Is vaginal health tied into breast health? This week's episode is from a summit where got to chat with Dr. Betsy Greenleaf,  America’s “Down There Doctor.”  She is also the first board-certified Urogynecologist in the U.S.  Today, Dr. Betsy joins me to talk about the role vaginal health plays in your body and how to keep it functioning at its prime! You will hear: What urogynecology is What can cause issues in the lower abdomen and pelvis for womenThe problems caused by deterioration of...

Most people experience breast cancer from the patient side. But my guest today, Dr. Liz Boham, has experienced breast cancer being a patient and a physician. In the episode, Dr. Boham shares her story of how practicing breast self exams actually led to her own diagnosis with triple negative breast cancer at the age of 30 with no family history and how that experience led her to a whole new outlook on breast cancer and health!  You will hear: The struggles Liz experienced in light of her own...

Despite being incredibly healthy and believing she was living the life we were promised (since we were told as little girls that we could have it all), receiving a breast cancer diagnosis was the last thing Tessa Guevara expected. She’s here with me today to talk about her story of surviving, thriving, and truly living her best life after a breast cancer diagnosis. Ready to feel inspired? Let's dive in! This episode covers: How we, as women, can fall out of balance in our health Sympathetic...

Have you recently been diagnosed with breast cancer? Not sure where to start on your treatment journey? If so, then this episode is for you! It comes from the Beyond the Cancer Conference and we have Dr. Samm Pryce who talks about the best ways to create a personalized breast cancer treatment plan and why it’s so important for best outcomes.  You will also hear: How genetics play a role in cancer and treatments, but maybe not in the way we are programed to think aboutDifferent types of tests...

Are breast implants safe to use after having breast cancer? In this episode, Dr. Rob Whitfield, a plastic surgeon specializing in breast implant removal surgery or explant joins me to discuss just this! He shares his initial interaction with a patient wanting to remove her implants and how he found an underlying infection without any real signs or symptoms, and where that led him. We talk a lot about the difference between a reconstructive implant and cosmetic implant, and how you can make...

People have been asking to hear survivor stories, and boy do I have one today! We are going to discuss the controversial topic of DCIS with Donna Pinto, her journey, and the inspirational work that she does. Though she was pretty healthy, she received the shocking news that she had ductal carcinoma in situ, which was explained to her to be “pre-cancer,” but something that they treat exactly like breast cancer and her options for treatment weren’t great. When this precancer was first studied,...

I am super excited to have with me today a guest who has an incredible story of transformation from the conventional medical world to where she is today. Cynthia Thurlow is a nurse practitioner and an accomplished author who has literally written the book on intermittent fasting, Intermittent Fasting Transformation: The 45 Day Program for Women to Lose Stubborn Weight, Improve Hormonal Health, and Slow Aging. Her expertise is very much something that my community would benefit from, since we...

A breast cancer diagnosis can be both scary and very overwhelming! In the process it can lead you to just going along with what you're told you SHOULD do. But it doesn't have to be that way. In this episode, I share the top 5 things you can do when you receive a breast cancer diagnosis! You'll hear more about: My own journey with breast cancer The power of nutrition in any diagnosis Reframing your diagnosis from a punishment to an opportunityMy top five things you can do when you receive...

Are you struggling with anxiety or panic attacks? If so, then this episode is for you! Today,  my friend and colleague Dr. Traci Potterf, a functional health anxiety detective, joins me on the podcast to talk about linking your emotional health with the intelligence of nature and how you can start to reclaim your emotional health right now! In this episode, you will hear: Dr. Traci’s own discoveries around how she dealt with mental health issues The 2 ways your brain is telling your body...

My guest today is such an inspiration in the world of health, healing, and personal development, it is hard to believe that he was almost dead at 18 years old. Nathan Crane is here to talk about what it was like being a teen struggling with addiction and homelessness and how he made a commitment to himself to turn it all around. Together, we will talk about how you can start to implement small changes in your life to make a big impact and live your best life, even with a breast cancer...

Are you nurturing what you were born with? Today, I am so excited to talk with Kashif Khan, CEO of The DNA Company. He is here to share what he has learned about himself and how you can start to nurture your nature. Rather than living in fear of what your genes have in store for you, you can embrace a reality that is even better than what is predicted!  You will hear: The power in understanding your genes to give you everything you need to succeedLooking beyond what the gene says is...

While we like to think that we are adaptable beings who can handle change well, the truth is that for most people, it takes a major event, diagnosis, or catastrophe to spark that change. Today’s guest, Yaffa Palti, helps us understand this. Yaffa explains that most people get used to a certain level of discomfort or pain in their lives, so they really don’t think about the changes they could be making to mitigate those discomforts. You’ll hear: Why people get stuck in their discomfortHow...

I am so excited to have Dr. John Klock with me today! Dr. Klock is an internal medicine physician, board certified in hematology, oncology, and immunology. He is the reason you can have a virtual colonoscopy, the reason why you can have a calcium score, and he just continues to up the game. His overall goal is to make accurate imaging affordable and accessible for all and he started with breast imaging! Let’s dive in! You will hear: The biggest problem in medicine todayWhat's wrong with...

Outwardly, people can seemingly be the picture of perfect health, but inside, that is not always the case. Such is the case of my guest today, whom you may know from shows like Dancing with the Stars and Entertainment Tonight, Samantha Harris. Despite feeling like she was the “healthy one” amongst her friends and family because she followed all of the “rules” when it came to eating and exercise, Samantha was working herself crazy and was a new mom, and then BAM! Breast cancer diagnosis at age...

In our current culture and climate, we tend to plan for sickness more than we plan for health. This is why we have medical insurance - for when we are sick. But most people are born to be healthy, but we encounter different things throughout life that lead to sickness, even though that is rarely our intent. Today, I have with me Dr. Thomas Lodi, integrative oncologist and clinical psychologist, who worked for many years in conventional medicine before making the realization that the cancer...

As women age and close in on menopause, they start to feel off, so they go to the doctor (like we’ve been taught to do). What does the doctor tell us? “That’s totally normal for your age.” News flash - it isn’t! This week’s guest is Esther Blum - integrative dietician, author, mom, and lover of exercise (that can be done in 20 minutes or less). She tells us that she should call her practice The Gaslight-free Zone. Esther begins by talking about the frustration and theft of joy and hope women...

Do you just not feel like yourself anymore, even though your lab tests say everything is “normal?” Does your significant other call you after work each day to check your mood and whether they need to suit up in some armor before coming home? This is exactly what my guest today was dealing with! Dr. Deb Matthew is a conventionally trained doctor who, once learning more about hormones and how they were affecting her personally, left her pediatric practice and was retrained in functional...

Tired of getting sick? Want to improve your natural immunity so that you can live life to the fullest? If so, then you’re going to love today’s guest! In this episode, Dr. Patrick Flynn, founder of The Wellness Way, and I chat about the immune system, why it’s so important, and what you can do to improve yours. We also dive into why the FBI showed up at his house during the middle of COVID!  We talk more about: What is the gut brain connection (and how it works)Things that can affect the...

Most people see OBGYNs as hormone experts, but here’s the truth… they’re NOT! This is just one of many myths surrounding hormones. Today, Dr. Tabatha Barber, The Gutsy Gynecologist, joins me to talk about the truth around hormones. We chat about what hormones actually do, to when hormone replacement therapy (HRT) might be right for you, and everything in between. So if you’ve been struggling with your hormones or just want to understand hormones better than this episode is for you! You’ll...

Can you imagine being told at 26 years old that you have stage IIIc colon cancer? And if that weren’t scary enough, then following your gut and deciding to forego chemotherapy? Well, that’s exactly what Chris Wark, from Chris Beat Cancer, did! Today, Dr. Jenn and Chris talk about his cancer journey, trusting his gut to not do chemo, the holistic path he took to become cancer free and how you can do the same! They talk more about: 3 things that have been proven to cause cancerGetting over...

Did you know that the same amount of women die from bone fractures as they do from breast cancer every year? That’s scary! Today, The Bone Coach™, Kevin Ellis, joins me to talk about why bone health is so important for everyone, especially breast cancer patients, and what you can do to improve your bone health today! We talk about: What a bone scan isn’t telling youPrimary vs secondary osteoporosis The normal medications given for osteoporosis (and why they might not be right for you!)Tests...

When I was a breast cancer surgeon one of the questions I frequently got was, “Why did I get breast cancer?” My answer was always that it was multifactorial… aka bad luck! It wasn’t until my own health diagnosis that I decided this answer was unacceptable and is what led me down the path of functional medicine. Today, I dive into what makes functional medicine different from conventional medicine! You’ll hear more about: My role as a breast cancer surgeon What actually causes illnessHow...

Welcome to the Keeping Abreast Podcast with me, Dr. Jenn Simmons! In this very special first episode, I share my personal story of how breast cancer has always played a role in my life and how it became my life’s purpose to help others who had breast cancer.  You’ll hear more about: Becoming the first breast cancer fellow in PhiladelphiaThe diagnosis that changed my life and careerLooking into alternative treatment and how it led me to functional medicineWhy I believe I got sick to show me...