Our favorite functional medicine expert, Dr. Stephen Cabral, has spent decades researching all forms of medicine. He believes they all have a place, and can all be used to bring about health. His mission is to help people go from chronic pain, depression and disease to a state of vitality and happiness.   Check out Episode 186 where Dr. Cabral shares how he healed himself and tells us all about intermittent fasting, detoxing and Ayurvedic medicine.   What is Disease? A simplified way to look at disease is this: people either get sick because of toxicity, or because of deficiency. If we can address the deficiencies (by supplementing vitamins, minerals, amino acids, etc.) and begin to remove the toxicities (such as excess hormones, plastics, etc.), we can heal anything.   Western Medicine vs Functional Medicine Unfortunately, the goal of conventional medicine is not to get better. It just addresses the symptoms. So, for example, high cholesterol is just a symptom (or sign) that there is a deeper issue, like an auto-immune condition or excess toxins. Conventional medicine will prescribe drugs to manage the symptoms without getting to the underlying root cause. They might make you feel a bit better in the short term, but they don’t provide long-term benefits. On the other hand, functional medicine will look at what might be causing the condition, and help you bring your body back into a state of healthy balance. That said, if you’re suffering a heart attack, you’re better off heading to the emergency room rather than your natural health doctor!   Your Health and The Rain Barrel Effect Your body is in a constant state of homeostasis: it is always trying to return to a healthy balance. This means that it can deal with a lot (of stress, junk food, toxins) before finally disease shows up in your blood tests. It’s what Dr. Cabral calls the “rain barrel effect,” which is also the title of his best-selling book. Your rain barrel is essentially your toxic load. If it’s overflowing, your health suffers. You need to empty it out - to clear your toxicity - in order to bring your body back into balance.   How to Heal Your Body According to Dr. Cabral, you can heal anything within 12 to 16 weeks (3-4 months). That’s because all your red blood cells turn over every 90-120 days (also 3-4 months). As this happens your mitochondria (your cells’ energy stores) are replenished with nutrients, you’ll have more energy and fewer symptoms. Diet is a huge part of that journey, but you need to take a holistic approach. Addressing food without overcoming emotional trauma just won’t work. A lot of our disease comes from our emotions.   Where to Begin? A great way to find out what is happening in your body is to have functional tests done. These will look at markers that conventional medicine usually ignores, to give you a complete picture of what is going on with your health right now. You can order these tests on Dr. Cabral’s online store. Dr. Cabral will read through them and you’ll get a phone call from one of his team’s health coaches to discuss the results.   Dr. Cabral’s Weight Loss and Detox Tips: Forget about crash diets or regimes, they are not sustainable and don’t work long term. Crowd out the bad foods with nourishing foods (plant based whole foods are your friends here). Don’t graze all day long, allow your body 4-5 hours between meals to give your cortisol levels a chance to level out. Reset your circadian rhythm - your body detoxifies from around 10pm. Eat foods that support your liver detoxification (like cruciferous veg: broccoli, kale, etc.). Try Dr. Cabral’s detox shakes or his detox protocol.   Dr. Cabral and Leslie Durso’s Healthy Travel Tips: Get your antibacterial wipes and wipe everything around you - planes are never cleaned. Get a good night’s sleep before your flight. Avoid alcohol, coffee or tea on the plane, and drink a lot of water (that said, a glass of wine will help you sleep on those super long flights). Ramp up your