Harnessing Circadian Nutrients for Rhythmic Balance with Dr. Deanna Minich

Dr. Deanna Minich is a nutrition scientist, lecturer, educator, and author. She has over 20 years of experience in academia and the food and dietary supplement industries. She has been active as a functional medicine clinician in clinical trials and her own practice. She's the author of seven books on wellness topics for book chapters and over 50 scientific publications. 

 

On this episode of Conversations for Health, Dr. Minich and I explore the possibilities of phytochemicals, chronobiotic agents, circadian nutrients, and food supplements. She highlights the importance of honoring circadian rhythms and whole-health healing with rainbows and rhythms. She offers a variety of tips for practitioners who want to encourage patients and clients to eat more seasonally, to slow down and honor circadian rhythms, and to customize their diet template based on an evening or morning chronotype to foster a better gut milieu and functionally, biochemically and physiologically better biomarkers of health. 

 

I’m your host, Evelyne Lambrecht, thank you for designing a well world with us.

 

Episode Resources:

Dr. Deanna Minich - https://deannaminich.com/

Design for Health Resources:

Designs for Health - https://www.designsforhealth.com/

Designs for Health Practitioner Exclusive Drug Nutrient Depletion and Interaction Checker - https://www.designsforhealth.com/drug-nutrient-interaction/

Visit the Designs for Health Research and Education Library which houses medical journals, protocols, webinars, and our blog.

https://www.designsforhealth.com/research-and-education/education

The Designs for Health Podcast is produced in partnership with Podfly Productions.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro.

01:40 Dr. Deanna Minich is lit up about light, seasons and our food supply. 

03:18 Phytochemicals and nutrition captured Dr. Minich’s attention in grad school. 

07:25 Definitions of circadian biology, chronobiology, and chrononutrition. 

10:14 Timing supplements for optimal gut health. 

13:34 Is the out-of-sync circadian rhythm to blame for our unhealthy population? 

16:33 Practical tips for encouraging patients and clients to eat more seasonally. 

25:12 Considerations of antinutrients and phytochemicals in gut health. 

32:20 Strategies for timing food intake with ideal rhythms. 

38:09 Customizing the template based on an evening or morning chronotype. 

40:50 Tips for irregular shift workers and travel disruptions. 

48:10 How can practitioners encourage patients to slow down and honor circadian rhythms? 

51:08 Hormonal rhythms, month of birth and disease connection, and seasonal influxes in autoimmune disease.

54:10 Maximizing the benefits of fruit and vegetable intake. 

59:55 Dr. Minich’s favorite supplements, favorite health practices, and her refined perspective on nutrition as art.