In The Field with Dr. Alison Monette

Fieldlab
  • 5.0 (5)
  • Alternative Health
  • Updated Weekly

"In The Field," hosted Dr. Alison Monette, ND is where the wisdom of nature meets the language of science — and where the real conversation about human health begins. Made for the curious, lifelong learner, each episode explores relevant health topics through the lens of biophysics and decentralized health, cutting through the noise of centralized medicine to get to the truth of what your body needs. Complex ideas become practical wisdom you can bring into your day — connecting the dots between biophysics, light, and the rhythms that drive true health.

  1. 5d ago

    Ep. 022: What Happened to Human Energy?

    Low energy has gradually become the norm in the modern world.  In the field, we see this reality confirmed daily. Low energy has become the top health issue people are seeking help with. And it isn’t limited to just adults–a lack of energy is particularly common in younger people. Even young kids are now struggling with energy The human energy crisis has perplexed everyone–centralized science and medicine as well as those struggling for themselves. In the field, we regularly encounter individuals who have searched for years to find answers. They’ve tried everything: diet, exercise, supplements and pharmaceuticals; sometimes they offer a moment of temporary relief, but the reality is that they are only just band-aids. They don’t address the issue at its root; as a result, they will never restore human energy or true health. There's no doubt: this is a troubling trend. Humans were never meant to lack energy. Now we found ourselves at a time where it’s nowhere to be found. In today’s episode, we set out to answer the question: What happened to human energy?  And, more importantly, what can we do to get it back?  When you understand human energy through the lens of biophysics, the answer to both questions becomes surprisingly simple.  In this episode, Dr. Alison reframes the lack of human energy as an important clue about the biophysics of you and your environment. In reality, this isn’t a problem to be fixed; it’s a message to be heard. And often, it’s one of the first pieces of feedback your body will provide when things start to go bad. However, you must know what you’re listening for. Part 2 takes you one layer deeper into the story of Leptin and its role in information and energy transformation. Understanding the biophysics of leptin is critical for understanding human energy, cellular function, how the environment shapes health and most importantly: what you need to do to get it back. We are certain that you will find this to be a fascinating deep dive. If you’re interested in the topic and want to go deeper, become a Fieldlab member: https://fieldlab.mn.co/plans/1903955?bundle_token=180260f0f3488d6e30a110c55270dd5b&utm_source=manual [Medical Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, health, or professional advice and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. Any reliance on information provided through the podcast is solely at the user’s own risk. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions. If you think you’re having a medical emergency, please contact your healthcare provider or call 911 immediately.]

  2. Sep 8

    Ep. 021: Do Your Blue Blockers Actually Work?

    There is a growing awareness of circadian function and its role in shaping health. While this trend has emerged more recently, its impact on the health space has been significant. Many are now thinking differently about the role of sunlight in human function, how they structure their day, and their relationship with modern technology. But one could argue that the greatest impact of this growing circadian awareness has been the widespread adoption of blue blocking glasses –  glasses designed specifically to filter out certain wavelengths of the blue light portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. In so many ways, this is positive. It demonstrates a growing recognition of the negative impacts of modern, artificially-lit technology on human health and a willingness to do something about it. Not to mention, blue blocking glasses are a really simple and relatively inexpensive solution for offsetting these risks; this is a breath of fresh air in a world that often tries to overcomplicate with new and expensive “solutions.” The only challenge is that this trend emerged without a strong biophysical basis, which means that there was very little understanding of the complexity of how light shapes human function and why artificially-lit, blue-shifted technology has a negative impact on health. The thought was simply: blue light is bad, let’s block some of the spectrum. And because these companies are trying to create a product that people actually want to use, they chose to block very small and specific portions of the blue light spectrum. This was ultimately to create lenses that were clear, therefore not distorting the user's color vision in any way.  On paper, this sounds like an amazing solution for everyone. Companies can sell these glasses as blue blockers because, realistically, that's what they are. Users perceive they are getting the benefit without any alteration to their visual experience. The only problem: this is simply not how blue blocking works. At best, these clear lenses have no impact on health. At worst, they have a negative effect.  This is often where we find ourselves in the field: trying to convince patients that their clear blue blockers are not what they need to support their true health. Maybe they’ve been convinced otherwise by an “expert,” influencer or company. Maybe they simply don’t like wearing tinted lenses because of how they look or how they alter the color from screens. Either way, we too commonly see that when patients wear these clear blue blockers, their health is ultimately what suffers. In this episode, we’ll tell you why. You’ll learn what blue light is, the impact of the “the blue light hazard,” what these clear blue blockers are actually blocking and what constitutes a pair of blue blockers that actually work.  Part 2 takes you a layer deeper into the blue light story more broadly and you’ll come away with an understanding of how blue light functions in nature to tune our biology to the environment. Exploring the biophysics of the blue light story is an easy and accessible way to learn about circadian rhythms and we feel it’s a great starting point for anyone wanting to dive deeper. If you’re interested in the topic and want to go deeper, become a Fieldlab member here. [Medical Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, health, or professional advice and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. Any reliance on information provided through the podcast is solely at the user’s own risk. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions. If you think you’re having a medical emergency, please contact your healthcare provider or call 911 immediately.]

  3. Sep 1

    Ep. 020: Hypothyroidism – Failure or Adaptation?

    In this episode, we tackle one of THE major health issues in the modern world; one we see in the field on a daily basis: hypothyroidism, specifically focusing on hashimoto’s – an autoimmune driven hypothyroidism – which is how we see it present most commonly in practice. Twenty years ago, hypothyroidism was something that affected a specific subset of the population: middle-aged women. But that is no longer the case. Today, it can be found among the young and old, male and female alike. For many, an under-active thyroid can be one of the (if not the) very first signs of trouble and is associated with symptoms like fatigue, weight gain, etc. It’s also frequently screened for by both primary care and functional medicine doctors, making it something more people are aware of.  This has created a perfect storm and made hypothyroidism a major gateway disease into centralized medicine. For many, that comes with a lifetime of “treatment,” whether that’s medication, supplements, diets and more recently: detoxes and protocols.  This is why it’s critical that we have this conversation.  Everywhere you look, there are health influencers promising the ultimate thyroid fix, many of which are both time consuming and expensive. Everyday, we have patients coming to us having tried everything to treat their thyroid – medications, supplements, detoxes and diets. They’ve gone from one protocol to the next with little to no progress; some even feel worse. And their labs make it clear: their health is suffering.  If that’s you, then this conversation is for you.  Join us as we shift the paradigm and start examining the issue at its root, which you might be surprised to hear isn’t actually the thyroid. It’s something much bigger. And the solution is totally free if you’re willing to embrace change and live a day that supports true health.  The first step in that process is learning – what the thyroid does, how it’s programmed by the environment, why thyroid function has been put on pause in the modern world and why that’s not surprising at all. That’s what Part 1 is all about. Part 2 was a really fun conversation digging into the deeper science on this topic. We talk about why the thyroid’s location is critical, how it intersects with the nervous system and explain its ultimate role in governing energy transformation. Once you see how the parts and pieces fit together, it opens up an understanding of how the broader system functions and the interplay between organism and environment.  If you’re interested in the topic and want to go deeper, become a Fieldlab member here. [Medical Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, health, or professional advice and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. Any reliance on information provided through the podcast is solely at the user’s own risk. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions. If you think you’re having a medical emergency, please contact your healthcare provider or call 911 immediately.]

  4. Aug 25

    Ep. 019: What Is Your Blood Pressure Trying to Tell You?

    Blood pressure – and more specifically hypertension – has become a major source of fear and anxiety for the modern human. Adding to the worry is the ease of measurement – blood pressure cuffs are present in almost every home and grocery store. Every visit to a doctor’s office starts with a blood pressure reading. And for most people it’s simply a number. It’s either within range or out-of-range. In range equals health. Out-of-range readings, we are told, will result in strokes or heart attacks. Riddled with fear, many gladly accept a lifetime of medication and tinkering.   But, has your doctor ever explained to you that blood pressure is way more than a single number?  Have they ever explained all of the factors that influence blood pressure including blood viscosity, blood vessel elasticity, the vascular lining, nitric oxide activation, calcification and nervous system function?  Have you been told that your environment and the stressors that are present (or not present) are influencing blood pressure moment to moment?  If you’re ready to turn fear into wisdom, then this episode is for you. In Part 1, Dr. Alison provides you with her clinical perspective on blood pressure, laying out all of the factors that influence blood pressure regulation, how the modern environment has turned all of them upside down and what you can do about it.  Part 2, which is available exclusively to Premium members, takes you through the science. You’ll learn how your nervous system integrates with the vascular system to make you an adaptable human. This perspective is a really fascinating and easy way to understand how the biophysics of you is influenced by the physics of your environment – when you see how all the pieces come together, the fear immediately dissolves.    If you’re interested in the topic and want to go deeper, become a Fieldlab member: https://fieldlab.mn.co/plans/1903955?bundle_token=180260f0f3488d6e30a110c55270dd5b&utm_source=manual [Medical Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, health, or professional advice and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. Any reliance on information provided through the podcast is solely at the user’s own risk. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions. If you think you’re having a medical emergency, please contact your healthcare provider or call 911 immediately.]

  5. Aug 18

    Ep. 018: The Biggest Thing I Tell Every Patient To Stop Doing

    Without even a second thought, many people rarely step foot outside without a pair of sunglasses over their eyes. They have a pair in their car, a pair in the house, a pair in their purse–in so many ways, sunglasses have become the symbol of the modern human. Some of this, of course, is simply tied to style or vanity–and that’s really where it started. But, the use of sunglasses has evolved out of the world of style, status and entertainment.  Now, they are firmly rooted in the world of health, seen instead as a tool. One you are told you must use to protect your eyes. Eye doctors, primary care physicians and health influencers all sound the same alarm–UV light is harmful; if you care about your eyes, they should never see sunlight. And if you are somebody who is health focused – conscious of your diet, exercise, sleep, etc. – you may be heeding that message very diligently without stopping to ask yourself:  Is it wise to filter, darken and polarize the light between my brain and the environment that built it?  This is the question that sits at the core of today’s conversation. The answer, we hope, will not just change how you think about sunglasses. Our intention is that looking through the lens of sunglasses serves as a way to understand – and respect – human health more broadly. Because the reality is: health starts in the eye. We haven’t been taught that, but it doesn’t change the fact that what determines cellular function – for better or worse – is the information buried in the light received first by the eyes and then transmitted directly to the brain. Wearing sunglasses alters that signal, turning it from natural to alien–and this implications are real. This reality is confirmed by what we see day in and day out in the field, reflected in both how people feel and their lab work. It’s time to level up our understanding and build health wisdom so we remember what it means to be human–that’s what this episode is all about. Remember, this Episode is only Part 1. Every single Episode is accompanied by an exclusive deep dive Part 2 that explores the science and provides actionable takeaways and insights you can implement to build true health. In Part 2 of this discussion we journey from the outside in–exploring the specific pathways along which light travels, how they program function and what happens when the message they receive is not the one they were built for. If you’re interested in the topic and want to go deeper, become a Fieldlab member here. [Medical Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, health, or professional advice and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. Any reliance on information provided through the podcast is solely at the user’s own risk. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions. If you think you’re having a medical emergency, please contact your healthcare provider or call 911 immediately.]

  6. Aug 11

    Ep. 017: What Does It Actually Mean To Heal?

    What does it actually mean to heal?  How long does it take to heal?  Healing is a word that, in the modern world, has lost all meaning and, by extension, basis in reality and human experience.  Instead of healing as the process by which we return to health, we’ve been trained by the centralized medical system to conflate health with what we see and feel and healing as simply an improvement in those surface-level metrics.  This has led to a paradigm built on quick-fixes – protocols, pills, diets, detoxes, etc – that are designed only to make you feel better in the short term. To make matters more confusing, they often work for that purpose.  But, do they provide you with more true health? For Dr. Alison, the answer to that question has changed as her perspective on health and healing has evolved; a perspective shaped by 20 years of clinical experience, working with thousands of patients.  How she guides patients through the healing process today is drastically different than it was 20 years ago. Along with it, how she sees the timeline back to true health–and even what it means to have true health–is dramatically different as well. In this episode, she tells you why.  You’ll learn the true cost of quick-fixes, why they often make you feel better in the short-term, the difference between centralized healing and decentralized healing, how long it takes to return to true health and most importantly: what does it even mean to have true health? Remember, this Episode is only Part 1. Every single Episode is accompanied by an exclusive deep dive Part 2 that explores the science and provides actionable takeaways and insights you can implement to build true health. In Part 2 of this discussion we discussed the actual change programs that create what we call healing and provided a framework for creating a day–and a year–that supports repair and regeneration.  If you’re interested in the topic and want to go deeper, become a Fieldlab member here. [Medical Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, health, or professional advice and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. Any reliance on information provided through the podcast is solely at the user’s own risk. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions. If you think you’re having a medical emergency, please contact your healthcare provider or call 911 immediately.]

  7. Aug 4

    Ep. 016: Peptides – Health Breakthrough or Borrowed Time?

    In a unique and unprecedented moment of alignment, we are being told by doctors, influencers and the government alike that peptides are the future of medicine–and health more broadly.  They are being marketed as the ultimate breakthrough–capable of “fixing” chronic disease and promising longevity; the panacea we have long been searching for. Whether you are young or old, sick or well, we are being told that there is a peptide (or combination of peptides) you should be on to maximize your human potential.  Weight loss, recovery, sleep, and even tanning are now being outsourced to this new class of synthetic molecules.  And there’s no doubt: for most (but, not all), these products produce results; significant results. Not just in the way people feel or look, but in their lab work as well.  Despite universal agreement amongst the “experts,” the real world results and the positive marketing, many people are still conflicted and confused, wondering:  Is this right?  At what cost?  Are peptides actually producing true health or are they simply borrowing time? In this episode of In The Field, Dr. Alison combines clinical experience with biophysical wisdom to provide clarity on the topic and answer the question: are peptides the ultimate health solution or are they just borrowed time? Remember, this Episode is only Part 1. Every single Episode is accompanied by an exclusive deep dive Part 2 that explores the science and provides actionable takeaways and insights you can implement to build true health. If you’re interested in the topic and want to go deeper, become a Fieldlab member here. [Medical Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, health, or professional advice and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. Any reliance on information provided through the podcast is solely at the user’s own risk. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions. If you think you’re having a medical emergency, please contact your healthcare provider or call 911 immediately.]

  8. Jul 28

    Ep. 015: Weight Loss Isn’t Linear

    Is weight loss supposed to be linear?  Is weight loss even the right goal if you’re seeking true health?  What is the relationship between body weight and health/longevity, if any?  Should your weight be the same all year or even over an entire lifetime? These are questions we’ve been told have already been answered, taught that the story is pretty cut and dry: weight is the ultimate metric for health. If you have a stable, comfortable weight that you can maintain with ease, you’re healthy. If you don’t, you’re not. Weight loss, in the modern health paradigm, has become synonymous with health restoration. It’s now the primary goal for many people. We see it every single day in the field.  To make matters more complicated, norms around the idealized human form further reinforce these ideas creating a cultural fixation on weight–the result: a willingness to do whatever it takes to achieve weight loss.  In this episode, we push back on the modern paradigm around weight and take the bold stance that our modern ideas around weight–loss, gain or stability–are fundamentally flawed. Especially in a rapidly changing environment. And it’s our health that is actually suffering as a result. In reality, weight is a function of the environment. It’s part of what makes us flexible and adaptable. There’s a season for healthy weight loss. A season for healthy weight gain. And a deeper story related to body composition, health and longevity. In Part 1, we set out to tell the story of weight through the lens of nature. You’ll learn why each season plays an important role in building the normal human state and how weight fluctuation actually supports that deeper picture. And we answer the question we are asked quite frequently: how do I support healthy weight loss?  In Part 2, we begin by answering a critical question–one that never enters the conversation: is all fat created equally? We then journey into the territory of biophysics to energy, entropy and the complexity of human adaptability. You’ll come away from this episode with a completely new appreciation for the human body and a perspective that will support true health. If you’d like to hear the Part 2 deep dive discussion, become a member. [Medical Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, health, or professional advice and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. Any reliance on information provided through the podcast is solely at the user’s own risk. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions. If you think you’re having a medical emergency, please contact your healthcare provider or call 911 immediately.]

See All (22)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

"In The Field," hosted Dr. Alison Monette, ND is where the wisdom of nature meets the language of science — and where the real conversation about human health begins. Made for the curious, lifelong learner, each episode explores relevant health topics through the lens of biophysics and decentralized health, cutting through the noise of centralized medicine to get to the truth of what your body needs. Complex ideas become practical wisdom you can bring into your day — connecting the dots between biophysics, light, and the rhythms that drive true health.

Information

You Might Also Like