E157 Dr Tracy McCarthy Functional Medicine Info
Let’s Be Well Together Podcast - Episode 157
Date: January 28, 2025
Participants: John Webster and Sheila Webster
Guest: Dr. Tracy McCarthy
Start Times and Segments:
[0:00:17] What’s On Your Mind: Sheila found a post about people with great qualities, who are good to be around.
[0:09:35] Expanding Minds Interview: [Physical Wellness] Dr. Tracy McCarthy talks about practical steps we can take in the context of functional medicine. Reducing inflammation is important. Eating an anti-inflammatory diet is a good place to start. Stay away from foods that are universally inflammatory to everybody, for example highly processed foods with lots of sugar or highly damaged fats. Some foods are inflammatory to some people and not others. Another tip is to eat nutrient rich foods, such as organic proteins and food that will fuel you and has lots of vitamins. Exercise helps reduce inflammation, but there’s a caveat. You need exercise in the right dose. It’s a stressor if it’s too much and it’s a stressor if it’s too little. You need the sweet spot. The microbiome includes bacteria, fungi and more. Microbiome bacteria are doing many jobs for us. We co-evolved with them. We need the right kind of microbiome.
[0:28:20] Flipside of the Coin: John and Sheila share their initial impressions after becoming grandparents for the first time.
Quotes and Take-Aways:
Dr. McCarthy – There are steps people can take to reduce inflammation. One is to focus on an anti-inflammatory diet. Firstly, to take away the foods that are universally inflammatory to everybody, for example highly processed foods with lots of sugar or highly damaged fats, like canola oil, soybean oil and other high omega 6 fats that are very inflammatory.
Dr. McCarthy – Olive oil, avocado oil and for many people coconut oil are fine. You need the healthy fats.
Dr. McCarthy – Some foods are inflammatory to some people and not others. Dairy might be a problem for some people but not others.
Dr. McCarthy – Another way to reduce inflammation is to add nutrient rich foods. Eat adequate clean protein such as organic meats, grass fed meats, fresh-caught fish. Eat food that will fuel you and has lots of vitamins. Avoid empty calories.
Dr. McCarthy – Eating an anti-inflammatory diet, that has makes an enormous difference right off the bat in reducing inflammation. That’s where I would start.
Dr. McCarthy – Exercise helps reduce inflammation, but there’s a caveat. You need exercise in the right dose. It’s a stressor if it’s too much and it’s a stressor if it’s too little. You need the sweet spot.
Dr. McCarthy – The microbiome is all the bacteria and viruses and fungi and even parasites sometimes living in or on us. They are on our skin and in our gut. The majority of microbiome is in the large intestine, about 97%. If you were to add up all this bacteria it weighs about 2 or 3 pounds. It’s like another organ.
Dr. McCarthy – The microbiome bacteria are doing many jobs for us. We co-evolved with them. We need them. They break down things and detoxify. They help produce compounds we need. Than can make anti-inflammatory chemical messenger that help our body if we have the right bacteria there. They can make neurotransmitters. They are doing many things. When we don’t have them in the right balance, then we can be missing what we need and they can promote inflammation. Certain overgrowths of bacteria are very inflammatory.
Guest Information: Dr. Tracy McCarthy, MD, is a board-certified psychiatrist and Institute of Functional Medicine certified physician with over two decades of experience. She is the creator of the Natural Mood Solution Online Program and the Founder and medical director of Dr. Tracy McCarthy Functional Medicine, where she has supported thousands in transforming their health. As a wellness thought leader and in her practice, Dr. McCarthy is dedicated to helping adults suffering from depression, anxiety, brain fog, fatigue, digestive issues, and hormonal imbalances by identifying and addressing the overlooked causes of these chronic symptoms. Her approach focuses on underlying issues including mold toxicity, microbiome imbalances, and nutrient deficiencies, empowering her patients to regain their health and vitality.
Website: Dr. Tracy McCarthy Functional Medicine: https://www.drtracymccarthy.com/
Instagram: @drtracymccarthy
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