Made for Health | Medical Gaslighting | Lyme | Chronic Infections | Metabolic Syndrome | Insulin Resistance | Mystery Illness

What if cholesterol isn’t the problem… but a signal pointing to something deeper happening in your body?
In this episode of Made for Health, Dr. Aaron Hartman sits down with Dr. Christian Jenski to take a deeper look at cholesterol through the lens of metabolic cardiology and vascular health.
They explore why cholesterol is often misunderstood, and how focusing on a single number can miss the bigger picture. Instead, they break down how cholesterol functions in the body, why it’s essential for survival, and how factors like inflammation, metabolism, toxins, and nutrient balance can influence whether it becomes a risk.
This conversation shifts the perspective from “lower is always better” to a more individualized approach, helping listeners understand how to interpret their labs in context and what may actually be driving changes in their lipid profile.

Key Topics Covered
Why cholesterol is essential and not inherently harmful
The difference between total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and triglycerides
How cholesterol levels relate to overall health and longevity
Why very low cholesterol may be problematic in some cases
The role of LDL particle size, oxidation, and density
What dysfunctional HDL is and why it matters
How triglycerides reflect metabolic health and insulin sensitivity
The importance of ratios like triglyceride to HDL
How inflammation and oxidative stress influence lipid patterns
Why diet alone does not fully explain cholesterol levels

Discover the book here: https://uncurablebook.com/
Follow Dr. Aaron Hartman and Richmond Integrative & Functional Medicine
🌐 Website: https://richmondfunctionalmedicine.com/
📺 YouTube: @AaronHartmanMD

What if heart disease isn’t something that suddenly happens, but something that builds quietly over time inside your blood vessels?
In this episode of Made for Health, Dr. Aaron Hartman continues his conversation with Dr. Christian Jenski, exploring coronary artery disease through the lens of metabolic cardiology and vascular health.
They break down how heart disease develops step by step, starting with subtle damage to the arteries and progressing toward plaque buildup, reduced blood flow, and eventually events like heart attacks. The conversation highlights how this process is not limited to the heart, but can affect any organ in the body, including the brain, kidneys, and eyes.
This episode also emphasizes the difference between emergency care and prevention. While modern medicine excels at treating acute events, much of the earlier progression is often overlooked. By understanding vascular health earlier, there may be opportunities to shift outcomes before irreversible damage occurs.

Key Topics Covered
What coronary artery disease actually is and how it develops over time
How plaque forms, grows, and affects blood flow in the arteries
The difference between soft plaque, calcified plaque, and stenosis
How symptoms can progress from none to exertional chest pain to events
The role of inflammation, oxidative stress, and vascular dysfunction
Why heart disease can affect multiple organs beyond the heart
The difference between ischemia and myocardial infarction
How the body adapts and remodels in response to vascular stress
Where conventional cardiology is most effective in acute care
Why early detection and prevention may change long-term outcomes

Discover the book here: https://uncurablebook.com/
Follow Dr. Aaron Hartman and Richmond Integrative & Functional Medicine
🌐 Website: https://richmondfunctionalmedicine.com/
📺 YouTube: @AaronHartmanMD

What if your hormone symptoms aren’t just hormonal, but a reflection of how your body is responding to stress?
In this minisode of Made for Health, Dr. Aaron Hartman explores how chronic stress, emotional load, and nervous system dysregulation can influence hormonal health in ways that are often overlooked.
He explains how both acute and long-term stress can impact the HPA axis, leading to patterns like thyroid resistance where labs may appear “normal,” but the body is functioning in a protective, slowed-down state. This can show up as fatigue, poor sleep, temperature sensitivity, and increased difficulty handling everyday stress.
The episode also highlights how modern stressors such as work demands, caregiving responsibilities, and even constant exposure to news and social media can contribute to this imbalance. Dr. Hartman encourages a broader, more holistic view of hormone health, one that includes lifestyle rhythms, emotional well-being, and daily habits.

Key Topics Covered
How chronic stress can affect the HPA axis and hormone balance
What thyroid resistance may look like on a full lab panel
Why “normal” lab results do not always reflect optimal function
The connection between stress, cortisol, and hormone symptoms
How life stressors like caregiving, work, and social media can play a role
Why sleep disruption and nervous system activation often go together
The relationship between menopause symptoms and stress response
How daily habits and timing of food, sleep, and activity impact physiology
The growing science of mind-body connection in hormonal health
Why building stress resilience can support overall hormone balance

Discover the book here: https://uncurablebook.com/
Follow Dr. Aaron Hartman and Richmond Integrative & Functional Medicine
🌐 Website: https://richmondfunctionalmedicine.com/
📺 YouTube: @AaronHartmanMD

What if high blood pressure isn’t just a number to lower, but a signal that something deeper is out of balance?
In this episode of Made for Health, Dr. Aaron Hartman continues the conversation with Dr. Christian Jenski, exploring hypertension through the lens of metabolic cardiology. Rather than viewing blood pressure as a standalone diagnosis, they unpack how it reflects the health of your blood vessels, nervous system, metabolism, and lifestyle.
They explain why common measurement methods can be misleading, how stress and poor sleep can distort readings, and why trends over time matter more than a single number. The discussion also highlights how often-overlooked factors like nutrient deficiencies, inflammation, and metabolic dysfunction can play a role in elevated blood pressure.
This episode brings a more nuanced, individualized perspective to hypertension, helping listeners understand why addressing root causes may change outcomes in ways medication alone cannot.

Key Topics Covered
What blood pressure actually represents beyond just two numbers
Why improper measurement can lead to misleading diagnoses
The role of vascular flexibility and arterial health
How stress, sleep, and daily habits influence blood pressure
Differences between systolic and diastolic readings and why they matter
Why trends over time are more meaningful than single readings
How nervous system imbalance can contribute to hypertension
The connection between inflammation, metabolism, and vascular health
Why lifestyle interventions are often the first and most important step
How individualized care can change treatment outcomes

Discover the book here: https://uncurablebook.com/
Follow Dr. Aaron Hartman and Richmond Integrative & Functional Medicine
🌐 Website: https://richmondfunctionalmedicine.com/
📺 YouTube: @AaronHartmanMD

What if hormone symptoms persist not because levels are off, but because the body cannot respond to them properly?
In this minisode, Dr. Aaron Hartman continues the conversation on holistic hormone health and explains why some people still struggle with symptoms even after hormone replacement or hormone optimization.
He highlights how hormone balance is influenced by much more than estrogen, progesterone, or testosterone levels alone. Environmental chemicals, mold, personal care products, scented home items, sugar, medications, nutrient deficiencies, protein intake, light exposure, and other external stressors can all interfere with how hormones function in the body.
This episode takes a wider view of hormone health, helping listeners understand why persistent symptoms like low libido, brain fog, hair loss, dry skin, painful intercourse, and fatigue may point to deeper disruptions in the body’s broader neuroendocrine system.
Key Topics Covered
Why hormone replacement and hormone optimization may not be enough for some people
The concept of holistic hormone health
How environmental toxins can affect hormone signaling
Why BPA, phthalates, and other chemical exposures matter
The impact of personal care products, cleaners, candles, and fabric softeners on the neuroendocrine system
How sugar can disrupt detoxification and hormone balance
The role of medications as mitochondrial and microbiome disruptors
Why protein intake matters for neurotransmitters, detoxification, and hormone production
The importance of vitamins, minerals, and trace nutrients in hormone health
How circadian rhythms, blue light, and electromagnetic exposure can affect hormonal regulation

Discover the book here: https://uncurablebook.com/
Follow Dr. Aaron Hartman and Richmond Integrative & Functional Medicine
🌐 Website: https://richmondfunctionalmedicine.com/
📺 YouTube: @AaronHartmanMD