The Exam Room by the Physicians Committee

Chris Wark was just 26 years old when he was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer.
What happened next changed his life forever.
In this deeply personal conversation, Chris joins Chuck Carroll on The Exam Room Podcast to share the story behind Chris Beat Cancer, the decisions he made after surgery, and why he believes food, faith, mindset, purpose, and self-advocacy all became part of his healing journey.
You'll hear the emotional story of how Chris went from fear and uncertainty to feeling empowered again and why he says healing happens at home.
🧠 In this episode, you'll learn:
What Chris wishes every cancer patient would ask their oncologist
Why he believes nutrition became a turning point in his journey
The hospital meal that shocked him after colon surgery
How he built his "overdosing on nutrition" approach
Why purpose and family became central to his will to live
What "healing happens at home" means to him
How a whole food plant-based diet fits into the cancer conversation
Colorectal cancer is rising among younger adults, making conversations like this more important than ever. The American Cancer Society reports that colorectal cancer rates have been increasing in adults under 50 in recent years, while rates have declined among many older adults.
Exam Roomies of the Week
Harriet Leveen 
Robert Callahan
🙏 Support The Exam Room Podcast & PCRM
👉 https://bit.ly/SupportExamRoom
📗 Chris Beat Cancer Book
👉 https://amzn.to/4nbVsFY
💪 Chris Beat Cancer Website
👉 https://www.chrisbeatcancer.com
🎉 Las Vegas Plant Powered Party
👉 https://bit.ly/ChefAJParty
This episode is not medical advice. Always speak with your doctor about cancer screening, treatment, and any changes to your diet or lifestyle.
- About Us -
The Physicians Committee is dedicated to saving lives through plant-based diets and ethical and effective scientific research. We combine the clout and expertise of more than 17,000 physicians with the dedicated actions of more than 175,000 members across the United States and around the world.

Binge eating and emotional eating are not simply about willpower. According to Dr. Vanita Rahman, they are often driven by stress, shame, biology, habits, food environment, and the way the brain learns to use food as a coping mechanism.
In this episode of The Exam Room Podcast, Dr. Rahman joins Chuck Carroll to explain what is really happening when someone feels out of control around food — and how to begin breaking the cycle.
Chuck also shares his own experience with food addiction, emotional eating, and eating in secret before losing 280 pounds and transforming his health.
🧠 You'll learn:
- The difference between binge eating, bulimia, emotional eating, and stress eating
- Why shame keeps the binge eating cycle alive
- Why nighttime can be the biggest danger zone
- Why binge eating can happen even with healthy vegan foods
- Why "willpower" may be the wrong word entirely
- How a whole food, plant-based diet may help reduce cravings and support recovery
- Why group support can be so powerful for long-term success
- What to do after a binge to avoid falling into a spiral
Dr. Rahman is leading a 12-week Binge and Emotional Eating Program through the Physicians Committee beginning June 10. The program focuses on mindfulness, identifying triggers, nourishing foods, reducing vulnerability, and building tools for long-term success.
Also mentioned in this episode: The Rochester Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota is hiring a Lifestyle Medicine physician or provider. Learn more at https://www.RochesterClinic.com or call 507-218-3095.
Exam Roomies of the Week
- Sharon Smith
- Mary DeCoster
💪 Binge & Emotional Eating Program
👉 https://bit.ly/overcoming-binge-eating
🙏 Support The Exam Room Podcast & PCRM
👉 https://bit.ly/SupportExamRoom
🏥 Barnard Medical Center
👉 https://www.pcrm.org/barnard-medical-center
🎉 International Conference on Nutrition in Medicine
👉 https://www.pcrm.org/icnm
This episode is not medical advice. Always speak with your doctor about cancer screening, treatment, and any changes to your diet or lifestyle.
- About Us -
The Physicians Committee is dedicated to saving and improving human and animal lives through plant-based diets and ethical and effective scientific research. We combine the clout and expertise of more than 17,000 physicians with the dedicated actions of nearly one million members and supporters worldwide.

Could lupus and Sjögren's symptoms improve in just weeks with the right diet and lifestyle changes?
Dr. Brooke Goldner joins Chuck Carroll to share the remarkable stories of patients with autoimmune disease who experienced dramatic recoveries after following her Goodbye Autoimmune Disease protocol.
This conversation is especially personal for me. There are people close to me who have struggled for decades with many of the same issues Dr. Goldner and I discuss in this interview. I shared this episode with one of them before releasing it publicly, and they were blown away by what she had to say.
Dr. Goldner discusses her 2024 case series involving three women with both lupus and Sjögren's syndrome who reported symptom remission within weeks after following a raw, whole-food, plant-based nutrition protocol. She also shares her own story of being diagnosed with aggressive lupus as a teenager, facing kidney failure and mini strokes, and later living symptom-free for more than 20 years.
🧠 In this episode, you'll learn:
What "hypernourishment" means
Why raw cruciferous vegetables may be central to Dr. Goldner's protocol
How omega-3s and hydration may support healing
Why stress and trauma may worsen autoimmune disease
How lupus, Sjögren's, Hashimoto's, RA, Crohn's, and other autoimmune conditions may overlap
Why Dr. Goldner believes inflammation can sometimes be addressed and reversed
What patients should know before making major diet or medication changes
Exam Roomies of the Week
Elvira Northey from Macomb, MI
DeeDee O'Connor from Bellingham, WA
🙏 Support The Exam Room Podcast & PCRM
👉 https://bit.ly/SupportExamRoom
👩🏻‍⚕️ Dr. Brooke Goldner Website and Courses
👉 https://goodbyelupus.com
📗 Dr. Brooke Goldner Books
👉 https://amzn.to/4uGteGx
🎉 Las Vegas Plant Powered Party
👉 https://bit.ly/ChefAJParty
This episode is not medical advice. Always speak with your doctor about cancer screening, treatment, and any changes to your diet or lifestyle.
- About Us -
The Physicians Committee is dedicated to saving and improving human and animal lives through plant-based diets and ethical and effective scientific research. We combine the clout and expertise of more than 17,000 physicians with the dedicated actions of nearly one million members and supporters worldwide.

Are ultra-processed foods really as unhealthy as we've been told? New research suggests the answer may be more complicated than the headlines make it seem.
Dr. Neal Barnard joins Chuck Carroll on The Exam Room Podcast to break down findings showing that much of the health risk linked to ultra-processed foods may be driven by two specific categories: processed meat and sugar-sweetened beverages.
That means foods like bacon, sausage, ham, bologna, pepperoni, hot dogs, and soda may be doing much of the heavy lifting when it comes to increased disease risk.
But what about breakfast cereal? Plant-based burgers? Vegan snacks? Olive oil? Cheese? Steak? And what about studies linking ultra-processed foods to cognitive decline and dementia risk?
Dr. Barnard helps separate nutrition fact from fiction and explains what really matters when you're reading a food label.
🧠 In this episode, Dr. Barnard explains:
The two foods most strongly linked to processed food health risks
Why processed meat may be more concerning than other ultra-processed foods
Whether plant-based processed foods are healthier
Why sugar in soda is different from sugar in foods with fiber
How cheese can be higher in sodium than potato chips
Why steak and chicken don't get a free pass
What new research says about ultra-processed foods and cognition
How to choose healthier foods without overcomplicating nutrition
Exam Roomies of the Week
Dana Kennett from Saint Johns, FL
Lori Baum from Sandusky, OH
🙏 Support The Exam Room Podcast & PCRM
👉 https://bit.ly/SupportExamRoom
🙏 Gregory J. Reiter Memorial Fund
👉 https://gregoryreiterfund.org
🎉 International Conference on Nutrition in Medicine
👉 https://www.pcrm.org/icnm
📗 Dr. Neal Barnard Books
👉 https://amzn.to/4u6zQxm
This episode is not medical advice. Always speak with your doctor about cancer screening, treatment, and any changes to your diet or lifestyle.
- About Us -
The Physicians Committee is dedicated to saving and improving human and animal lives through plant-based diets and ethical and effective scientific research. We combine the clout and expertise of more than 17,000 physicians with the dedicated actions of nearly one million members and supporters worldwide.

Is 2,000 calories a day too much?
Dr. Joel Fuhrman joins The Exam Room to challenge one of the most familiar numbers in nutrition and explain why the "standard" 2,000-calorie diet may not be right for everyone — and for many people, it may be more food than the body actually needs.
According to Dr. Fuhrman, consistently eating more calories than your body requires may do more than cause weight gain. It may speed up metabolism in ways that contribute to faster aging. The key, he says, is finding your personal caloric window: enough food to meet your needs, but not so much that you are constantly overeating.
🧠 In this episode, Dr. Fuhrman explains:
Why 2,000 calories a day may be too much for many adults
How overeating calories may affect aging
What your personal "caloric window" means
Your body's response to the "caloric rush"
Why the Nutritarian diet is different from a vague "plant-based" diet
How G-BOMBS — greens, beans, onions, mushrooms, berries, and seeds — support longevity
Why nuts and seeds may help with satiety and weight loss
How sugar, oil, and animal fat may drive cravings
Why salt may be a bigger concern than many people realize
How microplastics and toxins are affecting modern health
Dr. Fuhrman also shares remarkable stories from his medical career, including patients facing autoimmune disease, severe migraines, digestive illness, and cancer.
Exam Roomies of the Week
R. Nagtegaal from Washington Cross, PA
Suzanne Gergely from Württemberg, Germany
🌱 Dr. Fuhrman Events and Courses
👉 https://www.drfuhrman.com/events
📗 Dr. Fuhrman Books
👉 https://amzn.to/42Iv6lz
💪 NHA Conference in Cleveland
👉 https://bit.ly/NHAConf2026
🎉 Las Vegas Plant Powered Party
👉 https://bit.ly/ChefAJParty
🙏 Support The Exam Room Podcast & PCRM
👉 https://bit.ly/SupportExamRoom
This episode is not medical advice. Always speak with your doctor about cancer screening, treatment, and any changes to your diet or lifestyle.
- About Us -
The Physicians Committee is dedicated to saving and improving human and animal lives through plant-based diets and ethical and effective scientific research. We combine the clout and expertise of more than 17,000 physicians with the dedicated actions of nearly one million members and supporters worldwide.