The Exam Room by the Physicians Committee

Your gut has a clock — and most people are completely out of sync.
In this episode of The Exam Room Podcast, Chuck Carroll sits down with gastroenterologist and three-time bestselling author Will Bulsiewicz to explain how circadian rhythm controls gut health, inflammation, energy, and even your bowel movements.
You'll learn why mornings matter more than sleep alone, how cortisol actually helps your gut when it's timed correctly, and how light, movement, and meal timing send powerful signals to your microbiome. 
Dr. B breaks down groundbreaking research showing that circadian disruption can flatten microbial diversity, weaken the gut barrier, and drive inflammation even without changes in diet.
If you wake up tired, bloated, anxious, constipated, or wired-but-exhausted, this episode explains why — and what to do about it.
🧠 In this episode:
- How circadian rhythm affects digestion, immunity, and inflammation
- Why morning light is the strongest signal for gut health
- How jet lag, shift work, and irregular mornings disrupt the microbiome
- The ideal morning routine to support gut motility and energy
- Why consistency matters more than perfection
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🎧 The Gut Insiders Podcast
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- 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.

Can what you eat really change your skin?
 
Dr. Jessica Krant, board-certified dermatologist and lifestyle medicine physician in New York City, joins Chuck Carroll at the International Conference on Nutrition and Medicine to explain the powerful connection between diet, inflammation, and skin health.
 
From acne and rosacea to wrinkles and premature aging, Dr. Krant breaks down how dairy, sugar, ultra-processed foods, and stress impact the skin — and how whole plant foods can help reverse damage and support collagen naturally.
 
You'll learn about the gut-brain-skin axis, advanced glycation end products (AGEs), collagen supplements, beauty sleep, and why stress might be triggering your breakouts.
 
Learn more about Dr. Krant and schedule an appointment at her practice at: https://artofdermatology.com.
 
🎓 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.

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
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🎓 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
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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.