Last week, I sat in a room surrounded by the biggest names in health and wellness, Dr. Mark Hyman, Dr. Andrew Huberman, Dr. Jeff Bland (the founder of Functional Medicine), Dr. Robin Berzin (founder of Parsley Health), and so many more. 

I spent time with a group of female physicians and experts who have passionately stepped out of the sickcare model of our current healthcare system and are helping patients get to the root of disease. 

I connected with friends and colleagues that I’ve known for the last 10 years who inspire me in so many ways. I spent hours in the expo center, connecting with brands like Nordic Naturals, Function Health, Timeline Nutrition, BodyBio, and so many more. 

I left feeling more filled with energy, inspiration and passion than I have felt in a long time. It was such an incredible realization that we are on the brink of a healthcare revolution and a true reminder of how deeply I care about my work of helping you take a functional approach to medicine and nutrition in your own life. 

Today I’m sharing my biggest takeaways from Eudemonia, the most incredible health and wellness conference that I’ve ever been to. 

1-Having Data On Your Body Is Essential

Dr. Mark Hyman called it: the next five years will be the most exciting in medicine because of our expanding access to personalized health data and AI’s ability to make sense of it all and pairing that with a knowledgeable practitioner. He said, “Medicine right now is 20th century medicine,” and stressed the urgent need for personalized, predictive, proactive, preventive care that empowers you to take back your health from the sick care industry.

Think about it: your car has a dashboard that tells you everything—gas levels, tire pressure, oil, speed. But most of us have no idea how our bodies work, and most doctors don’t know how to create health—they’re trained to suppress symptoms, not address root causes. Why shouldn’t you have a dashboard for your body too? The data exists. You just need access to it.

2-The Gut Microbiome Controls Blood Sugar Regulation 

Dr. Tim Spector (who’s coming on The BeingBrigid Show soon!) is one of the most published nutrition researchers in the world, and he dropped this insane finding from his research: with 85% accuracy, they can predict your blood glucose response to a meal based solely on your gut microbiome composition. This is something I’ve been saying for years—your gut health directly impacts your blood sugar.

He also highlighted this finding from their studies: Within just a few weeks of making dietary changes to support blood sugar balance, participants in his studies consistently report improved mood, energy, and hunger levels. These are the top three improvements that they see. And this is exactly what I have seen and reported on in the Blood Sugar Reset.

3-Don’t Be Afraid to Take a Stand

Dr. Jeff Bland founded the entire field of functional medicine. Dr. Hyman literally studied Dr. Bland’s cassette tapes obsessively to understand the functional medicine framework, the failures of the sick care system, and the role of the gut microbiome at the epicenter of health. 

Dr. Bland came to the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine to train our team of practitioners over 10 years ago. When I asked Dr. Bland how it feels to see how much has changed, he said something I’ll never forget: “It’s important to stick to what you know is true, even in the face of criticism. Initially, they’ll question you and make you think you’re crazy. Then eventually, they’ll come around and pretend they knew it all along.”

4-Eating a Diverse Diet is The #1 Rule for Gut Health

Your gut microbiome is made up of trillions of mini chemical factories that are vital for your immune system, nervous system, metabolism and more. These microbes transform your food into metabolites and chemicals that impact the rest of your body. Think about the principles of how to feed your gut microbes so that the good ones survive, the bad ones die off and you send more signals to control aging, cancer, improve your mental health, reduce neuro-inflammation and more. 

The key to feeding your microbes well? A lot of plants and a lot of diversity, specifically, 30 different plants per week. Dr. Spector said it doesn’t matter whether you eat red meat, white meat, or tofu, as long as you’re keeping your gut microbes happy with plant diversity. They can handle whatever you throw at them. Think of yourself as a farmer or gardener: you’re cultivating an ecosystem that controls aging, reduces cancer risk, improves mental health, and reduces neuroinflammation.

5-Community is Everything

This was the first big conference that I’ve been to since having kids. Prior to that I would go to at least one functional medicine conference per year. It was such a good reminder of the power of community and how much further you can go when surrounded by other people who have the same values, beliefs, and habits. There is nothing like having a strong community and even better when there’s opportunities to be together in person. 

6-Your Emotional & Spiritual Health Matter

Beyond the data and science, there was a powerful undercurrent throughout the weekend: whole body healing goes beyond just food. Sessions on psychedelics, central nervous system regulation devices in the expo hall, and spirituality (including a live podcast recording with Gabby Bernstein and Dr. Lisa Miller) all reinforced that for some people, true healing requires additional therapeutic support whether that’s psychedelics, ketamine, EMDR, or other modalities.

My amazing friend, Dr. Julie Foucher Brown, gave a talk with one of her patients, Brittany, who shared her story of overcoming tremendous trauma through ketamine therapy. That treatment became the catalyst that helped her care for herself, improve her autoimmune disease, find joy in living, and lose 90 pounds. The session was deeply emotional (I cried so hard the entire time!) and reinforced the humanity of healing. We all experience low points and traumatic events, and there are powerful tools available when you need them.

Recap

This weekend was a true reflection of how much progress has been made in the last 10 years since I launched the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine under Dr. Hyman. We’ve come so far, and these next five years will be monumental in continuing to shift the narrative. More and more people are waking up to the power they have over their own health. More and more doctors are recognizing the deficiencies of conventional care.

You are not powerless. You don’t have to accept normalizing your symptoms or your doctor gatekeeping lab values. When given the right tools, data, guidance, and strategy, you have the power to change your core physiology and step into a level of health you never knew was possible.