Own Your Heart Health with Dr. Regina Druz

The Weight Loss “Bermuda Triangle”: Are You Stuck In It?

Your genetics might be the key to lasting weight loss. Dr. Phyllis Pobee knows firsthand how frustrating it can be to do everything “right” and still struggle with weight. In this episode, Dr. Pobee joins Dr. Regina Druz to discuss how genetics for weight loss plays a bigger role than most people realize. Could your genes for weight loss be working against you? And if so, what can you do about it?
 
From nutritional genetics to hormones like cortisol and estrogen, Dr. Pobee breaks down why weight gain—especially for women over 30—isn’t just about diet and exercise. She shares how understanding your genetic profile can help you make smarter choices about food, exercise, and stress management. They also dig into the rise of weight loss medications like Ozempic and whether they truly solve the problem or just mask deeper imbalances.
 
This episode challenges the idea that weight loss is simply about willpower. If you’ve ever felt stuck, Dr. Druz and Dr. Pobee’s conversation might be exactly what you need to move forward with a strategy that actually works for your body.
 
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Introduction 
03:57 Hormonal Interplay in Weight Management
05:11 Estrogen and Heart Disease in Women
07:07 Genetic Variations and Hormonal Imbalances
08:41 Cortisol and Stress Management
10:21 Circadian Rhythm and Eating Habits
12:15 Measuring Cortisol Levels
17:54 Effective Stress Management Techniques
20:47 Testing Cortisol Levels
26:00 Hormonal Changes in Perimenopause and Menopause
30:56 Estrogen Dominance and Genetic Influence
34:00 Caution with Hormone Replacement Therapy
37:18 Key Genetic Variations Women Should Know
42:19 Overstressing and Its Impact on Weight Loss
45:25 Integrative Approach to Weight Loss
49:37 Polygenic Risk Scores in Clinical Applications
 
Links
https://holisticheartcenters.info/hearthealth
https://shop.holisticheartcenters.com/
https://www.dr.mba/offers/dsH3WozF?coupon_code=DOC10
 
Connect with Dr. Regina Druz:
Website: http://holisticheartcenters.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@holisticheartcenters
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Vegiterranean, Anyone? Yes, Please!

Heart disease has been the leading cause of death in the U.S. for over a century, but could changing the way we eat make a real difference? Dr. Kim Williams thinks so.
 
In this episode, Dr. Regina Druz sits down with Dr. Williams from the University of Louisville to break down what to eat for heart health. They talk about the science behind the vegan diet, Mediterranean diet, and DASH diet, weighing the benefits of each. Dr. Williams makes a strong case for a whole food plant-based approach, pointing to research that links it to lower rates of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol. Dr. Druz, while not vegan herself, highlights the importance of personalized nutrition and the need to tailor dietary choices to individual health goals.
 
The conversation goes beyond food, touching on healthcare disparities, access to healthy options, and the role of AI in patient care. Dr. Williams shares how he’s using AI tools like ChatGPT to create personalized meal plans, making it easier for patients to follow heart-healthy diets without feeling overwhelmed. They also dig into community-driven solutions, from teaching kitchens to partnerships with local businesses, aimed at increasing access to fresh, affordable produce.
 
If you’re wondering whether your diet really impacts your heart or questioning how to make healthier choices that actually stick, this episode is packed with helpful insights you can use.
 
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Introduction 
01:00 The State of Heart Disease in America
03:55 Health Equity Initiatives at University of Louisville
05:04 Challenges in Inner City Health
07:02 Patient Stories and Health Disparities
10:03 Lifestyle Medicine and Prevention
12:32 Nutritional Advice for Heart Health
14:02 The Role of Time, Team, and Tools in Patient Care
16:20 Whole Food Plant-Based Diet and Heart Health
18:36 The Impact of Unhealthy Plant-Based Foods
20:15 Using AI for Personalized Nutrition Plans
27:09 AI in Medical Practice and Patient Education
30:01 Comparing Popular Heart-Healthy Diets
32:35 Misinterpretations of the Mediterranean Diet Study
35:07 Dr. Williams’ Personal Nutritional Journey
38:05 The Impact of Plant-Based Diet on Cholesterol
41:03 Statins and Plant-Based Diets in Practice
43:08 Patient Adoption of Whole Food Plant-Based Diets
45:03 Teaching Kitchens and Community Health Programs
48:43 Partnerships with Local Businesses for Healthy Eating
 
Links
https://holisticheartcenters.info/hearthealth
https://shop.holisticheartcenters.com/
https://www.dr.mba/offers/dsH3WozF?coupon_code=DOC10
 
Connect with Dr. Regina Druz:
Website: http://holisticheartcenters.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@holisticheartcenters
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Show Your Heart Some Love: Focus on Hypertension

Blood pressure readings can be misleading—are you really hypertensive, or is it just a case of white coat syndrome? Dr. Regina Druz sits down with Dr. Ellie Campbell, a primary care functional medicine doctor, to unpack the complexities of blood pressure, its role in cardiovascular risk, and why a single reading in a doctor’s office might not tell the whole story.
 
Dr. Campbell shares how a patient’s unexpected stroke reshaped her understanding of blood pressure management, leading her to investigate overlooked factors like inflammation and metabolic health. The conversation also covers why home blood pressure monitoring often provides a clearer picture than in-office readings, and how standard measurement mistakes can lead to unnecessary prescriptions.
 
For those questioning whether their numbers reflect reality, this episode offers a guide to tracking blood pressure correctly, recognizing the impact of lifestyle choices, and taking control of heart health before problems arise.
 
Episode Breakdown:
00:00  Introduction
01:03 The Importance of Cardiovascular Health
02:14 Dr. Ellie Kimball's Book on Hypertension
04:14 The Story of Dee and the Impact of Hypertension
08:45 The Connection Between Dental Health and Cardiovascular Events
10:55 The Silent Killer: Hypertension
14:07 Prevalence of Elevated Blood Pressure
17:45 Theories Behind Rising Hypertension Rates
19:40 The Role of Chronic Stress and Cortisol
24:50 Proper Blood Pressure Measurement Techniques
30:00 The Importance of Accurate Blood Pressure Readings
33:11 Understanding Blood Pressure Guidelines
39:49 Understanding White Coat Effect and Masked Hypertension
41:05 Home Blood Pressure Monitoring vs. 24-Hour Ambulatory Monitoring
44:40 Standardizing Home Blood Pressure Readings
 
Links
Holistic Heart University 20% OFF Heart Health and Wellness: https://holisticheartcenters.info/hearthealth
Heartwell Toolkit 10% OFF code TESTING10: https://shop.holisticheartcenters.com/
 
Connect with Dr. Regina Druz:
Website: http://holisticheartcenters.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@holisticheartcenters
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Three Men Walk Onto a Golf Course: Calcium Score Revisited

Is your calcium score telling the full story of your heart health? Dr. Regina Druz unpacks what a coronary artery calcium score really means, how it relates to vascular age, and why even a seemingly low score can signal long-term risks.  
 
Starting with a quick story of three men on a golf course comparing their calcium scores, Dr. Druz illustrates how numbers like 75, 220, or 3000 can mean very different things depending on age and overall health. Using insights from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, she explains how to assess whether your arteries are aging faster than you, and what that means for your heart.  
 
The episode also tackles the role of cholesterol and the impact of statins in slowing, but not reversing, atherosclerosis. Dr. Druz points out a comprehensive approach to heart health, combining lifestyle changes, medication when necessary, and tools like the MESA calculator to track risk over time.  
 
Dr. Druz encourages listeners to take control of their heart health, advocate for themselves, and use available resources to make informed decisions. Are you wondering, “How high is my calcium score, and what does it mean for me?” This episode has the answers.
 
Quotes
“For you to own your heart health, you have to advocate for yourself and use some of the tools that were initially meant to be practitioner focused, but use it for yourself.” (05:18 | Dr. Regina Druz) 
“What is the coronary age? It’s simply an age at which an average healthy individual has the same calcium score that a person of interest has.” (12:56 | Dr. Regina Druz) 
“Accelerated atherosclerosis is essentially the aging of the arteries. Are your arteries aging faster than you? And for many patients, this actually is the case.” (26:22 | Dr. Regina Druz) 
“Once a person has plaques in their arteries, whether it's coronary arteries or carotid arteries, we can certainly help them to slow down the progression and cause a regression, but we can’t completely reverse them.” (30:47 | Dr. Regina Druz)
 
Links
MESA Coronary Age Calculator: https://internal.mesa-nhlbi.org/about/procedures/tools/mesa-score-risk-calculator
Holistic Heart University Guest Access: https://holisticheartcenters.info/visit
 
https://holisticheartcenters.info/hearthealth
https://shop.holisticheartcenters.com/
https://www.dr.mba/offers/dsH3WozF?coupon_code=DOC10
 
Connect with Dr. Regina Druz:
Website: http://holisticheartcenters.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@holisticheartcenters
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

"So Me" and "So You": Unpacking the Social Media with Dr. Dana Corriel

“Doctors aren’t on social media. I recognized early on that this was going to be a really powerful medium into which we needed to place ourselves because doctors were missing,” says Dr. Dana Corriel, a pioneer in the realm of physicians on social media. In this episode, Dr. Corriel and Dr. Regina Druz discuss how social media is transforming healthcare, creating opportunities for physicians to connect with patients, build trust, and advocate for holistic heart health.
 
Why are so few physicians on social media, and what risks or rewards does it bring? Dr. Corriel shares her journey from clinical practice to becoming a leading voice online, and points out the importance of responsible content creation and navigating the challenges of misinformation. They also discuss how social media can support community-building among healthcare professionals while also serving as a space to empower patients with reliable information.
 
Join Dr. Regina Druz and Dr. Dana Corriel’s discussion to discover a fresh perspective on the evolving role of physicians in the digital space and the impact of social media on modern healthcare communication.
 
Quotes
“There are so many reasons to be online. And I definitely cautiously encourage it because it’s literally where everyone is at. And this is how we can positively influence our patients and the world in general and encourage better health.” (04:24 | Dr. Dana Corriel)
“The power is where everyone is gathered and all of their attention is. It doesn’t have to be a physical gathering. It could be an intellectual gathering, a gathering of the minds. So when all of the attention of the majority of humans is being placed online, it is where influence happens.” (05:30 | Dr. Dana Corriel)
“Every person who’s watching should take that information that they’re learning back to their own doctor... because every patient’s different. And so if you hear a recommendation for ingesting something that might be great for someone specific, it might not be as great for you because you have certain conditions or illnesses, etc.” (07:55 | Dr. Dana Corriel)
“Social media has the capacity to influence us in many, many ways. It does allow us, it does provide us a medium in which we can connect very rapidly and we can build on advocacy for the things that cause burnout.” (32:34 | Dr. Dana Corriel)
 
Links
https://holisticheartcenters.info/hearthealth
https://shop.holisticheartcenters.com/
https://www.dr.mba/offers/dsH3WozF?coupon_code=DOC10
 
Connect with Dr. Dana Corriel
https://doctorsonsocialmedia.com/about/
 
Connect with Dr. Regina Druz:
Website: http://holisticheartcenters.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@holisticheartcenters
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Why Your Fasting is Not Working: The 3 “O”s

Fasting, cutting out carbs, and workouts might seem like the keys to better health. But could they be working against you? In this episode, Dr. Regina Druz unpacks why traditional fasting methods often fail to deliver expected results and introduces the “three O’s” that commonly sabotage progress: over-fasting, over-restricting carbs, and over-stressing.
 
Drawing from a case study, Dr. Druz explains how over-fasting can lead to sustained cortisol spikes and chronic stress, which undermine metabolic health. She points out the risks of over-restricting carbs, such as impaired muscle maintenance and gut health, while advocating for a personalized approach to macronutrient balance using tools like Lumen. Finally, she explores the impact of over-stressing through excessive exercise without adequate recovery, emphasizing the role of rest and tools like the Oura Ring to achieve metabolic flexibility.
 
Dr. Druz also introduces AI 2.0, a cutting-edge approach that integrates digital biomarkers, blood markers, and genetic data to create tailored strategies for heart health. With insights and advanced tools, this episode provides a progressive view on optimizing heart health and overall well-being in 2025.
 
Quotes
“If you don’t eat for prolonged periods of time, that cortisol spike is not coming down. So, I routinely see patients who, because they are doing the three O’s and one of them, the first one is over-fasting, their cortisol curves are not normal.” (08:42 | Dr. Regina Druz) 
“The over-restriction of carbs does not allow you to maintain good muscle mass and lose visceral fat, and it also impairs the ability of your microbiome to stay healthy because you need the fiber.” (19:48 | Dr. Regina Druz) 
“If you don’t recover, you don’t repair. And if you don’t repair, there is a damage that keeps on accruing constantly, and it will flip your switch from metabolic health to metabolic rigidity.” (29:06 | Dr. Regina Druz) 
“The over-fasting, the over-restriction of carbs, and the over-stressing, meaning working out too much or not balancing your workout, your physical and mental exercises with appropriate recovery, are the three things that jeopardize fasting or lifestyle effort.” (34:19 | Dr. Regina Druz)
 
Links
Connect with Dr. Regina Druz:
Website: http://holisticheartcenters.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@holisticheartcenters
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/dr.reginadruz/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/holisticheartcenters
Linkedin:https://www.linkedin.com/in/regina-druz-md-mba-innovation
Twitter:https://x.com/HeartCenters
Holistic Heart University: https://holisticheartcenters.info/hearthealth
Heartwell Toolkit:https://shop.holisticheartcenters.com/
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Top 5 for Heart Health and Longevity for 2025

Heart health and longevity are built on daily actions, self-awareness, and the courage to take ownership of your well-being. In this episode, Dr. Regina Druz shares her top five insights for 2025, blending science and self-compassion into a practical roadmap for well-being.
 
Dr. Druz points out the connection between metabolic health and overall well-being, introducing tools like the Lumen device to measure metabolic flexibility and guide personalized health decisions. Her philosophy, “decide with data,” stresses the value of tracking metrics like blood pressure and body composition to make informed choices.
 
Dr. Druz also explains the power of daily gratitude, personal accountability, and making data-informed decisions to shape your health journey. From tools like the Lumen device to insights on stress, sleep, and supplements, she explains how small, consistent actions create meaningful change.
 
Tune in to discover how to align intention with action and set a foundation for a healthier, longer life. Plus, learn more about the resources available through Holistic Heart University, including a new group program launching in January! Visit holisticheartcenters.com/holistic-heart-university/ 
 
What steps will you take to own your heart health in the year ahead?
 
Quotes
“The number one heart health and longevity thing for me in 2025 will be to continue to show grace to myself and to be grateful… Give grace to yourself, be curious, accept yourself as you are, recognize yourself as a human being as you continue to move forward into 2025.” (04:10 | Dr. Regina Druz) 
“If you’re thinking there’s a specific intervention out there that will radically transform your health, I encourage you to reset your mindset and recognize that the true agent of change is you.” (09:12 | Dr. Regina Druz)
“Investing in metabolic health is really a priority because metabolic health is linked to cardiac health, brain health, cancers, obesity, musculoskeletal wellness, dementia, and pretty much every single chronic disease. Even if it’s not directly related to cardiometabolic parameters, it will actually alter those cardiometabolic parameters. And we had seen this through various spectrums of multiple diseases. And so investing in cardiometabolic health is absolutely a priority.” (16:50 | Dr. Regina Druz)
“Some of the very impactful things that we use data decisions for, in addition to blood pressure measurements, include body composition analysis. So in all of our weight loss programs, we do not just track weight loss, we actually track body composition because body composition is key to cardiometabolic health… And this is why we essentially are deciding with data, because deciding with data is really powerful, and it brings together multiple variables for us.” (21:48 | Dr. Regina Druz)
 
Links
Holistic Heart University Heart Health and Wellness 20% OFF: https://holisticheartcenters.info/hearthealth
Heartwell Toolkits 10% OFF: https://shop.holisticheartcenters.com
Uplevel Your Practice Schedule Practice Power Hour:https://www.dr.mba/offers/dsH3WozF?coupon_code=DOC10
 
Connect with Dr. Regina Druz:
Website: http://holisticheartcenters.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@holisticheartcenters
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Am I a Ticking Time Bomb? Bio-age Revealed!

“If we truly want to focus on preventative medicine and address the biggest risk factor, that risk factor is the biological aging process,” says Ryan Smith, the co-founder of TruDiagnostic, a company at the forefront of epigenetic testing. In this episode, he joins Dr. Regina Druz to break down how advanced tools like DNA methylation clocks are redefining what we know about aging and health.
 
Is your body aging at the same rate as your chronological years? Ryan explains why that might not be the case and how TruDiagnostic’s DNA methylation technology offers a clearer picture of your biological health. These tools look into how different organ systems age, and provide actionable insights that can shape personalized health interventions.
 
Dr. Druz and Ryan discuss the evolution of epigenetic clocks, from Steve Horvath’s huge breakthrough to today’s advanced tools like DunedinPACE and SYMPHONYAge. They go into why these clocks are more effective than traditional biomarkers like telomere length and how they can measure the impact of lifestyle changes in real-time.
 
This episode challenges how we think about aging. If biological age is a stronger predictor of health outcomes, what does that mean for the way we approach preventative care? Join Dr. Druz and Ryan’s discussion to gain a clear understanding of how science is shaping the future of longevity and health optimization.
 
Quotes
“I just want to stress the importance of this process of aging. I think when people hear about it, they might think of things like aesthetics, their skin appearance, or some of these more vain applications. But what most people don’t realize is that aging is the biggest risk factor for almost every chronic disease and death.” (04:42 | Ryan Smith)
“By looking at an individual’s longitudinal journey, we can get clearer signals of what happens as we age. The DunedinPACE gives you a pace of aging, showing how fast you’re aging right now. It’s helpful because it’s responsive to short-term interventions and strongly correlated to quality of life. Some may think about their grandparents’ later years and worry about quality of life, but healthspan and lifespan are correlated—improving one often improves the other. These clocks help us optimize both.” (21:50 | Ryan Smith)
“This opened a new chapter in how I approach patients at the Holistic Heart Centers, where we optimize metabolic health using digital biomarkers like stress patterns, sleep patterns, body composition, heart rate, blood pressure curves, and metabolic health parameters. We can now see how personalized interventions impact longevity.” (40:21 | Dr. Regina Druz)
 
Links
Practice Power Hour: https://www.dr.mba/offers/dsH3WozF?coupon_code=DOC10
Heartwell Toolkits: https://shop.holisticheartcenters.com/
Holistic Heart University: https://holisticheartcenters.info/hearthealth
 
Connect with Dr. Regina Druz:
Website: http://holisticheartcenters.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@holisticheartcenters
Schedule a discovery call: https://go.holisticheartcenters.com/apply
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Detox Redux with Dr. Daniel Kessler

Environmental toxins are everywhere, but how do they really impact heart health? Dr. Regina Druz sits down with Dr. Daniel Kessler to uncover the ways toxins like microplastics and heavy metals affect cardiometabolic health. They break down which toxins are most likely to contribute to heart disease and what really happens when toxins leave our bodies.
 
Dr. Kessler shares insights from his work in European biological medicine, and offers practical solutions for reducing toxic exposure. From improving your water quality to eating a colorful, fiber-rich diet, these steps can support the body’s natural detox processes. He challenges the usual focus on high LDL cholesterol, pointing instead to inflammation and oxidative stress as the real culprits behind heart disease.
 
The choices we make every day can help lower our toxic burden. More importantly, understanding how toxins connect to cardiometabolic health can empower us to protect our cardiovascular system. This episode offers a fresh perspective on the path to better heart health, and provides actionable steps to get there!
 
Quotes
“Toxins are metabolic disruptors. They disrupt the function. If we think about biological medicine, my mentors always said, it’s very logical. We have systems—our body has systems, like the cardiovascular system, endocrine system—systems that become dysregulated because of the toxic burden.” (06:02 | Dr. Daniel Kessler)
“From a preventative standpoint, it is so important to tell people, if you have blood pressure, what is normal? What is abnormal? The first thing is always lifestyle. But what are the forces in your life that are affecting you? We start simple: food, diet, sleep, stress, etc. And then, if they are still uncontrolled, we ask, well, could it be environmental toxins? What is super important is the relationship of the mouth to the lymphatic system… We all know that our lymphatic system is what keeps us healthy. If people have metals in their mouth or infections or periodontitis, gingivitis—all these things—these are bacterial burdens, toxic burdens that have to be removed. And it drains, and the lymphatic system is very close also to the arteries, and there’s this interchange.” (30:47 | Dr. Daniel Kessler)
“You need to understand toxin-induced loss of tolerance. So, if you draw a line from left to right, this is your life. You make a little pivot in the middle. You say, ‘What do I have to remove that is toxic and be unapologetic about it?’ I always tell people, this is the number one: make a not-to-do list. Not a to-do list, but a not-to-do list. What are you not going to do anymore from today? And decrease the burden. It could be a relationship, food, whatever, but stick to it. Then, induced loss of tolerance means if you’re staying in the same environment and expecting different outcomes, that’s the definition of insanity.”  (47:50 | Dr. Daniel Kessler)
 
Links
CDC Toxic Substances Portal: https://wwwn.cdc.gov/TSP/index.aspx
"Detoxify for Life": https://a.co/d/7n6bbkA
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): https://www.epa.gov/
 
Connect with Dr. Regina Druz:
Website: http://holisticheartcenters.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@holisticheartcenters
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

“Watch Your Breath”: Your Heart and Lungs Will Thank You

“Lung cancer is still the number one killer in men and women worldwide against all other cancers combined,” says Dr. Nina Maouelainin, an interventional pulmonologist, as she joins Dr. Regina Druz to tackle a powerful question: Why are so many non-smokers, especially younger women, now at risk? Dr. Maouelainin reveals how factors like air pollution, cooking fumes, and microplastics are affecting lung health in ways we’re just beginning to understand. She explains the importance of proactive screening and how family history can heighten risk—even for those with no smoking background. In a world full of invisible risks, are we paying enough attention to what we’re breathing? Dr. Maouelainin’s advice to “watch what you breathe” serves as a reminder that a healthy environment at home could be one of the most impactful steps toward better lung and heart health.
 
Quotes
“November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month and COPD Awareness Month. It is a topic that is very dear to me. And unfortunately, lung cancer is still the number one killer in men and women worldwide against all other cancers combined.” (01:45 | Dr. Nina Maouelainin)
“In March of this year, a study came out in the New England Journal of Medicine where a group in Italy looked at the composition of plaques taken from patients’ carotid arteries… They found that a proportion of patients actually had microplastics and nanoplastics—tiny plastic particles—present in those carotid artery plaques.” (09:46 | Dr. Regina Druz)
“We definitely do not pay attention to our radon… When was the last time you checked your radon level?” (30:07 | Dr. Nina Maouelainin)
“My biggest message is to watch what you breathe… If you see it, chances are it’s going to get deposited in your lungs. Be much more aware of what you cannot see and breathe in.” (51:08 | Dr. Nina Maouelainin)
 
Links
Connect with Dr. Regina Druz:
Website: http://holisticheartcenters.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@holisticheartcenters
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm