Functional Medicine for Real-World Impact

EP05: Gut-Brain-Chronic Pain Connections

Chronic pain isn’t just a nuisance. It’s often a gut-driven signal that something deeper is out of balance.
 
In this episode, Tracy Harrison takes a practical look at how gut health shapes our experience of pain. She questions the default approach of reaching for medications and instead encourages practitioners to ask: what’s really driving the discomfort? Pain isn’t random. It often points to deeper issues like inflammation, nutrient deficiencies, and microbial imbalances, all of which are rooted in the gut.
 
Tracy breaks down how over-the-counter drugs like NSAIDs can quietly erode the gut lining, interfere with nutrient absorption, and set off a chain reaction that worsens the very symptoms they’re meant to relieve. She also shares why it’s worth paying closer attention to factors like sleep apnea, chronic stress, and low-grade infections that keep the body in a state of physiological alarm, and make pain more intense.
 
The conversation turns toward the gut-brain connection, where neurotransmitters like serotonin and GABA play a powerful role in pain perception. What happens when dysbiosis disrupts their production? How do nutrient shortfalls, especially in B12, magnesium, and tryptophan, shift the nervous system’s response to pain?
 
For practitioners, this is a clear reminder: if you’re not looking at gut health, you may be missing the source of your patient’s pain. Tracy lays out the case for why functional medicine must go beyond managing symptoms to uncovering the systems at play. It starts in the gut, and it can change everything.
 
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 The Gut-Brain-Pain Connection
02:30 Why Reframing Pain Matters
03:50 How NSAIDs and Common Medications Affect Gut Health
08:30 The Impact of Physiological Stress on Pain Perception
11:00 Dysbiosis, Inflammation, and Neurotransmitter Imbalance
18:30 The Role of Digestion, Nutrient Absorption, and Deficiencies in Chronic Pain
34:00 Food Sensitivities, Immune Complexes, and Joint Pain
37:00 Serotonin, GABA, and the Gut’s Influence on the Nervous System
40:30 Why Gut Health Is Central to Functional Medicine and Long-Term Pain Relief
 
Links
Get weekly Clinical Tips in your inbox: https://schoolafm.com/clinical-tips 
Learn more about SAFM's practitioner training: https://schoolafm.com/our-program
Subscribe to our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@safmchannel
Access daily quick tips on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AppliedFunctionalMedicine/ 
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

EP04: GLP-1 Gotchas for Practitioners

GLP-1 medications are everywhere right now and for good reason. They suppress appetite, support weight loss, and help manage type 2 diabetes. But what happens when we overlook the ripple effects they can have on the body?
 
In this first episode of Functional Medicine for Real-World Impact, host Tracy Harrison walks through four clinical “gotchas” every practitioner should keep in mind when patients are using GLP-1 agonists. She starts with one of the most common and disruptive complaints: nausea. For many patients, it’s not just the medication. It’s an underlying issue like histamine overload, subclinical hypothyroidism, or nutrient insufficiency that makes the symptoms worse.
 
Tracy also raises a critical question: Are we giving GLP-1s to patients who are already insulin resistant... or already hyperinsulinemic? If so, we may be increasing their risk for hypoglycemia, emotional reactivity, and unintended shifts in body composition.
 
Then there’s the issue of gallbladder health. Slowed motility may reduce appetite, but it can also make existing hepatic biliary congestion worse, especially for those with fatty liver or metabolic disease. Are we screening for this before starting treatment?
 
This episode challenges practitioners to look closer, ask better questions, and avoid assuming that symptom reduction equals success. Medications can be helpful, but only when paired with a deeper clinical lens and a commitment to long-term, real-world health.
 
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Understanding GLP-1 Medications
01:02 Nausea and Dysmotility
05:01 Histamine Overload
08:04 Hypothyroidism and Dysmotility
10:01 Vitamin B6 and Magnesium Deficiency
11:27 Malnutrition Risks
17:00 Hypoglycemia Concerns
20:41 Hepatic Biliary Congestion
25:10 Responsible Use and Dosage
27:00 Importance of Empowering Patients 
 
Links
Get weekly Clinical Tips in your inbox: https://schoolafm.com/clinical-tips 
Learn more about SAFM's practitioner training: https://schoolafm.com/our-program
Subscribe to our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@safmchannel
Access daily quick tips on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AppliedFunctionalMedicine/ 
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

EP03: Practitioner Missteps in Resolving Metabolic Dysfunction

Most cases of type 2 diabetes could be predicted—and prevented—if we knew how to recognize the earliest metabolic red flags hiding in plain sight.
 
What if your patient’s “normal” labs are quietly pointing to dysfunction—and no one’s looking closely enough to catch it? In this episode, Tracy Harrison shares the story of Jane, a woman in her 40s who feels fine today but is on a predictable path to type 2 diabetes within the next decade. Her fasting glucose and A1C may look great now, but behind the scenes, rising insulin or C-peptide levels are already telling a different story.
 
Tracy walks through the subtle signs of early metabolic dysfunction and why standard lab markers often lull both patients and practitioners into a false sense of security. She pushes for a shift in perspective: What do we make of “optimal” labs when the patient’s diet, stress, or symptoms tell a different story? What can we catch early if we pay closer attention to things like reactive hypoglycemia, eating hygiene, and even overlooked contributors like toxin exposure and gut motility?
 
From the pancreas to the microbiome, Tracy connects the dots in a way that’s practical and actionable for real-world clinical practice. She also shares key tools that can support earlier intervention, from smarter lab assessments to supplements like inositol and berberine.
 
This episode is packed with clinical insights and reminders that prevention starts long before blood sugar goes up, and that patients like Jane are counting on us to see what others miss.
 
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Introduction to Jane and the Roots of Metabolic Dysfunction
02:30 Why Fasting Insulin and C-Peptide Matter
05:10 Hypoglycemia as an Early Warning Sign
09:05 Glucose vs. A1C: What Labs Really Tell You
12:10 The Hidden Impact of Stress and Poor Eating Hygiene
15:10 Gut Motility and Its Role in Metabolic Health
22:10 Pancreatic, Thyroid, and Liver Function in Early Dysfunction
27:15 The Microbiome’s Influence on Insulin and GLP-1
32:05 Diet, Prebiotics, and Feeding the Microbiome
36:30 Supplements That Support Insulin Sensitivity
 
Links
Get weekly Clinical Tips in your inbox: https://schoolafm.com/clinical-tips 
Learn more about SAFM's practitioner training: https://schoolafm.com/our-program
Subscribe to our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@safmchannel
Access daily quick tips on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AppliedFunctionalMedicine/ 
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

EP02: What IS Functional Medicine?

Functional medicine rejects symptom-chasing and asks a better question: why did the body stop working the way it’s designed to?
 
In this episode, Tracy Harrison explains what functional medicine really is through the lens of systems engineering. What if we approached the human body like a complex system, where every piece plays a role in either promoting health or driving dysfunction?
 
Using the image of a bonsai tree, Tracy illustrates how we miss the bigger picture when we focus only on the problem we can see. She then takes it a step further with three real-world examples of people who all have hypertension, but for completely different reasons. One person is dealing with blood sugar issues. Another is struggling with nutrient metabolism. A third is unknowingly affected by toxic exposure from decades ago.
 
So how do we help someone heal if we don’t first understand why they’re sick? This episode is an invitation to think differently. It challenges listeners to stop asking what to fix and start asking what’s interfering with the body’s ability to function. Through a systems engineering lens, Tracy shows how personalized assessment and targeted intervention can help restore balance without relying solely on symptom management.
 
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Introduction to Functional Medicine
01:57 Systems Engineering Approach
03:01 Functional Medicine Lens
04:06 Hypertension Example
06:05 Case Study: Mary and Blood Sugar
08:05 Case Study: Bill and Homocysteine
10:17 Case Study: Sue and Lead Exposure
13:20 Customizing Interventional Plans
14:38 Exploring Diagnoses and Root Causes
 
Links
Get weekly Clinical Tips in your inbox: https://schoolafm.com/clinical-tips 
Learn more about SAFM's practitioner training: https://schoolafm.com/our-program
Subscribe to our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@safmchannel
Access daily quick tips on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AppliedFunctionalMedicine/ 
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

EP01: Surprising Reasons They Don’t Get Better: Key Clinical Insights for Practitioners

Most cases of recurring IBS aren’t about the gut bugs. They’re about what’s upstream and overlooked.
 
Why do so many patients feel better at first, only to end up right back where they started? Tracy Harrison shares the real reasons IBS, type 2 diabetes, and other chronic conditions often come roaring back. She highlights two patterns that get missed far too often: maldigestion caused by low pancreatic enzyme output (which is closely tied to blood sugar issues) and sluggish gut motility linked to subclinical hypothyroidism, vagus nerve dysfunction, or past trauma.
 
Tracy also breaks down how poor sleep and internal stress quietly derail healing, even when a patient’s lifestyle looks “healthy” from the outside. Is someone really sleeping well, or are they just used to feeling tired? Is their blood sugar problem coming from diet, or from the constant background noise of stress?
 
Tracy connects the dots between oral health, immune dysfunction, and metabolic disease, showing how inflammation in the mouth can ripple through the whole system. She explains why high-dose vitamin D can backfire, how common medications like ibuprofen or PPIs might be sabotaging progress, and what to watch for when a patient’s improvement stalls without a clear reason.
 
At the heart of it all is a question every practitioner needs to ask: Am I offering too much, too fast? Tracy reminds us that real change comes from partnership, not overwhelm. The smartest plan in the world won’t help if it leaves your patient behind.
 
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Introduction
01:30 Why IBS Often Recurs Despite Initial Improvements
03:20 Maldigestion, Dysmotility, and Blood Sugar Dysregulation
08:03 The Hidden Impact of Sleep and Stress on Immune and Gut Health
15:26 Overlooked Connections Between Oral Health and Metabolic Disease
17:50 The Role of Patient Engagement and Expectation-Setting in Lasting Outcomes
23:27 Risks of High-Dose Vitamin D and Common Supplement Pitfalls
26:30 Medication Use That May Be Stalling Patient Progress
 
Links
Get weekly Clinical Tips in your inbox: https://schoolafm.com/clinical-tips 
Learn more about SAFM's practitioner training: https://schoolafm.com/our-program
Subscribe to our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@safmchannel
Access daily quick tips on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AppliedFunctionalMedicine/ 
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Functional Medicine for Real-World Impact - Trailer

Functional Medicine for Real-World Impact offers practical insights to empower healthcare professionals in transforming patient care through applied functional medicine. Join Tracy Harrison as she dives deep into the interconnected nature of physiology, lifestyle, and innovative interventions—bringing clarity to the science behind complex, chronic conditions. Each episode is packed with case scenarios, clinical pearls, and actionable strategies that practitioners can immediately apply for greater patient outcomes. If you’re ready to do your best work and elevate your clinical confidence, this podcast is your guide to meaningful, impactful change in healthcare.