Autophagy vs. Inflammasome Assembly: A Key Leverage Point in Functional Medicine Cases

Presented by: Sam Yanuck, DC⁺

Autophagy is the process by which cells repair themselves. Bone marrow stem cells depend on it, as do all white blood cell types and brain cells. Many patients have altered autophagy, and for most of them, it’s a key reason they don’t improve. Inflammasome assembly generates cytokines that alter autophagy. In this webinar, functional immunology thought leader, Dr. Sam Yanuck, will teach you to recognize and address altered autophagy and its impact on metabolism, immunology, thyroid function, energy, cognition and a host of other clinical factors you see in practice every day.

You’ll come away with knowledge of the following key objectives:

1. Understand autophagy and its impact on mitochondrial and thyroid function, self-tissue response and other crucial determinants of health.
2. Understand the mechanisms by which autophagy becomes altered and how to identify factors in a case that contribute to those changes.
3. Understand the clinical approach to supporting autophagy and how that approach fits into the broader picture of case management.

Self-Tissue Response: Managing the Case from Start to Success

Presented by: Sam Yanuck, DC⁺

Clinical success depends on your ability to recognize patterns in the case, address those patterns, observe results and repeat that cycle. Success also depends on your ability to partner with the patient and actively involve them in that process. In this webinar, functional immunology thought leader, Dr. Sam Yanuck, will walk you through a functional immunology case and provide real clinical examples that illustrate the order of operation of care for self-tissue response, how to manage key pivot points in the case, and how to communicate with the patient effectively at key moments.

You’ll come away with knowledge of the following key objectives:

• How to identify key opportunities in the case and apply clinical leverage to maximize your chance of success.
• How to move the patient through the stages of their case. Creating alliance, communicating proper expectations, and giving the patient the image of the flow of the case, so you are partners in the process.
• How digestion and microbial balance in the GI tract drive self-tissue response, brain fog and fatigue.

Clinical Strategies for Optimizing Thyroid Hormones

Presented by: Izabella Wentz, PharmD⁺

Thyroid health is foundational to numerous bodily functions, including energy levels, metabolism, digestion, mental health, fertility, stress resilience and more. In this webinar, Dr. Wentz, a nationally acclaimed thyroid specialist, will explain how essential vitamins, minerals and botanicals can be used to support optimal thyroid hormone metabolism, adrenal balance and thyroid-to-adrenal interaction. The discussion will address the role of nutrient insufficiencies, the impact of stress on thyroid function and factors involved in the T4 to T3 conversion process.^‡

Learning Objectives:

• Learn how to leverage essential nutrients (including vitamins A, D, zinc and selenium) to support thyroid cell metabolism and hormone function.^‡
• Discover how stress and adrenal function can influence thyroid hormone balance and review important methodologies for managing stress.
• Understand the mechanisms of T4 to T3 conversion and how to support a healthy balance of these hormones in your patients.

Stress, Occasional Anxiety and Adrenal Resilience

Presented by: Peter Bongiorno, ND, LAc⁺

The adrenal glands are designed to keep basal rates of corticosteroids, mineralocorticoids and sex hormones and to robustly secrete stress hormones for resilient protection during a stressful moment. However, stress can overwhelm these glands leading to various stages of the adrenal response. In this webinar, Dr. Peter Bongiorno explains how most cases of stress and anxiety are a normal reaction to what we put our bodies and minds through. He will cover the workings of the HPA axis and reveal the true relevance of early, mid and late adrenal response. By learning from his 21 years of clinical experience managing these various stages, you can gain strategies for bringing your patients back to resilience.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize the impact of stress on adrenal function
• Understand the workings of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis
• Identify the stages of adrenal response: early, mid and late, how they occur and the methods to test for them
• Acquire practical strategies and clinical insights from Dr. Bongiorno to address various stages of adrenal response and enhance patient resilience