NHA Today Podcast

National Health Association

The NHA Health Science Podcast, hosted by Dr. Stephan Esser, explores the science and real-world application of whole food, plant-based living. Through expert interviews and practical conversations, the show brings clarity to today’s most important health topics - helping you prevent disease, improve well-being, and take control of your health. Learn more at: healthscience.org/podcast

  1. Dr. Joel Fuhrman: You're 90% There - Here's What's Missing | NHA Today

    2d ago

    Dr. Joel Fuhrman: You're 90% There - Here's What's Missing | NHA Today

    Most health-conscious people are doing most things right. So why aren't the results matching the effort? Dr. Joel Fuhrman has spent more than 30 years answering that question and in this episode he brings his full perspective to the NHA Today audience. Dr. Fuhrman is a board-certified family physician, creator of the Nutritarian diet, and author of 12 books - seven of them New York Times bestsellers, including Eat to Live, the book that has introduced millions of people to the science of nutrient-dense eating. He is also a longtime friend, mentor, and advocate of the NHA, and a speaker at the NHA Annual Conference, June 25 to 28, 2026. In this conversation with Dr. Stephan Esser, Dr. Fuhrman covers his personal origin story, the science behind his H=N/C equation, why the last 10% of commitment makes all the difference, and what he is building at his Longevity RX clinic in San Diego. In this conversation you will learn: • The H=N/C equation - why health equals nutrients over calories and what that means day to day • Why diversity and nutrient density both matter, and why eating only kale will not cut it • How body fat produces inflammation and fuels cancer risk • Why Dr. Fuhrman went to medical school specifically to be an anti-medicine doctor • His elite figure skating career and how a fasting-based injury recovery changed his life • The three foods that naturally suppress appetite better than any GLP-1 drug • Why the last 10% of commitment produces disproportionate results • What is inside the Longevity RX clinic and the regenerative technology they are using • Which of his 12 books he recommends every viewer read right now --- ABOUT DR. JOEL FUHRMAN --- Dr. Joel Fuhrman is a board-certified family physician, nutritional researcher, and creator of the Nutritarian diet. He is the author of 12 books - seven New York Times bestsellers -- including Eat to Live and Eat for Life. He has dedicated more than 30 years to preventing and reversing disease through nutrition and has been a central figure in the natural hygiene and plant-based medicine movement for decades. He will be speaking at the NHA Annual Conference, June 25 to 28, 2026. --- LINKS AND RESOURCES --- Full episode and show notes: NHA Today on YouTube Subscribe on your favorite platform: https://www.healthscience.org/podcast/ NHA Annual Conference (June 25 to 28, 2026): https://checkout.healthscience.org/2026-nha-conference Dr. Fuhrman's website: https://www.drfuhrman.com Longevity RX clinic: https://www.drlongevityrx.com Dr. Fuhrman on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/drfuhrman Dr. Fuhrman on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joelfuhrmanmd/ Dr. Fuhrman on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drfuhrman/ Follow Dr. Esser on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/esserhealth/

    29 min
  2. May 20

    How Diet and Lifestyle Can Prevent and Fight Breast Cancer With Dr. Kristi Funk | NHA Today

    Every time you chew and swallow, you are unleashing biochemical weapons inside your body that are either pushing you toward cancer or away. The choice of which direction is largely yours. That is the message Dr. Kristi Funk has been delivering to women for years - and in this episode she brings it directly to the NHA Today audience. Dr. Funk is a board-certified breast cancer surgeon, bestselling author of BREASTS: The Owner's Manual, and a women's health expert known to millions from Good Morning America and The Doctors. She is also a keynote speaker at the NHA Annual Conference, June 25 to 28, 2026. In this conversation with Dr. Stephan Esser, she shares the science and the story behind her own transformation from a Mediterranean meat-eater to a 100% plant-based physician - and what that shift taught her about what she should have been telling her patients all along. In this conversation you will learn: The nine daily choices that affect nine processes in your body, pushing you toward cancer or awayWhy Dr. Funk went fully plant-based in a single day after reading the science for her bookThe real numbers on alcohol and breast cancer risk (they are higher than you think)Why sleep may be the most overlooked lifestyle factor in fighting cancerWhat to look for in your personal care products, cookware, and water supplyHow to go from a C to a B+ on your anti-cancer report card without overhauling your whole lifeWhat the BCAC framework means and why it matters before, during, and after a diagnosis --- LINKS & RESOURCES --- Full episode and show notes: NHA Today on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgXfvjZj34HbsD3-47eEC2kjBWeIvNhHl Subscribe on your favorite platform: https://www.healthscience.org/podcast/ NHA Annual Conference (June 25 to 28, 2026): https://checkout.healthscience.org/2026-nha-conference Pink Lotus website: https://pinklotus.com Make an appointment or telehealth: https://pinklotus.com/care or 833-800-7522 BREASTS: The Owner's Manual: https://pinklotus.com/elements/breasts-the-owners-manual-by-dr-kristi-funk/ Pink Lotus Power Up community: Breast Buddies: https://pinklotus.com/powerup/breastbuddies/ Cancer-Kicking Kitchen: https://pinklotus.com/powerup/cancerkicking/kitchen Follow Dr. Funk on Instagram and X: @drkristifunk Follow Dr. Esser on Instagram: @esserhealth

    23 min
  3. May 12

    3 Skills Everyone Needs to Make Healthy Living Last, with Luanne Spiros | NHA Today

    Most people know what they should do to be healthier. So why is it so hard to actually do it? In this episode of NHA Today, Dr. Stephan Esser sits down with Luanne Spiros, a Yoga Alliance E-RYT 200, ACSM Cancer Exercise Specialist, master beekeeper, and behavioral change expert who has spent her career helping people build healthy habits that actually last. This conversation cuts through the generic advice and gets into the real mechanics of change. Why is movement easier to start with than nutrition? What makes the social environment so powerful? And what three skills does everyone need to make healthy living stick for life? You will also hear about her work in oncology yoga and what she will be leading at the NHA Annual Conference in June. In this conversation, you will learn: Why movement tends to be the better entry point than nutrition for most peopleThe three S's: social, skills, and setting -- and why they make or break healthy livingThree skills everyone needs to build lasting health habitsWhy reward beats fear as a long-term motivator (and what the research says)The hardest parts of going plant-based and how to plan around themHow to build exercise into your life so it stops feeling like something to bolt onWhat oncology yoga is and how it gives cancer patients agency and hopeHow to handle a partner or household that isn't on the same page Book recommendations from this episode: Atomic Habits by James Clear, Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg, Willpower by Roy Baumeister. --- LINKS AND RESOURCES --- Full episode and show notes: NHA Today on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgXfvjZj34HbsD3-47eEC2kjBWeIvNhHl Subscribe on your favorite platform: https://www.healthscience.org/podcast/ NHA Annual Conference (June 25 to 28): https://checkout.healthscience.org/2026-nha-conference Follow Dr. Esser: https://www.instagram.com/esserhealth/   --- About NHA Today: The National Health Association has championed the science of true health for over 75 years. NHA Today brings that legacy into your weekly routine with honest, evidence-based conversations to help you live your most vital life.

    25 min
  4. Robyn Denning: From Autoimmune Diagnoses to Vital Health Through Food, Movement & Yoga | NHA Today

    May 6

    Robyn Denning: From Autoimmune Diagnoses to Vital Health Through Food, Movement & Yoga | NHA Today

    What if one dietary change could unlock fertility, reverse autoimmune disease, and transform every area of your health — when conventional medicine said it wasn’t possible? That’s exactly what happened to Robyn Denning. In this episode of NHA Today, Dr. Stephan Esser sits down with Robyn Denning — yoga instructor, health coach, and NHA conference speaker — to trace her remarkable journey from a life fueled by Diet Coke and little sleep, through three miscarriages, celiac disease, Hashimoto’s, and an MS diagnosis, to a place of vibrant health — without medication. Robyn’s story isn’t just inspiring. It’s a practical map for anyone navigating chronic illness, struggling to build sustainable movement habits, or simply trying to stay consistent when they no longer feel urgently unwell. In this conversation, you’ll discover: → How eliminating gluten resolved three years of unexplained fertility challenges → The dietary shift that undiagnosed Robyn’s MS within six months → Why the maintenance phase is often harder than the healing phase → How to build a movement practice that actually sticks — even if you’ve tried and failed → The yoga philosophy of ‘using poses to get into the body’ — and why it changes everything → The role of gratitude in sustaining long-term health changes   ────────────────────────── 🎤 ABOUT ROBYN DENNING ────────────────────────── Robyn Denning is a yoga instructor, health coach, and wellness educator whose personal health journey, including overcoming celiac disease, Hashimoto’s, and MS through diet and lifestyle. now informs the way she teaches and coaches others. She will be leading yoga sessions and sharing her story at the NHA Annual Conference, June 25–28, 2026.   ────────────────────────── 🔗 LINKS & RESOURCES ────────────────────────── • NHA Today on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nationalhealthassociation/podcasts • Subscribe on your favorite platform: https://www.healthscience.org/podcast/ • NHA Annual Conference (June 25–28): healthscience.org/2026-nha-conference • Follow Dr. Esser: https://www.instagram.com/esserhealth/   ────────────────────────── About NHA Today: The National Health Association has championed the science of true health for over 75 years. NHA Today brings that legacy into your weekly routine — with honest, evidence-based conversations to help you live your most vital life.

    22 min
  5. Gut Health, IBS & Root-Cause Healing with Dahlia Marin, RDN | Ep. 165

    Apr 1

    Gut Health, IBS & Root-Cause Healing with Dahlia Marin, RDN | Ep. 165

    What if your gut symptoms weren't random—but signals pointing to a deeper root cause? In this episode of NHA Today, guest host Kylie Buckner, RN sits down with Dahlia Marin, RDN, a Registered Dietitian and Certified Gastrointestinal Nutritionist, to explore a functional, root-cause approach to gut health. Dahlia specializes in complex digestive conditions like SIBO, IBS, and gut dysbiosis, combining clinical experience with her own personal healing journey. Together, Kylie and Dahlia unpack why so many people remain misdiagnosed, overlooked, or stuck in symptom management cycles—and what it really takes to heal. They dive into the often-missed contributors to gut dysfunction, the importance of a full health timeline, and how nutrition—especially a plant-based, microbiome-focused approach—can support lasting gut repair. This conversation is honest, practical, and empowering for anyone navigating digestive issues or looking to better understand their body. In this episode you'll learn: • Why gut issues are often misdiagnosed or misunderstood • The root causes behind IBS, SIBO, and gut imbalances • How life events, stress, and diet shape gut health over time • The role of prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics • How a plant-based approach can support gut healing • Why a personalized, whole-person intake is essential Links & Resources Dahlia Marin / Married to Health Website: https://www.marriedtohealth.com Program: https://www.marriedtohealth.com/good-gut-sibo-ibs-program Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marriedtohealth/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Marriedtohealth National Health Association https://www.healthscience.org

    46 min
5
out of 5
41 Ratings

About

The NHA Health Science Podcast, hosted by Dr. Stephan Esser, explores the science and real-world application of whole food, plant-based living. Through expert interviews and practical conversations, the show brings clarity to today’s most important health topics - helping you prevent disease, improve well-being, and take control of your health. Learn more at: healthscience.org/podcast

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