Wellness

FAQ

Justin Laube, MD
Medical Reviewer
Justin Laube, MD, is a board-certified integrative and internal medicine physician, a teacher, and a consultant with extensive expertise in integrative health, medical education, and trauma healing.
He graduated with a bachelor's in biology from the University of Wisconsin and a medical degree from the University of Minnesota Medical School. During medical school, he completed a graduate certificate in integrative therapies and healing practices through the Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing. He completed his three-year residency training in internal medicine at the University of California in Los Angeles on the primary care track and a two-year fellowship in integrative East-West primary care at the UCLA Health Center for East-West Medicine.
He is currently taking a multiyear personal and professional sabbatical to explore the relationship between childhood trauma, disease, and the processes of healing. He is developing a clinical practice for patients with complex trauma, as well as for others going through significant life transitions. He is working on a book distilling the insights from his sabbatical, teaching, and leading retreats on trauma, integrative health, mindfulness, and well-being for health professionals, students, and the community.
Previously, Dr. Laube was an assistant clinical professor at the UCLA Health Center for East-West Medicine and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, where he provided primary care and integrative East-West medical consultations. As part of the faculty, he completed a medical education fellowship and received a certificate in innovation in curriculum design and evaluation. He was the fellowship director at the Center for East-West Medicine and led courses for physician fellows, residents, and medical students.

Alissa Kuizinas, DPM
Medical Reviewer
Dr. Kuizinas is a functional podiatrist specializing in sports medicine, chronic injuries, and foot and ankle dysfunction. She practices podiatry at Wellness in Motion Boston, located in Concord and Brookline, Massachusetts. She also sees clients virtually in her private practice.
In addition to functional interventions for pain and injury, Kuizinas works with the mind-body connection to treat patients holistically and encourage whole-body wellness rather than just symptom relief.
Kuizinas received a bachelor of arts from Boson University and went on to attend Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine, where she received her doctor of podiatric medicine. She completed a three-year surgical residency in forefoot and rearfoot reconstructive surgery at Hoboken University Medical Center in New Jersey.
Kuizinas has previously worked in trauma and reconstructive surgery, as well as wound care and limb salvage, and has done advanced training in hyperbaric medicine.

Allison Buttarazzi, MD
Medical Reviewer
Allison Buttarazzi, MD, is board-certified in internal medicine and lifestyle medicine, and is a certified health and well-being coach. In her primary care practice, Dr. Buttarazzi focuses on lifestyle medicine to help her patients improve their health and longevity, and her passion is helping patients prevent and reverse chronic diseases (like heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes) by improving their lifestyle habits.
She is a graduate of Tufts University School of Medicine and completed a residency at Maine Medical Center. Diagnosed with celiac disease during medical school, she realized the power of improving one's health through diet and lifestyle habits, which she later incorporated into her practice.

Kacy Church, MD
Medical Reviewer
Dr. Church always knew that she wanted to pursue endocrinology because the specialty allows for healthy change through patient empowerment. She completed her fellowship in endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism in 2017 at Stanford University in California.
She loves running, dancing, and watching her sons play sports.

Lee Phillips, EdD
Medical Reviewer
He graduated from Old Dominion University with a bachelor's degree in communication. He then obtained his master of social work degree with honors at Norfolk State University. Continuing his education, he received a doctor of education degree in organizational leadership with an emphasis in behavioral health with honors from Grand Canyon University.
Dr. Phillips currently runs a private practice in McLean, Virginia, New York City, and Water Mill, New York, where he specializes in sex therapy and psychotherapy for both mental health challenges and chronic illness. He is an adjunct instructor for the Integrative Sex Therapy Institute and Modern Sex Therapy Institutes. He is an active member of the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT).
Phillips is also the host of the podcast Sex and Chronic Illness with Dr. Lee.

Susan Bard, MD
Medical Reviewer
Susan Bard, MD, is a clinical instructor in the department of dermatology at Weill Cornell Medicine and an adjunct clinical instructor in the department of dermatology at Mount Sinai in New York City. Her professional interests include Mohs micrographic surgery, cosmetic and laser procedures, and immunodermatology.
She is a procedural dermatologist with the American Board of Dermatology and a fellow of the American College of Mohs Surgery.
Dr. Bard has written numerous book chapters and articles for many prominent peer-reviewed journals, and authored the textbook The Laser Treatment of Vascular Lesions.

Christopher Wolter, MD
Medical Reviewer
Christopher Wolter, MD, is an assistant professor in urology at Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, Arizona. He has been in practice since 2008, specializing in the areas of urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, urologic reconstruction, urologic prosthetics, post prostate cancer survivorship, erectile dysfunction, neurourology and neuromodulation, and overall functional considerations of urogenital health.
Dr. Wolter has been heavily involved in urologic education. He spent the last 12 years heavily involved in resident education and leadership for his department, including the last eight years as urology residency program director. He currently serves as the director of urologic education for the preclinical and clinical rotations for the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine Phoenix, Arizona, campus.
Wolter completed his undergraduate and medical education at the University of Illinois. He then completed his urology residency at Tulane University in New Orleans, followed by a fellowship in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive urology at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.

Allison M. Fout, PA-C
Medical Reviewer
Allison M. Fout, PA-C, has 20 years of experience as a Physician Assistant with a career rooted in orthopedic care. Since 2015, she has been a provider at Excelsior Orthopaedics in Buffalo, New York, specializing in sports medicine, joint replacements, fracture care, and a wide range of musculoskeletal conditions.
She works with patients across multiple age groups — from young athletes to aging adults — helping them recover function, reduce pain, and return to the activities they enjoy.
Her dedication to patient-centered care earns the trust of both her patients and colleagues. Beyond the clinic and operating room, she's involved in education and mentorship. She serves as a mentor to fellow clinicians and students alike and works as an adjunct instructor of orthopedics for the PA program at Daemen University, guiding and empowering the next generation of healthcare professionals as they develop their technical skills, knowledge, and confidence.

Simran Malhotra, MD
Medical Reviewer
Dr. Malhotra completed her internal medicine residency at Medstar Franklin Square Medical Center, where she also served as chief resident in 2015. She completed her fellowship in hospice and palliative medicine at Johns Hopkins Hospital in 2016. She was named Top Doc in Palliative Medicine in 2019 and 2020 by Baltimore Magazine.
On a personal note, she is a BRCA1 previvor with a strong family history of breast and female reproductive cancers, and underwent a risk-reducing bilateral mastectomy and total hysterectomy in 2020 at 32 years old. After learning about her own genetic risk of cancer, and grounded in her professional experiences in palliative care, she founded Wellness By LifestyleMD, a platform where she works with and educates women at high risk for cancer with or without genetic mutations on the powerful impact that positive lifestyle changes can have on their quality of life and even longevity.
In addition to being a diplomate of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, she completed the T. Colin Campbell plant-based nutrition certification in 2019, the CHEF culinary coaching certification in 2020, and the WellCoaches health and wellness coaching certification in 2022. She is a member of the ACLM women’s health member interest group and serves as the co-chair of the breast cancer subcommittee.
Malhotra has been featured on several blogs and podcasts, where she has shared her unique perspectives and experiences from palliative care as well as from being a genetic mutation carrier who is passionate about using lifestyle as medicine.

Scott Haak, PT, DPT, MTC, CSCS
Medical Reviewer
Scott Haak, PT, DPT, has been a member of the Mayo Clinic staff since 2000. Dr. Haak serves as faculty for the Sports Medicine Fellowship program at Mayo Clinic Florida. He is certified by the NSCA (National Strength and Conditioning Association) as a CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist), is a Certified USA Weightlifting Coach and Certified USA Football Coach, and possesses a MTC (Manual Therapy Certification) from the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences.
Haak is an exercise enthusiast and enjoys running, weightlifting, and sports performance training. He is the president and director of coaching of a youth tackle football organization, JDL Providence Football, and currently coaches high school football and weight lifting.

Michael Rubino
Medical Reviewer
Michael Rubino is an air quality expert, environmental wellness advocate, founder, speaker, podcaster, author, father, and husband. On a mission to bridge the gap between our homes and our health, Michael put his background in construction and remediation to good use and founded All American Restoration in 2017, which ultimately became HomeCleanse, an organization that operates in 50 states. HomeCleanse provides information, services, and products to create healthier living through cleaner indoor air.
Michael is also the cofounder and chair of Change the Air Foundation, a nonprofit organization giving every person the knowledge, resources, and support to achieve better health by breathing safe indoor air through education, impacting public policy, and funding research.
Michael is a specialist in working with people who are immunocompromised or have acute and sustained reactions to mold exposure. His scientific understanding has enabled him to create change via alternative remediation protocols and treatments that provide solutions that lead to a healthy home long into the future, all through using his proprietary tried and tested HomeCleanse method.
In his decade-long career, he’s helped thousands of families each year to identify, eradicate, and detoxify their homes, potentially saving hundreds of lives in the process. So successful are Michael’s methods that he’s the trusted advisor to multiple Hollywood A-list celebrities, athletes, doctors, Fortune 100 CEOs, and medical experts across the country.
Michael is a published author with his first book selling 4,000 copies and his second book near completion. He’s an accomplished podcaster with his show Never Been Sicker educating and entertaining thousands of monthly listeners, where he hosts guests including celebrities, CEOs, doctors, entrepreneurs, and mold survivors. As a result, Michael has become one of the most in-demand subject matter experts and keynote speakers, appearing on countless television, radio, newspaper, magazine, and podcast interviews around the world.
Through HomeCleanse and Change the Air Foundation, Michael works on ensuring people are healthier through improving air quality.

Grant Chu, MD, MS, MBA, FACP
Medical Reviewer
Grant Chu, MD, is an associate clinical professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Dr. Chu is also associate director of inpatient East-West consult services at the UCLA Health hospitals.
He's board-certified in internal medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine and is a diplomate of the National Certification Board for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine (formerly the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine).
He received a bachelor's degree in neuroscience from Brown University, where he also earned his medical degree. He has a master's in acupuncture and oriental medicine from South Baylo University and a master's in business administration from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
He completed his residency in internal medicine at the University of California in Los Angeles and a fellowship at the Center for East-West Medicine at UCLA. He has held academic appointments at the University of California in Irvine and the University of Queensland in Australia.

Vilayvanh Saysoukha, DPM, MSc
Medical Reviewer
Dr. Vilayvanh Saysoukha is first generation Lao American and triple board-certified podiatric foot and ankle surgeon. She's the CEO and founder of Premier Foot & Ankle Centers of Tennessee, as well as a key opinion leader, consultant, educator, and mentor.

Reyna Franco, RDN
Medical Reviewer
Reyna Franco, RDN, is a New York City–based dietitian-nutritionist, certified specialist in sports dietetics, and certified personal trainer. She is a diplomate of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and has a master's degree in nutrition and exercise physiology from Columbia University.
In her private practice, she provides medical nutrition therapy for weight management, sports nutrition, diabetes, cardiac disease, renal disease, gastrointestinal disorders, cancer, food allergies, eating disorders, and childhood nutrition. To serve her diverse patients, she demonstrates cultural sensitivity and knowledge of customary food practices. She applies the tenets of lifestyle medicine to reduce the risk of chronic disease and improve health outcomes for her patients.
Franco is also a corporate wellness consultant who conducts wellness counseling and seminars for organizations of every size. She taught sports nutrition to medical students at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, taught life cycle nutrition and nutrition counseling to undergraduate students at LaGuardia Community College, and precepts nutrition students and interns. She created the sports nutrition rotation for the New York Distance Dietetic Internship program.
She is the chair of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine's Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist Member Interest Group. She is also the treasurer and secretary of the New York State Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, having previously served in many other leadership roles for the organization, including as past president, awards committee chair, and grant committee chair, among others. She is active in the local Greater New York Dietetic Association and Long Island Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, too.

Julie Cunningham, MPH, RDN, LDN, CDCES
Medical Reviewer
Julie Cunningham is a registered dietitian-nutritionist and a certified diabetes care and education specialist.
Cunningham received a bachelor's degree from Appalachian State University in North Carolina. She subsequently completed a master's degree in public health nutrition at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Cunningham has worked in women's and children's health, cardiology, and diabetes. She has written for Abbott Nutrition News, Edgepark Medical HealthInsights, diaTribe, Babylist, and others. She is also the author of 30 Days to Tame Type 2 Diabetes.
A resident of beautiful western North Carolina, Cunningham is an avid reader who enjoys yoga, travel, and all things chocolate.

Seth Gillihan, PhD
Medical Reviewer
- What Is Wellness? Global Wellness Institute.
ALL WELLNESS ARTICLES


/best-vacuum-for-allergies-1440x810.jpg)
/best-filtered-water-bottles-1440x810.jpg)

/best-pillows-for-side-sleepers-1440x810.jpg)
/best-places-to-find-trt-online-1440x810.jpg)
/best-pillows-1440x810.jpg)

