One cup of blueberries a day could help your brain, heart, mood, and waistline.

On this episode of The Exam Room, host Chuck Carroll is joined by Dr. Neal Barnard and Dr. Leslie Wada to explore the science behind blueberries — from weight management and heart health to memory, mood, and inflammation.

Backed by human clinical studies, this conversation explains why blueberries stand out among fruits, how much you really need to eat, and why anthocyanins may be one of the most powerful anti-inflammatory compounds in the modern diet.

IN THIS EPISODE:
- Why about 1 cup of blueberries a day shows real benefits
- How blueberries support brain and heart health
- What anthocyanins do in the body
- Why frozen blueberries count too

🫐 Blueberry Recipes (including blueberry BBQ sauce)
https://blueberry.org/recipes
Note: Not all recipes are plant-based or align with Physicians Committee healthy food standards

🧀 The Cheese Trap + Treeline Cheese
https://bit.ly/CheeseTrapSale

🎓 International Conference on Nutrition in Medicine (ICNM)
https://www.pcrm.org/ICNM

- 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.

Grocery shopping shouldn't feel like a nutrition exam, but for many people it does.

In this episode of The Exam Room, Chuck Carroll is joined by Sam Citro Alexander, founder and CEO of FoodHealth Score, a powerful new tool that cuts through misleading food labels and tells you — instantly — how healthy a food really is.

Using a simple 1–100 scoring system, FoodHealth Score analyzes ingredient lists and nutrition panels so shoppers can make smarter, healthier choices without needing a nutrition degree.

In This Episode:

- Why "heart healthy" and "high protein" labels can be deceptive
- How the FoodHealth Score is calculated
- Which foods score shockingly low — and why
- How plant-based eaters can shop with confidence
- Why added sugars hide under many names
- How better shopping tools could pressure companies to improve food quality

🥦 Try the FoodHealth Score Chrome Extension
https://bit.ly/FoodHealthScore

🙋‍♀️ Menopause Makeover
https://menopausemakeover.online

👍 LIKE • SUBSCRIBE • LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW
If you feel like your health IQ just went up a notch, help us grow by giving this video a thumbs up and subscribing to this channel.

- 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.

Are all ultra-processed foods bad for your health? New science says no — and the details may surprise you.

In this episode of The Exam Room Podcast, host Chuck Carroll is joined by Dr. Hana Kahleova, director of clinical research at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, to break down a comprehensive review of more than 300 studies examining ultra-processed foods, diabetes, heart disease, and mortality.

The findings challenge common assumptions and reveal that not all processed foods impact health the same way.

In this episode, you'll learn:

- Which ultra-processed foods are most strongly linked to diabetes and heart disease
- Why meat and processed meat are the primary drivers of harm
- How some breads, cereals, and plant-based processed foods may actually be protective
- The role fiber plays in processed foods and metabolic health
- Why current dietary guidelines may be oversimplifying processed foods

📄 Download the full review paper: https://bit.ly/ProcessedFoodsReview

💙 When you support the Physicians Committee, you help power this podcast and the research behind it. Visit https://www.pcrm.org/examroommatch

❤️ Follow Chuck's journey back to health at the Mayo Clinic: https://www.chuckcarroll.com

👍 LIKE • SUBSCRIBE • LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW
If you feel like your health IQ just went up a notch, help us grow by giving this video a thumbs up and subscribing to this channel.

- 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.

You don't need another diet. You need a system that lasts.

In this powerful episode of The Exam Room Podcast, host Chuck Carroll sits down with body recomposition expert and Forever Fit author Maxime Sigouin to reveal how you can build muscle, burn fat, and stay strong for life — at any age.

Whether you're 40, 60, or even 80+, your body is still capable of transformation.

In this episode you'll learn:
• Why most diets fail long-term
• The difference between fat loss and body recomposition
• How to reverse diet and avoid rebound weight gain
• Why strength training is essential as we age
• The mindset that drives lifelong success
• How daily movement burns more calories than gym workouts

📘 Order Maxime's book Forever Fit:
👉 https://amzn.to/4sUgOKA

📩 Follow Chuck's recovery journey from Mayo Clinic and subscribe to his newsletter:
👉 https://www.chuckcarroll.com

👍 LIKE • SUBSCRIBE • LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW
If you feel like your health IQ just went up a notch, help us grow by giving this video a thumbs up and subscribing to this channel.

- 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 eating the right vegetables could make exercise feel easier while simultaneously lowering your blood pressure?

In this episode of The Exam Room Podcast, host Chuck Carroll is joined by metabolic health expert Cyrus Khambatta of Evolution Health to break down the science behind nitrate-rich vegetables and how they dramatically improve blood flow, oxygen delivery, endurance, and recovery.

You'll learn how nitrates convert into nitric oxide, why foods like beets, arugula, spinach, and celery outperform supplements, and how simple dietary changes can enhance athletic performance — even if you're not an athlete.

We also clear up confusion about nitrates in processed meats, explain why mouthwash can block benefits, and reveal the ideal timing and amounts for maximum results.

In this episode, you'll discover:
• How nitrates lower blood pressure naturally
• Why nitric oxide improves endurance & oxygen efficiency
• The best nitrate-rich vegetables to eat daily
• How nitrates support mitochondria & cellular energy
• When and how much to eat for exercise performance
• Why nitrates from vegetables ≠ nitrates from deli meats

💪 Work with Cyrus at Evolution Health by visiting https://evolution-health.co

👍 LIKE this video
🎧 SUBSCRIBE on Apple Podcasts & Spotify
⭐ Leave a 5-star review to help us grow the show

- 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.

Chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and depression are devastating Native American communities—but a powerful movement rooted in tradition, plant-based nutrition, and food sovereignty is changing lives.

In this episode of The Exam Room Podcast, host Chuck Carroll sits down with former Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez, former First Lady Phefelia Nez, and Food for Life instructor Chelsea Kleinmeyer, RN to explore how Indigenous wisdom and modern lifestyle medicine are coming together to restore health.

🌱 WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE:
• Why traditional Indigenous diets were largely plant-based
• How Food for Life classes are reversing diabetes and reducing medications
• The role food sovereignty plays in healing Native communities
• How mental health, culture, and physical health are deeply connected
• Why food deserts exist—and how communities are fighting back

🥬 APPLY TO BECOME A FOOD FOR LIFE INSTRUCTOR
👉 https://bit.ly/FFLApply2026

🩺 CSKT Tribal Health
👉 https://www.cskthealth.org

👍 LIKE • SUBSCRIBE • LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW
If you feel like your health IQ just went up a notch, help us grow by giving this video a thumbs up and subscribing to this channel.

- 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.

Chronic diseases are rising fast in Africa — and the same lifestyle factors driving illness in the U.S. are now impacting communities around the world.

In this powerful episode of The Exam Room, host Chuck Carroll speaks with Dr. Samba Nyirenda, a lifestyle medicine physician in Botswana and the country's only certified Food for Life Instructor. Together, they explore how urbanization, processed foods, and the loss of traditional diets are fueling diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and hypertension — and how plant-based nutrition is offering real hope.

🌱 IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN:
• Why chronic disease rates are exploding in Botswana
• What traditional African diets looked like — and why they worked
• How plant-based eating can reduce medications
• Why fiber, whole grains, and leafy greens matter
• How Food for Life classes are changing lives globally

🥬 Apply To Become a Food For Life Instructor
👉 https://bit.ly/FFLApply2026

🩺 Dr. Samba Nyirenda
👉 https://saraiholisticcare.co.bw

👍 LIKE • SUBSCRIBE • LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW
If you feel like your health IQ just went up a notch, help us grow by giving this video a thumbs up and subscribing to this channel.

- 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.

Inflammation is at the center of many of today's most common chronic diseases — but what if the real starting point isn't where most people think?

In this episode of The Exam Room Podcast, host Chuck Carroll is joined by gastroenterologist and best-selling author Dr. Will Bulsiewicz for a wide-ranging and deeply human conversation about gut health, chronic inflammation, and the hidden role that stress, loneliness, and modern lifestyle play in making us sick.

Drawing from his new book Plant-Powered Plus, Dr. Bulsiewicz explains why the gut is a central command center for the immune system and the brain, and how dysfunction in the microbiome can drive everything from digestive distress to depression, anxiety, and long-term disease. He also opens up about his own personal health journey — including burnout, weight gain, and metabolic illness — and how healing his gut transformed both his life and his medical practice.

This episode goes beyond food to explore the science of the brain-gut-immune connection, the impact of chronic stress and isolation on inflammation, and why true healing requires more than just changing what's on your plate. If you've ever felt successful on the outside but unwell on the inside, this conversation offers clarity, compassion, and hope.

📕 Order Plant Powered Plus

👉 https://amzn.to/49jRDcz

🎧 The Gut Insiders Podcast

👉 Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4b5YDex

👉 Spotify: https://bit.ly/GutInsidersSpotify

🎧 Follow The Exam Room Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

⭐ Leave a 5-star rating and a kind review if this episode raised your health IQ