Made for Health | Peptides | Lyme | Chronic Infections | Long Covid | Insulin Resistance | Hypermobility

🎒 Back-to-school season brings changing routines, new exposures, and added demands on the whole family. Support your family’s health this season with Richmond Integrative & Functional Medicine’s Back-to-School 2026 offer.
Back-to-School 2026:
https://richmondfunctionalmedicine.com/lp/back-to-school-2026/
In this Made for Health minisode, Dr. Aaron Hartman continues exploring a question he hears frequently from patients: Why am I still sick? Why am I not getting better? What has been overlooked?
Sometimes you've seen multiple doctors, received diagnoses, tried medications, completed specialized testing, and even worked with functional medicine practitioners, yet your recovery eventually reaches a plateau.
According to Dr. Hartman, one potential piece worth investigating is mold exposure.
He explains that mold and other biotoxins can interact with the immune system in complicated ways. One aspect of this is Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS), which Dr. Hartman describes in relation to activation of the innate immune system by biotoxins. He also discusses direct toxin exposure and how mold-related problems may intersect with autoimmune and inflammatory conditions.
The challenge is that mold exposure can be easy to dismiss precisely because it is so common. A water-damaged environment or mold around an HVAC system may look “normal” to someone who sees it every day, but Dr. Hartman argues that common does not necessarily mean harmless for every individual.
Key Topics Covered
Why mold may be overlooked when chronic illness isn't improving
Mold exposure and Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS)
What Dr. Hartman means by the biotoxin pathway
Innate versus adaptive immune responses
Direct toxicity from mold and mycotoxins
Mold and chronic inflammation
Potential connections with autoimmune and autoinflammatory conditions
Water-damaged buildings and environmental exposure
Why common mold exposure can be easy to dismiss
Mold in HVAC systems and indoor environments
HLA-DR/DQ genetics and susceptibility
Why some people may have more difficulty handling biotoxins
Mold exposure versus immune-system dysregulation
Urine testing for mold toxins
Evaluating the building as well as the individual
Mold as a possible complicating factor in chronic Lyme disease
Dr. Hartman's clinical example involving Lyme disease, hypermobility, and POTS
Binders, phosphatidylcholine, environmental changes, and gut support discussed in his clinical approach
Why foundational health still matters when dealing with environmental exposures
RIFM's Healthy Building Guide and mold resources

In This Episode, You Will Learn
✅ Why Dr. Hartman considers mold when someone with a complex chronic illness stops progressing
✅ How he distinguishes mold exposure, direct toxin effects, and CIRS
✅ Why a water-damaged building may affect different people differently
✅ How Dr. Hartman describes the role of HLA-DR/DQ genetics in the body's ability to handle biotoxins
✅ Why simply finding mold-related toxins doesn't necessarily tell you whether your innate immune system is dysregulated
✅ Why evaluating your home or workplace environment can be an important part of investigating possible mold exposure
✅ How mold may complicate conditions such as chronic Lyme disease, autoimmune disease, mast cell activation syndrome, long COVID, and other complex health problems
✅ Why Dr. Hartman continues emphasizing nutrition, gut health, detoxification, and other foundations even when addressing mold
Follow Dr. Aaron Hartman and Richmond Integrative & Functional Medicine
🌐 Website: https://richmondfunctionalmedicine.com/
🎒 Back-to-School 2026: Back-to-School Bundle
📺 YouTube: @AaronHartmanMD
Mentioned in this episode:
25% Off Back to School Support for Parents
Back to school asks a lot of parents, too. Support your body through the season with three physician-reviewed, foundation-first essentials: Twice Daily Multi, Quercetin + Nettles, and NAC.
For a limited time, save 25% on the Back to School Support Bundle.
Visit the link below ⬇️ Shop the Back to School Sale
Back to School Support for Parents
25% Off Back to School Support for Parents
Back to school asks a lot of parents, too. Support your body through the season with three physician-reviewed, foundation-first essentials: Twice Daily Multi, Quercetin + Nettles, and NAC.
For a limited time, save 25% on the Back to School Support Bundle.
Visit the link below ⬇️ Shop the Back to School Sale
Back to School Support for Parents

🎒 Back-to-school season brings new routines, new exposures, and new challenges for the whole family. Support your family this school year with targeted nutritional support designed with whole-person health in mind. Get 25% Off the Back-to-School Bundle
In this episode of Made for Health, Dr. Aaron Hartman, MD, and Dr. Jenski, MD, explore Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS) and the biotoxin pathway. They break down how exposure to biotoxins from mold, water-damaged environments, and chemicals can trigger complex immune responses, and how genetic factors such as HLA gene mutations may influence the way certain individuals respond to these exposures.
The conversation examines the connection between biotoxins, chronic inflammation, detoxification, and seemingly interconnected health problems. Dr. Hartman and Dr. Jenski explain why CIRS can be complex to identify and manage and why treatment needs to be personalized rather than approached with a one-size-fits-all protocol.
They also discuss strategies used to support the body during treatment, including omega-3 fatty acids and curcumin, while emphasizing the importance of addressing CIRS through a thoughtful, step-by-step process. This episode provides listeners with a clearer understanding of the biotoxin pathway, why chronic inflammation can persist, and how a structured approach can help guide CIRS treatment.
Resources & Links:
🌐 Dr. Aaron Hartman – Richmond Functional Medicine: richmondfunctionalmedicine.com
🌐 LinkedIn – Dr. Aaron Hartman: Connect Here
📺 YouTube – Richmond Functional Medicine: Watch Here
🎒 Back-to-School 2026: Back-to-School Bundle

Mentioned in this episode:
25% Off Back to School Support for Parents
Back to school asks a lot of parents, too. Support your body through the season with three physician-reviewed, foundation-first essentials: Twice Daily Multi, Quercetin + Nettles, and NAC.
For a limited time, save 25% on the Back to School Support Bundle.
Visit the link below ⬇️ Shop the Back to School Sale
Back to School Support for Parents
25% Off Back to School Support for Parents
Back to school asks a lot of parents, too. Support your body through the season with three physician-reviewed, foundation-first essentials: Twice Daily Multi, Quercetin + Nettles, and NAC.
For a limited time, save 25% on the Back to School Support Bundle.
Visit the link below ⬇️ Shop the Back to School Sale
Back to School Support for Parents

🎒 Back-to-school season brings changing routines, new exposures, and added demands on the whole family. Support your family’s health this season with Richmond Integrative & Functional Medicine’s Back-to-School 2026 offer.
Back-to-School 2026:
https://richmondfunctionalmedicine.com/lp/back-to-school-2026/
In this episode of Made for Health, Dr. Aaron Hartman continues his series exploring a question he hears constantly from people dealing with chronic and complex health problems: Why am I still not getting better?
You may have seen the specialists, received the diagnoses, taken the medications, completed advanced testing, or worked with integrative and functional medicine providers. Maybe you've made it 50% of the way—but something still feels missing.
Dr. Hartman introduces the Hierarchy of Healing, a concept he says has existed within naturopathic medicine for more than a century. Rather than beginning with the newest test, supplement, or advanced treatment, this framework asks whether you've created the conditions your body needs to heal in the first place.
That includes your physical environment, nervous system, connection with nature, food and water, and something medicine doesn't always know how to measure: meaning and purpose.
Key Topics Covered
Why some people improve but eventually become stuck in their healing journey
The Hierarchy of Healing in naturopathic medicine
Dr. Hartman's Triangle of Health
Creating an environment that supports healing
Why feeling safe matters to the nervous system
Trauma, chaos, and nervous-system dysregulation
The relationship between mind, body, and healing
Connecting with nature and natural rhythms
Seasonal changes in food and lifestyle
The microbiome, polyphenols, mitochondria, and the environment
Nourishing the body with real food and clean water
Giving the body what it needs rather than only trying to remove what's wrong
Why meaning and purpose belong in a conversation about health
The biopsychosocial model of healing
Why foundational principles still matter in complex chronic illness
Turning health information into meaningful action

In This Episode, You Will Learn
✅ What Dr. Hartman means by the Hierarchy of Healing
✅ Why the environment surrounding you can become part of your healing process
✅ Why nervous-system safety may matter when your body seems unable to move forward
✅ How natural and seasonal rhythms fit into Dr. Hartman's framework for health
✅ Why nourishment involves more than simply avoiding unhealthy foods
✅ How Dr. Hartman connects the microbiome, polyphenols, mitochondria, and environmental influences
✅ Why meaning, purpose, relationships, vocation, and creativity can be important pieces of a healing journey
✅ Why getting better shouldn't be viewed only through medications, testing, supplements, or procedures
✅ Why Dr. Hartman continues returning to foundational principles even when working with people experiencing significant chronic illness
Follow Dr. Aaron Hartman and Richmond Integrative & Functional Medicine
🌐 Website: https://richmondfunctionalmedicine.com/
🎒 Back-to-School 2026: Back-to-School Bundle
📺 YouTube: @AaronHartmanMD
Mentioned in this episode:
25% Off Back to School Support for Parents
Back to school asks a lot of parents, too. Support your body through the season with three physician-reviewed, foundation-first essentials: Twice Daily Multi, Quercetin + Nettles, and NAC.
For a limited time, save 25% on the Back to School Support Bundle.
Visit the link below ⬇️ Shop the Back to School Sale
Back to School Support for Parents
25% Off Back to School Support for Parents
Back to school asks a lot of parents, too. Support your body through the season with three physician-reviewed, foundation-first essentials: Twice Daily Multi, Quercetin + Nettles, and NAC.
For a limited time, save 25% on the Back to School Support Bundle.
Visit the link below ⬇️ Shop the Back to School Sale
Back to School Support for Parents

🎒 Back-to-school season brings new routines, new exposures, and new challenges for the whole family. Support your family this school year with targeted nutritional support designed with whole-person health in mind. Get 25% Off the Back-to-School Bundle
In this episode of Made for Health, Dr. Aaron Hartman is joined by internationally renowned Lyme disease expert Dr. Richard Horowitz, who shares insights from his 35+ years of experience treating over 13,000 patients with chronic Lyme disease and complex chronic illnesses.
Dr. Horowitz unpacks the 16-point treatment model he developed to address the multifactorial nature of chronic disease—including infections, inflammation, environmental toxins, mitochondrial dysfunction, and immune dysregulation. He explores how chronic Lyme overlaps with long COVID, mold illness, and autoimmune conditions, and emphasizes the importance of personalized, root-cause approaches to healing.
This eye-opening episode also addresses the medical and political challenges faced by Lyme patients and practitioners, the need for systemic change, and how advocacy and collaboration can help reshape the future of chronic care.
Show Highlights:
✅ What makes chronic Lyme disease so difficult to diagnose and treat
✅ Dr. Horowitz’s 16-point model and why it’s transforming chronic illness care
✅ The intersection of Lyme, long COVID, and other systemic health conditions
✅ How toxins, infections, and inflammation fuel long-term illness
✅ The political and institutional barriers to better care and research
✅ Real-world patient stories that highlight hope and healing
✅ Where patients and practitioners can access further education and support
Some Questions We Explore:
✅ Why are so many patients misdiagnosed—or not diagnosed at all?
✅ How can chronic Lyme mimic other diseases like fibromyalgia or MS?
✅ What’s the role of mitochondrial health and detoxification in recovery?
✅ How do we move from symptom management to root-cause resolution?
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
✅ What a truly integrative, systems-based approach to chronic illness looks like
✅ How to use Dr. Horowitz’s model to guide testing, diagnosis, and treatment
✅ Why collaboration between conventional and functional medicine is crucial
✅ How to advocate for better awareness, resources, and policy change
Resources & Links:
🌐 Dr. Richard Horowitz – Official Website: cangetbetter.com
📘 Book – Why Can’t I Get Better? by Dr. Richard Horowitz
📘 Book – How Can I Get Better? by Dr. Richard Horowitz
🌐 Dr. Aaron Hartman – Richmond Functional Medicine: richmondfunctionalmedicine.com
🌐 LinkedIn – Dr. Aaron Hartman: Connect Here
📺 YouTube – Richmond Functional Medicine: Watch Here
🎒 Back-to-School 2026: Back-to-School Bundle
Mentioned in this episode:
25% Off Back to School Support for Parents
Back to school asks a lot of parents, too. Support your body through the season with three physician-reviewed, foundation-first essentials: Twice Daily Multi, Quercetin + Nettles, and NAC.
For a limited time, save 25% on the Back to School Support Bundle.
Visit the link below ⬇️ Shop the Back to School Sale
Back to School Support for Parents
25% Off Back to School Support for Parents
Back to school asks a lot of parents, too. Support your body through the season with three physician-reviewed, foundation-first essentials: Twice Daily Multi, Quercetin + Nettles, and NAC.
For a limited time, save 25% on the Back to School Support Bundle.
Visit the link below ⬇️ Shop the Back to School Sale
Back to School Support for Parents

🎒 Back-to-school season puts extra demands on the whole family. Support your health this fall with physician-vetted, foundational supplements from Richmond Integrative & Functional Medicine. Get 25% off Back-to-School Support while the seasonal offer lasts.
https://richmondfunctionalmedicine.com/lp/back-to-school-2026/
In this episode of Made for Health, Dr. Aaron Hartman begins a new series with a question he hears almost every day: “Why am I not getting better?”
You may be doing everything you think you’re supposed to do. You’ve seen doctors and specialists. You’ve changed your diet, tried supplements, addressed your diagnosis, and worked hard on your health. Maybe you’ve improved 20%, 40%, or even 60%—but then something happens. Progress stops, symptoms linger, and you feel stuck.
Before jumping to more complicated possibilities like mold, Lyme disease, mast cell issues, hormones, or advanced testing, Dr. Hartman argues that it’s worth returning to the foundations. In his clinical experience, three of the most commonly overlooked areas are gut health, stress, and sleep.
He explores how nutrition, the microbiome, food reactivity, detoxification, stress and trauma, nervous-system regulation, and restorative sleep can influence the healing process. The goal isn't simply to chase the newest health trend. It's to identify what may be blocking progress, address what's lacking, and build a stronger foundation for healing.
Key Topics Covered
Why people can make significant progress and then suddenly get stuck
The danger of chasing the newest health trend or treatment
Why foundational health still matters in complex chronic illness
Gut health and the microbiome
Real food versus highly processed food
Food sensitivities and immune reactivity
Protein, minerals, and nutrition in detoxification
Prebiotics, probiotics, postbiotics, polyphenols, and fiber
Chronic stress and its impact on healing
Health-related and healthcare-related stress
Trauma and nervous-system dysregulation
EMDR, tapping, somatic therapy, and parts therapy
The default mode network and established brain patterns
Why sleep is essential for repair and recovery
Deep sleep, REM sleep, memory, and nervous-system regulation
Why the basics should come before more complex interventions

Follow Dr. Aaron Hartman and Richmond Integrative & Functional Medicine
🌐 Website: https://richmondfunctionalmedicine.com/
🎒 Back-to-School 2026: Back-to-School Bundle
📺 YouTube: @AaronHartmanMD
Mentioned in this episode:
25% Off Back to School Support for Parents
Back to school asks a lot of parents, too. Support your body through the season with three physician-reviewed, foundation-first essentials: Twice Daily Multi, Quercetin + Nettles, and NAC.
For a limited time, save 25% on the Back to School Support Bundle.
Visit the link below ⬇️ Shop the Back to School Sale
Back to School Support for Parents
25% Off Back to School Support for Parents
Back to school asks a lot of parents, too. Support your body through the season with three physician-reviewed, foundation-first essentials: Twice Daily Multi, Quercetin + Nettles, and NAC.
For a limited time, save 25% on the Back to School Support Bundle.
Visit the link below ⬇️ Shop the Back to School Sale
Back to School Support for Parents