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Manna with Dr. Turner

Manna with Dr. Turner

By: by Michael Turner M.D.
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Are you looking for world-class health and wellness advice, combined with a dose of inspiration and spiritual encouragement? You’ve come to the right place. This is nourishment for body and soul. This is the MannaLife podcast.

drturner.substack.comMichael Turner M.D. Alternative & Complementary Medicine Hygiene & Healthy Living
Episodes
  • Core Strength, Resilience, and Redefining Aging

    Core Strength, Resilience, and Redefining Aging
    Oct 20 2025
    In this inspiring episode of Manna Life, Dr. Turner is joined by Dr. Ryan Nordell and Dr. John King for a deep dive into one of the most overlooked foundations of lifelong health—core strength. Together, they unpack why your spine, posture, and stability determine so much of your vitality as you age, and how to train smarter, not harder, for lasting mobility, strength, and resilience.Whether you’re recovering from an injury or simply looking to “age well,” this episode will challenge what you believe about getting older and empower you to take ownership of your health span—not just your lifespan.Rethinking Back Pain and “Getting Older”* Low back pain is one of the most common physical ailments—but it’s not an inevitable part of aging.* Dr. Nordell challenges the myth that pain and stiffness are “just getting older,” emphasizing that core stability is trainable at any age.* Most back issues stem from muscle imbalance and inactivity, not irreversible structural damage.The Foundation of True Core Strength* The transverse abdominis and multifidus muscles act as a corset, stabilizing the spine from the front and back.* Most people never train these deeper muscles; instead, they overemphasize the “six-pack” rectus abdominis and obliques.* Without activating your stabilizers, traditional core workouts can actually make your back weaker over time.Dr. Turner’s Personal Journey: From Injury to Resilience* Dr. Turner recounts his experience suffering a severe gym injury—a ruptured lumbar disc from heavy deadlifts—that led to surgery and forced him to rebuild from the ground up.* Recovery became a test of humility, patience, and self-applied functional medicine, rebuilding with swimming, light resistance, and consistent movement.* His story illustrates how the right rehab approach—anchored in mindset and consistency—can restore full function, even after surgery.Health Span vs. Life Span: The Longevity Connection* As Dr. Nordell explains, “I care less about living to 110 if the last 40 years are decrepit.”* Longevity isn’t just about time—it’s about quality: mobility, independence, and balance.* Prioritize flexibility, stability, and endurance training over maximal strength to extend your health span.Practical Core Training You Can Do Anywhere* You don’t need a gym membership to train effectively—bodyweight exercises and a few simple tools can maintain your fitness for life.* Key activation drill:* Find your hip bones and move your fingers slightly inward.* Draw your belly button gently toward your spine.* Hold for three seconds, release, and repeat 20–30 times.* Focus on isometric contractions and endurance-based reps to build stability that lasts all day.The Mindset of Proactive Health* America’s healthcare model is reactive, not proactive.* Instead of waiting for pain or illness, train your body and mind to stay strong, adaptable, and balanced.* Build resilience through movement you enjoy—play spike ball, lift with friends, or go for walks with your kids.Quick Tips for Building a Resilient Body* Train your transverse abdominis and multifidus before doing heavy lifts.* Incorporate balance and flexibility training as you age.* Listen to your body—know when to push and when to rest.* Consult a professional before starting a new program, especially if you already have back pain or injury.About Dr. Nordell:Dr. Ryan Nordell, DPT, LPC, is a globally recognized concierge doctor and longevity strategist with over 20 years of experience helping the world’s top performers—CEOs, athletes, celebrities, and UHNW families—optimize their energy, extend their lifespan, and live with purpose. He has been featured on Fox News and other leading media outlets for his expertise in functional medicine, non-surgical pain management, and high-performance health, positioning him as a trusted authority in today’s evolving health landscape.As co-founder of Elite Care Concierge (ECC). Dr. Nordell helped establish one of the most advanced concierge healthcare platforms in existence—delivering highly personalized, white-glove medical care built around advanced diagnostics, functional medicine, and precision performance strategies.Dr. Nordell is also founder and CEO of Orthopedic & Fitness Solutions, a concierge rehabilitation and pain optimization practice. His background in treating complex injuries has shaped his distinctive approach—fusing biomechanics, regenerative medicine, biohacking, and performance protocols into a customized path to healing and vitality.Beyond clinical practice, Dr. Nordell has been a behind-the-scenes advisor and growth architect for multiple high-growth wellness ventures, from 8- to 10-figure scale. His leadership blends clinical innovation, business strategy, and financial acumen—helping organizations clarify vision, elevate offerings, and thrive in competitive luxury markets.A sought-after speaker and thought leader, Dr. Nordell regularly ...
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    23 mins
  • Power Supplement: Berberine

    Power Supplement: Berberine
    Jun 4 2024
    Greetings Friends!As an Integrative Physician with a passion for natural measures, I am excited to bring to your attention the next installment in our series called “Power Supplements”. The goal is to educate and inspire you towards optimal health, always with an emphasis on natural, inexpensive, and practical ideas. So what’s next? Berberine. Berberine is a component of several historical medicinal herbs (e.g. Goldenseal, Barberry), features strongly in Chinese traditional medicine, and more recently has been extensively studied and validated to have significant medicinal value. It has been making waves in the supplement world and has featured prominently in several FLCCC protocols. Why all the hype? Let’s dive in! 1. Weight loss. Berberine enhances blood sugar uptake and utilization, promotes fat burning, and reduces insulin levels: The end result is your cells receive metabolic signals to burn energy instead of store it.And how, pray tell, does it do all that?.. It is a potent stimulator of AMPk. You know what else stimulates AMPk?Ozempic, Wegovy, and all the other GLP-1 agonists (read more here), as well as one of my other favorite supplements, EGCG (aka green tea extract). And because it stimulates AMPk, Berberine protects and promotes mitochondrial health and efficiency (read here). 2. Diabetes / blood sugar reductionAs mentioned above, Berberine enhances blood sugar uptake and utilization, and greater cellular uptake = less blood sugar floating in circulation. One study found lowering of the Hemoglobin A1c from 9.5% —> 7.5% (read here) and another from 7.5% to 6.6% (read here) — results equivalent to the prescription medications Metformin and rosiglitazone!Learn more:* Berberine and Pancreatic Beta Cells.* How Berberine Helps Manage Type 2 Diabetes3. Creates beneficial changes to your cholesterol levels.Like our friend, Nattokinase, Berberine lowers LDL and triglyceride levels. * My favorite talk explaining cholesterol levels: watch here* Why is there so much controversy about cholesterol and heart disease? watch here* Challenging talk describing goal LDL targets: watch here* Increases effectiveness of statin drugs: read hereBut even better….4. Actually shown to reverse atherosclerosis.People come to me all the time for anti-aging advice: You know what I tell them? The single most important anti-aging concept — ahead of hormones, ahead of cancer screening, ahead of any particular exercise or diet — is the health of your blood vessels (aka “cardiovascular health”).Why? Because cardiovascular health is responsible for 2 of the top 3 leading causes of death (heart attacks and strokes) and because the function of every other organ system in your body depends on a sufficient level of blood flow.Atherosclerosis (aka “hardening of the arteries”) is the pathologic condition describing damage to the artery walls, progressive cholesterol and calcium deposition, inflammation, narrowing, and propensity for clotting.* Great video of atherosclerosis: click hereThere are multiple factors that conspire to drive atherosclerosis (inflammation, high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, and lack of exercise, to name a few) but the most important of these is circulating cholesterol levels.Here’s the million-dollar question: Can it be reversed? Once you have created arterial damage, can it resolve and heal? Or only be slowed?Landmark intervention programs (including the Ornish method and Dr. Esselstyn’s program at Cleveland Clinic) have already answered that question. In addition, certain supplements — like nattokinase, aged garlic, Vitamin K, and Berberine — have also been shown to reverse it. Amazing! Learn more: Berberine Treats Atherosclerosis Via Vitamin-Like Effect5. Stimulates the immune system.Berberine increases blood supply to the spleen (read here), activates macrophages (read here) and has been used in China since 1972 to boost white blood cell counts in patients undergoing chemo and radiation (read here). 6. Fights Cancer Multiple mechanisms against cancer, including stimulating white blood cells (as above), regulating autophagy, and inhibiting metastasis (read here). It also has direct killing activity against tumor cells, most notably demonstrating activity against one of the most feared brain tumors — glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) (read here and here).7. Anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties* Strong, broad-spectrum antibacterial actions, especially against group A Strep (hence traditional use of Goldenseal as a remedy for Strep Throat).* FYI: sold in China for decades as an over-the-counter (OTC) treatment for bacterial-caused diarrhea. * Potent anti-fungal activity against candida.8. Brain Booster: Cognition-Enhancing Properties of BerberineThe roles of Berberine in the brain are, truly, too extensive to all list here, but let’s hit some highlights:* Reduces enzymatic activity involved in the development of Alzheimer’s* Reduces beta-amyloid plaque ...
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    15 mins
  • Doctor Turner and Del Bigtree Discuss on 'The Highwire' - Revitalizing the Doctor-Patient Relationship

    Doctor Turner and Del Bigtree Discuss on 'The Highwire' - Revitalizing the Doctor-Patient Relationship
    Dec 23 2023

    Dear Friends,

    Many of you joined our Substack community since I appeared on The Highwire with Del Bigtree, so we thought to make it available as a Substack post, in keeping with our recent COVID theme.

    With Best Wishes for Your Health and Wellness,

    Featured on this episode of The Highwire:

    * Doctor-Patient Relationship and Insurance Influence

    * Importance of Trust in Healthcare

    * Patient-Driven Change in Healthcare

    * Medical Professional Responsibility

    * Rebuilding the doctor patient relationship

    Watch the full episode which includes a mini-documentary on Dr. Turner HERE:

    About Dr. Turner:

    Michael K. Turner, M.D., is a graduate of Stanford University, Harvard Medical School and The Mayo Clinic. He practices Integrative Medicine in his own national concierge practice, providing personalized approaches (including hormones, sleep, recovery, nutrition, supplements and exercise) to help people achieve their optimal state of health. Called “genuine”, “caring”, and “the best doctor in the world” by patients, he brings a high degree of empathy, trademark optimism, and a holistic approach to patient care. He brings a passion for excellence to everything he does. He believes in living and modeling a healthy, balanced lifestyle.

    What would it feel like to be as healthy as you could possibly be?

    I hope you all connect with me at www.MichaelTurnerMD.com

    Learn How To Remove the Spike Protein from your body!

    Find more episodes of The Highwire and help support verified truth!

    https://thehighwire.com/



    This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit drturner.substack.com/subscribe
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    35 mins
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