization.

Stephanie Gray, DNP, MS, ARNP, ANP-C, GNP-C, ABAAHP, FAARFM, has been working as a nurse practitioner since 2009. She completed her doctorate focusing on estrogen metabolism from the University of Iowa in 2011. Additionally, she has a Masters in Metabolic Nutritional Medicine from the University of South Florida’s Medical School. Her expertise lies within integrative, anti-aging, and functional medicine. She is arguably one of the midwest’s’ most credentialed female healthcare providers combining many certifications and trainings. She was the first nurse practitioner in the state of Iowa certified through the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine’s Board of Anti-Aging Health Practitioners (ABAAHP). She completed their advanced fellowship in Anti-Aging Regenerative and Functional medicine in 2013. She became the first BioTe certified provider in Iowa to administer hormone pellets also in 2013. She continues to stay progressive with the study of natural hormone replacement therapy and nutrigenomic continuing to pursue her extensive education while she practices. This training allows her to provide her patients the most comprehensive care. She is the author of the FNP Mastery App and an Amazon best selling author of her bookYour Longevity Blueprint. She is co-founder of Your Longevity Blueprint nutraceuticals with her husband, Eric. They own the Integrative Health and Hormone Clinic in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

We are currently experiencing skyrocketing rates of allergies, cancer, autoimmunity, and stress related illnesses. While Western Medicine has done a fantastic job diagnosing and treating acute illness and injury, it has fallen short for those individuals with complex and chronic medical conditions. As a holistic Medical Doctor, Dr. Roy Steinbock frequently encounters patients who are told that there is nothing more conventional medicine can do for their chronic illness or unusual symptoms. In his presentation, he will show that not only is there hope, but also a solution is often very simple and attainable. The key lies in maximizing and integrating the basic fundamental principles for optimal health. Dr. Steinbock will walk through several patients’ stories of hope and healing that highlight his approach, sending attendees home with practical tools and strategies. 

Mindfulness is an art of living. It is a systematic approach to attaining harmony and peace within ourselves and within the world in which we live. The simple practice of mindfulness allows us to pay attention to the present moment objectively and without judgment, to see and accept things as they actually are. For thousands of years, humans have been exploring the mind-body connection through various mindfulness practices. Anyone who has dedicated themselves to a mediation or mindfulness practice can attest to the physical and psychological benefits. In this lecture, Dr. Roy Steinbock, MD will present attendees with the overwhelming science supporting the power of the mind to heal. He will share some simple techniques and resources to help set you on your path to healing.

Dr. Roy Steinbock is a Board Certified Pediatrician, practicing Pediatrics since 1999.  In 2006 he founded Mindful Pediatrics in Boulder Colorado, where he practices evidence-based Western Medicine with a holistic and mindful approach.  Dr. Roy believes that each child is unique and deserves to be understood from a biological, psychological, spiritual and social perspective. He uses his knowledge of general pediatrics, nutrition, mindfulness, and holistic medicine to guide his patients and their families in both well care and illness.

Learn more at www.MindfulPediatrics.com and www.MindfulPediatrics.com/blog

Large microbial communities residing within or on the human body (microbiome) play an important role in keeping us healthy by influencing nutrient uptake, food metabolism, energy homeostasis and immune response. A diverse gut microbiota help in development of well-balanced immune system similar to Goldie lock system and a significant pertubation of this homeostasis might lead to increased inflammation and subsequent precipitation of disease.

I will discuss our recent studies showing the gut microbiota play a major role in MS and might offer an excellent source for developing next generation of brug (bacteria as drug) to treat or even cure MS.

Dr. Mangalam’s research program is focused on investigating role of gut microbiota in the health and diseases and use a bedside to bench to bedside approach to identify novel human gut derived commensal which can be used to treat patients with MS. We have shown that MS patients have gut dysbiosis and certain human gut bacteria has ability to modulate disease in a preclinical model (experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis-EAE) of MS. Current research in our lab is focused on understanding how certain bacteria can predispose to- or protect from disease. We have established all the tool and techniques required to successfully execute Human microbiome studies (sample collections, DNA extraction, library preparation, sequencing, and data analysis). Besides human microbiome analysis our laboratory is also utilizing Germ-free mice and conventional mice to determine the mechanism through which microbiome modulate host physiology especially immune response.

Abstract:  It is estimated that 75-90% of visits to a primary care doctor are for stress related complaints and people who are unable to manage stress have a 40% high death rate than non-stressed individuals. The magnetic field of the heart is 5000 times more powerful than the field produced by the brain. The heart uses this bio-electromagnetic field, hormones and the nervous system to communicate with the brain and body.
Our emotions can impact the heart’s coherence and learning to regulate our emotions can reduce stress and improve hormones and our health.

Sherry Brewer MD earned a BS in Chemical Engineering from The Ohio State University.  She earned her Doctorate of Medicine and completed an internal medicine residency at the University of Kentucky.  Additionally, she completed an integrative medicine fellowship at the University of Arizona.  She is board certified in Internal and Integrative medicine.  She is a certified practitioner with The Institute for Functional Medicine.  She has completed additional training in HeartMath, Battlefield Acupuncture, the Bredesen Protocol and the Adapt Training through the Kresser Institute.  She’s worked at the VA for 20 years and owns her own functional medicine practice.

Growing some of your food can be healing in many ways. Through this inspiring presentation, Fred Meyer and Jen Kardos will share garden designs and growing tips for the Wahls Protocol Garden, helping take guesswork out of deciding which greens, sulfurs and colors are worth growing in your yard.

Fred and Jen have been gardening for years and both found themselves on an autoimmune healing journey that used food as medicine. Combining horticultural therapy, garden design and the healing connection to nature, they designed a vegetable and fruit garden that maximizes nutrient yields while saving money at the store.

Fred Meyer founded and co-directs Backyard Abundance, combining his enthusiasm for growing food, his fascination with the natural world, and his sincere desire to help people live fulfilling lives. He has organized dozens of engaging, experiential events demonstrating how to use nature’s principles to design resilient landscapes in residences, parks, schools, and businesses. He is a certified Permaculture Designer, certified Teacher of Permaculture, Master Gardener, Master Conservationist, and Toastmaster.

Everyone knows we should eat healthily, but in the case where our medical issues stem from food allergies or intolerances, we must adhere to a strict diet – mostly for the rest of our lives. The importance of using food as medicine means starting to and sticking with a new way of life.

As an infant and toddler, Keirstan was a very sick young girl. She had multiple food issues, many allergies, active asthma, horrible GI issues, and developmental delays. At the age of two years old, she was put on a strict gluten and dairy free diet and, over time, her issues resolved.

Today, at 15 years old, Keirstan is an active and healthy young lady. She has stuck to her diet for the last 13 years in order to maintain her lifestyle. Keirstan tells her story and how she “survives” eating school lunches, restaurants and friend’s parties. She will discuss and answer your questions about how she stays the course every day including helpful tips and tricks. She knows if she can do it, so can you!

Keirstan Capurso is 15 years old and a sophomore at Roswell High School in Georgia. She is going on her 13th year of being on a gluten and dairy free diet. When she was an infant and toddler, she was very sick with many autoimmune issues that seriously affected her health and development. Once she was started on a gluten and dairy free diet at age 2, her very serious medical issues resolved. She is now a healthy and thriving teenager. Though eating “healthy” is not easy, Keirstan has taken her eating restrictions in stride, firmly believing that her ongoing diet keeps her immune system quiet and allows her to live a normal, happy and healthy life. 

Keirstan loves musical theater and has already performed in 20 on-stage productions. She also had the leading role in a short movie called “A Memory Jar”. Though the work is hard, Keirstan enjoys everything about high school. She is the student council secretary for the sophomore class and president of the Roswell United club. She also loves spending time with her friends and family, especially all her family pets.