Gastro Girl

The foods we choose to fuel our bodies with can have a large impact on our digestive health. But not everyone with digestive health conditions has access to quality food options to make informed choices that are best for their health.  Dr. Edwin McDonald, a Gastroenterologist at The University of Chicago, and a trained chef,  joins us to discuss how he talks to his patients about food and their GI health.  We also disc...

We welcome back Dr. Evan Dellon from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine at Chapel Hill to discuss the latest advances in research and treatment options for Eosinophilic Esophagitis. In this episode we discuss several of the standout abstracts we found extremely encouraging for patients living with an EoE diagnosis that were presented at this year’s Digestive Disease Week (DDW), an annual scientific conference. This...

We’re excited to speak with Dr. Ali Navidi, Co-Founder and CEO of GI Psychology, a nationwide network of expertly trained behavioral health clinicians focused on supporting gastroenterology practices. We’ve partnered with Dr. Navidi and his team to offer 4-week summer workshops for those who are living with one or more digestive-health related symptoms or conditions and want to learn more about the gut-brain relationsh...

One of our favorite Gastroenterologists who is also a TikTok star and a leading health content creator, Dr. Austin Chiang, @austinchaingmd, joins us to talk about his new book, Gut: An Owner's Guide. With an increasing influx of gut health influencers dominating our social media feeds, Dr. Chiang’s book is a timely and vital guide to help us better understand our digestive system and determine what is fact vs fiction from the overw...

Many listeners have had tons of follow-up questions about IBS-C from our previous episodes, so we invited back one of our favorite patient advocates to answer them for you. Karen is here to get into more details about her personal healthcare journey including her search for the right doctor. We also discuss more of the different subcategories of IBS-C, including DGBI (Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction) as well as the IBS-C treatme...

The number of “gut health” remedies and products circulating all over social media is confusing and overwhelming. How can we possibly navigate the constant daily stream of information bombarding us while making sure we’re not consuming things that may do more harm than good? Dr. Vivian Asamoah from the Houston Gastro Institute is here to share her insights and experience on helping her patients cut through social media noise and fo...

Dr. Pooja Singhal, a Gastroenterologist with Oklahoma Gastro Health and Wellness, returns to the show to share her expertise on Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE). Specifically, Dr. Singhal answers questions about the role Non-GI Advanced Practice Practitioners play in keeping EoE patients on track with their treatment and when a patient should be referred to a gastroenterologist. She highlights what makes EoE a progressive condition a...

Dr. Bilal Hameed, a Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist from the University of California San Francisco joins us for a discussion about alcohol-associated liver disease. A condition that has been on the rise, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic, alcohol-associated liver disease is not just a physical deterioration of the liver but complicated by the nature of personal lifestyle choices involving alcohol consumption. Dr. Hameed...

What happens when your patient with Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE) becomes pregnant? Will pregnancy trigger symptoms? Will EoE affect your pregnant patient’s ability to get proper nutrition? Can patients continue using medications prescribed for EoE? We welcome back Dr. Claire Beveridge, a Gastroenterologist from The Cleveland Clinic, to answer these questions and more so Primary Care and OB-GYN providers are armed with the informa...

Pediatric Gastroenterologist Dr. Sophia Patel of the Cleveland Clinic explains the presentation of Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE) in children and what parents and caregivers should know about treatment options that are available for children. Dr. Patel also explains the progressive nature of EoE and why treatment adherence is key to successful management of EoE. She also shares tips to help older adolescents or young a...

We’re thrilled to feature Erica, a young teen who bravely shares her patient journey on this episode. Erica was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease when she was 7 years old, and she along with her Mom, Nicole, share some real-life insights from the family perspective when a child is living with a chronic digestive health condition. Erica also shares her personal experience at Camp Oasis, a summer sleep-away camp developed by The Crohn’s...

We’re excited to shine a light on the wonderful work The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation is doing with Camp Oasis, a summer sleep-away camp designed for kids living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Joining us on this episode are Becky Johnson Rescola, the Vice President of Education & Community Engagement at the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, as well as Pediatric Gastroenterologist Dr. Steven Steiner, who is the Medical Director ...

Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE) is increasingly recognized as a major cause of swallowing difficulties in children and adults. It affects about one in 2,000 people. But the differences in EoE presentation and outcomes by ethnicity and race remain understudied. Dr Evan Dellon from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine at Chapel Hill is here to explain EoE and discuss the recent findings of a study he co-aut...

After lowering the screening age for colorectal cancer to 45, gastroenterologists are sounding the alarm that more and more younger people are showing signs of colorectal cancer. In this episode, Dr. Benjamin Levy from the University of Chicago shares his expertise on the theories and research underway to determine what’s causing younger individuals to develop cancerous polyps in their colon, ways to ease patie...

Lynch syndrome is a hereditary form of colorectal cancer. It is estimated that 1 in 279 people in the United States have this genetic predisposition but over 90% those people don’t even know it. Today’s guest, patient advocate Dave Dubin, was one of those people when he was first diagnosed with cancer at age 29. Dave is a 3x cancer survivor and has since started a non-profit foundation, Alive and Kick’n, (www.aliveandkickn.org/) to...

If you or a loved one are living with IBS, you don’t want to miss this episode! GI Psychologist Dr. Megan Riehl and Registered Dietitian Kate Scarlata introduce their new book, Mind Your Gut: The Science-based, Whole-body Guide to Living Well with IBS. Teaming together for the ultimate multidisciplinary approach to understanding GI conditions like IBS, Megan and Kate explain what readers can expect from the book, offer...

The biliary tract (or biliary system) includes the liver, gallbladder and bile ducts. They work together to make, store and secrete bile, which is an important role in our digestive system. But what are the signs and symptoms that something is wrong? Doctor Navine Nasser-Ghodsi, a Gastroenterologist at UMass Chan Medical School in Worcester, Massachusetts joins us with some vital insight. She explains the role of the biliary tract,...

Many people consume probiotic-containing foods to strengthen or revitalize their gut flora and potentially reduce gastrointestinal symptoms like gas and bloating. But do these foods actually contain the strains and amounts of good bacteria that is expected from what is printed on the label? We welcome Dr. Sabine Hazan, a gastroenterologist and microbiome expert from Ventura, CA, to discuss her findings from a recent study she prese...

While many people look forward to Super Bowl Sunday as a time to party with friends and family, for those living with gastrointestinal symptoms, like difficulty swallowing, or a condition like Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE), food-centric social events can bring high anxiety. In this episode one of our favorite Registered Dietitians, Beth Rosen, joins us with some insights on EoE, including symptoms that could b...