Influenced to Death

In this episode, Victoria & Hannah are joined by Bob Block, an acute care pharmacist, to discuss ivermectin.He provides a balanced and highly informed take on an extremely influenced drug.They discuss: * The history of ivermectin, from use for river blindness to roundroom to rosacea* Ivermectin, wonder drug from Japan (the paper Hannah references)* Bob provides an easy-to-understand but expert overview of ivermectin and how it works* Why it’s not a good idea to take ivermectin from the feed store* Hannah and Victoria discuss their biases about ivermectin* Bob provides a thorough walkthrough of what studies show about the use of ivermectin in COVID-19* Some states, like Texas, have made ivermectin available over the counter* What the research shows for ivermectin’s potential in cancer* The Relationship Between News Coverage of COVID-19 Misinformation and Online Search Behavior* Ivermectin, a potential anticancer drug derived from an antiparasitic drug (explaining possible anti-cancer mechanisms)* Even though there’s promise for ivermectin in cancer treatment, all current studies are human cell studies or human cell in combination with animal arm, like this one and this one This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit influencedtodeath.substack.com

In this episode, Hannah & Victoria are joined by the brilliant Dr. Angie Martinez, owner of Root Cause Medicine in Arvada, Colorado.Dr. Angie has a unique and highly informed approach to BHRT, and we can’t wait for you to hear her take. We discuss: * Victoria’s negative bias against BHRT and Dr. Angie’s response* Viewing BHRT through an evolutionary lens* The difference between healthspan and lifespan, and why it’s a crucial distinction for women* What is the Grandmother Hypothesis?* Why the majority of divorces happen when women are in perimenopause and menopause* Should women be afraid of hormone replacement? Dr. Angie discusses research updates* How Dr. Angie uses BHRT as prevention versus as simply a way to address symptoms* The case for using hormones in context as part of a highly individualized health plan* Why some women feel WORSE after they start hormones* The crucial difference between oral hormones and hormones administered via other routes (subdermal, injections, etc.)* Hormone testing options and what Dr. Angie uses with her patients* The difference between synthetic and bioidentical hormones, and where conventional and functional medicine overlap* Are there some people who should avoid hormone therapy?Click here to follow Dr. Angie on Instagram.Learn more: * Information on the controversial history of BHRT* The Grandmother Hypothesis* Refuting the grandmother hypothesis This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit influencedtodeath.substack.com

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit influencedtodeath.substack.comIn this episode, Victoria speaks with guest Jameson Simpson about a (crazy?) raw-food version of Paleo popularized by LA diet “guru” Aajonus Vonderplanitz (yes, that was really his name): The Primal Diet. They cover: * Their shared history of eating Primal and early traveling experiences in Hawai’i* Jameson’s experience of eating Primal and living at a raw-…

In this episode, Victoria is joined by all-time favorite guest Dr. Mike T Nelson to discuss the deep physiology of meathead cardio…don’t resistance exercises like kettlebell swings and front squats get our heart rate high enough?You might remember Dr. Mike from episode #6: KETO-MANIA!We broke the traditional Influenced to Death format in this episode and had an open-format nerd-fest conversation with Dr. Mike (Hannah was on vacation, so no one was here to make Victoria follow the rules 😬).They discuss: * Dr. Mike’s super interesting history, including his work with DARPA (no, we’re not kidding…learn more about him here)* If resistance athletes need cardio outside of resistance exercises that increase their heart rate* Specific recommendations for aerobic and anaerobic exercise for optimal health * The exercise and diet regimens that are actually needed for long-term health* Tabata exercise: Is it legit?* The health benefits of increasing VO2 max and what VO2 max actually is (you can test your VO2 max!)* The million-dollar question: Do women need different training recommendations than men?* What truly moves the needle on health (teaser…it doesn’t come in a pill, lotion, potion, or fancy protocol)If you’d like to learn more from Dr. Mike, we highly recommend his classes! (We don’t make a dime off these recommendations, we just love Dr. Mike.)He’s currently offering Flexible Meathead Cardio: Level 1, Flexible Meathead Cardio: Level 2, and the Flex Diet Online Mentorship.You can learn more by signing up for his newsletter and letting him know you’re interested. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit influencedtodeath.substack.com

In this episode, Hannah & Victoria delve into the highly controversial topic of fluoride, especially its use in public drinking water.This is the most complex and multifaceted topic yet, and lots of ground gets covered in this slightly lengthy but super interesting episode. They discuss: * Some basic fluoride facts—what it is and why it’s currently up in public discourse* Symptoms of fluorosis, aka excess fluoride exposure* The history of fluoride in drinking water (it’s been controversial from the very beginning)* The chemistry of fluoride (big thanks to chemist Kyle Carter!)* Where the fluoride in our drinking water comes from* Some brief discussion of the multitude of compounds intentionally added to municipal water* The full-body impact of fluoride exposure—effects on the pineal gland, sleep, neurological, and cognitive effects* Some popular claims about fluoride…can it be lethal?* The difference between systemic and topical use of fluoride* Other factors that can influence oral health* Hannah’s fabulous recommendation to find a trusted water filterExtra resources:* The NSF chemical search page we shared during the episode* EPA fluoride supply chain chart (where the fluoride in your water comes from)* More on how the optimal levels in drinking water were determined* The reintroduction of fluoride into Calgary, Canada’s water supply* Evidence from archeological digs shows exposure to naturally occurring fluoride in human remains* From one study we read: “The effect of fluoride is mainly achieved when applied topically, which is further enhanced when accompanied by good oral hygiene.”* In this study, fluoride is described as a double-edged sword.* The study Hannah shared on fluoride and the pineal gland* Two studies (here and here) on fluoride and sleep* Click here and here for information on fatalities connected to fluoride, as claimed in the podcast clip we shared: One child died after eating an unknown amount of fluoride-based insecticide. Otherwise…“Children who ingested up to 8.4 mg/kg of elemental fluoride in dental products had mild and self-limited symptoms, mostly gastrointestinal.”* The study Hannah shared on the effectiveness of fluoride varnish* Click here and here for information on fluoride toxicology and IQ: The determination about lower IQs in children was based primarily on epidemiology studies in non-U.S. countries such as Canada, China, India, Iran, Pakistan, and Mexico, where some pregnant women, infants, and children received total fluoride exposure amounts higher than 1.5 mg fluoride/L of drinking water. The U.S. Public Health Service currently recommends 0.7 mg/L, and the World Health Organization has set a safe limit for fluoride in drinking water of 1.5 mg/L.* Research on the oral microbiome, second only to the gut in diversity and number of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoa.* Vitamins that play a role in the prevention of cavities* Vitamin D seems especially crucial* Perhaps most importantly, what toxicants are more concerning than fluoride? PFAs, heavy metals, etc. * Check your local drinking water here This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit influencedtodeath.substack.com

In this episode, Hannah & Victoria talk with Kelsey Keener about MAHA’s (Make America Healthy Again) impact in the first 100 days of the Trump administration.Kelsey is a 3rd-generation farmer in Southeast Tennessee at Sequatchie Cove Farm (you can read his blog at this link or follow him on Instagram @sequatchiecovefarm). His grandparents started the farm 25 years ago, and he learned from his parents and continues to teach his children about regenerative farming, as well as the community and other farmers.They discuss: * The (brief) history of MAHA * Their personal biases around MAHA and the positive and negative details of what MAHA has promoted and achieved * The reason why MAHA’s ideas and actions are extremely impactful * Skepticism about climate change and what Kelsey understands about climate change as a farmer* Changes MAHA has made in the first 100 days of the Trump administration and how it’s impacted Kelsey’s work as a small farmer* How much food actually costs versus what we pay for it as consumers * Kelsey shares surprising information about the egg shortage and government-funded relief payments* How the government currently subsidizes farming and why that might not align with popularized MAHA speaking points* How Kelsey thinks MAHA’s current policies will affect small farms in the future* Are food dyes and fluoride the most important issues to focus on for most people?Helpful links: * HHS’s list of what has been accomplished in the first 100 days* Food Policy Tracker’s first 100 days of MAHA* $1 billion that was going to help put farm fresh food in schools and food banks was cancelled. This was an amazing program that was getting fresh vegetables and even grass-fed beef into school cafeterias. Kelsey talks more about this in the episode. More info here, here, here. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit influencedtodeath.substack.com

In this episode, Hannah & Victoria finish discussing the most delicious the highly controversial topic of gluten. They cover: * Some updates on continuous glucose monitors and colostrum—you can find those studies here and here (CGM) and here (colostrum).* If wheat is really different in Europe. Check out resources on that here and here.* The curious workings of the immune system and why you might react to scrambled but not hard-boiled eggs, for example. More info here and here.* The accuracy of cross-reactive food testing (Cyrex Array 4) for people who react to gluten (YIKES). The study Victoria discusses is here.* The connection between gluten reactivity and neurological/psychological symptoms and diseases, including the case study Hannah mentioned where the patient’s brain healed with a GF diet. You can find a great summary of studies on this topic here, and more info dating back to the mid-70s here. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit influencedtodeath.substack.com

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit influencedtodeath.substack.comIn this episode, Hannah & Victoria discuss the now-internationally famous story of Belle Gibson, an Australian influencer who rose to fame in the mid-2000s for her social media accounts of battling and winning against brain cancer.But her Instagram account was hiding a massive secret that may have hurt her followers.We cover: * The details of the Belle Gi…