The Exam Room by the Physicians Committee

A leading gastroenterologist reveals that many doctors are never taught about food, nutrition, and the diseases that can been prevented with diet education.
 
Dr. Alan Desmond joins Chuck Carroll on The Exam Room Podcast to discuss his new book, What Your Doctor Isn't Telling You About Food, and the conversations he believes every doctor should be having with patients.
 
Why do so many doctors avoid talking about nutrition? Are carbs really bad for you? Should healthy people worry about glucose spikes? Do GLP-1 medications fix the root problem? And what does the gut microbiome have to do with heart disease, diabetes, obesity, inflammation, and long-term health?
 
🧠 You will learn:
The food conversations doctors and patients should be having
Why nutrition training is still limited in medical school
How food became a major driver of chronic disease
The truth about carbs and blood sugar spikes
What GLP-1 medications can and cannot do
Why "30 plants a week" is helpful but not magic
The role of fiber, legumes, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables
How diet can work alongside modern medicine
Why gut health remains central to overall health
Dr. Desmond also discusses the science behind plant-based nutrition, the power of simple dietary changes, and why building a healthier food environment may be one of the most important steps anyone can take.
 
Exam Roomies of the Week
Eric Knepper
Christina Clifford
Make a gift to support The Exam Room Podcast and the life-changing work of the Physicians Committee.
 
🙏 Support The Exam Room Podcast & PCRM
👉 https://bit.ly/SupportExamRoom
 
📕 What Your Doctor Isn't Telling You About Food
👉 https://amzn.to/4vSO460
 
🩺 Dr. Alan Desmond
👉 https://www.alandesmond.com
 
🎉 ICNM - Washington DC - 8/13-15
👉 https://www.pcrm.org/icnm
 
This episode is not medical advice. Always speak with your doctor about 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.

The president of the American Medical Association became the patient after being diagnosed with a large brain tumor.
Dr. Bobby Mukkamala, immediate past president of the AMA, joins Chuck Carroll on The Exam Room Podcast for a powerful and deeply personal conversation about how his diagnosis changed the way he sees health care, medicine, prevention, access, and the patient experience.
Dr. Mukkamala opens up about being diagnosed with a grade 2 astrocytoma, the shock of seeing an eight-centimeter brain tumor on his scan, and what it felt like to suddenly experience the health care system from the other side of the exam room. He also reflects on the extraordinary care he received at Mayo Clinic and the difficult reality that most people do not have access to that same level of care.
The conversation also explores the crushing cost of medication, including a new treatment that can cost nearly $900 per day, and why medical bills remain such a devastating burden for so many families.
Chuck and Dr. Mukkamala also discuss lifestyle medicine, plant-based nutrition, the future of health care, dietary guidelines, health equity, and why progress can still be powerful even when perfection is not realistic.
This interview was recorded at the Lotus Health Foundation Symposium in Rochester, Minnesota, just days before Chuck's major surgery at Mayo Clinic. At the time of the conversation, Dr. Mukkamala was still serving as president of the American Medical Association.
Topics discussed include:
What happens when a doctor becomes the patient
Brain tumor diagnosis and recovery
The emotional impact of serious illness
Health care access and inequality
The high cost of prescription medication
Mayo Clinic and world-class care
Lifestyle medicine and disease prevention
Plant-based nutrition and health
The role of doctors in improving public health
Why progress over perfection matters
Exam Roomies of the Week
Carol Kimsey
MJ Donahue
Tomi Gail Lemmen
Make a gift to support The Exam Room Podcast and the life-changing work of the Physicians Committee: PCRM.org/SupportExamRoom
🙏 Support The Exam Room Podcast & PCRM
👉 https://bit.ly/SupportExamRoom
 
🎉 ICNM - Washington DC - 8/13-15
👉 https://www.pcrm.org/icnm
 
🌱 Lotus Health Foundation
👉 https://lotushealthfoundation.org
 
This episode is not medical advice. Always speak with your doctor about 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.

Billy Bob Thornton stopped eating dairy after discovering it was causing health problems. But is that a healthy decision?
 
Dr. Neal Barnard joins Chuck Carroll to separate fact from fiction.
 
Could milk and cheese be behind symptoms such as bloating, stomach pain, fatigue, skin issues, congestion, brain fog, or feeling sick after eating?
 
Dr. Barnard explains the difference between a true dairy allergy, lactose intolerance, and dairy sensitivity. He also discusses what PCRM research shows about dairy, saturated fat, cancer risk, heart health, and the health benefits of choosing dairy alternatives.
 
Then we look at Thornton's wheat sensitivity. What is a true wheat allergy? How is it different from celiac disease or gluten sensitivity? And when should someone get tested before removing gluten from their diet?
 
Plus, Billy Bob Thornton also said he eats for his AB-negative blood type. Dr. Barnard explains what the research actually says about blood-type diets, and whether blood type should determine what you eat.
 
🧠 In this episode:
Billy Bob Thornton's dairy-free and wheat-free diet
Dairy allergy vs. lactose intolerance
Common symptoms of dairy intolerance
How quickly symptoms may improve after removing dairy
PCRM research on dairy and health risks
Best plant-based dairy alternatives
Wheat allergy vs. celiac disease vs. gluten sensitivity
Gluten-free diets and when they are necessary
AB-negative blood type statistics
The truth about blood-type diets
Dr. Barnard's research on plant-based diets and blood type
Exam Roomies of the Week
Andreas Ebert
Kris Grabowski
Laurie Rowe
🙏 Support The Exam Room Podcast & PCRM
👉 https://bit.ly/SupportExamRoom
 
This episode is sponsored by The Gregory J. Reiter Memorial Fund, which supports organizations like the Physicians Committee that carry on Greg's passion and love for animals through rescue efforts, veganism, and wildlife conservation.
 
🌱 Gregory J. Reiter Memorial Fund
👉 https://gregoryreiterfund.org
 
🎉 ICNM - Washington DC - 8/13-15
👉 https://www.pcrm.org/icnm
 
This episode is not medical advice. Always speak with your doctor about 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.

What if your doctor had time to actually listen to you?
Anthony Masiello, Founder and CEO of Lifestyle Telemedicine, joins Chuck Carroll on The Exam Room Podcast for a powerful conversation about what health care can look like when the focus shifts from simply managing symptoms to addressing the root causes of chronic disease.
Anthony shares his own incredible story of being denied a 20-year life insurance policy because of his health — only to outlive that policy and become healthier than he was two decades ago.
Now he is helping others take control of their health through lifestyle medicine, telemedicine, whole food plant-based nutrition, better sleep, stress management, movement, and real physician support.
🧠 In this episode:
Why your current health is not your destiny
How Anthony lost 160 pounds and reclaimed his health
Why comparison can derail progress
How to build habits that actually last
Why cheat days can create mental chaos
How family pressure can make healthy eating harder
What a Lifestyle Telemedicine appointment is really like
The role of sleep, stress, movement, and purpose in healing
Why America may need a Super Bowl commercial for lifestyle medicine
How to move beyond "there's a pill for everything" thinking
This is a hopeful conversation for anyone who has felt dismissed, stuck, overmedicated, overwhelmed, or unsure where to begin.
Exam Roomies of the Week
Michelle Oberg
Lori Vitello 
Cheow Meng Tee, MD 
🙏 Support The Exam Room Podcast & PCRM
👉 https://bit.ly/SupportExamRoom
 
🌱 Lifestyle Telemedicine
👉 https://lifestyletelemedicine.com
 
🎉 ICNM - Washington DC - 8/13-15
👉 https://www.pcrm.org/icnm
 
This episode is not medical advice. Always speak with your doctor about 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.

Fast food doesn't have to be junk food. Carleigh Bodrug from PlantYou is here to prove that!
 
The recipe genius, two-time New York Times bestselling author, and social media powerhouse joins Chuck Carroll on The Exam Room Podcast to share the fastest ways to make healthy plant-based meals when life is busy, groceries are expensive, and takeout is calling your name.
 
Carleigh's new cookbook, PlantYou Quickies, features more than 140 fast plant-based recipes for busy people, including five-minute prep ideas, Dump & Bake dinners, and S.O.S. Suppers — Save Our Sanity meals for the nights when you almost order delivery.
 
🧠 In this conversation, Carleigh and Chuck talk about:
Quick healthy meals when you have no time
Easy plant-based dinner shortcuts
Frozen vegetables and pantry staples that save money
High-fiber meals and plant diversity
Plant Points for gut health
Raising a plant-based family
Healthy meals for busy parents
How to make comfort foods healthier
Why takeout tastes better when it is a choice, not desperation
Carleigh also shares details about PlantYou Quickies, her favorite recipe shortcuts, and a special pre-order bonus for Exam Roomies.
 
She is offering a six-month membership to her weekly plant-based meal plans and shopping lists for anyone who preorders PlantYou Quickies, so you can get cooking right away. Email a screenshot or photo of your receipt to support at plantyou.com, and mention you heard about it on The Exam Room Podcast.
 
Exam Roomies of the Week
Annie Frassinello Earsley, RD
Deborah J. Colbert
Todd Ormsby
 
🙏 Support The Exam Room Podcast & PCRM
👉 https://bit.ly/SupportExamRoom
 
📕 PlantYou Quickies Book Pre-Orders
👉 https://amzn.to/4eTFWvT
 
🌱 Carleigh Bodrug Website
👉 https://plantyou.com
 
💪 NHA Conference in Cleveland
👉 https://bit.ly/NHAConf2026
 
🎉 ICNM - Washington DC - 8/13-15
👉 https://www.pcrm.org/icnm
 
This episode is not medical advice. Always speak with your doctor about 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.