Psychadelic-assisted therapy remains one of the hottest (and most controversial) topics in the mental health space today — and in this episode, you’re going to hear from a board-certified physician who has not only tried it but is calling it “the biggest breakthrough in mental health treatment in a generation.” That’s Dr. Sara (Gottfried) Szal, Director of Precision Medicine at the Marcus Institute of Integrative Health at Thomas Jefferson University, and multiple New York Times bestselling author. She’s a Harvard-educated medical doctor who treats professional athletes and executives alike, and I loved getting to hear about how MDMA-assisted therapy has been transformative on her journey to healing trauma. But first, here’s some context.

Only about 30% of people eventually recover from PTSD with treatment — so clearly, we’re missing a piece of the puzzle. The question is: Are psychedelics that missing piece? Multiple trials have shown participants who were given MDMA-assisted therapy for their PTSD experienced a significant reduction in the severity of the symptoms compared to people who were just given a placebo pill with therapy. In fact, in one 2023 trial, 71% of patients no longer met the diagnostic criteria for PTSD, and almost 50% were considered in remission 18 weeks after they started MDMA-assisted therapy. Of people who got the placebo with therapy, only 48% didn’t meet the diagnostic criteria anymore and 21% were in remission. Another meta-analysis found that psychedelic-assisted therapy can significantly reduce anxiety and depression, both of which often co-occur in people with PTSD.

Psychedelics aren’t for everyone, and there are risks to consider with taking any substance. The first meta-analysis that examined the safety of psychedelics in a medical context, which looked at 30 studies and was published in May of this year, revealed that in over 1,000 cases where psychedelic substances were administered to people, there were only nine serious adverse events. Most of the side effects were temporary symptoms like elevated heart rate, nausea, lower appetite, and headaches.

I interviewed Dr. (Gottfried) Szal at the biohacking conference in May 2024 — a few months before the FDA decided not to approve MDMA for therapeutic purposes — requesting more research to prove that it’s safe and effective. But in some states, like Colorado and Oregon, referendums have already been passed that legalized psilocybin-assisted therapy.

While Dr. Gottfried Szal shared her transformative experience with psychedelic-assisted therapy, we discussed:

• Is MDMA good for trauma?
• Has MDMA been approved for PTSD?
• How and why MDMA-assisted therapy works for PTSD
• What are the results of psychedelic-assisted therapy?
• What is happening in your brain when you add MDMA to a therapy session?
• Can psychedelic-assisted therapy be done virtually, or does it have to be in person?
• How to find psychedelic-assisted therapy near you
• The importance of finding a therapist you trust when using psychedelics
• How setting and environment play a key role in reaping the benefits of psychedelic-assisted therapy

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Over the past year, I started dealing with some mysterious symptoms that my primary care doctor couldn’t seem to solve. They sent me to a bunch of specialists who prescribed medications to help manage my symptoms but didn't offer any answers about why I was having these symptoms. Sound familiar? If you're eager to figure out the root cause of your health issues, Function Health is a paradigm-shifting new platform that tests over 100 biomarkers — and the best part is, you don't need your doctor to order the labwork for you. You can book the appointment yourself and access the data through an online portal. Then, when your results roll in, you can see which biomarkers are "in range" (normal) or "out of range" (abnormal). Plus, you'll get super detailed analysis from a board-certified doctor explaining the significance of your results and offering personalized recommendations for optimizing your health.

Most health insurance plans will only cover a very limited selection of tests. To get all of the labwork Function offers, it could cost up to $15,000 out of pocket. But with Function Health, you get access to all of this valuable info twice a year for an annual subscription cost of $499.

The Function test looks at over 100 biomarkers, which cover almost every aspect of your health, including:

• Heart health
• Thyroid function
• Autoimmunity and immune regulation
• Hormone health
• Metabolic health
• Liver, kidney, and pancreatic health
• Nutrient deficiencies
• Stress and aging
• Heavy metals
• Urine
• Electrolyte levels
• Blood health

I had the opportunity to test out Function Health myself, and in today’s episode, I’ll share:

• How much does Function Health cost?
• How long is the Function Health waitlist?
• What is included in Function Health?
• Is Function Health worth it?
• What to expect from the process step by step, from sign up to receiving results

Then, you'll hear my interview with the founder Dr. Mark Hyman during which we talked about:

• The difference between "normal" and optimal lab ranges
• How to understand your Function lab results
• How you can use Function to make — and track — meaningful health improvements over time

Dr. Hyman is not only the cofounder and chief medical officer of Function Health, but also the Founder and Senior Advisor for the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine, the founder and director of The UltraWellness Center, Board President for Clinical Affairs for The Institute for Functional Medicine, founder and chairman of the Food Fix Campaign, and a fifteen-time New York Times best-selling author.

Function Health currently has more than 300,000 people on the waiting list but Dr. Hyman was kind enough to share a special code with our listeners to skip the line! Use code WELLBENT100 when you sign up to breeze past that waiting list!

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PROMO CODES:

Use the code WELLBENT100 at sign-up for Function Health — the first 100 people to use this code can skip the waiting list!

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Follow Dr. Mark Hyman and Function Health on Instagram:

• @drmarkhyman
• @functionhealth

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Athletes' success hinges on their ability to maintain optimal energy, endurance, strength, agility, and mental focus while also avoiding injury — which means fueling up with the right foods. Tom Brady knows this well: In fact, he'd probably be the first to admit that he might not be the G.O.A.T if he hadn’t been so strategic with what he was eating — and that’s where Allen Campbell came in. As Brady’s former personal chef, Campbell played a role in the 7-time Super Bowl winner’s day-to-day diet. He’s also worked with The NHL’s Patrice Bergeron, Charlie McAvoy, and Kevin Hayes, among other athletes. And he's contributed all of the recipes to multiple books, including The Game of Eating Smart and Brady’s first book, the New York Times bestseller The TB12 Method. It should come as no surprise that he's known as "the chef of peak performance."

The good news? You don’t have to be a professional athlete to eat like one thanks to AC Kitchen, Campbell’s fast-growing health-conscious meal delivery service — which currently services MA, NY, and CT. His fully-cooked meals are all made with organic, local ingredients and no gluten, dairy, refined sugars, or seed oils. AC Well, Campbell's corporate wellness program, includes virtual cooking classes, custom meal plans, and made-from-scratch snacks.

Not only does Campbell understand the KEY role food can play in reaching your fitness goals, but he’s proven time and again that you don’t have to sacrifice flavor and joy while prioritizing your health. In this interview, he shares:

• How he got the gig as a personal chef for Tom Brady and Gisele
• How an athlete's meal plan might change during the off-season, or while recovering from an injury
• How he helps his athlete clients reach their protein goals (and how he feels about supplementing with protein powder)
• Where and how he sources high-quality produce, meat, and seafood
• Which oils are best to cook with
• Why he prefers using coconut sugar to other types
• What to expect from AC Kitchen's new Snack Box Sampler (available for purchase nationwide!)
• Tips for parents to get their kids to eat their vegetables
• How he designs a meal plan for someone healing from gut issues like SIBO, candida, and IBS
• His honest, unfiltered take on jerky, mushroom coffee, Impossible Burgers and Beyond Burgers, and raw milk

Follow Allen Campbell on Instagram here!

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PROMO CODES:

• Shop here to get 10% off your Alkamind order:
• Click here to get 10% off Dr. Gioffre’s Gut Lab package
• For $60 off Apollo Neuro, shop here OR use code WELLBENT at checkout!

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